Thread: Congressional Reactions to 287(g) Revisions

A background story:
New Edict on Immigration Enforcement
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 2065.story

Congressional Reactions to 287(g) Revisions

by Mickey McCarter
Monday, 13 July 2009

Democrats back new agreement but Republicans voice concerns

Members of Congress disagreed on the wisdom of revisions to a federal agreement that deputizes local law enforcement officers to arrest criminal aliens to focus those efforts on illegal immigrants who pose a threat to US communities. The revisions generally drew praise from Democrats but protests from Republicans.

The revised memorandum of understanding provides new instructions on how local law enforcement agencies should approach execution of their duties under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which empowers US Immigration and Customs Enforceement (ICE) to grant local agencies the ability to carry out the functions of federal immigration officers.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson declared that the original program had dangerously morphed "beyond its original boundaries and led to a lack of accountability."

"I am gratified that this committee's oversight led the Department to revamp the 287(g) program," Thompson said in a statement. "This $60 million initiative was intended to allow local law enforcement authorities to remove dangerous aliens. With the proper training and supervision, these local peacekeepers could have been a potent force multiplier. Unfortunately, this opportunity was squandered and the previous administration allowed popularity to become a replacement for documented performance and constitutional principles."

Revisions to the program will result in taking the program back to its original purpose, he added.

Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, accused the revisions to 287(g) agreements of hurting the ability of local law enforcement agencies to protect Americans.

"Today's 287 (g) announcement by DHS is a stark departure from current practice and I fear will only hinder our law enforcement agencies' ability to apprehend and detain illegal aliens," Rogers said in a statement. "The current 287(g) program enables state and local law enforcement to effectively enforce federal immigration law and is key to keeping our country safe. These agreements have addressed weaknesses in our immigration system and are proven to be effective as is.

'Standardizing' 287(g) agreements and limiting apprehension activities to only 'criminal aliens' is shortsighted and prevents local law enforcement from following a tried-and-true system that prevents illegal activities specific to their region of the country. This is the last thing we need to do to the men and women who work everyday to protect us," he said.

None of the 19 9/11 hijackers would have been identified as criminal aliens, Rogers noted, and thus the new program may restrict tools that police forces need to pursue threats to the nation.

Some immigration advocates called upon Congress to change the laws, calling the 287(g) program misguided.

"We have been critical of 287(g) as it currently stands because the reality on the ground has been a program that encourages police to go after immigrants who have not committed serious crimes. Any enforcement regime that targets that population is a waste of time and money and a band-aid on an open wound, at best," said Ali Noorani, executive director of the nonprofit National Immigration Forum.

Reviewing the agreements was a good idea but expanding them to 11 new communities, as announced July 10, in addition to the 66 previously participating jurisdictions, is a mistake, Noorani added. If the revisions do have any teeth, then law enforcement officials that have been "abusing their power under the program," such as Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Ariz., should lose their authority to participate in it.

Instead of working with failed programs, Congress should work on comprehensive immigration reform that will offer true options to an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States, Noorani said.

http://www.hstoday.us/content/view/9337/128/

The Dems are still screwing with us.

The pro side of this issue doesn't want any laws enforced, they want everyone in the world to freely enter our country at will....anyone who can not see what a mistake that would be is an idiot!!

Open borders is insanity!! enforce all our laws for anyone in this country illegally, learn from past mistakes, 1986 anmesty did not work!! period!!

Bennie Thompson SUCKS.
his state is the state that has had the biggest ICE Raid in the history of the country. to try to put it back to where it begins.
i dont think anything needs to go back when the same rules have applied since day one

The Dems are now going after the CIA and claim everyone must follow "The Rule Of Law". HYPOCRITES !!!!!!!!!

To Bennie Thompson's credit, he wrote an official letter to the DHS stating that he had been "shocked" at the unverified accusations against U.S. veterans contained in the "right wing extemists" report DHS released. I was pleasantly surprised. However, that does not excuse his setting the popular and effective 287(g) proram "in his sights". They want to get rid of it because it works!