CO: Step Taken To Close Illegal Immigration Loophole

http://wfmz.com/view/?id=59158

Feb 8, 2007 6:43 pm US/Mountain

Step Taken To Close Illegal Immigration Loophole

Terry Jessup
Reporting

(CBS4) DENVER State lawmakers have taken the first step to change a legal loophole that helps illegal immigrants who commit crimes. The loophole allows immigrants to be deported without their criminal record following them.

The bill's supporters say nationwide, at least 500,000 times a year, illegal immigrants are arrested for crimes, then volunteer to be deported, only to return to the same states where there's not even a record of their crimes.

In 22 years as a bail agent, Mary Ellen Pollack has seen all kinds of criminals. She said when illegals get arrested, many times they'll agree to be deported, so the state will then dismiss charges without having the charges even recorded in any criminal database.

"They're raping, robbing and stealing, bailing out and going right back out and coming right back in under an alias," Pollack said. "And nobody's doing anything because there's no warrant, there's no history, there's no nothing."

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office said they arrest an average of 90 illegal immigrants every day. It's now common to post a cash bond, which has to be returned before the feds take over the deportation.

"The problem is the federal courts don't have to recognize any criminal charges from state court when they're looking at deportation of these individuals," Paula Presley of the El Paso Co Sheriff's Office said.

"This loophole, right now, as it currently stands, gives illegal criminals a get out of jail with no record card," Representative Amy Stephens, a Republican from Monument said.

"By voluntarily departing this country, and having their cases dismissed is wrong," Fourth Judicial District Attorney John Newsome said. "That's a benefit that Colorado citizens don't have. If they don't show up in court, a warrant is issued."

Aside from abusing the system, the El Paso County Sheriff said it's slap in the face to crime victims.

"The victim that was assaulted and kidnapped, her biggest question is, why was he set free?" El Paso Co. Sheriff Terry Maketa said. "Why was his case dismissed, and what's going to happen with my case?"

A solution was proposed in the bill the house committee passed Thursday afternoon by a vote of 9 to 2. The bill requires that the state judge issue a warrant when these cases come before them, so if that person is not deported, or returns from deportation, which so often happens, there is a record they are in the system. That was not a requirement before; a loophole not addressed in the 41 illegal immigration bills passed in last year's special session.

One of the two committee members who voted against the bill said the problems have been caused by the feds and require a federal solution.

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"By voluntarily departing this country, and having their cases dismissed is wrong," Fourth Judicial District Attorney John Newsome said. "That's a benefit that Colorado citizens don't have. If they don't show up in court, a warrant is issued."

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Here we go again, illegal aliens getting preferential treatment that legal U.S. citizens don't. And criminal illegals to boot. They get to commit crime after crime, because the lame judicial system won't record their criminal activities, so they pretty much operate with impunity. So if CO changes this ludicrous system, does that mean other states will follow suit? Not likely, especially in sanctuary cities like Los Angeles and states like Mexifornia.

I wonder how many innocent Americans have been raped, molested, murdered or robbed by repeat offenders who were given a free pass by the courts, just because they volunteered to return to their home countries for a few days or weeks. No wonder so many illegal aliens are repeat criminals, they know that by agreeing to go home for short vacation, they can escape jail time and have their records clean.

This absurdity is almost unblelievable, but then again, given the insane way our government operates, it shouldn't be a surprise. Border Patrol agents get hard time for protecting us against illegal alien drug traffickers, the smugglers get immunity, and now we learn, criminal aliens have been getting endless 'Get out of jail free' cards. Isn't American wonderful?