Thread: Remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff

At the source link is Chertoff's speech and after was a question and answer period. Only posting this one question here:

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Remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at the 2007 B'Nai Brith International Policy Conference
Release Date: October 30, 2007

Washington, DC

Question: First of all, on behalf of, I'm sure, all our colleagues, thank you for your service to this country. (Applause.) The question I have has to do with sanctuary cities. As you know, in Chicago, which is a sanctuary city, and the other five cities that has the sanctuary city impact on illegal immigration, which impacts on Homeland Security, could you briefly comment on what is being done in that particular area?

Secretary Chertoff: Well, of course, we'll - you know, the phrase "sanctuary cities" means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, so it's always a little hard to generalize. As it happens, we are currently suing the State of Illinois because the State of Illinois has made it, for all intents and purposes, illegal for employers to use our electronic verification systems to verify the work status of their employees. Since we regard that as an actual interference with our obligation to enforce the law, obviously we have to fight against that.

I recognize there are a range of other positions that some states and cities take. Some are very active; in fact, take their own initiative in terms of seeking to identify and remove illegal aliens or at least notify us. And some we train in how to - we have a program that allows us to train people in how to deport - legally and properly - people who are here illegally.

Some states and cities take the position they don't want to be involved - it's not a state and city function, it's a federal function. Some go further and actually affirmatively try to interfere. Obviously we can't brook interference from state and locals. At the same time, I think - my reading of the Constitution is, we can't compel state and locals to do our work for us. We have a responsibility to do it for ourselves.

But since you raise the issue of homeland security, let me say this - and I've said it publicly before - although I think enforcement is a critical element of our immigration law and that we have to - we cannot have a circumstance where people come across the border at will - although we put an awful lot of resources into this, including now having 15,000 - having had a 3,500 Border Patrol over the last year, having now about 116 miles of fencing, and about 120 miles of vehicle barriers at the border, putting high technology up, doing very active enforcement at the workplace and against gang members - with all that and with the fact that we've seen approximately almost a 25 percent decrease in flow across the border, I can't tell you that the solution to the immigration problem lies alone in enforcement.

As the President said in his - as we've tried to pass in Congress earlier this year, in the end, because of the fact that economic migrants are coming here to do jobs that Americans are giving them, we have to find some way to deal with this economic engine that is drawing people in. And that means finding a way to fill those jobs and have the people who are doing those jobs be visible and regulated, and, in fact, if they broke the law in coming in, they should pay a price for it. But we need to be realistic about what we can achieve in terms of simply tossing 11 or 12 million people out of the country.

My main interest in this is security. And the truth is that the biggest danger to security is that terrorists or criminals or drug dealers will submerge themselves in a wave of economic migrants. It's a little bit like lying down in the tall grass and using the economic migrants for cover. So if we can find a way to deal with economic migration that brings migrants in to the law, that makes them pay their debt to society if they have a debt to society, that regulates their behavior, then all of the assets and all of the resources we have can be deployed against the minority - but nevertheless dangerous minority - of illegals who are not coming to do work but are coming in to sell drugs, commit crimes, or commit acts of terror.

So in the end - I know that the American people have become skeptics about the ability of the United States to do this. I will tell you that with each step I've taken - my agency has taken - to continue to enhance and increase the enforcement of the law, we have had unbelievable obstacles thrown in our face - there are probably a hundred cases entitled ACLU v. Chertoff. I'm sued by everybody. People don't want us to have No-Match Letters that require employers to check whether their employees are legal or not. They don't want us to have fences. They don't want us not to have fences. They don't want us to conduct arrests when we run across people who are dangerous. Some don't even want us to arrest gang members, because they think it's unfair to be arresting gang members.

I'm determined to demonstrate - and I think the 208,000 people in my department are determined to demonstrate to the American public that we will continue to fight to enforce the law. We will vigorously dispute lawsuits that try to tie us down. We will use every measure that we can - fairly, but firmly and dare I say toughly - to enforce the law.

But at the end, we will also, I think, need to go back to Congress and say, brute force alone is the hardest, most expensive and most time consuming way to get the job done. We need a little help to deal with the economic migration situation so we can really focus our whole effort on those who are truly dangerous. (Applause.)

http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/speeches/sp_1193786316049.shtm

I'm determined to demonstrate - and I think the 208,000 people in my department are determined to demonstrate to the American public that we will continue to fight to enforce the law.

Too little ... too late... I want Bush and Chertoff charged with Treason

As the President said in his - as we've tried to pass in Congress earlier this year, in the end, because of the fact that economic migrants are coming here to do jobs that Americans are giving them, we have to find some way to deal with this economic engine that is drawing people in. And that means finding a way to fill those jobs and have the people who are doing those jobs be visible and regulated, and, in fact, if they broke the law in coming in, they should pay a price for it. But we need to be realistic about what we can achieve in terms of simply tossing 11 or 12 million people out of the country.

Homeland security ....and the man can not even get the number right...He is a weasel....once a traitor always a traitor....all he is doing is appeasing the critics...while they plan to get other things like drivers licenses in order...in fact amnesty...
And he agreed that the employers want them...and sounds like he is going to assist them in keeping them over American Citizens...over the will of the American people....I wish he was a real man with real testosterone...We need real security..maybe we should privatize and hire Blackwater

I also want the ACLU charged with treason

I see he's still pushing the Bush administration amnesty agenda.

If I hear we can't get rig of 12 million illegals i am going to scream. That just shows how ignorant he, and the others like him, are.

He's not ignorant = he just thinks we are.

"208,000 people in my department"

And that is only ONE gov dept! Can you even begin to imagine the federal payroll???????????????????????

And the bigger it gets, the more inept it becomes.