Thread: GOP DIVIDED ON MANDATORY MINIMUMS FOR PREVIOUSLY DEPORTED ILLEGALS

REPORT: GOP DIVIDED ON MANDATORY MINIMUMS FOR PREVIOUSLY DEPORTED ILLEGALS


AP Photo

by CAROLINE MAY11 Aug 20153

While Republicans have rallied to find a legislative response to the murder of Kathryn Steinle, Politico reports that Senate Judiciary Republicans are divided on efforts to attach mandatory sentences to illegal immigrants who re-enter the U.S. following a deportation.

Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) would like to see legislation that would impose a mandatory minimum of five years on illegal immigrants who re-enter the country illegally after being deported. Last month Cruz introduced “Kate’s Law” that would apply such minimums.Meanwhile, Politico reports that Sens.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) , as critics of mandatory minimums for certain nonviolent crimes, are wary of applying them to illegal immigrants as well.“That would not be something that I would be recommending,” Politico quoted Flake on five year minimums for re-entry. “There may be some ways to accommodate some of those concerns, but not with mandatory minimums like that.”

Steinle’s murder in the sanctuary city of San Francisco — allegedly at the hands of a multiple deportee, illegal immigrant with a lengthy rap sheet — has spurred the effort to apply more aggressive punishments to illegal immigrants who return to the U.S. illegally after a previous deportation as well as moves to crack down on sanctuary cities that do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Complicating matters for the GOP is its small 11-9 majority in the Senate Judiciary Committee. As Politico notes, the margin leaves little room for Republican dissent in committee.

According to Politico, Lee has so far been unwavering from his opposition to including mandatory minimums and has said he would oppose legislation that includes such a provision.

“We have to have enough votes to get a bill out of committee, and we’ll have to deal with that when we deal with it,” Grassley said. “I can’t control anybody else’s vote and there’s other things other than just mandatory minimums that are important to get done so that’s what we’re gonna have to do.”

Another Senate Judiciary Committee member, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) expressed openness to both sides, but rationalized that concern over mandatory minimums is best reserved for U.S. citizens, not illegal immigrants.“These are noncitizens violating our immigration laws,” Politico quoted Tillis. “I think you can hold them to a different standard. Some may think it’s a conflict; I look at these as people illegally entering and re-entering the country, and that’s why I’m able to rationalize.”

Last month the House passed legislation cracking down on sanctuary cities by restricting their federal law enforcement grants.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-governm...rted-illegals/

I'm not that familiar with Sen. Mike Lee, however, I do know Sen. Flake very well and he has always been an advocate for illegal immigrants. His objection to mandatory minimum sentencing doesn't surprise me one bit.

1. If they made the first trip in a felony instead of a misdemeanor, that would significantly reduce the number of return trips.

2. If we pass a 10 year moratorium on new immigration which we desperately need, then that shuts them out of any potential for a chance to become legal.

3. If we pass Trey Gowdy's bill to turn states loose to enforce US immigration law, that will ensure that everyone is deported making it very difficult for repeaters to come back since they won't have any illegal alien relatives to live or work with.

4. If we pass E-Verify, then that will make it much harder for them to be hired, and with a felony record, that makes it even more problematic for an illegal employer to hire them.

5. If we do away with anchor baby citizenship either through Steve King or David Vitter's bills, then there will be no Medicaid or other federal or state benefits for them.

6. If we pass the FairTax, that ends the EITC refunds to illegal aliens filing phony tax returns.

7. If we cut-off federal funding of education benefits for illegal aliens, then that does away with the mess in our public schools, colleges and universities and motivates states that would now be footing the entire bill, to get them out of here.

7 little laws and the problem is solved. Put them all one bill and pass it tomorrow.

Why is Mike Lee against mandatory sentences for repeat illegal alien offenders?



The Senate is considering a bill which would impose mandatory prison sentences on illegal aliens who are deported and then are captured after returning to the country again. The usual assortment of liberal politicians oppose this... as well as Tea Party supporter Mike Lee of Utah.

Ted Cruz and other Senate Republicans are pushing an aggressive immigration crackdown, proposing tougher penalties against foreigners who repeatedly try to enter the United States illegally.

On one side are Republicans such as Cruz, who’s promoted his so-called Kate’s Law on the 2016 stage, powerful Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa, and Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama... They are all lobbying for legislation that would enact a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years for immigrants who try to re-enter the country illegally after being deported.

“It is legislation that ought to pass 100 to nothing,” Cruz told POLITICO in a brief interview. “Every senator, Republican and Democrat, should support keeping this nation safe from criminal illegal aliens.”

But on the opposing side are Senate Republicans such as Mike Lee of Utah — a close Cruz ally — and Jeff Flake of Arizona, who have both criticized mandatory minimums for certain crimes and are skittish about implementing such penalties for undocumented immigrants.

Lee, who has aligned with liberal Democratic Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Dick Durbin of Illinois to ease mandatory minimums for certain crimes, is uncomfortable with such binding punishments for immigration offenses, and he’s threatening to oppose sanctuary cities legislation that includes mandatory minimums.

Five years may be harsh where the only crime is reentering our country illegally. But our citizens are being slaughtered on our streets by illegal aliens, deported again and again, who return with impunity, knowing there is no effective penalty. If this law were on the books it would cause illegals to think twice before reentering the country. Now, since they know there is no penalty, they keep coming back over and over, and that includes the drug dealers, the mentally ill, and the rapists and the killers.

It's disappointing that Mike Lee is more concerned about the liberties of illegals who repeatedly break our laws than the safety of United States citizens.
(Abridged version originally published in AT)
http://newsmachete.com/?news=909