Thread: Homeland security chief says China, others block deportation

Homeland security chief says China, other countries block deportations
By Chris Strohm CongressDaily March 4, 2008

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff Tuesday said he wants to work with Congress on legislation that would place sanctions on countries that refuse to take back citizens who are in the United States illegally. Chertoff told the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Committee he would like to craft "alternative ways" to pressure countries to take back their citizens who the U.S. government is trying to deport because they entered the country illegally.

Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Ben Nelson, D-Neb., said one option would be to deny visas to citizens from countries causing the deportation problem. Specter said eight countries are refusing to accept a total of about 135,000 people who are in the United States illegally. He added that illegal immigrants who have served prison time for committing crimes cannot be held for more than an additional six months in detention facilities, meaning they are released inside the United States if they are not deported. Chertoff said the Chinese government is the worst at taking back its citizens and about 50,000 illegal immigrants are waiting to be returned to China.

Tuesday's hearing provided fresh evidence that Congress is shifting attention in this election year to efforts to track down and deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes. For the last two years, lawmakers devoted considerable attention to beefing up U.S. border security to prevent people from entering the country illegally. But last week, members of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee said they wanted Immigration and Customs Enforcement to more quickly identify illegal immigrants within the prison population. Specter said Tuesday that a group of senators will introduce legislation Wednesday that would deal with enforcement of U.S. immigration laws and border security. Senate aides were unable to provide details about the legislation.

On other fronts, senators used the hearing to criticize parts of the Homeland Security Department's fiscal 2009 budget request. Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, said he is certain Senate appropriators will boost funding for state and local homeland security grant programs. He said the department is seeking about $2 billion less in grant funding than Congress allocated for fiscal 2008. Chertoff said the request for grant funding is about equal to what the department sought for the current fiscal year.
"We've made some tough tradeoffs," he said. "But I do think we have built a disciplined and effective investment in our state and local governments totaling $23 billion over the life of this department. That is a lot of money." Overall, Chertoff called the budget request sound and said he believes it allocates resources where they are most needed.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said the department's so-called Real ID regulation placed an unfunded mandate on states. Under the regulation, states will be required to issue their residents secure driver's licenses and identification documents. Alexander said he plans to offer an amendment to the fiscal 2009 Homeland Security spending bill that would prohibit the department from implementing Real ID until the federal government covers all the costs associated with it. Homeland Security estimates that Real ID will cost about $4 billion to implement.

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0308/030408cdpm1.htm

Homeland security chief says China, other countries block deportationsBy Chris Strohm CongressDaily March 4, 2008 45203

Comments

If you stop the reason for illegals coming here and punish those countries that will not take back their own citizens-it makes sense they will stop coming (or a least fewer shall come). However, when did anyone accuse the Congress of having any sense or concerns for America. I have come to believe the Congress men and woman of today only care about themselves and the power they can obtain thru supposedly serving the public. I can do a better job representing the American people. However, unless your a lawyer and rich we all know that will not happen!
Bone Tired Posted March 6, 2008 10:01 AM 45104

Charles, the 6 month detention limit is imposed on DHS by the Supreme Court. Congress might be able to address it by statute, but I doubt they would. However, this would be an interesting new use for Gitmo or a similiar location.
Dan, please tell us your kidding. My guess is you have never opened a container and found a bloated dead person in it. People traveling inside containers are really playing Russian roulette. (Is that a politically incorrect ethnic reference?)
Jim Kaley Posted March 5, 2008 6:26 PM 45098

How does this sound quit issuing the visas and cut business off. Cut so many for say 6 months and if they will not take back their people cut more imports off until they are down to nothing. Prices may go up here, but maybe all the US companies that are making toys, food etc in those countries will be going out of business.
Don't accept it just because it's a US business; they are having the items made and shipped from China (or wherever) so cut China (or whereever) off where it counts. No more goods mean no more US company jobs until they accept their people back.
DoD Civ Posted March 5, 2008 3:44 PM 45062

Sanctions will not help. That is like holding our breath and having a tantrum until they do what we want. Come ON Government! Quit treating these arrogant countries with kid gloves. If a person is here illegally, then they are breaking our law and should be detained, NOT RELEASED BACK INTO SOCIETY!! Send them to GITMO or some similar facility until they can be deported. AND, start actually controlling the boarder and immigration. We don't need a continuation of namby pamby policies and head-in-the-sand attitude.
charles thompson Posted March 5, 2008 10:48 AM 45057

Just stuff them in the empty containers and send them back that's how they get here
dan ketter Posted March 5, 2008 10:41 AM 45047

Chertoff is correct that this refusal to take its criminal citizens back is a major problem for DHS. This is a longstanding problem that predates the creation of DHS. However, let's be realistic. Chertoff is asking Congress to take sanctions on China, among other countries. The current and previous presidents both worked diligently to make us a debtor nation to China, our business community works to move American factories and jobs to China, our people suck up Chinese junk merchandise at Walmart, et al. China takes all that profit and uses it to enlarge and modernize its navy and army and increase its amphibious warfare capacity as its military leaders openly state their intent to take Taiwan. Does any country send more spies, both military and industrial, to the US?
Anyone listening to the news knows China sends us lead tainted toys, contaminated food, defective drugs, unsafe this and dangerous that, some argue they provide campaign contributions to influence elections. Now their uncontrolled air pollution arrives on our west coast. Congress' big accomplishment so far this year is pushing the FBI into conducting an investigation as to whether or not a major league pitcher lied about taking drugs and thus influenced the outcome of baseball games a decade ago.
I sincerely wish Mr. Chertoff luck in his search for a congress member who will put the interests of the citizens of the US before those of the corporations that fund campaigns. He is also correct in implying that it is time for Congress to use DHS funds to operate DHS and not to fund fire trucks for communities that can afford their own or pay for DMV operations. I advise him not to hold his breath while waiting. If he succeeds, I would happily buy him a nice dinner on one of his trips home to New Jersey, because I would sure like to hear how he did it.
Jim Kaley Posted March 5, 2008 9:41 AM 45034

As a taxpayer, I'm appalled that we have 135,000 people identified as entering this country illegally and we can't ship them back to their own countries. How many of those 135,000 people are collected government entitlements, using our health care system free of charge, or have children in our school systems? I can almost understand how easy it is for people from Mexico to cross our borders, but tell me how 50,000 chinese people crossed an ocean and entered this country undetected? If the country doesn't want to take them back, the US should insist and impose sanctions if necessary.
Monica Posted March 5, 2008 7:41 AM 44987

I strongly feel that countries who refuse to repatriate their citizens, upon a notice of deportation, should be refused further visa issuance for their citizens to include certain political cabinet members as well. Not to repatriate their citizens is a slap in the face to our nation and to have them continue this is reprehensible. According to our foreign Ambassadors, they are required to give out so many visas regardless of a persons economic background. Guess what, those same people who receive the visitors visa end up remaining here in the US. I see it every day when I go to the store. Not everyone that is here illegally got here by "sneaking" across the border. They ALSO come here with a valid visitor's visa. Ask the numerous CBP officers on a primary line how often they notice a person is returning as a visa overstay and the lack of manpower to do anything about it except in the most extreme of circumstances. Just as disconcerting is their receipt of a Parole letter issued by the District due to a request to adjust status after one WONDERFUL visit to an Immigration Attorney. This practice should be discontinued as well.
Erich Nathan Posted March 5, 2008 1:56 AM 44981

It is about time. Just quit issuing visas (any kind of visa) to countries that won't take back their own citizens.
Stephen Posted March 4, 2008 10:09 PM