Thread: Houston: More calls for reform following Chronicle report

More calls for reform following Chronicle immigration report
By SUSAN CARROLL
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Dec. 5, 2008, 5:29P

After meeting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Houston this afternoon, local members of Congress said they were encouraged by ICE's progress in recent months to identify and detain illegal immigrants in local jails, but called for more reform by the agency.

Southeast Texas' Congressional delegation called the meeting with top ICE officials following a Houston Chronicle investigation last month that exposed a breakdown at the Harris County Jail that resulted in illegal immigrants with criminal records avoiding deportation.

The Chronicle investigation found that federal immigration officials allowed scores of violent criminals, including some ordered deported decades ago, to walk away from Harris County Jail despite the inmates' admission that they were in the country illegally.

The Chronicle examined arrest and immigration records for 3,500 inmates who told Harris County jailers that they were in the country illegally during a span of eight months, starting in June 2007.

In 177 cases reviewed by the newspaper, inmates who were released from jail after admitting to being in the country illegally later were charged with additional crimes. More than half of those charges were felonies, including aggravated sexual assault of a child and capital murder.

The report also found dozens of cases in Harris County involving suspected illegal immigrants who posted bail and absconded on criminal charges.

U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, said today that the delegation wants ICE to provide information by January on measures to ensure that illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes are not making bond. Brady added that they want to make sure illegal immigrants convicted of crimes — and are eligible for deportation — are removed from the country.

The delegation also wants a timeline from ICE officials on when an automated fingerprint check system that the agency implemented in Harris County Jail in October will be available in the rest of the state.

Congressmen Michael McCaul, Gene Green, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Congressman-elect Pete Olson attended the briefing at ICE headquarters in Houston. Congressmen John Culberson and Al Green sent staff members to the Houston meeting.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, received a briefing today in Washington D.C. from ICE officials.

"I am pleased that ICE and Harris County officials are moving quickly to address my concerns," Cornyn said in a statement this afternoon. "ICE informed me that they have developed an effective working relationship with Harris County and other Texas law enforcement entities to ensure all criminal aliens housed in the Harris County system are screened for immigration and criminal history. In addition, ICE assured me that they are working with state and local law enforcement to ensure that dangerous criminal aliens, repeat offenders, and felons are detained prior to removal from the United States to ensure the safety of U.S. citizens."

Cornyn added that the newspaper's investigation is only the latest example of why comprehensive immigration reform must be a top priority in 2009 for Congress and the incoming administration.

ICE officials have said the agency has made significant improvements in the last year including giving Harris County jailers access to a database that automatically checks suspects' immigration history. ICE spokesman Gregory Palmore has said that ICE identified more than 221,000 incarcerated criminals for potential deportation nationally last fiscal year, which ended in September.

During the same time, ICE removed 107,000 convicted criminals from the United States. The agency also trained nine Harris County jailers in August to help file paperwork to detain illegal immigrants.

susan.carroll@chron.com
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6149764.html

Cornyn added that the newspaper's investigation is only the latest example of why comprehensive immigration reform must be a top priority in 2009 for Congress and the incoming administration

What does Sen. Cornyn mean by this?? I hope not "pathway to citizenship" amnesty. Has anyone from Texas contacted him about what exactly he means by this?

Originally Posted by Populist

Cornyn added that the newspaper's investigation is only the latest example of why comprehensive immigration reform must be a top priority in 2009 for Congress and the incoming administration

What does Sen. Cornyn mean by this?? I hope not "pathway to citizenship" amnesty. Has anyone from Texas contacted him about what exactly he means by this?

I will call his office on monday and ask what this means.
with the economy as bad as it is, and another 1/2 million people losing jobs last month and 1.2Million in the last three months, the last thing we need is to award lawbreakers

Not that again!

Extensive Immigration Enforcement is what we need. Comprehend that!

Dixie

Does anyone remember, was cornyn on our side I'm brain dead but seems to me he voted against amnesty and didn't we support him for re election?

I just checked numbers he has a B+ on illegal immigration...wonder just what he meant by comprehensive that is a bad word in my book, especially when it comes from someone on capitol hill

We know what that SOB means! Comprehensive Immigration Reform is AMNESTY. Those jerks are going to try and threaten the US population and say "If you want the bad ones deported you got to let the rest become citizens so we will know the difference blah blah blah"

I say Monday we unleash our callers on his office.

W

This terrible example from Texas shows that our government still has almost ZERO enforcement credibilty.

It was the lack of enforcement credibility that helped stop the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Amnesty attempts in 2006 and 2007.

It is clear that Cornyn is for that Amnesty and is trying to turn the tables on this setback for their side.

W

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

I say Monday we unleash our callers on his office.
W

We should call. Note, this is on his home page now:

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Sen. Cornyn: Recent Security Lapses Underline Need To Address Comprehensive Immigration Reform In 111th Congress
Friday, December 5, 2008

WASHINGTON–Today U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee On Immigration, Refugees and Border Security, received a briefing in Washington from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. Sen. Cornyn requested the briefing in a November 19, 2008, letter to ICE following a Houston Chronicle report citing ICE’s failure to detain and immediately remove from the U.S. hundreds of dangerous criminal aliens upon their release from Harris County jails.

“I am pleased that ICE and Harris County officials are moving quickly to address my concerns. ICE informed me that they have developed an effective working relationship with Harris County and other Texas law enforcement entities to ensure all criminal aliens housed in the Harris County system are screened for immigration and criminal history. In addition, ICE assured me that they are working with State and local law enforcement to ensure that dangerous criminal aliens, repeat offenders, and felons are detained prior to removal from the United States to ensure the safety of U.S. citizens. I look forward to helping the Department of Homeland Security team up with local law enforcement throughout Texas so that we do not see a repeat of this unacceptable situation.

“[b]While it is clear that ICE, along with State and local law enforcement in Texas, are working to address this dangerous issue, this investigation is only the latest example of why comprehensive immigration reform must be a top priority in 2009 for Congress and the incoming administration. The consequences of continued inaction are too great. President-elect Obama vowed earlier this year to make immigration reform a top priority while in office, and I hope he keeps his campaign promise. Both parties need to put politics aside and work together in a bipartisan manner to get a comprehensive bill passed next Congress. If we have the support and commitment from the President-elect, I’m optimistic a solution with broad support will be found.â€

Read closely his statement below on "Immigration/Border Security" from his campaign website (note, he was just re-elected). It looks like he is promoting amnesty (using the amnesty euphemism "comprehensive immigration reform") and then enforcement of laws.

In other words, this is what we were fed in the 1986: amnesty then enforcement (with the enforcement never happening) & is exactly why we cannot trust this now.

From campaign website:

Senator Cornyn has insisted that we address the long-overdue reform of our broken immigration system – that we enforce our laws – not ignore them. The law protects all of us, no matter where we come from or how we pronounce our last names. We must commit to a legal immigration system that serves the best interests of our country. That means securing the border and enacting comprehensive immigration reform legislation that can be enforced. Securing the border will require a number of steps, including increased numbers of Border Patrol agents (we’ve doubled them in the last four years), vehicle barriers and fencing in appropriate locations, and technological-assisted electronics, drones and other methods. Immigration reform is long overdue, and Senator Cornyn believes it can best be resolved through a comprehensive approach followed by strict enforcement of the new law.

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Note, his short video blurb on immigration also on his campaign website appears to differ slightly from his written statement above. I encourage you to listen to it (very short). On the video, he says: start with enforcing the law & securing the border, and after securing the border & regaining trust of people, enact comprehensive immigration reform for those "who have worked here for years without documentation." This is similar to the John McCain amnesty scheme, and Cornyn seems to be implying the border is close to being secure (e.g. saying above that the number of Border Patrol agents have doubled, and telling the press today that "comprehensive reform" should be enacted this next Congress!):

Short video here (scroll down to "Immigration/Border Security"):

http://www.johncornyn.com/issues

We should stress to Sen. Cornyn that with 533,000 Americans losing their jobs last month alone & unemployment at a 15-year high, the only "humane" "comprehensive" reform needed is to help American workers by enforcing our laws & reducing illegal immigration through attrition, and not another amnesty.

**So the inconsistencies in Cornyn's statements seem clear:

He states on his campaign website that we have to start with enforcing the laws & securing the border, regain the trust of the American people, and after this, move onto "comprehensive reform."

But today 12/5, he states "comprehensive reform" must be a top priority in 2009. So in other words, he is claiming that the border is secured, laws enforced, and trust of the American has been regained?! I think NOT.