Thread: ICE chief rips critics of deportations, entering illegally 'is a crime'

by Paul Bedard | Jun 13, 2017, 11:14 AM

The acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday forcefully pushed back against liberal critics of the administration's increase in deportations, stating flatly that entering the United States illegally "is a crime, a federal crime."

Thomas D. Homan also blamed illegals who come to the United States and then have a child for breaking up their own family. "It isn't the fault of law enforcement that people get separated. It's the fault of the perpetrator," he told a House Appropriations subcommittee. "If someone enters this country illegally and knows he's in the country illegally and is found to be in the country illegally and is ordered removed from the country and chooses to have a child in this country that's a U.S. citizen by virtue of birth, he put himself in that position, so ICE is not separating that family."

Homan said that ICE agents have been subjected to unfair and biased attacks and protests for enforcing federal deportation laws.

He also said that unlike other police agencies, ICE officers are treated like second class officers.

"Unlike other agencies, we do this despite a constant deluge of biased attacks against ICE personnel by those who disagree with the laws we enforce," said President Trump's immigration enforcement boss.

"While I recognize that people have the right to protest laws they don't agree with I want to emphasize to the public and to the media and to this committee that ice officers don't write the laws. They enforce the laws," he said.

And, he added, while other cops are quick to get a quick thank you, he said, "Too often that respect does not seem to extend to the honorable men and women of ICE. Unfortunately, the men and women of this law enforcement agency are vilified for simply doing their jobs."

ICE has been criticized for allegedly making arrests at "sensitive locations" like schools and churches, but Homan said that is false. He said ICE officers favor arresting fugitives in courthouses.

Homan was blunt in stating that it is illegal to enter the country by skirting the legal process to become a citizen.

"We are all blessed to live in the greatest country on earth and I can't blame anybody who wants to live here," he said, adding, "But we are also a country built on the foundation of the rule of law. Those who choose to enter this country illegally which is a crime, a federal crime, or to overstay their visa have knowingly chosen to break the law. Meanwhile, millions of people who have become permanent members of our society through our generous legal channels, they have shown their respect for the rule of law and for the American people."

And, he explained, after illegals go through the long process to fight deportation, at a high cost to taxpayers, it is up to ICE to enforce a federal judge's removal order if one comes.

"If a federal judge's decision is not enforced then there's absolutely no integrity in this entire system. If you love this country you must respect its laws or respect those that keep you safe. ICE officers do not do what they do because they hate what's standing in front of them. They do what they do because they love what is behind them," he said.

Homan noted that he had written his testimony, delivered with emotion, on his own. ICE subsequently released a copy of it, which can be seen here.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/ic...rticle/2625799

Posted By Jonah Bennett On 4:35 PM 06/13/2017

The acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief Thomas D. Homan warned all illegals Tuesday they should be worried and looking over their shoulders, not just illegals with criminal backgrounds.

During a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Homan said that ICE is chiefly concerned with illegals who are also criminals, but added that all illegals will be subject to deportation, the Washington Examiner reports.

“If you are in this country illegally, and you committed a crime by entering this country, you should be uncomfortable, you should look over your shoulder, and you need to be worried,” Homan said.

“No population is off the table,” he continued. “We’ll issue detainers to anybody in the country illegally. Our priorities are criminals first, but if you’re asking me if we are going to put detainers on people that have not been convicted of a crime, yes we will.”

A detainer is a tool ICE uses to request that local law enforcement hold individuals for 48 hours, so that ICE can make a decision on whether to initiate more serious deportation proceedings.

Homan said that the Obama administration did not let ICE arrest non-criminal illegals in the past.

According to Homan, arresting non-criminal illegals is important because most of the criminal illegals in the United States were first non-criminals.

“If we wait for them to violate yet another law against the citizens of this country, it’s late,” Homan said.
“We shouldn’t wait.”

Homan also asked Congress during the hearing to aggressively go after sanctuary cities that are currently providing safe havens for criminal illegals.

There are an estimated 11 million illegals living in the U.S.

Although the Trump administration has issued strong rhetoric against illegal immigration, data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shows that 17,000 new applicants for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program were approved in the first few months in 2017.

Moreover, 107,000 illegals under DACA had their work permits extended. Trump called DACA “unconstitutional executive amnesty” while on the campaign trail, but the program has proceeded as before under the Obama administration.

http://dailycaller.com/2017/06/13/ic...eir-shoulders/

GOOD FOR YOU THOMAS D HONAN!!! Great job, tell it like it is, lay the law down, let them all know their days here are numbered, and move 'em out as fast as you possibly can. Enlist the support of state and local law enforcement agencies. You need their help, their resources, their officers, their local knowledge, their jails, their magistrates, their vehicles and equipment. You need this help, ASK FOR IT.