Thread: ICE chills enforcement: immigration lawyer applauds

ICE chills enforcement: immigration lawyer applauds.

Posted By Patrick Cleburne On 3 September 2007 @ 12:40 am http://blog.vdare.com/archives/2007/09/03/3252/print/

The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement outfit (ICE) is doing a fine job enforcing the borders and deterring immigrants.

That is, if you include its efforts to avoid having local law enforcement departments move into policing immigration laws, a function expressly permitted under Section 287(g) of the 1996 Immigration and Nationality Act:

Hall County Sheriff Steve Cronic… whose jail has an average of 225 foreign nationals booked in each month, says he’s tired of inaction by federal officials when it comes to deporting accused lawbreakers who are in the country illegally. Now he wants his deputies to start the deportation process themselves…

Only a select list of law enforcement agencies have an official memorandum of understanding with Immigration and Customs Enforcement that allows deputies to use the provisions of 287(g). The Hall County Sheriff’s Office is one of 67 law enforcement agencies from across the nation on a waiting list of applicants. Cronic has been waiting since February…

Federal officials have cited a budget shortfall for the training and computer equipment required for the program, and have said Hall County might get word on its application by October, when the new fiscal year begins…. Cronic …has one senior staff member phone federal officials once a week to remind them.

Hall sheriff: Deport illegal immigrants By Stephen Gurr gainsvilletimes.com Sunday September 2 2007.

A good deal is at stake here

In Hall County, where 20 percent of the 500-bed jail population is foreign, deporting every illegal immigrant arrested could have widespread implications.

Nevertheless, a member of the local legal establishment was hyperbolic in opposition:

Gainesville immigration lawyer David Kennedy calls Cronic’s proposal to use the powers of 287(g) “a terrible idea.â€

[quote]“We have bigger fish to fry,â€

[quote]"Wasting national security resources by targeting dishwashers and yard men is bordering on treason.â€

I've reached a point where I ignore both immigration lawyers and people named Kennedy in general so I've got twice as much reason to just disregard that jackass mentioned in the article.

I also don't let the waiting list for the 287g program bother me. Sure, we can look at it as a bad thing, a dodge, "part of the plot", etc. but that isn't necessarily so. I think it's just been much more popular and well received than anyone was prepared for, that's all.