Illegal aliens exploiting 'dreamer' policy
ICE, Border Patrol unions claim illegal immigrants exploiting 'dreamer' policy
By Judson Berger
Published July 26, 2012
FoxNews.com
Union heads representing thousands of America's immigration agents slammed the Obama administration Thursday over a policy they claim is forcing officials to ignore the law and allowing illegal immigrants to exploit the system.
In a startling allegation, the president of the union representing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers claimed illegal immigrants are "taking advantage" of a new directive allowing some undocumented residents who came to the U.S. as children to stay in the country. Union boss Chris Crane said the policy ends up allowing illegal immigrants to avoid detention without any proof -- particularly so-called "dreamers," or those illegal immigrants who would benefit under the "DREAM Act" proposal, which Congress has not passed but the administration has partially implemented.
"Prosecutorial discretion for dreamers is solely based on the individual's claims. Our orders are if an alien says they went to high school, then let them go," he said at a press conference with GOP senators. "Officers have been told that there is no burden for the alien to prove anything. ... At this point we don't even know why DHS has criteria at all, as there is no requirement or burden to prove anything on the part of the alien.
"We believe that significant numbers of people who are not dreamers are taking advantage of this practice to avoid arrest," he said.
Crane cited one case in which, he said, an immigrant facing criminal charges was let go under the policy. Further, he complained that officers are "under threat of losing their jobs" if they defy the policy.
ICE didn't respond to those allegations directly but said allegations of fraud and abuse will be investigated.
The press conference comes just days after the Federation for American Immigration Reform, an anti-illegal immigration group, released a report claiming the administration has worked for the past three-and-a-half years to undermine immigration enforcement.
ICE, though, defended its operations Thursday evening -- noting, as it often does, that the agency is only funded to remove roughly 400,000 people a year and has to prioritize. The prioritization under this administration has been to fast-track for deportation those accused of serious criminal offenses and potentially give a reprieve to those who aren't.
"Because the agency encounters more removable aliens than it is able to process, the agency prioritizes its resources on aliens whose removal have the greatest impact on public safety and the integrity of the immigration system," spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said in a statement. "ICE's efforts to target the agency's enforcement priorities are paying big dividends. For each of the past three fiscal years, ICE has removed more criminal aliens from the country than ever before and more than 90 percent of ICE's removals fell into one of the agency's enforcement priority categories."
She disputed the notion that the policy impacts public safety, but she said the agency meets regularly with union representatives "to discuss our goal of ensuring public safety by focusing on the removal of individuals who meet our enforcement priorities."
In light of the accusations Thursday, she added that "the agency will aggressively investigate allegations of fraud and abuse of the deferred action process."
The allegations from the union were expressed in unusually blunt terms Thursday.
George McCubbin, president of the National Border Patrol Council union, said the Department of Homeland Security has made it impossible for agents to do their jobs.
Crane said it's led to disorganization and "confusion" at ICE.
Republican lawmakers used the forum to continue their sustained campaign against the administration's immigration policy changes.
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said the latest directive is without legal basis and "condones breaking the law."
ICE, Border Patrol unions claim illegal immigrants exploiting 'dreamer' policy | Fox News
Obama admin under fire for secretive catch and release immigration policy
Published: 12:35 PM 07/26/2012
Matthew Boyle
The Daily Caller
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Three Republican Senators and the presidents of two major law enforcement unions are expected to band together at a Thursday press conference to call out what they consider President Barack Obama’s questionable immigration and border security policies.
Specifically, a source familiar with the presser told The Daily Caller, they’ll likely focus on a secret internal U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) memo that – if eventually implemented into policy – would allow its agents to catch and release “low priority” illegal immigrants.
The document, uncovered by House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Lamar Smith and first reported by the Washington Times, shows the CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are seriously considering implementing a policy that would allow its agents to use “prosecutorial discretion” to decide which people to prosecute and which ones to just let go.
According to the document, a copy of which has been obtained by The Daily Caller, the criteria agents would use to determine whether to prosecute or release illegal immigrants include:
* “the alien’s immigration and criminal history”
*“claims of family, business or property ownership, ties to the community and educational background”
*“likelihood that the alien will be granted temporary or permanent status or other relief from removal”
*“an alien’s age and health (both physical and mental), as well as the age and health (both physical and mental) of alien’s immediate relatives”
*“whether the alien is in the U.S. military or is the dependent of such a service member”
*“and the alien’s length or presence in the United States and the circumstances of his/her arrival in the United States.”
This policy, if eventually implemented, would take the de facto amnesty for illegal immigrants aged 15 to 30 that President Barack Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced in June a step further. It would apply to almost all illegal immigrants, instead of just young ones, the same “prosecutorial discretion” – selective enforcement of the law – behind Obama’s administrative DREAM Act from June.
That’s why on Thursday, Sens. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, David Vitter of Louisiana and Chuck Grassley of Iowa will hold a press conference criticizing it. Joining them will be George McCubbin, the president of the AFL-CIO backed National Border Patrol Council, and Chris Crane, the president of the American Federal of Government Employees backed National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council.
One Old Vet
Obama under fire for catch and release immigration policy | The Daily Caller
