Thread: Deport, don’t bargain?

Deport, don’t bargain?
Lawmaker: Don’t let illegal immigrant criminals stay
Peter Marcus, DDN Staff Writer
Monday, January 19, 2009






The House Republican leader would like to see illegal immigrants deported instead of bargained with.

Rep. Mike May, R-Parker, has introduced legislation that would prohibit plea bargains from an illegal immigrant if the result is allowing the defendant to remain in the country as opposed to deportation.

“To have those who have committed crimes being able to plea bargain to a charge to avoid deportation doesn’t seem like it ought to be part of our legal system,â€

Always the steadfast politician when it comes to issues of immigration, May says he simply can’t back a system that allows illegal immigrants who commit crimes in America to remain in the country by way of bargaining.

He says, turn the defendants over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

May seems to be one of the only politicians in Colorado who thinks immigration laws should be enforced. This man deserves alot of respect. I wish there were more people like him.

Costly illegal immigration bill yanked
Comments 0 | Recommend 0
January 29, 2009 - 6:02 PM
JOHN SCHROYER
THE GAZETTE

DENVER • A Republican leader in the state House of Representatives yanked a bill that would crack down on illegal immigrants Thursday because of an unexpected $2 million price tag.

House Bill 1049 would have prohibited district attorneys in Colorado from striking plea bargains with illegal immigrants that allowed them to remain in the United States, but House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker, killed his own bill after discovering that it would have required the state to pay for extra prison cells.

The fiscal note, which May didn't see until this week, estimated that the measure would cost Colorado $2 million a year for a projected 17 illegal immigrants annually who commit felonies. Given the current state budget crisis, May said, now isn't the time to pile on added costs. So he requested the bill be postponed indefinitely, and the House Judiciary Committee obliged him.

May vowed that the bill would return, however, once he's able to figure out how to implement it cost-free.

"The issue is not over," said May. "We may have a bill back again this year, once we get to the bottom of these 17 illegals who are committing felonies and are still on the streets."

Francis Hernandez, a 23-year-old illegal immigrant, was arrested 20 times and not deported before he allegedly crashed his car into a pickup last September in Denver, killing two women and a toddler.

The question of plea deals for illegal immigrants was a hot-button campaign issue in 2006, when Republican candidate Bob Beauprez criticized Gov. Bill Ritter, a former Denver district attorney, for agreeing to similar bargains while he was a DA. At the time, district attorneys from across the state defended the practice, saying that plea bargaining is a vital tool given the high number of cases they deal with each year.

Ritter's office had no comment on May's bill.

Julie Gonzalez, spokeswoman for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, called the bill "unnecessary" and said it was a political stunt.

"The folks who are deportable are deportable under federal immigration law. There's no reason to go in and change the language around that," said Gonzalez. "It's unfortunate that we would be spending time during the legislative session on these politically motivated laws instead of solid policy."

http://www.gazette.com/articles/yanked_ ... ostly.html

Chain link fence, tents and pink underwear. This can be done for far less than 2 million.

Dixie