Thread: New Governor to Drop Pact on Immigrants

New Govenor to drop pact on Immigrants


By KATIE ZEZIMA
Published: December 22, 2006
BOSTON, Dec. 21 — Gov.-elect Deval L. Patrick said Thursday that on taking office he would rescind an accord with Washington that gives the state police the authority to detain illegal immigrants and charge them with violating immigration law.

Mr. Patrick told reporters that the immigration agency did not want state troopers to enforce federal law.

“I also understand the I.N.S. isn’t interested in sharing their enforcement powers,” he said, referring to the former immigration agency.

A spokeswoman for Mr. Patrick later said he misspoke. A spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement would not comment.

The agreement, which Gov. Mitt Romney signed on Dec. 13, gave 30 state troopers the power to question, detain and arrest people whom they found in the course of other investigations to be illegal immigrants.

Although the order took effect on being signed, the troopers are not scheduled to train for the program until next month.

Mr. Patrick, a Democrat who takes office on Jan. 4, has said he thinks the troopers have enough to do and should not be enforcing federal law.

“If I have that power, I’m going to rescind that agreement,” he told reporters. “I do believe I have that power.”

A spokeswoman for Mr. Patrick, Cyndi Roy, said she did not know when he would void the agreement.

“I think going forward he’ll be able to set out a timeline,” Ms. Roy said. “He has a lot to accomplish in his first couple of months in office, and I don’t know that it will be the very first thing he does.”

Mr. Romney, a Republican who is exploring a presidential bid and has hardened his stance on illegal immigration, announced his intention to form the partnership this year.

“The scope of our nation’s illegal immigration problem requires us to pursue and implement new solutions wherever possible,” Mr. Romney said last week in a statement. A spokesman for Mr. Romney did not return a call for comment on rescinding the agreement.

Massachusetts was the ninth jurisdiction to have an agreement with Washington on illegal immigrants.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/22/washi ... html?fta=y

Patrick needs a mental evaluation before taking office. He has so much wisdom and experience that he's going to undo the good deeds of the previous admistration despite what the people he represents might want.

Dixie

Yes, it seems greater numbers of politicians are becoming more and more delusional and less aware of what the American people want. I would say it is turning into an epidemic.