Thread: Push for deportation of criminal immigrants

Push for deportation of criminal immigrants

Sentinel & Enterprise

UPDATED: 07/13/2016 07:03:05 AM EDT

As controversial as all the issues surrounding the immigration debate in the United States may be, most agree that those in the country illegally who have been convicted of violent crimes should be deported.

But in some cases, that can be maddeningly difficult when their native countries refuse to take them back. Many of these violent criminals end up back on American streets, putting lives at risk.

The New York Times recently reported, "More than 100 immigrants released by the federal government have later been charged in homicides." According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, more than 8,000 immigrants with criminal convictions have been released in the U.S. since 2013.

This is an outrageous situation that cannot continue, but it is not as easily solved as some might wish.

The federal government cannot indefinitely detain immigrants, even ones who have committed crimes. The Supreme Court has ruled that once they have served their time, the government must have special reasons to continue holding them in custody beyond six months if there's little or no likelihood they will be deported.

Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers believe the federal government can do more to pressure countries that refuse accept criminal citizens. The State Department can deny visas to visitors from countries that refuse to repatriate citizens. This tool appears to have been used only once, against Guyana -- which quickly began to cooperate.

Twenty-three countries have bad records when it comes to repatriating citizens -- including China and allies like India and Afghanistan.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, threatened in a recent letter to Jeh Johnson, secretary of Homeland Security, to require visa sanctions against uncooperative countries if Homeland Security didn't take steps to act on its own.

This is just one problem, albeit a serious one, with our current immigration system. Yet serious efforts toward comprehensive reform -- such as the 2013 Senate bill authored by the Gang of Eight -- have been halted by partisan gridlock.

The 2013 legislation was a genuine compromise that would have strengthened border security, created a path to citizenship for more than 11 million people here illegally, established a guest-worker program and strengthened efforts to crack down on businesses using illegal workers.

But that effort collapsed, leaving an unworkable, dysfunctional system in place with little hope of repairing even the most glaring problems -- like the release of violent criminals when they can't be deported.

While Congress and the White House refuse to take action, Americans remain at risk and needed immigration reform is a distant dream.

-- By The Denver Post editorial board, Digital First Media

Push for deportation of criminal immigrants - Sentinel & Enterprise

Load them up on a plane, land the plane, dump them out. Take off!

The hell with these countries. And cut off ALL aid and Visa's until every one of them is sent back.