Thread: DHS adding public advocate for immigration agency (updated)

By ALICIA A. CALDWELL Associated Press
Posted: 02/06/2012 10:27:27 PM PST
Updated: 02/06/2012 10:43:59 PM PST

WASHINGTON—The Homeland Security Department has appointed a public advocate to handle complaints and questions about its immigration enforcement policies.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton said Monday that senior ICE adviser Andrew Lorenzen-Strait will lead the effort.

Lorenzen-Strait's appointment was to be announced Tuesday.

Morton said the position was created to ensure that the public and immigration advocates understand various changes being made within the department and what the changes mean for those immigrants being jailed by immigration authorities or those facing deportation. Lorenzen-Strait will also address concerns about ICE enforcement involving U.S. citizens.

"We have undertaken a significant number of reforms from a policy perspective and we want to make sure they are evenly understood in the public and advocacy communities," Morton said.

Lorenzen-Strait, a lawyer who has been an ICE adviser since 2008, said he sees his new job as being the facilitator "of a two-way dialogue." He will report to Gary Mead, ICE's head of enforcement and removal operations.

In recent months DHS has announced changes in the way authorities determine which illegal immigrants are deported. In June, Morton outlined when agents and immigration prosecutors could use discretion in opting not to pursue a deportation case.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano went a step further in August when she announced the review of roughly 300,000 pending deportation cases as part of the department's efforts to focus its resources on deporting illegal immigrants with criminal records, repeat immigration law offenders and those who pose a public safety or national security threat.

After a review of cases pending in Baltimore and Denver, DHS officials earlier this year recommended closing more than 1,600 deportation cases involving non-criminal illegal immigrants. The review is ongoing in other parts of the country. Morton said Lorenzen-Strait will be responsible for helping the public understand the prosecutorial discretion policy and other changes as well as addressing complaints about the changes.

DHS adding public advocate for immigration agency - San Jose Mercury News

And who will advocate for the United States and it's citizens who have been balkanized by tens of millions of illegal aliens from Mexico?

Who will advocate for the thousands of dead and bereaving families -- the children whose mothers and fathers were taken from them at the hands of illegal alien murder or had their lives altered forever from being raped by one of them?

Who will advocate for the EIGHT MILLION American Citizens who have been displaced from their blue collar jobs by wage cutting employers padding their pockets by using low-wage illegal aliens to steal millions of American jobs?

Where is OUR advocate, America?

First complaint:

OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS AREN'T BEING ENFORCED.

ICE announces creation of Public Advocate position

WASHINGTON — As part of the agency's ongoing detention reform initiative and other enforcement-related initiatives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today announced its first Public Advocate, ICE Senior Advisor Andrew Lorenzen-Strait. Lorenzen-Strait will serve as a point of contact for individuals, including those in immigration proceedings, NGOs and other community and advocacy groups, who have concerns, questions, recommendations or other issues they would like to raise.

"As our first Public Advocate, Andrew Lorenzen-Strait will work to expand and enhance our dialogue with the stakeholder community," said ICE Director John Morton. "We want the public to know that they have a representative at this agency whose sole duty is to ensure their voice is heard and their interests are recognized, and I'm confident Andrew will serve the community well in this capacity."

Lorenzen-Strait has served with ICE since 2008, first as an advisor and analyst on policies related to immigration enforcement, detention and juveniles and most recently, as the senior advisor for Enforcement and Removal Operation's (ERO) detention management division. In 2007, Lorenzen-Strait was named the Maryland Attorney of the Year for Pro Bono Service for his work with Community Legal Services of Prince George's County.

In his new role as public advocate, Lorenzen-Strait will report directly to the Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Director Gary Mead and will be responsible for:

Assisting individuals and community stakeholders in addressing and resolving complaints and concerns in accordance with agency policies and operations, particularly concerns related to ICE enforcement actions involving U.S. citizens;
Informing stakeholders on ERO policies, programs, and initiatives and enhance understanding of ERO's mission and core values;
Engaging stakeholders and building partnerships to facilitate communication, foster collaboration, and solicit input on immigration enforcement initiatives and operations; and
Advising ICE leadership on stakeholder findings, concerns, recommendations, and priorities as they relate to improving immigration enforcement efforts and activities.

The creation of the Public Advocate position is another milestone is ICE's ongoing work to enact significant policy changes and improvements to focus the agency's immigration enforcement resources on sensible priorities that promote public safety, border security and the integrity of the immigration system. In addition to implementing policies and processes that ensure discretion is used in deciding the types of individuals ICE prioritizes for removal from the country, the agency has also embarked upon a long-term detention reform initiative. These reform efforts are focused on prioritizing the health and safety of detainees in our custody while increasing federal oversight and improving the conditions of confinement within the detention system.

ICE will continue to analyze its policies and the results of its programs, making improvements where necessary to meet our priorities.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423 or complete our tip form.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

First complaint:

OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS AREN'T BEING ENFORCED.

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Latest Californians For Population Stabilization Action Alerts

ICE hires a Public Advocate to assist those facing deportation

Kimberly Dvorak

February 7, 2012

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has stepped up its policy regarding the deportation process that infuriated those with “open-borders” advocacy groups.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continue to tweak and slow the process for those in ongoing detention and removal proceedings. The administration’s new initiative policy department announced its first Public Advocate, ICE Senior Advisor Andrew Lorenzen-Strait.

Mr. Lorenzen-Strait will assist individuals, including those in immigration proceedings, NGOs as well as other advocacy groups concerned with detention removal of illegal aliens.

"As our first Public Advocate, Andrew Lorenzen-Strait will work to expand and enhance our dialogue with the stakeholder community," said ICE Director John Morton. "We want the public to know that they have a representative at this agency whose sole duty is to ensure their voice is heard and their interests are recognized, and I'm confident Andrew will serve the community well in this capacity."

Lorenzen-Strait’s prior experience as an analyst for policies related to immigration enforcement, detention and juveniles and senior advisor for Enforcement and Removal Operation’s (ERO) detention management division makes him the perfect choice to assume community liaison duties with ICES. Lorenzen-Strait’s private sector experience with Community Legal Services of Prince George's County provides valuable real-world knowledge to alleviate immigration proceedings.

Morton said Lorenzen-Strait will report directly to the Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) director and will be responsible for:

• Assisting individuals and community stakeholders in addressing and resolving complaints and concerns in accordance with agency policies and operations, particularly concerns related to ICE enforcement actions involving U.S. citizens;

• Informing stakeholders on ERO policies, programs, and initiatives and enhance understanding of ERO's mission and core values;

• Engaging stakeholders and building partnerships to facilitate communication, foster collaboration, and solicit input on immigration enforcement initiatives and operations; and
• Advising ICE leadership on stakeholder findings, concerns, recommendations, and priorities as they relate to improving immigration enforcement efforts and activities.

The newly created position highlights ICE's ongoing work to enact significant policy changes and improvements to the immigration enforcement process. ICE also renewed its policy to speed up immigration proceedings in an effort to promote public safety, border security and the integrity of the immigration system.

However, illegal immigration activist groups contend this new policy is nothing more than amnesty and will only encourage those entering the U.S. illegally to cut in the long immigration wait-list line.


ICE hires a Public Advocate to assist those facing deportation - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com

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Congressional Documents and Publications

February 7, 2012

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DOCUMENTS

King: Where is the Rule of Law Czar?

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) News Release

Washington, DC- Congressman Steve King (R-IA) released the following statement after the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced today that a new position has been created for a public advocate to handle concerns and questions from illegal immigrants about the administration's enforcement of immigration policies:

"Today President Obama has appointed a taxpayer-funded legal representative for illegal immigrants," said King. "The President continues to ignore the Rule of Law, which begs the question; where is the Rule of Law Czar? President Obama refuses to enforce immigration law, sues the states that do so and now he's appointed a czar for illegal immigrants. The President is making a conscious decision to evade Congress in order to appease his base. The President must realize that his job description does not include being an advocate for illegal immigrants. It is defined by his obligation to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

LexisNexis News - Latest News from over 4,000 sources, including newspapers, tv transcripts, wire services, magazines, journals.

New Illegal Alien Advocate Undercuts Border Control

Posted 02/08/2012 07:01 PM


Law: If anything shows how ever-expanding government works at cross-purposes, it's the Obama administration's newly named post of "public advocate" for illegal aliens. What part of "illegal" don't they understand?

It seems those who've broken the law by entering the U.S. illegally are now entitled to special U.S. government protection from — the U.S. government. At least, that's the logic of the phony new "public advocate" post created for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In naming Andrew Lorenzen-Strait to the job, ICE announced he would work "directly for ICE's Executive Assistant Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations" to help build "constructive relationships with the community and ... resolve problems or concerns."

And for whom would he do this? "(S)takeholders that include individuals, public, nongovernmental organizations, faith-based organizations and advocacy groups."

"Stakeholders"? Based on that cast of pressure groups, it's plain he'll be an illegal alien advocate.

This new position reflects the Obama administration's open-borders policy on immigration. It just won't say so out loud. Rather than dismantling ICE or offering a blanket amnesty, Obama's creating an illegal alien advocate inside ICE, undercutting its very mission.

Why not have a bank robber's advocate at the FBI?
Four faulty premises lay at the root of the absurdity.


• That ICE's mission is at odds with the public. For all President Obama's syrupy talk about public service, ICE has been turned into a public enemy. Why not just dismantle it if it doesn't serve the public interest?

• That enforcing the law is not the government's job. The advocate twists ICE's mission to customer service, as if lawbreakers needed that.

• That illegals are "stakeholders" in the U.S., a place they have no business being in. And now as "stakeholders" — the U.S. somehow owes them something.

• That some illegals are more entitled to stay than others. Lorenzen-Strait has already advised ICE about whom to deport, regardless of law. Now his job will be to sort out who is most politically useful to Obama to keep.

In reality, illegals already have advocates. They're called embassies. And none of them are shy about making a stink on behalf of their own citizens.

Now they've got another advocate inside the U.S. government, paid for by you. With that kind of coddling, it's just another reason to keep crossing our border.

Investors.com

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