Thread: Sanchez probes illegal immigrant detentions

Sanchez probes illegal immigrant detentions

Orange County Register
December 10th, 2009
By Dena Bunis, Washington Bureau Chief



The federal detention facility in Batavia, New York

A record number of illegal immigrants are being detained in local, state and federal jails across the country. And Rep. Loretta Sanchez chaired a subcommittee hearing today to probe whether the Department of Homeland Security’s plan to revamp this patchwork detention system make sense.

“Fifty-eight percent of the detainees held by Immigration and Custom Enforcement have no previous criminal record, yet they are being held with criminals,’’ said Sanchez, D-Santa Ana, who chairs the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Terrorism.

But Rep.Mark Souder, the ranking Republican on the panel, said detention serves as a deterrent and he believes any relaxation of conditions would send the wrong signal.

“They are not here on vacation,’’ Souter said of the 33,000 illegal immigrants in custody on any given day. “They should not be kept in facilities that are better than we give to citizens who are arrested and waiting trial.’’

Because of the diffuse, decentralized system of detaining people who either crossed the border illegally or overstayed their visas, “people may be moved around so much that they don’t get their hearing or judicial process as they should,’’ Sanchez said. “That’s why I called this hearing. Not to suggest that we should purchase Hilton Hotels.â€

Breaking US immigration law is a crime, that's why they're housed with "criminals", like every other criminal in the United States is housed when they're caught breaking local, state and/or federal criminal law.

These are the whiniest bunch of people I've ever come across. Next it will be the food. They'll be demanding steak fajitas instead of beans and corn bread.

GET THESE PEOPLE OUT OF HERE!

I agree with Mr. Souder. There has been a law broken, which has undoubtedly led to more laws breaking, starting with document fraud. And from the photo, that seems to be a first-class dining hall when compared to the fast food joints Americans get to lunch in. Ms. Sanchez should experience incarceration versus sitting in a car or on a curb eating lunch.
An acquaintance one told me that he decided to go to federal prison for his retirement, as the treatment is a lot better than what some American citizens face.

i dont know, that picture makes the place look like its a fairly nice place.
whats wrong with it Loretta Sanchez???

Oh really Sanchez, now don't those detainees in the picture above look like they are being abused ....they look like they have it pretty damn well, for people who are breaking our laws and we the people are paying for them to live in better conditions than they probably did in their home country!