Thread: Gutierrez Demands Meeting With Napolitano and Morton

Representative Gutierrez Expresses Astonishment and Condemnation Over Obama Immigration Enforcement Policies and Demands Meeting With Napolitano and Morton






By Micheal E. Hill
Friday, April 9. 2010 -- 12:40 am EDT
Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force, has expressed astonishment, disappointment, and unequivocal condemnation of the Obama Administration's immigration enforcement practices, and he has demanded an immediate meeting with Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Janet Napolitano and Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) John Morton to discuss the Administration's enforcement efforts. The Illinois Congressman expressed his condemnation and made his meeting request in a letter that he sent to the Secretary and Assistant Secretary on Wednesday, April 7, 2010, as well as in a follow-up press release on Thursday, April 8.

In his letter to to Napoliano and Morton, Representative Gutierrez told the two that "[f]rom the outset of both of your tenures at the agency, I have repeatedly expressed concern about the impact of misguided immigration enforcement in our communities. I have witnessed both anecdotally and in sheer deportation numbers that undocumented workers, many of them spouses and parents of permanent residents and U.S. citizens, continue to be removed from the United States at the record-breaking levels of the Bush Administration. I have called for an end to the deportations that separate families tragically and needlessly and which do nothing to protect our homeland. Likewise, I have also called for an end to 287(g) agreements out of serious concerns that the program, despite its purported goals, is being used as a tool to pursue Hispanics and people of color in a way that jeopardizes the civil rights of everyone, U.S. citizens and non-citizens alike."

The Congressman went on to assert in his letter that, "I remain disappointed and frustrated that my pleas for such changes have gone unheeded. In response, however, you have assured me that under your leadership DHS was aggressively pursuing violent criminal aliens, rather than average workers and family members with simple status violations, and that reforms of the 287(g) program would ensure that local jurisdictions and police officers with agreements pursue higher risk targets without the use of racial profiling." Representative Gutierrez continued, writing that "[d]espite your assurances, the recent reports that have come to light suggest a different set of priorities altogether--priorities that represent the same destructive and failed policies of the past."

Representative Gutierrez concluded his letter by stating, "I am astounded by how inconsistent these reports are with your stated priorities, and am left to wonder what your true priorities are, or to what degree agency directors and agents in the field actually understand and/or follow your stated priorities."


The Gutierrez letter caps what has been a tumultous week for the Department of Homeland Security's and the Obama Administration's immigration policies as it has faced condemnation from the Washington-based pro-immigrant community, the Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, and now the Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force.

On March 27, 2009, an article in The Washington Post revealed the existence of several ICE enforcement memos that appeared to set quotas for enforcement actions and fly in the face of Obama Administration proclamations that its enforcement activities would concentrate on the most dangerous illegal immigrants.

Shortly after the emergence of the ICE quota memos, the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report that was scathing in its criticism of the controversial 287(g) program that permits local and state law enforcement officers perform immigration enforcement functions, saying that the program stated that it "observed instances in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement and participating law enforcement agencies were not operating in compliance with the terms of the agreements." The report also "noted several areas in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement had not instituted controls to promote effective program operations and address related risks. Amog the deficiencies noted in the report were findings that the Department has failed to establish appropriate performance measures and targets to determine whether program results are aligned with program goals; failed to develop guidance for supervising ICE officers; failed to provide adequate 287(g) program oversight; not fulfilled its duty to establish a thorough review and selection process for law enforcement agencies requesting to participate in the 287(g) program; failed to establish data collection and reporting requirements to address civil rights and civil liberties concerns; not provided adequate 287(g) training programs; failed to provide accurate and honest program information to Congress and the public; and not standardized 287(g) officers’ access to DHS information systems.




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RELATED DOCUMENTS:

Text of the April 7, 2010, Gutierrez Letter to Napolitano and Morton
ICE Enforcement Memoranda


http://www.micevhill.com/gutierrez_asto ... ctions.php

lies on top of lies on top of lies...... nothing to see here... its all smoke and mirrors by the Democrats in an attempt to bamboozle Americans with a pathetic rendition of a kabuki dance while playing a shell game / 3 card Monty

these people are so full of crap you can see it floating up to their eye lids

I have also called for an end to 287(g) agreements out of serious concerns that the program, despite its purported goals, is being used as a tool to pursue Hispanics and people of color in a way that jeopardizes the civil rights of everyone, U.S. citizens and non-citizens alike.

Funny, I don't see any citizens marching in the streets demanding an end to the program. Hmmmm.

The Congressman went on to assert in his letter that, "I remain disappointed and frustrated that my pleas for such changes have gone unheeded. In response, however, you have assured me that under your leadership DHS was aggressively pursuing violent criminal aliens, rather than average workers and family members with simple status violations, and that reforms of the 287(g) program would ensure that local jurisdictions and police officers with agreements pursue higher risk targets without the use of racial profiling." Representative Gutierrez continued, writing that "[d]espite your assurances, the recent reports that have come to light suggest a different set of priorities altogether--priorities that represent the same destructive and failed policies of the past."

Wow! Gutierrez must have had someone write that for him. And, FYI, the failed policies of the past started with the 1986 amnesty and ignoring enforcement of existing laws.
Maybe we should start demanding a meeting with Napolitano and Morton, since we pay their salaries.

The average workers and family members are criminals you moron. They broke into our country illegally and stole jobs, identities, health care, welfare benefits and schooling.

Representative Gutierrez Expresses Astonishment and Condemnation Over Obama Immigration Enforcement Policies and Demands Meeting With Napolitano and Morton

He's really laying it on thick! Come to think of it - they all are....

FYI Gutierrez; Most Illegal Aliens have left family members in their home countries so why don't you insist they go home so their families can be reunited since this seems to be so worrisome to you.

No you would NEVER EVER suggest they leave so it seems your whining about family unity is just a evil ploy to by-pass our laws you swore to uphold.

When are the people in his distict going to get rid of this moron. Why do we have a black caucus and a hispanic caucus anyway. Isn't it a conflict of interest in the Congress? Shouldn't the same rules apply to EVERYONE? Illegal is illegal no matter what the ethnic orientation. Where is the white caucus?

Added to Homepage with amended title:
http://www.alipac.us/article-5114--0-0.html

Luis you are SO right. How dare our immigration laws be enforced, and illegal aliens be deported. Outrageous!! You keep fighting for those constituents you are in Congress to serve -- foreign citizens of other countries, who have illegally snuck into ours.

Of course, Luis, we all know your claim is totally bogus anyway. We all know this administration and Napolitano are not enforcing immigration laws or securing our borders like the American people want. You're such a slime, you're probably just leaking BS letters like this, so the American people will think the Obama Admin IS actually deporting aliens and enforcing the laws. Nice try, Luis.