Exclusive: Senator Kennedy: Your Hypocrisy is Showing

Mike Cutler
Author: Mike Cutler
Source: The Family Security Foundation, Inc.
Date: March 14, 2007



It seems that even our most experienced politicians need a refresher course in learning about the laws that govern America, particularly our immigration laws. FSM Contributing Editor Mike Cutler offers some help to Senator Ted Kennedy.



Senator Kennedy: Your Hypocrisy is Showing




By Mike Cutler




Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) recently wrote a letter to Michael Chertoff, the Secretary of Homeland Security, demanding that the illegal aliens arrested for working illegally in the United States at the Michael Bianco, Ltd., leather goods factory in New Bedford, Mass., be released pending the outcome of their deportation hearings. This raises a couple of very interesting thoughts.



First, I find it interesting that Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean did not receive similar demands from Senator Kennedy when they were ordered to surrender, even while their appeals were pending. Bail and custody decisions are based on a couple of significant issues. Danger to the community and likelihood of flight are the two biggest areas of concern. Since Agents Ramos and Compean are law-abiding citizens and well-known members of their communities, they represent neither danger nor likelihood of flight. And while I am not aware that any of the illegal aliens in question are alleged to be involved in violent crimes, the issue of likelihood of flight among illegal aliens is of particular concern.



A number of these illegal aliens are facing serious charges. They used false and/or stolen identities. Such violations constitute felonies that, upon conviction should they be prosecuted, subject the violator to years of incarceration and a significant fine. The fact that they used false names means that it is entirely possible that their true identities remain unknown and unknowable. The use of false identities raises the issue that they may have used other false identities and would therefore be very difficult to locate should they decide to abscond. ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) lacks the resources to attempt to search for illegal aliens who fail to appear for deportation hearings or who fail to surrender when they are ordered deported. It is currently estimated that a shocking 85% of aliens who are not remanded ultimately fail to appear as required and add to the rapidly growing population of illegal alien absconders. Why Senator Kennedy would advocate for such a risk is, in polite language, strange.



Second, in his letter Senator Kennedy refers to the "insensitivity of ICE agents” who (by arresting illegal aliens who violated our nation's borders, immigration laws and other laws involving the use of stolen identities including Social Security Numbers - a crime commonly referred to as identity theft) separated these alleged felons from their children. Every day of the week, law enforcement officers throughout the United States, indeed, throughout the world, arrest suspected criminals for their violations of law. Would Mr. Kennedy change our criminal statutes to prohibit suspected criminals from being arrested by law enforcement officers merely because they claim to have children? Our prisons are loaded with parents who commit crimes. Would Mr. Kennedy spring them all from jail?



Third, I want to clarify what must be a remaining question in Senator Kennedy’s head: those arrested in Massachusetts are illegal aliens, a legal term describing people who are not citizens of our country and who are here illegally, having broken our laws to get here; they are NOT immigrants, another legal term describing who come legally to our country and would be worthy of some of the respectful treatment the Senator espouses. The difference between an illegal alien and an immigrant is the equivalent of the difference between a burglar and a houseguest. By arresting a burglar, the police do not show disrespect for him. The same principle applies to an alien who enters our country by violating the law.



While we talk about children being separated from their parents, I can think of a couple of fathers whose children and wives are devastated by being separated from them while they sit in jail cells as they await the outcome of their respective appeals of their convictions. These men are Ramos and Compean, formerly of the United States Border Patrol. I suspect that Mr. Kennedy is happy that these valiant Border Patrol agents have been imprisoned because they took an oath to uphold laws he clearly does not like, laws such as the immigration laws of the United States.



Senator Kennedy, your hypocrisy is showing!



Lead, follow or get out of the way!



FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Michael Cutler is a Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and a well-respected authority on immigration and border security issues.

© 2003-2007 FamilySecurityMatters.org All Rights Reserved

If you are a reporter or producer who is interested in receiving more information about this writer or this article, please email your request to COY7m@aol.com.

Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of The Family Security Foundation, Inc.



Click here to support Family Security Matters


http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/ch ... ?id=802220