Thread: Stop Illegal Aliens In W.Va., Ohio

http://www.news-register.net/editori...articleID=6433

By the News-Register

Ohio County Sheriff Tom Burgoyne at times has been outspoken in his criticism of federal immigration enforcement officials. In the past, Burgoyne has been known to complain that his deputies were told by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service to simply release illegal aliens — because the federal agency didn’t have the resources to deal with them. During recent months, however, ICE officials seem to have been more cooperative.

But the time may be coming — soon — when Burgoyne will be told that his department simply isn’t allowed to apprehend illegal immigrants. The new message from ICE, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, seems to be that local law enforcement agencies need to adopt a hands-off attitude toward illegal aliens.

Another sheriff who in the past has been critical of ICE ran afoul of the agency last week, after his deputies apprehended 18 men who admitted that they were illegal aliens. It happened in Butler County, Ohio. There, Sheriff Rick Jones released the 18 men, after questions arose concerning whether his department had any authority to arrest them in the first place.

Richard Wilkens, resident agent in charge of the ICE office in Cincinnati, told The Associated Press that local law enforcement officers in most cases can arrest illegal aliens only if the subjects are charged with violating state laws. “If they arrested the individuals for being suspected illegal aliens, they don’t have the authority to do that,” he emphasized. Later, an official of the ACLU questioned whether Jones’ department had authority to arrest illegal aliens.

Good heavens. At times it appears that the entire machinery of federal government is aimed not at stopping illegal immigrants — but at giving them every break in the book. The ICE attitude toward help from local law enforcement agencies certainly seems to reinforce that perception.

Our message to Burgoyne — and any other local law enforcement officials who encounter illegal aliens — is to arrest first and ask questions about jurisdiction later.

And our message to state legislators in both West Virginia and Ohio is to examine the statute books to determine what state laws can be used to apprehend illegal immigrants. If existing laws prove lacking, legislators should enact new ones. Federal officials need to know that, even if they aren’t serious about stopping illegal immigrants, those of us in West Virginia and Ohio are.

Don't arrest them, just detain them in the back of a paddy wagon, while you drive them to the border patrol agents. Then by-pass ICE!