Thread: NYC wants to kick ICE agents out of it's jails.

Quinn, Feds Clash on Inmate Records
By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL
Wall Street Journal


New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn quietly met with federal officials recently to raise concerns about immigration authorities' access to inmate records at city jails, putting her at odds with Mayor Michael Bloomberg's stance on illegal immigrants who commit crimes.

Ms. Quinn and other elected officials requested the meeting because of "deep concern" about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's "constant presence" on Rikers Island and its agents' "unfettered" access to criminal records and inmates, according to a letter Ms. Quinn co-authored to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano last year.

"It is in no one's interest to put the public at risk," Ms. Quinn and several other officials wrote. "At the same time, the deportation of immigrant New Yorkers who do not pose a public safety risk and do not have significant criminal records seems senseless, destroys families, ruins lives and is often simply cruel."

The March 15 meeting with the federal authorities was "contentious," with Ms. Quinn and other council members pressing the officials about whether it's legal to limit the U.S. government's access to city records, one person familiar with the matter said. Ms. Quinn and the other members now are "considering legislative solutions," the person said.

The speaker's stance appears to put her on a collision course with the mayor, and prompted strong criticism from the council's public-safety chairman, Peter Vallone Jr.

John Feinblatt, Mr. Bloomberg's chief policy adviser, said an executive order signed by the mayor prohibits any city employee from questioning individuals about their immigration status, "except those arrested for illegal activity."

"In those cases we do cooperate with federal authorities—to do any less would be irresponsible and risk compromising the safety of New Yorkers," Mr. Feinblatt said. "If federal authorities tell New York City to delay the release of a dangerous felon while they investigate, we comply, whether the person is an immigrant or not."

Mr. Vallone, a Queens Democrat, said the views reflected in Ms. Quinn's letter to Ms. Napolitano would have a "deleterious affect on public safety."

"I often hear we should only deport 'violent criminals,' which I guess means that those who steal identities, who sexually harass people on subways get to stay," Mr. Vallone said in an interview. "Is it OK to commit 20 shoplifts?"

Ms. Quinn, the second most power official in city government, is coming under increased scrutiny as she contemplates whether to run for mayor in 2013. She isn't the only potential mayoral candidate to question federal authorities' access to inmates' records; Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer has urged Mr. Bloomberg to end the city's collaboration with the federal government on Rikers Island.

Federal authorities detain and deport roughly 3,200 foreign-born inmates from Rikers Island each year. Advocates for immigrants say the federal government is sweeping up people who haven't been convicted of serious crimes, and, in some cases, people who are innocent of any wrongdoing.

Council Member Daniel Dromm, chairman of the council's Immigration Committee who attended the meeting with Ms. Quinn and the federal officials, said he believes the city should deny the federal government access to inmates' records.

The government's current policy "destroys families and tears them apart and ruins people's lives," Mr. Dromm said. "It creates a mistrust in the communities where policing is already hard enough for immigrant populations."

Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, who also attended the meeting, said she believes the city needs to exercise a "level of discretion about the information that is shared" with federal authorities.

The debate about the federal government's current access to city jails comes as the federal government moves forward with a new controversial immigration enforcement program, called "Secure Communities." This program sends fingerprints of suspects booked by police to be cross-referenced with a federal database of unauthorized immigrants.

Last year, New York state signed onto this federal program, but, to date, it hasn't started within the five boroughs. A spokesman for the mayor said the city doesn't have the right to "opt out" of the program.

Write to Michael Howard Saul at michael.saul@wsj.com

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 63974.html

This is to be expected. Bloomberg is pro-illegal immigration. Its a mainstay for his voter base to have the latino community behind him. He doesn't want to upset his latino buddies.

RELATED

22 New York Counties now I.C.E. Secure Communities UPDATE

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-224426.html

The government's current policy "destroys families and tears them apart and ruins people's lives," Mr. Dromm said. "It creates a mistrust in the communities where policing is already hard enough for immigrant populations."

The current policy of deporting Illegals doesn't break up familys. Being in the country illegaly and getting caught will get you deported. Breaking up your family so they dont have to move to a different country because you broke the law is your choice. You can allways have your family leave with you. Selective enforcement of the law creates mistrust in everyone not just immigrants. If police enforce the law equally imigrants would trust police. It is simple to understand for normal people, break the law face punishment, enter the country illegaly face deportation.

Texas is trying to get The Secure Community Program added to every little city jail,
not jut the county jails and big city jails.
GO TEXAS

Fingerprint program could expand to cities under Texas legislation
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-235656.html

another stupid NEW YORK politician.
does this idiot not realize these people in jail are criminals and need to be removed from the streets and the country to KEEP PEOPLE SAFE

N.Y. Local counties to benefit from ICE immigration program

By Staff reports
The Evening Tribune
Posted Apr 22, 2011 @ 08:27 AM

BUFFALO — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have begun using the Secure Communities program in Chautauqua, Niagara, Livingston, Ontario, Otsego, Seneca, Steuben and Yates counties to help federal immigration officials identify criminal aliens in state prisons and local jails by running their fingerprints against federal immigration databases when they are booked into the system.

“Secure Communities enhances public safety by enabling ICE to identify and remove criminal aliens more efficiently and effectively from the United States,â€

"It is in no one's interest to put the public at risk," Ms. Quinn and several other officials wrote. "At the same time, the deportation of immigrant New Yorkers who do not pose a public safety risk and do not have significant criminal records seems senseless, destroys families, ruins lives and is often simply cruel."

What happen on 9/11 in New York?

How many Americans lives are destroyed daily via illegal alien’s crimes?

How many American children walks around hungry and homes lost, due to illegal aliens stealing jobs with fraud documents?

It seems when people works at Police Departments and refuse to enforce all laws have the wrong work positions and should seek another field of work.

Yorkers who do not pose a public safety risk and do not have significant criminal records seems senseless, destroys families, ruins lives and is often simply cruel."

If you have illegal aliens residing in your County and employing jobs they have committed crimes. They cannot survive without jobs in New York. Moreover, undocumented aliens are not innocent people, remember they broke laws to enter this Country undocumented.

Maybe one of these days NYC will get with the program like the rest of New York STATE has, and most of the country has.