Thread: Union leader: Obama pandering to latino groups for political gain

Jim Kouri Published 02/01/2012 - 12:56 p.m. CST

As part of President Barack Obama's "new immigration and deportation strategy," all U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers must complete a training program that stresses removing high-risk offenders while at the same time forgo the deportation of illegal immigrants with clean records and strong ties to their communities, said the ICE officers' union officials on Friday.

According to federal law enforcement officials, a majority of ICE’s commanding officers and prosecuting attorneys have completed the training seminar, but the National ICE Council, which represents agency’s more than 6,000 immigration officers, has not allowed its members to enroll in the new training program.

The tough and outspoken president of the National ICE Council, Chris Crane, has opposed many of the president’s strategies, arguing that Obama’s policies force ICE officials to disregard the law. In separate statements, officials from the border patrol agents union have also criticized Obama's immigration and border security policies.

On one occasion, while testifying before the House Judiciary subcommittee, Crane accused Obama of pandering to Latino groups for political gain.

“Law enforcement and public safety have taken a back seat to attempts to satisfy immigrant advocacy groups,” Crane told the panel of congressmen.

According to Department of Homeland Security officials, the seminar is mandatory for implementing the president’s strategy, but without the ICE union’s approval, the Obama policy will probably end up in labor negotiations or legal battles that could last well into Obama's second-term... if he wins a second term.

Originally when ICE commanders rolled out the training seminars for rank-and-file officers last November, the Obama appointees had hoped to have all ICE officers complete the required course by January 13, 2012, a deadline they obviously missed.

Republican lawmakers -- such as Representative Lamar Smith (R- Texas), the chair of the House Judiciary Committee -- called the president’s immigration plan "de facto amnesty" or "amnesty by fiat." GOP lawmakers appear to be in agreement with the ICE union officials on the subject of immigration enforcement and deportations.

In her defense of Obama's deportation policy, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has said that her agency only has enough resources to deport fewer than a half-million illegal aliens per year at a cost of $23,000 per illegal alien.

Training Class

During the training class, ICE agents would be asked what to do if a young illegal immigrant had been handed to them by state authorities for driving without a license. In the scenario, she had been living in the United States since 1993 and has an infant son, an American, but she had lied to ICE officers, covering up a shoplifting conviction from 1995.

In this case, officers should close her deportation case as she poses no criminal threat and could still be nursing her American baby.

In another training scenario, ICE agents would be asked what to do with an Asian Pacific man who has been a legal resident in the United States since 1984 and has served two tours in Iraq. The man is currently serving out a six-year prison sentence for a federal sex-trafficking felony.

Under new ICE guidelines, the man should be deported, despite his military service, because of his serious criminal history.

John Morton, the Chief of ICE, was careful to note that illegal aliens who have their deportation closed are still in “legal limbo” as their cases are not canceled, can easily be reopened, and they have not been granted legal immigration status. Morton is unpopular with ICE agents, who gave him a vote of "no confidence" last year.

Meanwhile, ICE supervisors claim many agents do not support Crane and that many officials have reported that agents generally approve of the recent focus on high-profile anti-crime operations against foreign street gangs, drug dealers, and sex offenders.

But, rank-and-file agents -- who spoke on condition of total anonymity -- believe their superiors are being less than candid and more concerned with their careers than in protecting the nation's sovereignty and its people.

"As usual, the liberal-left officials within the [Obama] administration are hiding behind children in their attempt to circumvent the laws with which they disagree," said one of the agents.

One Old Vet

UNION LEADER: OBAMA PANDERING TO LATINO GROUPS FOR POLITICAL GAIN - TheCypressTimes

Nice comment to the article:

Added: February 02, 2012. 10:02 PM CST The costly burden of Illegal immigration Nevada--has the same problems as the Sanctuary state of California, Arizona that has been overwhelmed by poverty from the large influx of illegal aliens. The only difference is the legislators in California and Nevada disregard their resident’s pleas for help and still pander to foreign nationals. That's why all Governors, Mayors and every official, who supports this growing plague must be removed from office. Every person who wants the 2006 real double fence, The Legal Workforce bill, recognized as E-Verify and The Citizenship Birthright Act amended should join the Tea Party or other strong advocates on this matter. Illegal immigration costs California $10.5 Billion annually, with Nevada annual fiscal burden of immigration to be approximately $630 million as according to the Heritage Foundation. Powerful interests in the state garner the benefits, while the average legal California family gets handed over nearly $1,200 annually. So what’s the real cost in Alabama or any of the other 47 States? Fortunately it just goes to show that legal immigrants especially generations of Hispanics are against illegal immigration and are for enforcement, by their positive vote in Florida for Mitt Romney. They too are suffering from the indignation as being blamed from the 500.000 that illegally enters America. Of course Nevada has its own set of problems, for it also has been flooded with illegal aliens. They have infiltrated the service industry, entertainment and worse hit of all—construction. Taking jobs for bonefide US citizens and legal residents, who were rejected as Contractors and sub-contractors could make more money from discount labor. They didn’t have to offer benefits to foreigners, who swarmed Nevada during the height of the real estate boom. Other then Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, Gingrich and Paul cannot be trusted with their promises to the foreign nationals, as they are against the fence and are calling with a Path to legality--that is not what the general public want? In one of the latest polls Maine voters were asked about their views on legal immigration. A substantial majority of respondents, 59 percent, judge that overall levels "are too high and should be reduced," while only 6 percent believe immigration should be increased. Among the key findings of the poll: • 65% believe that illegal immigration negatively affects Maine. • 78% oppose in-state tuition subsidies and/or admission of illegal aliens to public universities. • 65% support state involvement in immigration enforcement, similar to policies enacted in Arizona and other states. • 43% believe illegal immigrants take jobs from American workers, while only 32% believe they fill jobs Americans will not do. • 59% support reducing overall immigration to the U.S., while only 6% support increasing immigration. In California and Nevada millions of jobs that should be in the hands of citizens, instead have been stolen by people from across the globe. Huge amounts of expenditures have been growing, because of careless use of Taxpayers’ dollars by politicians. Specific to Border States is the spiraling high cost of millions of illegal aliens pouring in, demanding equal rights to US citizens. 22 million Americans are out of work and President Obama has passed executive orders, so hundreds of thousands of unlawful migrants and immigrants without a criminal record can stay here. Farmers want the cheap labor, as they remain exempt for paying their medical issues or even their children's schooling. Democrats will look the other way in all elections, as illegal aliens are voting and will again through 2012. These are two unfunded mandates that the US government pays nothing towards, and state compliance laws is mandatory and forced upon Americans by the courts. The low estimate for paying for all these unfunded mandates annually is $113 billion dollars. Except to stay here, you have to have food, medical care and for their children and education. Staying here it means you have to commit a felony, as to find employment you must possess a legitimate Social Security number, unless the employer is committing an illegal act themselves. Therefore using some persons SSN is a victim of identity theft and that is a –FELONY. As a patriotic American people we cannot afford to stop pursuing full, mandated “THE LEGAL WORKFORCE ACT” or mandated nationwide E-Verify. Without it our countries businesses will be overrun by illegal workers in every sector of industry. The circumstances have now become so critical, owing to the millions of jobless citizens, legal residents that our government needs to insist full operation of the computer based application. E-Verify is a valuable tool that has expanded to a growing number of honest businesses that have participated in the removal of foreign nationals. There is toxicity amongst the Democrats and Republicans, who have an irrational view and are eager to destroy any immigration enforcement at our undermanned border or tourists who overstay deliberately. As it stands a path to citizenship, espoused as Immigration reform wants to legalize all those already here. Can anybody imagine if foreign countries supported their citizens that America would not be suffering the problems of foreign workers and their families crowding the emergency rooms of major cities, educating their children and feeding off the limited benefits afforded the US population? E-verify must not be undermined or thrown into the waste pit of good immigration bills? Phone 202-224-3121 is the Washington center switchboard, to express your infuriated feelings and anguish at Senators and Representatives of both parties. Obamacare for all Americans will be inundated with illegal immigrants and will just drive more of them into our nation. They keep declaring no health care treatment for any illegal people, but unl ess the mandated federal bill such as E-Verify is operational, then how can we distinguish from the legal population and those who have broken immigration laws? Under such a Congressional law, the long trek home will begin if illegal workers cannot find a job. Those business owners who fail to comply could end up in prison or fined millions of dollars? All immigration bills need to be passed before Obama tries to pass another failed amnesty, as in 1986. DON’T WAIT, MILLIONS HAVE NOT? YOUR VOTE IS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL OPINION AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION? SEE THROUGH THE LIES AT NUMBERSUSA, JUDICIALWATCH.