Thread: US Immigration Authorities Step up Deportations of Illegal I

US Immigration Authorities Step up Deportations of Illegal Immigrants
By Steve Mort
Apopka, Florida
07 August 2007

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Immigration authories

Authorities in the United States are stepping up efforts to return illegal immigrants to their home countries. Under a program called "Operation Return to Sender," 2007 is set to be a record year for deportations. Critics say the government is shifting away from only pursuing illegal aliens with criminal records to arresting all undocumented migrants regardless of background. Immigration authorities say they are simply enforcing the law. Steve Mort reports from Florida for VOA.


Sandy Doumet

Sandy Doumet is packing her belongings and heading to Mexico to be with her husband who was recently deported. Doumet emigrated to the United States from Ecuador 11 years ago and recently became a U.S. citizen. "It's hard to understand how a country that opened doors to me now is kicking me out, because in a way I have to leave even if I don't want to, because if I stay here my kids will grow up without a father and I don't want that."

Sandy and her husband lived together in Florida for eight years and have been married for six.

The couple has three young children, all U.S. citizens, and ran a successful business. But Sandy's Mexican husband, who came to the U.S. illegally 10 years ago, has been deported three times and is banned from returning.

Sandy is pleading with authorities to let her family be together in the United States. "Bring my husband back because we had a good life here. We didn't ask the government for anything. We were good citizens. My husband was a good citizen."

Pro-immigrant advocates say such cases show that efforts to deport more illegal immigrants are destroying lives.

Denise Diaz is with the immigrant advocacy group Jobs with Justice. She says agents used to focus on tracking down criminal aliens, but now unfairly target all undocumented migrants.


Denise Diaz

"They're not a threat to society or the safety of Americans. So they've taken it a step further in their abuses and, at this point, it looks like they've gone as far as violating the civil rights, and bottom-line, human rights of these people".

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, ICE, said in a statement to VOA that it only deports individuals who are in violation of their immigration status or were ordered deported by a judge.

ICE says it is simply enforcing laws as expeditiously and with as much dignity as possible. It denies there has been a change of emphasis towards deporting illegal immigrants regardless of their criminal history.


Mike Jarbeck

The rise in deportations is welcomed by Mike Jarbeck. He heads a Florida chapter of the Minuteman Project, an activist group that opposes illegal immigration. "I want to see every last illegal alien rounded up, identified and sent home.

U.S. government statistics show that of the 150,000 illegal immigrants removed between October 2006 and June 2007, around 90,000 had no criminal record. Again Mike Jarbeck of the Minuteman Project.

"In America, we are a country of laws. And the problem with this is, if we don't enforce the law then what do we have? We have a double standard. We have a whole group of people who are set above the law who the law doesn't apply to. That's unconstitutional. Our constitution does not allow for that."

The U.S. immigration agency says it does not deport people arbitraily, and instead targets individuals based on specific information.

But that is little comfort to Sandy Doumet. She says she will stay with her husband in Mexico, but return regularly to the U.S. so one of her children can receive medical care for a heart condition.

And she hopes that one day her whole family will be able to live together again in the United States.

Pro-immigrant advocates say such cases show that efforts to deport more illegal immigrants are destroying lives.

They did it to themselves by breaking the law in the first place. Consequences. Consequences.


No, America did not welcome you. We did not send you a letter and invite you. You snuck over and squated. You've been caught and are being forced to leave. Action and Consequences of an Interloper.

Waaaaaaa, I broke the law and I don't want to be punished. Waaaaaaa! I don't want to to the right thing. Waaaaaaa! I involved children in the commission of a crime. Waaaaaaa! It's not my fault you made me do it. Waaaaaaaa!

I don't even want to hear this Bull anymore. Just shut up and go home.

Dixie

Sandy is pleading with authorities to let her family be together in the United States. "Bring my husband back because we had a good life here. We didn't ask the government for anything. We were good citizens. My husband was a good citizen."

They are NOT citizens! Her husband's illegal and has been deported 3 times! And she aided and abetted him. She obviously doesn't know what being a citizen is about. It is not just taking an oath, it's being loyal to and protecting this Country. It's a way of life, not just words.

These people know they broke the law and the consequences. They have also worked in american jobs. They know the right way in.

Isn't the ability to foresee the consequences of ones actions one of the basic competencies of adulthood? This is as bad as the green card protesters, who used a non-immigration visa as if it were an immigration visa, and are now facing expiration dates. Simply because you are allowed to want to immigrate on the H-1B does not turn it into an immigration visa. "Who knew?" is not the right answer here. On another board someone said [paraphrase] 'If I were to complain that the government [of the foreign country] were making laws and policies in such a way as to thwart my career plans and crush my dreams, I would be laughed into next week."

Then come all the arguments as to why the US shouldn't have or enforce immigration laws. All of which show an underlying contempt for the sovereign status of our nation.

How can people sneak in illegally, and then be surprised when ICE shows up? The odds may have been low, but they weren't zero. Sooner or latter someone wins Powerball.

All of you guys have hit the nail directly on the head. Consequences is the key and no one is bringing that up. Their are too busy spinning their own agendas to their advantage trying to convince those that are on the fence to come down on their side.

Someone.....anyone.....please explain to me where enforcing our laws is in violation of civil and human rights?

Seriously, we hear this, repeatedly, even from lawyers, and I'm trying to figure out just what this is based upon.

Actually, these are all just show and tell - but it does illustrate one thing.

While these people realize they are breaking our laws - they have gotten a wink and a nod and all manner of support (freebies and language accommodation) from our governments - federal and local. It has only been recently that any media or political attention has been focused on the problem.

The must think they got mixed messages from this government.

Not giving them a pass, mind you.

Originally Posted by azwreath

Someone.....anyone.....please explain to me where enforcing our laws is in violation of civil and human rights?

Seriously, we hear this, repeatedly, even from lawyers, and I'm trying to figure out just what this is based upon.

It says in the constitution everyone in the United States has certain civil rights, ( don't want to go into all that right now) So certain law makers and probably the supreme court have interrupted this as everyone, but I am sure our founding fathers did not plan on them including illegal aliens in on this privledge.

Guess they should have for seen the future and said, does not include people who enter our country with out permission How stupid can you get to interrupt our constitution pretaining to citizens rights and apply it to lawbreakers!!!

SAVE US ALL FROM STUPIDITY!!!! PLEASE!

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