Thread: What the?! Arpaio Imm. agents in jurisdiction spat

Published: 07.20.2006

Arpaio, immigration agents in jurisdiction spat
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A dispute over jurisdiction between federal immigration agents and the sheriff's office in Arizona's most populous county is allowing some illegal immigrants to walk out of jail.
Since the first arrests made in March under Arizona's human-smuggling law, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office has filed 268 cases – 31 against suspected coyotes and the rest against suspected conspirators assumed to be undocumented immigrants.
So far, 63 have pleaded guilty to lesser offenses, 15 have been dismissed, two acquitted and one convicted by a jury.
But 17 have walked right out of the jail and into the community – including six who pleaded guilty to human-smuggling felonies – because the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency decided it wouldn't transport out of the country people prosecuted under the controversial coyote law.
Since July 11, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has transported 14 more of the coyote-law defendants in four trips to the Yuma area to rendezvous with U.S. Border Patrol agents willing to take the prisoners and put them through the federal process for removal.
"Why would they refuse to pick up the felons?" Sheriff Joe Arpaio asked.
An ICE spokesman said only federal agents with ICE, the Border Patrol and other U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials are legally empowered to determine who is a citizen and who is in the country legally, which they do through specific interviews and checks.
"An officer must base the determination of status upon either an interview of the subject or through fingerprint comparison with existing records," ICE Special Agent in Charge Roberto Medina said in a July 6 letter to Arpaio. "Furthermore, only federal officers can place detainers pursuant to the (Immigration and Nationality Act)."
State and county law enforcement can't make such determinations about "alienage."
Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said "the federal government's continued unwillingness to perform its basic duty of securing our border makes Arizona's human-smuggling law all the more important."

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/138695

More politics and bureaucratic nonsense from the feds. Maybe these illegals should have been released onto Bush's ranch.

Somebody needs to take that ICE official out behind the barn and give him a good whoopin'.

I've heard stupid statements before, but I think that this one

"An officer must base the determination of status upon either an interview of the subject or through fingerprint comparison with existing records," ICE Special Agent in Charge Roberto Medina said in a July 6 letter to Arpaio. "Furthermore, only federal officers can place detainers pursuant to the (Immigration and Nationality Act)."

is by far the most ludicrous I've ever heard.

For pete's sake, Medina -- WE'RE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE SAME SIDE HERE!!!

If I could buy a few acres around it, I would make it an illegal alien sanctuary. I'd just let them move in. No requirements, no restrictions... just come one come all.

Dixie

Hey Dixie:

Let's start a fundraiser here. Maybe we would come up with enough members to contribute enough money to buy those acres, all around Senor Bush's property.

Then we could put up signs directing the illegals crossing the border to those acres. :P

Wouldn't that be a hoot???????

I have thought about how amusing it would be if someone (lots of someones) printed up maps showing the way to the Bush Ranch. Just go where these illegal congregate, tell them there is a lot of work at this location.

The only problem is there are a lot of good people in Crawford that don't deserve this. Also, the myth of a 'ranch' is just that a 'myth'. It is just a show and tell and unless the President is visiting there, it would probably not be mentioned by the news media.

But it would be funny if thousands showed up at a time when he was meeting and greeting some of those foreign folks.

So far, 63 have pleaded guilty to lesser offenses, 15 have been dismissed, two acquitted and one convicted by a jury.
But 17 have walked right out of the jail and into the community – including six who pleaded guilty to human-smuggling felonies – because the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency decided it wouldn't transport out of the country people prosecuted under the controversial coyote law.

This should clear up in doubt people had on whether or not ICE was serious about enforcing our immigration laws.

"An officer must base the determination of status upon either an interview of the subject or through fingerprint comparison with existing records," ICE Special Agent in Charge Roberto Medina said in a July 6 letter to Arpaio.

Okay, what good does an interview do? People do lie in interviews. Also, what does a fingerprint check prove? Okay, so an illegal doesn't have any fingerprints on file - does that mean you let him/her go? As far as I'm concerned, the burden of proof lies on the accused. Show documented evidence proving you're authorized to be in the country and you go free, if not it's automatic deporation (except for smuggelers, who go to prison).

I'm almost convinced ICE has directions from higher authority not to deport illegal aliens unless they've commited other crimes besides illegally entry and social security fraud. What other explaination can there be for their refusal to deport illegal immigrants. Heck, most of these illegal immigrants have admitted to illegal entry into the United States. The Bush administration, especially Bush himself, U.S. Attorney General Gonzales, and Chertoff are not interested in our written laws or what the majority of Americans want.

An ICE spokesman said only federal agents with ICE, the Border Patrol and other U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials are legally empowered to determine who is a citizen and who is in the country legally, which they do through specific interviews and checks.

Following this logic, employers would have to run all their job applications by ICE, before they could determine if the potential employee was a citizen or not. What a bunch of nonsense!

We need to send MR. Jerkoff at DHS some emails and let him know what we think about his employees.

Originally Posted by WavTek

Following this logic, employers would have to run all their job applications by ICE, before they could determine if the potential employee was a citizen or not. What a bunch of nonsense!

No they don't - You can get on the Social Security Website and confirm a social security number in less than 5 minutes. No big deal.

An ICE spokesman said only federal agents with ICE, the Border Patrol and other U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials are legally empowered to determine who is a citizen and who is in the country legally, which they do through specific interviews and checks.

Since that is a moot point how about giving some thanks to Mr Arpaio for doing your job and doing it well?. You could say something like: "We appreciate you picking up the slack for us as we have been slack as hell." You could then say something like: "We are still slack as hell but we don't want you doing it either. "

I say go Joe go and any others like him. From Hazelton & Butler County to Maricopa County & Avon Park. The American people are going to do it with or without the federal government! Step up or get out of the way!