Posted on 09/01/2015 10:30:27 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
With all the stories we wind up covering which involve illegal aliens being caught, released, and left to roam around, it’s nice to see a report of ICE going out there and getting something done. That was apparently the case in Southern California this week, where agents were rude enough to identify hundreds of illegal immigrants with felony records (including murder), round them up and schedule them to exit the country.
More than 240 people were taken into federal custody last week across Southern California after a four-day sweep for immigrants with criminal records in the country illegally, authorities announced Monday.
The enforcement action ended Thursday with 244 foreign nationals in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement — the majority of them with at least one felony conviction on their record, authorities said.
Since they were being trailed by at least one reporter there seemed to be some cautionary measures in place. I found it interesting that ICE was quick to note that a successful sweep like this should not in any way be interpreted as meaning that there’ some epidemic of crime being committed by illegal aliens. No sir. Perish the thought.
But an ICE spokeswoman cautioned against concluding that crime involving immigrants is up.
“One of the challenges we’re facing is because of state law and local policies, more individuals who are potentially deportable with significant criminal histories are being released onto the street instead of being turned over to ICE,” agency spokeswoman Virginia Kice said. “I think to infer from [the sweep] that potentially foreign nationals are committing more crimes is flawed.”
The curious part about the disclaimer she offered was that while she was insisting that we shouldn’t take this as an indicator of some sort of illegal immigrant crime wave, she was still reaffirming precisely the debate taking place in the presidential campaigns at the moment. If there are that many people with “significant criminal histories” who they would like to get their hands on but they are being “released onto the street” rather than letting ICE pick them up, well… that’s sort of the problem, isn’t it?
Another interesting factoid from the sweep was the data on the nationality of the perpetrators they picked up. Critics of Trump, Cruz and other immigration control advocates have been building a narrative that it’s racist (or whatever “ist”) to single out Mexico because we have people crossing the borders illegally from all over the place. The second part of that statement is true beyond doubt, but that doesn’t mean that the majority of the problem isn’t coming from Mexico. ICE picked up 191 Mexican nationals as opposed to 21 from “other countries.” That’s a pretty significantly weighted sample, wouldn’t you say?
But I get their point. A lot of this clearly depends on what part of the country you’re in. Southern California is bound to be over-represented with Mexicans just from geographic convenience. By contrast, one of the more recent triple homicides in Florida by an illegal was committed by a guy from Belize. Then again, some of them are, such as the guy in Ohio who recently shot several people and attempted to rape a 14 year old girl.
No matter the location, hats off to ICE for this sweep. I doubt it will do much to wake up California’s legislators to the problem they’re facing or rein in the sanctuary cities, but at least it’s a start.
Perhaps, Jerry Brown could host them all at the Capitol for dinner, ya think?
So. What. The mayor or 0bama will tell whoever to release them.
Yawn - another “catch and release” scam to fool the low-info crowd (headlined to fool those Trump supporters!)
I say give them a gun, and EBT card and their choice of Meth or Crack Cocaine. It would be and act of LOOOOVVVVVEEEE......
I’m sure it’s just a catch and release effort for show. Democrats can’t win on illegals alone, so they have to pander to the gullible. No shortage in SOCAL.
If being an illegal was an actual felony, a quarter of the population of california would end up in prison and/or deported.
Voter registration drive?
Did these ILLEGAL ALIENS not get the memo to head to a SANCUTARY CITY?????
Obama is going to buy the all beer.
Yeb’s attitude is—sure they’re criminals, but they’re not felons so we should welcome them.
What kind of screwy thinking is that?
I’m sure that non-criminal, legal immigrants—people who might have something to actually offer those of us w/o swimming pools/make our own beds—but still patiently waiting, wonder why they didn’t just steal across the border.
I’m glad their sweeping!
Sweep all of California and maybe it can be a good state once again.
The only question is whether ICE will register them all to vote and sign them up for food stamps and Obamaphones before turning them loose.
So if a Mexican crosses from Mexico into the USA without submitting the proper documentation to the Mexican authorities of his departure..
Thus he / she is an Undocumented Departed person
On his / her deportation from USA back to Mexico...what penalties are applied by the Mexican authorities....?
Since there is no official record of the person leaving Mexico in the first place.
240.
Out of how many...
Four day sweep in Southern California turns up hundreds of native born American citizens
Well, if a 4 day sweep gets 240, imagine how a 300 sweep will get you .... 18,000 !
That’s a good start.
...that benefit the economy...
I assume they were being rounded up in order to make sure they were receiving their welfare benefits in a timely manner? Or maybe to offer them free college educations?
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