Posted on 04/24/2005 10:42:44 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
SANTA ANA, Calif. - Frustrated by illegal immigrant criminals who slip their grasp, a growing number of state and county police agencies nationwide are moving to join a federal program that enlists local officers to enforce immigration laws.
The federal government has already granted that authority in Florida and Alabama, and the program is under consideration in Connecticut, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
It's also in the works in Southern California - one of the nation's most ethnically diverse regions - where it would reverse a long-standing local police policy of avoiding questions about immigration status during criminal investigations.
Immigrant rights groups insist the move will discourage people from reporting domestic violence or other crimes for fear of deportation, and that it would lead to racial profiling and other abuses.
"We're 100 percent against it," said Amin David, president of Los Amigos of Orange County. "It will have a chilling effect on our community."
Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona is proposing the largest use of the program in the country. He wants to train as many as 500 deputies to catch illegal immigrants who have had criminal convictions.
Under the plan, officers would only check the status of people already in jail or under investigation for serious crimes.
"We're just taking advantage of another law enforcement tool to take bad guys off the street," Carona said.
The proposal drew overwhelming opposition when Carona presented it last week to leaders of community groups.
"If he embarks on this, we fear it will spread to other local agencies and then we'll have chaos," David said.
In neighboring Los Angeles County, the sheriff's department already has approval to train seven civilian employees this summer for a six-month pilot program to identify jail inmates who are eligible for deportation.
About 30 percent of the 18,000 inmates in Los Angeles County custody are foreign-born, but only two federal agents are assigned to determine who should be deported. Meanwhile, overcrowding has forced the county to release 200,000 inmates in the past three years before their sentences were completed.
"Our goal is to get them off the street and out of the country so local resources aren't spent on these individuals," said sheriff's Lt. Margarito Robles.
An estimated 465,000 people in this country have gone into hiding after receiving deportation orders, including as many as 85,000 immigrants who have been convicted of a crime, said Manny Van Pelt, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The agency, however, has only 4,000 detention and removal officers and 6,000 special agents to find them and handle other crimes.
"Even if we doubled the number of ICE agents, there wouldn't be enough," said Kris Kobach, a law professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City who helped set up the program in Alabama while serving as counsel to former Attorney General John Ashcroft.
Using local authorities to enforce immigration law has been allowed since 1996, when it was included as part of a broad immigration bill. But no local agencies participated until 2002, when 35 state and local officers in Florida completed the training and were authorized to take action on immigration violations in domestic terrorism investigations.
Alabama trained its first 21 officers in 2003 to deal with what officials called a lack of attention by the federal government to illegal immigration in that state.
State troopers have used the expanded enforcement powers to arrest more than 100 people, including a Mexican man captured during a traffic stop who was wanted for murder in his country and a Nigerian woman using a fraudulent passport to get a driver's license, said Haran Lowe, a lawyer for the state Department of Public Safety.
In Danbury, Conn., Mayor Mark Boughton recently urged his state to join the effort, citing the strain on government services caused by the growing illegal immigrant population in the New York City suburb.
"The federal government has an inability to do its job as it relates to immigration," Boughton said. "The fact of the matter is that this is out of control."
Dane, if you are a producer, You pay their wages, unemployment, school, FICA, medical care, legal bills. Not Local,State, or the Feds Not Taxpayers (everyone else)
If you don't the label applies, quite reasonably to you.
So do I, I also call ted bundy a scumbag.
Is it just me, or isn't domestic violence and "other crimes" valid reasons to deport?
Do we dare hope that the American public's concern over illegal immigration is finally stirring the pot?
There is your challenge people. Get on the horn and tell your representatives "NO GUEST WORKER PROGRAM". You made a very real impact on the last attempt to attach it to the Iraq emergency spending bill. Advise friends and relatives to do the same. Only those who enter the US properly will be given the right to work here. We do not reward common criminal invaders in this country. Tell em loud and clear!!!
I have never read an FR calling an illegal alien a scumbag. I don't care if they pick food, put up shingles or cleans someone's bathroom they don't belong here without permission of the federal government.
I'd like to know what laws can I break without impunity.
I'm for cutting everybodys taxes and reforming FICA, the medical system, unemployment, the education establisment, but that gets lost in these bash fests.
WERE is right! Lots of pretty old homes, especially off Main Street. Now it's Tijuana norte.
Many people who left Santa Ana had a hard time selling their homes because no one wanted to buy into that gangland area with all the shooting going on. They rented their places instead, and now their places have been trashed.
Actually they leave the term "scumbag" for people who grow food and build things(i.e those evil corporations, businesses).
Yeah, and you forgor to mention the new neighbor who does things on the cheap by using illegals to illegally clear his land and creek so he can put in a pool and tennis courts, so he will have the money can buy lawyers to sue his law abiding neighbors so he can encroach on their land. Lets the rich get richer.
Please feel free to deputize as many American citizens as you want to assist in stopping this illegal invasion and deport all lawbreakers.
forgor=forgot
IOW, workers of the world, unite.
Still peddling that phony poll I see. Whatever it takes to further an open border agenda that no one wants.
"If he embarks on this, we fear it will spread to other local agencies and then we'll have chaos," David said."
Chaos is what we have now, Mr. David
What we are trying to do is send the chaos home.
ol' hoghead
National Priorities and America’s Foundation
There are a few foundation stones that keep any country viable, unified and strong. History teaches that when those stones are weakened, the country crumbles. America now faces just that situation at a time when our national priorities in Washington seem to be dangerously upside down.
The key foundation stones as I see them are secure borders, controlled immigration, a common culture and a common language.
Illegal immigration is an invasion of America by a non-military force that is estimated to be approximately 12-20 million strong—and growing. These people invade the United States daily by the thousands, damaging public and private property, particularly along our southern border, and threatening the lives and welfare of the good Americans living there. They then place a significant burden on our infrastructure as they become recipients of America’s bounty in competition with our own citizens while we’re told to be compassionate to these unfortunate folks. As their numbers grow, the pleas for compassion turn into demands and our politicians invariably give in.
Regardless of what you hear about illegal immigrants doing jobs Americans don’t want, paying taxes and contributing to America’s prosperity, illegals obviously don’t pay or contribute the same as legitimate Americans. Tell me how they pay their fair share of income taxes when they have no social security number, how they pay their share of property taxes when they own no property and let’s be frank, how much sales tax can they pay with the little money they make? Does this sound like they’re paying their fair share relative to legitimate Americans? Yet often, they’re given benefits such as schooling, medical care and welfare all paid for by real Americans, like you, who do pay their fair share. In short, illegals are simply illegal period, yet they are enjoying the fruits of America’s bounty at the expense of those tending the ranch and paying all the bills. This can’t continue!
While illegal immigration must be stopped in its tracks, legal immigration must be strictly controlled, reduced to a trickle or stopped altogether for a period of time. Whereas most immigrants from previous generations came to America eager to become Americans, many, certainly not all, but many, today come in search of money and entitlements while remaining culturally loyal to their homelands.
Any country, regardless of how robust and prosperous, cannot sustain infinite numbers of people. There are approximately 6.5 billion people in the world. If we were to buy the arguments posed by some that our borders should be open without restriction and that we should welcome all comers regardless of status or numbers, the world would be at our door step demanding a piece of the American dream and that dream would soon turn into a nightmare. If you don’t believe it can happen, ask an American Indian about the consequences of uncontrolled immigration.
No matter the ills, America remains the richest nation on earth with a high standard of living. It’s to America that most people come when they choose to leave their homeland. What other country has folks waiting to migrate in such numbers and to what other country are people coming illegally in the middle of the night? They sure aren’t lining up to get into Africa, China, Afghanistan or Central and South America!
Continually bowing to political pressures however, government has shown more regulatory concern (i.e. 20,000+ gun laws) over lawful citizens buying a firearm than they do about unknown foreigners entering the country from God knows where bringing with them God knows what!
While we continually hear proposals to register and track American gun owners by name, number, permit and finger prints, we also hear demands for social benefits, driver’s licenses, no profiling, and amnesty for illegals—and most recently under the ruse of “guest worker programs.”
While the Legislative and Executive branches talk about their top priorities over the next four years being the war on terror, a secure Iraq, health care, reforming social security and the tax code, they’re leaving America vulnerable to real terror along our borders. And when they authorize an increase in border agents in one bill then refuse to fund that increase in a subsequent bill, the phrase “lip service” comes to mind. Could it be any clearer how upside down American political priorities are becoming?
I applaud the President’s stated goals for social security and tax reform but if we fail to secure the borders, we’ll lose the country and none of those other political plums now being proposed will matter one wit.
A secure America is the foundation upon which all else depends—period. Securing the country MUST be our primary focus—all else comes later. This insane attitude that appears more concerned over the welfare benefits and sensitivities of foreigners than the future and security of America has created an environment of authentic anger among growing millions of Americans and has left us extremely vulnerable in its wake.
Regarding our endangered culture, America’s motto E Pluribus Unum means, “Out of Many, One” it is not E Pluribus, Pluribus—“Out of Many, Many.” America’s motto is clear to me; the many cultures that come here should merge into one common American culture—that “melting pot” we’ve heard so much about.
A nation’s culture is the unifying glue that holds a people together and gives them a common sense of unity—a way of life they believe in, sharing the traditions and customs of their new homeland and proudly passing it along to their children.
Sadly, what we’re now seeing is not a melting pot but a mosaic of distinct and separate sub-cultures. For example, how many foreign flags do you see flying from people’s houses, cars and displayed on clothing? How many are self-described as some flavor of hyphenated Americans?
All this is a not so subtle message that these people still relate more to a foreign culture than American. After awhile, this mindset becomes engrained and they think of themselves and teach their children to think not as Americans, but as something else. This is a danger signal for the continued viability of our culture. And in our new found desire to be more accepting of just about everything these days, we not only let it go, we encourage it—especially in our schools where future generations are being indoctrinated and diversity of culture is celebrated at the exclusion and serious dilution of American culture.
Language is another critical element of that unifying glue that holds a nation together and official acceptance of multiple languages does nothing but further the disassociation with “things” America. We divide ourselves into disparate camps and create untold and unnecessary problems for all. Although the ability to speak multiple languages is a gift, a law officially recognizing multiple languages within one country-one culture is a curse.
How did we come to this situation? When politicians start to play the pandering game for political gain, votes, or acceptance and recognition, they often lose sight of our original American values and become more concerned with the superficial than the factual—all to the detriment of the common good and our future as a free and viably independent country.
Where do I stand on national priorities and America’s foundation?
Seal the borders using fences and well armed military forces backed by no non-sense Rules of Engagement—then forewarn the world; America is now deadly serious about defending her borders. If we consider border security of such critical importance that we send troops around the globe to defend foreign borders, why can’t America’s borders take priority in defense of our own people and our own existence?
Stop or at least set extremely low limits on legal immigration accompanied by a tough screening process. Keep in mind that it was lax immigration controls that helped 19 terrorists successfully attack America on 9/11/01.
Refuse to officially recognize hyphenated American descriptions and drop all reference to heritage on government forms! You are either an American or a foreigner and if you’re a foreigner, you better have the proper visa.
English will be the only official language of the United States—period. I admire those that are multi-lingual but I don’t abide any official pressure that requires me to be increasingly proficient in a foreign language in order to function in my own country.
It seems clear to me that unless we return to a philosophy of America first, America will finish last. Legitimate Americans, our culture and our language come first in my book—always have, always will and if that offends anyone at all, too dang bad.
The city of Orange just north of Santa Ana has/had some beautiful old Victorian homes.
AND, the circle which was a favorite shopping spot for me.
Mind you, that was about 8 years ago and I don't know what it looks like now, but it was already encircled by North Tijuana trash-chic as well.
I remember that back in the sixties we had something called "civil defense". It was used for local emergencies like flooding, tornados, blizzards etc. Many of the the people involved were ex military, police and civil service. With the attitude in this country right now you would have absolutely no problem putting together a legitimate armed force to thwart the illegal invasion that has been taking place. Most would do it with pleasure!!! Tax-payers do not like being taken advantage of. They don't like the criminal element that is coming in and they want it put to a stop. Bush would gain lots of points if he formed a civilian border watch volunteer group actually mandated and backed by the government. Whatcha think Dane? Would it fly?
Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) from El Salvador.
Here's an interesting article if you have some time on your hands.
Mexicanizing the Mara
By John Ross
The Texas Observer
June 18, 2004
The Mara Salvatrucha was born on the mean streets of California in the late 1970s and '80s as refugees from the bloodletting in Salvador streamed into the state, seeking sanctuary. Forced to defend themselves from long-established Mexican youth gangs, the older kids organized new arrivals into a respected fighting force that was as much into heavy metal music and stoner drugs as rumbling with the Mexicans.
Today, the Maras are an international conglomerate with functioning organizations in three Central American countries, Mexico, and the United States, including such unlikely locations as Somerville, Massachusetts; Dodge City, Kansas; and Nashville, Tennessee.
snip
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