If the feds wanted to solve the criminal invader problem, they could.
Easily.
Posted on 08/31/2005 10:47:23 PM PDT by TERMINATTOR
The El Paso County, Colo., sheriff quickly earned federal immigration officials' attention by warning that he'd start driving undocumented immigrants from his jail to the Mexican border rather than continue to pay for their upkeep, and release some to the streets.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials last week told U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., that they will consider opening a Colorado Springs office to help process the immigrants for deportation.
That's welcome news to county officials, but they say it won't do anything to ease the county's more than $1 million annual cost for housing undocumented immigrants.
"It won't solve the problem, but it will speed up processing and create a push to bring a detention facility," said Jim Bensberg, chairman of the El Paso County commissioners.
"The situation can't get any worse than it is."
El Paso County spent $1.2 million in 2004 to jail illegal immigrants, said Bensberg. This year, the price tag will be higher because the jail is now housing 75 to 100 undocumented workers a day, compared with 50 to 60 last year, he said.
"That's a big chunk of change," said Bensberg, who wrote Allard about the problem. "The county can't afford that."
Sheriff Terry Maketa, who notified ICE and the Mexican consulate that he wanted to drive some of the undocumented inmates to the Mexican border, was out of town Tuesday and unavailable for comment.
But Undersheriff Teri Goodall said about 75 percent of the undocumented inmates face charges ranging from misdemeanor traffic offenses to attempted murder. If they're convicted, they enter the state correction system.
But the other 25 percent are held only as undocumented immigrants and are rarely deported upon release, she said.
ICE has offices in Denver and Pueblo, Colo., but the federal detention facilities are usually full. Nationally, ICE has capacity for 19,444 inmates, said Carl Rusnok, ICE's communication director. Denver and most Colorado towns also house hundreds of illegal immigrants for ICE.
ICE is notified each time an undocumented inmate is processed. ICE picks up only five or six inmates a week, Goodall said. Those who don't face charges are released after 72 hours, she said.
Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., an outspoken critic of federal immigration enforcement policy, praised the sheriff's position.
"If ICE continues to ignore local law enforcement's demand that it does its job, more and more responsible sheriffs will be forced to shoulder the burden of the illegal immigration crisis," Tancredo said.
El Paso County, with 565,000 residents, has about 30,000 undocumented workers. Goodall and Bensberg said the county is not trying to enforce immigration law.
"The number that concerns me are the ones that commit crimes," said Bensberg. "That's the only issue I am focusing on. The larger immigration issue is for experts."
Federal grants reimbursed the county $180,000 for the jail costs in 2004, said Goodall.
"It shouldn't be up to the county. This is an issue of federal jurisdiction," said Goodall.
Allard won a commitment Friday from ICE to open an office in Colorado Springs, Colorado's second- largest city.
"If, instead of releasing illegal immigrants back into the community, ICE resources were allocated to facilitate deportation, return visits would be prevented and the taxpayers of El Paso County would realize significant savings," Allard said.
Rusnok said the proposed ICE office in Colorado Springs is in "the infancy stage." The office has yet to be approved by Congress, he said and opening the office could still be years away.
If the feds wanted to solve the criminal invader problem, they could.
Easily.
Sheriff Joe is an expert in inexpensive detention centers.
ping
Another vigilante---taking the law into his own hands.
Another American hero, that is.
"If, instead of releasing illegal immigrants back into the community, ICE resources were allocated to facilitate deportation, return visits would be prevented and the taxpayers of El Paso County would realize significant savings," Allard said.
How do they think "return visits would be prevented"? There's nothing to prevent them from turning right around and coming back. We need armed guards on the border with shoot first ask questions later orders.
Could it come to that? Build the damn fence. Deport all illegal immigrants.
This would solve the problem in no time. These people (and I use the term very loosely) are enemies and should be treated as such. Once we start killing them for attacking our country the rest of them will either stay home or try to come here legally.
I have a great respect for legal immigrants, in almost all cases they add to the bounty of these United States.
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Support our Minutemen Patriots!
Be Ever Vigilant ~ Bump!
"How do they think "return visits would be prevented"? There's nothing to prevent them from turning right around and coming back. We need armed guards on the border with shoot first ask questions later orders."
Exactly, these people are just going to reenter. I say incarcerate and charge there country of origin for the cost whether it be a deduction in normal aid or higher tariffs on goods exported to our country.
I say drive 'em to Crawford and drop 'em off...Bush wants 'em, let him have 'em...
This guy should be president!
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