The Politically-Timed Immigration Raids

Michelle Malkin.com ^ | 4/20/06 | Michelle Malkin

[Pessimist]

I speak regularly with dedicated men and women who work for the Department of Homeland Security, and especially agents from across the country who work for the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

I can tell you based on my reporting over the last five years that the Bush administration's belated efforts to look tough on immigration enforcement at worksites amount to a cynical, politically timed effort to salvage the White House's guest worker program dreams and schemes. I'm referring to this story linked prominently today on Drudge and spread elsewhere:

[Plutarch]

Go look at Frist's VOLPAC web site.

He who directs us to look at a web site should also provide the link.

[just a dude]

Here's some fine print:

Page 36 GAO-05-813 Immigration Enforcement:

⁵⁹These data on worksite enforcement criminal arrests for fiscal years 2004 and 2005 do not include data on the number of worksite enforcement administrative arrests for those fiscal years. Fiscal year 2004 and 2005 data cannot be compared with data for previous fiscal years because the way INS agents entered data on investigative work-years into the INS case management system differs from the way ICE agents enter such data into the ICE system. Following the creation of ICE in March 2003, the case management system used to enter and maintain information on immigration investigations changed. With the establishment of ICE, agents began using the legacy U.S. Customs Service’s case management system, called the Treasury Enforcement Communications System, for entering and maintaining information on investigations, including worksite enforcement operations. Prior to the creation of ICE, the former INS entered and maintained information on investigative activities in the Performance Analysis System, which captured information on immigration investigations differently than the Treasury Enforcement Communications System.

ref: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05813.pdf

[P-40]

Here's some fine print:

That is the print I was looking for. The Devil is in the Details...

[rhombus]

Try this link

http://searching.gao.gov/query.html?col=+&qt=+d05813&charset=iso-8859-1&ql=&x=0&y=0

[P-40]

Thanks. That links to the report also. For some reason I can't get information from the GAO right now. They must be on to me. :)

[rhombus]

So the bottom line in all this is the chart posted is misleading but I still haven't found any comparative data.

[Politicalmom]

Sure. It was great. Until they released ALL the illegals they captured within hours.

[Pessimist]

And enjoy doing your happy dance...

Oh wait a minute, my post wasn't pulled!

Gee, and apparently I didn't get "whacked" either!

I don't know who you think you are, but I know you don't speak for conservatives.

[Sir Gawain]

LOL!! You're the one who is getting his butt kicked all over this thread.

Nah, he's not the one ducking and dodging the question like you and Poop.

[P-40]

So the bottom line in all this is the chart posted is misleading but I still haven't found any comparative data.

The chart without the footnote is misleading, but I'm sure Ms. Malkin did not know that...because the chart has been plastered all over the MSM but without the footnote. You have to look at the original report to get that...and that is supposed to be the MSM's job. :)

I think the new data has been posted at the site for ICE but I'll have to go and look at that this afternoon.

And of course the sad thing is...the way the chart reads without the footnote is just too believeable.

[tobyhill]

This is what the law is not what I prefer it to be so don't shoot the messenger. Remember there are 3 branches of Government and in this case the President's role is to catch them only and then it goes to the Judiciary which the President has NO control over.

Illegal Immigration or Undocumented Worker is a legal term which means that if law enforcement is going to charge the individuals with a legal statute then the charged has a right to adjudication (trial by judge or jury) and being the charges are only a misdemeanor, law enforcement is limited in the amount of time they can hold an individual pending trial. Unless the President suspends habeas corpus, it's not up to the accused to prove who they are or aren't, it's up to law enforcement and prosecutors to prove who they are or aren't. This legal standard is going to be the hardest thing Congress will deal with because there is Constitutional bounds that will definitely make it's way to the Supreme Court.

[Pessimist]

Seen this story? http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1618305/posts

And I'm supposed to thank him for keeping me SAFE?

[MineralMan]

"Oh wait a minute, my post wasn't pulled!
"

No? Go back and look at #1. Your call to impeach the President isn't there any longer, is it?

It gets really tiresome to have people calling for impeachment every time something doesn't go the way they'd like it. Even this raid, which is, at least, some effort to deal with illegal aliens gets the "impeachment" call.

I cannot remember ANY President with whom I have agreed 100%. I do not call for impeachment. I call for President Bush to do more to deal with this problem. That might work. All impeachment does is to throw everything into a cocked hat until the next election.

You also wrote: "Gee, and apparently I didn't get "whacked" either!"

To that I say, keep it up and you will.

[rhombus]

I think the new data has been posted at the site for ICE but I'll have to go and look at that this afternoon. And of course the sad thing is...the way the chart reads without the footnote is just too believeable.

Agreed. Look how everyone jumped on it here at FreeRepublic so much wanting to believe. If you get updated or corrected data I suggest you send them to Ms. Malkin. I still trust her to post corrections/explanations etc.

[rhombus]

It gets really tiresome to have people calling for impeachment every time something doesn't go the way...

I fear impeachment will now be a standard political tactic misused much the same way the Democrats now misuse the filibuster to block judicial appointments.

[P-40]

I suggest you send them to Ms. Malkin. I still trust her to post corrections/explanations etc.

I'm going to send her the footnote to the chart for starters. I think she will have some fun with it. Did the MSM not read the material before they ran with their story? Or did they read it but selectively edit what they ran with? I would bet on the latter.

[MineralMan]

"I fear impeachment will now be a standard political tactic misused much the same way the Democrats now misuse the filibuster to block judicial appointments."

---

I doubt it. The last impeachment didn't work out so well, and the Congress is, naturally, pretty hesitant to use it as a tool.

On the other hand, I've seen calls for Bush's impeachment here on Free Republic just about every time he has done (or not done) just about anything.

It's political rhetoric. Impeachment is (and should be) a last ditch procedure. It failed with Clinton because it was used as a political tool. Impeachment is not designed to be used as a political tool.

[tabsternager]

"Why Bash Bush for doing something, politically motivated or not?"

Doing what? Another "catch and release"?

[Rakkasan1]

High Court to Enter Illegal Worker Debate in RICO Case
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1145442295449