What happens if the Undocumented worker says he's legally here, is he afforded adjudication before deportation?The alien is supposed to be held until the matter is resolved. Since a quick check with the DHS database will show whether such claim is valid, the adjudication can happen very quickly.
Furthermore, even the relatives quoted in the news reports admit that those workers were illegal aliens. I seriously doubt that most of those released denied being illegal aliens. They are told that lying to a fededal agent is a felony, and they act accordingly.
Chertoff has become a parody of himself. I hope that SNL does not get hold of this news tidbit.
DHS doesn't set the time table for adjudication, that's up to the courts and to even start the charges it's not up to the accused to prove who they are or aren't, it's up to law enforcement. The accused can sit there all day long and say,"I don't know". No one can be detained in the US indefinitely without charges unless the President suspends habeas corpus. Even if they knew they were just "illegal" and waived adjudication where are they going to get deported to?