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Chertoff says "we have now ended catch and release"
Department of Homeland Security ^ | 9/21/2006

Posted on 09/22/2006 8:05:00 PM PDT by Invisible Gorilla

From yesterday's (9/21/2006) Press Briefing by Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff:

Last November, we announced our moving forward on the Secure Border Initiative, and we laid down a number of milestones and a number of different elements to the strategy. The elements included additional personnel, additional tactical infrastructure, ending "catch and release," which was that pernicious policy that allowed people who got caught at the border to be released into the community, and very importantly using some of the proven tools that we have developed over the years for interdiction in the context of border control.

And therefore, we announced that by the end of the fiscal year, by the end of September 2006, we would be awarding a comprehensive SBI Net contract to let us bring these tools to the table.

Well, let me review what we have done to accomplish what we have set out to do, and we have taken some very significant steps forward, but, of course, we have not completed the journey. First, I'd like to say, we did end "catch and release." Last November, what I said is we would end it by the end of September of this year. In fact, we beat the deadline. And we have now ended "catch and release." So that is a milestone that we set out and that we've achieved.

...break...

I want to come back before I conclude to this very important thing about setting goals and milestones and measuring them. A common complaint about government is there's a lot of lofty rhetoric, but there's no metrics. There's no holding to deadlines, and the achievement always falls short of what the original proposal is. Well, we're very mindful of that. We know this is a very tall order. The American people are rightfully insistent on the fact that we solve this 30-year-old problem, and this is about a solution which we believe is going to do the job.

Part of that keeping faith with the American people has been living up to the commitments. That's why, as I said, getting "catch and release" done ahead of schedule was a very important demonstration to the public that when we say something, we mean it, we mean to carry it out.

Notice that Chertoff focused in the first paragraph on illegal aliens "who got caught at the border," even though catch and release has been the general practice of the ICE, and the INS before it, throughout the country. Does he mean to imply that illegal aliens who are caught and released at places other than the border aren't being caught and released?

Now take a look at a the August 23, 2006 DHS Fact Sheet: Secure Border Initiative Update:

Ending Catch and Release

* 99% Apprehended Now Being Detained For Return. In the week of August 7-13, 2006, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) apprehended 1055 non-Mexican illegal aliens at the Southern border, and released only 7 non-Mexican illegal aliens.

* Last Year Only 34% Detained. This year's detention numbers are a dramatic improvement. For comparison, in January of this year, the number of apprehensions was significantly higher, and DHS was only able to detain half of the non-Mexican illegal aliens arrested. At this time last year, the detention rate was 34% of all non-Mexican illegal aliens apprehended.

So now we see that according to Chertoff, "we have ended catch and release" only really means that the DHS is doing a better job of holding "non-Mexican illegal aliens who are apprehended at the Southern border." Mexican illegal aliens are still being caught and released throughout the country, and non-Mexican illegals appear to be as well, or the DHS wouldn't report success on such a narrowly cast net.

Questions:

1. Is DHS Secretary Chertoff being honest when he says that the catch and release policy for illegal aliens has been ended?

2. Is DHS Secretary Chertoff really living up to his commitment to end catch and release?

3. Is DHS Secretary Chertoff keeping faith with the American people, as he claims he is, when he claims that he's ended the policy of catch and release even as most illegal aliens who are caught in this country are caught and released?


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aliens; borders; catchandrelease; chertoff; homelandsecurity; illegalimmigration; immigrantlist; immigration; legalese; otm
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Here's an April 20, 2006 story from Houston, Dozens of illegal immigrants arrested, released in hours
There was a crackdown Wednesday and dozens of illegal immigrants were arrested.

Many of those same immigrants were released just hours later

It was the last thing they, and their families, expected.

"They are not criminals. All they're here for is to work for their family," said Mariz Gomez.

And that's what they were doing making wooden pallets at two different locations when federal agents swooped in and took nearly 70 suspected undocumented workers to this federal detention center in north Houston.

"Just for them to come in here and to just throw them back to where they go. That's not right for them," said Gomez.

Families 11 News spoke with feared the men mostly from Central American countries would be deported.

But that was hardly the case.

Just five hours later Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents began releasing the undocumented workers.


1 posted on 09/22/2006 8:05:02 PM PDT by Invisible Gorilla
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To: Miss Marple
Following up on our earlier conversation.
2 posted on 09/22/2006 8:06:22 PM PDT by Invisible Gorilla
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To: gubamyster; NewRomeTacitus; Registered
You guys might be interested in this.
3 posted on 09/22/2006 8:08:28 PM PDT by Invisible Gorilla
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To: Invisible Gorilla

What about people from El Salvador?


4 posted on 09/22/2006 8:11:45 PM PDT by P-40 (Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
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To: Invisible Gorilla
zzzzzzzzzzzz

Huh, really??!!

And what about the teeming millions of Illegals already in the USA then?

5 posted on 09/22/2006 8:11:58 PM PDT by prophetic
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To: Invisible Gorilla
we have now ended "catch and release."

Should've happened on 9/12/01 (actually, long before then).

Is DHS Secretary Chertoff being honest when he says that the catch and release policy for illegal aliens has been ended?

Doubt it, but we shall see.

6 posted on 09/22/2006 8:12:23 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: Invisible Gorilla
Is this still the shellgame shuffle? Catching and keeping OTM while still catching and releasing M?
7 posted on 09/22/2006 8:13:44 PM PDT by TomGuy
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To: Invisible Gorilla

Only five years too late to remedy a ridiculous embarrassment of federal ineptitude, but what the heck!


8 posted on 09/22/2006 8:14:07 PM PDT by Mad_Tom_Rackham (Democrats. French, but more cowardly.)
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To: P-40
What about people from El Salvador?

According the August 23 DHS press release, "El Salvadorans account for the largest number of apprehended illegal migrants, with the exception of Mexicans. An injunction imposed in the 1980’s interferes with El Salvadorian removal. This outdated injunction is a major obstacle in DHS’ effort to implement a policy of “catch and return”. DHS is seeking court and legislative action to end it."

That's a good step, but I don't know if the DHS has had any success against the injunction yet.

9 posted on 09/22/2006 8:16:29 PM PDT by Invisible Gorilla
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To: P-40
What about people from El Salvador?

What about illegals who work for Democratic politicians?

10 posted on 09/22/2006 8:16:34 PM PDT by cgk (I don't see myself as a conservative. I see myself as a religious, right-wing, wacko extremist.)
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To: Mr. Mojo
Every one who created and continued "catch and release" should be FIRED.

Want to get rid of illegal aliens? Catch and transfer to China for organ transplant donation
will make everyone leave the USA stat.

11 posted on 09/22/2006 8:16:53 PM PDT by Diogenesis (Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
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To: TomGuy
Is this still the shellgame shuffle? Catching and keeping OTM while still catching and releasing M?

According the the DHS we're catching and keeping OTMs caught at the Southern border and declaring we've ended catch and release.

12 posted on 09/22/2006 8:19:11 PM PDT by Invisible Gorilla
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To: Mad_Tom_Rackham

Wasn't there a story about some democrat official that had a bunch of illegal's at their home?

That was just a day or two ago! They were all released!


13 posted on 09/22/2006 8:20:27 PM PDT by kara37
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To: Invisible Gorilla

"First, I'd like to say, we did end "catch and release." Last November, what I said is we would end it by the end of September of this year. In fact, we beat the deadline. And we have now ended "catch and release." So that is a milestone that we set out and that we've achieved".



I sure feel better knowing they are in a hurry!


14 posted on 09/22/2006 8:24:02 PM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (MAY I DIE ON MY FEET IN MY SWAMP, BUAIDH NO BAS)
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To: Invisible Gorilla

Now I'm asking myself, where'd he buy the clue? He hasn't had one up until now.


15 posted on 09/22/2006 8:27:23 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Victory will never be achieved while defining Conservatism downward, and forsaking it's heritage.)
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To: kara37
It would be great if you could find a link to that and post it here.
16 posted on 09/22/2006 8:29:45 PM PDT by Invisible Gorilla
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To: DoughtyOne
Read the article carefully. Chertoff is hoping Americans don't have a clue.
17 posted on 09/22/2006 8:31:00 PM PDT by Invisible Gorilla
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To: Invisible Gorilla; adam_az; airborne; Arthur Wildfire! March; axes_of_weezles; B4Ranch; backhoe; ...

Ending 'catch and release?' - I'm not holding my breath.


18 posted on 09/22/2006 8:33:17 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Atheist and Fool are synonyms; Evolution is where fools hide from the sunrise)
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To: Invisible Gorilla

I could not remember any of the details, but I was hoping someone would be able to find it. See post 10


19 posted on 09/22/2006 8:34:24 PM PDT by kara37
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To: Invisible Gorilla
Why would they get rid of this program? With over 10 million released it sounds like a staggering success. sarc
20 posted on 09/22/2006 8:34:54 PM PDT by tobyhill (The War on Terrorism is not for the weak.)
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