Posted on 05/24/2007 12:59:32 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Citing the “inhumane” handling of the Michael Bianco Inc. raid, U.S. Sen. John Kerry is proposing sweeping changes in immigration law that would dramatically alter enforcements like those at the New Bedford factory in March.
Sen. Kerry’s amendment to a pending immigration bill calls for detainees to be held as close to home as possible and would force federal authorities to work with state social-service agencies.
“We need safe borders and we need a sensible immigration policy,” Sen. Kerry said in a news release Wednesday. “But there is no place in our country for families being torn apart by reckless ICE workplace raids that separate parents from children and coerce immigrants into waiving their rights.”
Sen. Kerry, D-Mass., said Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials left children alone and confused in the Bianco raid’s aftermath and he wants to keep that from ever happening again.
Critics charged federal officials gave insufficient consideration to the impact on families during the raid and when they shipped about 200 detainees to Texas soon after their arrests.
Local immigration advocates welcomed the proposed amendment.
“By sending these women to Texas, it made it very difficult because they were so far from their children,” said Helena Marques, executive director of the Immigrant Assistance Center in New Bedford. ICE spokesman Marc Raimondi said his agency does not comment on pending legislation. He said its mission is to enforce the laws on the books.
“As new laws are enacted, we certainly will evaluate and take necessary steps to continue to protect public safety and national security,” Mr. Raimondi said. While not commenting on the proposal, he said the agency did coordinate with the state Department of Social Services.
Sen. Kerry’s amendment would require ICE to detain immigrants within the jurisdiction of the agency’s local field office, to the extent possible given available space. Such a proposal would have kept Bianco detainees in New England as long as there were beds. Sen. Kerry also calls for ICE to give notice to state agencies so they can arrange for representatives who speak the detainees’ first language fluently and for any other services.
Other provisions include: a toll-free number for families to report their relationship to detainees and get information on their status; release of detainees on personal recognizance for a range of humanitarian reasons; and explanations of their legal rights provided by independent agencies when 50 or more people are caught.
Kerry spokeswoman Brigid O’Rourke said the proposal differs from current practice by taking discretion out of the hands of ICE in these matters.
“Many of the issues surrounding the raid in New Bedford were because people were too afraid to tell the ICE agents the truth about their current family situation,” she said in a statement. “Kerry’s amendment requires that state social-service agents should be the ones screening the detainees, and doing so in their own language.”
Corinn Williams, executive director of the Community Economic Development Center, was in Washington Wednesday discussing the immigration bill with elected officials. She said she was pleased with Sen. Kerry’s proposal, and she believes changes are needed in the way ICE handles raids.
Ms. Williams said she would like impartial observers to be in workplaces during raids. She also said she thinks the immigration bill itself is a good start but needs some “tweaking.”
“We urgently need to pass a bill this year to protect our families and keep them together,” she said.
Mr. Raimondi said ICE communicated with DSS from the start and gave them access to detainees at Fort Devens and in Texas. They did not permit them into the factory during the raid because it was a “crime scene,” and access was limited to law enforcement officials, he said.
“The facts are it was law enforcement action, well coordinated with the state, well executed, and the results speak for themselves,” Mr. Raimondi said.
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Contact Brian Boyd at bboyd@s-t.com
He not only looks stupid but I wonder how many times he went down on Murdering Teddy Boy before being allowed to run for Senator from Massachewsit.
“Sen. Kerry’s amendment to a pending immigration bill calls for detainees to be held as close to home as possible ...”
That would be the Tex/Mex border wouldn’t it ?
Touche.
Heck, without Kerry’s amendments, this Amnesty Bill will help terrorists.
I bet Al-Qaeda loves this bill already. They could legally hide Osama in the US under thiz law
All these separated families could stay with Lurch and Treeza. He could compassionately keep an eye on them, they would have access to a pool and all the amenities. The real dividends would pay off at night as Lt. Lurch favored the detainees with tales of his ‘Magic Hat’ and other scintillating yarns of his heroics.
Better yet, they could already be here, be made citizens and then when they kill someone it won't be a foreigner doing it. Then there won't be any reason to fight in Iraq, Iran or anyplace else.
Not sure whether this is tongue in cheek or not, but, in any event, you might be right. It would be intersting to trace this idea through the proposed law.
If Kerry dropped dead today on the Senate floor I’d be really upset.How could I arrange the party at my house on such short notice?!
There were Portuguese and Spanish interpreters at the Bianco raid and they asked those rounded up about any situations regarding children. The detainees chose to lie about their children.
Kerry Is dumber than Two Rocks and about as caring for taxpaying AMERICANS AS IS AN EARTHWORM.
He is one of the Senators from Massachusetts and I live there and I have no Representation in washington.
The voters here are NUTS.
He just worried that Heinz’ ketchup plant may be raided.Theresa’s labor force would be effected.
WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! TILL YOU RUN OUT OF INK IN YOUR PEN!
Bombard the Democrats as well, especially the ones that ran on an anti immigration plank and the ones in marginal districts who could be vulnerable. keep pounding on them.
ping
Every time one of these retards proposes new immigration legislation, the first thing they mention is border security, yet there is nothing in their proposal that makes the border more secure.
“We need to secure the border and be nicer to the illegals .....”
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