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Immigration proposal heads to hearing today (Criminal Alien Removal Act)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | October 1, 2003 | JULIA MALONE

Posted on 10/01/2003 2:00:26 AM PDT by sarcasm

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Charlie Norwood's proposal to enlist local and state police in a nationwide crackdown on criminal illegal immigrants has an uncertain future as it heads for a congressional hearing today.

But the Georgia Republican, who has gathered 100 co-sponsors for his Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act, already is winning a kind of victory.

"I want to have a big discussion" on the enforcement of immigration laws, Norwood said in an interview Tuesday. "I want people to stand up and be counted."

The discussion has begun. The Los Angeles City Council last month took the unusual step of voting, unanimously, against his legislation. Critics charged the measure would chill the relationship between police and immigrant communities.

The Miami Herald followed with an editorial urging Congress to "dump" the bill. "Victims of domestic abuse and other crimes won't come forward if they fear that they or a family member might be deported," the newspaper wrote.

Norwood, whose 9th District extends from near Augusta to the North Carolina border, countered that some illegal immigrants "have been arrested over and over" for crimes, only to be released back into the community.

"That's endangering the lives of law enforcement and it's also endangering the lives of even illegal immigrants that are here simply trying to do a job," he said.

Norwood introduced the legislation in response to a case in which an illegal Mexican resident sexually molested a 3-year-old girl.

Convicted, he served time in a Georgia prison but later was released to the community instead of being deported, as required by federal law. Required to register as a sexual offender, the convict, Miguel Angel Gordoba, gave a fake address in 2001 and has since disappeared.

Such criminals and others who have been ordered to leave the country are the chief targets of the legislation, Norwood said.

About 400,000 foreigners with deportation orders against them have not been found, and of those, the U.S. government estimates about 80,000 are criminals.

"Two thousand federal agents [assigned to interior immigration enforcement] cannot possibly deal with this because we've been invaded" by illegal immigration, Norwood said. "We need the help of 600,000 local law enforcement people out there."

Norwood said that under his legislation, police officers making routine arrests would ask if the person is a legal resident.

"What they have to do is ask some legitimate questions to understand who they have just detained for breaking the law," Norwood said. "And in process of all that, if you don't mind, help us find that pedophile from Georgia."

Norwood added that local police, had they been involved, might have identified Reynaldo Elias Rapalo before a string of seven rapes that terrorized a Miami neighborhood.

After months of searching, police captured the Honduran illegal immigrant last week.

Gordon Quan, mayor pro-tem of Houston, and a Pennsylvania district attorney who favors an immigration role for local police are among those scheduled to debate the Norwood proposal at a House Judiciary subcommittee meeting today.

A Senate hearing, postponed because of Hurricane Isabel, is expected to consider the issue later this month.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: immigrantlist
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1 posted on 10/01/2003 2:00:27 AM PDT by sarcasm
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To: sarcasm
Either enforce the law or change it.

ILLEGAL immigrants are criminals. That's what ILLEGAL means.

2 posted on 10/01/2003 3:14:23 AM PDT by Savage Beast (The American Heartland--the Spirit of Flight 93)
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To: sarcasm
I have said it many times.

Lawlessness begets lawlessness.

We wouldn't send them back for breaking immigration law. Now, we won't send them back for other crimes they commit while they are here.

Why should I (or anyone else) have to obey the law if these trespassers can get away with anything they want?

3 posted on 10/01/2003 3:50:50 AM PDT by NoControllingLegalAuthority
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To: sarcasm
We do not need more rapists, terrorists, murderers and other criminals and misfits. We already have too many people, including too many illegal aliens and criminals of our own.

There is not only single reason why it is good for this country to cater to and entice more illegal aliens.

4 posted on 10/01/2003 5:59:08 AM PDT by Dante3
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To: gubamyster; HiJinx
ping
5 posted on 10/01/2003 6:38:40 AM PDT by Libertarianize the GOP (Ideas have consequences)
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To: sarcasm
VIVA LA RAZA!
6 posted on 10/01/2003 7:08:10 AM PDT by VU4G10 (Have You Forgotten?)
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To: NoControllingLegalAuthority
Good point.
7 posted on 10/01/2003 7:42:06 AM PDT by Dante3
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To: Savage Beast
Agreed, they should also empower landowners on the border to deal with these CRIMINALS who are using their land as a freeway.

The media needs to change the BS of "undocumented" back to illegal aliens. The use of "undocumented" is just a socialist PC way to push for open borders. "see these criminals are nice people, they only lack a few pieces of paper." Come legally, Stay legally, or don't come at all.
8 posted on 10/01/2003 7:48:20 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (Vote!)
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To: NoControllingLegalAuthority
socialism/communism requires no nation have authority over its borders. Without borders you can't have a nation.
9 posted on 10/01/2003 7:52:50 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (Vote!)
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To: longtermmemmory
The U.S. military should be assigned immediately to patrol the border and prevent immigration by any illegal alien.

Top priority should be given to protecting the lives, welfare, and property of U.S. citizens living along the border.

There is NO EXCUSE for failing to do this IMMEDIATELY.

10 posted on 10/01/2003 8:29:18 AM PDT by Savage Beast (The American Heartland--the Spirit of Flight 93)
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To: longtermmemmory
Leftists/"Liberals" have taken the good concept of the universal brotherhood of mankind to its absurd extreme, and it has become a nemesis.

These people are too stupid--or too lazy intellectually and morally--to comprehend the difference between the United States and some bloody dictatorship or banana republic. They are stupid enough to think that, if we had free elections throughout the world, people of undeveloped countries, who have never been able to govern themselves, would suddenly become responsible citizens.

Leftists/"Liberals" love to spew forth mindless platitudes--"I care about allllllll the people of the earth, not just Americans"--as though that gave them some kind of moral authority--and as though that solved all the world's problems--and as though their brainless recommendations would not lead to certain disaster.

Most people care about all the people of the earth. Most people also have sense enough to know that the "solutions" proposed by these leftists/"Liberals" are not solutions at all. The immigration disaster is just one example--and not even the best example. The destruction of the California economy and the horrors of the Soviet Union, Germany under National Socialism, Pol Pot's Cambodia, and Castro's Cuba are a few other examples. There are countless examples.

It is because of the stupidity and intellectual and moral laziness of our bretheren that we are all doomed to relive history--over and over and over again. And some of the stupidest and laziest are our "leaders" in academia, journalism, and the arts.

“The brotherhood of man is not a mere poet’s dream; it is a most depressing and humiliating reality."
~Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde~

11 posted on 10/01/2003 8:56:57 AM PDT by Savage Beast (The American Heartland--the Spirit of Flight 93)
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To: *immigrant_list; A Navy Vet; Lion Den Dan; Free the USA; Libertarianize the GOP; madfly; B4Ranch; ..
ping
12 posted on 10/01/2003 9:07:00 AM PDT by gubamyster
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To: Savage Beast
Either enforce the law or change it.>>>>>>


We have MILLIONS violating our EXISTING immigration laws, DEPORT THEM.

I'm fed up with our gov't who chooses NOT to enforce EXISTING laws, and then chooses to CHANGE our laws to legalize these CRIMINAL INVADERS.

Has our gov't ever *given* AMNESTY to millions of lawbreaking CITIZENS ??? and then CHANGED the laws so that MILLIONS more CITIZENS would then be *free* to do as they pleased ???




13 posted on 10/01/2003 9:59:01 AM PDT by txdoda ("Navy-brat")
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To: sarcasm; ntnychik; NativeNewYorker; Rome2000; nyconse; nopardons; MeeknMing; Ragtime Cowgirl; ...
"Some laws are just not as important as others are!"

-- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said to WABC 770am talk show host John Grambling recently after turncoating NYC's and the Pentagon's 911 Islamic terrorist skyjacker victims by instantly reversing his temporary executive orders to NYC and NYPD personnel.

"Equal Rights under the Law" federally mandated by the 14th Ammendment of the United States Constitution "does not apply" regarding illegal aliens as it is not politically expedient for 165 pound sniveling little yellow cowards like California Governor Grey Davis who signed the "Driver's Licenses for Illegal Aliens Bill" to attempt to steal some hispanic votes as his certain "TOTAL RECALL" on October 7th draws near.

Davis did oppose giving Illegal Aliens the priviledge of a CA Driver's License 3 times previously citing the imminent threat of giving legal IDs to those criminals that laugh at America's borders, laws, and problems with terrorism and finncial ripoffs by non-US citizens, but survival is his only traitorous greedy desire now.

NYC Mayor Mikie Bloomers had reversed former NYC Mayors Koch, Dinkins, and Guilliani after 911.

They wanted Illegal Aliens welcomed and coddled in NYC for cheap illegal under the table house servants and business employees.

September 11, 2001 was so long ago Bloomie sez now; besides, "...some laws we can ignore..."

Like NY State and NYC income taxes and sales taxes Mayor Bloomers?

What laws do you order your attorneys, accountants, and management at Bloomberg Inc. and the Bloomberg Channel do ignore Mikie?

The ghosts of 3000 New Yorkers who were incinerated by insane Islamic foreign terrorist skyjackers want to know........
14 posted on 10/01/2003 11:42:22 AM PDT by autoresponder (go ahead - add some expresso to the Yukon Jack!)
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Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

To: Savage Beast
Ok, I have to ask. HOW does arresting illegal immigrants "destroy" the relationship between the police and communities? Man oh man, that one baffled me.

Since I've heard that Police have been told to "ignore" the illegitimacy of suspects, on second thought, I think I see the problem.

Police who have been told NOT to enforce the law are now going to have to do it and this bothers them how?
16 posted on 10/01/2003 11:56:16 AM PDT by TruthNtegrity (God bless America, God bless President George W. Bush and God bless our Military!)
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To: autoresponder
BTTT
17 posted on 10/01/2003 3:40:28 PM PDT by 4.1O dana super trac pak (Stop the open borders death cult)
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To: gubamyster; FITZ; moehoward; Nea Wood; CheneyChick; Joe Hadenuf; sangoo; ...
Wednesday, October 1: • The House Select Committee on Homeland Security will hold a hearing on “Identification Documents Fraud and the Implications for Homeland Security.” When: 1 p.m. Where: 2318 Rayburn House Office Building. Contact: 202-225-9600. • The House Immigration Subcommittee will hold a hearing on immigration law enforcement and H.R. 2671, the “Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act of 2003.” When: 4 p.m. Where: 2237 Rayburn House Office Building. Contact: 202-225-3951.

Rep. Charlie Norwood's proposal to enlist local and state police in a nationwide crackdown on criminal illegal immigrants has an uncertain future as it heads for a congressional hearing today. What Norwood said in the Clear Act:
And that, finally, provides the needed accountability that our immigration system has lacked for far too long.

But the Georgia Republican, who has gathered 100 co-sponsors for his Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act, already is winning a kind of victory.

Current Legislation updates and we need YOUR help TOMORROW for the Call-In!

18 posted on 10/01/2003 8:18:31 PM PDT by JustPiper (We deserve no less than closed border's after 911!!!)
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To: JustPiper
Sanity BUMP!
19 posted on 10/02/2003 5:21:32 AM PDT by truthkeeper
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To: truthkeeper
TK but all of cable news and CSpan are insanity today!
20 posted on 10/02/2003 8:56:27 AM PDT by JustPiper (We deserve no less than closed border's after 911!!!)
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