Posted on 11/19/2008 12:32:56 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
After a Chronicle investigation, governor urges steps to ensure criminals here illegally don't avoid deportation
Gov. Rick Perry and members of the state's congressional delegation called on the federal government Tuesday to take steps to help state and local officials ensure that illegal immigrants who commit crimes in Texas remain in custody until they are deported.
In a strongly worded letter to Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff, Perry said he was outraged to learn that many convicted illegal immigrants in Texas jails were released after they completed their jail sentences instead of being deported.
In a series of stories this week, the Houston Chronicle outlined gaps in the screening of inmates in local jails that allowed scores of violent criminals, including some ordered deported decades ago, to walk away from Harris County Jail despite the inmates' admission to Harris County jailers that they were in the country illegally.
"Texas has spent the last four years investing unprecedented amounts of state resources to secure our border with Mexico," Perry said in his letter to Chertoff. "To now learn that criminal aliens who have been jailed are being released back into our communities by federal authorities who have neglected to secure our border is infuriating and unconscionable."
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and U.S. Reps. John Culberson, R-Houston, Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, and Michael McCaul, R-Austin, called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement to improve screening in the nation's jails and better coordinate efforts to identify illegal immigrants convicted of crimes while they are incarcerated. Brady asked for a meeting of the Houston-area congressional delegation to help ICE determine what resources are needed to "close the terrible gaps in detaining and deporting" illegal immigrants convicted of crimes.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
OK, sounds good, but I don’t trust this guy, after he jealously cut short the time of a scheduled news conference by Palin at the governor’s soiree recently.
All of a sudden Perry is speaking out now? I lived in Dallas for the past 12 years, never really heard much out of Perry as Lt. Gov or Gov, even during the amnesty push.
I’ll believe it when I see double-digit decreases EVERY year for the next X number of years: anchor baby births @ Dallas’ Parkland hospital by ILLEGALS.
Due to their status of state by treaty, Texas is the one state in the Union with the real authority to handle the situation with illegal immigrants themselves.
Texas has the authority to deport illegal aliens directly to Mexico at least. I'm not so sure they can travel across state borders to deport anyone from any other country, but at the very least they have the authority to remove that person from Texas.
And all Rick Perry can manage to do is whine for federal help?
That's pathetic given his position and particular state he's in charge of with their rather unique legal status.
The coward Perry is feeling the heat.
Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
The same Perry who approves in-state tuition for illegals?
Then you have not been paying attention.
He has been pushing hard on border security since 2005. He has put lots of dollars towards it. He has pushing the job that Washington won’t do.
Considering he saved Palin’s tail in that press conference, you should be thanking him.
She was horrible in that. She could not keep on point.
And when the press was coming at her too fast, he stepped in and saved her. She actually spoke longer than she was supposed to.
She then went long in the session that she was actually scheduled to speak at.
She was not even supposed to speak at the opening presser. Perry arranged for her to be on it so she could get some good press after the loss.
When’s the next governor election? Perhaps we’re hearing from him now because of the democratic win in Washington this past election. Anywho ... it will take a lot for me to ever believe anything Perry has to say again. I’m sorry I ever voted for the man.
Perhaps you should do some research.
Perry has spent tons of funds on border security.
I am amazed at freepers that claimed to be informed only to do the dems bidding.
He has done no such thing.
thanks for playing.
Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff is a lame duck. Anything he does at this point will probably be reversed by Obama.
Perry, on the other hand, had to know this was happening in his own state, long before the article was posted.
Sorry to burst the Perry bubble...but he has been weak on Border Security
When the Texas Legislature voted to halt the NAFTA SuperHighway (Coyote Corridor, Alien Autobahn, Dope Dealer Drive, etc..), Perry “pocket veto” the bill....at the close of the legislature. He has no intent on securing any border
Perry’s pro-illegal/anti-American agenda is the reason why Texas has such problems.
And, I wont get into his shennanigans at the recent Governors conference...pulling the mike away from Gov Palin was a career killer for him
And I never claimed any special "informed" status, perhaps I have no idea what I'm talking about, and just don't like the guy. :-)
Gov. Rick Perry, who built his re-election campaign on border security, told a gathering of border mayors today that building a wall along the border with Mexico is a "preposterous" idea.
"Now, strategic fencing in certain urban areas to direct the flow of traffic does make sense, but building a wall on the entire border is a preposterous idea," Perry said.
"The only thing a wall would possibly accomplish is to help the ladder business."
While Perry always opposed fencing the border, his re-election campaign de-emphasized that position.
Perry ran millions of dollars of television advertising portraying the border as an open zone of human and drug smuggling and as a potential pathway for terrorists. He launched a program to put live Internet cameras along the border and said he would ask the Legislature for $100 million for border security.
The campaign was widely seen as an effort to appeal to a Republican voting base angry at the federal government for failing to act to halt illegal immigration from Mexico and Central America.
Perry told the Texas Border Coalition that the national anti-immigrant rhetoric of the political campaigns was not constructive.
"We just concluded an election year that was very heavy on immigration rhetoric, and, I might add, very light on comprehensive solutions," Perry said.
You must be a Perry aide ...
That’s now how it went down at all.
Palin did NOT speak longer than scheduled. From a CNN report (no right wing news outlet): “In another shift, Palin, who had been slated to take questions for 20 minutes or so, took just four reporter queries before Texas Gov. Rick Perry ended the news conference.”
And from a UK Telegraph news report, again, another Left wing news outlet: “She (Palin) was answering the questions competently, declining “to talk about strategy within a campaign that’s over” and repeatedly pivoting back to talking about GOP governors ... what was billed as a Palin press conference began with 13 governors filing in. Governor Rick Perry of Texas then gave a lengthy introduction. After that, Palin delivered her own remarks followed by the very brief question session. The whole event lasted less than 11 minutes.”
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4465325.html
No, thank YOU for playing!
I am always proud when real Freepers can counter muckruck with facts!!!!!..Thanks Freepers.
Suffice to say, Perry is not a hero....and Governor Palin was shut down for no good reason!
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