287g

[WizardofOz]

I would like everyone's opinion on this program and gauge a level of support for our city and county agencies becoming certified to use it.

Delegation of Immigration Authority: Section 287(g) Immigration and Nationality Act

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA), effective September 30, 1996, added Section 287(g), performance of immigration officer functions by state officers and employees, to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). This authorizes the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, permitting designated officers to perform immigration law enforcement functions, pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), provided that the local law enforcement officers receive appropriate training and function under the supervision of sworn U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

State and local patrol officers, detectives, investigators and correctional officers working in conjunction with ICE gain: necessary resources and authority to pursue investigations relating to violent crimes, human smuggling, gang/organized crime activity, sexual-related offenses, narcotics smuggling and money laundering; and support in more remote geographical locations.

[K C Muffin]

I'm not the support you need, cuz I don't live or own property in Ford County, but this is exactly the kind of additional support ICE needs to be everywhere at the same time. We should be able to figure out that the manpower needed to mount raids is tough to come by. It's your tax dollars!

Honestly. How do you feel about funding the Office of Homeland Security and having to fly those folks all over the country just for ICE raids? It's much more cost effective to train your own police force and have them available with no additional cost to you. Our officers here in the metro are trained. Mostly because they come into contact most often through traffic stops/accidents. They have to be able to identify and be poised to arrest.

Otherwise, what's the point?

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by WizardofOz

I would like everyone's opinion on this program and gauge a level of support for our city and county agencies becoming certified to use it.

Delegation of Immigration Authority: Section 287(g) Immigration and Nationality Act

I'm sure most of our good citizens here would support it overwhelmingly but until we get new people on the city commission that care about the citizens and not pandering to the packing plant and consequently the illegals we are wasting our time talking about it.

[WizardofOz]

Good point KC.

I forgot to add some other information regarding the program that I found. What the program is geared to do is allow local/county/state officers that have been properly trained to place holds on illegals IF they have committed a felony state offense. The point is that person may be detained without bond for the state felony offenses so when the court case is completed, the person can be deported hence remove the danger from the community rather than releasing the person.

Immigration advocates claim it just allows cops to round up illegals. This is a myth. The police will not be cruising around to arrest undocumented workers solely for immigration violations. They must have an underlying felony charge.

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by WizardofOz

Immigration advocates claim it just allows cops to round up illegals. This is a myth. The police will not be cruising around to arrest undocumented workers solely for immigration violations. They must have an underlying felony charge.

It should be changed from a felony charge to ANY misd. charge...we would nab more of them that way.

[K C Muffin]

I agree with you on that one...

[WizardofOz]

I can understand why the government wants to keep it at the felon level because misdemeanors can cover about anything. Police still have to investigate reports of crimes so if undocumented workers believe that police will just arrest/deport them for even reporting a crime, then crimes within the groups will not get reported. In many situations of a citizen committing a criminal act against an undocumented worker, the undocumented worker won't come forward in fear of being deported and our crime committing citizen walks. A perfect scenario of this would be gang kids (citizens) robbing undocumented workers. We still have to think of undocumented workers as humans that can fall victim to crime. The program is designed to target the undocumented workers commiting crime other than simply being in the country illegally.

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by WizardofOz

The program is designed to target the undocumented workers commiting crime other than simply being in the country illegally.

Being here illegally is not a crime. I agree with what you said TO A POINT. Human rights is an issue and people shouldn't be abused because they are illegal BUT they do put themselves in that situation by being here illegally. No one worries about them taking advantage of everything else though...do they?

[Highwayman]

Originally Posted by WizardofOz

I can understand why the government wants to keep it at the felon level because misdemeanors can cover about anything. Police still have to investigate reports of crimes so if undocumented workers believe that police will just arrest/deport them for even reporting a crime, then crimes within the groups will not get reported. In many situations of a citizen committing a criminal act against an undocumented worker, the undocumented worker won't come forward in fear of being deported and our crime committing citizen walks. A perfect scenario of this would be gang kids (citizens) robbing undocumented workers. We still have to think of undocumented workers as humans that can fall victim to crime. The program is designed to target the undocumented workers commiting crime other than simply being in the country illegally.

That’s a little bit like saying if a drug dealer gets ripped off we should treat him as a victim and go after the real criminals.

[K C Muffin]

If being in the US illegally is NOT a crime, then we should make it one. That alone would help elevate the problem with undocumented aliens in the government's eyes. I agree with Highway - I honestly could care less if a drug dealer suffers a huge theft of money or anything else. I feel about the same for undocumented workers or illegals. Maybe they'll get a clue that they aren't really safe or wanted here when we quit coddling them.