Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Did You Know About...?

Did you know that on August 23, 2012, ten employees of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed a lawsuit in federal court against their director, John Morton, and Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, for not allowing ICE agents to properly do their jobs?

It’s true.  In 2011, citing funding and manpower shortages, Secretary Napolitano issued a memorandum ordering immigration officials to focus their efforts only on dangerous illegal immigrants and basically ignore everyone else.  Chris Crane, an ICE agent and president of the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council, a union for ICE employees, says "This directive puts ICE agents and officers in a horrible position.”   Crane says that because of the directive, even if they see a known illegal alien walking down the street they cannot arrest or detain him.  They must wait for the person to commit a crime and be arrested by local law enforcement before they can get involved.  Crane says the directive from Secretary Napolitano not only prevents ICE agents from performing their sworn duties but violates the Constitution by instructing the agents to ignore the laws as written.  “We are federal law enforcement officers who are being ordered to break the law," Crane emphasizes.

While many ICE agents are angry and frustrated over the administration's decision to selectively enforce immigration laws, some Democrat lawmakers believe the directives are helpful.  Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., said the program actually helps ICE officials by allowing them to focus on the most dangerous illegal immigrants. "Deferred action is a major boost to law enforcement who do not have to waste time on honor students and can do the harder work of actually tracking down and deporting criminals," he said.

But why are there honor students who are here attending school illegally?  That’s the major question.  And why won't the administration listen to those in the field who are actually doing the job instead of legislating immigration policies from their cushy offices in Washington?  

Regardless of what this (or any other) administration does about people in the country illegally, nothing is going to change as long as the borders are open and it’s possible for illegal aliens to obtain jobs, welfare checks, food stamps, free cell phones, etc.  Our government says they want to fix the immigration problem but continues to enable the problem rather than find a solution.

Apparently the lawsuit hasn’t really had much effect to date.  According to Crane, ICE agents are still bound by Napolitano’s directives and are still being prevented from performing their jobs as written.  Hopefully one of those illegals who cannot be arrested until he commits a crime won’t decide that crime will be murder or sexual assault or some other violent crime that could have been prevented if not for Napolitano’s directives.  If that does happen maybe she should be charged as an accessory….   ?