Authorities free 1 million aliens amid proceedings

The Washington Times ^ | April 15, 2005 | Stephen Dinan

[JoeBob]

The Washington Times www.washingtontimes.com

Authorities free 1 million aliens amid proceedings

By Stephen Dinan

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Published April 15, 2005

One million people facing immigration proceedings have been released into the general population, the government's chief of detention and removal told the Senate yesterday , prompting some Republicans to say the Bush administration is "not serious" about the problem.

"We have a million individuals who are in some phase of immigration proceedings released," said Victor X. Cerda, the acting director of detention and removal operations for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

He said of those people, 465,000 are fugitive aliens who have been ordered deported. About 80,000 of those are criminal aliens who have committed an offense in addition to immigration violations, but he couldn't provide an exact number.

His comments came as an immigration debate in the Senate blocked most progress on the emergency war-spending bill. Pending amendments include cracking down on illegal immigrants' use of driver's licenses, increasing visas for seasonal nonimmigrant workers and legalizing up to 1 million illegal aliens who work in agriculture and their families.

Yesterday's hearing, before two subcommittees of the Judiciary Committee, is supposed to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive immigration bill, said Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican and chairman of the immigration subcommittee, which held the hearing along with Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, chairman of the terrorism subcommittee.

"No serious discussion of comprehensive immigration reform is possible without a review of our nation's ability to effectively secure its borders and enforce its immigration laws," Mr. Cornyn said.

Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican, and Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, demanded to know why Mr. Cerda was not doing more to have illegal aliens removed.

Mr. Sessions said ICE is far behind in entering the names of the 465,000 alien fugitives into law-enforcement databases, which means that if those people are picked up in another arrest, they would not be turned over to immigration authorities.

Jonathan Cohn, a deputy assistant attorney general, told the panel that court decisions over the years will result in the government having to release dangerous criminal aliens as well.

"The aliens that are being released include murderers, rapists and child molesters," Mr. Cohn said.

Members of the subcommittees also ended up taking sides on whether the Minutemen patrolling the Arizona border are "vigilantes," as President Bush called them.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat, said he agreed with Mr. Bush's characterization, and told Mr. Cerda to let him know what the Department of Homeland Security's policy was on dealing with vigilantes.

Copyright © 2005 News World Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

[Iscool]

There is a fix for a treasonous and tyrannical government. If the majority of us that understand the United States Constitution, ever reach critical mass. . . we may find out what that is.

The Patriot Act remedied that...Even thinking those thoughts makes you a domestic terrorist...You can be jailed for the rest of your life and not even your family has a right to know where you are...

The gov't made sure they got that in there before they went public about about what they are doing...

[Iscool]

Like another poster said, and I am starting to agree, I think they are in the process of eliminating the American borders and our sovereignty.

We don't want you to have all that suspense...Here's what they are up to:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1422038/posts

[Black Tooth]

WOW. Thanks for that link. I took this from the second post.

"Maybe this "North American Community" plan explains why, even in time of war, our president won't invest a dime in improving our border fence".

"North American Community"??

I would have never believed this. I can't imagine they'd want the entire country of Mexico with their endless problems, to be absorbed into America. This would be nothing short of national suicide.

[houeto]

Sickening.

[Carry_Okie]

"The aliens that are being released include murderers, rapists and child molesters," Mr. Cohn said.

Oughta get bayourod in here to tell us how and why this is good for America.

[Travis McGee]

---

U.S. Constitution Article 4 Section 4:

"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government,

and shall protect each of them against Invasion;"

---

Invasion: \In*va"sion\, n. [L. invasio: cf. F. invasion. See Invade.] [1913 Webster]

1. The act of invading; the act of encroaching upon the rights or possessions of another; encroachment; trespass.

[janetgreen]

It's treason at all levels now.

BTTT

[Gritty]

What's the problem here? We're getting all sorts of cheap lettuce, inexpensive nannies, genuflecting pool boys, cheap gardeners and hard-working day laborers who will work without expensive benefits and do it for a lot less than your average meth head. Nothing to worry about. C'mon. Everybody stop bitching and hop on the Gravy Train!

TOOT!! TOOT!! /s

[KittyKares]

I have heard that illegals who clean homes out here want $20/hour. They are not particularly cheap.

[afnamvet]

Where is the executive branch on enforcement of our immigration laws? Busy freeing illegal aliens into the general population? Who's responsible? Oh, HE is? Nevermind.

[Pagey]

Do a google search on North American Community and you'll see how we are being betrayed. They will not defend the borders, they plan to erase them.

Did the google search and read the first 13 pages of 59 and will finish it tomorrow. That doesn't sound good at all so far. "North American Community". Who would've ever thought the CFR would be behind this one. I hope I am wrong in my first and brief impression of what I read, but I don't believe I am.

[JoeBob]

Congress can pass the Bills, then if GW doesn't sign them into law future Americans will know who to blame for ruining the country. If Congress fails to act, as it has so far, they too will go down in history as the traitors that destroyed America. It only takes a little political will (or guts if you will) to secure the borders and then go after the rest of them. So far all they have done is make it a little harder for the illegals to get a drivers license.

[Iron Matron]

The Patriot Act remedied that...Even thinking those thoughts makes you a domestic terrorist

LOL! What thoughts? We MAY find out what that is?

I have no fear of the Patriot Act. I have no fear of this Government prosecuting me, you see, that is the game they've played on us all along. Its how the majority of the public has reached apathy.

The Government CAN NOT remove the Rights of a citizen. Period. It is a Good Thing for us to remember that, even if Dubya and Durbin do not.

[swampfox98]

prompting some Republicans to say the Bush administration is "not serious" about the problem.

Oh, President Bush is serious alright. He is serious while working every day to destroy America with his darling illegals. He is a very weak President. He can't get anything done in Washington politically except flood the country will invaders hostile to the country.

[NJ_gent]

"If Congress fails to act, as it has so far"

Congress has passed numerous bills on illegal immigration, many of which are now law. That Presidents, including our current one, have utterly failed to secure our southern border, is beyond the scope of the remedies supplied to the US Congress by the Constitution. The Congress has made it illegal to cross the border without going through legal immigration channels; it's up to the President to execute those laws and punish the offenders.

"So far all they have done is make it a little harder for the illegals to get a drivers license."

Which the states should ignore. The US Congress does not control driving privileges; states do. I don't think it's a good idea to back off of states' rights simply because it's convenient to do so in this case. Could a state make it legal for illegal aliens to operate a vehicle within their state? Yes. Would other states have to recognize those licenses? Perhaps; perhaps not. That's one of those areas with reciprocity that's not entirely clear. If nothing else, other states could easily argue that their very presence being illegal invalidates their license.

Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised to see the "Real ID Act" struck down within the next few years. A state bringing up South Dakota v. Dole could probably make it to the SCOTUS with the case before the law even goes into effect. Since this represents direct control over a non-Federal power, the justices should look to the previous case for guidance and see that their own ruling puts this clearly in the 'unconstitutional' corner. Now, if Congress said that states would simply receive less Federal funding for not instituting the provisions of the Real ID Act, then they might have a shot. As it stands, I think Rehnquist, Thomas, O'Connor, and perhaps a couple of liberals would jump on board with the state bringing the case. Scalia would have done the same before that chief justice position started looking more and more open. Now he seems to be acting funny, as it he wants to please those who could put him in that chair.