Jailed illegal immigrants pose policy dilemma

Chicago Tribune ^ | June 7,2010 | Ken Dilanian

[chicagolady]

Reporting from Washington — Mwenda Murithi, the Kenyan-born leader of a notorious Chicago street gang, was arrested 26 times after his student visa was revoked in 2003. Charged with at least four felonies, he served 30 days in the Cook County Jail for a 2007 drug violation. By law, he could have been deported immediately.

But Chicago officials did not report him to immigration authorities because city and county ordinances prohibit them from doing so.

Not long after he got out of jail, Murithi ordered a gang hit that resulted in the death of 13-year-old Schanna Gayden, struck by a stray bullet as she frolicked at a playground.

Murithi, now serving 55 years, is just the sort of person U.S. immigration officials say they want to target under a program known as Secure Communities, which seeks to match the fingerprints of everyone booked into jail against immigration databases.

But the program, launched by the Bush administration and continued under President Obama, has become entangled in the suspicions and recriminations that characterize the debate over immigration policy.

Critics of the program say that turning illegal immigrants over to federal authorities would undermine the efforts of local law enforcement to win cooperation from immigrant communities. And they worry about providing immigration authorities with the fingerprints of those arrested on petty charges.

"I'll be reporting minor offenders, misdemeanants, people who are arrested on a traffic fine that they fail to pay," San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey said. "I think that this throws too broad of a net out over the residents of my county."

David Venturella, who runs the program for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, or ICE, said minor violators are not a priority unless they also have more serious criminal histories.

[chicagolady]

This Tribune story recalls the killing of a young girl named Schanna Gayden. Last week when we attended the city council meeting Currupt Alderman Cardanes stated Criminals were deported. He was lying AGAIN!!

[chicagolady]

I LOVE Video! Here Illinois Freeper Chicagolady talks truth on Good Day Chicago and Mayer Daley Apointed Alderman Lies on TV for everyone to see. He says Criminals are deported. OH REALLY?? He also said, I did NOT know what I was talking about!

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/good_day/cardenas-pulido-debate-airzona-boycott-20100603

[Paladin2]

Can’t we hire Che to take him out and shoot him?

[whence911]

But Chicago officials did not report him to immigration authorities because city and county ordinances prohibit them from doing so.

That makes these officials culpable in all crimes commited by those who are released.

[freedomfiter2]

How about, all illegal immigrants convicted of murder shall be executed within one year without exception.

[yoe]

Send the “room and board” bill to Obama. America cannot sustain all the UNION pensions, prison care from room and board to recreation for convicts; not can we afford idiot politicians who can’t seem to stop spending other people’s money in wreckless ways. Criminals like Mwenda Murithi, who are not deported immediately as the law required, should have the judge and all social workers who did not do their jobs, fired and jailed.

[Citizen Tom Paine]

Exactly! They should be quickly punished to the maximum extent of the law. What stupidity.

[Godwin1]

This article documents Chicago officials’ total indifference to the safety and welfare of their citizens. Daley and his corrupt cohorts are all about pandering to criminals and dual loyalty hyphenated Americans, and not at all about protecting real Americans. Look at the cynical, dismissive remarks of the hyphenated alderman Maldonado. When we are baffled as to why the federal government refuses to seal the southern border, we need only recall that Obama and his henchmen crawled out of the cesspool of the Cook County Democratic machine.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

This type of conduct is tolerated and these people are NOT deported as they and their descendents will VOTE for the democratic party. Further, these people are probably brought here at taxpayer expense.

Then there are those who chastise people for advocating preparation for an armed revolution.

[Zeppo]

the Kenyan-born leader of a notorious Chicago street gang

I could have sworn that that was a description of Obama himself...

[agere_contra]

the Kenyan-born leader of a notorious Chicago street gang

A community organizer, in other words.

[jocon307]

“I’ll be reporting minor offenders, misdemeanants, people who are arrested on a traffic fine that they fail to pay,” San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey”

Listen you lazy jerk - I’d rather you reported minor offenders for their minor offenses rather than later after they off a 13 year old.

[RoadTest]

“Mwenda Murithi, the Kenyan-born leader of a notorious Chicago street gang”

Kenyan-born?
Leader of Chicago Street Gang?

You mean Obama isn’t the only one?

[HiJinx]

Ping!

How many more deaths? /rhet.

[Kimberly GG]

....”Kenyan-born leader of a notorious Chicago street gang, was arrested 26 times after his student visa was revoked in 2003. Charged with at least four felonies, he served 30 days in the Cook County Jail for a 2007 drug violation.”

Can someone tell me of ANY American citizen who has been arrested 26 times, commits AT LEAST 4 felonies and has only served 30 days in jail?

[Razz Barry]

"We think it's an ill-conceived, ill-functioning program," said Joan Friedland, a senior attorney with the National Immigration Law Center. "Regardless of how or why a person got into police custody, whether it was based on racial profiling, whether it was a minor offense, whether the person is found not guilty, they are subject to deportation."

A few years ago, while bailing my husband out of jail, I had a conversation with another lady waiting to do the same for her fiance. The two were driving through Georgia on their way to Kentucky when police pulled him over for no seat belt. Background check revealed a warrant for back child support. Instead of deporting him back to Florida, Joan Friedland would have just written him a ticket and let him go.

It is my belief that cities catch and release illegals to make and save money. When illegals bailout and skip, cities get to keep the bail money and aren't out the cost for; free lawyer, free interpreter, trial, and incarceration. The last thing on the minds of our local authorities, as with the federal government, is the safety of American citizens.