For the entirety of the Biden Administration’s existence, the United States southern border was as open as a house with no doors and broken-out windows. Some people wondered why. Others knew.
Population determines the number of representatives each state sends to Congress. With a number of “blue” states losing population, Democrats were intent on increasing the number of residents in those states. All residents are counted in a census, whether they are citizens or illegal entrants, so the easiest way to pump up the numbers is to open the borders and provide transportation to desired destinations. Apparently, it was of no concern to anyone associated with the Biden Administration if a few thousand people died as a consequence of the criminals and drugs illegally entering the country.
With millions of illegal immigrants having entered the country during the “Biden years”, Democrats are now using activist judges in attempts to prevent deportations. The bleeding-heart mantra is that efforts to prevent deportations are inspired by humanitarian concerns (not breaking up families) but the actual reason is that Democrats want to preserve increased population numbers in a host of states. The Trump Administration has other ideas, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) is its primary means of finding, detaining and deporting illegal immigrants. Although ICE’s efforts aren’t limited to immigrants who have committed other crimes while illegally in this country, that is its primary focus.
outside of convenience stores.
One of ICE’s primary tools is Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, a program that allows state and local law enforcement officers to perform specific immigration enforcement duties, such as identifying, processing, and detaining individuals potentially subject to deportation under federal immigration laws.
Opponents often show a distinct lack of knowledge about the program’s mode of operation. A typical comment is, “I don’t agree with a program that deports people for a traffic violation.” In the majority of cases, local law enforcement concentrates on finding and detaining illegal immigrants who have committed other crimes. As such, jails are a target rich environment. Even if local law enforcement has the ability to arrest someone who is here illegally, after a traffic stop, they are far more likely to focus on far more serious criminal offenses.
Under 287g, ICE agents primarily work in a county jail, so they only deal with illegal immigrants who have been arrested for other committed crimes. The alternative to deportation is to house those who have been arrested in the county jail at an approximate cost to taxpayers of approximately $100 per day, depending on the county. County sheriffs are typically the elected officials who control the decision as to whether the department will participate in the 287g program.
Those opposing 287g claim that the program promotes ethnic profiling and distrust within communities that have a high percentage of minorities. In so doing, they are using 287g as a false premise, probably because they think it will build favor with some voters. It sounds good to say, “I’m opposed to breaking up families because of minor infractions”, but what they don’t state is that everyone who is arrested and sent to jail is separated from their families (legal citizens as well as illegal immigrants).
According to the ACLU, there are three types of 287g programs:
- Jail Enforcement Model (Horry, Lexington, and York counties): “Under this model, ICE delegates certain immigration authorities to state and local law enforcement agencies to identify immigrants in state and local custody and place them into immigration proceedings. Corrections officers in local jails, under the supervision of ICE, are deputized by the federal government to interrogate people in their custody about their immigration status and funnel people into the deportation pipeline”
- Task Force Model (SLED, Berkeley, Kershaw, and Pickens counties): “ICE describes this type of agreement as “a force multiplier” that allows state and local law enforcement agencies to make immigration arrests during routine police enforcement. This model, the broadest and deepest form of collusion with ICE, essentially turns police officers into ICE agents.”
- Warrant Service Officer (Berkeley, Charleston, Chester, Greenville, Lancaster, Oconee, Pickens, and Spartanburg counties): “This type of agreement allows ICE to train, certify, and authorize state and local law enforcement officers to serve and execute administrative immigration warrants on people who are in custody in their agency’s jail.”
As noted by the ACLU, the “Task Force” model does allow local law enforcement officials to act in the same capacity as federal ICE agents. That increases the number of law enforcement officers on the street who can arrest a person for having entered the country illegally. In counties that do not participate in a 287g program, ICE agents will typically focus on neighborhoods and commercial/industrial areas to determine if any illegal immigrants are present, and make arrests. ICE is a federal agency and as the name implies, they are charged with enforcing federal immigration laws. As such, ICE agents will either concentrate on working within jails, or “hit the streets”, with or without local law enforcement officers..
As the ACLU points out, the “Task Force” model is, “the broadest and deepest form of collusion with ICE” which indicates the group’s position is to allow illegal immigrants to remain in this country. That’s a position a majority of South Carolina residents are against.
It is unfortunate that there are millions of illegal immigrants in this country who came here for the opportunity to build a better life. They’re hard-working and pose no threat in the areas where they live and work. However, they did enter this country illegally and by doing so, they are subject to deportation. That being the case, state and county governments have the option of choosing which model of the 287g program in which to participate. As such, their deportation efforts can be as broad or as narrow as they desire.
Law enforcement agencies that decline to cooperate with ICE (participating in a 287g program is not the only means of cooperating) are in fact working in favor of the very aspect of deportation they claim to be against- deporting illegal immigrants who have never committed a crime while in this country. By not cooperating with ICE in the apprehension of known criminal illegal immigrants, they force ICE to work the streets to find those criminals. In so doing, ICE almost always discovers people in this country illegally who have never engaged in criminal activity. By shielding known criminals, sanctuary cities and counties are actually expose the non-criminals they claim to be protecting.
The post ICE – Cleaning Up Biden’s Mess appeared first on Palmetto State Watch Foundation.