U.S. Immigration Officers Give Frightening Warning

[daveman]

U.S. Immigration Officers Give Frightening Warning

Chris Crane, president of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Council, which represents immigration enforcement officers, recently called on Congress to resist immigration reforms that harm his officers’ ability to do their jobs:

ICE officers are being ordered by [Administration] political appointees to ignore the law. Violent criminal aliens are released every day from jails back into American communities. ICE Officers face disciplinary action for engaging in routine law enforcement actions. We are barred from enforcing large sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act, even when public safety is at risk. Officer morale is devastated.​

If this were the U.S. Capitol Police, the Secret Service, or the military, Congress would be outraged, the President would react firmly and swiftly, and pundits and groups from across the country would be demanding this problem be fixed. Sadly, though, nothing is being done to fix this broken and dangerous state of affairs.

In fact, the situation is even scarier. As the ICE letter points out, President Obama continues to order ICE officers to ignore ever-growing sections of immigration law and undertake actions that create a risk to public safety. The Senate has passed a gargantuan immigration bill that includes mass amnesty, tons of handouts to special interests, and enough waivers and exemptions to make Obamacare officials jealous.

Notably, the Senate bill does little to actually support the hard-working men and women of ICE and other immigration enforcement agencies. Even worse, amnesty would make the work of ICE even more difficult by encouraging more illegal immigration and adding new classes of provisional immigrants who have special rules that apply to them.​

Can't enforce the law when doing so will piss off potential Democrat voters, can we?

 

[Moonglow]

The writer failed to include the entire letter with the authors signature. Fail.

 

[daveman]

The writer failed to include the entire letter with the authors signature. Fail.

Yes, because clicking links in the damn article is just too haaaaard.

For those who need to be spoon-fed:

Law Enforcement to Congress: Listen To Us, Not the Lobbyists! | Power Line

For a contrary view, let’s listen to Chris Crane, President of the ICE Council, the union that represents immigration enforcement officers, who addressed this letter to all House members:

Dear Member of Congress,

I am the President of the National ICE Council, representing approximately 7,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, agents and support staff. I am also an actively serving ICE officer.

Numerous news reports have announced that a large group of CEO’s, special interests and groups opposing immigration enforcement plan to increase lobbying efforts on House members starting this week. This lobbyist pressure campaign is designed to get House members to either support legislation similar to the Schumer-Rubio bill or to pass individual bills that will be combined with Gang of Eight legislation into a comprehensive bill in a conference committee. Many of the groups stand to make a fortune from the immigration provisions they are seeking. Indeed, the 1,200 page Senate plan lined the pockets of many of the same groups now lobbying House members.

You should be aware that these groups have not worked with or consulted with ICE officers. In fact, their actions have undermined the safety of the country and law enforcement personnel. They do not represent the interests of your constituents, the law enforcement community, or the nation itself. They have demonstrated no evident concern for the constitutional rule of law. They are interested in power and money. ICE officers are pleading with you to resist their well-financed pressure campaign and stand with American citizens and the immigration officers who put their own personal safety at risk each day to provide for public safety. The American public is fed up with rich individuals, corporations and special interests using money to control the legislative process.

According to the New York times, the lobbying campaign begins today and continues throughout the week: “Sponsors of the event include the United States Chamber of Commerce; FWD.us, a political action group set up by Silicon Valley executives including Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook; and the Partnership for a New Economy, which is led jointly by New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Rupert Murdoch and Bill Marriott Jr.” These groups are interested in increased profits and power; to my knowledge they have never lifted a finger to assist ICE officers in creating legislation that makes public safety and national security our priority.

If these groups were concerned about public safety, national security and the rule of law they would be joining our call for an investigation of the Department of Homeland Security. In fact, we are urging all lawmakers to demand an investigation of DHS before moving immigration bills. ICE officers are being ordered by DHS political appointees to ignore the law. Violent criminal aliens are released every day from jails back into American communities. ICE Officers face disciplinary action for engaging in routine law enforcement actions. We are barred from enforcing large sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act, even when public safety is at risk. Officer morale is devastated. Our agency‘s managers answer to special interests and not to Congress. No reform can succeed as long as this or any other administration can choose to ignore Congress and violate the law with impunity.

The National ICE Council would be eager to meet with you to discuss these matters further.

Sincerely,

Chris Crane​