Cracks In The Facade?
One of the more galling things in recent years has been the way that the political class, usually so fond of paying attention to polls, has routinely completely ignored the will of the majority of Americans. Despite overwhelming support for getting the border under control, politicians from both parties have just gone right along doing nothing. But there is a sign that is ending. Public outcry in New Jersey may have finally cracked the facade of business-as-usual. In the wake of horrific, execution-style murders of three young people - the murderers being led by an illegal immigrant allowed out on bail after being charged with raping a child - politicians are suddenly discovering immigration control as a positive issue. The Attorney General of New Jersey has just issued orders that police, down to the local level, must inquire into the immigration status of any suspect detained for a serious crime. And report any suspicions to Federal authorities.
Attorney General Anne Milgram today ordered all local police officers in New Jersey to inquire about the immigration status of suspects charged with serious crimes, and to notify federal immigration authorities if there is reason to believe the suspect is in the country illegally.
The requirements, which go into effect immediately, apply to suspects arrested for specific indictable offenses and for driving while intoxicated, Milgram said. If the suspect is unable to prove he or she is legally in the United States, the police officer is required to notify Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, she said. The policy also specifies that prosecutors and courts be notified.
Local officers cannot inquire about the immigration status of crime victims, witnesses to crimes or persons requesting police assistance, she said.
"The overriding mission of law enforcement officers in this state is to enforce the state's criminal laws and to protect the community that they serve," Milgram said. "This requires the cooperation of, and positive relationships with, all members of the community. Public safety suffers if individuals believe they cannot come forward to report a crime or cooperate with law enforcement."
The 7-page directive also sets guidelines for municipalities that apply to federal immigration officials for Section 287(g) authority, which deputizes local, county and state officers to enforce federal immigration laws. While the directive grants the full exercise of federal immigration authority at county jails and state prisons for incarcerated undocumented immigrants, Milgram said, street cops participating in 287(g) could invoke federal immigration authority only after an arrest is made.
Call it a sudden case of the scales falling from the eyes of the politicians. This is significant - it is the first time that I am aware of - where a state has suddenly taken crime by illegal immigrants to this level of concern across the board.
A smart politician right now would be working to sell this stronger enforcement to legal immigrants as well as a bona fide good thing (it is). Thugs like Jose Carranza and his minions terrorize those legal immigrants more frequently than they do other citizens. This is really not the political minefield it is made out to be if it is handled properly.
Immigration Reform | Gaius Thursday, 23 August , 2007
By terrence, Thursday, 23 August , 2007 @ 10:00 am
This is really sad, and disgusting. Politians are scum.
Three quotes from H L Mencken:
Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.
A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.
A politician is an animal which can sit on a fence and yet keep both ears to the ground.