printICE is supposed to deport, or at least process, illegals aliens apprehended by Arizona law enforcement—OR, MAYBE NOT.
A top Obama official, John Morton, assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement government, told the Chicago Tribune that the Arizona immigration-enforcement law, SB 1070, is not “good government.”
The best way to reduce illegal immigration is through a comprehensive federal approach, he said, and not a patchwork of state laws.
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano backed the bastard up: “ICE,” she said, “is not obligated to process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona authorities.
ICE has the legal discretion to accept or not to accept persons delivered to it by non-federal personnel … It also has the discretion to deport or not to deport persons delivered to it by any government agents, even its own.”
FoxNews’ Megyn Kelly called this government by fiat.
This is how it rolls in the US. I’ve long contended that commentators who constantly hail America’s unique freedoms are willfully misleading their followers. States’ rights? Those died a long time ago.
The federal government no longer fulfills its most basic negative duty, and that is to protect its citizens. But this is not new.
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”
Hot Air tracks the issue too.
Update (May 23): Ann Coulter is at her best when she gets legal. She dredges up the “UNITED STATES v. BRIGNONI-PONCE” (1975), in which the SCOTUS unanimously, including every liberal on the Court, decided that “border police could take into account the Mexican appearance of a car’s occupants. They could not do random stops based on nothing but that ‘appearance.'” The Arizona law does not go as far as the SCOTUS’ ruling.
Another interesting point made by AC: “Iconic labor leader, and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, along with Ralph Abernathy, successor to Martin Luther King, marched against illegal immigration.”
I’m having a little difficulty understanding why Arizona, or any border state, needs federal cooperation. Arizona can simply offer the illegals a choice, take a well supervised walk back across the border or do a year in Joe Arpaio’s jail. Most will walk back across the border.
I think it should be obvious by now that the reason the US border is not secured is because the Federal Govt. does not want to secure it.
Personally I’d love to see the entire border turned into a US military live fire range.
It’s called tyranny.
I got fed up with the antics of this government long ago. But it seems that the actions of all branches have, of late, been even more outrageous as each day passes. We all seem to sit here and watch and listen for the next assault on common sense and the rule of law which comes from the government. This latest outrage of the government’s obviously orchestrated denouncement of Arizona is, to me, even worse than usual. Who are these people in government? They act like our commanders who answer to no authority. We, as citizens, are to meekly give in to whatever their pleasure might be. I hope Arizona can fight this latest low blow from Washington and I also hope that the rest of the country takes notice. Remember, if your state makes them mad they can treat you just like Arizona.
Do you believe this action means Obama and Holder have now read Arizona’s new law and determined they can’t defeat it in court? So they are now going to defeat it by refusing to cooperate, which is odd, given that Arizona’s law is designed to get local law enforcement to cooperate with the Feds on immigration.
Actually, Roger, it’s called anarcho-tyranny.
I know, I know. I shoulda quoted Sam Francis.
I was once involuntarily involved in a massive effort of the U.S. government to secure a border. It cost 58,000 American lives, and an additional 3 million Asians. More bombs were dropped than were dropped in all of WWII. Land mines left behind still maim and cripple to this very day, mostly to children at play. Foliage was spoiled with pesticides leaving behind a legacy of unimaginable birth defects.
Your tax dollars at work. Apparently borders only matter when they are on the other side of the planet.
I have an idea for “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” that I would like to propose.
I am married to an immigrant from the Philippines. She has her citizenship interview in three weeks. When I did all the paperwork for her one of the forms was the I-865 which was a statement of financial responsibility in which I swore that I would be responsible to the government if she ever became a “public charge”.
So here’s my idea for all of the illegals living among us who want to become citizens. ALL are welcome. Submit your application for citizenship at the cost of $650 as it is today. Nothing more is asked except that you have to submit an I-865. What is the name and address of the person who is willing to accept responsibility to pay the bills if you should become a “public charge”.
Jack: Perhaps Uncle Sam needs to hire the government of Mexico to patrol our borders since the Mexicans do a phenomenal job of securing their southern border.
The latest footnote in the ongoing reconquista. If the federals refuse to secure the border, state law enforcement will. If the states refuse to secure the border or are prevented from doing so by the federals, ranchers with Winchesters will.
“Derek 3PM-So they are now going to defeat it by refusing to cooperate” I thought the Feds didn’t believe in Nullification. Or is this a case of ‘we can-you can’t’ In Oklahoma, one or more times when the Department of Corrections said that they were overcrowded with inmates and refused to take any more, at least one sheriff took his sentenced prisoners to the main gate, handcuffed the inmates to the gate and went back to his county. We went through a policy change. So would ICE if Illegals ended up in long lines attached to the metal fence on the southern border of Arizona or gathered around the flagpole of the Federal Courthouse.
General and willful failure to enforce the laws of the United States (distinct from specific exceptions such as not deporting an illegal who is voluntarily testifying against border coyote/gangsters and needs witness protection) should result in an IMPEACHMENT and trial of Ms. Napolitano.
Van Wijk wrote: “If the states refuse to secure the border or are prevented from doing so by the federals, ranchers with Winchesters will.”
Some ranchers tried that. The illegal aliens they detained now own their ranch.
[Thanks for this link; this is extraordinary; i did not know about it.]
Thanks Gringo, for that unfortunate link (the Southern Poverty Law Center is truly a very despicable outfit). It is interesting how the New York Times will use “UNDOCUMENTED immigrant” instead of trespassers. The dictionary definition of TRESPASSER is “One who enters upon another’s land”.
I suppose that Michaele and Tareq Salahi were just undocumented guests, the Wehrmacht in Paris were just undocumented soldiers, and rapists are merely undocumented lovers. Heck, this is all a silly dispute about paperwork!