Top Official Says Feds May Not Process Illegals Referred From Arizona

[Desertdog]

I do hope that AZ will do some kind of court action aganst the ICE if they do not process the captured illegals.

Top Official Says Feds May Not Process Illegals Referred From Arizona
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/05/21/official-says-feds-process-illegals-referred-arizona/

A top Department of Homeland Security official reportedly said his agency will not necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona authorities.

John Morton, assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, made the comment during a meeting on Wednesday with the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune, the newspaper reports.

"I don't think the Arizona law, or laws like it, are the solution," Morton told the newspaper.

The best way to reduce illegal immigration is through a comprehensive federal approach, he said, and not a patchwork of state laws.

The law, which criminalizes being in the state illegally and requires authorities to check suspects for immigration status, is not "good government," Morton said.

In response to Morton's comments, DHS officials said President Obama has ordered the Department of Justice to examine the civil rights and other implications of the law.

"That review will inform the government's actions going forward," DHS spokesman Matt Chandler told Fox News on Friday.

Meanwhile, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said ICE 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," Napolitano said. "It also has the discretion to deport or not to deport persons delivered to it by any government agents, even its own."

Morton, according to a biography posted on ICE's website, began his federal service in 1994 and has held numerous positions at the Department of Justice, including as a trial attorney and special assistant to the general counsel in the former Immigration and Naturalization Service and as counsel to the deputy attorney general.

Border apprehensions in Arizona, where roughly 500,000 illegal immigrants are estimated to be living, are up 6 percent since October, according to federal statistics. Roughly 6.5 million residents live in Arizona.

[Fly320s]

"ICE has the legal discretion to accept or not to accept persons delivered to it by non-federal personnel," Napolitano said. "It also has the discretion to deport or not to deport persons delivered to it by any government agents, even its own."

So the government isn't required to enforce the laws it makes.  That actually makes sense to me, nd I agree with it. 

But if DHS/ICE won't enforce their own laws, then they should stop complaining about AZ doing it for them.

[El Tejon]

Hmmm, maybe we can talk the feds into not enforcing gun laws?

[Waitone]

Stop the flow of taxes into federal coffers and the situation will change rapidly.

[Desertdog]

Stop the flow of taxes into federal coffers and the situation will change rapidly.

Thanks to the BO job stimulus plans, I think the tax flows has dropped considerably.

[Desertdog]

Time to build more Tent Prisons, load them up with  illegals and have them build a 15 foot, reinforced adobe wall around the southern border of AZ.  Low cost, effective wall.

[Gowen]

The best way to reduce illegal immigration is through a comprehensive federal approach, he said, and not a patchwork of state laws.

Which means, they will do same ol', same ol'.  The feds will do a few token busts a year, raid a factory that failed to 's properly grease some politico's war chest and the game goes on and on.

I think the best way for Arizona to deal with it's illegals is to put each one on a 1 way flight to Mexico city.  They may come back, but it will take some time and I think the ticket would be cheaper than prison.

[TexinMT]

Time to build more Tent Prisons, load them up with  illegals and have them build a 15 foot, reinforced adobe wall around the southern border of AZ.  Low cost, effective wall.

What about forced labor?  Roads are always in need of repair, recycling centers need plastics sorted from glass. I'm sure there is a long list of things that need to be done.  When everything is perfect and there are no jobs left deport them.  If there is no incentive to come work an honest job and send money back home the only ones coming back would be the hardcore criminals.

[longeyes]

Only a matter of time before Obama sends in the Federal cavalry to ride to the rescue of the persecuted illegals.  Make no mistake: He is throwing down the gauntlet and daring a proportionate response.

[sanglant]

they can always give them a free ride to the boarder of there choice. how many more illegals can CA hold? karma, it's a ..

[longeyes]

AZ is about to be turned into AL.

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

AZ is about to be turned into AL.

'Splain please?

[Jocassee]

'Splain please?

He's probably thinking along the same lines I am when I say this whole situation reminds me of John C Calhoun and Andrew Jackson.

And you know what happened after THAT little episode.

[Viking]

He's probably thinking along the same lines I am when I say this whole situation reminds me of John C Calhoun and Andrew Jackson.

And you know what happened after THAT little episode.

I don't (ignorant furriner). Could you tell, or link?

[longeyes]

"Arizona" is Obama's way of replaying what happened in Alabama in the '60s--or, rather, trying to re-cast the entire issue in terms of the righteous application of civil rights against a regressive rebel State.  If the movement to put both The Law and the popular will first continues to mount, Obama will use Federal force on behalf of the illegals and justify it on international "human rights" grounds.  He certainly isn't going to bring down the force of government on border security.  His goal is amnesty aka "immigration reform."  We should have no doubts about that after the fiasco this last week with Calderon.

[Tallpine]

Isn't failing to "faithfully execute the laws" grounds for impeachment? 

[longeyes]

Ah, the I-word rears its head.

[seeker_two]

Maybe when the AZ LEO's start flex-cuffing the apprehended illegals to the entrance doors and vehicles (both work and personal) of the ICE employees, then ICE may get the message....

[longeyes]

We're heading for the 2010 version of, literally, a Mexican Stand-off.

[freakazoid]

So it's ok for the Feds to ignore laws it doesn't like but not the states? 

[MechAg94]

"Arizona" is Obama's way of replaying what happened in Alabama in the '60s--or, rather, trying to re-cast the entire issue in terms of the righteous application of civil rights against a regressive rebel State.  If the movement to put both The Law and the popular will first continues to mount, Obama will use Federal force on behalf of the illegals and justify it on international "human rights" grounds.  He certainly isn't going to bring down the force of government on border security.  His goal is amnesty aka "immigration reform."  We should have no doubts about that after the fiasco this last week with Calderon.

They try to paint every issue as similar to or the same as the black/white race issue.  Few buy it.  The majority of voters support Arizona. 

[dogmush]

"Arizona" is Obama's way of replaying what happened in Alabama in the '60s--or, rather, trying to re-cast the entire issue in terms of the righteous application of civil rights against a regressive rebel State.  If the movement to put both The Law and the popular will first continues to mount, Obama will use Federal force on behalf of the illegals and justify it on international "human rights" grounds.  He certainly isn't going to bring down the force of government on border security.  His goal is amnesty aka "immigration reform."  We should have no doubts about that after the fiasco this last week with Calderon.

Yes, but helping illegals stay in the country illegally is a far cry from enforcing a SCOTUS decision on black citizens.

I think Obama would probably find enough "federal force" to do this, but it would do very bad things to the morale and unit integrity of the remaining forces, and has a very high likelyhood (IMHO) of leading to real bloodshed.

Let's all sincerly hope the neither side is stupid enough to push this into the "Men with guns" arena, as if they do, there's no good outcome.

[Jocassee]

I don't (ignorant furriner). Could you tell, or link?

John C Calhoun was Andrew Jackson's first Vice President, a vociferous South Carolinian defendant of States' rights and overall PITA to the Jackson administration. He and Jackson butted heads publicly a few times over States rights issues.

This struggle is best summed up in the story of a dinner where both were in attendance. Jackson toasted "Our Federal Union: it must be preserved." Calhoun toasted back, "The Union, next to our Liberty most dear."

History does indeed repeat itself.

[Viking]

John C Calhoun was Andrew Jackson's first Vice President, a vociferous South Carolinian defendant of States' rights and overall PITA to the Jackson administration. He and Jackson butted heads publicly a few times over States rights issues.

This struggle is best summed up in the story of a dinner where both were in attendance. Jackson toasted "Our Federal Union: it must be preserved." Calhoun toasted back, "The Union, next to our Liberty most dear."

History does indeed repeat itself.

Ah, I knew about Calhoun being Jackson's VP, and that Jackson supposedly said: "I have only two regrets: I didn't shoot Henry Clay and I didn't hang John C. Calhoun." Didn't know why though.

[MicroBalrog]

"The law, which criminalizes being in the state illegally"

Criminalizes.... being in the state... illegally... does the reporter understand what he wrote?