ICE director calls ordinance illegal

By Frosty Wooldridge

President Barack Obama has created an executive amnesty for illegal aliens now living and working in America.  He has ordered his ICE director John Morton to only arrest criminal illegal aliens and let others go.

Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, www.fairus.org , gives us an idea of what this means for American laws.

What exactly is happening in Washington DC with this loss of law enforcement Mr. Stein?

“Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton recently sent a letter to Cook County, Illinois, denouncing an ordinance that prevents ICE from picking up criminal aliens,” said Stein.  “In addition to saying the ordinance “undermines public safety,” Morton said it “may also violate federal law.” But, don’t hold your breath waiting for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to sue Cook County as it has with every state that has enacted immigration enforcement bills.

“Chicago officials know full well that President Obama’s deep political roots in Cook County/Chicago make it hands-off for DOJ actions. The County is continuing to flaunt its close alliance to the White House as it resists virtually every mechanism of federal immigration enforcement The County passed an ordinance 4 months ago directing the Sheriff to ignore ICE detainers. Leaders on the County Board of Commissioners argued that detaining illegal aliens at ICE’s request was too costly, and if the federal government wanted the County to hold criminal aliens, they’d have to pay for it.

“Since the ordinance’s passage, Chicagoan Dennis McCann was killed by an illegal alien drunk driver, Saul Chavez, who had already been convicted of drunk driving once before. Due to the new ordinance, he was released back onto the street and has failed to appear in court. In total, Cook County has ignored at least 268 ICE detainers since September begging the question of how many more Saul Chavez’s are now on the street.

“Other than a strongly worded letter, the Obama administration is doing little to restore public safety. Under this administration, when it comes to immigration, enforcing federal laws will get a state sued, but not enforcing detainers for violent criminal aliens will get you a letter. Bet Cook County is shaking in their boots.”

Former Amnesty Lobbyist to Lead Obama’s Domestic Policy Team

“President Obama recently promoted Cecilia Muñoz, the White House’s Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, to be the new director of its Domestic Policy Council,” said Stein. “In her new role, Muñoz will become Obama’s senior advisor on domestic affairs, which includes overseeing policy-making on issues such as education, energy and health care and, most notably, immigration.

“Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Muñoz served as Senior Vice President for the Office of Research, Advocacy, and Legislation at the National Council of La Raza, one of the most outspoken pro-amnesty organizations in the country, where she covered immigration policy for twenty years. Muñoz’s chief task was lobbying for comprehensive amnesty and benefits for illegal aliens, causes she has not abandoned since joining the White House staff.

“According to ICE Director John Morton, Muñoz played a significant role in devising the Obama Administration’s administrative amnesty program. This fall, Morton testified before the House Judiciary Committee that Muñoz helped him prepare the June 17 memos he issued discouraging agents from enforcing the law against large classes of illegal aliens.

“Meanwhile, Muñoz’s former colleagues at La Raza are busy initiating lawsuits against state enforcement laws – teeing up the ball for Obama’s Justice Department while dialing up the pressure on Muñoz to push administrative amnesty even further.”

A Solution We Really Like – Take Away Obama’s Money
Rep. Black to Introduce Bill to Stop Funding DOJ Attacks

“South Carolina’s immigration enforcement bill, like others across the country, is being targeted by Obama’s Justice Department in its relentless attack against states that are enacting immigration enforcement bills,” said Stein. “Late last year, South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint joined with Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and David Vitter (R-Louis.) in an attempt to stop the lawsuits by introducing a bill designed to prevent the DOJ from using taxpayer funds to sue states. Now, Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) will introduce a companion bill in the House this week.

“The specific state laws protected under both the Senate and Rep. Black’s bill include: Oklahoma HB 1804; Missouri HB 390; Arizona SB 1070; Utah HB 497; Indiana SB 590 and HB 1402; Alabama HB 56; South Carolina S 20; and Georgia HB 87.

“Since President Obama’s Department of Justice first sued Arizona in 2010, to block implementation of SB 1070, it has sued three more states, Alabama, South Carolina, and Utah, over their immigration laws. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s appeal of the Ninth Circuit’s injunction of SB 1070. Arizona is expected to file its first brief in the case at the end of January.”

You may contact Dan Stein at www.fairus.org.

##

Frosty Wooldridge is a member of the board at FAIR.