Border Security Bill Proof Dems Have Secured Border? Ready to Move on Comprehensive Reform?

The $600 million Senate border security bill that Obama will sign later this week is all the proof Americans need that protecting and closing our borders has happened. Democrats are ready to move ahead with "comprehensive reform," saying the bill should "break the deadlock...." in Congress, and silence the calls to "close the border first, before we deal with illegals already in this country.

Border Security - ICE

Perhaps this bill is nothing more than a distraction. It pales under the scrutiny of the unwilling participation of the Obama administration and Congress to enforce the laws already on the books, as well as demanding law enforcement routinely look the other way as the U.S. invaded on our Southern Border.

In meetings with Republicans, “I repeatedly heard them say that once we showed we were serious about passing border security legislation, they would be able to begin working with us to fix other aspects of our broken immigration system,” Schumer said. The bill would box in Republicans politically, he added, compelling them to keep their word.

“I believe tactically it will help us move forward because it pulls away their No. 1 excuse, which is we can’t do comprehensive until there is border change,” Schumer said. “Certainly we were getting nowhere the old way.”

The bill will supposedly provide for 1,500 new border "personnel," two unmanned drones and "military-style bases along the border." The question is, will the new "personnel" have the authority to do whatever is necessary to keep illegals out? Remember that illegals must be handed over to ICE, who who are then impotent to do anything unless the illegal migrants have committed crimes other than being in the U.S. illegally. It's bizarre, but no more bizarre than Chuck Schumer thinking the Senate legislation has answered the call to "SECURE THE BORDER FIRST."

Our crafty Senate has found a way to pay the $600 million cost of their legislation. The Wall Street Journal says the fee hikes will mainly affect Indian technology-outsourcing companies. It will affect all companies that have more than half their U.S.-based employees on H1-B or L-1 visas. Microsoft and Intel will likely not be subjected to the fees as "their foreign workers make up less than 50% for their overall work force."

Som Mittal, president of Indian technology industry trade group Nasscom, said Indian companies could face $200 million to $250 million in increased human-resources costs annually if the bill becomes law....

According to a summary of the Senate bill, the new charges would increase visa fees paid by affected companies by roughly $2,000 per visa application. But Mr. Mittal says the increase would actually be about $4,500 more per worker for new visas and $4,000 more for renewals. Currently, most visa applicants also face additional fees; in most cases, the H1-B visa fees amount to about $2,320.

If the original visa fee is $2320 per visa and there are 214,271 "petitions," that's almost $5 million. If the higher estimate of $4,500 by Mr. Mittal is correct, another almost $10 million will be realized from all countries, although it is not clear that all foreign visa apps will be subjected to the fee. That's a total of about $15 million at the most, assuming every application is new and not a renewal, which is a lesser cost. Maybe my math is wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.

If every one of the 214,271 visa petitions costs the max estimate of $4,500 per worker, the total is about $9.5 million. That's a long way from $600 million.

Paying for a bill that may do nothing is a reality.  I was reading at Van Helsing at Moonbattery recently, who said:

The situation is simple. A hostile foreign power is using its criminal underclass to colonize the United States. The federal government, having been hijacked by the radical Left, is doing everything it can to assist this invasion, in the belief that creating a massive new underclass and reducing Caucasians to minority status will give them the demographic leverage to impose socialism and one-party rule.

One day people will ask you what you did to fight Obama and the rest of the vermin who deliberately tried to destroy America. At least the ICE rank and file will be able to say they objected — not that objecting will be anywhere near enough.

Does anyone think these "military-styled" bases along the border will happen anytime soon? Or will close the border?

by Maggie @ Maggie's Notebook

John Morton Phyllis Coven: ICE Votes No Confidence in Morton Coven

In June 2010, seven thousand ICE officers and employees from the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cast a 'Vote of No Confidence' in their Director, John Morton and the Assistant Director Phyllis Coven. Remember when Morton recently said ICE "will not prosecute Arizona law? I ask you after reading this, if you are against Arizona's Immigration law, what do you think now?

John Morton

One thing is very interesting in this press release: nowhere is the word "immigration" used. ICE agents understand that there is no such thing as "illegal immigration," there are only illegal aliens or illegal migrants.

I understand the administration's memo recently revealed showing attempts to bring full amnesty without going through Congress. Obviously, ICE leadership is involved in the attempt to slip amnesty in the back door of the White House.

The ICE agents say that whistleblowers are retaliated against. In the event you do not read it all, here are two pull-out quotes

"The lack of technical expertise and field experience has resulted in a priority of providing bingo nights, dance lessons and hanging plants to criminals, instead of addressing safe and responsible detention reforms..."

"Unlike any other agency in the nation, ICE officers will be prevented from searching detainees housed in ICE facilities allowing weapons, drugs and other contraband into detention centers putting detainees, ICE officers and contract guards at risk." 

From the pdf press release:

This action reflects the growing dissatisfaction and concern among ICE employees and Union leaders that Director John Morton and Assistant Director Phyllis Coven have abandoned the Agency's core mission of enforcing United States Immigration Laws and providing for public safety, and have instead directed their attention to campaigning for programs and policies related to amnesty and the creation of a special detention system for foreign nationals that exceeds the care and services provided to most United States citizens similarly incarcerated.

It is the desire of our union within ICE and our employees to publicly separate ourselves from the actions of Director Morton and Assistant Director Coven and publicly state that ICE officers and employees do not support Morton or Coven, or their misguided and reckless initiatives, which could ultimately put many in America at risk.

The following are the items of concern listed in the press release. I have numbered them. The original uses a bullet that doesn't function well with my blogging template:

(1) Senior ICE leadership dedicates more time to campaigning for immigration reforms aimed at large scale amnesty legislation, than advising the American public and Federal lawmakers on the severity of the illegal immigration problem, and the need for more manpower and resources within ICE ERO to address it. ICE ERO is currently overwhelmed by the massive criminal alien problem in the U.S. resulting in the large-scale release of criminals back into local communities.

(2) Criminal aliens incarcerated in local jails seek out ICE officers and volunteer for deportation to avoid prosecution, conviction and serving prison sentences. Criminal aliens openly brag to ICE officers that they are taking advantage of the broken immigration system and will be back in the U.S. within days to commit crimes, while U.S. citizens arrested for the same offenses serve prison sentences. State and local law enforcement, prosecutors and jails are equally overwhelmed by the criminal alien problem and lack the resources to prosecute and house these prisoners, resulting in the release of criminal aliens back into local communities before making contact with ICE.  ICE senior leadership is aware that the system is broken, yet refuses to alert Congress to the severity of the situation and request additional resources to provide better enforcement and support of local agencies.

(3) ICE is misleading the American public with regard to the effectiveness of criminal enforcement programs like the ICE "Secure Communities Program" using it as a selling point to move forward with amnesty related legislation. As officers in the field, we know this program will not improve enforcement or provide for public safety because ICE refuses, for political reasons, to request the additional manpower and resources needed to adequately operate the program.

(4) The majority of ICE ERO Officers are prohibited from making street arrests or enforcing United States immigration laws outside of the institutional (jail) setting. This has effectively created "amnesty through policy" for anyone illegally in the U.S. who has not been arrested by another agency for a criminal violation.

(5) With only a handful of officers nationwide authorized to enforce U.S. immigration laws, and demand for these officers higher than ever before, hundreds of ICE officers nationwide perform no law enforcement duties whatsoever because of resource mismanagement within the Agency. The remaining ICE officers who do perform enforcement functions spend a majority of their time performing non-law enforcement duties because ICE ERO lacks the support staff to perform related support functions.

(6) ICE Detention Reforms have transformed into a detention system aimed at providing resort like living conditions to criminal aliens. Senior ICE leadership excluded ICE officers and field managers (the technical experts on ICE detention) from the development of these reforms, and instead solicited recommendations from special interest groups. The lack of technical expertise and field experience has resulted in a priority of providing bingo nights, dance lessons and hanging plants to criminals, instead of addressing safe and responsible detention reforms for non-criminal individuals and families. Unlike any other agency in the nation, ICE officers will be prevented from searching detainees housed in ICE facilities allowing weapons, drugs and other contraband into detention centers putting detainees, ICE officers and contract guards at risk.

(7) ICE has virtually no consistent national policies. As a result, the Agency lacks adequate direction and managerial infrastructure. Operations suffer, accountability is nonexistent, and ICE is unable to perform at its potential.

(8) Senior leadership ignores reports that ICE internal investigations conducted under the auspices of the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility conceal Agency and supervisor misconduct and are used to retaliate against employees who make whistleblower type disclosures or question inappropriate policies and procedures.

It is our sincere belief that the integrity of the Agency as well as public safety ill be better provided for in the absence of Director Morton and Assistant Director Coven.

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Carlos Montana Sister Denise Mosier: Carlos Montana Illegal Repeat Offender Kills Nun

Illegal migrant Carlos Montano has killed Virginia Nun Sister Denise Mosier while driving drunk. Montana has two previous drunk driving charges.

Carlos A. Martinelly Montano

According to ICE, Montana was "in the deportation process," was out of custody on his own "recognizance."

The crash at around 8:30 Sunday morning killed Sister Denise Mosierand injured two other nuns as they were driving to a retreat at the Benedictine Monastery in Bristow, Va. The two injured nuns were in critical but stable condition late Monday, according to St. Gertrude High School in Richmond run by the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia. 

Apparently ICE policy does not include retention of those determined to be in the country illegally, even when the offender has been previously arrested. The death of Sister Denise Mosier, and the critical injuries of two other Nuns is on the hands of illegal migrant policies.

Sister Denise Mosier

From Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY-5th):

"I have been saying for months now that this administration's new policy of concentrating almost solely on 'criminal aliens,' and not enforcing the laws by deporting known illegal aliens, would have devastating consequences. Now, we see the tragic results this 'virtual amnesty' policy of the Obama administration has caused," said Rep. Harold Rogers of Kentucky, the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations homeland security subcommittee.

The Washington Times:

In a June 30 memo, John T. Morton, assistant secretary of homeland security for ICE, said agents should focus their capture and deportation efforts on illegal immigrants who were suspected of terrorism, had been convicted of violent crimes or were repeat offenders, gang members or "aliens who otherwise pose a serious risk to public safety." He did not define what rose to the level of serious risk.

The latest ICE statistics show that the agency has stepped up deportations of criminals, but has slowed deportation of other illegal immigrants. The agency also is holding fewer illegal immigrants at any one time than it did last year, according to the statistics.

Every drunk driving charge should be penalized with a day or two in jail. Perhaps neophytes, who would rarely drive drunk, would be convinced never to do it again, but once driving under the influence is a second offense, there should be no mercy. Carlos Montana deserves to spend the rest of his life in an American prison. Prayers for Sister Denise and the injured Nuns.

Rich Lowry on How Obama will Argue Against Arizona Immigration Law

Are you puzzled about how the U.S. Government will argue against Arizona adopting and following Federal immigration laws? I was puzzled, but I think Rich Lowry has it sorted out.

Eric Holder and Barack Obama

The Obama administration's plan of action is to execute the Federal law "carefully," meaning they use discretionary enforcement, rather than following the letter of the law, which makes enforcement mandatory.

And all that amounts to an indirect way of saying that the Obama administration is willing to tolerate the presence of millions of illegal aliens in this country, and that, as far as it’s concerned, this preference constitutes the unalloyed law of the land...

In other words, such mandatory enforcement of the law conflicts with the executive’s discretionary enforcement of the law. If Arizona’s statute is in keeping with the letter of the laws as passed by Congress, so what? The executive can selectively pick and choose which elements of those laws to honor, and then on that basis quash state statues even if they mirror the handiwork of Congress.

Will a court accept, that not following the law is a lawful stance?

As Lowry said, "if nothing else, the state of Arizona has smoked out the Obama administration," and put a spotlight on the administration's disinterest in detaining illegals.

In May 2010, I said the same thing. In an early response to Arizona's new law, John Morton the head of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said when Arizona hands over illegals picked up with the authority of the new law, he may not "accept" them, and said it is not "not good government" to criminalize the presence of illegals. I commented that "being in this country illegally hangs on the discretion of whomever is in power. Charles Krauthammer said this administration is "lawless" and indeed it is, including the Department of Justice. At one time I though the lawlessness was creeping, but with mandated health care,  the New Black Panther voter intimidation case, and now Obama's lawsuit against Arizona, the lawless leaders are in full gallop.

Listen to this excellent commentary from Charles Krauthammer



Charles Krauthammer - Lawless Administration (video)
Linked by Storm'n Norm'n

Krauthammer Lawless Administration: ICE May Refuse Illegals (Video)

When is an illegal alien not an illegal alien? The answer: Anytime a powerful liberal deems it so. The head of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), John Morton, says he may not accept illegals apprehended by Arizona's new illegal immigration law. The Arizona law is identical to the federal law, so Morton is essentially nullifying federal law. It should be startling, but laws mean little in this country these days.

Morton says criminalizing the presence of illegals is "not good government," and in the same article, Judge Andrew Napolitano say ICE has the legal right to ignore illegals if they choose to do so. There you have it. Being in this country illegally hangs on the discretion of whomever is in power. Charles Krauthammer says this administration is "lawless."

Charles Krauthammer

The following video found at Pundit and Pundette: What is the agrument against Krauthammer's argument? We are living in the world of Joseph K., and the mind of Franz Kafka has come to life. RedState calls for the incompetent's to be fired. I call for imprisonment for encouraging the breech of our borders.



Charles Krauthammer - Lawless Administration (video)
Related and Background:The Lonely Conservative considers illegals plundering the environmentChicagoRay has some great commentary on Morton and illegals