“Deport the Criminals First” — Part Ten of an Ongoing Series: The Killing of Officer Rodney Johnson
[“Deport the Criminals First” is a recurring feature on this blog, highlighting crimes committed by illegal immigrants — with a special focus on repeat offenders. I argue that, instead of arresting illegal immigrants who work hard for a living, we should use our limited immigration enforcement resources to target illegal immigrants who commit crimes in this country — especially violent crimes.]
From the Houston Chronicle, September 23, 2006:
After a capital-murder charge was filed against an illegal immigrant in connection with the death of officer Rodney Johnson, Chief Harold Hurtt firmly defended the Houston Police Department’s policy of not enforcing immigration laws.
“If the government would fulfill their responsibility of protecting the border,” he told reporters Friday afternoon, “we probably would not be standing here today.”
The urgency of the immediate loss highlighted a breakdown prompted by several factors – the loose nets of an immigration system that allowed a deported man to slip back into the country illegally, a hidden gun that Johnson overlooked inside the suspect’s waistband and a means of restraint that somehow allowed the handcuffed man to reach that weapon and pull the trigger.
Early Friday morning, the suspect, Juan Leonardo Quintero, a 32-year-old Mexican national, appeared briefly in the 248th state District Court, where he was informed of the charge against him. Homicide Sgt. Mark Newcomb said officers “got a full confession” from Quintero.
Quintero is another example of the point I made yesterday: deporting criminals doesn’t do any good unless you keep them out. He was deported before (although apparently never prosecuted for illegal re-entry), but just came right back in:
Quintero was deported as an illegal felon in 1999, following a charge of indecency with a child, Brown said. Court records show Quintero was given deferred adjudication in that case. Brown said Quintero’s previous criminal record included an arrest for driving while intoxicated, for driving with a suspended license[] and for failing to stop and give information after an automobile accident.
So how did lawmakers react? Our friend Ted Poe, who was quoted in an earlier post in this series, responded responsibly. Not everyone else did:
U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble, said the shooting highlighted the need to tighten the borders and beef up enforcement of immigration laws.
“We know that 25 homicides a day are committed by people who are illegally in the country and this is one more,” he said.
Poe said police officers should have the authority to arrest people in the country illegally. He said Houston is viewed as a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants.
“The city of Houston has created an atmosphere that it’s a sanctuary for illegals,” Poe said. “They knew that, and that’s why they go to Houston.”
Other lawmakers said that while the shooting was unfortunate, it should not be used for political grandstanding on the eve of a general election.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, said Johnson’s family deserves justice. But, she added, the incident should not detract from efforts to reform current immigration laws.
“We all are suffering from overwhelming grief for the loss of officer Rodney Johnson (but) this is certainly not the time to make blanket accusations,” Jackson Lee said, “but rather it is a time to unite to fight crime where crime exists. We should seek to solve all other problems or issues dealing with immigration away from this terrible tragedy.”
In other words, let’s not do a damn thing about this problem. And let’s thereby endanger the lives of more people like Rodney Johnson:
[…] the criminals first. (see Patterico’s series – Part 10 here and links from there) Removing “sanctuary” cities, counties, and/or states will go a […]
Immigration Reform | Musing Minds (654537) — 6/12/2007 @ 6:42 amGive him the death sentence without all those stupid appeals show him that america dose not tolorate those who commit these crimes
krazy kagu (d982eb) — 6/12/2007 @ 7:14 amPlease go read this extraordinary statement by Newt Gingrich RIGHT NOW:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=21091
Point 2 says:
“The Attempt to Blackmail the American People by Threatening to Refuse to Enforce the Law Without a New Bill Is Disgraceful: A number of powerful figures in the Bush Administration and in the Senate have been saying that if we do not agree to pass this destructive bill, they will never enforce the law. Tell your senator that this is an extraordinary effort to blackmail the American people by having officials state that they will fail to perform their sworn duty, and we won’t stand for it.”
Nice commentary at bizzyblog:
pa (6a63c8) — 6/12/2007 @ 10:51 amhttp://www.bizzyblog.com/2007/06/11/crossing-the-line-jumping-over-the-line-with-both-feet/
Dear US Senators…
After the bleeding is controlled (i.e., the fence is built), most Americans are reasonable enough to recognize that many of the SS Fraud Felons in this country illegally just couldn’t wait behind the thousands of their home country’s men, women, and children who were already in line. The law stood in the way of their financial success.
They’re no more guilty of a “real” crime than the leaders of Enron, WorldCom, or anyone else who broke Federal Laws to get ahead in this dog-eat-dog world.
Why should they be forced to obey the laws now? It seems like it would be unfair. And similarly unfair and onerous for those who have been patiently waiting in line. Let’s let them all pay $6500 and become US Citizens. Let’s let them all file for and receive Income Tax refunds (including EIC) for the last seven years. Let’s let them all, assuming they’re of an age that allows it, collect SS Benefits regardless of their ability to provide legal documentation of their right to work in this country for the last 20-30 years.
In fact, why not just hand over the keys to the White House, the Congress, and the Supreme Court to anyone claiming to be a victim of our Immigration laws?
This bill, and any other one that ignores serious felonies committed by non-citizens illegally in this country is Treason. Look it up. Google “US Code 18, Chapter 115”.
Felonies? You might ask…
1. SS Fraud is being committed by every illegal that is working and by those employers who knowingly employ them. That’s 5 years per count. That ought to keep your US Attorneys busy enough not to arrest law-enforcement agents trying to defend our borders. If not, they should fire a few more.
2. I venture to state that they’re not correctly reporting income to the IRS, filing tax returns, nor paying taxes. With between 12 and 30 Million of them, there ought to be enough back taxes, penalties, and interest to fund the GWoT.
3. If TV News camera crews can spot the illegals and where they cross, why can’t our Border Patrol? Maybe someone is being bribed? At the very least, there is Willful Destruction of Government Property–and if 12-30 Million illegals can’t be made into a conspiracy by the US Attorneys, then we need to hire people with better skills.
4. LULAC, the ACLU, and other groups regularly use lawsuits and threats of lawsuits to extort city, county, and state government officials to disregard Federal Law. If the US attorneys can’t figure out this is a RICO conspiracy, then they should be disbarred.
And, Senators, as much as I respect most of you, if you support this bill, you’re also member of a Seditious Conspiracy.
Look it up. “www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sup_01_18_10_I_20_115.html”
The loopholes addressed by the former Border Patrol Agents and Senator Sessions show very clearly that the “triggers” in S.1348 will never be pulled. The 24-hour background checks will reveal nothing. Affidavits by liars for liars will guarantee 50 Million lawbreakers will be empowered to live here legally.
I’m not against LEGAL immigration. My father’s family arrived in North America in the late 18th Century, my mother’s family in the late 19th Century, my wife in the late 2oth Century. America needs immigration–but WE should choose who comes here. They should follow our laws. They should be free from disease. They should be willing to wait in line.
Shame on President Bush! If this bill passes and he signs it, his name will replace Chamberlain for appeasement, Quisling for treason, and Carter for insipid leadership. No Republican who ever made a deal with Ted Kennedy came off better than the girl he killed.
“Read my lips. No new taxes.” That was Bush 41’s downfall.
“This is not amnesty.” That will be Bush 43’s.
Please turn the boat around before we hit the rocks
jtb (aa733b) — 6/12/2007 @ 12:58 pmOn the other hand:
Andrew J. Lazarus (033d26) — 6/12/2007 @ 8:35 pmLA Sheriff’s Dept. “Mistakenly Deports” US Citizen
On the other hand, what’s your point? That illegal immigration shouldn’t be cause for concern because the sheriff’s dept may have deported an American citizen?
I think you’re trying to say something, but that you can’t quite form your scattered thoughts into a coherent point. Try again and then get back to us.
CL (f6ecc4) — 6/12/2007 @ 8:45 pmI used to live one block from you, btw.
CL (f6ecc4) — 6/12/2007 @ 8:47 pmCongressman Kuhl has been in Washington for just one term, but he spent 24 years as a reliable workhorse for the GOP in the state legislature; for 10 of those years, he was assistant majority leader in the New York Senate. But his checkered personal life has called into question his capacity to be a leader of any kind. He was found guilty of driving while intoxicated in 1997, and his divorce records (in 2000) includes allegations by his wife that he abused her emotionally, refused to seek counseling for…
DWI Lawyer Hennepin County MN (1e56d7) — 4/15/2008 @ 3:53 am