ICE Chief: We May Not Do Our Job (Updated)
[Guest post by DRJ]
From the Chicago Tribune via Allahpundit, ICE may not do the job Americans want them to do:
“Echoing comments by President Barack Obama and others in the administration, Morton said that Arizona’s new law targeting illegal immigration is not “good government.” The law makes it a crime to be in the state illegally and requires police to check suspects for immigration paperwork.
Morton said his agency will not necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona officials. The best way to reduce illegal immigration is through a comprehensive federal approach, not a patchwork of state laws, he said.
“I don’t think the Arizona law, or laws like it, are the solution,” Morton said.”
President Obama has put Cartman in charge of immigration.
— DRJ
UPDATE — Charles Krauthammer calls the Obama Administration lawless and compares them to the Southern States during the Civil Rights era:
Who elected John Morton to decide what laws constitute good government and are worthy of enforcement and which ones he can ignore?
Is that part of his job description?
ropelight (b919b6) — 5/21/2010 @ 3:10 pmSo who would have standing to sue him and the administration?
Stashiu3 (44da70) — 5/21/2010 @ 3:13 pmKeep it up, clowns, November is coming.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/21/2010 @ 3:23 pmThe continued lefty asshattery of this administration is absolutely breathtaking. First they won’t do their jobs, then they criticize the AZ law while claiming that they haven’t read the law yet, then the President of Mexico is allowed to lecture us on our own laws, now this. They don’t seem to realize that all of these hundreds of unforced errors are culminating in a groudswell of outrage – or perhaps they do after all.
Dmac (3d61d9) — 5/21/2010 @ 3:47 pmWould a writ of mandamus work in this case?
agesilaus (68323d) — 5/21/2010 @ 4:06 pmHow about a 2X4 instead.
GeneralMalaise (8f3781) — 5/21/2010 @ 4:08 pmNye County NV had a dispute with the Forest Service 20-years ago over a road that had existed on maps for over a hundred years that the FS unilaterly closed because it encroached on “Wilderness Area”.
AD - RtR/OS! (9200e9) — 5/21/2010 @ 4:19 pmThe Co.Supes ordered the barriers taken down, and when the FS showed up to re-instate the the closure, they were arrested, transported to Tonopah, and booked and jailed awaiting court appearance.
It got the attention of several layers of the Clinton Administration.
Perhaps AZ needs to do something similar? Joe Arpaio probably is available?
3.Keep it up, clowns, November is coming.
Comment by SPQR
So the majority of Americans have long known that there is no intent to do anything about the border. AZ tries to do something, gets put down, and the public becomes more outraged over the lack of enforcement.
So now the feds say they will not enforce US law just for spite.
Hopefully AZ will keep a nice list of all of the illegal violent offenders who not only should never had been here in the first place, but deportation by the feds has been denied. Yep, I say I’m all in favor of that policy for the next 5 months.
I just hope the country can overcome all of the campaign lies, suppression of truth by the media, and attempts to steal elections.
MD in Philly (cb8efe) — 5/21/2010 @ 4:43 pmIf just one person dies at the hand of someone here illegally that ICE refused to deport, this clown should be indicted as an accessory before the fact, or anything else that would fit.
AD - RtR/OS! (9200e9) — 5/21/2010 @ 5:16 pmHe should be both criminally and civilly liable for his inaction.
I updated the post.
DRJ (d43dcd) — 5/21/2010 @ 5:45 pmForgive me, I was under the impression that federal law enforcement officials, such as Mr. Morton, take an oath upon assuming office to actually uphold the laws of the United States. Perhaps this new approach is additional evidence of the “change” voters didn’t bargain for.
navyvet (206534) — 5/21/2010 @ 6:39 pmObama gets further and further out on a limb he has created for himself. This may not end well.
Mike K (82f374) — 5/21/2010 @ 6:48 pmHe’ll go as far as the men who pull his strings let him, Mike K.
GeneralMalaise (8f3781) — 5/21/2010 @ 7:08 pmThis isn’t necessarily a slam at Arizona. There’s no reason to assume that ICE will necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by any of the other 49 states, either.
Joshua (66eef0) — 5/21/2010 @ 7:14 pmTrue, Joshua, ICE doesn’t do much elsewhere either, as past Patterico posts on “illegal criminals” demonstrates,
and as navyvet points out, these folks take an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the land,
It would seem you couldn’t get more foundational than to maintain secure borders. Hopefully he will get fired in 2 years and have a sane Congree to work against in only 6 months.
MD in Philly (cb8efe) — 5/21/2010 @ 7:46 pmIn the panel discussion on Fox’ Special Report, the considered opinion is that because this was a Friday, the reaction has been muted – though Jeff Sessions (R-AL) was not impressed – and that when the Members return on Monday & Tuesday, the fit may hit the shan over Director Morton’s flip remark.
AD - RtR/OS! (9200e9) — 5/21/2010 @ 8:10 pmI believe they also mentioned that NY City police don’t even bother calling ICE to come get illegals that have been arrested and are being held at Riker’s Island. They never bother to respond before the time limit for the release is up and it is just a waste of time, effort and money. Note that these are people who have been arrested for some criminal matter (otherwise they would not be at Riker’s) in a city which is the worlds primary target for international terrorism.
Have Blue (854a6e) — 5/21/2010 @ 8:14 pmWhat the f*** does this guy think he is, anyway? a “concientious objector”?
How about, “Do your job, or else you’re fired — assclown!”
Icy Texan (1fcf2d) — 5/22/2010 @ 4:13 amIsn’t criminal deportation full of hearings and other roadblocks to speedy removal?
I can see ACLU red tape making the process so cumbersome and expensive that ICE would only be able to handle a fraction of the cases.
Another question I’d have is how long an immigration hold can run before you have to release the alien.
Steve G (7d4c78) — 5/22/2010 @ 12:46 pmIt’s sort of a no bail deal right?
But if ICE doesn’t show up, is the state obligated to release a felon onto their streets, or do they have the option of deportation
Federal law requires ICE to process illegals sent to them by state and local law enforcement. I guess Morton has not heard of a writ of mandamus? The is also the nuclear option – take them to the border and throw them across.
ParatrooperJJ (8a6914) — 5/24/2010 @ 11:51 am