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July 28, 2010
Brewer Seeks Dismissal of Obama Challenge to Immigration Law
Governor Brewer is a national leader on illegal immigration and border security. She stood up and demanded a secure border and signed into law the toughest immigration policy in the country giving Arizona the power to do the job that the federal government refuses to do.
Brewer Seeks Dismissal of Obama Challenge to Immigration Law
Attorneys for Gov. Jan Brewer have asked a judge to throw out the U.S. Justice Department's challenge to the state of Arizona's new immigration law.
The governor's lawyers said Monday the federal government hasn't shown it has suffered actual harm from the law and instead bases its claim on speculation.
The federal government says the state law is trumped by federal law and that it has hurt U.S. relations with Mexico. It is scheduled to take effect Thursday.
Attorneys for Brewer say Mexico's disapproval of the law doesn't make it unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton is considering requests by the Justice Department, a Phoenix police officer and civil rights groups to put the law on hold.
The federal government meanwhile is rapidly expanding a program to identify illegal immigrants using fingerprints from arrests, drawing opposition from local authorities and advocates who argue the initiative amounts to an excessive dragnet.
The program has gotten less attention than Arizona's new immigration law, but it may end up having a bigger impact because of its potential to round up and deport so many immigrants nationwide.
Under the program, the fingerprints of everyone who is booked into jail for any crime are run against FBI criminal history records and Department of Homeland Security immigration records to determine who is in the country illegally and whether they've been arrested previously. Most jurisdictions are not included in the program, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been expanding the initiative.
Since everyone arrested would be screened, the program could easily deport more people than Arizona's new law, said Sunita Patel, an attorney who filed a lawsuit in New York against the federal government on behalf of a group worried about the program. Patel said that because illegal immigrants could be referred to ICE at the point of arrest, even before a conviction, the program can create an incentive for profiling and create a pipeline to deport more people.
"It has the potential to revolutionize immigration enforcement," said Patel.
Patel filed the lawsuit on behalf of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, which is concerned the program could soon come to New York. The lawsuit seeks, among other things, statistical information about who has been deported as a result of the program and what they were arrested for.
Supporters of the program argue it is helping identify dangerous criminals that would otherwise go undetected. Since Oct. 27, 2008 through the end of May, almost 2.6 million people have been screened with Secure Communities. Of those, almost 35,000 were identified as illegal immigrants previously arrested or convicted for the most serious crimes, including murder and rape, ICE said Thursday. More than 205,000 who were identified as illegal immigrants had arrest records for less serious crimes.
The second half of the article reports on the “Secure Communities” program which processes the fingerprints of all those arrested to identify illegal immigrants — between Oct 2008 and May 2010 over 2.6 million people were screened and this yielded 35,000 illegals previously arrested and/or convicted.
This finds the illegals who change their names and birthdates when arrested. This could deport more illegals than Arizona’s law, and the illegal advocates are in quite a snit. Worth reading
.
The Arizona State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police endorses and fully supports Jan Brewer for Governor of Arizona.
The Governor has been a consistent supporter of law enforcement during her 28 years in public service, in every elected post she has held. The Arizona FOP endorsement committee evaluated each gubernatorial candidate across a range of public safety issues and found Jan Brewer to be a true standout. During this past legislative session, for example, Gov. Brewer signed two bills that ranked among the Arizona FOP's highest priorities.
SB1325 greatly expanded the due process rights of law enforcement officers, including granting officers fair rights to representation in the event of an investigation and ensuring that officers are provided with the facts that are the basis of any complaints. SB 1124 improved the deferred retirement option plan for corrections officers and extended this valuable program through 2016.
Most important of all, Governor Brewer led the charge to pass Proposition 100, which protected law enforcement jobs across the state and prevented budget cuts that would have decimated the state Department of Public Safety. The Governor’s efforts directly resulted in Prop 100 being placed on the May 18th ballot and her leadership helped ensure its landslide victory with 64 percent of the vote statewide.
In sum, Jan Brewer gets it. Consistently, for nearly three decades, she has been a strong advocate for public safety, for keeping citizens, neighborhoods and the men and women working the front lines safe. Today, the Fraternal Order of Police – the largest law enforcement organization in the United States with more than 326,000 members – is proud to be there for her.
Fraternally,
John Ortolano, President
Fraternal Order of Police
Arizona State Lodge
.
Wild Thiing's comment.......
They sue Arizona for UPHOILDING U.S. law, but fail to sue ‘sanctuary cities’ for illegally circumventing U.S. law..
And their argument is that it ‘hurts US-MEXICO relations’
I love the way Gov. Brewer always goes right to the heart of the matter.
If our government fails to follow the law that protects us from an invasion by a foreign country, are we to lay down and say “Please protect us”. It has never happened that way and never will. Our Constitution puts the ball in their court and they have deliberately ignored it.
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at July 28, 2010 05:48 AM
Comments
This woman is taking it to the Feds in spades!
She's right and she knows it. The Fed's can't even win their case in the Courtr of Public Opinion.
I see that a group of my fellow Los Angelinos, who call themselves, "Activists and Union Members", are going to caravan to Phoenix, to protest.
Couple of things come to mind here. First their Lodging, Meals and Fuel costs have to benefit Arizona's economy. Now that's a real Boycott.
Secondly they are scheduled to arrive in Phoenix around 3PM. Temps at that time will be around 110. Most Phoenix residents will be inside, enjoying the air conditioning, while our brave band of protesters will be melting on the sidewalk.
Gotta say that will definitely have a measurable effect on the outcome.
Posted by: Sean at July 28, 2010 11:35 AM
That's a bogus argument. Enforcing the law hurts US-Mexican relations. Its our border and Mexico calling the shots. They are bringing drugs in by the ton wouldn't that hurt our relationship more than enforcing some Federal Law ?
Part of Arizona is now run by Mexican Drug Lords does this not hurt our relations with Mexico. There have been fire fights on the border and in the United States how does this lawlessness enhance the warm fuzzy feelings of the left.
They can't even make a good argument for their justification for the lawsuit.
No two ways about it its all about obama's agenda.
Posted by: Mark at July 28, 2010 11:41 AM
"..some have greatness thrust upon them." With her enemies Jan Brewer may make President.
Posted by: Avitar at July 28, 2010 12:10 PM
"Under the program, the fingerprints of everyone who is booked into jail for any crime are run against FBI criminal history records and Department of Homeland Security immigration records to determine who is in the country illegally and whether they've been arrested previously." Damn, don't we do this already? I honestly thought we did. If not, we damn well should!
Posted by: Anonymous at July 28, 2010 07:54 PM
