At an event in Grapevine, Texas ICE formally announced that 18 new 287(g) agreements had been signed throughout the state of Texas. This brings the total number of agreements to 60, almost double from the number of active agreements in 2016.
Today ICE said they are contemplating charging sanctuary city leaders with violating federal anti-smuggling laws for protecting illegal aliens and refusing to cooperate with federal immigration laws.
The House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee approved a 2018 spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security that includes funding to increase border security and strengthen interior enforcement. The spending bill would fund many of the top priorities listed in Pres. Trump’s Jan. 25 immigration executive orders.
A Maryland County is close to finalizing a 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that will allow corrections officers to use federal databases to screen new inmates for immigration violations, warrants and prior crimes. Anne Arundel County also wants to house illegal aliens for ICE at its correctional center.
Harford County, Maryland Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler signed a 287(g) federal/local partnership agreement that will allow his deputies to screen for illegal aliens in the county’s jail who have committed crimes that threaten public safety or who otherwise threaten national security. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) bureau had largely shelved the 287(g) Program in an effort to shield illegal aliens from deportation but the gambit also undermined the agency's policy of prioritizing criminal-alien deportations. The Harford County agreement is part of policy reversal meant to shore up the deportation of criminal aliens and save face.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to terminate the 287(g) Memorandum of Understanding that allowed ICE Agents to expedite the deportation of felonious illegal aliens from within county jails. However the Board authorized the County Sheriff to negotiate with ICE regarding when ICE agents can enter county jails and interview criminals who are suspected illegal aliens.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to renew its 287(g) program, a federal-state partnership that enables local police to send imprisoned illegal aliens to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) bureau for deportation. Supervisors Gloria Molina, Michael Antonovich and Don Knabe voted to retain the program while Mark Ridley-Thomas and Zev Yaroslavsky abstained.
During debate on the Department of Homeland Security’s appropriations bill, the House voted cut off funds for implementing Administration policies that shield most illegal aliens from the threat of deportation. The 224-201 vote on an amendment sponsored by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) could be a harbinger of the difficulties amnesty proponents face in the coming debate over immigration reform.
On Dec. 21 ICE Director John Morton announced a new policy that further limits the categories of illegal aliens targeted for deportation. Morton also said ICE will not renew any 287(g) program investigative agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, and announced fiscal year 2012 deportation numbers.
ICE has begun phasing out 287(g) agreements, which delegate federal authority for immigration enforcement to state and local police. ICE informed law enforcement agencies in 24 states that 287(g) agreements originally set to expire around September 30 would be extended for 90 days while “under review.” Other agreements with later expiration dates will continue, but ICE can decide to terminate those at any time.
The Obama Administration has rejected the application submitted by the Virginia State Police to join the Department of Homeland Security's 287(g) program. The program allows local law enforcement agents to be trained by federal immigration enforcement officials in order to help enforce federal laws at the state and local level. Earlier this week, the administration suspended all 287(g) agreements that DHS had with agencies in Arizona.
In light of yesterday's Supreme Court ruling, the Obama Administration has suspended the 287(g) program in Arizona. The 287(g) program is an official partnership between local law enforcement agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help enforce federal immigration laws at the local level. Federal officials said the program is no longer needed in Arizona now that the Court has upheld the section of the state's immigration-enforcement law requiring all police to check immigration status.
Rhode Island lawmakers are considering two E-Verify bills designed to prevent the hiring of illegal aliens in the state. The bills, introduced by Peter Palumbo (D-Dist. 16, Cranston), are scheduled for hearings held by the House Committee on Labor at the Statehouse tonight.
Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), along with other Immigration Reform Caucus members, requested that funds not be cut for border security programs and local law enforcement, according to a press release.
This past Thursday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security hosted a hearing with Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) John Morton about the FY2012 budget. The hearing was initially scheduled for February 17th, but was moved to accommodate Director Morton who had a scheduling conflict. Among the topics of discussion were prosecutorial discretion, the 287(g) program, Secure Communities, and sanctuary cities.
Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia is leading an effort to block proposed budget cuts in the 287(g) program that has helped local law enforcements officers identify more than 275,000 illegal immigrants in their custody, The Houston Chronicle reported.
The House Homeland Security Committee hosted a hearing Wednesday afternoon called “An Examination of the President's FY 2013 Budget Request for the Department of Homeland Security” with DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.The President's budget essentially cuts all 287(g) funding despite an overwhelming bipartisan vote in the House last year to keep the program. With little chance for the budget to pass, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle didn't put too much pressure on Sec. Napolitano, missing an opportunity to ask hard questions of the Administration and its efforts to curb illegal immigration.
Last week marked the end of the second quarter of the 112th Congress. While the first quarter was somewhat lethargic, the second quarter has proven to be very productive, even if some of the Freshman Members still require a remedial education. Indeed, some of these freshmen campaigned on strong “true reformer” immigration messages, yet have done nothing but make procedural/party-line votes and colorful excuses since joining the Congress.
Large and broad bi-partisan majorities of the U.S. House last night and today agreed to put significantly more money and oomph into key programs to reduce the illegal population of this country. These are just first steps that now have to get through the Senate. But we now have several roll call votes to know where all the Members of this new House stand on illegal immigration. READ HERE ABOUT ALL THE IMMIGRATION AMENDMENTS to the 2012 Department of Homeland Security spending bill . . . . .
The House overwhelmingly defeated an amendment to the 2012 Homeland Security spending bill offered by Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) that would have defunded the 287(g) program. The amendment was defeated 107-to-313.
An amendment to the 2012 Homeland Security spending bill offered by Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.) passed in the House on Thursday by a margin of 289-to-131. Rep. Cravaack's amendment ensures that no funds from the bill prevent the enforcement of existing federal law that requires the detention of illegal alien violent criminals awaiting deportation.
An amendment that increases spending for the administration of the 287(g) program passed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday by a 267-to-151 margin. The amendment was offered by Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.).
The House has wrapped up debate on amendments to the 2012 DHS spending bill. Call your House Rep. NOW at (202) 224-3121 and urge a YES vote on the CRAVAACK AMENDMENT. Rep. Cravaack's amendment ensures that funding from the DHS spending bill complies with current federal law requiring the detention of illegal aliens who have committed violent crimes.
To the Editor:
“No Exit From a Bad Program” (editorial, Feb. 28) claims that the Secure Communities program is problematic because it results in the arrest and deportation of illegal immigrants with little or no criminal record. Such a view is misguided and dangerous.
Secure Communities is the Department of Homeland Security’s comprehensive strategy to improve the identification and removal of criminal aliens from the United States.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to extend its 287(g) agreement with the federal government despite protests from pro-illegal alien supporters. The 287(g) program trains local law enforcement officials to help identify criminal illegal aliens and turn them over to federal immigration agents.
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has been negotiating with the federal government to deputize Virginia State Troopers as immigration enforcement agents. The Governor would like state troopers to have the training and ability to ask individuals who have been stopped or detained about their immigration status and plans on making an announcement in the near future.
Rep. Lamar Smith has had it with so-called experts lying about what federal law allows for local enforcement of immigration rules. In today's Washington Post, he takes to task the immigration chiefs of the past two Presidents (one Republican and one Democrat) who have joined others in distorting the purpose of the 287(g) local enforcement program, which is something of a model for the Arizona law that is scheduled to take effect later this week but is also tied up in federal court.
Things have been a little quiet around our Washington D.C. office this week. The Senate is out of session until next week, and even though the House is back, they’ve spent most of their time on retreats and planning the next six months before turning their attention to the mid-term elections. We at NumbersUSA used the downtime to begin preparing our website for a busy year.
Roy Beck defines the 287(g) program that allows local law enforcement to team up with federal immigration enforcement officials. He details the success of the program and explains the original intent of the lawmakers who created the program.
Fifty-four Members of Congress signed a letter to Pres. Barack Obama expressing their support for the 287(g) program. The letter comes days after the Obama administration implemented limits on state and local law enforcement agencies who participate in the 287(g) program.
A new survey conducted by Rasmussen Reports reveals that 56% of Americans say that federal immigration policies encourage illegal immigration, and 64% believe that local law enforcement should conduct raids in places where illegal aliens gather to find work. Only 19% opposed the raids compared to 24% who opposed such raids back in April.
DA King, president of the Dustin Inman Society in Georgia, is encouraging local law enforcement to continue partnerships with the Department of Homeland Security despite the department's recent effort to weaken the program. DHS announced a few months ago that they were restructuring all active contracts, which as a result, would take some enforcement powers away from local police.
Responding to reports that the Department of Homeland Security plans to end its 287(g) agreement with Maricopa County in Arizona, Representatives Lamar Smith and Trent Franks are showing their support for the county.
Arizona's Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is subpoenaing financial data from ACORN saying that the group has used federal funds to campaign against his immigration enforcement efforts. He says the money was supposed to be used for housing and social services.
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) had a letter published in the Wall Street Journal criticizing the Obama Administration's decision to weaken the 287(g) program after the paper published a story about the decision on July 11.
The 287(g) program was intended to join local law enforcement with federal immigration officials to enforce laws at the local level. The program has been successful and has gained momentum in recent years, but the Obama Administration is revamping its contracts with local law officials, which significantly weakens the purpose of 287(g).
