BORDER PATROL AGENTS SLAM OPPONENTS OF ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW
By
NWV News writer Jim Kouri
Posted 1:00 AM Eastern
May 16, 2010
© 2009 NewsWithViews.com
While
the politicians
and activists in Washington, DC and throughout the nation condemn
the Arizona immigration enforcement law (SB1070), the news media has
failed to cover the reaction by the people who patrol U.S. borders on
a daily basis.
"We are receiving reports today that Eric
Holder and DOJ have signaled that they are likely to challenge SB1070.
If this development wasn't so sad, it would be funny," according
to the membership of the National Border Patrol Council Local 2544,
which represents U.S. Border Patrol agents in Tucson, Arizona.
While lamenting the disinterest in the Obama Administration for border
security and immigration enforcement, Local 2544 officials said,"Now,
[Attorney General Eric] Holder and DOJ [Department of Justice] apparently
have found resources to challenge SB1070. This is an obvious political
ploy, and Americans should be outraged if they actually go after a state
for trying to do something about the out-of-control illegal immigration
mess."
"How many times have Americans heard lawmakers, mayors, governors,
and immigration advocates when asked about Arizona enforcing immigration
law, claim that their police officers aren't authorized or trained to
enforce immigration laws?" asks a career law enforcement officer
from New York.
"Well, either these government leaders are too ignorant to to hold
office or they're out-and-out
lying to the American people," said former NYPD detective Sid
Franes.
The Immigration and Nationality Act includes section 287(g), added in
1996, that grants local and state jurisdictions the ability to enforce
immigration law with proper training and supervision by federal authorities.
In 2003, Alabama became the second state in the nation to participate
in the program by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the
Department of Homeland Security. Florida was the first state to participate,
in 2002, and later Arizona's Sheriff Joe Arpaio sent his deputies for
training.
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While many politicians claim their police officers are not allowed to enforce immigration laws, their excuse for ignoring illegal aliens is a canard. Too few police agencies are taking advantage of the training offered by ICE and DHS.
"Partnerships with our state and local law enforcement colleagues have always been essential to our fight against illegal immigration,” said Paul Kilcoyne, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's deputy director for investigations.
"This
innovative and cooperative effort allows our state troopers to become
force multipliers for America's border security mission. We always welcome
those who enter our country legally, but we won't stand idly by and
do nothing when we catch illegal aliens, some who have committed crimes
like armed robbery, rape and drug smuggling, in our state,” he
said.
The 287(g) program, one of ICE’s top partnership initiatives,
allows a state and local law enforcement entity to enter into a partnership
with ICE, under a joint Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), in order to receive
delegated authority for immigration enforcement within their jurisdictions.
The 287(g) program has emerged as one of the agency’s most successful
and popular partnership initiatives as more state and local leaders
have come to understand how a shared approach to immigration enforcement
can benefit their communities.
The 287(g) program allows a state and local law enforcement entity to enter into a partnership with ICE, under a joint Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), in order to receive delegated authority for immigration enforcement within their jurisdictions. The 287(g) program has emerged as one of the Agency's most successful and popular partnership initiatives as more state and local leaders have come to understand how a shared approach to immigration enforcement can benefit their communities.
The
287(g) program is one component of the ICE ACCESS (Agreements of Cooperation
in Communities to Enhance Safety and Security) program, which provides
local law enforcement agencies an opportunity to team with ICE to combat
specific challenges in their communities.
ICE developed the ACCESS program in response to the widespread interest
from local law enforcement agencies who have requested ICE assistance
through the 287(g) program, which trains local officers to enforce immigration
law as authorized through section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act.
Terrorism and criminal activity are most effectively combated through a multi-agency/multi-authority approach that encompasses federal, state and local resources, skills and expertise. State and local law enforcement play a critical role in protecting our homeland because they are often the first responders on the scene when there is an incident or attack against the United States. During the course of daily duties, they will often encounter foreign-born criminals and immigration violators who pose a threat to national security or public safety.
The cross-designation between ICE and state and local patrol officers, detectives, investigators and correctional officers allows these local and state officers necessary resources and latitude to pursue investigations relating to violent crimes, human smuggling, gang/organized crime activity, sexual-related offenses, narcotics smuggling and money laundering. In addition, participating entities are eligible for increased resources and support in more remote geographical locations.
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Officer Selection Requirements
Participating officers in the 287(g) program must meet the following requirements:
•
U.S. citizenship
• Current background investigation completed
• Minimum two years experience in current position
• No disciplinary actions pending
Training Requirements
ICE offers a 4-week training program now held at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) ICE Academy (ICEA) in Charleston, SC, conducted by certified instructors.
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