ICE: Enforcement, then compassion

The ICE roundup of 680 suspected illegals in Mississippi got quite a bit of play, as expected.

Family members watch illegals taken away (Jackson Free Press)

When it broke I happened to be watching Shepard Smith on Fox News, who practically came to tears as he described people being “rounded up” and a teenager crying as a parent was put in a bus and driven away. Smith never mentioned they were arrested for breaking the law, he made it seem arbitrary. CNN coverage also focused on the human element rather than the law enforcement aspect.

Since they didn’t, I will. Nation of laws, remember? 

It is unlawful to enter the United States without permission. Doing so makes you a candidate for removal, which is called deportation (but I prefer repatriation). 

If you take a job while you are here illegally, you are breaking another law.

To get the job you must show ID proving you are legal to work. Falsifying that document is yet another crime committed.

 So how many laws are you entitled to break without being punished?

As the AP story says, the last president to employ mass raids was George W. Bush, who deported fewer people than Barack Obama, who preferred low visibility operations.

Those rounded up in Mississippi were processed — tears of teenagers notwithstanding, no one is being deported now — and most likely will be released to await the hearing they will get before possible deportation. You can bet they will have volunteer lawyers.

Interviews with neighbors of those snatched up indicate many of the illegals have been here for a long time — 10, 15, 20 years. Most of them have committed no crimes, other than those around illegal entry and employment fraud.

What do we do now?

My feeling is there should be a statute of limitations on illegal entry, as there is with more serious crimes, even assault and rape.

If those crimes can be time-limited, so can this one, but I am not talking about amnesty. The illegals would have to come forward, pay any required fines and taxes, formally apologize, learn English and avoid run-ins with law enforcement. 

They would get legal status, but not citizenship, because there has to be a price for illegal behavior.

This satisfies U.S. law, is compassionate to the law-breakers — and gets them back to work before the chicken plants go broke. 

15 thoughts on “ICE: Enforcement, then compassion”

  1. Atta boy, Stu, let’s go for open borders. Elizabeth, Bernie, and a host of others say it’s OK. No problem.

    Oops! Did I say “open borders?” I mean to say “open compassion!” Damn the torpedoes, err, laws, and full speed ahead on “full admittance.” Come on up – the weather’s fine up here!

    Obviously I’m out of my mind here. But is that any worse than what I’ve been hearing in the recent democratic debates? Notice I spelled “democratic” with a small “c”. That group currently doesn’t deserve the respect of a capital “c”.

    1. If you think I am advocating Open Borders, you must be new, pardner.
      HOWEVER, the vast majority of Americans do NOT want mass deportations. It would be almost impossible, so we need another way to handle them. I have proposed such a way. You are not obliged to accept it.

      1. Nah – you misunderstood my brand of sarcasm. It’s funny – because I understand yours when you use it . I should have added at the end of my comment, “sarcasm intended.” It was not meant toward your view, but rather in general to what we are hearing out there in our nearly one-sided land of journalism. Yours IS the fresh breath – which is probably why you’re not at the Inqy anymore.

  2. What I’d liked best about your columns in The Daily News was the light cynicism . Never sure what you really thought.
    My thoughts on this story is who are the owners of the factory? Will we see them on the news being taken out handcuffed, what laws did they break?,
    Again I hope that you are enjoying your retirement.

      1. I tried to send you a link to the story that plant was fined 3.75 million dollars by the EEOC and this raid was reputation from workers organizing

  3. This will never be accepted by the liberal left because it makes too much sense. God forbid if you tell these illegal immigrants they did anything illegal. Common sense will never be considered a strength of the Democrats.

  4. What astonished me was the People’s Democrat Party debate when the panelist asked the 10 or 15 (I have no idea how many were running at that time), “Which of you as president would approve medical coverage for undocumented aliens?” or words to that effect. EVERY Democrat raised his hand. Just think: you and I will be taxed so as to provide free medical coverage for lawbreakers. Stu, you got it right: these people are lawbreakers and should be treated as such.

  5. Stu, I have read that the assumption there could be no path to citizenship doesn’t work. The Constitution would not allow us to say you can stay with legal status but not have the ability to become a citizen.Two tier system isn’t in the Constitution. I forget who pointed that out to me. Those who commit crimes, bring in drugs, are involved in human trafficking of all kinds, should be prosecuted and not allowed to return. But strange how they manage to get back in the border a number of times as I read the paper. I can’t overstay my days in Europe. I have to abide by their entry and exits laws, I expect the same from my government for points of entry in the US. I believe the Congress has refused to make laws and provide money for border security. This is where the problem is. If we have legal immigrants who can provide for their own welfare with jobs needed, then they need to come in the legal way. I know many immigrants who have waited their turn to come here. We need the border workers and judges who can work the asylum cases that are legit. I read about children who have no DNA with the people supposedly their parents.This is not right. People have to have the proper medical vaccinations, etc. We have to keep track of them. When our church sponsored Viet Namese and Cambodians, they were checked for TB, had to take medication to clear their bodies of the TB. It is a medical issue to have people with proper documentation. We do not have control of our southern border. It is in the hands of the Congress to make the laws and provide the funding that is sought for.

    1. I don’t know the law on this, but I know foreigners can spend their lives here without becoming citizens. I know of no RIGHT to citizenship.

  6. The owners and management of the company should have been taken out in handcuffs also. If they don’t hire they don’t enter illegally.

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