DHS' Morton: defends 287g program; defends Arpaio against claims of racial profiling

From this:

...During a large protest on Saturday in Phoenix that drew 10,000 people, immigrant-rights advocates called on the Department of Homeland Security to end (the 287g program), saying some Valley police officers are engaging in racial profiling by arresting Latinos for minor crimes in order to check their immigration status during the booking process.

But John Morton, the assistant secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (of the Department of Homeland Security), said that is "not in practice what we have seen in the program" known as 287 (g).

Furthermore, he said that while the agency places a priority on arresting illegal immigrants who commit serious crimes, it also cannot turn "a blind eye to people who are here unlawfully simply because they don't have a criminal record."

..."Sixty nine percent of the people we receive in Maricopa County have been convicted of Level 1 and Level 2 offenses, which are serious felony offenses, drug trafficking, assaults, rape," Morton said...

More than 90 percent of the cases presented to the U.S. Attorney in Arizona involving people who committed a felony crime of re-entering the U.S. after deportation from the Maricopa County jail, Morton added.

It was Morton who ended Arpaio's ability under 287g to perform proactive neighborhood sweeps, but he kept in place the jail checks under the same program.

Note also that the Department of Justice is currently conducting a witchhunt against Arpaio but, instead of trying to go after him for racial profiling, they've elected to try to go after him for abuse of powers unrelated to immigration enforcement.

Comments

Krikorian's take on this (from the corner, NRO): A bipartisan group of House members introduced an immigration resolution today that calls for mandatory E-Verify and finishing the fence, and rejects legalization for illegal aliens. The lead sponsors are Republicans Jason Chaffetz, an occasional guest here at the Corner, and Duncan Hunter (the younger), plus Blue Dog Democrats Frank Kratovil and Glenn Nye. In fact, of the 22 original sponsors, 10 are Democrats. This is fine as far as it goes, but if they'd also support getting rid of the egregious visa lottery and the brothers-and-sisters category, thereby cutting legal immigration by more than 100,000, we'd be taking a bigger first step in the right direction.

Sorry, the above comment pertains to the post about the anti-amnesty House bill.

This bill is a joke like DHS And the people in it. and you may as well call the so called Immigrant right advocates what that person is a Advocates for Mexico city and its drug dealers. Buy More Guns and keep your eyes opened.

SCOTT BROWN is a voice for the PEOPLE. He wants to enforce border security and says NO to Amnesty. He has a family and listens to his constituents...if he continues to do so he will be a great addition to the fight!

hope you are right Mary but keep your eyes on Brown he may not be what you think.

I think Brown is the real deal, altho I thought Lou Dobbs was too. Something fishy @ Dobbs turnariund-makes me think he's being threatened.

Mary keep your eyes opened and understand all political people are not what you think.