DHS halting immigration raids pending policy change; may "go after employers" instead

About a month ago, Janet Napolitano of the Department of Homeland Security - someone who was sold as tough on illegal immigration despite that not being true - went through the roof after an immigration raid was conducted that she hadn't been informed of. Now, there's partial confirmation that Napolitano has in fact ordered a halt to such workplace enforcement pending review. Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post offers "DHS Signals Policy Changes Ahead for Immigration Raids" (link):

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has delayed a series of proposed immigration raids and other enforcement actions at U.S. workplaces in recent weeks, asking agents in her department to apply more scrutiny to the selection and investigation of targets as well as the timing of raids, federal officials said.

A senior department official said the delays signal a pending change in whom agents at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement choose to prosecute -- increasing the focus on businesses and executives instead of ordinary workers.

Napolitano will apparently issue new rules this week. Hsu goes on to present the illegal immigration-supporting side of the raids, including mentioning Luis Gutierrez's recent tour and some of Nancy Pelosi's recent remarks. While he does include her statement that raids aren't "the American way", he doesn't mention that she also called them "un-American".

About the only hopeful thing in the article is this:

But Obama also faces pressure from conservative lawmakers and many centrist Democrats, who say that workplace enforcement is needed to reduce the supply of jobs that attract illegal immigrants, and that any retreat in defending American jobs in a recession could ignite a populist backlash.

Frankly, there isn't that much chance of such a backlash. Based on personal experience, the only people willing to do anything beyond making a few phone calls do things that are mostly ineffective, such as street protests. The most effective way to undercut both the Obama administration and the mainstream media is to ask politicians tough questions to their face on video, and two years of trying has resulted in no one else being able to figure that out or being willing to do anything.

Sun, 03/29/2009 - 12:01 · · Importance: 4