Elizabeth Warren is a minor leftwing idol who's vying for Scott Brown's Massachusetts senate seat. She's presented by her supporters (in and out of the media) as the great protector of the middle class.

If so, why is she taking a corrupt position that would harm the middle class while helping the rich?

Because, Warren opposes the Secure Communities immigration enforcement program. It's described by the Department of Homeland Security at ice.gov/secure_communities:

For decades, local jurisdictions have shared the fingerprints of individuals who are booked into jails with the FBI to see if they have a criminal record. Under Secure Communities, the FBI automatically sends the fingerprints to ICE to check against its immigration databases. If these checks reveal that an individual is unlawfully present in the United States or otherwise removable due to a criminal conviction, ICE takes enforcement action – prioritizing the removal of individuals who present the most significant threats to public safety as determined by the severity of their crime, their criminal history, and other factors – as well as those who have repeatedly violated immigration laws... Secure Communities imposes no new or additional requirements on state and local law enforcement, and the federal government, not the state or local law enforcement agency, determines what immigration enforcement action, if any, is appropriate... Only federal DHS officers make immigration enforcement decisions, and they do so only after an individual is arrested for a criminal violation of state law, separate and apart from any violations of immigration law.

Who could oppose that? Well, Elizabeth Warren for one. And, also far-left illegal immigration-supporting groups like the National Council of La Raza as well as Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick.

While Warren fans are welcome to stick their heads in the sand, the reason Patrick, the NCLR, and the rest oppose Secure Communities is because they want to obtain political power, even if they enable illegal activity in order to get that power. Illegal aliens as a group confer political power, and if they're legalized they're no doubt going to remember who helped them stay here. And, some of their family members (or they themselves) might already be voting for Patrick and other corrupt Democrats.

Warren's position also serves the interests of corrupt businesses who want a ready supply of cheap labor, as well as banks who want to profit by taking deposits from illegal aliens or sending their money home (see immigration banks and remittances). Why would the advisor to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau take steps to help banks profit from illegal activity?

Her position also serves the interests of those in the "Nanny Employing Class" who, like corrupt businesses, want a ready supply of household labor.

At the same time, her position harms those who have to foot the bill: the lower end of the middle class and the lower class who have to deal with increased numbers of crimes, increased traffic, lowered school standards and - with millions of Americans unemployed - increased competition for jobs.

So, what does Warren say about Secure Communities?

"I think there's a real question about whether or not this bill really makes communities more secure... If people feel like they can't go to the police ... that doesn't make us more secure. I think we really have to think much harder about the ways to make American communities more secure."

It's not a bill, it's an existing government program. And, see the DHS quote above: it only applies to illegal aliens after they've been arrested for some other crime.

Meanwhile, Scott Brown supports Secure Communities [1], and the GOP Leader in the Massachusetts House is using Warren's position against her and pointing out that even Janet Napolitano supports the program. [2]

Ask yourself: what would Warren do if she wanted to help the middle class? Why does obtaining political power even if means enabling corrupt banks and businesses seem to be a higher priority for her?

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[1] See Brown's September 14, 2011 letter to Deval Patrick entitled 'Brown To Patrick: Massachusetts Needs "Full & Immediate" Participation In "Secure Communities"'. It's currently at gopgroton.com/news.html?start=4 but that's not a permalink:

I write to you today to express my support for the Secure Communities program and to urge full and immediate Massachusetts participation in the program to help combat the very serious problem posed by illegal immigration.

During a Senate Homeland Security committee hearing yesterday, President Obama's Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, described Secure Communities as "A key tool in our immigration enforcement efforts to identify those in the country illegally who are also committing other crimes, are fugitives from existing warrants, are multiple illegal entrants or security concerns."

I agree with Secretary Napolitano and believe that Secure Communities plays an important role in keeping America safe.

Recently, three tragic deaths at the hands of illegal immigrants in Brockton and Milford have highlighted the clear need to address this very serious problem. In both cases, the perpetrators were in the country illegally and had amassed violent criminal histories.

Had the Secure Communities program been in place, it is possible that law enforcement would have been able to identify and remove them from the country before they tragically took three lives.

In her testimony, Secretary Napolitano expressed her willingness to work with states in order to address any of their concerns. I urge you to work with the Obama administration and the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to address your concerns so that Massachusetts may fully participate in this program as soon as possible.

I welcome immigrants who come to this country legally. But we are also a nation of laws and those laws need to be observed. Secure Communities is an essential tool to assist immigration authorities in enforcing the law.

[2] From the page above:

Today, Massachusetts House Republican Leader Brad Jones blasted Harvard Professor Elizabeth Warren for her opposition to the "Secure Communities" Act, which is designed to crack down on illegal immigration.

"It's amazing to me that on the day she was announcing her candidacy that Elizabeth Warren would side with illegal immigrants who are committing crimes against American citizens. The Secure Communities Act is a critically important program that could help save lives. Her disdain for public safety demonstrates that Professor Warren is far out-of-step with mainstream Massachusetts voters who want to keep our residents safe. As Professor Warren leaves Cambridge and the insular world of academia and gets a taste of the real world this week, I encourage voters to speak with her about the ongoing problem of illegal immigration and ask her why she doesn't support a plan that even the Obama administration calls common-sense."

This week, President Obama's Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, described Secure Communities as "a key tool in our immigration enforcement efforts to identify those in the country illegally."