Sun Editorial:

The usual suspects

Congress should make sure immigration officials back off Bush era round-’em-up policy

Monday, June 22, 2009 | 2:04 a.m.

Two weeks before Christmas 2006, more than 1,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided six Swift & Co. meatpacking plants across the country. The agency had arrest warrants for 133 people who were accused of identity theft. They made up a tiny fraction of Swift’s 12,000-person workforce.

However, instead of going into the plants and individually making arrests, agents shut the plants down. They corralled all of the workers, searched them and questioned them. Employees, most of them U.S. citizens and legal immigrants, were denied food, water and the use of a restroom for as many as eight hours. Several citizens who were never charged with a crime sat in handcuffs for long periods.

Agents arrested more than 1,200 people for alleged immigration violations. Bush administration officials called the raid, the largest by ICE, a success.

To the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which represents many of the workers, the Swift raid is an example of what is wrong with immigration enforcement in the United States. The union convened a panel to study immigration enforcement, looking not only at the Swift raid but also at several other federal raids. In a report released last week, the panel, which included Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, blasted ICE’s tactics.

University of California law professor Bill Ong Hing, who was part of group that wrote the report, told the San Francisco Chronicle he was “totally shocked by the level of abuse” in the raids.

“ICE showed up with guns drawn and no warrants,” he said. “We saw deprivation of prescription drugs, separation of newborns from nursing mothers.”

The Bush administration wanted to send a message to employers and workers with its dramatic dragnets, but in its rush to expel illegal immigrants, the administration trampled Americans’ constitutional rights.

That was par for the course with the Bush administration. President Barack Obama’s administration has promised a welcome change in immigration policy. It should make sure that ICE respects not only the Constitution, but also basic human rights.

Discussion: 14 comments so far…

By fremmasmind

6/22/09 at 3:42 a.m.

Suggest removal

So, does basic human rights also include that illegal aliens are permitted to work construction and in the gaming industry without the fear of being taken into custody and deported? Is it a basic human right for an american citizen to be out of work and out of a home knowing that illegal immigrants are working and have a place to lay their heads at night? Is it a basic human right when a concearned citizen calls ICE and tells them anonomously of where illegals are working in our city and ICE tells the concerned citizen that they must fill out a report and send it to their office and that it may take up to 6 months for them to be able to do anything?
Things may have to change to protect the rights of american citizens, however things must change to rid our country of the undocumented workers taking the work away from the citizens who want and need to work.
To much talk and not enough action.
By StokeyBob

6/22/09 at 5:37 a.m.

Suggest removal

I think they should uphold the rule of law and govern by the rules set forth by the United States Constitution, as they swore they would with their oaths of office.

Back in the sixties the government came into the schools and brainwashed us with the idea we needed to control the population because it was rising so fast. They said the roads would become crowded and we would run out of things like water.

They unleashed abortions, birth control pills, and other forms of Family Planning.

To allow the country to be over run with the criminals in businesses illegal labor while the criminals in the government aid and abet the invasion is a travesty against mankind.

They have seen to it our children were killed to control the population at the same time allowing the world to export their population problems here.

What about our sacrifices, many made against our will?

P.S. We still haven't recovered from the last time the criminals in business were allowed to bring in their slaves.
By StokeyBob

6/22/09 at 5:37 a.m.

Suggest removal

Did you ever wonder where the money for things like the subversion of the world's immigration laws may come from?

It seems to me as long as we allow people to print up fiat money there will be no place in the world where freedom can flourish.

If the Globalist oppose your efforts, paid for with real hard earned money, all they have to do is fire up the presses and shovel the money to any group that will oppose you.

Not only that but it seems they do it in such a way that the money to achieve THEIR goals is borrowed from them. Then we pay interest to a group outside of our country, like the Federal Reserve, on the creation and borrowing of OUR OWN fiat money.

IN ESSENCE THEY BEAT US WITH OUR OWN STICK!
By Future

6/22/09 at 6:20 a.m.

Suggest removal

"The agency had arrest warrants for 133 people who were accused of identity theft.....Agents arrested more than 1,200 people for alleged immigration violations."

And that WAS a good thing.

But why has Eric Holder stopped enforcement of the capture of illegal immigrants in the workplace?

It is the Law.

Why is Eric Holder requiring a do-over of his Justice Department's "Opinion" on the D.C. Voting bill? Because he did not like the result

Why is Eric Holder working with Harry Reid to fire the Nevada U.S. Attorney General

Why did Holder stop the enforcement of the marijuana possession law?

Why has Eric Holder made a decision to move the Gitmo detainees to Washington DC?

Why is Eric Holder prosecuting the Blackwater guards in the 2007 Baghdad shootings when the FBI forensics cannot match up any of the bullets or the sound recordings?

Why did Eric Holder stop the enforcement of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act.
By enteaser

6/22/09 at 6:28 a.m.

Suggest removal

You know I'm all for freedom of the press, in fact the constitution guarantees it. But freedom of the press doesn't mean that you can print lies and falsehoods! For instance, the last two paragraphs of this editorial...

"The Bush administration wanted to send a message to employers and workers with its dramatic dragnets, but in its rush to expel illegal immigrants, the administration trampled Americans' constitutional rights.

That was par for the course with the Bush administration. President Barack Obama's administration has promised a welcome change in immigration policy. It should make sure that ICE respects not only the Constitution, but also basic human rights."

...if the immigrants were illegal, as your article itself states, then they were not Americans and thus had no constitutional rights! DUH!

And since the Bush administration did NOT trample any Americans' constitutional rights in this case, then your saying...
"That was par for the course with the Bush administration."

...is actually a compliment for the Bush administration. Don't you just hate it when you inadvertently do that? LOL
By KillerB

6/22/09 at 8:28 a.m.

Suggest removal

"Things may have to change to protect the rights of american citizens, however things must change to rid our country of the undocumented workers..."

Are you really that ignorant, fremmasmind?? For you it's just fine to shred the Bill of Rights in the name of rounding up "undocumented" workers. You can moo along with the rest of the herd. I for one reject the police state we are becoming and will always resist it however I can.

What we saw here was execution of what the feds are becoming -- a writ of assistance, exactly what our founding fathers fought against. Warrantless searches are fishing expeditions looking for evidence of crimes and turning ordinary people into criminals. The Imperial Bush Regime set the tone for exactly this. The real criminals are masquerading as police and their masters. And the masters are no longer We the People.
By mred

6/22/09 at 9:20 a.m.

Suggest removal

Japan has very little immigration or population growth, it has not hurt their economy, although they are being hit by the global economic downturn. If population growth was the key to a coutry's success, then India, China and Indonesia would have the world's highest standard of living.

The "right to life conspiracy" about the population bomb theories, birth control and abortion producing fewer people, who needed to be made up for by mass third world immigration does not cut it. What would have hapened without the "cheap labor" immigration is what happened in Japan (which has the advantage of being an island) is that more job duties would have been automated and made more efficient by robotics and other technology.

The high end "cheap labor" technology specialists reduced the number of Americans that wanted to go into science and engineering. Why compete with a programmer that will come from India and work for $40k a year, when an law degree or MBA will bring in $75 to $100k to start in many cases?

The notion that Bush was tough on immigration is completely bogus, remember the "family values don't stop at the border" routine? Plus pushing the failed immigration bill. There are probably too many "blue dog" democrats to get immigration overhauled in the short term, particularly with the high unemployment.
By Casca

6/22/09 at 10:56 a.m.

Suggest removal

AMERICANS BETTER WAKE UP ?

Americans and legal residents cannot afford to sit back any more, otherwise the corruption in Washington will sink the United States way of life, our culture and language. The majority of American citizens and green card holders, believe in the Rule of law and the US constitution. Over the past administrations immigration laws have been weakened or even killed, to satisfy the ravenous hunger of the Globalists, anti-sovereignty, open border free trading consortium, who care only for profit from cheap labor. Their nefarious agenda is the free movement of cheap labor through our undermanned borders of Canada, US and Mexico. Unless we stop another Path to citizenship now--BETTER KNOWN AS BLANKET AMNESTY, within 40 years our country will be OVERPOPULATED. It has already started? Just observe the overcrowded schools, where it is hard to believe that an American flag sit on the roofs in our communities?

Say--YES--to e-verify! It will empty the workplace of illegal immigrants stealing jobs. Mistakes can be resolved at the Social Security office, where illegal workers would not dare to go.

DEMAND E-VERIFY FROM YOUR INDIFFERENT SENATORS. JUST AS WE VOTED THEM IN--THEY CAN BE THROWN OUT. STOP ANOTHER 20 million plus illegal family Blanket AMNESTY before it's too late? REMEMBER MILLIONS MORE WILL RUSH OUR BORDER, ONCE THE WORD GOES OUT OF AMNESTY.

A resounding--NO--to any AMNESTY. Outside of this--NOTHING WILL HAPPEN--EXCEPT ANOTHER PRE-ARRANGED AMNESTY, THAT TAXPAYERS WILL GET THE BILL FOR IN INFINITY IF WE DON'T SPEAK UP? READ ABOUT THE IRREVERSIBLE OVERPOPULATION NIGHTMARE. Digest more of the facts and unbiased truth at NUMBERSUSA, JUDICIALWATCH,CAPSWEB, ALIPAC, AMERICANPATROL. Find out undisclosed news and the numbers of illegal aliens in the penal system at THEDARKSIDEOFILLEGALIMMIGRATION & ILLEGALIMMIGRATIONDAILY. This is information you need to understand remains hidden by the liberal national press and the Congress.
By indythinker

6/22/09 at 11:47 a.m.

Suggest removal

Welcome to Azlan!
By GunslingerA10

6/22/09 at 12:05 p.m.

Suggest removal

How simple it was in 1950, why can't we just do it again, this time go after all the "catch and release" illegals, there are a lot of visa over-stayers that come to America via the seaports or airports from Europe.

Yester-year was a very simple time; today educated Hispanic-Americans will not stand for that sort of bigotry, to indiscriminately arrest and deport legal citizens because of their ancestry or appearances.

I recommend a new paradigm for citizenship or legal rights to stay and live in America.

1. Citizenship can only be granted to a person who serves in the US Armed Forces, no other form of government service will fulfill the qualification.
2. For every year served one person will be allowed citizenship, or a selection of their choosing (20 years service equals them self (1) and nineteen (19) people: Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Grandparents, or anyone they choose for the honor of citizenship).
3. A US Armed Service member will be entitled to exchange any amount of citizenships awarded for remuneration, for no less than One Million US Dollars, cash, or hard currency of any metal in said amount.
4. Citizenship can only be granted to a service-person and their heirs for two (2) generations- thereafter citizenship will expire.
5. All citizens are authorized two (2) servants who must be allowed by the citizen to be in the USA.
6. Any citizen found to employ more than their allotted (2) servants will loose their citizenship.
7. This law will be forthwith binding and grandfathered one (1) generation to the anterior.
8. All people without dully awarded or otherwise authorized citizenship will be removed immediately from America at their expense.
By castle

6/22/09 at 4:40 p.m.

Suggest removal

Not completely a bad or unworkable idea. Be sure to include "universal service" in this which is that everyone (male, female, old, young,crippled,crazy) is included.

If you think that ourelected representatives will allow themselves or their family to be in this you might be part of the crazy bunch.
By smaction

6/22/09 at 5:25 p.m.

Suggest removal

The only thing dumber than this editorial are the comments in response. Why are immigration laws not enforced? Because big business wants cheap labor and big business controls both parties.

Here is a novel idea use your comments to make the debate useful, not a contest for who can make the most outlandish blog post.
By geenab65

6/22/09 at 6:42 p.m.

Suggest removal

smaction, I like your style!! You gots a good head on your shoulders.
By sandy99

6/22/09 at 7:46 p.m.

Suggest removal

What the Republicans did not need was Tom Tancredo and his ilk fanning flames in 2007-8. It sunk them. Obviously there is an illegal immigration problem (I don't write crisis, because it is not). It became a wedge issue to exploit and ended up being a mobilizing force for Hispanic voters. As much as I disliked the Bush Administration, and believe me I did, I always thought he was sincere when it came to Mexican immigration. Maybe it was a Rove ploy for votes, but it always came off real to me. Pedal soft, here, Republicans -- if you don't it is at your own political peril. There are only so many far right voters who will get you elected.