Weekly Immigration Reform Report, from the Federation for American Immigration Reform
- ICE Enforcement ‘Raids’ Remove Only 121 Illegal Aliens
- Obama Administration Using More Military Bases to House UACs
- ICYMI: FAIR Released 2015 Congressional Voting Report
- New Philadelphia Mayor Changes Track, Issues Citywide Sanctuary Directive
ICE Enforcement ‘Raids’ Remove Only 121 Illegal Aliens
Responding to criticism over the handling of the surge of unaccompanied alien minors (UACs) and family units from Central America since 2014, the Obama administration announced over the holidays that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would begin “large-scale” deportation raids. (See The Hill, Dec. 24, 2015) According to an anonymous official, the raids target illegal alien adults and children who have already had their asylum claims denied and have been ordered removed from the country. (Washington Post, Dec. 23, 2015) However, the ICE raids—which took place in Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas—led to the arrest of only 121 illegal aliens who are now in removal proceedings. (The Hill, Jan. 4, 2016) Although the Obama administration detained only 121 of the more than 100,000 Central American UACs and family units that have unlawfully crossed the border the past couple of years, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson defended the effort. “As I have said repeatedly, our borders are not open to illegal migration; if you come here illegally, we will send you back consistent with our laws and values,” Johnson insisted. (Johnson Press Release, Jan. 4, 2016) He continued, “I have said publicly for months that individuals who constitute enforcement priorities, including families and unaccompanied children, will be removed.” (Id.) The enforcement priorities Johnson referenced was part of President Obama’s November 2014 executive actions on immigration. (FAIR Legislative Update, Nov. 24, 2014) Under the new enforcement priorities, which replaced the Morton Memos, the Obama administration established an even narrower category of illegal aliens it will enforce the law against, including recent border crossers. (Id.) Despite the small number of illegal aliens captured during the “raids,” amnesty advocates blasted the Obama administration for this minimal effort to enforce the law. “The raids by the Obama administration on families from Central America must stop. They are a cruel reminder of a discredited policy,” complained [mc_name name=”Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)” chamber=”house” mcid=”G000535″ ]. (The Hill, Jan. 5, 2016) Remarkably, amnesty-supporting religious groups have gone so far as to announce that they will house the Central American illegal aliens to shield them from ICE. (See Washington Post, Jan. 6, 2016)Obama Administration Using More Military Bases to House UACs
As unaccompanied alien minors (UACs) from Central America continue to surge across the border unlawfully, the Obama administration is struggling with how to handle the crisis. With Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) facilities at capacity, officials have resorted to temporarily housing UACs on military bases. (See FAIR Legislative Update, Dec. 15, 2015) At the end of December, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter directed Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico to house 400 UACs. (See FAIR Legislative Update, Jan. 5, 2016) Now, the Obama administration is considering using more military bases to handle the UAC overflow. According to a DoD e-mail sent to [mc_name name=”Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL)” chamber=”house” mcid=”R000591″ ], the government is beginning “site assessments” at six military facilities: Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Alabama; Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida; Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota; Naval Support Activity in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts; and Travis Air Force Base in California. (See Washington Examiner, Jan. 6, 2016) Additionally, DoD is preparing 1,600 beds at two federal worker centers: Homestead Jobs Corps in Florida and Denver Federal Campus. (Id.) In response, Rep. Roby blasted the Obama administration’s decision to house UACs at military bases. In a letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, Roby said “Air Force personnel at Maxwell-Gunter… are working hard to keep America safe. That mission is challenging enough without the added responsibility of housing, feeding, and securing detainees.” (Roby Letter to Burwell, Jan. 4, 2016) Noting that the Alabama Air Force base is “an active military installation that is home to robust military activities and a number of highly classified programs,” Roby declared, “It is entirely inappropriate to house illegal immigrants at this or other active military installations.” (Id.)ICYMI: FAIR Released 2015 Congressional Voting Report
Last week, FAIR’s Government Relations team released the latest Congressional Voting Report, covering the First Session of the 114th Congress. The Voting Report is designed to help you understand how your lawmakers voted on immigration measures in furtherance of a rational immigration system. Specifically, this report includes votes on:- Defunding President Obama’s unlawful executive amnesty programs
- Nominating pro-amnesty U.S. District Attorney Loretta Lynch to become Attorney General
- Defunding State and local jurisdictions with dangerous “sanctuary city” policies.