“A controversial federal program that encourages people living illegally in the United States to turn themselves in is being scrapped, after only eight people utilized the program in nearly a month. ICE offered the pilot program in five U.S. cities, including Santa Ana. It gave illegal immigrants the chance to plan their departure, coordinating with family members, rather than facing an arrest, detention and deportation,” according to KTLA News.
“Quite frankly, I think this proves the only method that works is enforcement,” Jim Hayes, acting director of ICE’s detention and removal operations, told The Associated Press on Thursday. “They want amnesty, they want open borders, and they want a more vulnerable America,” Hayes said, according to the AP.
Hayes said other tactics have proved more effective. ICE has been tracking down so-called immigration fugitives by knocking on their doors at home, often during predawn hours, according to the L.A. Times.
“Immigrant advocates said the program flopped because it offered few incentives for illegal immigrants to step forward since they would be barred from returning to the country for as long as a decade. They also said it failed to consider immigrants’ ties to family here,” according to the AP.
Should the U.S. government be trying to deport people who have American children in this country? Shouldn’t the Bush administration at least wait until the November presidential elections and let our next President try to resolve the immigration issue, particularly since Bush has so spectacularly failed in this regard?
And why hasn’t Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, who is himself a Mexican immigrant, or anyone else on the all-Latino City Council had anything to say about any of this? Their silence is deafening, particularly since Santa Ana was one of only six cities involved in this program. I wonder if Pulido requested to have this failed program run in his city?
This whole thing was incredibly stupid from the beginning. Who couldn’t see in advance that this would fail? How much money did it cost to find out what everyone already knew? Unbelievable.
what they should have done is open six offices where people who have commited an unsolved murder could come in and confess so they could be arrested. i’m sure that would of been far more successful. i mean what the hell were they thinking. and the reason our “little king” hasnt spoken up is really simple….he’s a coward.
Orchestrated by the San Ana Mayor and Chief of Police = the definition of stupid and incompetent when mixed together
Enough said
Your tax dollars at work…
ICE officials obviously are living in a different universe if they thought this stupid program would fly.
ICE and CIS have long been the most dysfunctional government agencies around. Even FEMA isn’t that bad when compared to the clowns at ICE and CIS.
While I believe government run agencies are inheirently bloated and ineffective, our own agencies are many times better than those agencies from other countries.
I believe the intentions are quite clear here. ICE is using this program as a tool to refute the arrest and deportation of what I think will be a massive deportation operation coming soon.
You would have to be foolish if you believed anythin other than this was ICE’s PR tool for the future. What better way to rebut pro-undocumented citizens groups then to offer that these deportees were subjected to early morning raids because they failed to apply for self deportation.
I remember my wife mentioning that the only people that would sign up for self deportation will be those with a few screws loose or those who want a free trip home.
Interesting that Fox News is reporting that Illegal Immigrants Returning to Mexico in Record Numbers.
It’s all related to the state of economy.
Jose:
While you are generally right in your assessment, the rule fails with ICE and CIS.
It is known that Germany has what is probably the worst bureaucracy in the world. But from personal experience I can tell you that the US immigration agencies (nowadays called CIS and ICE) beat German bureaucracy by a wide margin.
From losing and destroying paperwork, including foreign passports, to favors for sex, everything is there…
what they should have done is set up a office telling all illegals here to come in and we will give you amnesty as soon the 10 million show up . DEPORT ALL OF THEM . crisis solve . no more problems with the state budget .
a la chingada con la migra . great respect for our borders , and these are the jokers who want open borders amnesty and all the other free crap they get . la chingada con ILLEGAS
great one, more illegal aliens are coming, much more. this is only the beginning of the great homecoming of my brothers and sisters. theres nothing you or anybody can do to stop it. my advice to you “great one” is to learn spanish.
jose tienne papeles . jose if you dont be ready they are coming soon to your city . ICE . ILLEGALS CAPTURED ENTERING .. let the sweeps raids begin ..
Recently ICE staged a arrest and deportation sweep.
They targeted buses leaving for Mexico from the Santa Ana bus terminal and other terminals.
ICE arrested those riders without documentation that were on their way to Mexico with a paid bus ticket, processed them, then deported them at tax payers expense. UOHHHHHHH!!!!!!