.
.
.
First, kudos to our new Congressman-for-Life Lou Correa for generally being a thorn in President Trump’s side on the issue of immigration, and specifically, today, for showing DHS Secretary John Kelly photographic proof when the latter denied that an Immigration Control and Enforcement Vehicle had been patrolling the parking lot of the Christ (prev. Crystal) Cathedral in their relentless search for possible “mojados.” Lou’s press release:
Rep. Correa Presents Secretary Kelly Proof of ICE Violating Church Sanctuaries
March 17, 2017
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Lou Correa presented Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly with photos of an ICE vehicle patrolling Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. The images were given to Rep. Correa by Bishop Vann of the Orange County Diocese, along with a letter the Bishop sent to Department of Homeland Security Associate Director of Legislative Affairs Anthony C. Acocella asking that ICE stay off Diocese property.
Congressman Correa said, “Christ Cathedral is my church. I know what it looks like, and these photos clearly show an ICE vehicle staking out the parking lot. This is despicable, and this behavior must end. It is intimidation, and it is wrong.”
Maybe Lou IS the man for the hour, for Santa Ana / Anaheim, in these dark and trying times. Pero, immigration was never an issue I had a problem with him over.
What amuses me is him finally finding out first hand, he whom I’ve never seen question any law enforcement or deny them anything they wanted, finding out first hand how they lie to you until you provide incontrovertible proof of the truth. Then they’re all, “Oh, damn! I guess you’re right.”
Many’s the time, and not just in Anaheim, that we were left wondering if a police chief was either purposely lying or really so hands-off that he had no idea what his subordinates were doing. And MANY MORE is the time that we were glad that WE OR SOMEBODY had the foresight and courage to use their camera.
So, welcome to the club, Congressman. AND FILM THE POLICE!
Good for Lou finally seeing and acknowledging g the truth
Credit where it’s due: good for Correa on this (and to Bishop Vann for arming him with the evidence.) What schmucks these ICE-shards are!
And amen to your last three paragraphs. I’m not much for the term “woke,” but if Lou is waking up to these things then that’s great news, A little hate mail from the Usual Reprobates — and I’m betting that it’s already on its way — might do him some real good.
Yes, but how to find shades of degree in police intimidation?
*When Lou stopped answering our e-mails….that was a bit telling. Lou is a Grandstander and enjoys the limelight. That being said, Lou has done a lot of good for kids and families in need….this is the good part of his track record. What we want to see…..is where the rubber meets the road and how strongly he stands against The New American Health Care Act, Rollbacks on EPA Spending, Rolling against Gorsech or any of the Trump Judges…..
So, at this point we say – “Yes! Thanks Lou…..nice start to your Congressional standing, however we are still reserving judgment on your greater body of work. You will be observed with scrutiny sir! Don’t let us down……..you just have to do better than Rohrbacher and Issa…….so we would suggest NOT voting their way on much!
Loretta has done that and she paid the price.
*Nah Lo quit cuz she got restless and thought she could “move on up.”
Probably she had a god talking to her in her head, the same one that told LoGal she was too goob for Council and was destined to be Anaheim’s first woman-of-color Mayor!
Loretta coulda been Santa Ana’s Strom Thurmond if she wanted to.
PS. I’m sure Lou has a new address; did you try it?
A very obnoxious source, but apparently correct in this case, alerts me that, as it turns out, ICE was NOT stalking Christ Cathedral – the DHS vehicle was the uncles of one Denise Coughlin attending her grandfather’s funeral.
Some facts remain – we saw Lou stand up to authority and law enforcement, when he had reason to believe they were lying to us.
Apparently the mistake was Bishop Vann’s. (Unlike the Pope, bishops are not expected to be infallible!)
And it’s good to know that Secretary Kelly was NOT lying to us, and that ICE is (in this case) not patrolling church parking lots.
These times will make us all paranoid.
That doesn’t sound like an official government use.
https://www.usbr.gov/recman/FPMR/38-301.html
And this ^^^^ from “DHS Policy Wonk” is a good example of why we more than welcome anonymous comments that aren’t vituperative attacks.
Yes, but clicking on that link does not produce the result I expected. “Attending worship services” (which probably includes funerals) is listed under “authorized uses.”
Am I missing something, Greg?
While on travel status. I highly doubt this individual was on a business trip.
If so, he should have taken the bus, as directed in the subsequent section.
Ask DHS Policy Wonk to clarify if you’re unclear on something. I’m just glad to have people showing up with useful expertise and a desire to explain. And if “Unimpressed” is correct that this isn’t an actual problem with ICE, I’m happy for that expertise as well. Whoever did it should have thought through the effects of such a presence at a time when people are justifiably jumpy about Trump Admin immigration enforcement policies.
Wasn’t sure he/she would come back so quickly, and YOU are an employment attorney!
My being an attorney means that I know that I should read the policy before I offer an opinion on what it says! I do a lot of work for a lot of people for free — but Lou would have to pay me for research!
I mean the policy sheet that DHSPW linked to, I wasn’t sure if I was missing something there, apparently I was.
I’m not thinking that deeply about it.
Oops.
Way to go morons. Keep spreading false rumors.
Can’t help but notic how yo all the truth teller obnoxious, but ignore your own.
I know someone who can fix that keyboard of yours, but he’s undocumented.
This whole story still seems really weird. A friend of mine pointed out to me via text that the Register article on this changed three times. “First they said the vehicle wasn’t theirs. Then they said it was for the funeral of a colleague. Then someone said he was there for his brother’s funeral.”
What gets me is, how could there be a color guard of DHS people and the bishop not know about it? Apart from the fact that as mentioned above, this would not be an appropriate use of a government vehicle.
And meanwhile anonymous ICE apologists on all the blogs are laughing and acting like this proves all stories of ICE misbehavior are fake news.
It sounds more and more like an awkward coverup of inappropriate ICE activity, and that Lou and the bishop were probably correct from the beginning. Is anyone looking into this or do I have to?
To be continued…
It was not an ICE vehicle. It was a CBP Field Operations Vehicle. The CBP color guard was attending the funeral of military veteran. How a congressman who is a member of the Homeland Security committee and the subcommittee on Border and Maritime security doesn’t know the difference between ICE and CBP is beyond me. Makes me skeptical that he can make any “informed” decisions in that arena.
If this is indeed what happened and not some cover story, then I’m also surprised the bishop didn’t stop to find out this innocent explanation before he sent letters to DHS and Lou. I’m sure Lou just trusted the bishop.
Lou sits on the Homeland Security committee. He knows the difference between the blue/white of CBP Field Operations (Customs) and green of Border Patrol vehicles (which his spokesman wondered why they were so far inland). He has an agenda and was trying to score political points where there were none to be scored.