Sunday, June 25, 2006

Illegal aliens in the MidSouth

Press Release
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Memphis, TN
Contact John Harvey


For Immediate Release:

Today, Sheriff’s candidate John Harvey said if elected he would move to identify and arrest any illegal aliens within the jurisdiction of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Mark Luttrell has said there is nothing the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office can do about illegal aliens. John Harvey disputed this saying, “there is legal precedent for a local Sheriff to enlist the support of the Federal government for training of selected officers utilizing a new program being offered by ICE. This past February, a Sheriff in Mecklenberg County, North Carolina began working with I.C.E. officials to federalize some of his officers so they actually become an extension of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. Illegal immigrants are costing the citizens of Shelby County millions of dollars and Hispanic gangs (filled with illegal aliens) are becoming more dangerous. We must do what we have sworn to do, and that is to protect our citizens and enforce the laws of the United States.”


Related Information sources:
Link Information: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/nc09_myrick/immigrationprogramfeddep020606.html


From U.S. Representative Sue Myrick’s website:
http://www.myrick.house.gov/hot_topics_immigration_issues.shtml

New Immigration Program will allow Mecklenburg County Sheriff Deputies to Detain and Remove Illegal Aliens
On February 6, 2006, Representative Sue Myrick, Mecklenburg County (NC) Sheriff Jim Pendergraph, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Jeffrey S. Jordan announced at a press conference a new program that will federalize ten Mecklenburg County Deputies so that they can help ICE detain and remove illegal aliens. This groundbreaking program is the first of its kind to be implemented by a Sheriff’s office east of the Mississippi. “This new program changes how North Carolina responds to illegal aliens,” said Rep. Myrick. “We have a shortage of federal agents to deal with illegal aliens in our state, and this program provides us with some much needed back up. My hope is that every county in North Carolina sees what we are doing here and applies to set up a similar program with ICE.”

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Somebody needs to do something. These illegals need to get back to Mexico. Krazy Ass Latinos (KAL) gangs are all over now too. I'm glad you are on this. Now all we gotta do is elect you.

Anonymous said...

Whoever the sheriff is, he needs to get on with this program!!!!

Anonymous said...

Do it! Do it! Do it!

Anonymous said...

I guess Lutrell doesn't want to offend anyone!

Freedonian said...

Absolutely not.

It's tough enough to get an illegal to report a crime. It gets even worse when they know they'll be deported afterward.

A woman that's here illegally won't notify the police if she's raped because they're going to send her home afterward. Wouldn't it be smarter, more effective policy to protect the women of Memphis by getting the rapist off the streets?

This would certainly lower the crime rate in Memphis--- But not in a good way. It won't reduce the crime--- In fact, it creates the "perfect victim", allowing the criminal elements of the city to target people that they suspect won't report the crime. In fact, it could end up being detrimental to the Hispanic population that's here legally--- They might decide that brown skin is worth rolling the dice on.

I want to support you in this race. I'm a Democrat, but I loathe our candidate.

But I can't get behind a policy that creates a class of perfect victim for the criminal element of this city. This doesn't curb crime--- It curbs reporting it.

John Harvey said...

Following your same logic, a woman who is wanted on charges, and is a citizen of thie country won't report a rape either. The ILLEGAL citizens must be dealt with. They are here illegally and many are members of such fine establishmens as KAL (Krazy Ass Latinos) and other gangs. The first priority of the US government should be to seal the borer, but we also have to deal with the illegals who keep pouring into the community. I don't believe we should pick and choose which laws to enforce, and which class of people we should enforce them on. If a law is being broken, law enforcement is duty bound to enforce it.

I think you might want to review your stance on this after thinking about the logic of your statement. We also need to make inroads into the hispanic community and I've spoken with some hispanic officers on this very front. Those officers need to be tapped into as a resource. I'm not out to try to punish one segment of the community over another, but by their very nature, illegal aliens are law breakers. Granted, if I were in there shoes, I would most likely do the same thing because this IS the greatest country in the history of the world. Why wouldn't everyone want to live here and be blessed like you and I have been - just by being born in this country.

Freedonian said...

Following your same logic, a woman who is wanted on charges, and is a citizen of thie country won't report a rape either.

Is her crime more serious than just living?

The ILLEGAL citizens must be dealt with. They are here illegally and many are members of such fine establishmens as KAL (Krazy Ass Latinos) and other gangs.

This argument sure sounds familiar to those of us who have cracked open a few history books.

"We have to run the Chinese out because some of them sell opium."

"We have to keep Italians out because some of them join organized crime."

"We have to keep the Irish out because they join street gangs."

Every one of those ethnic groups has come over here illegally before People that hate Italians still refer to them as "wop", which means "without papers"). And the people who wanted to keep them out have always been on the wrong side of history, as every one of them have gone on to contribute to the rich tapestry that is the United States.

The first priority of the US government should be to seal the borer, but we also have to deal with the illegals who keep pouring into the community.

Hmmm... Well, we are in a war right now, gas prices are really going to start affecting the economy, 2/3 of the "Axis of Evil" are readying nuke programs (Conveniently the two we didn't attack), there are half a dozen genocides going on in the world today, we're still not doing much to screen visas from nations that have contributed cash and manpower to al Qaeda, and you seem to think that stopping Jose from mowing the yard is priority number one?

Immigration is simply a red meat issue. And just like abortion, just like gay marriage, just like all nonsecurity issues that mobilize conservative voters, this is not a problem Republicans want to fix--- It's a problem they want to run on. The worst thing that could ever happen to the Republican Party would be sealing the border. Not only would it cut off the source of cheap labor (Housing is the only sector of the economy that does really well these days--- What happens if the cost of a house goes up 30%?), but it takes away a "barbarians at the gate" issue for the Republican Party. Without the presence of illegal immigrants, you'd have the GOP scouring the nation for the next Terri Schiavo (Thankfully, we could set up the Fristcam so the Majority Leader could continue to diagnose people without ever having seen them).

I don't believe we should pick and choose which laws to enforce, and which class of people we should enforce them on. If a law is being broken, law enforcement is duty bound to enforce it.

But you decide just that with a policy such as this one. Do you let the rapist, the mugger, and the attacker go free because of your eagerness to send the victim back home?

If you do this, you ARE choosing which crimes to enforce and which class of people to enforce thm on. You're also choosing which class of person to enforce them FOR, and that's a huge problem. You'll give a great demonstration why the people that take violent criminals off of city streets should never be the ones handling immigration law. People of all backgrounds have to be able to know that they can report a crime to you. Anything else, and the criminals are the big winners in all of this.

I think you might want to review your stance on this after thinking about the logic of your statement.

What a coincidence. That's my exact advice to you.

Even if you take a callous attitude about illegals, saying that their illegal presence here means they deserve to be crime victims (Again, not saying you do), then you're sacrificing the chance to take illegal offenders off of the streets. This leaves them free to commit more crimes. Passing up the chance to arrest them by allowing them victims that can't report the crimes simply means they can reoffend over and over until they finally do hurt a legal resident. What part of that sounds good?

I'm not out to try to punish one segment of the community over another, but by their very nature, illegal aliens are law breakers.

But you do punish one segment of the community with this. You take away that segment's ability to call for help should they need it. That's simply wrong on every level. It makes for nice soundbyte with Republican voters, but if implemented, this would be disastrous for the state of law & order on the streets.

Granted, if I were in there shoes, I would most likely do the same thing because this IS the greatest country in the history of the world. Why wouldn't everyone want to live here and be blessed like you and I have been - just by being born in this country.

Indeed. Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free... But if those tired, poor huddled masses are victims of crime once they get here, they're on their own.

Is that what America should stand for?

John Harvey said...

It appears, Freedonian, that we will have to agree to disagree on this topic. Most of us are immigrants, or our ancestors were, but the difference is in whether or not they came here legally. My ancestors came from Ireland and/or Scotland, most likely as indentured servants. I believe that might be an acceptable program for the current illegals who are already here. As I said earlier, the first thing to do is secure the border, then deal with what to do with the illegals who are already here. (If your boat has a hole in it, you don't bail water until you stop the leak).

I am a little different than many Republicans, at least the office holders, because I actually believe we should have smaller government, lower taxes, and less spending. That's one of my main issues with politicians today. It's hard to tell Republican from Democrat, particularly in this city. It was a Republican county mayor who put us 1.5 billion in debt, before he fled office. And, it was a majority Republican county commission that went along with the program and has since taken us to 2 billion in debt. When you are trying to describe yourself, you have to choose which box you want to go in and for my conservative view, I have selected "Republican" even though on social issues I am probably more liberal than many. As for enforcing our laws, I come down on the side of justice being blind. Laws should be enforced equally - without regard to who a person may be, or what their skin color happens to be.

Freedonian said...

(If your boat has a hole in it, you don't bail water until you stop the leak).

Another thing we disagree on, John. You have to do both, or you sink while you're looking.

I really do wish you would reconsider this policy. I've met you. I sat and talked with you at the Bloggers' Bash a few weeks ago. I think you're smart and capable, and I wouldn't say either about the other candidates. I don't think you would intentionally create the perfect victim for anything in the world. But I think this policy, if implemented, does just that.

I wish you well, and thanks for the response.

John Harvey said...

Freedonian - As I said,I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I don't think you would want someone in office who agrees all the time, I know I wouldn't. The bottom line is - I believe we should enforce the laws and I don't think there is a "liberal" or "conservative" way to be mugged, carjacked or murdered.

John

Anonymous said...

I think is good program to people that are doing wroung things but some of them are hard working people keep that in mine

John Harvey said...

I don't doubt that there are many good people who are here illegally. If I were in their shoes, I would probably do the same. This is the greatest country in the history of mankind. Why wouldn't everyone want to be here.

The problem with that is, we are a nation of laws, and we should enforce our laws. It's on us to do that, not the illegals.