According to President Obama and the Democrats, we have nothing to fear from illegal immigrants. Many support turning off our immigration laws altogether and throwing the border wide open. Let any Mexican or South American who wants a home in America to simply ride into the country for a swift path to citizenship. But a new case has shed light on a deportation system that is failing to keep American citizens safe from the bad guys.
Government data released Monday shows that 121 illegals who were released back into the community went on to commit “homicide-related” crimes. This data has indicated to many critics that we are not doing enough to pursue deportation for these illegals.
The case that brought this shocking figure to the forefront involves an illegal immigrant named Apolinar Altamirano. Altamirano was released from ICE custody in 2013 only to be arrested in January for first-degree murder and armed robbery. The agency says that it had no way of knowing that Altamirano’s original $10K bond should have been rejected.
The case brings to light the problems regarding the deportation of illegals. Under a 2001 Supreme Court ruling, illegals can only be detained for six months. This puts the administration in a tough spot, especially when the home country will not have the immigrant back. But experts say the majority of these cases have more to do with ICE’s discretionary policies than they do strict time limits on detention.
There are also issues with inter-departmental dialogue. Immigration authorities say there is no current system in place allowing them to make contact with local law enforcement after releasing a criminal from detention. Many of these illegals are fitted with electronic monitoring, but The Washington Times reports that violations are routinely ignored by authorities.
In truth, the problem here isn’t one policy or another. The problem is that we’ve grown complacent about illegal immigrants. This hasn’t just happened accidentally; it is part and parcel of Obama’s attempt to blur the lines between legal citizens and illegals. The Democrats are hoping that Hispanic voters will make them the indomitable party, and they are willing to go to any lengths necessary to make sure that happens. If that means a convenience store clerk has to pay for this policy with his life, then that’s just what it will have to mean.
Republicans are right to call John Kerry out on the carpet for his failure to put pressure on home countries. They are right to ask why ICE cannot tell local authorities that they are putting a criminal into the communities. But these are just symptoms of the bigger problem, which is that the government has decided – without consulting the American people – that jumping the border is not a crime worth worrying about. Until we fix that, we will continue to see foreign criminals operate within our borders.
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