Immigration - Crime

If you read my last post, you know that I am both ready to deport illegal immigrants yet also ready to welcome legal immigrants. I want those that want to be in this country to have the opportunity to do so. I just think they should do so through the proper channels. There is so much talk these days about "illegal immigrants," that we have completely accepted the term. No one even seems to notice the word "illegal."

For many of these, coming into this country unlawfully is only crime number one. Our prisons are overcrowded and approximately a quarter of the inmates in federal prisons are criminal aliens. These prisoners represent the fastest growing segment within the federal prison system. In their defense, the state and local prisons do house the majority of inmates and at this level, illegal immigrants make up only about five percent.

If you are wondering why the differences are so big between federal prisons and state prisons, it is because illegal immigrants are much more likely to be caught committing a federal offense such as drug smuggling or of course border violations. So, why not step up border patrol? We've done that. Last year, border patrol made over a million apprehensions. But, for every one they stopped, they estimate at least two made it through.

Obviously border patrol is a good place to start, but what about deporting those that are sitting in our cells. According to Homeland Security, fewer than half the foreigners convicted of crimes in the United States are ever deported after serving their sentences. Look at the following examples:

• In May 2007, Ezeiquiel Lopez shot and killed a deputy sherriff in Texas. He had been in jail for two prior violent crimes but was free at the time of the shooting. By law, he should have been deported but federal immigration authorities didn't know he had been in custody and state and local police didn't tell them.  And, this happens all the time.
• In March 2009, California tells the federal government they will no longer lock up undocumented immigrants on parole violations due to costs. Prior to this, immigrants who enter the country illegally after being deported were violating their parole and therefore taken back to state prisons - not for border violations (a federal offense) but for parole violations (a state offense). The state of California estimated these charges were costing the state $10 million.

So, to recap: very few immigrant criminals are deported after serving time and those that are need only make it back to California to be free because we cannot afford to stop them there.  Seriously, enough already!