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Editorial: Feds should pay for jailing undocument immigrants

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March 5, 2008 04:31 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
May 25, 2007

Editorial: Feds should pay for jailing undocument immigrants

March 5, 2008 Click here to find out more!

Whatever your view of the contentious illegal immigration issue, it's difficult to disagree with this proposition:

When an undocumented immigrant commits a crime and spends time in a state or local lockup, the government responsible for immigration enforcement - Washington - should pay. But in this, as in too many other aspects of immigration policy, the federal government is falling sadly short.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) appeared with key county leaders from both Nassau and Suffolk on Monday to complain that federal reimbursement has been too little and too late. And he supports two bills that would help.

The issue is the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), created in 1994 and run by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance. It reimburses states and localities for part of the cost of jailing undocumented inmates. But the department says it will only reimburse for those convicted of a felony or a second misdemeanor, not for those who have only been charged.

An audit by Nassau Comptroller Howard Weitzman found that the cost to the county for 660 covered inmates in 2006 was almost $8.5 million, but Nassau got back only $2.6 million. In Suffolk, County Executive Steve Levy and Sheriff Vincent DeMarco pegged the costs at $12 million, but the county got back only $1.75 million. Suffolk's calculations included inmates who had not been convicted or convicted only of one misdemeanor, and so were not covered under SCAAP. Even so, the reimbursement seems very low.

Repeatedly, President George W. Bush has proposed to cut off all funds for the program. Congress is likely to reject that in the latest budget, as it has in the past.

Beyond that, Schumer is co-sponsoring two brief but important bills sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). One would make clear that Congress wants the program to cover all undocumented immigrants charged with a felony or a second misdemeanor, not just those convicted. The other would mandate payment of the compensation within 120 days after the end of the annual application period.

Schumer correctly pointed out that few undocumented immigrants become criminals. Yell

But for those who do commit felonies and misdemeanors and have not yet been deported, the federal government should pay the costs of their incarceration - not counties, cities and states.
March 5, 2008 04:34 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
May 25, 2007

OK - are these guys idiots or what - it doesn't matter if the money comes from the cities or the states or the Federal Government - it all comes from the exact same place - TAXES PAID FOR BY AMERICAN CITIZENS.

And what is up with Schumer?

I suggest we all start faxing him or sending him via email all of the crime reports we see where the drunk driver, gang member, killer, rapist, etc. is an illegal alien.

How sad that "we the people" have to actually educate our elected officials so they can do their jobs.

Yikes - just vote them out of office if they can't see the forest for the trees.
March 5, 2008 04:46 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
February 9, 2008

Don't forget, CJBL, we are about to vote in McAmnesty. How's that for irony.

BTW, our local Sheriff sends his bills to the feds, and he just got reelected.  Yes, it all comes from the same pot somehow, but it does send a message.



2 Chronicles 7:14
March 5, 2008 05:30 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
May 18, 2007

Well in a way I can see the point, the point being is if the cities/towns direct tax payers are paying for the illegal bills, then the feds really have NO reason to pass any anti-illegal laws and can basically "wait us out" before the pass a 100% amnesty bill.  If they are hit with a few thousand bills from cities/towns/counties/states across the country, then maybe they will sit up and take some notice anyway and get off their duffs.  Plus, if it can get into the congressional records somehow, we will have an estimate as to just HOW much these illegals are costing the taxpayers overall since our gov't leaders want to make us believe it is all them adding benefit to our country, and no negatives at all.

How about we push to have sherrif Joe made "director of jails for illegals" and have him build a few more tent city jails for them?  After all, why fill up our regular jails when we can house them in some of his tent jails in the middle of the desert and feed them peanut butter sandwiches.  I like the idea of us paying for about 6 months to jail them however (and it would be cheap per sherrif joes jail costs), keeps them from making a DIME to send home to mexico during that time and lets them know that next time, they will spend another 6 months in jail and not make any money.  Better IMO than just shipping them back across the border where they just try to cross again in 2-3 days time.  Make them hurt a bit before sending them back.



If you have to hyphenate your race--you are NOT an American!! This from a French-German-English-Irish-AMERICAN! See how silly this can become?
March 5, 2008 05:37 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
February 9, 2008
This makes a lot of sense, VeeBee.  I would even volunteer a couple of weeks to help out Sheriff Joe.  I am too old for anything else, so I just make the sandwiches.

2 Chronicles 7:14
March 5, 2008 05:49 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
March 5, 2007
H*ll with paying to put them in jail....bring 85000 of our troops out of Europe & just shoot them, no exceptions. At least, we wouldn't have to worry about paying for their jail time over & over & over.....then having to pay for all their anchor babies

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