Biden's Homeland Security secretary now says he wants to prosecute MORE illegal immigrants crossing the border and will crack down on Dem sanctuary cities that refuse to work with ICE
* Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas wants to crack down on illegal immigration
* Specifically, he wants to criminally prosecute more illegal immigrants and target sanctuary cities who refuse to
cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement
* 'I see cases now where we apprehend and remove individuals that I think need to be prosecuted criminally,' Mayorkas
told ICE employees during a virtual town hall on Friday
* Also said President Joe Biden is considering restarting construction on Donald Trump's southern border wall
* Resumed construction would help fill 'gaps in the wall,' Mayorkas said
* Biden is facing a massive influx of migrants arrivals, leading to overcrowding at detention facilities
* Vice President Kamala Harris was put in charge of the White House's response to the immigration crisis
* Critics have slammed her for not yet visiting the southern border or its overflowing holding facilities, but instead
jetting of to promote the American Rescue Plan
Joe Biden's Homeland Security head is looking to crack down on illegal immigration by taking more legal action against border jumpers and targeting U.S. cities that act as a safe haven for them.
'I see cases now where we apprehend and remove individuals that I think need to be prosecuted criminally,' DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said during a virtual town hall with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employees last week where he also revealed President Biden is considering restarting construction on Donald Trump's border wall.
'Quite frankly, I'm going to have to understand why some of these individuals are not subject to a Title 8 USC 1326 case and I intend to work with the DOJ in that regard,' he added.
Entering the U.S. illegally is a misdemeanor under Title 8 Section 1325. Furthermore, reentering the country after being ousted is a felony under Title 8 Section 1326.
Mayorkas told ICE employees that DHS will also take on so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to work with the agency to turn over illegal immigrants hiding out there.
He also vowed during the meeting, according to notes of the conversation reviewed by the Washington Times, that he is opposed to some more progressive immigration and border protection policies, like the push from the far left to totally abolish ICE.
'I'm 100% opposed to the abolition of ICE,' he said. 'It is the opposite of what I think needs to occur. I think we need to strengthen our policies and practices and communicate more effectively what we do and why we do it.'
Vice President Kamala Harris was put in charge of the White House's response to the immigration crisis. Critics have slammed her for not yet visiting the southern border or its overflowing holding facilities in the few weeks since being designated border czar.
Since Biden made the announcement, Harris has visited New Haven, Connecticut; Oakland, California and Chicago, Illinois – all to promote the American Rescue Plan and preview more relief.
She also went home to California for Easter weekend with second gentleman Doug Emhoff and moved into the Naval Observatory after getting 'frustrated' with the time it was taking to complete the renovations. She has also listed her D.C. condo on the market for $1.995million.
Another notable tidbit to come from that meeting Friday was Mayorkas revealing Biden is considering restarting construction on Trump's southern border wall in an effort to address the record numbers of illegal crossers.
He said the construction might resume in order to plug 'gaps' in the current barrier between the U.S. and Mexico.
The move comes as Biden made a big spectacle on Day One of his administration by issuing an executive order freezing Department of Defense funding for border wall construction. In February, he officially ended the emergency order at the border, but there were concerns about where the funds would go that were already appropriated for the border wall project.
The new hard-line stances come as Biden's administration is facing a growing crisis at the southern border with record numbers of migrants arriving every day and facilities quickly becoming overcrowded and understaffed.
So-called sanctuary cities emerged as a hot topic in the midst of Trump imposing strict crack downs on deporting illegal immigrants.
A sanctuary city refers to a jurisdiction that limits their cooperation with the federal government's effort to enforce immigration law.
California itself has deemed itself a sanctuary state and other cities include places like Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Portland, Oregon.
Mayorkas also revealed during the meeting he's working on a new set of guidelines to govern ICE officers' arrests and attempts to deport illegal immigrants.
Pressed by ICE employees worried about public resistance, Mayorkas said the agency has a 'noble mission.'
Mayorkas served during Barack Obama as head of ICE and later as deputy secretary at DHS under then-Secretary Jeh Johnson.
Some feel Mayorkas is just fronting for ICE employees without the intentions to follow through with some of these plans.
'I've seen this administration say a lot of things that I feel like they're disingenuous about, and they know they can't deliver on, but they pretend and leave their audience to believe they can deliver on. That's what I see here,' a former DHS official told the Times.
During the forum, employees pleaded for a firmer stance amid the current migrant surge.
One employee lamented that DHS was treating illegal immigrants more leniently regarding COVID-19 restrictions than American citizens.
Others questioned the new administration's border policy changes, claiming Trump's policies appeared to be working to curb the immigration crisis.
One employee complained, according to the Times, of 'notoriously low morale' and blamed Washington for its lack of support.
Under Trump there was a lot of freedom to target illegal immigrants with criminal records, which allowed agents and officers to pursue deportation against anyone in the country without permission or legal status.
With Biden in office, however, ICE has been given much stricter rules.
The priorities of the new administration have seen ICE book-ins cut by 62%, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.
Mayorkas defended the stricter priorities, saying: 'Every law enforcement agency to which I have been a part, or which I have worked, has priorities in light of the fact that it doesn't have unlimited resources.'
'I know there may be disagreements about where those lines are drawn, and we're going to be talking about that in the coming weeks,' he added.
The DHS lead promised 'discretion' and said the final guidelines won't be 'set in stone.'
Biden's administration is facing record numbers of migrants arriving at the southern border and federal government holding facilities are 'stretched beyond thin,' according to an independent report concluded after a visit to the sites.
House Whip Steve Sacalise is leading a delegation of 10 Republican members to the southern border to assess the conditions, which have been described as 'inhumane' and 'horrific.'
Vice President Kamala Harris, who was designated border czar by Biden last month, has faced a slew of backlash for not yet visiting the border. Seemingly, Harris has not done anything yet to improve conditions at holding facilities or address problems with immigration under this administration.
NASA and other federal agencies reportedly sent out emails to their employees asking if they are willing to volunteer at the overcrowded child migrant facilities.
Mayorkas defend Biden canceling border wall construction, telling ICE employees during last week's meeting that it leaves 'room to make decisions' on finishing 'gaps in the wall.'
'It's not a single answer to a single question. There are different projects that the chief of the Border Patrol has presented and the acting commissioner of CBP [Customs and Border Protection] presented to me,' Mayorkas said, according to notes of the ICE session reviewed by the Times.
'The president has communicated quite clearly his decision that the emergency that triggered the devotion of DOD funds to the construction of the border wall is ended,' he continued. 'But that leaves room to make decisions as the administration – as part of the administration – in particular areas of the wall that need renovation, particular projects that need to be finished.'
On February 11, Biden ended Trump's southern border emergency, which was issued through executive order in February 2019.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9445035/Bidens-DHS-head-wants-prosecute-illegal-immigrants-crack-sanctuary-cities.html
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Topic: Biden's Homeland Security secretary now says he wants to prosecute MORE illegal (Read 388 times)
August 26, 2009, 08:24:02 am
