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Governor modifying Romney immigrant arrest agreement

(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: kwflatbed

By GLEN JOHNSON
AP Political Writer

BOSTON (AP) -- Gov. Deval Patrick has decided to modify instead of rescind a state-federal agreement in which the Romney administration received approval to have State Police troopers arrest illegal immigrants encountered in the course of their normal duties, a top Patrick aide said Thursday.
The new governor planned to make the announcement at a midday news conference in the Statehouse, said the aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in advance of Patrick's appearance. The aide would not give specifics of how Patrick would modify the agreement.
On Dec. 21, Patrick said he planned rescind the agreement, arguing that troopers had enough to do already without having to also enforce immigration laws.
"If I have that power, I'm going to rescind that agreement," Patrick said at the time. "As I said before, I think the State Police have a very big job as it is, without having to add enforcing federal immigration laws on top of it."
On Dec. 13, then-Gov. Mitt Romney signed an agreement with federal authorities allowing troopers to arrest and seek deportation of suspected illegal aliens they encountered during their normal duties.
Under the terms of the deal with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, an initial group of 30 troopers was to receive five weeks of specialized training next year, paid by the federal government.
Romney, a Republican considering a campaign for president in 2008, said at the time: "The scope of our nation's illegal immigration problem requires us to pursue and implement new solutions wherever possible."
The customs enforcement agency has similar agreements with state agencies in Florida, Alabama and Arizona, and with county correctional agencies in California and North Carolina.
An agency spokesman said 30 other state, county or local agencies have applied to receive the immigration law enforcement authorization and training.
Separately on Thursday, Patrick met with the board implementing the state's new health care law and encouraged them to succeed.
"Your work and the success of your work is critically important," the governor told the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority.
While arguing that the new law, which started being phased in last October, is "imperfect" and subject to "zigs and zags," he said expanding health insurance to all the state's residents was vital.
"So don't mess up," he said in jest as he closed his brief remarks.


© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.


Posted by: CJIS

Oh jeez here we go. The next few years are going to be long with this jackass in office.


Posted by: SOT

flip flop, flip flop...the Gov is living in the world of flip flop.


Posted by: kwflatbed

Quote:
Originally Posted by SOT_II
flip flop, flip flop...the Gov is living in the world of flip flop.

Just like Kerry


Posted by: SinePari

Quote:
Originally Posted by kwflatbed
An agency spokesman said 30 other state, county or local agencies have applied to receive the immigration law enforcement authorization and training.
Gee, I wonder who that will be...


Posted by: CollegePDispatch

Big surpirise....
Welcome to Massachusetts....Home of the Illegals.


Posted by: CPT Chaos

State Police's Power To Arrest Illegal Immigrants Modified

Patrick Changes Policy Championed By Romney


POSTED: 6:09 pm EST January 11, 2007
UPDATED: 6:55 pm EST January 11, 2007

Email This Story | Print This Story
BOSTON -- Gov. Deval Patrick took steps on Thursday to reverse a controversial immigration policy championed by the Romney administration.
"I am today rescinding the agreement between the federal authorities and the commonwealth," Patrick said.
NewsCenter 5's Amalia Barreda reported that as governor-elect, Patrick promised to undo the deal his predecessor made that gave the state police the power to arrest suspected illegal immigrants. Claiming it has nothing to do with encouraging people to break the law, Patrick said opposition to the deal was solidified after conversations with state police.
"In order to deal with gun and gang violence and the importation of drugs, we know that they have to have trustful relationships with the community. If we add this additional responsibility, we are advised that this compromises that core mission," Patrick said.
Patrick announced a different agreement with federal immigration authorities to train 12 Department of Correction workers at Massachusetts Correctional Institute-Concord and Massachusetts Correctional Institute-Framingham to review the status of prison inmates convicted of crimes. Their work would include initiating deportation proceedings against illegal immigrant convicts who have fallen through the cracks.
"At this point, if somebody is a convicted criminal and the DOC is operating within the parameters of their facility, we are OK with that. We are concerned that that would extend beyond the parameters, but that's not being said," said immigrant activist Ali Noorani.
Patrick said he does believe the country needs comprehensive immigration reform but added that responsibility belongs to the Congress. Copyright 2007 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Thats quite a modification.........


Posted by: Wolfman

Quote:
"In order to deal with gun and gang violence and the importation of drugs, we know that they have to have trustful relationships with the community. If we add this additional responsibility, we are advised that this compromises that core mission," Patrick said.
Which community are you referring to, D.? Certainly not the illegal community...easy to see who's pulling your strings.


Posted by: kwflatbed

Gov: Staties won’t nab illegal aliens
By Casey Ross
Boston Herald Reporter
Friday, January 12, 2007

Conservative critics are lambasting Gov. Deval Patrick over his decision to repeal plans to use state police to arrest illegal aliens, charging that it will make the Bay State a sanctuary for people willing to ignore the nation’s immigration laws.
“It’s the type of mentality that says, ’Don’t worry if you’re here illegally, you won’t have a problem with state authorities,” said Jack Martin of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. “What has been lost by this decision is a deterrent against a fast-growing illegal immigrant community in Massachusetts.”



Gov. Deval Patrick explains yesterday that correction officers — not troopers — will take on an anti-alien role. (Staff photo by Nancy Lane)

Patrick, in one of his first key policy moves yesterday, plunged into the fiery arena of immigration policy by rescinding an agreement signed by former Gov. Mitt Romney to empower state police to detain illegal immigrants.


Patrick said he intends to replace the pact with a more limited arrangement with that will allow state correction officers to start deportation proceedings after an illegal immigrant has already been convicted of another crime. Currently, only federal officials are empowered to initiate such proceedings.


“This doesn’t have anything to do with encouraging people to continue to break the law,” Patrick said of his decision to kill Romney’s plan. “It has to do with focusing the energies of our own agencies on their core missions.”


State police Col. Mark Delaney said he agrees that Romney’s plans to use state police to detain illegal immigrants would have conflicted with goals to fight urban gang and gun violence because it could cause minority populations to avoid police altogether.


“(Patrick’s plan) puts us more in sync with major city police departments and their missions,” Delaney said.


Patrick said he will seek an agreement with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency that enforces immigration law, to train 12 correction officers to initiate deportation proceedings against illegal immigrants. The officers would be split between prisons in Concord and Framingham, the two facilities that process nearly all convicts held in state custody.


Steve Kenneway, a union leader for state correction officers, said droves of illegal immigrants are living in state prisons despite significant overcrowding. State officials put the number of illegal immigrants in state custody at 700 yesterday, which translates to annual bill for taxpayers of $ 28 million.


Patrick’s public safety secretary, Kevin Burke, said courts, along with state and federal authorities, sometimes fail to identify illegal immigrants housed in state jails, meaning the actual number could be much higher. Whatever that number is, Kenneway said, it needs to be reduced much quicker than it has been in recent years.


“It’s amazing how many illegal aliens are doing time in Massachusetts prisons right now,” he said. “The process to remove them moves extraordinarily slow or it doesn’t happen at all.”

During a press conference, Patrick said yesterday he will consider expanding the plan to country jails, but hasn’t fully explored the implications of such a move.


“I want to see how this works and I want to think through those other issues before we broaden it,” he said.


The arrangement to empower correction officers reverses the course Romney set out by preventing the state from enforcing immigration laws unless a person is first convicted of another crime. Romney’s pact would have allowed state troopers working in gang and drug units to detain illegal immigrants in the field and immediately start deportation proceedings.

Immigrant advocates said Patrick’s plan recognizes a critical distinction and helps guard against profiling that could cause minority communities to shun law enforcement.
“Communities are safer when everyone can trust the police,” said Ali Noorani of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. He added that Romney’s pact had already generated significant concerns among immigrant communities before it was repealed. “It had a chilling effect. People had serious reservations about calling the police.”
Republican lawmakers said, however, that Patrick’s move sends a dangerous signal and will only cause more taxpayer dollars to be spent to detain, house and care for illegal immigrants.
“It’s much more cost effective to initiate deportation proceedings at the beginning of the court process rather than after we’ve already housed them for a number of years,” said state Sen. Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). “This is a step backward.”


Posted by: MSP75

Every illegal should have a chance to commit a major crime against another person before the deportation process starts.
Thanks to everyone who voted for Comrade Deval!!!


Posted by: County 5-0

"During a press conference, Patrick said yesterday he will consider expanding the plan to county jails, but hasn’t fully explored the implications of such a move.

“I want to see how this works and I want to think through those other issues before we broaden it,” he said.

The arrangement to empower correction officers reverses the course Romney set out by preventing the state from enforcing immigration laws unless a person is first convicted of another crime. Romney’s pact would have allowed state troopers working in gang and drug units to detain illegal immigrants in the field and immediately start deportation proceedings.

He's forsaken the SP for county sheriff's - Where will this go and what else is in store for the great commonwealth?


Posted by: jettsixx

Am I reading this right, they dont get deported until after they have been convicted of a crime? Ok that must make sense to a politician


Posted by: kwflatbed

Quote:
Originally Posted by jettsixx
Am I reading this right, they dont get deported until after they have been convicted of a crime? Ok that must make sense to a politician
And they never will be convicted in a Patrick run court.


Posted by: USMCTrooper

Quote:
Originally Posted by kwflatbed

WE WANT YOU!

TO LIVE HERE ILLEGALLY IN MASSACHUSETTS
A new promotional campaign by the new Governor of Massachusetts unveiled its ads today. A spokesman for the administration said today not only has an agreement to allow State Police to detain illegal aliens been rescinded, but a new program has been developed to welcome illegal aliens in the state. "It's called the Safe Haven Illegal Towns initiative, or SHIT for short." This plan is by far the broadest welcome to illegal alien activity of any state in America. When asked about the plan, the administration spokesman said "Its about time the rest of America come onboard. We want to be the leaders on welcoming illegal aliens to our towns. I think by making this plan the rest of America will see we are full of SHIT. When they think of Massachusetts they will think of SHIT."


Posted by: Vader

Quote:
Originally Posted by County 5-0
"During a press conference, Patrick said yesterday he will consider expanding the plan to county jails, but hasn’t fully explored the implications of such a move.

“I want to see how this works and I want to think through those other issues before we broaden it,” he said.

The arrangement to empower correction officers reverses the course Romney set out by preventing the state from enforcing immigration laws unless a person is first convicted of another crime. Romney’s pact would have allowed state troopers working in gang and drug units to detain illegal immigrants in the field and immediately start deportation proceedings.

He's forsaken the SP for county sheriff's - Where will this go and what else is in store for the great commonwealth?
Are you guys making your checks directly out to Deval now...or do you still have to go through your corrupt boss???


Posted by: jpc

Are you troopers too busy to be bothered with the illegals as The Devil says, or did someone from your outfit actually tell him that?


Posted by: PBC FL Cop

Friday, January 12, 2007

Patrick rescinds Romney’s illegal immigrant policies
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOSTON— Gov. Deval L. Patrick said yesterday he was rescinding a Romney administration agreement allowing Massachusetts State Police troopers to arrest illegal immigrants, and replacing it with a state initiative to deport convicted criminals serving in state prisons.

The new governor said the shift would free troopers to focus on gun, gang and drug crime, while removing problematic illegal aliens from the state after they serve their prison sentences. Former Gov. Mitt Romney, who is considering a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, announced the alternative agreement just before leaving office.

No one had been arrested under the new program because the troopers had not completed their training.

“I think that strikes the right balance between our responsibility to assure public safety and our responsibility to respond to the concerns about illegal immigration,” Patrick said during his first Statehouse news conference.

Public Safety Secretary Kevin M. Burke said that while the state police had accepted the increased duties, agency leaders told him they expected it would detract from their core law enforcement mission. Patrick also said it could compromise troopers’ ability to gather intelligence and solve crimes in immigrant communities.

Under the agreement yet to be negotiated, some 12 state Department of Correction workers, operating out of the prison-classification centers at Concord (for men) and Framingham (for women), would review the immigration status of convicts and consider them for deportation.

Burke, who will negotiate the new agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, estimated there are 700 illegal immigrants now in state custody. Officials said the state could begin reviewing their cases — as well as those of new convicts — once the agreement is executed and workers are trained.


Posted by: jpc

I guess I was wondering how our troopers here feel about it.


Posted by: SinePari

Quote:
Originally Posted by jpc
I guess I was wondering how our troopers here feel about it.
Business as usual here in the People's Republik. Even my wife asked who the f*ck voted for this guy?

So...lemme get this straight. A CO who's federally trained in immigration laws will have the ability to start the deportation process? Hmm, a CO sees the same couple of hundred sentenced inmates every day, and a patrol officer sees a couple of hundred new faces every month. That's not a prudent deployment of assets.


Posted by: jpc

Do you think you guys could handle the added burden, or would you need additional manpower?


Posted by: JoninNH

God Save the Commonwealth.


Posted by: MSP75

Who voted for deval? We know who the certain unions were. Did you vote as your union E-Boards voted?


Posted by: K9Vinny

I told you so.

Quote:
Originally Posted by K9Vinny
Sorry, but I feel the need to chime in. Be forewarned, that processing an illegal will take you ALL DAY (I know). The 4 -5 weeks of immigration training isn't so much to teach you how to recognize an illegal alien. That can be taught in less than a day, for the most part, if you can't figure that out for yourself already. The rest of the training is to teach the trooper/p.o. how to PROCESS the alien for removal. The motto is: You catch em, you clean em. For those who untertake the 287g program, your head will spin with disbelief when you realize the paperwork involved to write up a simple alien. Again, it will take up most of your shift to do, just a forewarning. Yes, a pinch is a pinch, but don't think that you can just drive out there, identify a couple aliens standing on the corner, arrest them, and turn them over to ICE. These couple aliens still need to be processed, and that takes up a whole shift, whether it be the trooper's time or an ICE agent's time. If you expect the ICE agent to take the alien off your hands, that is the same situation we are in today without the additional authority for MSP. The purpose of the program is to have the non fed agency process most of the paperwork, not just have fun out there catching illegals and dropping them off. That is not going to happen; there simply isn't the resources to handle that.

Concerning the topic of this thread, the program that all the hoopla is about is 287g. The major purpose of 287g authority to non federal agencies is so that the non feds can address some of the overload that ICE cannot get to. Other existing programs from other states are tackling this, but much of the work is done inside the jails, by sheriff's department employees (identifying illegals, processing them for removal, and getting them set up to be deported when they are done with their sentences). Although the first post was made in jest, the likelihood of the Sheriff's Departments utilizing this program is actually more realistic than you might think. Mark my words.

IMO, the more the merrier, and it has been a long time coming, and any help is welcomed by the outrageously understaffed ICE.



Posted by: j809

I don't really see the big deal. You as a street officer, already can arrest, check INS status and detain these people and call ICE and they will pickup. Let the DOC, Sheriffs deal with them at the prison and we still continue to deal with them as police officers.


Posted by: K9Vinny

In addition, any street officer can arrest a previously deported alien who has been convicted of an aggravated felony (NCIC/III will tell you to confirm a warrant with ICE in Vermont and III should tell you if the alien has a previous INS/Border Patrol/ICE arrest). Kinda treat it as a warrant arrest, or a felony arrest made under the color of law.


Posted by: phuzz01

Quote:
Originally Posted by j809
check INS status and detain these people and call ICE and they will pickup.
Umm, no they won't. Every time I have had an illegal, I have called ICE and they have said "yep, he's illegal, but we're not interested." In fact, I've had FIVE illegals in one car, and ICE still wouldn't come pick up.


Posted by: j809

Yes, depends on the circumstances. They won't come out for an unlicensed, but I got some that were previously deported, and for a felony, or oui they came for them.




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