Immigration Policy

[Zarathud]

Some family values right there, rejecting a citizen’s interest in falling in love and marrying a non-citizen. Because you should be hating foreigners.

Deplorable wasn’t a strong enough word.

[Smoove_B]

New day. new costume for Meet the Press:

During a Sunday interview on Meet the Press, host Kristen Welker asked Noem about President Donald Trump's plan to expand Gitmo detention facilities for immigrants and migrants.

"There are a lot of questions about the announcement this week that Guantanamo Bay will be used as a detention facility for migrants," Welker noted.

"We've always had a presence of illegal immigrants there that have been detained," Noem said. "We're just building out some capacity."

"Is it possible, Madam Secretary, that people could be held at Guantanamo Bay indefinitely?" Welker wondered.

The clincher:

"Could women, children, and families be held there at Guantanamo?" Welker pressed.

"You know, if you look at what we are doing today is targeting the worst of the worst," Noem dodged again. "The priority of this president is to go after criminal aliens that are making our streets more dangerous."

So that's a yes.

[$iljanus]

Well, as the old saying goes to justify this sort of thing...

"Nits make lice"

[Smoove_B]

This is fine:

Texas National Guardsmen are now authorized to make immigration arrests at the border, based on an agreement between the state and the Trump administration.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Friday. The memo was released Sunday, and according to the governor, arrests can be made, "effective immediately."

The guardsmen are required to be accompanied by Border Patrol agents.

"This boosts manpower for border security," Abbott wrote in a post on social media to describe the collaboration between the CBP and the Texas National Guard.

[Max Peck]

What's the over/under on days until there's a skirmish between Mexican and Cowboy border patrols?

[LawBeefaroni]

What's the over/under on days until there's a skirmish between Mexican and Cowboy border patrols?

I think a friendly fire incident is more likely.

[Smoove_B]

It's happening already:

The United States started flying undocumented migrants out to Guantanamo Bay on Tuesday under President Donald Trump's mass deportation plan.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed during an appearance on the Fox Business Network the first deportation flights to the notorious detention center were underway today.

"President Trump is not messing around, and he's no longer going to allow America to be a dumping ground for illegal criminals from nations all over this world," she said.

And just like that, people start disappearing.

[Unagi]

This is where the US sends people to hide them from lawyers.

[Smoove_B]

Can you imagine the headlines on Fox News if Biden was doing this:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is releasing some migrant detainees, in some cases dozens per day, as space in its detention system has exceeded maximum capacity amid a spike in arrests by the agency under President Trump, internal government statistics obtained by CBS News show.

On Tuesday morning, space inside ICE detention facilities was at 109% capacity, with the agency holding close to 42,000 migrant detainees, despite having, on paper, a 38,521-bed capacity in its network of for-profit prisons and county jails, according to the internal Department of Homeland Security data. More than half of those in ICE custody were initially arrested along the southern border, the figures show.

On Monday, ICE released roughly 160 migrants from its custody, the figures show, an indication that the Trump administration, faced with the same operational and legal challenges on immigration enforcement that have bedeviled Democratic and Republican presidents, is being forced to release some detainees. Those released can be fitted by ICE with ankle monitors, to track their movements.

Catch and release under Trump!

But seriously, this feels like it will be justification to just...deal with them in other ways.

[Kraken]

Who says they're entitled to a bed?

[Max Peck]

If those numbers are correct, then the build-out in Gitmo will nearly double their holding capacity. At any rate it explains why they're so eager to ship detainees and convicts to third party countries, like gaoler-for-hire El Salvador.

The mega-jail, also known as Cecot (short for Terrorism Confinement Centre), has become emblematic of Bukele's iron-fist approach to crime and punishment.

The maximum-security prison, one of the largest in Latin America, opened in January 2023 and can house 40,000 inmates, according to government figures.

Inmates are confined to windowless cells, sleep on bare metal bunks and are constantly monitored by armed guards - some of whom watch over them from atop the lattice ceiling.

BBC News Mundo's Leire Ventas, who was allowed to take an official tour of the facility last year after the BBC had repeatedly asked for access, described how temperatures in the cells would reach 35C.

With access to the prison severely restricted and journalists only allowed on occasional and carefully choreographed official tours, the number of inmates per cell is not clear.

Some rights groups put it at 80 prisoners while others say it can go up to more than 150.

Asked by our journalist what the maximum capacity was, the prison's director responded "where you can fit 10 people, you can fit 20".

So if they say it can hold 40k, I guess that means they can jam in at least 80k.

[hepcat]

Oh wonderful, now the Deplorables are just arresting anyone who isn't white while pretending to be ICE.

n South Carolina, Sean-Michael Johnson, 33, was charged with kidnapping and impersonating a police officer after allegedly detaining a group of Latino men along a Charleston County road. Johnson is accused of “willfully and unlawfully presenting himself as an ICE Agent and detaining a vehicle of individuals from moving,” according to court records.

The incident, which was recorded by one of the victims, took place on Sullivan’s Island near Charleston on January 29.

“You all got caught!” Johnson is heard saying on the video. “Where are you from, Mexico? You from Mexico? You’re going back to Mexico!”

In the video, Johnson is seen taking the driver’s keys, mocking the driver’s accent, while jiggling the car keys in his face. At one point he is seen trying to take the driver’s phone.

The driver calls a friend and, speaking Spanish, says, “I don’t know man, he’s saying immigration.”

“Now don’t be speaking that pig-Latin in my f**king country!” Johnson says, knocking the phone out of his hand.

“He’s crazy. He’s a racist, man,” one of the passengers in the vehicle, another victim, can be heard saying in Spanish.

[Smoove_B]

It's like he heard about the proposed bounty hunting law in Missouri and thought, hey that's a great idea - I'll just do that in South Carolina, today.

[$iljanus]

Oh wonderful, now the Deplorables are just arresting anyone who isn't white while pretending to be ICE.

n South Carolina, Sean-Michael Johnson, 33, was charged with kidnapping and impersonating a police officer after allegedly detaining a group of Latino men along a Charleston County road. Johnson is accused of “willfully and unlawfully presenting himself as an ICE Agent and detaining a vehicle of individuals from moving,” according to court records.

The incident, which was recorded by one of the victims, took place on Sullivan’s Island near Charleston on January 29.

“You all got caught!” Johnson is heard saying on the video. “Where are you from, Mexico? You from Mexico? You’re going back to Mexico!”

In the video, Johnson is seen taking the driver’s keys, mocking the driver’s accent, while jiggling the car keys in his face. At one point he is seen trying to take the driver’s phone.

The driver calls a friend and, speaking Spanish, says, “I don’t know man, he’s saying immigration.”

“Now don’t be speaking that pig-Latin in my f**king country!” Johnson says, knocking the phone out of his hand.

“He’s crazy. He’s a racist, man,” one of the passengers in the vehicle, another victim, can be heard saying in Spanish.

Johnson bonded out of jail over the weekend, and in a court appearance Saturday his family pleaded with the judge, saying that their son has mental health issues and “has tried to get help” in the past, “but he needs to continue with that therapy,” according to CNN affiliate WCIV.

Oh, well then he’s just a misguided fella who needs compassion and forgiveness. Besides, what if those “victims” really were illegals? Did anyone do a background check to make sure?

[hepcat]

What I'm waiting for is one of these assholes to be brought up on forcible detention charges, which would make it a class 4 felony, I believe. Spend a decade or two in jail for this shit.

[Max Peck]

What I'm waiting for is one of these assholes to be brought up on forcible detention charges, which would make it a class 4 felony, I believe. Spend a decade or two in jail for this shit.

<cough>Pardon. Presidential Medal of Freedom.</cough>

[hepcat]

Side note: At some point we're going to have a stand off between Trump and the Supreme Court over his actions (I'm going with the scenario that Trump would pardon someone for doing something like pardoning someone for unlawful restraint against a citizen). I think we're already seeing the SC bump back against some of his actions. They're conservative majority, sure. But what Trump and his lackeys/cult members are is NOT the conservative brand they particularly agree with/come from. Trump can go through his less than honorable lackeys in Congress to get an SC removed, but I would imagine that's more work than he'd like. Which in turn might result in Trump just deciding unilaterally to dump an SC or two. That would trigger an interesting battle.

[raydude]

Side note: At some point we're going to have a stand off between Trump and the Supreme Court over his actions (I'm going with the scenario that Trump would pardon someone for doing something like pardoning someone for unlawful restraint against a citizen). I think we're already seeing the SC bump back against some of his actions. They're conservative majority, sure. But what Trump and his lackeys/cult members are is NOT the conservative brand they particularly agree with/come from. Trump can go through his less than honorable lackeys in Congress to get an SC removed, but I would imagine that's more work than he'd like. Which in turn might result in Trump just deciding unilaterally to dump an SC or two. That would trigger an interesting battle.

How does one dump a SC justice? I thought it was their decision to stay or leave?

[hepcat]

Only Congress has the authority to remove an Article III judge. This is done through a vote of impeachment by the House and a trial and conviction by the Senate. As of September 2017, only 15 federal judges have been impeached, and only eight have been convicted.

[Max Peck]

"Will no one rid me of this turbulent judge?" would probably do the job nicely. It's worked for kings before.

[Smoove_B]

Trump administration suing Chicago:

The Trump administration is suing the city of Chicago, Cook County and the state of Illinois over sanctuary laws that prohibit local law enforcement from aiding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in arresting undocumented immigrants.

...

The Justice Department suit claims that local laws impede the federal government from enforcing federal immigration law.

The complaint says the local laws are "designed to and in fact interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government's enforcement of federal immigration law in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution."

Party of small government and "states rights" strikes again.

[hepcat]

If there's one thing our governor isn't afraid of, it's Trump. Our mayor in Chicago though I'm still not sure about.

[LawBeefaroni]

If there's one thing our governor isn't afraid of, it's Trump. Our mayor in Chicago though I'm still not sure about.

As much as I don't like JB, I'd tend to agree. Except remember that he is solidly in the billionaire class so no guarantees.

BJ, on the other hand, is probably trying to figure out what he can get personally out of this. He would be way beyond his ability to fight it.

Preckwinkle, no idea there.

[hepcat]

As much as I thought Lightfoot was too unlikable to be a politician, I do think she would have put her boot on Trump's neck with glee if given the chance.

[Smoove_B]

Apparently US Border Patrol will be randomly stopping school busses in parts of TX to verify (checks notes) kids have the correct documentation.

The Alice Independent School District, located near Corpus Christi, has issued a letter to parents of students involved in extracurricular activities and sports, warning of potential encounters with U.S. Border Patrol agents at highway checkpoints.

"We have received information that U.S. Border Patrol agents may be boarding school buses at highway checkpoints in and out of the Valley to question students about their citizenship status," said district officials in the letter.

What the fuck is even happening.

[Alefroth]

Straight up disinformation-

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... ons-google

Thousands of press releases about decade-old enforcement actions topped search results, all updated with a timestamp from after Trump’s inauguration

News of mass immigration arrests has swept across the US over the past couple of weeks. Reports from Massachusetts to Idaho have described agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) spreading through communities and rounding people up. Quick Google searches for Ice operations, raids and arrests return a deluge of government press releases. Headlines include “ICE arrests 85 during 4-day Colorado operation”, “New Orleans focuses targeted operations on 123 criminal noncitizens”, and in Wisconsin, “ICE arrests 83 criminal aliens”.

But a closer look at these Ice reports tells a different story.

[LordMortis]

Canada trying to stop people fleeing the US.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/on ... r-AA1yvnd1

Canadian police on Wednesday said one person died and 15 were arrested trying to enter Canada from the United States in three incidents in recent weeks.

The police also highlighted efforts to secure the border as US President Donald Trump demands a crackdown.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Lisa Moreland, while speaking at a televised news conference, said the people were of different nationalities and not prepared for the frigid Canadian winter, adding that no fentanyl was found.

Their details were not released because of privacy laws.

[LordMortis]

Straight up disinformation-

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... ons-google

Thousands of press releases about decade-old enforcement actions topped search results, all updated with a timestamp from after Trump’s inauguration

News of mass immigration arrests has swept across the US over the past couple of weeks. Reports from Massachusetts to Idaho have described agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) spreading through communities and rounding people up. Quick Google searches for Ice operations, raids and arrests return a deluge of government press releases. Headlines include “ICE arrests 85 during 4-day Colorado operation”, “New Orleans focuses targeted operations on 123 criminal noncitizens”, and in Wisconsin, “ICE arrests 83 criminal aliens”.

But a closer look at these Ice reports tells a different story.

Well that's no good. I was curious about the news on such things and now there is yet another reason to at google searches.

[Max Peck]

Canada trying to stop people fleeing the US.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/on ... r-AA1yvnd1

Canadian police on Wednesday said one person died and 15 were arrested trying to enter Canada from the United States in three incidents in recent weeks.

The police also highlighted efforts to secure the border as US President Donald Trump demands a crackdown.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Lisa Moreland, while speaking at a televised news conference, said the people were of different nationalities and not prepared for the frigid Canadian winter, adding that no fentanyl was found.

Their details were not released because of privacy laws.

I haven't seen the details, but I'd guess one or two of these incidents were migrants that were trafficked through the US, not anyone fleeing from the US as such. This sort of thing has been happening for years, and often ends badly because they try to walk across the border out in the boonies in the dead of winter without proper clothing.

As for what was up with the guy who shot himself after a police chase, I have no idea.

[Isgrimnur]

Border Patrol chief calls report that agents will board buses to check students’ citizenship “absurd”

The Alice Independent School District in South Texas warned parents in a letter Wednesday that U.S. Border Patrol agents may be checking the immigration status of students on school buses traveling for extracurricular activities — then pulled the letter down. The Border Patrol's chief on Thursday said agents would not board school buses to check papers.
...
The school district later removed the letter from its Facebook page and its website. A spokesperson for the school district didn't immediately answer emailed questions from the Tribune Thursday morning.

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks on Thursday morning told a Fox & Friends host that Border Patrol agents are not going to "target school buses and children ... It's absurd." He added that he is considering not communicating to journalists about Border Patrol operations because he believes there has been a lot of incorrect information reported.

[Smoove_B]

Good to know that sunlight still disinfects.

[Alefroth]

Straight up disinformation-

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... ons-google

Thousands of press releases about decade-old enforcement actions topped search results, all updated with a timestamp from after Trump’s inauguration

News of mass immigration arrests has swept across the US over the past couple of weeks. Reports from Massachusetts to Idaho have described agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) spreading through communities and rounding people up. Quick Google searches for Ice operations, raids and arrests return a deluge of government press releases. Headlines include “ICE arrests 85 during 4-day Colorado operation”, “New Orleans focuses targeted operations on 123 criminal noncitizens”, and in Wisconsin, “ICE arrests 83 criminal aliens”.

But a closer look at these Ice reports tells a different story.

Well that's no good. I was curious about the news on such things and now there is yet another reason to at google searches.

My wife Googled 'why is ICE releasing old reports as new' and one of the hits was how to report someone to ICE.

[Smoove_B]

Here's the new proposal for mass deportations to ramp up - "processing camps" and "private citizen army":

A group of prominent military contractors, including former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince, has pitched the Trump White House on a proposal to carry out mass deportations through a network of “processing camps” on military bases, a private fleet of 100 planes, and a “small army” of private citizens empowered to make arrests.

The blueprint — laid out in a 26-page document President Donald Trump’s advisers received before the inauguration — carries an estimated price tag of $25 billion and recommends a range of aggressive tactics to rapidly deport 12 million people before the 2026 midterms, including some that would likely face legal and operational challenges, according to a copy obtained by POLITICO.

...

Deporting 12 million people in two years “would require the government to eject nearly 500,000 illegal aliens per month,” the document says. “To keep pace with the Trump deportations, it would require a 600% increase in activity. It is unlikely that the government could swell its internal ranks to keep pace with this demand …in order to process this enormous number of deportations, the government should enlist outside assistance.”

Note:

If the Trump administration moved forward with the bid, the group would be entering an already well-established and competitive network of contractors used by ICE. There are, however, rules in place to ensure the government is using taxpayer dollars in the most cost-effective and efficient manner. But Prince’s effort is designed to perform the entire mass deportations operation without a competitive bidding process. The White House could potentially use its declaration of a national emergency to attempt to avoid that process.

[hepcat]

If there's one thing history has taught us, it's that arming civilians without military training and telling them they have even a modicum of authority always ends well.

[Victoria Raverna]

An effective deterrent against immigration from Mexico:

Mexico has issued a warning to its citizens asking them not to travel to Texas and seven other states in the U.S. due to a measles outbreak.

[LawBeefaroni]

If there's one thing history has taught us, it's that arming civilians without military training and telling them they have even a modicum of authority always ends well.

With or without military training. Military training doesn't really prepare someone for domestic law enforcement.

This is just a way to avoid the Posse Comitatus Act and deploy a military force domestically.


Also worth noting that the new Trump appointed administrator of NASA owns "the largest fleet of privately owned former military tactical jet aircraft in the world." The empire building continues.

[Smoove_B]

Kinda feels like Trump bragging about disappearing a legal resident should be bigger news

[His attorney] said they initially did not know Khalil's whereabouts following his arrest. His wife, who is eight months pregnant and a U.S. citizen, was unable to find him at an ICE facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where he was purportedly transferred, Greer said -- adding that he might have been transferred to Louisiana.

An attorney for Khalil confirmed to ABC News on Monday that he's currently being held at a detention facility in Jena, Louisiana.

Yes, its rooted in immigration but this is about retaliation against anyone saying things he doesn't like.

[$iljanus]

Kinda feels like Trump bragging about disappearing a legal resident should be bigger news

[His attorney] said they initially did not know Khalil's whereabouts following his arrest. His wife, who is eight months pregnant and a U.S. citizen, was unable to find him at an ICE facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where he was purportedly transferred, Greer said -- adding that he might have been transferred to Louisiana.

An attorney for Khalil confirmed to ABC News on Monday that he's currently being held at a detention facility in Jena, Louisiana.

Yes, its rooted in immigration but this is about retaliation against anyone saying things he doesn't like.

Yup. The cruelty is on display jailing him far from his home and pregnant wife. Surprised they didn't send him to Gitmo where those of his ilk are usually sent.

[Isgrimnur]

They probably couldn't get flight clearance fast enough.

Judge temporarily blocks effort to deport Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia student protests

A federal judge in New York has blocked any efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia university graduate and Palestinian activist who was arrested Saturday night until a conference Wednesday, according to court documents.

It’s unclear if he will appear in court on Wednesday.

“To preserve the Court’s jurisdiction pending a ruling on the petition, Petitioner shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the Court orders otherwise,” the Monday filing said.

[Max Peck]

This seems like a missed opportunity for Leon to have the app rolled into Xitter and rebranded as Xamerican™.

US rebrands immigration app to CBP Home with ‘self-deport’ function

On day one of his presidency, Donald Trump issued a directive abruptly ending the government’s use of CBP One – an online application that had served as the primary means for people at the southern border to apply for asylum in the US. On Monday, the administration announced it has reimagined the app as a platform for “self-deportation”.

Kristi Noem, the secretary of Homeland Security, announced that the app had been rebranded as “CBP Home” and that anyone with the old CBP One app would be redirected to the new version.

“The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self-deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream,” Noem said. “If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that the app’s “self-deportation functionality is part of a larger $200m domestic and international ad campaign” which they said it a way to encourage undocumented immigrants to ‘Stay Out and Leave Now’.”

It’s unclear who would actually use the new CBP Home app to “self-deport”. The phrase has long been used to describe the idea that life in the US can be made so unbearable for immigrants that they will choose to leave voluntarily.

“Immigrant community members should be wary of any promises made by those encouraging them to ‘self-deport’ and instead carefully examine their legal options with trusted advisers,” said Laura Rivera, senior staff attorney at Just Futures Law. “This move reflects Trump’s cynical strategy to flood the zone with messaging that creates fear among immigrant communities while currying favor with his base.”