Danbury gets 287(g) approval
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- August
- 11
The city of Danbury has been approved to participate in the 287(g) program. City officials announced this week they received a memorandum of agreement that would allow its police department to enter into a partnership with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
The program will provide some Danbury police officers with federal training to enforce immigration laws. Danbury officials voted in favor of the measure in February 2008. At the time, some local businesses protested the partnership, shutting their doors for a day.
Earlier this summer, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that the 287(g) program would receive an overhaul and that it would specifically target illegal immigrants who pose a criminal threat.
To read more about the Danbury/ICE partnership, check out the Danbury News-Times story here.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 at 4:05 pm by Marcela Rojas.
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Hip hip hoooray!!!! a town with brains. Now let’s do this with everytown in this country before America turns into
a cess pool. we are well on our way. Gee i wonder how many
illegals will benefit from Spano’s affordable housing plan?
Civil vs. Criminal Violations
Some local law enforcement officials have expressed concern in that their officers may not enforce Federal immigration law because illegal aliens have not committed a felony and, as such, the local officers may not have the authority. In fact, this distinction is irrelevant since the courts have agreed that state and local police have inherent authority to enforce all federal immigration laws against violators, whether the violation is a civil or a criminal offense.
That being said, the only instance in which illegal immigration is a civil, rather than criminal, violation is when an alien either overstays his/her legal visa or violates the terms of his/her visa. However, if that alien then obtains employment, a criminal act has been committed – most often by the alien (presentation to the prospective employer of an expired, fake, stolen, or altered document), but sometimes by the employer (failure to comply with the I-9 process). So, most illegal aliens – even overstays – have committed a criminal violation.
Misdemeanor vs. Felony
The first time an alien crosses the border illegally, he or she is guilty of a misdemeanor. The second and subsequent times constitute felonies. Both are criminal violations. The only distinction between a misdemeanor and a felony offense is the length of potential jail time; any crime punishable with up to one year’s imprisonment is a misdemeanor, while an offense punishable with more than one year is a felony.
Ed Kowalski
9/11 Families For A Secure America
Any truth to the word around town that St, Johns Church in Mahopac has offered it basement to the day labories as a work station for them to be picked up in the AM.