Napolitano Retreads Tired "Criminal Alien" Track

Published January 29, 2009 @ 08:51PM PT

New DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano is starting to set priorities and give the public an idea of what she'll focus on as head of the agency.

If you're a criminal and you're not entitled to be in the United States, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano wants you out of the country. Napolitano wants what she calls "criminal aliens" off American streets. She is looking at existing immigration enforcement programs to see if taxpayers are getting the most bang for their buck.

"That sounds very simple, but it's historically not been done," Napolitano said, speaking to reporters and senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials Thursday.

About 113,000 criminals who were in the U.S. illegally were deported last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. The agency estimates there are now as many as 450,000 criminals in federal, state and local detention centers who are in the country illegally.

As the law stands now, some of the "criminal aliens" that Napolitano wants to deport could include:

Someone who shoplifted years ago and is now married to a U.S. citizen.

An elderly black man who has lived here since the 1960s, has adult U.S. citizen children and U.S. citizen grandchildren, but was arrested in his youth by a much more racist NYPD.

A longtime permanent resident convicted of "attempted possession" of a controlled substance 20 years ago who has a U.S. citizen wife and U.S. citizen children.

Someone who was never been arrested or convicted of any crime, but who mentioned to the officer at his green card interview that he had on occasion smoked pot as a kid.

Someone whose spouse filed bogus protection orders against him/her during a contentious divorce.

So, Secretary Napolitano, let's start rounding them up! These criminal aliens are shredding the fabric of our law-abiding society--they've got to go! Families or no, what's important is that we get these people off our streets (out of their living rooms) and into our jails.

We've heard this before:

ICE is identifying and arresting those who pose a very real threat to public safety on our roads and highways. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to take those criminal illegal aliens who have no legal right to remain here out of our communities and off our streets.

Former DHS Secretary Chertoff, 2006

But Napolitano seems to think the only problem with this approach is that it wasn't pursued vigorously enough by her predecessor ("That sounds very simple, but it's historically not been done.").

My friends, that's not change we can believe in.

Share this Post

Comments (11)

Why does deportation of all illegal aliens remind me so much of the Spanish inquisition of 1492?
Basically Spain being Catholic and all decided to kick out all the Jews and Muslims out kicking the majority of the middle class thus going from the top empire of the 15th century to its demise.

Posted by Jae H on 01/29/2009 @ 09:48PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Jae
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
"an elderly black man who has lived here since the 1960s, has adult U.S. citizen children and U.S. citizen grandchildren, but was arrested in his youth by a much more racist NYPD."

is she forreal?

Posted by paulo santiago on 01/29/2009 @ 11:09PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by paulo
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
Relax, this an appointee, of the most liberal president in history, bless his heart. This statement is just a bunch of words thrown out there to make the gullible think she cares about this issue. Over the next 8 years You will see the border system completely dismantled.

Posted by Charlie Reed on 01/30/2009 @ 06:12AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Charlie
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
reinstate the 245I so that families who are not criminals and have no record of criminal activity can remain with their families. Would you like to be separated from your family. If there are fines to pay so be it but stop the families from being separated

Posted by gloria whitely on 01/31/2009 @ 03:14PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by gloria
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
That was a perfectly valid question Dave.

Posted by E F on 02/01/2009 @ 01:40PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by E
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
There should not be fines to stay with your family. If there, are people should pitch in and pay it for them as a form of protest.

Posted by Charlie Reed on 02/02/2009 @ 04:37AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Charlie
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
I am a Native American Indian, my husband is from Mexico. We are on the waiting list for a visa. He is still here, but there are no guarantees that he will make it home at night. Me and our four children need him. We are a happy family and we never bother anyone. To me it is an excuse to be racist. Many people think that Indian people don't exist anymore, but we are still here hiding in the shadows. We don't look white or black, and most often are labeled as 'hispanic' unless we inform people otherwise. There are alot of other people who are in my same boat Indian people who are married to undocumented immigrants. Most people stay on the reservations to escape the risk of racial profiling. Can you believe that someone had the odasity to ask my mom if she had papers? She's Cherokee!

Posted by J Ceballos on 02/03/2009 @ 10:29AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by J
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
This whole deal reminds me of the trail of tears. All about money and jobs. I can hear them now..."there's gold in them thar hills....!"

Posted by J Ceballos on 02/03/2009 @ 10:30AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by J
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
Laurita wants to know ... what is being done to protect our young Americans from Joe Arpaio? They are not criminals! They did not make the choice to cross the border. This is the only home they know. They have done everything right and the best they can possibly do under their circumstances. As a teacher, I cannot bear the the thought of these precious young people being swept up in raids and roundups that, from my perpective, can be compared only to those which swept up Jewish children in WWII. Is this Obama's America?

Posted by Laurita Moore on 02/03/2009 @ 09:07PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Laurita
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
Pass the DREAM Act Now! please

Posted by Laurita Moore on 02/03/2009 @ 09:09PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Laurita
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
I think that if we all protested enough, something would change. I joked with my husband the other day that if all the Indian women who had immigrant husbands went to the biggest city we could find wearing feathers and holding signs, coupled with all the others in our case, just to do a silent protest. Maybe it would stir enough attention to prove that this truely is an issue of human rights.

Posted by J Ceballos on 02/05/2009 @ 09:49AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by J
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply

Add a Comment

For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

Comment

Check Spelling

Email me when there are new posts to this thread
Comment Policy

Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the ideas covered in the posts. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; that contain ad hominem attacks; or that are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion.

Author

David is an attorney in Philadelphia, PA, where he helps immigrants to the U.S. navigate the complex immigration legal system. Views he expresses at change.org are his alone and don't represent the views or opinions of his employer, Nationalities Service Center. The information contained on this site is intended for educational and advocacy purposes only.