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When officers come across illegals in their day to day patrol, they should just notify ICE. If local police arrest a illegal for a crime, then ICE should start deportation procedures immediately.
The local police can't go around rounding up illegals. It would end up taking up to much of their time.

We just arrested two illegal aliens, one for stealing identities. She came into this country on a visa and never left. Allegedly part of an organized crime group, she had an ID from one state, ahead of law enforcement from another state and giving a false address in this state. ICE was not interested in her or many of the illegal aliens that we as local law enforcement deal with. I wish I could say that this is a rare occurrence but it is not. While I would not want to deal exclusively with immigration; when people commit crimes or have a criminal background in their country, local/state law enforcement should be able to take them into custody and ICE should be required to take action.

I wish I could give you a definitive answer to the problem. I'm a Customs and Border Protection Officer at the Northern Border between Canada and the US. CBP, who I work for is restricted to the footprint of the border crossing. Border Patrol, is stretched very thin patrols between the designated bordr crossings. It is frustrating, say when we process a van load of 10 -12 illegals and give them a notice to appear before an immigration judge for a hearing. Imagine 8-10 hours of finger printing, photographing, interviewing, and print a few forms and say have a good day...

Like anyone else, if they commit a crime, bust them, send them to court, and to jail. The real problem is Congress not giving us the resources and ability to take the right actions.

Just this humble public servant's opinion.

Most of our units just site them and call someone to come pick them up. We used to arrest them and call Homeland Security just to be told that there was nothing they could do.You waste more time than its worth.

It's my personal experience that ICE won't come out and deal with these individuals unless it's a major crime. They're so busy and short staffed that for a petty crime or an ID after a minor traffic stop, they're willing to let it go. (at least in the cases I've been involved in) That being said, I don't want anything to do with policing immigration laws. We have enough to deal with and I feel that giving local jurisdictions that power will open pandora's box to many other issues.

True, like everyone else, we're understaffed, and if ICE isn't going to do their part, then there's no point in us wasting our time, but I don't see the point of having immigration laws if they aren't going to be enforced. I agree that we would have to restrict ourselves to enforcing immigration laws when the violation is in connection to serious crimes, to avoid overloading ourselves, but it seems like that isn't even getting done. The consular ID thing was just an example of something that frustrates the hell out of me, as the husband of a legal immigrant, who got hostile treatment from USCIS.

As for the part about wondering, "legal or illegal?" here in Texas, it's more like, "speak English or not speak English?" and if the answer is "not speak English" it's all but a given that they are illegal. I know that might sound un-PC, but that has been my experience. I have yet to meet an illegal alien that spoke more than a few words of English, or a legal resident under 70 (grandparent's brought over by their children) who couldn't speak relatively well.

I guess I just have a problem with political laws (ones that politicians make to look tuff on an issue, but refuse to support enough for effective enforcement). If we have a law, we should enforce it. If we're not gonna enforce it, trash it. Like our wonderful Texas law of "Homosexual conduct." The ninnys down in Austin refuse to wipe it off the books, because they're afraid that their gay-bashing constituants will kick them out of office, even though the law is unconstitutional.

The short answer is, I think we should clarify the laws on immigration (and everything else for that matter), then enforce them.

I am a Deportation Officer for ICE. I am one of few. We are extremely under staffed. The Deportation Unit just took over many areas of the Immigration field due to the shortage of Special Agents in our investigative units. The local PD has been awesome in my area, I cover a large portion of my State. I am one officer for 5 counties. The state PD and local PD work along side us on many raids and fugitive round ups. It is however difficult when the field is so undermanned and the media is down your back on how horrible immigration is and how we wreck homes , destroy lives etc., or when there is no bed space to house everyone that you have arrested so you must let them go with paperwork to see the judge and only keep the criminals. I wish I could deport everyone but I can't. I have various Judges with different views that may let my arrest out on bond and I will never see the subject again. It is very frustrating and difficult. I answer every call I get, I am on duty 24/7. I wish I had better answers but I don't . Just keep doing what you all are doing, I know my office responds to every ICE call from PD's , Probation and the local PD are our best allies. You guys see them first, and we will respond but we just can't take everyone, there is just too many and too few of us along with all the other issues.

[quote] primarily full of hispanics. How of them are illegal? I’m willing to bet quite a bit of them are BUT… won’t this promote racism? You see a hispanic and instantly think “hmmm legal or not?”. TejasTRex [/quote]

TRex I spent 30 years in the military before joining Customs, now it is Customs and Border Protection. I am willing to bet that more of the hispanics that you are talking about are legal then you think; I spent 6 out of 9 years stationed in Key West, FL (92-96 and 99-01 when I retired). Huge Hispanic population, mainly Cuban; Puerto Rican, Dominican (closer to Miami); other then Cuban refugees trying to make it feet dry and gain asylum I would say most were legals yet the Keys has a terrible problem with illegal aliens. Don't take this personal, but I have to challenge your thought processes about thinking hmmm legal/illegal. Most of the problems with illegals in the Keys are with caucasian english speaking illegals. Hospitality Industry workers - maids, housekeepers, cooks, waitstaff; etc - people who came to the US on a visitor's visa and are now staying and working for barely minimum wage (more then back home...) I don't know if the loophole's been shut but who do you fine for hiring illegal aliens/undocumented workers? Let's say a resort in Key West needs 100 people for housekeeping duties...that is a lot of people to hire; in Key West it is way too expensive to live if you were getting paid Hospitality Worker wages - so the resort contacts a staffing company - contracts them to send workers. Most of them come from other agencies; ooops here comes Border Patrol and ICE conducting a sweep - wow 62 undocumented workers at that resort. Their argument is "hey The --- company is contracted to us for workers - our contract says they are repsonsible for providing "legal employees" not us. That company says the same thing - we hired them from Company xxx here, our contract says the same thing.

Personally I don't think slamming up a big wall around the US is the answer either; if the North American Natives had Customs and Immigration Authorities at Plymouth Rock back in the 1600's would we have visas to come here? Would we have overstayed our visas?

We need all the help we can get; personally I really appreciate all the hard (and often thankless) work that The Thin Blue Line is doing; I salute all of you. Thanks for helping to keep America free and trying to make it safer. The good news is that we can sit at our computers and discuss it publicly - we still are the freest country in the world and a lot of people want in. At FLETC in Georgia during my Customs Officer Basic Course, one instructor, who taught us non-immigrant law (visitors - not permanent) said that America is the biggest and best party in the world and our job as Customs and Immigration Officers is to look at their invitations (visas) and decide if they get in the party or not. Usually, on a busy day at the border, you have about 30 to 60 seconds to decide to either send them inside for a better look (them short hairs on the neck are standing up for a reason) or say welcome to America, have a nice day. Where I work we process approximately 4,000 commercial trucks a day and double or triple that for cars...

Like the Old Sarge on Hill Street Blues - Be careful out there!

TRex, I hadn't heard that; but given the dynamics of the greater Northern Virginia/DC Metro area there are a lot of legal aliens there too - and a lot of illegals - many non-latinos included in that...

I think that cops need to be involved at the local level. I agree with a post I read earlier, cops shouldn't go around just rounding them up, or they won't have time for anything else. But local officers are the people that are going to know who and where, and come across these people. I think that if a local cop arrests someone, they should find out if they are illegal, and report them to the feds for deportaion. The City of Tulsa is looking at an ordinance that would require officers arresting anyone for a felony, to ask the person if they are here legally.

Every Law-Enforcement Officer needs to call or fax your Senators / Repasenative's or the whole country will see the crime rate escalate over the next few years the whole country will be like California and Texas Mexican gangs will prevail and they are very violent and they having nothing to lose but we do so please contact these law makers we only have a few weeks left then the new law that they or looking at will be voted on in june. So gear up guys and gals if it passes our population will grow over a million in a few hours and then the illegals will be legal and then they wont be afraid to do what ever they want to do because they no they have the same rights as the people who earned the right to be here!!!!!!!!!

I am in a domestic violence situation with an illegal alien(my ex husband)(i was married but I withdrew my application for him)and I wish that ice would pick him up!They must be very busy and understaffed to do this but a life is in danger...I have called and went to main office here in chicago and nothing! I have been threatened with a gun and he does have charges pending...can you believe he is out on bail!..he now as of yesterday has more charges of DV for making threats on my life!.Can ANYONE give me some more advice??

MpLinks - the fact that they are considered to be "illegal immigrants" would imply that they have broken the law in other words, committed a crime.

I don't think a fence along the border is the answer nor do I think amnesty is either. America was invaded in the the 15th through 17th Centuries by a bunch of people fleeing religious persecution, a very poor life, and some came for the adventure of a new world. If you remember history lessons, many were brought over as slaves, kidnapped from their homes and others came as indentured servants - almost selling their entire souls for passage to the New World. The North American Natives were pushed back, land stolen, etc; I guess you could consider the people who landed at Plymouth Rock illegal aliens!

I guess my point is that this country was populated by people leaving the countries of origin to start a new life in a land of opportunity. Such a good life that they are willing to risk being caught and sent back (that does happen; they do get caught and sent back...) repeatedly. DHS which includes Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has a seemingly impossible task.

It can be very frustrating to detect a vanload (10-15 people) of for lack of a better/politically correct term: undocumented, illegal citizens of a country other then the US; to process them, fingerprints, photos, reams of paperwork, get a translator (ever try to find someone who speaks Hindu at 3 am?) and then after about 10 hours of work hand them a piece of paper that says: Notice to Appear? But on the other hand, business owners both large, small, huge coporations, continue to hire them to do the work that despite the tens of thousands of unemployed US citizens, not many of those come forward and say, I'll sweep up the chicken guts or dig that ditch...

If I am really hungry and don't have a job; there aren't many legal jobs I wouldn't do to put food in my belly and a roof over my head...

There isn't an easy answer; in some jurisdictions, state, county, and local LE Agencies have been trained to handle illegal immigrants.

For all of you who serve, who served in the Military, and for those of you who have loved ones who served and made the ultimate sacrifice (a day late) lets never forget them. Thank all of you for your service.

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Chris_Cosgriff says ...

I don't see how immigration laws are any different then any other federal laws all LEOs are called upon to enforce on a daily basis. A law is a law in my view. There is no reason why any street cop shouldn't be able to arrest someone who has broken and entered into the USA.

It's more of a trespassing than breaking and entering, that type of charge i reserved for buildings not countries. Sates laws are almost always different then the federal laws that's why we are so different state to state.