Immigration officer: Congress heeded illegal immigrants, not law enforcement

By: American Decency Staff

 

 The chief of the union representing immigration agents and officers told Congress on Monday that illegal immigrants had more say-so in drafting the new Senate immigration bill than the government’s own law enforcement agents.

His testimony capped off an emotionally charged day that saw a former illegal immigrant plead for a full path to citizenship and saw lawmakers heatedly debate whether the Boston Marathon bombing should spur Congress to speed up or to put the brakes on the push to pass a bill.

Critics took aim from all sides. Some said the guest-worker program the bill envisions is too small to handle businesses’ needs, while a former congressman pleaded for lawmakers to treat gay couples the same as opposite-sex married couples for immigration purposes something this bill doesn’t do.

The complaints underscored the tricky path the immigration bill will have to weave through Congress.

Some immigrant-rights advocates testified the bill cuts down too much on families being able to bring siblings into the country.

But the chief complaints came from those who want to see a crackdown instead of legalization including Christopher Crane, chief of the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council, the union that represents ICE agents and officers.

Mr. Crane finally got a chance to tell Congress officially his concerns about the bill.

“Senators invite illegal aliens to testify before Congress,” he said. “But American citizens working as law enforcement officers within our nation’s broken immigration system are purposely excluded from the process.”

Read More: http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/22/officer-congress-heed-illegals-not-law-enforcement/

---