First of all, the statistics don't support the contention that illegal immigrants commit any more crimes -- proportunately -- than people born and raised here.
Department of Homeland Security Facts
Study finds immigrants commit less California crime
Second, if your contention is that illegal immigrants ought not to be here in the first place, then why not deport them all?
Third, and this is the really big one, in my opinion, if we do embark on the quest to deport illegal immigrants who commit crimes (the severity of which is ripe for conjecture, as in: Where does one draw the line? Murder? Rape? Burglary? Assault? Dime store theft of candy?), what assurances do we get from the foreign entity to which we do the deporting that the recently deported will a) go to jail and serve the time to which they were sentenced? and b) that they won't just come back here and commit more crime?
After all, some of the same folks who contend that people here illegally commit a lot of crimes are the same folks who believe that the criminal justice system does not work. And if it doesn't work, then that simply means that once out, the convicted criminal just goes about committing more crime.
No.
I say if you commit a crime here, you do the time here. I know, it's a burden on our penal system to serve non-citizens. But isn't it a burden on our society to let criminals out of our grasp and out of our control? I mean, it's best to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, as the saying goes, right?
9 comments:
If the illegality of illegal immigration and the tremendous cost burden to American taxpayers, our economy, our society and our culture doesn’t infuriate you, then look over just a few studies that put illegal alien crime in focus:
(1) Violating the immigration law is a CRIME
(2) Forging documents is a FELONY CRIME
(3) Passing forged documents is a FELONY CRIME
(4) Stealing ID is a FELONY CRIME
(5) Using stolen ID is a FELONY CRIME
A US GAO study found in a study population of 55,322 illegal aliens incarcerated, on average, each had been arrested 8 times for a total arrest figure of at least 459,614 times. If that isn't astounding enough, these 55,322 illegals in the study population had been arrested for committing 700,000 criminal offenses, which averages 13 crimes per illegal alien. So, each illegal alien incarcerated had been arrested 8 times and had committed at least 13 crimes.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, in 2005, 25% of prisoners in federal prisons were illegal aliens, and 4% were legal aliens. This proportion has not gone down; if anything, it has gone up markedly. Tom DeWeese, President of the American Policy Institute states that today, illegal aliens make up twenty nine percent of the U.S. prison population. Bill O'Reilly is on record more recently stating that illegal aliens account for 32% of the federal and state prison population.
The US Justice Department reported that in 2003, alone, 270,000 illegal immigrants had served prison time. The Federation for American Immigration Reform reports: "In March 2000, Congress made public Department of Justice statistics showing that, over the previous five years, the INS had released over 35,000 criminal aliens instead of deporting them. Over 11,000 of those released went on to commit serious crimes, over 1,800 of which were violent ones; including 98 homicides, 142 sexual assaults, and 44 kidnappings. In 2001, thanks to a decision by the Supreme Court, the INS was forced to release into our society over 3,000 criminal aliens who collectively had been convicted of 125 homicides, 387 sex offenses, and 772 assault charges." http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/3/27/114208.shtml?s=ic
According to the well-respected U.S. Center for Immigration Studies (www.cis.org), incarcerated convicted illegal aliens make up 29 percent of federal, state and local prisons at a cost of more than $1.6 billion annually. This number doubles when the costs for apprehension, the justice system, public defenders, interpreters, prosecutors and the courts add to the total.
Illegals represent about 8 percent of Arizona's population and the Arizona Department of Corrections reports that Mexican nationals make up 12 percent of the state's 37,200-inmate prison population.
Undocumented aliens, mostly from Mexico and Central America, now total 1953 inmates in the Maricopa County Sheriff’s jail system. That number represents 21 percent of the overall inmate population of men and women housed in the nation’s third largest jail system. Sheriff Joe Arpaio says that is just small part of the story about those incarcerated in his jails. He says that recent figures show that serious crime (class four felonies and above) are committed substantially by illegal aliens. During two recent surveys, between 27 and 53 percent of all suspects booked into the jail on serious felonies had immigration holds placed on them. The vast majority of those with holds were in the United States illegally. According to the Sheriff’s figures, illegal alien inmate population numbers have grown steadily in Arizona and other border states over the last several years. In March 2005, the illegal alien population in Arpaio’s jails totaled approximately 700. (Borderfire Report 2/28/08 )
A new study shows one in five inmates in North Carolina metropolitan jails were not born in this country. The Sheriff’s Association believes a large number of those inmates are here illegally as well. (News 14 Carolina 2/21/08 )
Members of Utah’s Congressional delegation contacted DHS Secretary Chertoff requesting an additional 22 ICE agents for deportations and to investigate crimes perpetrated by undocumented immigrants. "Our jails are full. The crime rates continue to increase, and we can no longer let this problem escalate," reads one of the letters, signed by Utah's two senators and three representatives. Numerous illegal aliens are committing crimes in Utah communities with virtual impunity," The state now has 25 such agents. (Salt Lake Tribune, 03/05/2008 )
The Federation for Immigration Reform contends that while illegal immigrants made up 3 percent of the total U.S. population in 2003 they made up 5 percent of the total prison population. http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_illegalsandcrime
The Violent Crimes Institute conducted a study in 2006 that determined there were more than 100 sex offenders crossing our southern border daily. Data indicates that there are approximately 240,000 illegal immigrant sex offenders in the United States who have had an average of four victims each, totaling over one million sex crimes.
Illegal aliens are killing more Americans than the Iraq war, says a report from Family Security Matters that estimates some 2,158 murders are committed every year by illegal aliens in the U.S. The group says that number is more than 15 percent of all the murders reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the U.S. and about three times the representation of illegal aliens in the general population.
The report from FSM estimates that the 267,000 illegal aliens currently incarcerated in the nation are responsible for nearly 1,300,000 crimes, ranging from drug arrests to rape and murder. Such statistics debunk the claim that illegal immigration is a victimless crime. http://www.gopusa.com/news/2007/february/0222_illegals_report.shtml
Crimes committed by alien criminals costs U.S. taxpayers $1.6 billion in prison costs alone. The figure doesn’t include the cost of lost property, medical bills of the victims, lost work time for injury recovery, higher insurance costs, etc. –Tom DeWeese, President of American Policy Institute.
In Los Angeles, 95 percent of all outstanding warrants for homicide (which total 1,200 to 1,500) target illegal aliens. Up to two-thirds of all fugitive felony warrants (17,000) are for illegal aliens. The Illegal-Alien Crime Wave: City Journal, winter 2004 http://www.city-journal.org/html/14_1_the_illegal_alien.html
One thing that is never even mentioned by the champions of the illegal aliens nor is factored into any crime studies is the fact that ALL illegal aliens have a 3 – 5 crimes committed head start on American citizens (see the 5 point list above).
Do you ever hear an acknowledgement from the illegal alien facilitators of the more than 50,000 Americans that have been killed by illegal aliens through murder, manslaughter and drunk driving just since 9/11/01? Of course not, that doesn't fit within their pre-determined conclusion that illegals are only hard working economically displaced ‘migrants’ that regardless of the laws they break by entering, remaining and operating in America, are only here for a better life at the expense of no one. Excuse me for being cynical but I’ve seen the data, read the studies, considered the facts and seen the reality. If you haven’t done the same, I urge you to do so without delay.
Furthermore, legalizing an illegal alien’s presence in America by rewarding their illegal behavior through amnesty is not the way to build a good system of law and order. It only invites more criminal activity and non-compliance with our laws.
The central question for everyone, including the facilitators, illegal alien advocates, the ‘no human being is illegal’ compassion crowd, every legislator and RESPONSIBLE MEDIA REPORTERS is this…Why should even ONE American suffer a crime OF ANY SORT at the hands of an illegal alien? With border security and zero tolerance for illegal immigration, these crimes against our citizens are essentially 100% preventable.
I urge you to view this video that puts the tragedy of illegal alien crime victims into perspective: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpomTIkv0V8&feature=PlayList&p=4EED1264205A2408&index=3
Isn’t it about time that we engage in Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement rather than allow amnesty with Comprehensive Immigration Reform?
I agree with you. Illegal aliens are criminals, by definition. I just have a problem with deporting them and having the chance that they simply come back.
We do need borders that are secured, as well as airport, harbors, and other entry points. Our government has been -- for far too long -- lax in enforcing the laws that they put in place.
You bring a lot of information to the discussion, however. I had yet to see, until today, any statistics that supported the claim that illegal aliens committed more crimes than "home-grown" criminals. It seemed like so-called conservatives and others on the side for deportation of aliens caught committing crimes were simply picking on them, not for their being here, but for their being here committing crimes.
I'm going to take some time in the next few days and digest, and research, all the information and claims you've made. I am very encouraged, though, that I'll actually find some facts supporting the claims that have, to now, just been claims without any evidence.
Thanks for commenting! I appreciate your long and well-written response.
You make a lot of sense here. If they do commit a crime in our country, they should serve the time here. But I have my problems with jail, etc., so at this very time, were jail seems more like a fun house then "jail", ship them back. The illegals usually say they came here for a better life. But then, that raises the question if they will come back.
I call for more border security, great security at that. Not only that, a tough jail system, where there is forced labor. It you commit a crime you will pay. Your not going to have free tv, free newspapers, free "playtime", etc. You will have a cell, a bed, one pillow, and a sheet. You will wake up at 6, eat at 6:30, and be off for a hard days work at 7, only to come home at 8 that night (with a good helping of a very not delicious lunch at 12), 8:30 is dinner, 9 is lights out. Then repeat. Sunday would be the only day there would be no force labor, it will be a day of rest.
Make it seem life being worse, and very hard once you get in jail, instead of all this basically free stuff we hand these people.
The borders, as I said, should be more secure. I don't like the fence idea, but I like my own idea of having basically a watch tower. Have them spaced enough where there are no wholes where illegals can go through. Have a sign saying "Passing through here without permit is a crime. Once moving past this sign you can and will be shot on spot". Once again, make it seem like it is a big risk to get here illegally, and they will stop - or in this case be shot.
@Bradley, I agree for the most part with you. It's hard for me to swallow shooting somebody who's desperate to make a better life for himself and his family, but I think we could come to a happy medium.
I mean, after all, we don't shoot other people committing non-violent crimes. We catch them, put them in jail, give them a trial, and if convicted, we incarcerate them.
It's a weak argument to say that "they know it's illegal to come into this country without permission."
People who commit any crime like 1st degree murder, armed robbery, rape, etc., know it's against the law before they do it.
It's our responsibility to secure our country in the most effective way possible. It just seems like, right now, we're doing nothing.
First, your right. The massive surge in American crime (proven) and surge in illegal immigrants (proven) is just a massive coincidence.
Second, I'd love to deport them give. It would give thousands if not millions of Americans a job during this tough time.
Third. You do not draw the line. I don't care why there here, all I know is they broke a law to do it, which is all the law breaking I need.
"The sun rises every day and thousands of people die every day, so the sun must kill people." Correlation does not equal causation.
In fact, it might prove otherwise: Crime might be worse if there weren't illegal immigrants, but somehow, their presence curtails the crime.
I don't believe the second statement any more than I believe the first, but that's the point.
If there's been a huge surge in crime undertaken by illegal immigrants, one would have to believe that the prisons, SOON, would be overrun by illegals and/or deportation #s would have gone through the roof.
Neither has happened.
So are we just letting them go? If so, we should just kill ourselves now because we're not saving.
The study isn't about illegal immigrants. Read carefully.
The study isn't about illegal immigrants.
@Steve, you are absolutely correct about that. My oversight. Oops! Egg on face. Remove quickly :)
Same goes to "Anonymous" who seems oddly just like Steve. Hmmm. Original thinker?
Post a Comment