ICE backslides on deportation in North Texas

Houston Chronicle:

Officials with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement have notified North Texas cities that they want to target for deportation suspected illegal immigrants charged with more serious crimes and will no longer detain most of those arrested for Class C misdemeanors.

Carl Rusnok, a spokesman for ICE, said Tuesday there had been a recent spike in the number of referrals to the agency because of increased awareness of the Criminal Alien Program.

"The additional referrals required additional resources not immediately available," Rusnok said in a story for Tuesday's online edition of The Dallas Morning News.

Local law enforcement officials are being asked to refer to ICE those people suspected of being in the country illegally who have been arrested on Class B misdemeanors or more serious crimes.

Rusnok said ICE officials would look at those charged with Class C misdemeanors when they can.

Class C misdemeanors include speeding, assault, public intoxication and hot checks. The fine for such misdemeanors is up to $500. ICE will look at those arrested for Class C misdemeanors if they have a firearm, have an immigration warrant or have a criminal record involving a more serious crime.

A memo sent to the city of Irving says the new guidelines will enable ICE to "allocate our law enforcement assets in the most effective manner possible to address public safety and national security threats."

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The problem with this approach is that we lose the deterrent effect when you let a known illegal alien back on the street. By doing so ICE will wind up with even more work because it will not bet the benefit of self deportations when you create the zero tolerance atmosphere. It also sends the signal that the rule of law will be a sometimes thing. They need to find the resources and a way to reinstate the program.