In another attempt to terrify the public the Obama administration released approximately 300 illegal detainees from immigration detention centers in Arizona since last Thursday when the federal government started to review each case in anticipation of widespread budget cuts.
“As fiscal uncertainty remains over the continuing resolution and possible sequestration, ICE has reviewed its detained population to ensure detention levels stay within ICE’s current budget,” said agency spokeswoman Amber Cargile. “All of them remain in deportation proceedings.”
If this is only the beginning, imagine the outrage that will explode with 2,280 undocumented aliens remaining to be released from detention in Arizona.
Not a single word was relayed to Arizona law enforcement or government officials before the releases began.
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer
said in a news release that she was “appalled. This is pure political posturing and the height of absurdity given that the releases are being granted before the federal ‘sequestration’ cuts have even gone into effect.”
Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake called it a “deeply misguided move by DHS.”
“With more than $1 trillion in budget deficits, there are many opportunities to rein in federal spending. Releasing hundreds of detainers who have violated the law is most certainly not one of them,” he said in a written statement.
Apparently the initial release of 300 was only the opening salvo. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said there was “a mass release” in his county. “ICE agents were paid overtime Saturday and Sunday to release over 500 detainees in Pinal County alone,” he said in a news release. Later reporting said the number was soaring into the thousands. All of the five immigration detention centers in Arizona are in Babeu’s county, including the Pinal County Adult Detention Center, operated by the Sheriff’s Office.
Babeu’s numbers coincide with reporting from ICE supervisors in Arizona who called him directly, according to Tim Gaffney, spokesman for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.
“Neither law enforcement nor any of our citizens were notified of this decision until over a dozen ICE employees and supervisors notified him privately.”
There’s much more going on than just cost savings here as the average cost nationwide is about $164 per day per detainee but at the Pinal County Adult Detention Center it’s only $60 per day per detainee. Why was Arizona chosen for this move when clearly the savings would not be nearly as great as say California? Could it be the president’s longstanding animosity with the Arizona governor?
Arizona ICE spokesperson Cargile would not provide details on those released saying, “Priority for detention remains on serious criminal offenders and other individuals who pose a significant threat to public safety.”
The shear ridiculousness of the administration’s actions is highlighted by their position that those released in Arizona will remain in the system for deportation hearings and are expected to stay in the area where they are released and return for their court proceedings. Really? Time for one of those politically incorrect terms: lunatics.
Four more years of this stupidity; congratulations voters.
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