President Donald Trump has taken the handcuffs off of law enforcement, according to acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas D. Homan, and is allowing the organization to target so-called sanctuary jurisdictions.
The president recognizes that youve got to have a true interior enforcement strategy to make it uncomfortable for them, he said in an interview with the Washington Examiner published on Tuesday. In the America I grew up in, cities didnt shield people who violated the law.
The Department of Homeland SecurityhasgreenlightedHoman to hire an additional 10,000 ICE agents, many of whom will be involved in the efforts to find and remove criminalaliens shelteredin sanctuary cities.
Advocates of strict enforcement of immigration laws hailed the moveas one that would empower law enforcement.
"With those resources in place, and immigration enforcement officers who are no longer being forced to sit on their hands and look the other way, ending most illegal immigration has become a truly attainable goal," Dave Ray, communications director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), told LifeZette.
Clearly, President Trump has shown the American people that our nation can not only regain control of its borders it can do a much better job of removing dangerous criminal aliens, who had near immunity under the Obama administration," Ray said.
Henoted that progress the administration has already madeonreducing illegal entrywill make a domestic crackdown more doable.
"Deploying the resources freed up by decreased illegal border crossings and using them to target the nations illegal sanctuary cities, while adding additional immigration enforcement agents, will create an interior enforcement environment that will not only deter future illegal immigration, but restore the publics confidence in the governments ability to do its job," said Ray.
Homan, in hisinterview with the Examiner, also suggested the boosted manpower and new direction would improve the agency's ability to do its job.
"What I want to get to is a clear understanding from everybody, from the congressmen to the politicians to law enforcement to those who enter the country illegally, that ICE is open for business. We're going to enforce the laws on the books without apology,we'll continue to prioritize what we do. But it's not OK to violate the laws of this country anymore,you're going to be held accountable," hesaid.
Homanalso told the Examiner that illegal crossings have plummeted by almost 70 percent to a new "historic low."
He also reportedthat arrests of illegal aliens within the interior have risen by 40 percent. Significantly, there has also been an 80 percent increase in local jails' demands for ICE detainers.
"You can like President Trump, not like him, like his policies, not like his policies, but one thing no one can argue with is the effect they've had," Homan said.
The acting ICE directoralso indicated he was surprised that this Trump effect hasn't been touted more widely. "You'd think everybody would be celebrating these policies," he said. ICE and Border Patrol agents, however, are certainly celebrating.
"Now they have meaning to their jobs," said Homan. "What this president has done is taken the handcuffs off of law enforcement officers who are charged with enforcing immigration laws."
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Enforcement Advocate: Under Trump, End of Illegal Immigration a 'Truly Attainable Goal' - LifeZette