Just for a moment, put yourself in the shoes of an undocumented individual who has registered for an asylum claim. So you show up for court as promised, released by the judge and then arrested by ICE for a practice known as “expediated deportation.” Or you might be a person who has lived in this country for 20 years, albeit illegally, have worked, paid taxes and does not have a criminal record. He has been picked up by ICE as well, denied due process and subject to the same practice.
Look, I’ve been on record in favor of President Trump’s aggressive approach to capture the worst of the worst who came here under Joe Biden’s open border policy. They are the gang members, rapists, murderers, armed robbers and people not welcome here. They’re out there, more difficult to find, and often hiding within Latino communities. Nobody said this is an easy job, but it’s wrong for ICE to break the law in order to enforce the law. That means raiding businesses, terrorizing farm workers and kids on their way to school. I didn’t vote for that type of garbage.
It seems like border czar Tom Homan is more interested in deportation quotas than hunting down the bad guys. And while the president continues to heap praise on his New York amigo, Trump is considering special permits for farm workers who put food on our tables, and folks in the hospitality industry like maids that clean hotel rooms. These jobs require hard work with low pay, but need to be filled to keep the economy moving forward. There are millions of able, working age Americans who could apply for this type of labor. But why would anybody do that if they receive government benefits to meet their needs? These are the cheaters who must be removed from the government payrolls to protect our social security benefits.
While President Trump’s campaign promise to combat illegal immigration remains popular, the tactics used to apprehend individuals has folks concerned and even angry. ICE officials drive around Latino neighborhoods in unmarked cars or vans. Dressed in plain street clothes and wearing masks, they often look more like criminals than law enforcement agents. Sadly, children are often affected. While ICE is prohibited from entering school campuses, agents lurk in adjacent parking lots ready to pounce on parents waiting to pick up their kids for the day. Imagine the trama a child endures when he or she watches their mom or dad put in handcuffs and taken away. It’s cruel and unusual punishment. And because ICE often relies on tips from the public, many individuals are wrongfully detained.
Somehow, we need to find a way to deport Biden’s bad apples, the thugs, gang bangers and cartel associates, while showing some compassion for the millions who are here to seek a better life or escape violence in their home countries. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), says he plans to introduce a bill that would basically update the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1929, adjusting it to current standards. The proposed legislation, reportedly to be co-sponsored by Dick Durbin (D-Ill), allows for an individual who has lived here illegally for at least seven years to apply for permanent status without penalty if they don’t have a criminal record and would otherwise qualify for a green card. Such a bill would also include Dreamers, essential workers and around eight million people who would otherwise be fair game for ICE arrests.
“My bill is a common sense fix to our outdated immigration system, and the same kind of reform that President Reagan embraced four decades ago,” reasons Padilla, obviously lobbying for support from his Republican colleagues.
This is the same Senator Padilla who tried to interrupt a press conference by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem recently in Los Angeles, and looked like a fool when he was physically removed by security and briefly arrested. That said, I’m willing to give Padilla a “mulligan” for his behavior because it has nothing to do with the plan he has proposed. It will definitely protect farm workers, which was Reagan’s main concern. And with a few tweaks and adjustments, will probably fix the Dreamer issue, which will affect the lives of about 3.5 million of our young people in limbo. What it won’t solve, however, are the throngs of folks who crossed the border under Biden’s catch and release program. We have no idea where they are or their current status. This means that ICE and the border patrol will continue to be busy. For the fist half of 2025,ICE detained three times as many people as they did over the same period last year. An increased budget and manpower are likely that reasons for that statistic .But the majority of those arrests were for minor infractions like working without proper documentation.
Moving forward Mr. Homan, let’s start landing some of the larger fish in the sea, and spending less time creating fear in otherwise peaceful communities. It might go a long way toward improving your agency’s public image.
