drunk driving

Murdered by Illegal Aliens 2015: Families Gather in Remembrance

YORBA LINDA, CALIFORNIA — “I’ve been called a traitor” for speaking out against illegal immigration, grieved mother and latina woman Angie Morfin, as she enlightened those gathered at one of many events across the country for the National Remembrance Day for those killed by illegal aliens.

Sabine Durden can be seen in the photo above clutching a small jar containing the ashes of her son Dominic. A twice convicted drunk driver and foreign national illegally present in the United States struck and killed the young 9-1-1 operator on July 12, 2012.

Breitbart News was on scene at the Yorba Linda, California gathering commemorating the National Remembrance Day. Other events occurred in cities across the country including Phoenix, Arizona, Houston, Texas and in New York State.

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Morfin, mother of murdered 13-year-old Ruben Morfin told the crowd, “I’m serving a life sentence.” She shared how her son was shot in the back of the head by an illegal alien. Doctor’s at the hospital told her half of her little boy’s brain was missing. Young Ruben was in the hospital a short time before passing away. Morfin recalled how her son’s murderer fled the country, but after being featured on America’s Most Wanted, was caught in Jalisco, Mexico in 1994 and was finally sentenced.

“I’ve been called a traitor,” Morfin told the crowd gathered. She continued, “I think the best thing that’s happened to us was Donald Trump.”

Brenda Sparks shared the story of her son Eric Zepeda who was killed by an illegal alien. She explained that the individual who hit and killed Zepeda had previously pled guilty to drunk driving three times, but remained in the country and was driving to deliver papers when he hit her son. Zepeda was in a coma for four long weeks before he was taken off of life support. Sparks expressed the shock being told that the offender who was illegally in the country, illegally driving and illegally working delivering papers could only be charged with misdemeanor vehicular homicide without negligence.

Sabine Durden recalled her experience legally immigrating to the United States from Germany to those gathered Sunday. She gladly went through the process and was proud to become a citizen. Years later her only son Dominic, also a legal immigrant, was killed by an illegal alien at just 30 years old. She lovingly told the crowd Dominic’s nickname, “German chocolate.” As a half black young man there was no outcry from activists like those that now herald, “black lives matter.” No big headlines appeared for Durden’s son in the mainstream media.

A statement was read from Kathy Woods, mother of murdered teen Steven Woods. Young Steve was murdered at the beach after a high school football game in San Clemente, California. The statement recalled three cars of gang members, one of which shattered the passenger window of the car the young man was in and plunged a sharpened paint roller into his temple. The statement from Kathy Woods noted that for over three weeks her son lived in the hospital before he died. The media neglected to report that the gang members who attacked him were illegal aliens.

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Many of those families who have lost loved ones to illegal alien crime expressed great thanks for 2016 Presidential candidate Donald Trump for helping spark national conversation over their plight following the death of Kate Steinle in San Francisco last July.

Breitbart News reported from the 2014 National Day of Remembrance event in Temecula California where Moreno, Sparks and Durden spoke alongside the family of murdered young man Jamiel Shaw and Don Rosenberg, father of Drew Rosenberg, killed by an illegal alien.

Mary Ann Mendoza recounted the story of her murdered son Sgt. Brandon Mendoza on the Sunday evening edition of Breitbart News radio with guest host Dan Fluette on SiriusXM 125. Mendoza explained that she lost her son when a three times drunk driver illegal alien, who was on meth, slammed head on into Sgt. Mendoza. She told the listening audience that many elected officials are not listening to the families that have lost family members to illegal alien crime, but that

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) 79% and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) 96% are among the few who have listened and taken action.

Again and again families relayed — if the killer(s) of their loved ones had been deported, as many of them passed through the hands of the justice system, these Americans would be alive today. Read more about Murdered by Illegal Aliens 2015: Families Gather in Remembrance

Police chiefs, sheriffs blast ICE over policy they say frees violent illegal immigrants

A California toddler fighting for her life Thursday after a brutal beating at the hands of an illegal immigrant with a long criminal record is the latest case to rile California sheriffs and police against a U.S. immigration policy they say is forcing them to release dangerous criminals out on the street.

Francisco Javier Chavez, the live-in boyfriend of the unidentified two-year-old's mother, is out on bail after being charged in the late July attack, which left the San Luis Obispo County girl with two broken arms, a broken femur, a compressed spine, a urinary tract infection and a fever of 107 degrees. Chavez's criminal record includes assault and drug convictions and arrests for violent acts including kidnapping, car jacking and cruelty to a child.

A disgusted San Luis Obispo Sheriff Ian Parkinson told FoxNews.com Chavez should have been locked away or deported long before he had the chance to inflict "horrific injuries" on the little girl, but said conflicting federal policies leave his department handcuffed. Instead, Chavez is now free, awaiting a court date for which he may not even show up.

"The law actually does not give us the right to place an ICE hold, unless there is a warrant for them. That is why we are united in California and asking that this be fixed and changed, because at end of the day, we are the ones who have to let them out the door.”

- San Luis Obispo Sheriff Ian Parkinson

“The truth is, if we had any legal right to hold him, we would, because of the concern that, not being a U.S. citizen, he will bail out and flee the country and flee prosecution,” said Parkinson, who suspects Chavez may have already fled the county.

The issue, says Parkinson and dozens of other sheriffs and police chiefs across California and Arizona, is that, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement routinely asks departments to hold prisoners like Chavez until they can take custody of them for deportation, the local law enforcement officials believe doing so will expose them to lawsuits. They cite court cases including the March, 2014, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruling in Galrza v. Szalczyk that held states and localities are not required to imprison people based on ICE "detainer" requests, and that states and localities may be held liable if they participate in wrongful immigration detentions.

“I am not aware of any County in California that is honoring detainers, simply because we can’t,” Parkinson said. “We have to follow the law or the threat of violating the law ourselves,” Parkinson said, citing a Court decision issued approximately one year ago. “The law actually does not give us the right to place an ICE hold, unless there is a warrant for them. That is why we (local law enforcement) are united in California and asking that this be fixed and changed, because at end of the day, we are the ones who have to let them out the door.”

The Arizona Sheriffs’ Association agrees, noting every day ICE asks local sheriffs to ‘detain’ an inmate, yet don’t provide “rational, legal authority to do so,” putting sheriffs at enormous risk for legal liability. When the local authorities let an illegal immigrant criminal free on bail, they do so reluctantly - and they blame ICE.

ICE maintains there is no requirement that it obtain a judicial warrant to compel law enforcement agencies to hold suspects and that a detainer is sufficient. A spokesperson for ICE said the agency continues to work “cooperatively” with local law enforcement partners and is implementing a new plan, the Priority Enforcement Program – PEP, to place the focus on criminals and individuals who threaten the public safety and ensure they are not released from prisons or jails before they can be taken into ICE custody.

Martin Mayer, legal counsel to sheriffs and chiefs of police in 70 law enforcement agencies throughout California for the last 25 years, and general counsel to the California State Sheriffs’ Association, told FoxNews.com the U.S. Department of Justice, the California Office of the Attorney General, and ICE all take the position that the detainer is only a request and the law does not give sheriffs authorization to hold illegal immigrant suspects ordered released by a judge. 

If ICE agents are present when suspects are ordered released, and if they have the legal basis to take custody of them, they can, but local law enforcement does not have the authority to hold them in the absence of ICE, the California Sheriffs Association recently said in letter to Congress.

The American Civil Liberties Union's California chapter has been vocal in pressuring city police chiefs to honor the court rulings that said ICE detainers are mere requests, not mandates, and that honoring them would violate suspects' Constitutional rights.

“This (ACLU) letter to the cities states that ‘Your police department should immediately cease complying with immigration detainers, or else risk legal liability for detaining individuals in violation of the Fourth Amendment,’” Mayer said.

The ACLU did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

A string of murders across the country by criminal aliens has spotlighted the conflict between ICE and local law enforcement, and in recent days, caught the attention of lawmakers on Capitol Hill. After one of the cases, the July 24 murder of Marilyn Pharis, a 64-year-old Air Force veteran, Santa Maria Police Chief Ralph Martin blamed the state and federal governments for a convoluted policy that leaves local law enforcement holding the bag.

“I am not remiss to say that from Washington D.C. to Sacramento, there is a blood trail to Marilyn Pharis’ bedroom,” Martin said.
  Read more about Police chiefs, sheriffs blast ICE over policy they say frees violent illegal immigrants

DHS IG: Nearly 5,000 Aliens in Supervised Release Program Committed Crimes, Absconded

WASHINGTON — An estimated 5,000 aliens were either arrested for committing crimes or absconded over a three year period while they were participating in a supervision program that allowed them to be released from detention and into U.S. communities, the latest publicly available data shows.

In an audit released earlier this month, John Roth, the inspector general (IG) for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), revealed that a total of 2,010 aliens were arrested for committing crimes while they were participating in a supervised release program in 2010 (576), 2011 (729), and 2012 (705).

Furthermore, the DHS watchdog found that a total of 2,760 aliens absconded while they were enrolled in the same scheme over the same period — 2010 (927),  2011 (982), and 2012 (851)...

“Under the program, ICE supervises aliens it has released from detention, and monitors them electronically,” explained the DHS auditor in a report on ICE’s alternatives to detention. “As a condition of release, ICE requires aliens to appear in immigration court for removal proceedings and comply with removal orders from the United States.”...

Roth concluded that it is uncertain whether the program has reduced the rate at which released aliens have absconded or committed criminal acts.

ICE releases aliens “by means of bond; order of recognizance (unsupervised); order of supervision (which can consist of nothing more than a periodic telephone call to a designated ICE telephone number); an alternative to detention (such as an electronic ankle bracelet, or other form of tracking device); or parole (a form of legal status),” explained the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS).

The inspector general revealed that 1,341 ISAP program participants violated the conditions of their supervised release, but added that ICE “does not have sufficient resources to re-detain participants who willfully violate [the program’s] terms of supervision, such as those who tamper with GPS monitors or miss appointments.”

ICE enrolls aliens in the program who are “at high risk of committing criminal acts, absconding, or violating the terms of their release” by committing crimes or failing to report, reported the IG....

Mr. Roth revealed that ICE lacks funding “for the number of beds needed to accommodate program violators.”

However, in responding to the report, ICE said it has sufficient detention capacity to accommodate non-compliant participants.

As of February 2014, there were 22,201 program participants.

Congress appropriated approximately $90 million for the program for fiscal year 2014.

According to the audit, ICE does not evaluate the rate at which aliens abscond after they are recommended for release.

In 2013, the CIS found, “ICE freed 36,007 convicted criminal aliens from detention who were awaiting the outcome of deportation proceedings.”

Among those aliens were criminals convicted of serious crimes, including homicide, sexual assault, kidnapping, and aggravated assault.

Also included were 16,000 aliens convicted of drunk and drugged driving.

Citing a DHS document, Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, revealed that 1,000 of the 36,000-plus criminal aliens released in 2013 went on to commit new crimes, including drunk-driving, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
  Read more about DHS IG: Nearly 5,000 Aliens in Supervised Release Program Committed Crimes, Absconded

You won't want to miss it - Saturday, February 28th - the next OFIR meeting

Alert date: 
February 21, 2015
Alert body: 

Mark your calendar for our upcoming OFIR meeting - Saturday, February 28th at 2:00pm at the Best Western Mill Creek Inn in Salem. (Driving instructions below.)

Once again, we have a very special guest speaker, Mr. Don Rosenberg, from San Francisco. Mr. Rosenberg is one of Protect Oregon Driver Licenses’ proud endorsers. Read his endorsement statement at http://www.protectoregondl.org/endorsers/don-rosenberg-endorser

He will be sharing with us his personal story and how he put his grief, confusion and anger to work. He has been a tireless champion for getting unlicensed drivers off the road and embodies just exactly what a grassroots activist is.

We also will be discussing what is happening in the current legislative session in Salem and how you can make a difference. To that end OFIR along with several other groups will be hosting a display on the main floor of the Capitol building all day Wednesday, March 11. It will be a great opportunity for citizens to meet with their state senator and representative. If you would like someone to go with you to visit your Legislator or to give you a tour of the Capitol, or just walk you through the building - just ask when you arrive.
Please join us and be inspired to jump in and get involved in saving our communities, our state and our country.

WHEN: Saturday, February 28th at 2:00 pm. Please bring a friend along!

WHERE: Best Western Inn in Salem, 3125 Ryan Dr SE, just west of I-5 Exit 253, across from Costco.
If you have questions please call OFIR at (503) 435-0141 or send an email to ofir@oregonir.org.

Driving directions to Best Western Mill Creek Inn:
From I-5, take exit 253, which is the intersection of I-5 and State roads 22 and Business 99E. Go West on 22 (Mission St.) a short distance to Hawthorne Ave. Turn R on Hawthorne Ave. to the first left, which is Ryan Drive. Turn left on Ryan Drive, by Denny’s Restaurant, and proceed to Mill Creek Inn just beyond.

From downtown Salem: Go east on Mission St. (State Rd. 22). Follow 22 just past the Airport and turn left on Hawthorne Ave. Then take the first left (almost an immediate left) into Ryan Drive; you will see the Inn directly ahead.
 

Labor activist Francisco Aguirre leaves Augustana Lutheran Church sanctuary, heads to Fairview home

Francisco Aguirre, the labor activist accused of illegally reentering the U.S. after his 2000 deportation to El Salvador, is going to his home in Fairview.

The 35-year-old Fairview resident has been living at Augustana Lutheran Church in Northeast Portland since September, when congregants took him in as part of the sanctuary movement.

Aguirre's latest troubles began Aug. 9, when he was stopped for drunken driving ...

...national and local community groups -- including Voz Worker's Rights Education Project, Jobs with Justice and Migrant Workers Collective -- banded together to raise money and support for Aguirre....

Aguirre stayed in the church until November, when he headed to the Clackamas County courthouse to face the drunken-driving charge. He was briefly jailed then returned to the church. Immigration and Customs Enforcement dropped the detainer it had placed on Aguirre. He will go to trial on the illegal reentry charge in January...

"This was no mistake," Aguirre said in a statement. "Thanks to the efforts of hundreds who protest our inhumane immigration policy I can now return home. I thank each and every person who supported our campaign, and ask them to support my brothers and sisters who are not as fortunate."

  Read more about Labor activist Francisco Aguirre leaves Augustana Lutheran Church sanctuary, heads to Fairview home

Seven Year Report: Criminal Aliens Incarcerated Oregon Department

According to the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) Inmate Population Profile dated October 1, 2014 DOC indicated there were 14,606 prisoners incarcerated in DOC’s 14 prisons (See attachment).

Not included in DOC’s October 1st Inmate Population Profile was DOC data indicating there were 1,086 foreign nationals (criminal aliens) incarcerated in its prison system (See attachment).

All 1,086 criminal aliens incarcerated on October 1st by DOC had United States (U.S.) Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), detainers. The U.S. DHS–ICE is responsible for identifying whether a DOC inmate is a criminal alien or a domestic inmate. If an inmate is identified as being a criminal alien, at U.S. DHS–ICE’s request, the DOC places an “ICE detainer” on the inmate that directs DOC officials to transfer custody to ICE following completion of the inmate’s state sanction.

Criminal aliens made up approximately 7.43% of the DOC October 1st prison population (See table).
 

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

Month/Day/Year

DOC Total Inmates

DOC Domestic Inmates

DOC Inmates W/ICE detainers

DOC % Inmates W/ICE detainers

October 1, 2007

13,553

12,568

985

7.27%

October 1, 2008

13,671

12,587

1,084

7.93%

October 1, 2009

13,927

12,696

1,231

8.84%

October 1, 2010

14,071

12,837

1,234

8.77%

October 1, 2011

13,981

12,792

1,189

8.50%

October 1, 2012

14,234

12,992

1,242

8.73%

October 1, 2013

14,591

13,419

1,172

8.03%

October 1, 2014

14,606

13,520

1,086

7.43%

Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Unit-ICE inmates lists 01 OCTOBER 07rtf – 01 OCTOBER 14.rtf and Inmate Population Profile 01 OCTOBER 07 – 01 OCTOBER 14.

Comparing DOC criminal alien incarceration numbers from October 1, 2007 (985 criminal aliens) and October 1, 2014 (1,086 criminal aliens), the DOC prison system incarcerated 101 criminal aliens more than it did on October 1, 2007, a 10.25% increase (See table).
 

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

Month/Day/Year

DOC Total Inmates W/ICE detainers

DOC Inmates W/ICE detainers # Increase or (Decrease) from Previous Year

DOC Inmates W/ICE detainers % Increase or (Decrease) from Previous Year

October 1, 2007

985

————

————

October 1, 2008

1,084

99

10.05%

October 1, 2009

1,231

147

13.56%

October 1, 2010

1,234

3

0.24%

October 1, 2011

1,189

(45)

(3.65%)

October 1, 2012

1,242

53

4.46%

October 1, 2013

1,172

(70)

(5.64%)

October 1, 2014

1,086

(86)

(7.34%)

Total

101

10.25%

Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Unit-ICE inmates lists 01 OCTOBER 07rtf – 01 OCTOBER 14.rtf and Inmate Population Profile 01 OCTOBER 07 – 01 OCTOBER 14.

When comparing DOC domestic criminal incarceration numbers from October 1, 2007 (12,568 domestic criminals) and October 1, 2014 (13,520 domestic criminals), the DOC prison system incarcerated 952 domestic criminals more than it did on October 1, 2007, a 7.57% increase (See table).
 

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

Month/Day/Year

DOC Total Domestic Inmates

DOC Domestic Inmates # Increase or (Decrease) from Previous Year

DOC Domestic Inmates % Increase or (Decrease) from Previous Year

October 1, 2007

12,568

————

————

October 1, 2008

12,587

19

0.15%

October 1, 2009

12,696

109

0.86%

October 1, 2010

12,837

141

1.11%

October 1, 2011

12,792

(45)

(0.35%)

October 1, 2012

12,992

200

1.56%

October 1, 2013

13,419

427

3.29%

October 1, 2014

13,520

101

0.75%

Total

952

7.57%

Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Unit-ICE inmates lists 01 OCTOBER 07rtf – 01 OCTOBER 14.rtf and Inmate Population Profile 01 OCTOBER 07 – 01 OCTOBER 14.

Bringing the preceding numbers together, from October 1st 2007– 2014, seven years, the DOC prison population grew by 1,053 domestic and criminal alien prisoners; 9.59% of the overall growth was in criminal alien prisoners.

A review of the 1,086 criminal aliens in DOC prisons by number per county and percentage (%) per county equated to the following: 263-Marion (24.22%); 258-Multnomah (23.76%); 184-Washington (16.94%); 79-Clackamas (7.27%); 54-Lane (4.97%); 49-Jackson (4.51%); 29-Yamhill (2.67%); 26-Linn (2.39%); 19-Umatilla (1.75%); 17-Deschutes (1.56%); 15-Polk (1.38%); 14-Benton (1.29%); 12-Malheur (1.10%); 10-Lincoln (0.92%); 9-Jefferson (0.83%); 8-Klamath (0.74%); 7-Douglas (0.64%); 5-Josephine (0.46%); 5-Morrow (0.46%); 4-Coos (0.37%); 3-Clatsop (0.28%); 3-Hood River (0.28%); 3-Tillamook (0.28%); 3-Wasco (0.28%); 2-Crook (0.18%); 2-Union (0.18); 1-Columbia (0.09%); 1-Gilliam (0.09%); 1-OOS (0.09%); 0-Baker (0.00%); 0-Curry (0.00%); 0-Grant (0.00%); 0-Harney (0.00%); 0-Lake (0.00); 0-Sherman (0.00%); 0-Wallowa (0.00%); and 0-Wheeler (0.00%).

No member of the Oregon State Legislature should forget the uncounted crime victims and their families, no matter what their immigration status, all victims of the 1,086 criminal aliens incarcerated in DOC prisons.

A review of the 1,086 criminal aliens in the DOC prison population by numbers per crime and percentage (%) per crime equated to the following: 200-sex abuses (18.42%); 172-rapes (15.84%); 159-drugs (14.64%); 144-homicides (13.26%); 98-assaults (9.02%); 98-sodomies (9.02%); 66-robberies (6.08%); 42-kidnappings (3.87%); 21-burglaries (1.93%); 14-thefts (1.29%); 11-driving offenses (1.01%); 3-vehicle thefts (0.28%); 1-arsons (0.09%); 1-forgery (0.09%); and 56 other types of crime or a combination of the preceding crimes (5.16%).

Oregon State Legislators should not overlook the source of the preceding crimes, the country of origin of the 1,086 criminal aliens in DOC prisons.

The self-declared counties of origin of the 1,086 criminal aliens in the DOC prison population by numbers and percentage (%) per country equated to the following: 873-Mexico (80.39%); 32-Guatemala (2.95%); 19-Vietnam (1.75%); 16-El Salvador (1.47%); 12-Cuba (1.10%); 11-Honduras (1.01%); 10-Russia (0.92%); 10-Ukraine (0.92%); 8-Federated States of Micronesia (0.74%); 6-Laos (0.55%); 6-Philippines (0.55%); and 83 from other counties (7.64%).

Beyond the DOC criminal alien incarceration numbers and incarceration percentages, per county and per crime type, or even country of origin, criminal aliens pose high economic cost on Oregonians.

An individual prisoner incarcerated in the DOC prison system costs the state approximately ($87.08) per day (See link).

http://www.oregon.gov/doc/GECO/docs/pdf/IB_53_Quick_Facts_06_14.pdf

The DOC’s incarceration cost for its 1,086 criminal alien prison population is approximately ($94,568.88) per day, ($661,982.16) per week, and ($34,517,641.20) per year.

Even taking into account fiscal year 2013 United States Federal Government State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) award of $2,146,935.00, if the State of Oregon receives the same amount of SCAAP funding for fiscal year 2014, the cost to incarcerate 1,086 criminal aliens to the DOC will be at least ($32,370,706.20) (See link).

https://www.bja.gov/Funding/13SCAAPawards.pdf

None of preceding cost estimates for the DOC to incarcerate the 1,086 criminal aliens include the dollar amount for legal services (indigent defense), court costs, nor cost estimates to cover victim assistance.

An unfortunate fact, the State of Oregon is not fully cooperating with the U.S. DHS–ICE to fight crime committed by criminal aliens who reside in Oregon.

In year 2007, a United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) report titled “Cooperation of SCAAP (State Criminal Alien Assistance Program) Recipients in the Removal of Criminal Aliens from the United States, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General Audit Division, Audit Report 07-07, October 2007, Redacted-Public Version” identified the State of Oregon as having an official “state sanctuary statute,” ORS 181.850 Enforcement of federal immigration laws (See link).

http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/reports/OJP/a0707/final.pdf

The USDOJ, the federal governments top law enforcement agency, identified Oregon as a “sanctuary” for criminal aliens.

An Oregon law, Oregon Revised Statue 181.850 (ORS 181.850), Section (1), prohibits Oregon law enforcement (Oregon State Police (OSP), county sheriffs, city police departments) from asking immigration status of anyone residing in the State of Oregon “for the purpose of detecting or apprehending persons whose only violation of law is that they are persons of foreign citizenship present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws.” Under ORS 181.850, Section (2), Oregon law enforcement October exchange information with U.S. DHS–ICE . . . “in order to: Subsection (a), “Verify the immigration status of a person if the person is arrested for any criminal offense;” or, Subsection (b), “Request criminal investigation information with reference to persons named in records of the” U.S. DHS–ICE . . . (See link).

http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/lawsstatutes/2013ors181.html

The State of Oregon should no longer be classified by U.S. federal government law enforcement as having an official “state sanctuary statute” for criminal aliens, nor should Oregon be a sanctuary for criminal aliens to kill, rape, maim or abuse Oregonians. Read more about Seven Year Report: Criminal Aliens Incarcerated Oregon Department

Lawsuit: Obama Immigration Officials Pressured Attorney To Overlook Illegal Alien DUIs And ID Theft

A career attorney with top ratings at Immigration and Customs Enforcement says that she faced retaliation from superiors for refusing to drop cases pending against illegal aliens guilty of DUI, identity theft, and other crimes.

Patricia Vroom, 59, made the claims in a lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court of Appeals in Arizona against Department of Homeland Security Sec. Jeh Johnson.

The Daily Caller obtained a copy of the complaint.

Vroom, who has worked for ICE and its predecessor for 26 years, alleges that in Feb. 2013 she was contacted by ICE deputy director Sarah Hartnett and was “instructed to look favorably for prosecutorial discretion on immigration removal cases involving the lowest level of felony convictions for identity theft under Arizona law.”

“This was a very significant development,” the suit claims. Criminal aliens are generally considered “‘priority cases’ that should be aggressively pursued.”

But Hartnett explained to Vroom that convictions for low-level offenders “could be converted from a felony to a misdemeanor after the defendant successfully completed probation.”

Hartnett’s argument to Vroom, according to the suit, was that “since the typical alien defendant convicted under these provisions of Arizona criminal law had simply been using a fake I.D. to get and keep employment, [Vroom] and her attorneys should look carefully at the individual’s equities and consider their cases for ‘administrative closure.’”

The administrative closure designation would allow Vroom to take such cases off of the docket altogether.

Vroom cited another incident concerning an alien who falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen and registered to vote on two occasions.

As Vroom was pursuing the case, Stoller wrote of her in a Sept. 24, 2013 email to an ICE staffer: “[Vroom] is so wrong on so many levels that I don’t have a response right now…It is abundantly clear that, notwithstanding two years of discussing [prosecutorial discretion], priorities, and efficiencies with the field, Tucson needs comprehensive correction.”

An ICE official named Matt Downer asked Vroom how she would handle the case. She said that she would grant relief by issuing a cancellation for removal.

But Downer issued a ruling even more favorable to the alien: “dismiss with prejudice.”

That designation is significant, the lawsuit claims.

If the subject of the crime were to be charged with a crime in the future “the Department of Homeland Security would have been forever precluded from bringing the removal case against [the subject] again in immigration court on the same, legally sound, charges.”

Vroom also claims that on Nov. 5, 2013, Downer emailed her concerning the case of an individual who was found ineligible for relief under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which was started by President Obama, because of an ID theft conviction.

Unknown to Vroom at the time, top ICE and DHS officials had discussed that individual case on a conference call in Aug. 2013.

An angry Downer emailed Vroom on Nov. 5, 2013, demanding to know why she had been unable to convince her Field Office Director to cancel the Notice to Appear order for the alien.

Vroom also alleges in the suit that on Sept. 17 of this year, an ICE official named Jim Stolley told attorneys with the agency’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor at a training session that “they should favorably exercise prosecutorial discretion in some cases involving low-level criminal aliens, including those who had ‘old’ DUI convictions, if they had enough equities.”

When some of the attorneys at the session pushed back against Stolley’s suggestions, he allegedly said “we don’t give a shit about that. Let it go.”

Vroom alleges that she faced sexual and age discrimination from her superiors. And during a mid-year review conducted in May 2013, ICE official Sarah Hartness told her that some had complained that Vroom was giving “a lot of push-back.”

Prior to her recent struggles, Vroom received glowing reviews and won numerous awards, including two for “District Counsel of the Year.”

Vroom’s performance rating for the year 2010-2011 was the highest — a 4.94 on a five-point scale — out of all 26 chief counsels working at ICE.

By Nov. 2013, Vroom had fallen to the bottom of the pack in terms of performance rating. She was scored a 3.53. Read more about Lawsuit: Obama Immigration Officials Pressured Attorney To Overlook Illegal Alien DUIs And ID Theft

Francisco Aguirre, Portland labor activist fighting deportation, arrested on federal criminal warrant

Francisco Aguirre, a local labor activist originally from El Salvador, was arrested Thursday on federal charges of entering the United States illegally after he had been deported.

Aguirre took refuge in Northeast Portland church in September ...

Aguirre -- full name Juan Francisco Aguirre-Velasquez -- was deported to El Salvador in 2000 after a conviction for drug trafficking offenses.

Thursday's arrest came as a surprise to Aguirre...

Defense attorney Barbara Gabriela Ghio said she did not learn of the federal warrant until the hearing began.

A federal grand jury indicted Aguirre on Sept. 30 and an arrest warrant was issued Oct. 1.

Aguirre arrived at the courthouse in an old school bus along with religious leaders and many of those fighting his deportation....

"Here I am, doing the right thing. Doing what they ask me to do. They say, 'Francisco need(s) to show up at court.' Here I am. I'm not hiding," Aguirre said.

"I'm a father. I'm a community organizer. This is where I belong," he said.

Aguirre also urged President Obama to take immediate steps to address immigration reform....

It is unclear how he will comply with the requirement for alcohol treatment while he is in federal custody.

Aguirre was taken to the Clackamas County Jail where he was to be held until federal agents took him into custody, Ghio said.

Aguirre's supporters quickly regrouped. About 70 people held a protest rally outside the U.S Attorney's Office in downtown Portland on Thursday afternoon.

Aguirre, transferred to to the Multnomah County Detention Center on a federal hold, spoke to them by phone. He said he was going on a hunger strike and asked his supporters to stay strong and united.

Aguirre was involved in the Workers' Organizing Committee that went on to found Voz Workers' Rights Education Project, nonprofit organization that mostly helps male Latino immigrants find work in Portland. He currently serves as the MLK Jr. Worker Center coordinator for the group.

Portland Mayor Charlie Hales, another of Aguirre's supporters, issued a statement Thursday afternoon:

I have been informed that Francisco Aguirre was arrested today in Clackamas County and is being held, while federal agents plan to take him into custody.

Mr. Aguirre was not in court today because of his immigration status. He was in a Clackamas County Court on an accusation of driving under the influence. But he was taken into custody on the likelihood that he will be deported.

As I stated this summer, Francisco Aguirre is an important voice on the issues of equity and immigration rights. Our community benefits from the work done by Francisco and the Voz Workers Rights Education Project....

Naturally, I have faith that the U.S. Attorney for Oregon will handle this case in a just manner. I do not presuppose the outcome. I also do not know if Mr. Aguirre should be deported. A court will decide that. But I do know that our community is better off for having him here, in Oregon, with his family, working hard and paying his taxes, and speaking out on issues that impact our community.

I stand with mayors across the nation who are calling on Congress to address comprehensive immigration reform. This case, and the way it has been handled, is a glaring example of why that reform is needed right now. Read more about Francisco Aguirre, Portland labor activist fighting deportation, arrested on federal criminal warrant

American lives traded for Obama's sickening agenda

American citizens are killed everyday on our roadways by illegal aliens driving drunk or on drugs.  In Oregon alone heart-wrenching cases beg to be acknowledged for the grief they have caused the loved ones left behind.  Often the perpetrators of such horrific accidents are repeat offenders.

I was shocked to read a new report from the Center for Immigration Studies examining the potential public safety impact of an executive action to benefit alien traffic offenders, one of the several directives reportedly being considered by the Obama administration.

Such a presidential directive would protect tens of thousands of illegal aliens from deportation each year. Since 2004, over 250,000 aliens whose most serious state or local conviction was a traffic offense were deported by ICE.

An amnesty for those “convicted exclusively of traffic crimes” would include those convicted of drunk or drugged driving, vehicular homicide, car-jacking, and joyriding.

The number of illegal aliens deported after drunk or drugged driving convictions (as their most serious offense) numbered 22,740 in 2013.

Clearly, this administration seems to find American lives of no value as they plot to completely unwind our immigration laws. 

  Read more about American lives traded for Obama's sickening agenda

Executive Amnesty for Traffic Offenders?

WASHINGTON, DC (September 30, 2014) A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies examines the potential public safety impact of an executive action to benefit alien traffic offenders, one of the several directives reportedly being considered by the Obama administration. Such a presidential directive would protect tens of thousands of illegal aliens from deportation each year. The analysis found that since 2004, 258,689 aliens whose most serious state or local conviction was a traffic offense were deported by ICE.

These individuals are not “harmless,” as proponents of such a policy have suggested. An amnesty for those “convicted exclusively of traffic crimes” would include those convicted of drunk or drugged driving, vehicular homicide, carjacking, vehicular homicide, and joyriding.

More than half (57%) of deported traffic offenders were convicted of drunk or drugged driving. The number of illegal aliens deported after drunk or drugged driving convictions (as their most serious offense) numbered 22,740 in 2013.

View the full report at: http://cis.org/executive-action-to-benefit-alien-traffic-offenders

In addition, more than half (55%) of the traffic offenders deported by ICE in the last 10 years had been deported at least once before.

“An amnesty to benefit alien traffic offenders undermines the enforcement of immigration law and circumvents Congress with the sole goal of protecting illegal aliens from deportation.," said Dan Cadman, a Center fellow and co-author of the report. "To suggest those convicted of traffic crimes, many of which involved fatalities, are not a threat to public safety or are not worthy of law enforcement resources is a slap in the face to family members who have lost loved ones to reckless illegal alien drivers.”

“Drunk driving is one of the most common violent crimes committed in America, and according to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), one-third of the problem is repeat offenders," noted Jessica Vaughan, the other co-author and the Center's Director of Policy Studies. "It is perfectly appropriate for ICE agents to remove those who not only are here illegally, but also have endangered the public by driving impaired. The Obama administration should not seek political gain by protecting illegal aliens who are a menace on our roadways.”

Key Findings:
An Obama administration executive action that protects from deportation those aliens convicted exclusively of traffic offenses potentially would shield thousands of dangerous drivers, including many convicted of drunk driving, from deportation each year judging by actual deportation records.

Traffic crimes include a wide spectrum of offenses and crimes, ranging from drunk or drugged driving, to vehicular homicide, to joyriding, to improper lane changes, to driving without a license or insurance. Many of these are serious, involve fatalities, and put the public at risk. Proponents of such an executive action should be pressed to define exactly what offenses are meant or intended by the phrase.

More than half (57 percent) of all aliens deported from 2004 to 2013 whose most serious conviction was a traffic-related crime were convicted of drunk or drugged driving.

Other traffic-related criminal convictions of deported aliens included: carjacking, hit-and-run, vehicular homicide/manslaughter, transporting alcohol, vehicle theft, joyriding, and license offenses.

The majority of all traffic-related crimes in the 10-year dataset were committed by adult male aliens (from late teens to mid-30s in age) who entered the country without inspection across the border, and therefore were almost certainly driving without a license and uninsured.

Most aliens deported after convictions for traffic crimes had other aggravating circumstances that weighed on their case. More than half (55 percent) of aliens deported from 2004 to 2013 after traffic-related convictions had been deported from the country at least once before. (Re-entry after deportation is a felony.) In 2013, 70 percent of traffic offenders were prior-deportees.

An even larger percentage (60 percent) of aliens convicted of lesser traffic offenses (a subset of traffic crimes) were prior deportees Read more about Executive Amnesty for Traffic Offenders?

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