enforcement

Mr. Obama has been pleading with Congress to enact a more lenient policy toward illegal immigrants, but his efforts took a hit when tens of thousands of children and families surged across the border in the first half of 2014. The administration was caught off guard and had to scramble to try to gain a handle on matters.

At the height of the surge, some 10,000 children crossed per month. The number dropped to about 2,000 a month earlier this year but has risen steadily back to nearly 5,000 a month in September and October, and is on pace for about 5,000 in November.

The surge of illegal immigrant children puts a strain on other parts of government.

Under federal policy children from noncontiguous countries who are apprehended without being accompanied by parents are required to be processed and quickly released to the Department of Health and Human Services, which then tries to place them with relatives or in foster homes. Local school districts have struggled to accommodate the children, many of whom lag behind their age level in education and struggle with learning English.

More than 4,600 children were turned over to HHS in October, and November was headed even higher, with HHS predicting 4,900 children will be sent to its custody.

Once with families, the children usually skip their deportation hearings and disappear into the shadows with the 11 million other illegal immigrants already here.

The rising tide of illegal immigrants could also feed into the presidential campaign, where Republican hopeful Donald Trump has called for building more fencing.

Even Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton recently bragged about her 2006 vote in favor of erecting 700 miles of two-tier fencing along the southwest border.

That law was watered down a year later, at the behest of then-Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas Republican, and less than 40 miles of two-tier fencing has been built. Another 310 or so miles of single-tier fencing was built, along with 300 miles of vehicle barriers that allow people and animals to cross. Read more about Illegal immigrant children, non-Mexicans surge across border at record rate

A convicted heroin dealer deported earlier is facing additional charges and deportation after he was arrested during a drug deal Monday across the street from a private school in Milwaukie.

The drug deal did not involve anyone from the school...

Rafael Rivera-Rodriguez, 35, of Portland was arrested by members of the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force after an investigation in cooperation with the Milwaukie Police Department. During the bust, police seized about three ounces of heroin, with a street value of $7,500.

Rivera-Rodriguez subsequently was arraigned in Clackamas County Circuit Court on charges of dealing heroin within 1,000 feet of a school, possessing heroin and violating probation from a previous conviction....

Sgt. Nathan Thompson, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office spokesman, said Rivera-Rodriguez initially gave investigators a phony name...

Thompson said Rivera-Rodriguez previously has been convicted in Multnomah County of possession and delivery of heroin. He also has been convicted on federal charges of illegally re-entering the country after he was deported. He recently was released from federal federal custody after serving a prison term for illegal re-entry.

Clackamas County authorities have contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which may bring additional federal charges against Rivera-Rodriguez.
  Read more about Convicted heroin dealer, deported once, busted again across the street from Milwaukie school

NEW ORLEANS –  President Obama's plan to protect from deportation an estimated 5 million people living in the United States illegally suffered another setback Monday in a ruling from a New Orleans-based federal appeals court.

In a 2-1 ruling, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Texas-based federal judge's injunction blocking the administration's immigration initiative.

...Twenty-six states challenged the plan in court.

The administration argued that the executive branch was within its rights...

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was praised the ruling.

"President Obama should abandon his lawless executive amnesty program and start enforcing the law today," Abbott said in a news release.

The ruling further dims prospects of implementation of the executive action before Obama leaves office in 2017...

...The other major part, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, would extend deportation protections to parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have been in the country for years.

The 70-page majority opinion by Judge Jerry Smith, joined by Jennifer Walker Elrod, rejected administration arguments that the district judge abused his discretion with a nationwide order and that the states lacked standing to challenge Obama's executive orders.

They acknowledged an argument that an adverse ruling would discourage potential beneficiaries of the plan from cooperating with law enforcement authorities or paying taxes...

In a 53-page dissent, Judge Carolyn Dineen King said the administration was within the law, casting the decision to defer action on some deportations as "quintessential exercises of prosecutorial discretion," and noting that the Department of Homeland Security has limited resources.

"Although there are approximately 11.3 million removable aliens in this country today, for the last several years Congress has provided the Department of Homeland Security with only enough resources to remove approximately 400,000 of those aliens per year," King wrote. Read more about Appeals court rules against Obama immigration plan

Senate Democrats recently blocked "Kate's Law," legislation intended to impose mandatory prison terms on illegal immigrants convicted of major felonies who have been deported but have again entered the United States illegally. The law was named after Kate Steinle, the young woman murdered this summer in San Francisco by just such a person.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of Likely U.S. Voters favor a five-year mandatory prison sentence for illegal immigrants convicted of major felonies who return to America after being deported. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 27% oppose such legislation, while 18% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Seventy-two percent (72%) of Republicans and 53% of voters not affiliated with either major political party favor a law like the proposed Kate's Law. Democrats agree by a much narrower 43% to 36% margin, with 21% undecided.

Fifty-nine percent (59%) of voters say the federal government is not aggressive enough in punishing illegal immigrants who commit felony crimes in this country. Just 22% believe the government is aggressive enough in punishing these individuals, but nearly as many (19%) are not sure.

Following Steinle's murder by an illegal immigrant from Mexico who had been deported several times and come back, 62% of voters said the U.S. Justice Department should take legal action against cities that provide sanctuary for illegal immigrants, and 58% said the federal government should cut off funding for those cities. Republicans in Congress included Kate's Law in legislation to cut funding to “sanctuary cities." President Obama threatened to veto the measure, but Senate Democrats stopped it procedurally.

The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on October 28-29, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports...

Fifty-three percent (53%) of voters believe illegal immigration increases the level of serious crime in America. Thirty-three percent (33%) say it has no impact on crime.  More voters than ever feel the United States is not aggressive enough in deporting those who are here illegally....

Blacks and whites favor mandatory sentences more than other minority voters do...

Most voters who favor such mandatory sentencing (77%) think the government is not aggressive enough in punishing illegal immigrants who commit felony crimes...

Voters remain seriously worried about illegal immigration and still think stricter border control is the best way to stop it.

Most voters continue to believe the policies and practices of the federal government encourage, rather than discourage, illegal immigration. 

Obama’s plan to exempt millions of illegal immigrants from deportation still remains on hold courtesy of the federal courts, and that’s fine with most voters who continue to oppose the plan.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Twitter or Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.
  Read more about Voters Favor 'Kate's Law' Sentences for Illegal Immigrant Felons

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.

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.

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

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

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons began to free the first of about 6,000 drug offenders in its custody on Friday, including dozens convicted in Oregon. All were convicted of serious drug crimes...

Federal judges in Oregon have ordered 34 prisoners cut loose under an amendment to federal sentencing guidelines, although 21 of them are heading into custody of U.S. immigration officials because they are not American citizens, said Thomas H. Edmonds, Oregon's top federal drug prosecutor.

The foreigners are expected to be held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers.

"In total, ICE anticipates taking into custody approximately 1,789 non-citizens on October 30 and November 2," ...  "Seven hundred sixty-three of these individuals have already been issued final orders of removal, while the others are in varying stages of processing and removal proceedings."

...eight of those prisoners are from Oregon and another five are Americans from outside the state. They will be supervised by U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services...

The sentence reductions were approved last year by the U.S. Sentencing Commission, which cut about two years off the sentences of many drug offenders.
  Read more about 34 Oregon drug offenders join early release exodus of 6,000 U.S. prisoners