With advocates pushing House members to move on immigration reform this week, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement union is calling on lawmakers investigate the Department of Homeland Security.
“If these groups were concerned about public safety, national security and the rule of law they would be joining our call for an investigation of the Department of Homeland Security,” National ICE Council president and ICE officer Chris Crane wrote in an open letter to Members of Congress Monday. “In fact, we are urging all lawmakers to demand an investigation of DHS before moving immigration bills.”
He wrote that political appointees in the department have been ordering ICE officers to “ignore the law,” public safety has been eroded, officers face disciplinary action for doing their jobs, and morale at ICE is low.
“It doesn’t matter what kind of legislation Congress comes out with as long as presidents of the United States can pick and choose what parts of the law they will or will not enforce. And then as President Obama has done — he has even gone beyond that — and has made his own policies, replacing law with policies,” Crane explained in an interview Monday with The Daily Caller.
Crane — who has been a vocal opponent of the Senate-passed immigration reform bill and the Obama administration’s approach to immigration enforcement — further explained that the groups pushing for immigration reform have not consulted or worked with ICE officers and do not speak on behalf of the nation’s interests.
“In fact, their actions have undermined the safety of the country and law enforcement personnel. They do not represent the interests of your constituents, the law enforcement community, or the nation itself. They have demonstrated no evident concern for the constitutional rule of law. They are interested in power and money.
“ICE officers are pleading with you to resist their well-financed pressure campaign and stand with American citizens and the immigration officers who put their own personal safety at risk each day to provide for public safety. The American public is fed up with rich individuals, corporations and special interests using money to control the legislative process,” Crane wrote in his Monday letter.
The National ICE Council represents approximately 7,000 ICE officers, agents and staff.
Read the full letter:
Dear Member of Congress,
I am the President of the National ICE Council, representing approximately 7,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, agents and support staff. I am also an actively serving ICE officer.
Numerous news reports have announced that a large group of CEO’s, special interests and groups opposing immigration enforcement plan to increase lobbying efforts on House members starting this week. This lobbyist pressure campaign is designed to get House members to either support legislation similar to the Schumer-Rubio bill or to pass individual bills that will be combined with Gang of Eight legislation into a comprehensive bill in a conference committee. Many of the groups stand to make a fortune from the immigration provisions they are seeking. Indeed, the 1,200 page Senate plan lined the pockets of many of the same groups now lobbying House members.
You should be aware that these groups have not worked with or consulted with ICE officers. In fact, their actions have undermined the safety of the country and law enforcement personnel. They do not represent the interests of your constituents, the law enforcement community, or the nation itself. They have demonstrated no evident concern for the constitutional rule of law. They are interested in power and money. ICE officers are pleading with you to resist their well-financed pressure campaign and stand with American citizens and the immigration officers who put their own personal safety at risk each day to provide for public safety. The American public is fed up with rich individuals, corporations and special interests using money to control the legislative process.
According to the New York times, the lobbying campaign begins today and continues throughout the week: “Sponsors of the event include the United States Chamber of Commerce; FWD.us, a political action group set up by Silicon Valley executives including Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook; and the Partnership for a New Economy, which is led jointly by New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Rupert Murdoch and Bill Marriott Jr.” These groups are interested in increased profits and power; to my knowledge they have never lifted a finger to assist ICE officers in creating legislation that makes public safety and national security our priority.
If these groups were concerned about public safety, national security and the rule of law they would be joining our call for an investigation of the Department of Homeland Security. In fact, we are urging all lawmakers to demand an investigation of DHS before moving immigration bills. ICE officers are being ordered by DHS political appointees to ignore the law. Violent criminal aliens are released every day from jails back into American communities. ICE Officers face disciplinary action for engaging in routine law enforcement actions. We are barred from enforcing large sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act, even when public safety is at risk. Officer morale is devastated. Our agency‘s managers answer to special interests and not to Congress. No reform can succeed as long as this or any other administration can choose to ignore Congress and violate the law with impunity.
The National ICE Council would be eager to meet with you to discuss these matters further.
Sincerely,
Chris Crane
President
