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In reply to the discussion: Obama's 2015 budget continues arbitrary quota for private prison beds filled by immigrants. [View all]frazzled
(18,402 posts)7. Unforunately, it's a law, and this budget (once again) proposes reducing the number.
Can the president break the law? It really doesn't matter in this case, because it is Congress that will ultimately pass a budget, no matter what the president proposes. And for the second time, he's proposed a reduction in the number of beds:
The Obama administration proposed in its budget on Tuesday that it should maintain fewer beds for detaining immigrants, hitting a controversial mandate that it argues gives the government too little flexibility to pursue cheaper and more humane options.
The government is currently required to maintain 34,000 beds for immigrant detainees, at the cost of $2 billion per year. Advocates of changing the detention standards argue that simply doesn't make sense: there are plenty of immigrants who could be monitored through alternatives such as ankle bracelets or check-ins with a case officer to avoid the huge cost to the federal government and keep them from being unnecessarily detained while their case is adjudicated.
The proposed 2015 Department of Homeland Security budget would reduce the bed mandate from 34,000 to about 30,500. The administration has made such a push before, but without much luck. The 2014 budget proposal, which was not enacted, requested funding to maintain 31,800 immigrant detention beds.
The FY 2015 budget proposal states that the savings from a lower bed mandate would be $184.8 million.
"This level of beds will allow [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] to detain the current mandatory population, as well as the high-risk, non-mandatory detainees," the 2015 proposal reads. "ICE will ensure the most cost-effective use of our appropriated funding by focusing the more-costly detention capabilities on priority and mandatory detainees, while placing low-risk, non-mandatory detainees in lower cost alternatives to detention programs."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/04/budget-immigration_n_4899244.html
The government is currently required to maintain 34,000 beds for immigrant detainees, at the cost of $2 billion per year. Advocates of changing the detention standards argue that simply doesn't make sense: there are plenty of immigrants who could be monitored through alternatives such as ankle bracelets or check-ins with a case officer to avoid the huge cost to the federal government and keep them from being unnecessarily detained while their case is adjudicated.
The proposed 2015 Department of Homeland Security budget would reduce the bed mandate from 34,000 to about 30,500. The administration has made such a push before, but without much luck. The 2014 budget proposal, which was not enacted, requested funding to maintain 31,800 immigrant detention beds.
The FY 2015 budget proposal states that the savings from a lower bed mandate would be $184.8 million.
"This level of beds will allow [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] to detain the current mandatory population, as well as the high-risk, non-mandatory detainees," the 2015 proposal reads. "ICE will ensure the most cost-effective use of our appropriated funding by focusing the more-costly detention capabilities on priority and mandatory detainees, while placing low-risk, non-mandatory detainees in lower cost alternatives to detention programs."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/04/budget-immigration_n_4899244.html
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Obama's 2015 budget continues arbitrary quota for private prison beds filled by immigrants. [View all]
woo me with science
Apr 2014
OP
"Immigrants who have committed no crimes" will be put in prison? I'm going to have to see the proof
NYC_SKP
Apr 2014
#1
How do you feel about the government's guaranteeing bed occupancy in private prisons
woo me with science
Apr 2014
#2
See my additional comments. Congress members want to keep their friends in business.
NYC_SKP
Apr 2014
#5
I'm tired of the lie that Republican obstructionism is the problem here.
woo me with science
Apr 2014
#6
It's old news and Obama has since come out in favor of reducing the number of slots
NYC_SKP
Apr 2014
#29
So the OP is correct and you are LYING in denouncing it as "LIES" down thread.
cthulu2016
Apr 2014
#31
"Sounds like a fishy attempt to smear the POTUS just as election season is looming"
Cali_Democrat
Apr 2014
#4
Unforunately, it's a law, and this budget (once again) proposes reducing the number.
frazzled
Apr 2014
#7
Don't be absurd. You're accusing people of "lying" for pointing out the facts.
ProSense
Apr 2014
#37
As the president has no line item veto, a law passed under Article 1 section 8
msanthrope
Apr 2014
#9
Does no one teach civics anymore? You do realize of course that the president is charged
msanthrope
Apr 2014
#51
"Yes, Obama's budget for 2015 proposes a very small decrease in the number of quota beds."
ProSense
Apr 2014
#22
"The request for this token decrease has been made before, with no serious effort, ever...
ProSense
Apr 2014
#27
Your post and links are LIES. So you resort to insults. Typical when losing the argument.
NYC_SKP
Apr 2014
#24
You keep ignoring the fact the the OP has backtracked and admitted a decrease n/t
ProSense
Apr 2014
#36
All the edits can be seen by clicking the "Thread Info" button at the bottom of the OP...
SidDithers
Apr 2014
#33
There is no law that the President must maintain quotas for the imprisonment of human beings
woo me with science
Apr 2014
#40
Um... YES! ("Maybe the next President could simply leave out funding for any law s/he opposes.")
cthulu2016
Apr 2014
#45
There is no law requiring the President to budget any particular amount for this in his proposals
TheKentuckian
Apr 2014
#48
Obam is clueless when it comes to undocumented workers, border enforcement, etc.
Vattel
Apr 2014
#43