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In reply to the discussion: Hopes Frustrated, Many Latinos Reject the Ballot Box Altogether [View all]woo me with science
(32,139 posts)144. +10000 Obama's 2015 budget continues an unconscionable, arbitrary quota for private prison beds
that overwhelmingly house immigrants.
It is wrong. It is fueled by profit-seeking private prison lobbyists. And it is an abomination.
The president asked for what in his budget?!
http://www.presente.org/campaign/tell-obama-remove-quota-from-his-budget/original_email/
News flash: President Obamas 2015 budget requests a wasteful and dangerous policy that indiscriminately jams immigrants into private prisons.
Immigrants who have committed no crimes or only minor crimes are being stuffed into prisons to meet an arbitrary immigrant body count quota passed by the House of Representatives in 2006. That means ICE has a sick incentive to rip immigrant families apart, profile Latinos in border communities, and give billions of dollars away to private prison corporations like GEO Group -- all for no good reason.1
President Obama could push back against this policy. Instead, his budget request legitimizes it. Its one thing for GOP extremists to request a policy like this -- its another thing entirely when a President who claims to support our communities does.
Some people call it the bed mandate. We call it the immigrant imprisonment quota. Whatever you call it, its bad news -- so why does President Obama seem to support it?
http://www.presente.org/campaign/tell-obama-remove-quota-from-his-budget/original_email/
News flash: President Obamas 2015 budget requests a wasteful and dangerous policy that indiscriminately jams immigrants into private prisons.
Immigrants who have committed no crimes or only minor crimes are being stuffed into prisons to meet an arbitrary immigrant body count quota passed by the House of Representatives in 2006. That means ICE has a sick incentive to rip immigrant families apart, profile Latinos in border communities, and give billions of dollars away to private prison corporations like GEO Group -- all for no good reason.1
President Obama could push back against this policy. Instead, his budget request legitimizes it. Its one thing for GOP extremists to request a policy like this -- its another thing entirely when a President who claims to support our communities does.
Some people call it the bed mandate. We call it the immigrant imprisonment quota. Whatever you call it, its bad news -- so why does President Obama seem to support it?
Controversial quota drives immigration detention boom
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/controversial-quota-drives-immigration-detention-boom/2013/10/13/09bb689e-214c-11e3-ad1a-1a919f2ed890_story_2.html
By Nick Miroff, E-mail the writer
KARNES CITY, Tex. In the past five years, Homeland Security officials have jailed record numbers of immigrants, driven by a little-known congressional directive known on Capitol Hill as the bed mandate.
The policy requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to keep an average of 34,000 detainees per day in its custody, a quota that has steadily risen since it was established in 2006 by conservative lawmakers who insisted that the agency wasnt doing enough to deport unlawful immigrants.
But as illegal crossings from Mexico have fallen to near their lowest levels since the early 1970s, ICE has been meeting Congresss immigration detention goals by reaching deeper into the criminal justice system to vacuum up foreign-born, legal U.S. residents convicted of any crimes that could render them eligible for deportation. The agency also has greatly expanded the number of undocumented immigrants it takes into custody after traffic stops by local police.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials say that they are not needlessly jailing immigrants to meet a quota and that they find plenty of candidates for detention and deportation by targeting criminals who pose a threat to public safety and border security.
But critics of the mandate note that the majority of ICE detainees are not violent offenders. Immigration judges eventually allow many to remain in the United States, but the detainees may spend months in costly federal custody, even when far cheaper alternatives are available, such as ankle bracelets and other forms of electronic monitoring.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/controversial-quota-drives-immigration-detention-boom/2013/10/13/09bb689e-214c-11e3-ad1a-1a919f2ed890_story_2.html
By Nick Miroff, E-mail the writer
KARNES CITY, Tex. In the past five years, Homeland Security officials have jailed record numbers of immigrants, driven by a little-known congressional directive known on Capitol Hill as the bed mandate.
The policy requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to keep an average of 34,000 detainees per day in its custody, a quota that has steadily risen since it was established in 2006 by conservative lawmakers who insisted that the agency wasnt doing enough to deport unlawful immigrants.
But as illegal crossings from Mexico have fallen to near their lowest levels since the early 1970s, ICE has been meeting Congresss immigration detention goals by reaching deeper into the criminal justice system to vacuum up foreign-born, legal U.S. residents convicted of any crimes that could render them eligible for deportation. The agency also has greatly expanded the number of undocumented immigrants it takes into custody after traffic stops by local police.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials say that they are not needlessly jailing immigrants to meet a quota and that they find plenty of candidates for detention and deportation by targeting criminals who pose a threat to public safety and border security.
But critics of the mandate note that the majority of ICE detainees are not violent offenders. Immigration judges eventually allow many to remain in the United States, but the detainees may spend months in costly federal custody, even when far cheaper alternatives are available, such as ankle bracelets and other forms of electronic monitoring.
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K&R. Thank you for posting this. It's been a wait of FIVE years for immigration reform, with no
lunamagica
Mar 2014
#2
Excuse me, I'm not the president who promised as a candidate to pass immigration reform during his
lunamagica
Mar 2014
#13
So presidential candidates should never talk about healthcare, immigration, or the minimum wage
bornskeptic
Mar 2014
#56
Well, there's some mighty ripe bullpucky.. looks like you're the one "flinging the poo".. ugh.
Cha
Apr 2014
#127
Are you arguing against immigration reform then, 'because it's too hard'? It will ALWAYS be hard.
sabrina 1
Mar 2014
#45
He was not elected with THIS Congress, he had manorities in both branches...
Demo_Chris
Apr 2014
#132
Another republican bullshit ass'd talking point, he did NOT have CONTROLLING... CONTROLLING majority
uponit7771
Apr 2014
#150
Why didn't they do this when they had the majority? Surely Obama was calling them daily, right? nt
Demo_Chris
Apr 2014
#135
All Dems Lady Freedom Returns.. but some will continue ignoring this and whine on about the DEMS. nt
Cha
Apr 2014
#167
So you're saying all these Latino voters are disenchanted because of criticisms posted here?
Scuba
Mar 2014
#6
So NOW you will block me? would be really great if you followed through on your threat. n/t
Sheepshank
Mar 2014
#115
Your Truth...you don't speak for everyone. Stop thinking of yourself on such a grand scale
Sheepshank
Mar 2014
#89
It's the white flag waving in the middle of a bar fight just to score a weenie point
BeyondGeography
Mar 2014
#57
+10000 Obama's 2015 budget continues an unconscionable, arbitrary quota for private prison beds
woo me with science
Apr 2014
#144
Short of passing reform, Obama could try not being the "deporter in chief."
Comrade Grumpy
Apr 2014
#141
Being the party of "Deporter in Chief" doesn't sell well to the victims.
Tierra_y_Libertad
Mar 2014
#28
Yep. Of late, it has been the season for Loyalty Oaths and condemnation of critics.
Tierra_y_Libertad
Mar 2014
#87
Wow, this nugget in the 7th paragraph of the article should give us pause:
beerandjesus
Mar 2014
#30
I'll shoulder the blame. The BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico was my fault too. I drive an SUV.
Scuba
Mar 2014
#35
You'd almost believe that considering the uproar you get here when the Prez is criticized.
Scuba
Mar 2014
#80
A Plea to my Latino brothers and sisters. Do not forsake the ballot box. We all need you.
kelliekat44
Mar 2014
#31
So sitting home and not voting for candidates who will support their efforts and allowing
kelliekat44
Mar 2014
#100
deportations have a lot to do with this --How President Obama Can Curb Deportations Now
xchrom
Mar 2014
#34
My concern is that the "negative" will be disenchanted Latino voters staying home.
Scuba
Mar 2014
#41
That's a concern. It can be countered by stressing that Republicans "have buried the Senate bill"
ProSense
Mar 2014
#42
Actually, deportations have gone way up under President Obama, with no change in law.
Scuba
Mar 2014
#51
It does NOT prove they don't care. It proves they don't see enough difference between the Parties.
Scuba
Mar 2014
#123
So what differences are they supposed to notice? That one party is dead-set against ...
Scuba
Apr 2014
#129
Ironically, Bush was fighting his own party on this one until 9-11 ended all that...
Demo_Chris
Apr 2014
#136
That is directly related to the increased numbers of agents and supporting infrastructure. Beginning
okaawhatever
Mar 2014
#96
Well, we've got another corpo-Dem lined up to face Walker this fall. Sure hope she can win.
Scuba
Mar 2014
#107
I won't concede that a "more leftward" candidate can't win when the turnout is 50%, even less.
Scuba
Mar 2014
#109
I know I'm in the minority for this and probably will be banned by some of you but
WilmywoodNCparalegal
Mar 2014
#120
So the takeaway from this thread is that politician's shouldn't campaign on an issue...
brooklynite
Apr 2014
#130
I believe the take-away is that if you want voters to support you, you have to fight for them ....
Scuba
Apr 2014
#131
Yes, those 50 votes showed the idiotic tea party that someone was fighting for them
Autumn
Apr 2014
#169
Not all Senate Dems are probably willing to vote for an immigration bill over and over.
amandabeech
Apr 2014
#152