BOOM! Feds release hundreds of immigrant detainees in face of sequester

[ProSense]

BOOM! Feds release hundreds of immigrant detainees in face of sequester

by Keith Pickering

In what is clearly a shot across the bow at Republican obstructionism on the sequester, the Federal government today released hundreds of detained immigrants as a "cost saving" measure.

You can bet that if the sequester happens, those hundreds will turn into thousands.

And you can bet that Republican activists are going to be calling their congresscritters in record numbers demanding that the GOP actually -- govern the darned country for a change.

Obama to GOP: Check. Your move.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/us/immigrants-released-ahead-of-automatic-budget-cuts.html?_r=0

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/02/26/1190049/-BOOM-Feds-release-hundreds-of-immigrant-detainees-in-face-of-sequester

No doubt, RW heads are exploding. Still, the move clearly caught Republicans off guard. TPM:

<...>

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) noted the ICE announcement on his Twitter feed with some skepticism as well.

“Was this really the only way to save money?” he wrote.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/02/gopers-obama-freeing-criminal-immigrants-as-sequester-propaganda.php

[bunnies]

1. Good.

Pot smokers next, please.

[Cali_Democrat]

11. +1000

[Cleita]

21. Another + 1000

Maybe this will be a good thing after all.

[SCVDem]

25. And still another +1000! nt

[AndyA]

2. OMG! There will be HEADLESS BODIES all over the desert!

I hope McCain's office is flooded with phone calls from angry constituents, along with every other Republican in Congress.

[Kablooie]

47. And heads riding around on tortoise backs. This sequester could be breaking bad soon.

[Enrique]

3. release the Mexicans!

[woo me with science]

59. Release the Bankers!

Oh,...wait.

[gateley]

4. Hahaha! This feels really good!

[Cha]

5. Fuck mccain.

[Cha]

6. It's too rich.. thanks ProSense!

[progressoid]

7. Bwaaaaahahaha

[ProSense]

9. .

[Sienna86]

8. Love it

Excellent political maneuver.

[Cali_Democrat]

10. ...

[Baitball Blogger]

12. Oh! That's precious!

Very clever!

[malaise]

13. The ICE thawed

It's huge news here in Jamaica. Men and women are free and at home.
Thanks ReTHUGs

[malaise]

14. Notice how fast McGramps and Graham made it to the WH

for talks on immigration this afternoon

[Renew Deal]

15. McCains response is pretty funny

[ZombieHorde]

16. Awesome. nt

[John2]

17. Go ahead and release some more.

They can cut the Border patrol too. And while we are at it, cut state taxes too. Why should their salaries get paid?

[Cali_Democrat]

18. Cut the military budget as well

Target military spending in GOP districts.

Make 'em squeal like pigs.

[Aldo Leopold]

29. Brilliant!

[triplepoint]

19. Holiday on ICE!!!

Last edited Tue Feb 26, 2013, 11:50 PM - Edit history (1)

So, stay awake out there. Keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.
.
.

[slackmaster]

20. I think I've seen that movie

[Coolest Ranger]

22. hum imagine that

[SamKnause]

23. Early release

GOOD

Now release all of the NON violent drug offenders.

Let's fill those federal and private prisons up with the real criminals;

Wall Street
K-Street; lobbyists
C-Street; politicians
Global CEO's
war profiteers
corrupt politicians; past and present
corrupt police; past and present
watch dog groups that act like lap dog groups
corrupt attorneys
corrupt judges

I can dream. Dreaming is the only thing left I can afford.

[forestpath]

24. +1

[SCVDem]

26. Don't forget banksters! nt

[SamKnause]

27. Early release 2

I think they are covered under;

Wall Street
Global CEO's
Lobbyists
Corrupt politicians
Watchdog groups that act like lapdog groups

Bankers are directly connected to all these groups.

Thanks for your reply and input.

[Samantha]

28. Just too, too wonderful

Thank you for sharing.

Sam

[DCBob]

30. WOW!! The Rethugs must be freaking out.

LOVE IT!

[MineralMan]

31. Muy bueno.

Mucho me gusta.

[Historic NY]

32. I hope they gave the releaseee's the address of a government official with many houses...

in the southwest.....they're going to need a place to stay.

[loudsue]

33. “Was this really the only way to save money?” he wrote. Nope. We could always

cut Senator's salaries by 40%, and take away their benefits.

[politicasista]

34. Looks like McGrandstander is having it rough

day, week and year (so far).

[freshwest]

35. Whatever happened to...

[ChairmanAgnostic]

36. Not a laughing matter.

a client of mine was being stalked by an illegal immigrant. After arrest, the local police decided to save money and send the violent SOB to ICE. Yesterday, ICE let him go, and the first thing he did was have an associate let my client know that he is now free.

Make jokes, be funny, point fingers, but this has serious repercussions and is potentially dangerous. Deadly, even.

[Cali_Democrat]

37. And the GOP is to blame

They wanted to cut government spending and now they got it.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

39. absolutely. But we earned some blame too. The idea of caving and seeking

compromise so often has come back to bite Obama hard. They honestly cannot believe that he is standing firm. That shock and surprising impact may destroy our economic recovery.

[alcibiades_mystery]

38. That is a singular but troubling case...it is on the local police to do their job

Those released are for the most part senior citizens, disabled people, minors, and longtime residents. No documented felons or other people deemed dangerous to the public safety are being released. Obviously, in this case, that's debatable, but if he has no record, it's not really incumbent on ICE to do the job of the local police. They can't simply use ICE to replace stalking laws, and ICE can't adjudicate whether somebody is dangerous where there is no documented history. The police need to press stalking charges. It's not ICE's issue.

[ProSense]

40. Wait,

"a client of mine was being stalked by an illegal immigrant."

...you sound like Jan Brewer. Do you really think being an undocumented immigrant is synonymous with being a stalker? Do you think there are no natural born citizens who are stalkers?

You're condemning people for finding humor in a situation by making a friggin offensive statement.

[IdaBriggs]

41. A blanket statement was NOT being made; a specific case was being

Used as an example of the fact that not EVERYONE is harmless.

Please back off the accusation of prejudice. Or take it to meta.

[ProSense]

42. "a specific case was being"

used to condemn the action.

"Used as an example of the fact that not EVERYONE is harmless. "

Nowhere in the OP does it imply that "EVERYONE is harmless."

The OP has nothing to do with criminals. The fact that the release of undocumented immigrants is met with an immediate link to a potentially dangerous situation is offensive.

"Please back off the accusation of prejudice. Or take it to meta"

No, you back off. The person made a comment about the OP, and I responded.

[IdaBriggs]

43. Whatever. If you need some fake drama, please continue to

insultingly accuse someone of making blanket statements implying that "all undocumented immigrants are dangerous" which is NOT what the poster did.

I believe you are misconstruing / misrepresenting the point the poster you responded to was making, which is why I responded. I hope it was an accident or a bad day.

Either way, I am not the DU purity patrol, so hopefully the DUer you attacked will see this thread, appreciate that someone sympathized with the plight (but is still happy that a lot of Non-Dangerous people are being freed), and doesn't think they are a bad person (which you *accidentally* were doing).

Personally, I hope you either quickly resolve it, or take the (in my opinion) manufactured outrage to meta.

Have a nice evening.

[ProSense]

44. Please stop projecting. n/t

[ChairmanAgnostic]

65. projecting? Are you KIDDING?

This involves a client of mine right now. She had a short relationship with this guy, until he started beating her and threatening her daughter. Police and court actions followed. He is an illegal immigrant and has connections with the local russian mafia. He violated his Order of Protection, beat the crap out of her, was convicted of both, and was about to be deported.

And you accuse me of some crazy racist ideas? Take Dick Cheney's advice. You deserve it.

[ProSense]

66. Maybe you didn't notice, but the comment wasn't directed at you.

And your vile advice is very telling.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

67. Time for an ignore

That will make it more pleasant here.

[ProSense]

68. Go ahead.

Your original comment and latest advice were offensive.

[sheshe2]

45. They built this and they own it!

Sorry Gramps you lose!

[one_voice]

46. Priceless.

[reformist2]

48. Repugs suck at chess and politics.

[ProSense]

49. Compare McCain's response in the OP to Boehner's:

Boehner: Obama Releasing Immigrant Criminals As Sequester Scare

Add Speaker Boehner to the growing list of Republicans accusing the White House of a conspiracy to release illegal immigrant detainees in order to frighten Americans into demanding an end to sequestration cuts. Immigration officials say several hundred detainees are being freed due to the upcoming budget cuts this week.

"I'm looking for more facts," Boehner told CBS News, "but I can't believe that they can't find the kind of savings they need out of that department short of letting criminals go free."

He added that the situation was "outrageous."

"This is very hard for me to believe, that they can't find cuts elsewhere in their agency," Boehner said.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/boehner-obama-releasing-immigrant-criminals-as-sequester-scare

What a clown.

[Fire Walk With Me]

50. Most bizzare. Corporations want them in prison as slave labor:

How Corporations Make Money from Prison Labor: They’re Happy to Have More Inmates

http://www.techyville.com/2013/02/news/how-corporations-make-money-from-prison-labor-theyre-happy-to-have-more-inmates/

"From the inmate’s perspective, it’s more than frustrating. He’s worked construction for free for almost a year until a slot opens and he can finally make $.12 per hour. Inmates with more tenure might be making $100 per month to build things for Unicor, who only sells to government agencies at top dollar. Some can’t work and get $4.50 per month 'maintenance allowance,' enough to buy deodorant and a candy bar.

A year ago they had little room but now three sets of bunk-beds cram six people together in a place designed for two. They once had four television rooms but those are being converted into more bed-space as well. All the while, the conversation is alive about how much money the prison is making off them.

The Bureau of Prisons and Department of Justice run state and federal prisons, both of whom point to the national budget. If asked, representatives for these prisons say that no one profits from the inmates, that the prison labor is to sustain and maintain the prison itself and that it is government funded.

Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), on the other hand, owns and manages over 65 correctional institutions and prisons at every level, representing over 91,000 beds in 20 states. According to the public financial information available, CCA received 43% of their total revenue from federal correctional and detention authorities. The remaining 57% would be profit derived from prison labor. In 2011 alone they generated $351.1 million in cash."

Then again, with the "war on drugs" never ending, there will always be a steady stream of cheap labor to exploit.

[Zax2me]

51. Terra Terra Terra!

I don't like this - "See, what happens, when Sequester happens?! We release these EVIL illegal immigrants upon you!"

[riqster]

52. Weewease Bwian!

Sorry, I just had to.

[Divernan]

53. But this could hurt the profiteering privatized prison industry!

I hope the great majority released were
(1) in red states and
(2) in privatized prisons!

[dkf]

54. It's amazing how Government is completely incompetent at coping with cost cutting.

Business do it all the time but the government needs to shut down operations and cut service.

We've gone through so many cost cutting measures but our services have kept up, probably even improved as our expertise improved.

What's up with that?

[ProSense]

55. Yup,

"It's amazing how Government is completely incompetent at coping with cost cutting. Business do it all the time but the government needs to shut down operations and cut service. "

...businesses are very creative at finding ways to cut cost in order to pay those high executive bonuses and salaries.

JPMorgan to cut up to 17,000 jobs by end of 2014
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/27/us-jpmorgan-jobs-idUSBRE91P0GX20130227

[dkf]

58. Well aren't you thrilled? Less employees = small banks right?

[ProSense]

61. Good that you're using sarcasm to detract from your silly claim. n/t

[reformist2]

56. Repugs don't ever want to get their hands dirty and actually try to make things work better.

Why? Because they don't care whether the programs work or not. All they care about is how much they cost.

[dkf]

60. Are Democrats interested either?

To me the title problems in mortgages are completely due to inefficiencies in process. Why we haven't set up an automatic way to upkeep that data is a mystery.

Business is constantly upgrading and optimizing. Government is so much slower.

[ProSense]

62. That sounds

"Business is constantly upgrading and optimizing. Government is so much slower. "

...like an argument for privatization.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2434686

If Business are so good at "upgrading and optimizing," why didn't financial institutions do whatever was necessary to avert the economic crisis?

They're good at optimizing greed.

[SunSeeker]

63. The problem with mortgages is the bankers' fraud.

And they were aided and abetted by the rating agencies who classified their worthless mortgage-backed securities as AAA investments.

Seriously, why do you come to troll DU with posts bashing Democrats and spouting right wing anti-government nonsense?

[treestar]

74. The government does not make money

It does not sell a product. It does not go out of business. It is not comparable.

Plus many businesses fail anyway. They aren't always run perfectly.

[treestar]

73. The government is not a business

This I've said over and over when some CEO is touted for President.

[tammywammy]

85. The company I work for will handle sequestration

With furloughs and layoffs.

I think I'll personally be okay, but you never really know. Last year the CEO said it could be up to a 10% cut in employees....

[h2ebits]

57. Great News. . .

I burst out laughing when I heard the news on the radio. Just think about all of the privatized prisons in this country being forced to release prisoners.

There go the profits at our taxpayer expense. Too bad. Too bad.

[appleannie1]

64. That should p**s some righties off. LOL

[Skip Intro]

69. Why is this a good thing?

If these people were being held, my guess is they broke some law in addition to our immigration law.

What additional law did they break?

[Cali_Democrat]

70. GOP wanted to cut government spending, and now they got it

LMAO

We know how GOPers absolutely despise undocumented immigrants.

This is sure to get on their nerves.

[Skip Intro]

71. That's all that matters in this?

wow

[Cali_Democrat]

72. Hopefully next will be the aircraft carriers

Snip snip snip.

They're gonna squeal like pigs

[Skip Intro]

75. Great way to govern.

[Cali_Democrat]

78. Things cost money

Detaining people costs money. Deploying military assets costs money.

The GOP always screams about government spending and they love to bash government workers.

Well this is their bed that they made. Now they gotta sleep in it.

Fuckers are dumber than a sack of hammers.

[CreekDog]

83. Would you like Obama to break the law?

The sequestor requires across the board cuts to all programs, it doesn't allow sparing of popular or wise programs.

But it's okay. Feel free to lay all the blame on Obama if that's your motivation and this looks like a great opportunity.

[treestar]

77. Yep.

Do you love right wingers?

[Skip Intro]

80. What?

Really, what the hell kind of question is that?

[treestar]

82. Sense of humor impaired

Relax.

[treestar]

76. Your guess is nothing to go on

One can be detained just for being here when you are not supposed to be here.

They do not have had to have broken any additional law (other than the civil violation of being here without permission)

This is a good thing because it releases people the right wing does not want released in response to right wing demand to cut costs. It's thumbing our noses at the right wing, which is beautiful.

[ProSense]

79. Well,

"If these people were being held, my guess is they broke some law in addition to our immigration law.

What additional law did they break?"

...your guess would be wrong. Just because Boehner and the RW are screaming about criminals doesn't make it a fact.

It would do this country some good to stop throwing people in jail for every minor offense: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022434424

[TeamPooka]

81. lol ty for posting

[Scurrilous]

84. K & R