AP: Mass. Gov.-Elect Says No to Trooper Pact (illegal aliens)

[Eugene]

Mass. Gov.-Elect Says No to Trooper Pact
By GLEN JOHNSON
Associated Press Writer

December 21, 2006, 2:41 PM EST

BOSTON -- Gov.-elect Deval Patrick said Thursday he will rescind a new agreement
between the state and federal authorities that allows State Police troopers to
arrest illegal immigrants.

The incoming governor said he believes the troopers have enough to do already
without having to also enforce the nation's immigration laws.

"If I have that power, I'm going to rescind that agreement," Patrick, a Democrat,
told reporters. "I do believe I have that power."

On Dec. 13, Republican Gov. Mitt Romney signed an agreement with federal authorities
allowing troopers to arrest and seek deportation of suspected illegal aliens they
encountered during their normal duties.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-massachusetts-immigration,0,1620526.story

[Double T]

1. Illegal aliens should be arrested and deported to their countries of origin.......

by ALL law enforcement agencies; Local, State and Federal. The governor is making a mistake.

[rodeodance]

2. it is a customs problem. NOT local police.

[Tempest]

3. There are no state or local laws governing illegal immigration

This is a federal issue, period.

How would you feel if you were the victim of a crime and the local police said they couldn't help you because their resources were being tied up with illegal immgrant issues?

[KingFlorez]

6. You aren't getting it

It's not for the state police to handle, it's a federal issue.

[primavera]

8. And of course Sheriff Gomer Pyle...

... can be relied upon to recognize which persons are here illegally as opposed to which ones are lawfully present? Your faith is touching, monumentally naive and misguided, but touching. Since the feds have begun recruiting every Tom, Dick, and Harry local law enforcement agent to "aid in the war on terror" by empowering them to enforce immigration laws of which they have absolutely zero knowledge, the result has predictably been widespread arrests and detentions of innocent persons of color, virtually all of whom turned out to be here perfectly legally. There have even been instances of US citizens being deported to Mexico. I'm sure the Mexican govenment must get a real laugh out of that.

[High Plains]

4. State and local police don't want to enforce federal immigration laws.

Except maybe Sheriff Joe in Phoenix. Ask them. They will tell you they would rather be able to have decent relations with immigrant communities so they can solve crimes than be federal immigration law enforcers from whom immigrants flee.

[ninkasi]

7. Exactly

Not only is immigration a federal law, but local governments who start enforcing federal laws must also use their state, or local taxes to pay for this. I don't know if the federal government reimburses the money, but with state budgets being strained already, it diverts their resources from the issues they are supposed to deal with. It could place enough burden on them to require hiring extra law enforcement officers, which they shouldn't have to do.

[David__77]

5. Stupid Romney 08 campaign ploy.

Won't work.