Guest Opinion: 75 percent of illegal immigrants skip deportation hearings, hiding out in US

OPINION: WASHINGTON SECRETS

Paul Bedard

| February 07, 2020 10:35 AM

More than 7 out of 10 illegal immigrant families ordered to be deported have skipped their court dates and remain in the United States, according to federal statistics.

In just 10 courts, some 36,115 illegal immigrant families ordered out from September 2018 to January 2020 never complied with a requirement to attend their hearings and instead are hiding out in the country, according to a Justice Department report from the Executive Office for

Immigration Review Adjudication Statistics

The report, according to an analysis by the

Center for Immigration Studies

, found that during the period, 47,925 families were denied asylum and ordered deported, but 75% didn’t attend their court hearings to get the order.

The statistics are the latest in a long string of reports that have detailed how illegal immigrants disappear into the U.S. once they enter.

“Their failure to appear suggests that they simply gamed loopholes in our immigration laws to gain entry into this country, to live and work indefinitely,” said former Immigration Judge Andrew R. Arthur, writing for CIS.

“There is nothing wrong with people looking for a better life generally, of course, but the problem in these cases are that (1) they put themselves and their children in danger by entering illegally to begin with, (2) they gave money to criminals and cartels to be smuggled into the U.S., (3) they are swelling immigration court dockets with hearing dates they never attended and likely never planned to attend, and (4) they make it harder for legitimate asylum seekers to get protection in a timely manner, which would allow those aliens to start a new life free from fear and protect their family members still abroad. Oh, and illegal entry is a crime,” he added.

The report said that as in the past, some 9 out of 10 immigrants seeking asylum into the U.S. were denied.

Over the 15-month period and 10 courts studied in the report, judges completed 52,646 cases resulting in deportations of 47,925 — a 91% removal rate.

Warren County Freeholders Support 2nd Amendment

(WHITE TOWNSHIP, NJ – February 11, 2020) – Expressing their intent to uphold the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of Warren County, the Board of Chosen Freeholders unanimously passed a resolution declaring Warren a “Second Amendment / Lawful Gun Owner County.”

Gloucestercitynews.net graphic file

The freeholder board “desires to express its deep commitment to the rights of citizens of Warren County to keep and bear Arms,” the resolution stated, and opposes “any efforts to unconstitutionally restrict such rights.”

A standing-room-only crowd offered comments both for and against the resolution for more than an hour before all three freeholders explained their support for the measure and voted.

“We’ve had some really great back and forth,” Freeholder Jason J. Sarnoski said of the discussion, adding that, “From the bottom of my heart, I really do want to thank everyone for their decorum. The level of discourse that we rise to here, in my opinion goes far above what we’ve seen in other locations.” Sarnoski said he had the utmost respect for all who expressed their views, no matter what side of the issue they took. However, Sarnoski said he is seeing greater restrictions being placed on gun ownership and added that the resolution “reflects my feelings on the rights of legal gun owners.”

Noting that his father was in law enforcement for 35 years, Sarnoski explained, “I’m the son of a police officer. He taught me how to handle a gun, and he taught me a gun owner has great responsibilities, but they also have rights, and that’s what makes this country great.”

The Freeholders heard from a full house as speakers offered their views on a proposed resolution declaring the County of Warren a “Second Amendment / Lawful Gun Owner County.” Citizens in the United States have the right to own firearms, but in many countries, “people don’t have that right,” Sarnoski said. Some of those who spoke questioned why the freeholder board wanted to pass such a resolution, but Sarnoski explained, “This is the process we have in this country when we disagree with our leadership. We don’t say we’re not going to follow the law, we don’t say we’re going to break the law, we say we’re going to address the laws we don’t agree with through petition. I don’t believe this board is wasting time or money by petitioning our government on our beliefs.”

Freeholder James R. Kern, III echoed Sarnoski’s praise for the way the speakers participated in the discussion, and continued that Warren County, with its comparatively low crime rate, “is a very safe place to live.” New Jersey has some of the strictest gun laws in America, Kern said, but added he thinks some politicians are trying to pass laws just for the headlines and not because they have any positive effect. “This is our way of symbolically telling Trenton, (and) our legislators, how we feel as a county,” Kern said. Freeholder Director Richard D. Gardner also said he supports the resolution to make a statement, saying that firearms restrictions considered at the state level mean “the law-abiding citizen in this state is now forfeiting his rights. That’s not acceptable.”

Pointing to areas that have tough gun laws but high crime, Gardner said politicians should “stop putting forth feel-good measures that do not accomplish anything for society.” Gardner added that he feels the governor and some members of the legislature “are wrongheaded on this matter” and wasting time instead of addressing core issues that contribute to gun violence, like mental illness. Gardner said at least 75 percent of those who spoke were in favor of the board taking this stance.

TRUMP VISITS WILDWOOD

WILDWOOD, NJ (February 14, 2020)(CNBNews.net)–Local resident Scott MacAdams (above) was in Wildwood for the Trump Rally on January 28. He writes, \”We were in line for 10 grueling hours, and still didn\’t get in and ended up watching on one of the Jumbotrons. It was a totally awesome day, and we met tons of great \’Deplorables\’. Here are some photos taken that day, please share them with your readers.\”

Wildwood Boardwalk Taken Over by Trump Backers

Democrats Holding Event in Cape May to Counter Trump Rally in Wildwood

photos by Scott MacAdams

New Law Will Require Developers To Pay Towards Transit Improvements

(Trenton, NJ)(February 13, 2020)–Today, the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee released S368 (Cryan/Weinberg). The bill permits municipalities to require developers to make contributions for mass transit improvements.

“This legislation is important because it will make sure developers pay their fair share of mass transit costs associated with new developments. New developments create more demand on mass transit systems, and create more traffic in the area. New Jersey is one of the most densely populated states in the country, and we have some of the worst air quality in the nation,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Developers should be required to help offset the burden that their developments put on mass transit.”

New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the country, with 1,213 people per square mile. New Jersey has been waiting to see improvements for many different transportation routes. For example, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail has been waiting over a decade for an extension in Bergen County. Other routes waiting for improvements and expansions include the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) Line, the West Trenton Line, and the Northern Branch Corridor.

“Developers are getting a free ride. They are letting taxpayers pick up the tab for mass transit improvements associated with their developments. What’s even worse is that when developers build near mass transit, especially rail and light rail, their property values go up dramatically. They can sell housing units and rental properties at much higher rates, especially when they are next to new or improved transit systems. There are many transit lines that are waiting for improvements, like the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Line, the Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line, the SJ Line, and many more, that developers are already benefiting from,” said Jeff Tittel. “Some of the profit that these developers are benefiting from should be captured back to help pay for improvements to these bus, rail, and light rail systems.”

Some states and cities use Transportation Development Districts to help generate revenue to pay for the costs of transportation infrastructure improvements in and around new developments. Some cities use value-added tax (VAT) to help compensate for increased property values.

“This is a step in the right direction, but we need to do more. We should be expanding Transportation Development Districts, or TDDs, as a way to capture more funding based on enhanced property values. These TDDs help coordinate and finance transportation infrastructure improvements. We should also have a value-added tax, like in L.A., San Francisco, and other cities. These taxes assess a benefit based on the increase in property values for developments near transportation, and benefits for developing transit villages,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “This legislation will make sure developers pay their share for mass transit improvements near their properties. Commuters and taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill.”

2nd District Democrat Candidate Wants to Change Electoral College

[February 13, 2020 – Longport, New Jersey] –

In an article published yesterday in the NJ Globe, entitled, “

Democrats Who Signed No-Line Pledge Still Seeking Line

,” David Wildstein reported on the contradiction that four of the five candidates for Congress in New Jersey\’s second congressional district have signed a promise to “end the county line,” yet have continued to seek the Atlantic County Democratic line at the same time.

Brigid Callahan Harrison

The story stated that the pledge, did not “appear to have any teeth” and specifically sited candidate Amy Kennedy for seeking and winning the endorsement of the Atlantic City Democratic organization, and Ashley Bennett, who previously ran on the line for freeholder three years ago, with both also currently pursuing votes to obtain the line at Atlantic County Convention on March 8.

Brigid Callahan Harrison, the only candidate who did not sign the pledge, issued today the following detailed policy statement on

Electoral Reform and Clear Election Policy

The right of the people to freely and fairly decide who will represent their interests is the foundation upon which our democracy rests. But Washington DC’s culture of corruption is eating away at that foundation, and as a member of Congress from New Jersey’s second congressional district, I will prioritize several measures that will take power away from the rich and well-connected and return it to where it belongs – in the hands of the people.

I recently met with End Citizens United, a group of over 4 million members who champion electoral reform. During my meeting with them, I discussed my vision for electoral reform and clean elections. My reform agenda includes the following:

End

Citizens United

Chief among the ways we can return some power to the people is amending our constitution to overturn

Citizens United,

which essentially granted corporations and other monied interests the same rights as citizens. I believe that Congress and the states must work to amend the constitution by ratifying the Democracy for All Amendment, which grants Congress and the States the power to regulate and set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections.

Strengthen the Federal Election Commission

Another key aspect of keeping elections clean is through supporting the Federal Election Commission, the agency charged with enforcing our nation’s campaign finance laws. The FEC has essentially been stripped of its authority because half of the seats on the board remain unfilled during the Trump administration, rendering the board unable to function without a quorum. Any electoral reforms should statutorily mandate that, if vacancies on the FEC remain unfilled by a presidential administration for longer than 90 days, the presidential appointment is forfeited and the chair of the House Ethics Committee is empowered to appoint FEC Board members. I support increasing the ability of the FEC to enforce laws already on the books by providing the FEC with the resources it has been denied.

I will work to pass the Restoring Integrity to America’s Elections Act, which will strengthen the FEC’s ability to enforce current campaign finance laws.

Get Foreign Money Out of US Elections

I resolve to help keep foreign money out of US elections by supporting the Get Foreign Money Out of US Elections Act, which restricts the ability of foreign corporations to spend money in US election, and the DISCLOSE Act, which prohibits foreign interests from creating dark money organizations or shell corporations in order to influence US elections.

Greater Transparency

I would advocate for passage of the Keeping Our Campaigns Honest (KOCH) Act which requires that ads placed by dark money organizations must disclose their largest donors.

In Congress, I will support the Honest Ads Act, which would set the same standard for online political advertising as is currently required for television and radios ads.

We must make sure that our democracy remains in the people’s hands is by ensuring that the wealthy aren’t able to buy our democracy. We need to end the culture of corruption in Washington because for too long, the rich and well-connected have had disproportionate influence in our elections. That reality is in part responsible for the increasing anger and frustration that many Americans rightfully feel toward our government.

DOJ Sues State of NJ, Gov. Wolf, and AG Grewal for Prohibiting State Officials from Sharing Information with ICE

WASHINGTON, DC–(February 11, 2020)–Today, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against the State of New Jersey, New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy, and New Jersey

Gloucestercitynews.net files

Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. The lawsuit challenges New Jersey Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive 2018-6, which prohibits state officials from sharing information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) related to the immigration status and release dates of individuals in their custody.

The directive also requires New Jersey law enforcement to “promptly notify a detained individual, in writing and in a language the individual can understand” if ICE files an immigration detainer request for the individual. According to the complaint filed today, on multiple occasions last year, New Jersey officials failed to provide information regarding the release dates of aliens who had been charged with or convicted of crimes. New Jersey’s decision to obstruct federal immigration enforcement by refusing to provide such information is unlawful under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

A copy of the complaint is available

here

Alp Basaran: PASCRELL BRINGS TROJAN HORSE TO PATERSON

Paterson is one of the most corrupt cities in America. While the good times roll for politicians, entire communities have been destroyed by corruption. Incomes are dropping, apartheid schools are increasing, and infrastructure is crumbling for the ordinary residents of Paterson. The model of championing certain parts of a beleaguered rust belt city and abandoning the rest is simply racial segregation by another name. Not surprisingly, Paterson is one of the most violent cities in the country. During a federal investigation, Paterson police officers admitted to dealing drugs, robbing and beating citizens, and illegally stopping and searching drivers. Congressman Bill Pascrell has been the dominant political figure in this city for 30 years, first as a mayor and then as a Congressman.

Congressman Pascrell writes our tax laws on the Ways and Means Committee, but he has two sons who are professional lobbyists. Generally speaking, lobbyists are the glue between money and power. Lobbyists buy our politicians by funneling billions from wealthy families and corporations into the reelection campaigns of politicians. In return, our politicians write laws in favor of wealthy families and corporations instead of hard working Americans. Lobbyists facilitate a system of legalized bribery, plain and simple.

One of the lobbyist sons of Congressman Pascrell is the President of a non-profit known as One Paterson. One Paterson was established to support the election efforts of the current Mayor of Paterson, Andre Sayegh, a protégé of Congressman Pascrell. The donors of One Paterson are unknown. A Paterson city council member recently warned, “The Sayegh administration has brought to Paterson a more sophisticated level of corruption.” My concern is that this level of corruption can be easily manipulated by an anti-American foreign power into a national security threat, especially at a time when radical and extremist groups are growing in Paterson through political donations.

Naturally, we have a few questions for the political elite of Paterson. Are certain Paterson community leaders who are loyal to Congressman Pascrell taking direct orders from an anti-American foreign power, and are such community leaders surrounding Mayor Sayegh to defraud and bleed Paterson? Is the foreign control of certain Paterson community leaders influencing City Hall to the point where a foreign power with an anti-American agenda is making decisions related to the security of Paterson? Finally, are illegal funds from abroad being funneled into Paterson to be donated to politicians and laundered through real estate projects to curry political favor on behalf of radical and extremist groups?

We have to make sure the largest city in our Congressional district is economically viable enough to fend off the influence of foreign money at a time when our national security infrastructure is crumbling because of President Trump. Unfortunately, the prevalence of drugs, rampant police corruption, the lack of an adequate tax base for public projects, and crumbling public schools are making Paterson extremely vulnerable to the influence of foreign money and radical and extremist groups. What exactly has to happen for the rest of the 9th Congressional District of New Jersey to care about corruption in the city of Paterson?

Fish rots from the head down. Pascrell has to go to change this broken system.

Respectfully,

Alp Basaran

Democratic Candidate for Congress

Georgia Governor Kemp Loses Vote Purge Suit Brought by Reporter Greg Palast

A Major Win in the Battle Against Voter Suppression

[Atlanta-Feb 11, 2020]

In an extraordinary and unexpected move, Federal Judge Eleanor Ross has declared Gov. Brian Kemp the loser in a lawsuit brought by investigative journalist Greg Palast for the State of Georgia to open up its complete files on the mass purge of over half a million voters from the rolls.

Surprising all parties, the judge ruled that Kemp’s defense was so weak that no trial is needed. The judge acted \”sua sponte\”—on her own initiative, unrequested by Palast’s attorneys.

Greg Palast & Helen Butler, co-plaintiffs in Kemp lawsuit

Palast has been fighting Kemp to release his hidden purge lists and methods for six years, for

Rolling Stone

al Jazeera

Salon

Democracy Now

and currently,

The Guardian

Palast said, \”Kemp and the new Sec. of State of Georgia want to keep the lid on their methods for removing literally hundreds of thousands of low-income, young and minority voters on the basis of false information. They cannot hide any more. This is a huge win and precedent for reporters trying to pry information from the hands of guilty officials.\”

A key issue at stake are the \”Interstate Crosscheck\” purge lists secretly provided to Georgia by the Kansas Secretary of State in 2015 and 2017. Kemp had turned over Georgia’s voter rolls to Kansas official Kris Kobach, who worked closely with Donald Trump, and is known for his racially biased vote suppression techniques.

\”Kemp tried to hide the Crosscheck lists which he got from his crony Kobach. The lists are at least 99.9% wrong. Kemp’s office claimed he did not use the lists to purge voters, an assertion contradicted by his GOP predecessor. Moreover, Zach D. Reports of the Palast investigative team obtained the Georgia 2013 purge list provided by Kobach through (legal) investigative techniques—so we know, and the judge knows, he has more squirreled away.

\”Kemp finally turned over evidence that he purged 106,000 voters, overwhelmingly voters of color, that were on the Crosscheck list. But that’s just the tip of the purge-berg.\”

Palast’s co-plaintiff Helen Butler is the Executive Director of the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples Agenda, a non-partisan group founded by civil rights legend Rev. Joseph Lowery. Lowery, commenting on the Crosscheck purge system, told Palast, \”It’s Jim Crow all over again.\”

Oddly, one of Kemp’s defenses was that he turned over Georgia’s confidential voter information to Kobach so it could be used to purge voters in 29 other states, but not Georgia. Kobach’s list showed thousands of Michigan voters supposedly also registered or voted in Georgia. Michigan removed tens of thousands of voters with names like \”James Brown\” and \”Mohammed Mohammed\”—almost all with mis-matched middle names.

The Michigan purge of Georgia voters was key to Trump’s official victory margin of 10,700 in Michigan, putting Trump over the top in the electoral college.

While Palast says, \”The evidence is overwhelming that Kemp used the Crosscheck list in some way to purge Georgians — 106,000 is not a ‘coincidence’— I do want to find out why Kemp was using Georgia voter rolls to remove voters in

other states

.\”

The Crosscheck list identifies over half a million Georgians — including one in seven African-Americans in the state — as having moved out of Georgia, according to an investigative report on Kemp and Kobach published by Palast in

Rolling Stone

in 2016.

\”My job as an investigative journalist is not to change laws or affect elections, but to expose official shenanigans. I thank my lawyers Brian Spears of Atlanta and Jeanne Mirer of New York for taking this case pro bono to rip the cover off Kemp\’s and the state of Georgia’s racially poisonous undermining of democracy.\”

The Palast team is providing investigative reports to

The Guardian’s

\”Fight for the Vote\” series.

* * * * *

The Palast team is completing work on our short film of how exactly Brian Kemp illegally eliminated 340,134 voters from the rolls, stealing the election from Stacey Abrams. The Palast film then takes us to Wisconsin where the \”Kemp\” techniques are the center of a push block 247,000 voters, mostly Democrats and thereby keep Wisconsin, the swing state of swing states, in the Trump column.

source press release

Camden County GOP Awards Mehta The Organization Line

Ambrosino: “Mehta in the column helps our down ballot candidates in November.”

HADDON HEIGHTS – Camden County Republican Chairman Rich Ambrosino announced today that after interviewing U.S. Senate candidates over two evenings the organization’s screening committee recommended the organization line be awarded to Rik Mehta. Ambrosino accepted that recommendation and has awarded the organization line to Mehta.

“CCGOP’s by-laws state the chairman has the authority to award the organization line to candidates, but I prefer to be more inclusive and have a screening committee interview candidates and make a recommendation. It’s a system that works well for us.” Rich Ambrosino said, “The screening committee chairman reported to me the recommendation was unanimous, Rik Mehta should be in the column with our candidates.”

“I thank the candidates for taking part in the process.” Ambrosino continued, “All live a considerable distance from our county, their willingness to make the drive shows they understand that with only eight counties having more registered Republicans than Camden County, our 55,000 plus Republicans are very important in a statewide primary.”

“I thank the screening committee for their work and for choosing an excellent U.S. Senate candidate.” Ambrosino said, “Rik Mehta is qualified, has a keen grasp of the issues voters care about, is raising money and has assembled a quality campaign team. Mehta in the column helps our down ballot candidates in November.”

South Jersey Building and Construction Trades Council endorsed Brigid Callahan Harrison for Congress

February 6, 2020

Egg Harbor City, New Jersey – At its meeting on February 5, 2020, the

South Jersey Building and Construction Trades Council endorsed Brigid Callahan Harrison for Congress in New Jersey\’s Second Congressional District. The SJBTC coordinates activity and provides resources to 15 affiliated trades unions in the construction industry. Scott Sheridan, President of the SJBTC stated:

\”The 2020 race of New Jersey\’s 2nd Congressional District is very important to our association and the election of Brigid Harrison will ensure that our members will be well represented in Congress. Brigid has a clear understanding of the pressing issues faced by organized labor and specifically the Building Trades throughout the country and our state. As a sister in organized labor, Brigid will work passionately to promote the values of the working men and women in our communities.”

\”Brigid is a lifelong member of our community and a longtime union member and we are confident that as Congresswoman Brigid will work to protect the right to collectively bargain, support Davis Bacon legislation, enforce laws to make job sites safer, deliver support for apprenticeship and journey-level training and fight for improved wages, hours and working conditions. We are proud to endorse our union sister, Brigid Callahan Harrison for Congress to represent New Jersey\’s second congressional District.\”