Amnesty to grant instant U.S. citizenship to criminal gang members who 'renounce' gang affiliation

Monday, May 20, 2013 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: illegal immigrants, immigration reform, gang bangers

(NaturalNews) The longer researchers and analysts have to examine the mammoth 844-page "immigration reform" measure currently under consideration in the Senate, the more giveaways and loopholes they find.

The entire bill is really about granting amnesty to at least 11 million - and perhaps as many as 17 million - aliens who broke U.S. law and entered the country illegally (or overstayed legal visas). But according Andrew Stiles of National Review Online, buried in the law is a measure that could also "illegal immigrants who are known members of criminal gangs to become legal residents."

From NRO:

The proposed law stipulates that prospective immigrants determined to be involved in gang-related activity are inadmissible to country [sic], and that illegal immigrants already living here would be ineligible to receive legal status. This would not only apply to individuals who have been convicted of a gang-related offense, but also to those who "willingly participated in a criminal street gang with knowledge that such participation promoted or furthered the illegal activity of the gang."

'Oh, I'm not in a gang anymore'

The latter group - the non-convicted gang members - could still become legal in the U.S., if the Department of Homeland Security secretary grants them a waiver. And how would that be possible?

Easy. The gang banger would merely have to "renounce" gang affiliation. That's it.

Oh, and there is this: "[T]he bill's wording is specific enough (e.g., "willfully participated . . . with knowledge") so as to provide considerable wiggle room from a legal standpoint," NRO reported.

The head of the union representing more than 7,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Chris Crane, said the legislation's policy with regard to gang members is "one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard." Coming from someone who represents people directly dealing with such individuals, that is a powerful statement.

"The idea that we're going to give known gang members the opportunity to renounce their gang affiliation - and believe them - and then give them legal status in our country, is outrageous," he told NRO.

Such a provision is reminiscent of when Cuban dictator Fidel Castro emptied his jails in 1980 and 1994 and released the former prisoners to flee to the U.S. - as a way to save his regime the time and money caring for them.

NRO noted that ICE agents confront illegal aliens who are known gang members on a routine basis, according to Crane, but thanks to new immigration policies adopted by President Obama - who bypassed Congress to change immigration rules - it is nearly impossible to deport them now, even if they've been arrested on criminal charges. Since June 2012, DHS policy has prohibited the deportation of illegals who perhaps might qualify for legal status under the administration's "deferred action" DREAM program. That includes individuals brought to America as children and who are currently serving in the military, who are enrolled in school and who have never been convicted of a serious crime.

According to Crane, the new policy is abused - and abused often. If an illegal alien claims the deferred action status - even if they have just been arrested on a criminal charge or are known gang members - ICE cannot initiate deportation proceedings. He says agents must "take them at their word," and release them without charge. "We're forced to let these guys walk," he says. "We're restricted from enforcing the law."

So heinous is the new policy that a group of ICE agents has sued the administration over it. From NRO:

One of the plaintiffs was injured after being assaulted by an illegal immigrant who had been arrested on a domestic-violence charge in July 2012. When the agent tried to initiate deportation proceedings, ICE superiors ordered him to release the immigrant without charge, a decision that was "based on the President's new immigration policies," according to court documents. A federal judge in Texas has indicated that he is likely to rule in the plaintiff's favor.

Power fit for a king or queen

And why wouldn't a court do that? Then again, a federal appeals court has also ruled that three of Obama's appointments to the National Labor Relations Board were unconstitutional - yet they remain seated on that board and continue to issue rulings and decisions (http://online.wsj.com).

There is more to the gang-banger clause, so to speak. According to NRO, the DHS secretary also has the power to waive restrictions against immigrant applicants who have sought to receive benefits "by fraud, or willfully misrepresenting a material fact," such as gang renunciation, if the secretary feels doing so would prevent "extreme hardship" (whatever that means) to either the immigrant or immigrant's immediate family (who is a lawful resident). Finally, the bill states that "no court shall have jurisdiction to review a decision or action" regarding the issuance of waivers.

Nice. So not only does the DHS secretary have the kind of power only kings and queens typically possess, but no U.S. court of law can challenge his or her decisions.

What happened to America, you ask? This.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/347827/amnesty-gang-members

http://www.independent.co.uk

http://online.wsj.com