From the Richmond Times Dispatch:
Gov. Bob McDonnell this week formally requested that the Department of Homeland Security authorize some Virginia State Police troopers to perform functions of federal immigration officers.
The request, which was sent in a letter dated Aug. 10 to Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, follows conversations since February on the subject between McDonnell’s administration and federal authorities.
McDonnell is requesting that homeland security enters into a so-called 287g agreement with the state, a pact that at least seven jurisdictions in Virginia already have in some form.
“The [memorandum of understanding] would include how participating State Police personnel will be nominated, trained, authorized and supervised in performing the immigration enforcement functions specified in the agreement,” McDonnell writes in the letter released today by his office.
“We contemplate addressing those aliens who are engaged in major drug offenses or violent offenses such as murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and kidnapping, as well as DUI offenses.”
Currently, state police policy gives troopers the option of asking about immigration status when it is relevant to a criminal investigation.
In a statement accompanying the letter, McDonnell said, “A partnership of this nature will serve to improve public safety, while providing more resources to an underfunded and understaffed federal agency in the fight against criminal illegal immigration.”
Governor McDonnell, rather than poke a stick in the eye of the Federal Government, has applied to work WITH the government to solve immigration issues. It is expected that those trained under a MOA with I.C.E. and Va State Troopers, will use 287(g) to handle the ‘worst of the worst’ criminal illegal aliens.
The News & Messenger ran a similar story from Corey Stewart’s perspective. It appears that Corey Stewart has quite different expectations for the 287(g) program that McDonnell has applied for. The News & Messenger Reports the following from Stewart:
“Now state police and other state law enforcement officials who are in Prince William County will be part of the effort,” Stewart said.
Stewart said Prince William’s enforcement of federal immigration laws has driven illegal immigrants out of the county into neighboring counties.
A statewide agreement with ICE would be helpful, he said.
“I think there’s also something to be said for a statewide cooperative effort instead of a county-by-county effort in terms of better coordination with Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” Stewart said. “The problem that we’ve had is that illegal immigrants have simply been going back-and-forth to other counties and they’re not going to stay out of Prince William County forever unless we can get this adopted on a statewide basis.”
Stewart said McDonnell’s move was a “good first step.”
“Ultimately to address illegal immigration in Virginia, we’re going to have to adopt an Arizona-like statute,” he said.
Perhaps Stewart simply doesn’t understand this state initiative. His analysis of what is being applied for seem far off base. The one thing that is clear is his desire for attention, even at the expense of upstaging the governor of Virginia.
Governor McDonnell should be commended for attempting to give State Troopers more tools at their disposal in solving crime. Additionally, this measure thwarts the efforts of some to get bills passed that are F.A.I.R. bills. Perhaps the governor knows that the rogue bills only get the state sued.
Works for me!
Moon– please delete my entry–looks like I went “Ready, Fire, Aim”.
Good job Govenor. A same measured action. Utah is working on forming an “integration program”. They have rejected the Arizona example. Apparently the illegal release of names was a wake-up call. Even the Utah minute men want to work towards shared solutions.
On a train, typing on my phone is challenging.
Solutions was the last word
So glad Utah smartened up and that VA is considering something reasonable that even our beloved Chair of the BOCS approves of. 287g, if applied correctly, makes sense. Focus on criminals.
@Posting as Pinko
Not to say that Stewart is at all reasonable about the full measure he wants for VA. I doubt he will get his wish, however. Not many people want a radical, apparently not even minutemen.
287g does not do enough to remove illegal aliens, but at least it is a start in the right direction.
In addition to 287g, I think we should consider large confiscatory fines on illegal aliens and their employers. Perhaps a 100% fine paid by an employer for all revenue brought in as a result of employing illegal aliens and 50% fine on all income made by an illegal alien while employed in Virginia. Such a law would serve two purposes: it could bring in substantial revenue to the state and it would remove the financial incentive for employers to hire illegal aliens and for illegal aliens to come to Virginia.
It also would not interfere with federal power related to deportation, so a judge should not consider it to be unconstitutional.
Strange that there seems to be such a big discrepancy between what the governor says he is doing and what Corey says the governor is doing. Hmmmmmm. Bob Marshall is also being an upstart. Corey is not making any friends in Richmond. Maybe he will piss off so many people at the state level that he can just run to the national ticket. Imagine, President Corey.
@Moon-howler
If Stewart ever made it to the Presidency, I can honestly say I would become an expat.
Pinko, do you think there are that many stupid people in America?
You libs and your promises. Alec Baldwin’s been promising for years, and he’s still around.
You didn’t ask me, but have you looked in the White House lately?
Stupid would have been voting for sarah “you betcha” palin
@Slowpoke Rodriguez
Voices from the train……
@Slowpoke Rodriguez
Slow, I am SO not a “lib.” If you knew me or read other things I have written, you would know that.
There are three things that drive me crazy in this county:
1. Local government and the way they make decisions (which is not through a democratic process);
2. The immigration debate and the way it has been handled (which has caused witch hunts, discrimination and turmoil on many levels);
3. Overwhelming and, what I think, irresponsible development.
How does that make me a “lib” or anything else? I don’t belong to any political parties or espouse radicals on any level on any issue.
@Moon-howler
MH, you never know what the public will do when they feel desperate and they believe someone will fix their problems for them. We have so many examples of fear bringing evil people to power that I think it’s fair to say it could happen again and has happened in this county.
It sure has. The quick fix crowd.
Pinko, I think anyone left of the John Birch society might be considered a ‘lib.’
🙄
Never knew who John Birch was until just now, MH. Never heard of him, either. That society sounds scary.
@Moon-howler
…do you think there are that many stupid people in America?
Surely! Remember 2008?
Oh darn! I should have voted for that brain trust, Sarah Palin. You betcha!
@Moon-howler
Actually, if you follow closely what Corey Stewart says and what the John Birch Society was saying they are almost exactly the same.
I miss the days of Ronald Reagan when grown-ups ran the country and people of different perspectives (i.e., Reagan and O’Neill) could be friends and work out compromises in the best interests of our country. Today, it’s ideologues to the left and right, and idiots all around.
In the pundit space back then we had Buckley and Galbraith, and debate with an IQ higher than room temperature. Now, we’ve got Olberman and Beck.
President Obama is a very intelligent and moral man, but has no practical sense and is guided by a dogmatic leftwing philosophy. I’d have to go with Bill Clinton for pragmatism even though he couldn’t keep his pants zipped up (character and morality do matter in our leaders). However, the main problem with Clinton was selling out to big corporate interests, for example in supporting Gramm-Leach-Bliley, one of the major causes of the 2008 financial meltdown.
My Party, the Republicans, gave us Bush, Jr., who started the fiscal nightmare course we’re on that Obama is gladly continuing. I voted for McCain in the primary in 2000 and dare any of my conservative friends to tell me how he would have been any worse than Bush on issues such as immigration. I know deficits expanded under Reagan, but not nearly to the extent they have under Bush, Jr. and Obama. Reagan and Bush, Sr. ended the Cold War. What are we getting for our money/debt now?
Some say that stupidity skips generations. I hope so. We need another Reagan now. I hope people like Biden, Pelosi, Palin, Stewart (as in Corey) aren’t the best that this nation can produce for leaders.
Maybe McDonnell will turn out to be a pragmatic, true conservative? I give him pretty good marks so far, aside from the gimmickery with the budget and the state employees’ pension to make it appear we have a budget surplus when we don’t. Be careful Bob – true conservatives have a lot of hope for you, but are watching closely.
Corey Stewart as President? You should not even think such awful thoughts.
@Gregory Glenn
Now that’s a scary thought. I was never sure what John Birchers really believed in.
I am not sure what Corey believes in. That seems to shift, depending on what gets him a vote.
Sorry NTK, but I have had too many of his friends tell me he has his eyes on the prize eventually and that prize is the White House. Shudder.
(NTK is a brave person. Perhaps he forgot he was in Clinton terriroty. 😉 )
Event though I have voted for Reagan, I do not hold him in the high esteem that others do. He definitely had feet of clay. He brought back a sense of America that many thought was missing post Vietnam and Watergate. Unfortunately, I feel that sense of Reaganism also sowed the seeds of the hostility that now permeates our political discussion today.