Sheriff Curran:Let law enforcement do its job, good letter

[fedupinwaukegan]

I almost missed this. Sheriff Curran had the letter below in the News Sun today. I'm also going to include a youtube of Pelosi saying that raids are (as mentioned in Sheriff Curran's letter) . She got a lot of heat for this.

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Way to go Sheriff Curran. I'm sure these measures will save someone from being a crime victim or even save their life.


Let law enforcement do its job

April 11, 2009

Recent audits have indicated that approximately 20 percent of the Lake County Jail is comprised of illegal immigrants. With illegal immigrants having committed many serious crimes in Lake County -- from murder and rape to distribution of illegal narcotics -- America must address the issues of illegal immigration in a responsible manner.

I would like to address the recent irresponsible statements by Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., regarding illegal immigration. Speaker Pelosi stated that the government should stop conducting raids pertaining to illegal immigration. The speaker also stated that current immigration enforcement practices are "un-American."

The Lake County Sheriff's Office works closely with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in conducting administrative and criminal warrant sweeps. The Sheriff's Office is part of the executive branch of government at the state level.

We are sworn to uphold the law and to enforce the law. History has taught us that a nation that fails to enforce their laws will cease to exist.

The authority of law enforcement is not merely a civil one, but it is a moral one as well. Law enforcement must enforce the law and should not be encouraged to do otherwise. The rule of law means that the law does matter and that there are consequences to violating the law.

I am Roman Catholic, and as such, I am able to point to the consequences of disregarding the rule of law in my own church. The Roman Catholic Church in America had a number of priests that abused minor children.

The Church many times did not tell law enforcement authorities that priests had victimized young children and instead silently transferred the priests to different parishes. The failure to uphold the rule of law resulted in the following harmful results: 1) Thousands, if not millions, left the church; 2) The church paid out hundreds of millions of dollars to settle lawsuits and; 3) Countless more children were victimized.

Speaker Pelosi is entitled to debate the merits of new immigration legislation. However, the speaker should not call upon the various law enforcement entities that comprise the executive branch to not do their job and enforce the existing laws.

Simply put, Speaker Pelosi needs to do her job and allow law enforcement to do their job.

Mark C. Curran Jr. is Sheriff of Lake County

My Turn/Mark C. Curran Jr.

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email Sheriff Curran and thank him

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[NorthsideKaren]

I, too was very impressed with this letter. He'll be on Carrot Head's hit list next.

[aliotakirk]

I'll bet our sheriff is thrilled with the new Mayor. It's funny, Currans office smack dab in the middle of the newest sanctuary city.

[verenablock]

Did he really compare illegal immigrants to pedophiles?

This is not only illogical, it's offensive.

[Danno]

Quote:Law enforcement must enforce the law and should not be encouraged to do otherwise. The rule of law means that the law does matter and that there are consequences to violating the law.

I'm having trouble understanding why this "rule of law" does not apply to sign thieves and people who commit battery.

[gmg77]

Not all law enforcement agrees its their responsibility to uphold cryptic and bureaucratic immigration law. In fact some see it as a distraction from fighting real crimes. Others see it as a good publicity stunt. Sure rules of law and all but police can use discretion and judgment when dealing with a perpetrator to get the real bad ones and let the small fish go.

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Quote:“A lot of the guys I work with did nothing but the most complex cases — taking down multigenerational crime families, international crime, drug trafficking syndicates — you know, big fish,” said the prosecutor, who did not want to be identified as criticizing the department he works for. “Now these folks are dealing with these improper entry and illegal reentry cases.” He added, “It’s demoralizing for them, and us.”

[Snoopy]

verenablock Wrote:Did he really compare illegal immigrants to pedophiles?

This is not only illogical, it's offensive.

Verena,
I can see the stance in your argument, and do appreciate it, as it does have merit.
I also have been one that has sworn to uphold and defend the constitution of The United States of America, and that how miniscule a crime may seem to be against my nation, ma'am, it is still a crime against my land. I do believe crime should be punished based upon the severity of the crime, but I do, however, support Sheriff Curran's assertion that illegal entry into my country is a crime. This is a crime that should be punished, however sever we think it should be. It is against the laws of my land, not something that should be swept under the rug! Congress owes an answer to that punishment for entering my land illegally! I promise to honor their decision. (Sorry for the spelling, I really don't care)
Shawn White
3rd Bn./73rd Armor
82nd Airborne Div. Ft. Bragg.
(224) 381-2834

[verenablock]

I have nothing against booting people who come into the country illegally; that's the risk they take when they cross the border. As for 20% of the criminals being illegal immigrants; that would make it safe to say that the other 80% are fine, homegrown Americans.

[fedupinwaukegan]

Got this blog on my google search. There have been a dozen or more comments this week on Talk of the County as well asking and/or taking our new mayor to task about 287g and the towing ordinance. Many groups are watching what he will do.



Lake County wins with Sheriff Curran
April 17, 2009

Recently commentary by Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran was featured in several Lake County news publications urging that the rule of law must be enforced.
Elected as a Democrat in 2006, Sheriff Curran switched to the Republican Party in December of 2008. In attendance at the time, I was impressed with Curran then and have continued to applaud his strong and principled stance which favors the enforcement of the rule of law.

While a Democrat, everything Curran did was met with media approval. After his switch, the media did a double take, even though Curran’s adherence to the rule of law never wavered. Somehow the “R” after Curran’s name made him an outcast and a traitor and worthy of contempt.

Perhaps the most controversial action taken by Sheriff Curran was to apply for 287 (g) in December of 2007 for certification of six Lake County Sheriff Department officers to be cross designated as federal law officials with deportation powers regarding “certain” crimes under the supervision of ICE. Curran sought 287 (g) status because he believed he had a sworn oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution. He heard the frustrations of citizens throughout Lake County and wanted the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to do its part to stop the terror being inflicted by illegal immigrants.

In 2008 half of the murders in Lake County were committed by illegal aliens. Additionally, the cost to Lake County tax payers of the alien prison population amounted to an annualized rate of $4,056.945. It is insane that the people of Lake County are footing the cost on top of being the victims of criminal acts.

Sheriff Curran is proud of his cooperation with ICE which allows incarcerated illegal immigrants to be deported. Worth noting is that under 287 (g) only violent prisoners can be placed under deportation detainer. Do residents of Waukegan and all of Lake County favor releasing violent criminals back into society? Waukegan is already a sanctuary city. This would assure that Waukegan would become an even better safe haven for gangs and illegal alien criminal activity.

287 (g) seemed to play a part in the recent mayoral election in Waukegan where Robert Sabonjian defeated Mayor Richard Hyde by pandering to its Latino population with rhetoric to rescind the 287 (g) law and to go easy on fines involving driving without insurance or a license. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) was overjoyed with the upset. Josh Hoyt, its Executive Director, had this to say on April 8th: “The defeat of mayor Hyde shows that the politics of anti-immigration hate is rejected by both Latinos and by all Illinoisans.”

This could not be further from the truth. Sheriff Curran and his office does not condone discrimination based on race or profiling in any form. Curran believes that all members of society should be treated with love and respect. He even favors the inclusion of faith-based programs in dealing with inmates if hearts are to be changed.

Although Sheriff Curran criticized Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in his commentary for calling immigration law enforcement un-American, my concern is centered on two individuals within the Obama Administration who will have a decisive role into setting immigration policy which many suspect will involve granting amnesty to this nation’s more than 12 million illegal aliens despite the current recession: (1) Cecilia Munoz, deputy assistant to the president, who prior to her appointment served as Senior Vice President for the National Council of La Raza which advocates the return of the American Southwest to Mexico and (2) Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary, who has already shut down work place enforcement and has granted amnesty to illegals caught violating laws in previous raids.

Even talk of immigration reform in the Bush Administration precipitated an influx of illegal immigrants from Mexico. The Federation for Illegal Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimates that presently there are seven million illegal aliens holding jobs that rightfully belong to out-of-work citizens and legal immigrants. Now that a four-year re-authorization of the E-Verify program has being stripped by Democrats from the $800 billion Economic Stimulus and Job Creation Bill passed in February — E-Verify allowed employers to verify a worker’s Social Security number — there is no safe guard to ensure that the jobs created, especially through public works projects, will actually be filled by legal U.S. workers.

Last month Cardinal Francis George of Chicago called on President Obama to end immigration raids as a “matter of conscience.” Unlike Cardinal George, Sheriff Curran, himself a devout Catholic guided by a strong moral compass, believes that the “rule of law” must trump the ”matter of conscience” policy. For disregard of the law, whether it be at the local, state or federal level, will eventually lead to anarchy and with it the end of an ordered and civilized society.

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[fedupinwaukegan]

verenablock Wrote:I have nothing against booting people who come into the country illegally; that's the risk they take when they cross the border. As for 20% of the criminals being illegal immigrants; that would make it safe to say that the other 80% are fine, homegrown Americans.

Yes, but we have every right to discuss the 20%.

There are web pages dedicated to the thousands of Americans who have lost their lives to illegal aliens. My own family lost a young member to a drunk driver who had been in jail for other offenses as well. His status had never been checked.

I think of the Mrs. Bologna in San Francisco -a sanctuary city. Her husband and two older sons were leaving a family picnic. On the way they crossed paths with a person who shot and killed all three. He had been in jail numerous times, was in the country illegally -yet the policies of the city released him. Many of us have seen Mrs. Bologna on interviews. I have never seen such raw pain and anger.

So many other tragedies. I think we have every right to ask our jail to determine who is in the country illegally and deport them if appropriate. I again applaud Sheriff Curran. And I ask that our new mayor consider our public safety before he makes any decisions.