Previous Secretaries, such as Mike Chertoff, may have stunk to high heaven at enforcing illegal immigration laws, but, at least they knew what they are. Not so with Madame Napolitano (but, she does know that anyone on the Right is an extremist!) From CNN over the weekend (h/t Michelle Malkin)
KING: A lot of Democrats in Congress want to you investigate [Joe Arpaio]. They think he is over the line. He says he is just enforcing the law and the problem is the federal government.
NAPOLITANO: Well, you know, Sheriff Joe, he is being very political in that statement, because he knows that there aren’t enough law enforcement officers, courtrooms or jail cells in the world to do what he is saying.
What we have to do is target the real evil-doers in this business, the employers who consistently hire illegal labor, the human traffickers who are exploiting human misery.
And yes, when we find illegal workers, yes, appropriate action, some of which is criminal, most of that is civil, because crossing the border is not a crime per se. It is civil. But anyway, going after those as well.
Michelle points towards Julie Kirchner, who finds
ENTRY WITHOUT INSPECTION IS A CRIME: In fact, pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1325, crossing the border illegally is a crime–a misdemeanor for the first offense and a felony for the second and subsequent offenses. But of course, ignoring or mischaracterizing the law is a very convenient way for those in power to avoid the laws they find most inconvenient. Sadly, statements such as these are also a signal that Americans will have to wait a long time before their government articulates any credible immigration enforcement policy.
I’d been looking for that statute for a long, long time, having run across it about two years ago, and could have sworn I blogged, but, could never find it again. So, perhaps I can understand why “The Righties are Extremists” Napolitano has such a hard time understanding that crossing one of our borders illegally is an actual crime, but, then, I am not Secretary of the DHS with thousands of people working for me, including lawyers and people who should know this and be able to advise me on it.
There is also a Fire Napolitano website.
Others: This ain’t Hell…, Hot Air, Jules Crittenden, Unequal Time, Right Pundits, Fire Andrea Mitchell!, Neoavatara, Ace of Spades, Always to the Right
