Jere Miles, special agent in charge of homeland security investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, at Homeland Security’s office in New Orleans, told members of the House Homeland Security Committee on November 7 that most of the 680 illegal aliens apprehended in agency raids at poultry plants in Mississippi in August were using stolen American identity documents.
Miles disputed the claims of members of Congress who have alleged that the “undocumented” workers were doing no harm.
“They stole the IDs of 400 U.S. citizens,” said Miles. “Where’s their voice?”
Miles defended the August 7 operations against seven poultry-processing plants, stating that they were a success, and a deterrent to future illegal aliens. He disputed allegations made by Democrats on the committee who called a field hearing in Mississippi to criticize the raids. The hearing, which was chaired by Representative Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) was held at Tougaloo College in Mississippi.
In his opening statement, Thompson ignored the fact that the workers apprehended in the raid were here illegally, and therefore in violation of U.S. law, but painted a picture intended to evoke sympathy for the violators. He said: “Far from being hardened criminals or posing a public safety hazard, those arrested were trying to provide for their families, send their children to school, and build a life free from the violence, crime, and poverty at home.”
Thompson went on to cast the ICE agents as heartless villains instead of law-enforcement personnel doing the job they are being paid to do:
In some cases, it appears both parents or single parents could be deported. But what happens to the children?…
Because of the way this operation was carried out, our communities are living in fear, people are afraid to leave their homes, children are terrified to go to school because they may return home to find their remaining parent gone, and local businesses are suffering.
After Democrats on the committee charged that arresting the parents put children in precarious positions, Miles pointed out that the disposition of illegal immigrant children is no different than that of American children whose parents violate the law and are arrested and incarcerated.
The Washington Times, which broke the story of this hearing, reported that no Republican lawmakers attended the field hearing, giving Democrats free rein to criticize ICE’s decision-making. The report did not mention whether or not Republican committee members had been invited.
The Times reported that when committee members asked Miles whether any of the illegal aliens arrested had major criminal rap sheets, he named some felony cases against some of the people caught, and then pointed out that 400 of them were working in the U.S. on fraudulent identities he said were stolen from Americans.
“Is that not a serious crime?” he demanded of Democrats.
At that point, noted the Times, Thompson — apparently not wanting anyone on the committee to answer the question — abruptly cut Miles off.
“Be quiet,” the chairman ordered.
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Warren Mass has served The New American since its launch in 1985 in several capacities, including marketing, editing, and writing. Since retiring from the staff several years ago, he has been a regular contributor to the magazine. Warren writes from Texas and can be reached at [email protected].
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