Charlotte Observer – by Franco Ordoñez
North Carolina’s Republican senators have joined Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to file legislation prohibiting people with gang ties from gaining immigration benefits.
The bill comes after federal immigration officials admitted that, in 2013, they stopped the deportation of a gang member who is now the suspect in the February slayings of four people in Charlotte.
Emmanuel Jesus Rangel-Hernandez was granted special immigration status two years ago, despite being listed in a federal database as a gang member.
At the time, Rangel-Hernandez was in removal proceedings that were stopped as a result. Earlier this year, the 19-year-old was charged with four counts of first-degree murder in connection with a three-day shooting spree that led to the death of one-time “America’s Next Top Model” contestant Mirjana Puhar.
The legislation introduced by Sens. Richard Burr, Thom Tillis and Grassley intends to clarify that members of criminal gangs are not eligible for the administration’s deferred action program that is granted to young immigrants. Instead, the senators said in a statement, such gang members should be placed in an expedited removal process.
The legislation would also require mandatory detention of gang members who are arrested by the Department of Homeland Security.
On Tuesday, DHS secretary Jeh Johnson testified before Congress that Rangel-Hernandez never should have received deferred action and that he was re-evaluating the review procedures to ensure similar cases don’t occur again.
Grassley said in a statement that the legislation is designed to improve public safety by blocking gang members from receiving immigration benefits and relief from removal.
“North Carolina is unfortunately all too familiar with the tragic consequences of the Obama administration’s failure to properly vet and subsequently deport known gang members who are in the country illegally,” Tillis said.
Added Burr: “The circumstances around this bill are incredibly sad – four are dead following this administration’s inability to enforce their own ill-conceived executive order. If the president can’t take steps to ensure that Americans are safe from criminal gang members, then Congress must take preventative action.”
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article19937331.html#storylink=cpy
We don’t need to see an end to benefits for gang members. We need to see our laws enforced, and our border restored, and every wetback deported.
Sen. Chuck Grassley is a lying sack of shite who’s trying to dance on two sides of a fence. He has to cater to the corporations that have bribed him, while simultaneously appeasing an angry population that objects to having their nation invaded.
Don’t be appeased. We want them all out of here, so Americans can work again, and you’re not going to have a job until they’re gone.