Updated Wednesday noon
Federal immigration officials are angered with a judge’s decision to block the deportation of Iraqi illegals, including rapists and murderers, potential endangering Americans with further victimization.
“It’s just terrible,” said Thomas D. Homan, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the agency’s former top enforcement and removal officer.
On Monday, a federal judge in Michigan gave a three month reprieve from deportation to some 1,400 Iraqi nationals. U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith said he was concerned that the Iraqis, many of whom are Chaldean Christians, would face religious persecution if sent back home.
The decision, the second from Goldsmith, was the latest to make the group a protected population, one ICE and other immigration officials don’t believe they deserve.
It covers some 1,400 Iraqis nationwide. ICE has custody of about 200, of which about 140 are in the Detroit area.
In a statement Wednesday, Homan assailed the judge’s decision as one that could be dangerous to Americans. He said:
“Once again, this court has failed to acknowledge the generous procedures and safeguards afforded to aliens in the immigration removal process, under which all of these aliens were lawfully ordered removed from the United States. It’s even more concerning that the court’s decision overlooks the clear public safety threat posed by these aliens – the vast majority of whom are convicted criminals. The criminal history of these aliens includes convictions for homicide, rape, aggravated assault, drug trafficking, sex assault and many other types of offenses. The dedicated men and women of ICE will continue to do our sworn duty to enforce our immigration laws and protect the safety and security of Americans.”
In an interview last week that touched on Goldsmith’s similar decision in June, Homan told Secrets, “don’t get me going.”
Asked about persecution because they are Christians, he said, “‘Christians’ that rape people and kill people. The bottom line: Over 100 significant criminals, we’re talking some murder, some rape, sodomy, and the judge decides, ‘Well, let’s give them a stay of deportation. I’ll review this. We don’t have to send them to their homeland to be persecuted.’ The homeland where we lost 4,000 American soldiers.”
He questioned the talk of religious threats. “Talking to many people that are assigned over there, including the [U.S.] Ambassador’s staff, there’s thousands and thousands of Christians living in peace in Iraq,” said Homan.
Homan also asked where the judicial concern about Americans victimized by the Iraqi criminals is and condemned the “vilification” his officers who are handling the the Iraqis.
“Let’s delay their deportation so we make sure they don’t get persecuted, I get that. I understand the law. At the same time the safety and security of the U.S. citizen, who were victimized by these people, where’s the interest in them, where’s their interest at? No. Once again, they’ll be put in the back seat while we take care of those who violated the laws of this country,” said Homan.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
