LA RAZA SUPREMACY IN COOK COUNTY, ILL. - ILLEGALS ABOVE THE LAW!

House, Senate Judiciary Republicans Seek Action on Cook County

Last week, leaders from both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees took action to spotlight the Cook County, IL ordinance that obstructs the deportation of criminal aliens. The ordinance, passed by the Cook County Board of Commissioners last fall, instructs county jails to ignore Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers placed on criminal aliens in local custody and bars ICE access to County facilities for investigative interviews or other purposes. (Cook County Code Sec. 46-37; FAIR Legislative Update, Jan. 17, 2011)

In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, House Judiciary Chair (R-TX) demanded an explanation as to whether the Justice Department plans to sue Cook County to strike down the legislation. “The safety of the residents of Cook County is at stake,” reads Rep. Smith’s letter. “Particularly when the Justice Department has proactively filed suits against localities that enact legislation that simply assists in the enforcement of federal laws, it is inexcusable that the Department has not consider[ed] filing suit against localities that blatantly defy our immigration laws,” he concluded.

Senate Judiciary Republicans sent a similar letter last week, addressed to both Attorney General Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano. Expressing incredulity at the Administration’s inconsistent policies, the Senators’ letter reads, “It is ironic and frustrating that the Administration has filed suit against several states for passing laws that aim to protect their citizens and help enforce immigration law while essentially turning a blind eye to jurisdictions that actively promote safe harbor policies.” (Read the letter here; see also Sen. Grassley Press Release, Jan. 30, 2012)

Both letters sent by the House and Senate cited a Jan. 4, 2012 letter sent from ICE Director, John Morton, to the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Toni Preckwinkle, expressing serious concern over the ordinance. (FAIR Legislative Update, Jan. 17, 2011) The letters also highlight the hypocrisy of Cook County enacting policies to ignore detainers while still requesting millions of dollars in federal funds through the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) for the reimbursement of holding aliens in local jails.