In a 52-page report Inspector General Richard L. Skinner says that the White House has underfunded the beds needed to eliminate the "Catch and Release" practice that President Bush said was so high of a priority in his immigration address last week. In addition the report stated that by doing so Bush has already created a "mini amnesty" for criminal illegal aliens and potential terrorists.
This is just another sign that not only is the President clueless on this issue, but that he is not committed to putting an end to illegal immigration and the practice of "Catch and Release". If we can't take him seriously on an issue of such importance that he'd spend a whole national address on it, what makes us think that he's committed to actually enforce the laws and plans he made in the speech?
Will he really put his foot down if his Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act and amnesty make it through Congress? I think not.
AP
It will take nearly 35,000 more jail beds to end a much-criticized "catch and release" program for dangerous illegal immigrants in the United States, but the Bush administration has not budgeted enough to do that, the Homeland Security Department's internal watchdog said Friday.
The White House proposes spending $386 million, which would pay for 6,700 beds but not enough to detain all high-risk aliens, Inspector General Richard L. Skinner said in a 52-page report.
The new report highlighted shortfalls in deporting illegal immigrants who commit crimes in the United States or are from countries that sponsor terrorism or protect terrorists.
That's commitment for you. So who cares about "Catch and Release" anyway? I mean it's been going on for decades, why stop it now? Well here's a few reasons.
It also warned of "significant risks" posed by the inability of U.S. customs and border enforcement officers to identify whether immigrants released from jail were linked to terror groups.
...
Skinner's report said 36 percent of the 774,112 illegal aliens apprehended in the U.S. during the past three years were released because there weren't enough beds or money available to hold them while officials determined their immigration status.
The number of illegal aliens who were caught increased by 19 percent from 2002 through 2004, but the number of beds for them actually dropped by 6 percent, the report added.
The bed space, personnel and funding shortages, among other factors, have "created an unofficial 'mini-amnesty' program for criminal and other high-risk aliens," the report concluded.
There's that hated "A" word again. This time it is tied directly to the President by his actions. He's already implemented a "mini amnesty" and he's now trying to get a massive amnesty through the Senate.
