Anyone working on the illegal alien crisis soon runs into the problem of gathering information. I think sometimes we assume too much. That is to say, we start believing that every foreigner in town must be an illegal.
Of course, that is far from the truth. But unless and until the government and the media begin asking the tough questions and telling the people, we are left in the dark. And I think it is fair to assume that where government agencies are concerned they don’t ask and they don’t keep track because they don’t want to know the answer.
The Daily Herald recently ran a story about the Kids First free health care program. Their questions were forthright and valid. How many illegal alien children are being served by Kids First and how much is it costing us.
The only answer they received from the Governor's Office was “less than 4%” of the children and no one keeps track of the costs.
The Courier News ran a story on June 15th about medical costs. Again, it is vague. A hospital doesn’t try to find out who is here illegally. It isn’t their responsibility.
But due to Federal laws on the books (The EMTALA) our hospitals cannot refuse to treat anyone. Furthermore, case law dictates that they can’t just stop the bleeding and send them back out onto the street – They have to heal the patient before they release them.
Now, 45% of non-citizens do not have any form of health insurance coverage. Here’s the link to the US Census study on the uninsured: http://www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/p60-233.pdf
In real life that means that they show up in the Emergency Room for treatment and might be admitted for a few days or weeks of care.
Some just declare themselves charity cases. Others agree to pay but after making efforts to collect the hospital just gives up and writes off the bad debt.
So, who pays? The hospital can either collect more from us or move out of the neighborhood in search of a richer clientele.
Here are some facts and figures from the Courier News article:
St. Joe’s in ONE YEAR (2007):
*About $3.3 million for free or reduced-cost care for about 1,200 uninsured patients.
*About $5 million toward the unpaid costs of Medicaid.
Sherman in 2007:
*About $1.87 million on "charity care," or health care services to persons classified by the hospital as being unable to pay
*Another $23.7 million on "bad debts"
Now if only someone in authority would do a survey to determine how these costs break down in terms of citizens, non-citizens, and illegal aliens. Don’t hold your breath.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Hospital report
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Unity in the Community
A few AFLA folks spent the morning over at the library at the “Unity in the Community Forum” brought to you by the Elgin Human Relations Commission and Rainbow/PUSH.There were a number of groups represented (about 20). Much of the morning was devoted to ice-breaker type group exercises designed to create a sense of team building.
The facilitator read some of the mission statements and I read part of a statement that describes AFLA’s position. My little speech was about five minutes but I only read some of it. See the blog entry below for the entire speech and the surprise ending.
Then people came around to our area and we got to share some of our information. I have a few booklets left so if anyone wants one send me your address. (afla.heaton@sbcglobal.net)
The reaction from these community organizations was interesting. I spoke with four African-American leaders who understand the impact of illegal aliens on their people. They realize the economists are right when they say that low-skilled illegal aliens in the work place drive down wages, benefits, and safety for the working poor.
They also understand that illegals are taking jobs from the unemployed in their neighborhoods.
Our illustrious state senator Mike Noland came up to me and told me that this was a good place for me to be so I can learn from these minority groups.
On woman puzzled me. She was from some Christian ministry. White. About 45 years old. She said, “What are you doing here?” When I asked her what she meant she said she was trying to figure out what our organization had to do with unity.
I explained that the high number of illegal aliens in our country (and in Elgin) are creating an atmosphere of discrimination against those who are here LEGALLY. Legal immigrants have every right to be treated with respect.
I also explained to her the impact of illegal aliens on the job market. I could tell she wasn’t convinced.
One of the SOAP members took a jab at us. He held up his little child and said his father was an immigrant and he resented his daughter being labeled as an "anchor baby." If this man is here legally and his wife is here legally, the child is NOT and "anchor baby." I didn't understand his point.
I have to say that the event organizers did not make any effort to exclude us or hush us up. They allowed us time to introduce our group and distribute our materials.
I want to thank the other AFLA supporters who attended along with me. It’s always good to have moral support.
Unity Forum Statement
AFLA – June 14, 2008 - Gail Borden Library
(I actually only had time to give about 30% of it)
We decry hostility and discrimination towards immigrants as antithetical to the traditions and interests of the country. At the same time, we disagree with those who would label efforts to control immigration as being inherently anti-immigrant. Rather, it is both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest.
AFLA agrees that legal immigration presents many opportunities for this nation.
That is not to say that AFLA is unmindful of the problems that may also emanate from immigration. Too many have abused the very hospitality that we grant so freely.
Unlawful immigration is unacceptable. Enforcement measures have not sufficiently stemmed these movements. Failure to develop more effective strategies to curb unlawful immigration has blurred distinctions between legal and illegal immigrants.
AFLA is particularly concerned about the impact of immigration on the most disadvantaged within our already resident society--inner city youth, racial and ethnic minorities, and recent immigrants.
For AFLA, the principal issue at present is how to manage immigration so it continues to be in the national interest. Managing immigration presents a number of challenges:
How do we ensure that immigration is based on and supports broad U.S. economic, social, and humanitarian interests rather than the interests of those who would abuse our immigration laws?
How do we manage our borders while still encouraging international trade, investment, and tourism?
How do we maintain a civic culture based on shared values while accommodating the diverse population admitted through immigration policy?
It will be impossible to reach answers to these questions unless our policies and their implementation are more credible. As far as immigration policy is concerned, credibility can be measured by a simple yardstick: people who should get in, get in; people who should not enter are kept out; and people who are deportable should be required to leave.
As a nation of immigrants committed to the rule of law, this country must set limits on who can enter and back up these limits with effective enforcement of our immigration law.
Curbing unlawful immigration requires:
Better border management;
A more effective method of deterring the employment of unauthorized workers;
A willingness and ability to remove those who have no right to remain in the country, with particular focus on criminal aliens;
Better data for making and implementing policy.
No one approach will be sufficient to address unlawful migration.
Employment continues to be the principal magnet attracting illegal aliens to this country. As long as U.S. businesses benefit from the hiring of unauthorized workers, control of unlawful immigration will be impossible. AFLA believes that both employer sanctions and enhanced labor standards enforcement are essential components of a strategy to reduce the job magnet.
At the heart of many of the problems in current application of employer sanctions is the verification process used to determine work authorization. Widespread counterfeiting of documents that can be used for verification of identity and employment authorization has been reported. It is also relatively easy to obtain genuine documents, such as birth certificates or drivers licenses, by fraudulent means.
Moreover, confusion about the verification procedures and wariness about the validity of the documents has led to great potential for discrimination against foreign-looking and -sounding citizens and legal immigrants.
AFLA believes that the most promising option for more secure, nondiscriminatory verification is a computerized registry, using data provided by the Social Security Administration and Immigration.
This verification system will reduce any potential for discrimination. Employers would no longer have any reason to ask if a worker is a citizen or an immigrant--the only relevant question is: "What is your social security number?"
AFLA supports an increase in labor standards enforcement efforts in industries with large numbers of illegal aliens. Deterring unlawful immigration is a key ingredient in protecting U.S. workers. The presence of large numbers of unauthorized aliens in certain industries renders enforcement of labor standards, such as wage and hour and child labor provisions, all the more difficult because unauthorized workers are afraid to demand better working conditions or report infractions and businesses can bypass the hiring of workers who would be more cognizant of their rights.
An effective procedure for prompt and permanent removal of aliens ordered deported is an essential part of a credible deterrence policy. If people unauthorized to enter believe that they can remain indefinitely once having reached the interior of the nation, they may be more likely to come.
AFLA is concerned, however, about the ease with which deported criminal aliens can effect a reentry into the United States, particularly those who are returned to the Mexican border communities.
Now, the surprise. This statement was actually given by civil rights leader Barbara Jordan before a congressional committee in August of 1994. She was chairman of Bill Clinton's Immigration Reform Commission! How soon we lose sight of the problem. The only changes I made were to substitute AFLA for "The Commission."
(I actually only had time to give about 30% of it)
We decry hostility and discrimination towards immigrants as antithetical to the traditions and interests of the country. At the same time, we disagree with those who would label efforts to control immigration as being inherently anti-immigrant. Rather, it is both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest.
AFLA agrees that legal immigration presents many opportunities for this nation.
That is not to say that AFLA is unmindful of the problems that may also emanate from immigration. Too many have abused the very hospitality that we grant so freely.
Unlawful immigration is unacceptable. Enforcement measures have not sufficiently stemmed these movements. Failure to develop more effective strategies to curb unlawful immigration has blurred distinctions between legal and illegal immigrants.
AFLA is particularly concerned about the impact of immigration on the most disadvantaged within our already resident society--inner city youth, racial and ethnic minorities, and recent immigrants.
For AFLA, the principal issue at present is how to manage immigration so it continues to be in the national interest. Managing immigration presents a number of challenges:
How do we ensure that immigration is based on and supports broad U.S. economic, social, and humanitarian interests rather than the interests of those who would abuse our immigration laws?
How do we manage our borders while still encouraging international trade, investment, and tourism?
How do we maintain a civic culture based on shared values while accommodating the diverse population admitted through immigration policy?
It will be impossible to reach answers to these questions unless our policies and their implementation are more credible. As far as immigration policy is concerned, credibility can be measured by a simple yardstick: people who should get in, get in; people who should not enter are kept out; and people who are deportable should be required to leave.
As a nation of immigrants committed to the rule of law, this country must set limits on who can enter and back up these limits with effective enforcement of our immigration law.
Curbing unlawful immigration requires:
Better border management;
A more effective method of deterring the employment of unauthorized workers;
A willingness and ability to remove those who have no right to remain in the country, with particular focus on criminal aliens;
Better data for making and implementing policy.
No one approach will be sufficient to address unlawful migration.
Employment continues to be the principal magnet attracting illegal aliens to this country. As long as U.S. businesses benefit from the hiring of unauthorized workers, control of unlawful immigration will be impossible. AFLA believes that both employer sanctions and enhanced labor standards enforcement are essential components of a strategy to reduce the job magnet.
At the heart of many of the problems in current application of employer sanctions is the verification process used to determine work authorization. Widespread counterfeiting of documents that can be used for verification of identity and employment authorization has been reported. It is also relatively easy to obtain genuine documents, such as birth certificates or drivers licenses, by fraudulent means.
Moreover, confusion about the verification procedures and wariness about the validity of the documents has led to great potential for discrimination against foreign-looking and -sounding citizens and legal immigrants.
AFLA believes that the most promising option for more secure, nondiscriminatory verification is a computerized registry, using data provided by the Social Security Administration and Immigration.
This verification system will reduce any potential for discrimination. Employers would no longer have any reason to ask if a worker is a citizen or an immigrant--the only relevant question is: "What is your social security number?"
AFLA supports an increase in labor standards enforcement efforts in industries with large numbers of illegal aliens. Deterring unlawful immigration is a key ingredient in protecting U.S. workers. The presence of large numbers of unauthorized aliens in certain industries renders enforcement of labor standards, such as wage and hour and child labor provisions, all the more difficult because unauthorized workers are afraid to demand better working conditions or report infractions and businesses can bypass the hiring of workers who would be more cognizant of their rights.
An effective procedure for prompt and permanent removal of aliens ordered deported is an essential part of a credible deterrence policy. If people unauthorized to enter believe that they can remain indefinitely once having reached the interior of the nation, they may be more likely to come.
AFLA is concerned, however, about the ease with which deported criminal aliens can effect a reentry into the United States, particularly those who are returned to the Mexican border communities.
Now, the surprise. This statement was actually given by civil rights leader Barbara Jordan before a congressional committee in August of 1994. She was chairman of Bill Clinton's Immigration Reform Commission! How soon we lose sight of the problem. The only changes I made were to substitute AFLA for "The Commission."
Friday, May 30, 2008
Anarchy - Pomona style
Here are some photos of a city council meeting in Pomona California May 27th. (It has that Carpentersville look to it.) 
Now why would these people be so upset? Police checkpoints.
At first I thought this was a new program and that’s why all the complaints. But it turns out that they have been doing this program for at least the last couple of years.
KCAL-TV, the CBS affiliate in Los Angeles did a report in October of 2005 where 20 people were arrested and 171 vehicles impounded in Pomona. Similar stories were aired in December 2005 and six times in 2006 (over a period of months).
There was a checkpoint reported on March 29, 2008 where two arrests were made and 194 vehicles impounded.
So, why all the protests? Well, maybe because this last checkpoint was Cinco de Mayo week end. Or maybe because the mayor is running for a seat in the California General Assembly. Or maybe because one member of the city council turns out to be a Latino activist. She has called the police checkpoints “Gestapo” tactics.
The police chief, who is also Hispanic, was offended by the “Gestapo” label and wrote a letter to the newspaper. Here’s what Police Chief Joe Romero wrote:
Now why would these people be so upset? Police checkpoints.At first I thought this was a new program and that’s why all the complaints. But it turns out that they have been doing this program for at least the last couple of years.
KCAL-TV, the CBS affiliate in Los Angeles did a report in October of 2005 where 20 people were arrested and 171 vehicles impounded in Pomona. Similar stories were aired in December 2005 and six times in 2006 (over a period of months).
There was a checkpoint reported on March 29, 2008 where two arrests were made and 194 vehicles impounded.
So, why all the protests? Well, maybe because this last checkpoint was Cinco de Mayo week end. Or maybe because the mayor is running for a seat in the California General Assembly. Or maybe because one member of the city council turns out to be a Latino activist. She has called the police checkpoints “Gestapo” tactics.
The police chief, who is also Hispanic, was offended by the “Gestapo” label and wrote a letter to the newspaper. Here’s what Police Chief Joe Romero wrote:
Our combined efforts must be focused on reducing senseless death in our community.
Such death whether caused by a car or a bullet requires our full energy and united resolve.
Sadly, we know that to a grieving mother it matters not how their son or daughter is killed - car or bullet - the pain is the same...
Councilwoman Carrizosa is accurate when she points out that we have an impoverished segment of our community.
But does that mean economics is the gauge for what is right and wrong? The possibilities are endless: just think about the impoverished burglar who breaks into cars or homes.
I have lived in Pomona all my life and I am not blind to the immense social needs of my community.
I can tell you that neither are the rest of the men and women of the Pomona Police Department…
Such death whether caused by a car or a bullet requires our full energy and united resolve.
Sadly, we know that to a grieving mother it matters not how their son or daughter is killed - car or bullet - the pain is the same...
Councilwoman Carrizosa is accurate when she points out that we have an impoverished segment of our community.
But does that mean economics is the gauge for what is right and wrong? The possibilities are endless: just think about the impoverished burglar who breaks into cars or homes.
I have lived in Pomona all my life and I am not blind to the immense social needs of my community.
I can tell you that neither are the rest of the men and women of the Pomona Police Department…
However, in the course of this debate let's not lose sight of the fact that police officers do not make the law. That's another difference between police officers and Gestapo members. The Gestapo was able to make laws on its own - while cops do not…
Pomona's checkpoints are rotated throughout the city and any independent auditor will be able to dispel the notion that our traffic safety efforts are an "assault" on any particular council district. The Traffic Bureau is not deaf to what has been said…
One thing is for sure, though: It is not reasonable to think that we can simply turn a blind eye and let a violator drive off.
Just imagine one of my officers finding a car being driven by an unlicensed driver and letting that violator drive off.
How quick would the city of Pomona be named in a lawsuit should that unlicensed driver go down the road and slam into a car carrying an innocent family of four?
Regardless of the litigation aspect, who is callous enough to live with that decision? Blood on one's hands is an awful stain to bear.
No matter what kind of stance anyone has on this issue, we all have an obligation to obey the rules of the road. Please drive safely and continue to make Pomona better in all aspects.
(Source: 05/20/2008 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)
I hope this statement attributed to city council member Christina Carrizosa is a case of bad news reporting: “Carrizosa along with residents have said the checkpoint was heavy-handed and impacted the poor and those without driver's licenses.” (Source: 05/28/2008 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin) Otherwise, there is clearly a problem when an elected official is advocating the protection of unlicensed drivers!
AFLA would like to remind you that it is important to uphold the law in the community, even if some groups are offended by enforcement. We support the efforts of law enforcement to keep us safe.
Just imagine one of my officers finding a car being driven by an unlicensed driver and letting that violator drive off.
How quick would the city of Pomona be named in a lawsuit should that unlicensed driver go down the road and slam into a car carrying an innocent family of four?
Regardless of the litigation aspect, who is callous enough to live with that decision? Blood on one's hands is an awful stain to bear.
No matter what kind of stance anyone has on this issue, we all have an obligation to obey the rules of the road. Please drive safely and continue to make Pomona better in all aspects.
(Source: 05/20/2008 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)
I hope this statement attributed to city council member Christina Carrizosa is a case of bad news reporting: “Carrizosa along with residents have said the checkpoint was heavy-handed and impacted the poor and those without driver's licenses.” (Source: 05/28/2008 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin) Otherwise, there is clearly a problem when an elected official is advocating the protection of unlicensed drivers!
AFLA would like to remind you that it is important to uphold the law in the community, even if some groups are offended by enforcement. We support the efforts of law enforcement to keep us safe.
Friday, May 23, 2008
We're Invited!
The Fox Valley Citizens for Legal Immigration has been working up in Carpentersville for the same cause - enforcing the laws against the presence of illegal aliens.
They have an entry in the Memorial Day Parade up in Dundee and they have invited us to join them. It should be a nice day.
The Fox Valley group has been in parades before and have been well-received.
They have invited AFLA to join them. If you would like to participate, here is the information:
Fox Valley Citizens for Legal Immigration has invited AFLA supporters to join them on their Memorial Day float Sunday. The parade starts at 1:00.
Line up is at the Immanuel Lutheran Church. If anyone wants to join us they probably should be there no later than 12:30. The float is a BIG flat bed truck decorated with flags and bunting.
Red, white, blue is a great choice to wear. Kids are certainly welcome. They get placed in the center of the float. If adults want to ride, lawn chairs could be used.
That’s Sunday, May 25th, 12:30 pm, Immanuel Lutheran Church, 310 East Main Street, East Dundee.
Take time this Memorial Day to remember our freedoms and how they were earned.
Regards,
Doug Heaton
Co-director
Association for Legal Americans
They have an entry in the Memorial Day Parade up in Dundee and they have invited us to join them. It should be a nice day.
The Fox Valley group has been in parades before and have been well-received.
They have invited AFLA to join them. If you would like to participate, here is the information:
Fox Valley Citizens for Legal Immigration has invited AFLA supporters to join them on their Memorial Day float Sunday. The parade starts at 1:00.
Line up is at the Immanuel Lutheran Church. If anyone wants to join us they probably should be there no later than 12:30. The float is a BIG flat bed truck decorated with flags and bunting.
Red, white, blue is a great choice to wear. Kids are certainly welcome. They get placed in the center of the float. If adults want to ride, lawn chairs could be used.
That’s Sunday, May 25th, 12:30 pm, Immanuel Lutheran Church, 310 East Main Street, East Dundee.
Take time this Memorial Day to remember our freedoms and how they were earned.
Regards,
Doug Heaton
Co-director
Association for Legal Americans
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Thank you note
Mom taught me to write thank you notes. I wrote one to President David Sam at ECC right after our successful display. He responded back right away thanking me for the kind words.
I also sent a copy to the local papers. The Courier News printed it. For some unknown reason the Daily Herald did not.
I thought our readers would like to see it. Here you go:
As a follow up to our display of “Empty Shoes – Empty Hearts” I would like to simply say that Elgin Community College took the democracy class and they passed. The walls of the ivory tower shook a bit, but the foundation held.
The administration was professional and unbiased throughout the process, though we were very careful to follow all the rules for political exhibits to a tee.
The faculty was a little apprehensive. The dean of students sent out a warning e-mail to faculty and staff, something one staff member told me had never been done before. The e-mail said in part, “While dealing with controversial issues is never easy, we offer students opportunities to learn, investigate, and discover many diverse topics. Acting in alignment with our process for Non-Profit, Non-Commercial Community or Political organizations to reserve table space and promote a mission within the scope of college policies and procedures, the college replied affirmatively to AFLA’s request for table space.”
I believe it is healthy for professors to experience the same discomfort others feel when they hear that the college is holding events featuring war protests, homosexual themes, global warming, “meat is murder”, abortion, gun control…Not everyone in the community is thrilled with the things most professors are comfortable teaching our students. Academic freedom indeed cuts both ways.
In general the faculty avoided the display, though a few did stop by to study the photos and stories displayed. Those same few had thoughtful comments and I had a delightful dialogue with two of them. Although we disagreed on major issues, we were in accord that over the last 25 years our government has failed to manage this issue.
The students were very well-behaved. My concerns about them being careless with the display turned out to be entirely unfounded. In hindsight I could have left the display unattended and no one would have disturbed it.
Six students were openly enthusiastic about our message. Three were outwardly offended. The other 112 were unemotional, but that didn’t mean they were uninterested. Nearly all of them spent several minutes reading the stories rather than hurrying away once they realized what it was all about. Something was going on inside their heads.
We also had some community members stop by after reading about it in the paper or hearing the radio interview. They came from St. Charles, Crystal Lake, and even Antioch. We received an e-mail from Gary, Indiana wanting information. One gentleman was prompted to come because a friend of his was killed by an illegal alien. (More about the event can be found at www.legalamericans.net)
What was missing from the event? Well, there were no counter-protesters. I very much appreciated that. And there were no “extra police” on hand. I saw a security guard twice in the two days as he walked down the hall. We’ve had too many events cancelled in the past couple of years due to “security concerns” or a request to pay thousands of dollars for police overtime. That is not what America is about.
Thank you, Dr. Sam (ECC President), for your impressive response to this emotional issue. You have quite a college.
Doug Heaton
Co-director
Association for Legal Americans
I also sent a copy to the local papers. The Courier News printed it. For some unknown reason the Daily Herald did not.
I thought our readers would like to see it. Here you go:
As a follow up to our display of “Empty Shoes – Empty Hearts” I would like to simply say that Elgin Community College took the democracy class and they passed. The walls of the ivory tower shook a bit, but the foundation held.
The administration was professional and unbiased throughout the process, though we were very careful to follow all the rules for political exhibits to a tee.
The faculty was a little apprehensive. The dean of students sent out a warning e-mail to faculty and staff, something one staff member told me had never been done before. The e-mail said in part, “While dealing with controversial issues is never easy, we offer students opportunities to learn, investigate, and discover many diverse topics. Acting in alignment with our process for Non-Profit, Non-Commercial Community or Political organizations to reserve table space and promote a mission within the scope of college policies and procedures, the college replied affirmatively to AFLA’s request for table space.”
I believe it is healthy for professors to experience the same discomfort others feel when they hear that the college is holding events featuring war protests, homosexual themes, global warming, “meat is murder”, abortion, gun control…Not everyone in the community is thrilled with the things most professors are comfortable teaching our students. Academic freedom indeed cuts both ways.
In general the faculty avoided the display, though a few did stop by to study the photos and stories displayed. Those same few had thoughtful comments and I had a delightful dialogue with two of them. Although we disagreed on major issues, we were in accord that over the last 25 years our government has failed to manage this issue.
The students were very well-behaved. My concerns about them being careless with the display turned out to be entirely unfounded. In hindsight I could have left the display unattended and no one would have disturbed it.
Six students were openly enthusiastic about our message. Three were outwardly offended. The other 112 were unemotional, but that didn’t mean they were uninterested. Nearly all of them spent several minutes reading the stories rather than hurrying away once they realized what it was all about. Something was going on inside their heads.
We also had some community members stop by after reading about it in the paper or hearing the radio interview. They came from St. Charles, Crystal Lake, and even Antioch. We received an e-mail from Gary, Indiana wanting information. One gentleman was prompted to come because a friend of his was killed by an illegal alien. (More about the event can be found at www.legalamericans.net)
What was missing from the event? Well, there were no counter-protesters. I very much appreciated that. And there were no “extra police” on hand. I saw a security guard twice in the two days as he walked down the hall. We’ve had too many events cancelled in the past couple of years due to “security concerns” or a request to pay thousands of dollars for police overtime. That is not what America is about.
Thank you, Dr. Sam (ECC President), for your impressive response to this emotional issue. You have quite a college.
Doug Heaton
Co-director
Association for Legal Americans
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Another chance
Humberto Romero is the alleged purse-snatcher who was caught by some brave bystanders in a store parking lot last week.
It turns out that Mr. Romero was convicted of aggravated battery in 2006 and placed on probation. But instead of staying Illinois, he went to California.
Now, he’s caught red handed and Judge Boles warns him that he could be deported if he pleads guilty (free legal advice from the bench) or if he is found guilty.
So Judge Boles sets bail at $10,000. And Immigration wants a piece of him as well because he is not a citizen.
(AFLA isn’t sure if that means he is illegal or they are interested in him because some crimes invalidate a green card.)
I’d really like to know what Judge Boles is thinking. She knows he fled before. She knows he is not a citizen. She knows he could be deported.
State’s Attorney Barsanti wanted bail set at $50,000. Judge Boles set it at $10,000.
Will someone explain to the judge why this low bail for a significant flight risk is nothing more than giving him a head start to leave the area? It’s like paying $1,000 for a get-out-of-jail-free card. (Or explain to us why it isn't.)
Ask around. You’ll soon find someone who will tell you about the guy who ran into their car, got out and peeled off $500-$1,000 to pay them off, then drove away without waiting for the police. $1,000 is NOTHING to dope dealers and thieves.
Now, the woman got her purse back and her scrapes and bruises will heal. But the mental trauma never goes away.
I’ll tell you a story about a fellow from Jamaica. Hamilton was arrested in 2002 for aggravated vehicular hijacking and was sentenced to 7 years in prison after pleading guilty. He was paroled in 2005. Records show he also had been convicted of possession of cannabis and retail theft. And he was behind in his child support and had been the subject of an order of protection.
All of these crimes should have brought the wrath of Immigration upon him. He should have been deported before he ever even met Brenetta Beck. But he wasn’t. Now Beck is dead and Hezekiah Hamilton is being tried for her murder.
Sometimes failure to detain and deport illegals results in much more than a purse-snatching. AFLA thinks bail ought to reflect the flight risk, unless the judge is an open-borders advocate.
By the way, Humberto Romero made bail. He’s on the loose somewhere.
Clarification: It turns out that Humberto is in the Kane County Jail. The bail was set at $100,000. The figure quoted in the paper is 10%. Whatever it takes to keep him. Let's hope ICE can keep track of him.
It turns out that Mr. Romero was convicted of aggravated battery in 2006 and placed on probation. But instead of staying Illinois, he went to California.
Now, he’s caught red handed and Judge Boles warns him that he could be deported if he pleads guilty (free legal advice from the bench) or if he is found guilty.
So Judge Boles sets bail at $10,000. And Immigration wants a piece of him as well because he is not a citizen.
(AFLA isn’t sure if that means he is illegal or they are interested in him because some crimes invalidate a green card.)
I’d really like to know what Judge Boles is thinking. She knows he fled before. She knows he is not a citizen. She knows he could be deported.
State’s Attorney Barsanti wanted bail set at $50,000. Judge Boles set it at $10,000.
Will someone explain to the judge why this low bail for a significant flight risk is nothing more than giving him a head start to leave the area? It’s like paying $1,000 for a get-out-of-jail-free card. (Or explain to us why it isn't.)
Ask around. You’ll soon find someone who will tell you about the guy who ran into their car, got out and peeled off $500-$1,000 to pay them off, then drove away without waiting for the police. $1,000 is NOTHING to dope dealers and thieves.
Now, the woman got her purse back and her scrapes and bruises will heal. But the mental trauma never goes away.
I’ll tell you a story about a fellow from Jamaica. Hamilton was arrested in 2002 for aggravated vehicular hijacking and was sentenced to 7 years in prison after pleading guilty. He was paroled in 2005. Records show he also had been convicted of possession of cannabis and retail theft. And he was behind in his child support and had been the subject of an order of protection.
All of these crimes should have brought the wrath of Immigration upon him. He should have been deported before he ever even met Brenetta Beck. But he wasn’t. Now Beck is dead and Hezekiah Hamilton is being tried for her murder.
Sometimes failure to detain and deport illegals results in much more than a purse-snatching. AFLA thinks bail ought to reflect the flight risk, unless the judge is an open-borders advocate.
By the way, Humberto Romero made bail. He’s on the loose somewhere.
Clarification: It turns out that Humberto is in the Kane County Jail. The bail was set at $100,000. The figure quoted in the paper is 10%. Whatever it takes to keep him. Let's hope ICE can keep track of him.
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