Friday, June 11, 2010

Grassley Looking for Information on Detained Illegal Immigrants Gaining Access

to Taxpayer Funded Entertainment, Internet

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley today asked for additional information from the federal agency that detains illegal immigrants about its plans to provide those who it has detained on immigration charges with access to free email and phone access and new recreational activities including bingo, dance lessons and art classes.                      

Grassley said his concerns follow a June 8 Houston Chronicle article that said, "Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are preparing to roll out a series of changes at several privately owned immigration detention centers, including relaxing some security measures for low-risk detainees and offering art classes, bingo and continental breakfast on the weekends."

"Taxpayers will not tolerate Uncle Sam using their money to provide dance lessons and bingo to those who knowingly broke our laws," Grassley said.

Here is a copy of Grassley's letter to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Assistant Secretary.

June 11, 2010

The Honorable John Morton

Assistant Secretary

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

500 12^th Street Southwest

Washington, D.C. 20536

Dear Secretary Morton:

I'm writing with serious concerns about your agency's latest changes to detention policies that will allow illegal aliens access to recreational activities and increased communication opportunities, giving detainees an overly-comfortable place to reside while they are prosecuted for breaking the law.

According to the Houston Chronicle, illegal aliens could now be given access to bingo, art classes, and continental breakfasts on weekends.  The article also states that ICE plans to eliminate lockdowns and lights-out for low-risk detainees, allow visitors to stay as long as they like in a 12-hour period, and allow low-risk detainees to wear their own clothing or other non-penal attire.  More disturbing is the report that ICE will now be providing e-mail access and Internet-based free phone service to detainees.

I realize that there are many low-risk detainees under the control of ICE, but reducing the standards for these lawbreakers will create a moral hazard and reduce the deterrent effect that prison time is supposed to have.  Even one ICE official stated the new management standards reinforces the idea that detention is "not about punishing people for a crime they committed."   These detainees, low-risk or not, broke the law in order to enter or remain in this country, and could have more entertainment and access to the outside world than other inmates in U.S. jails.  Giving illegal aliens access to computer training and tutoring, as well as dance lessons, cooking classes and movie nights, will only encourage illegal aliens to ignore the law and take more risks to defraud our immigration system.

According to the same article from the Houston Chronicle, many working in these facilities will fear for their safety if detention standards are lowered.  One union leader states that while some of these detainees have no serious criminal history, many may be former gang members. Gang members and the like will now have an easier time to ply their trade in this setting, jeopardizing the safety of the other detainees and correction officers.

Finally, taxpayers would be very disappointed if the reports are true since they are financing detention and removal efforts.  Expending taxpayer dollars to give illegal aliens access to bingo, dance lessons and the internet is a slap in the face to hardworking Americans who foot the bill.  It's even more frustrating given that so many Americans are unemployed and looking for work while illegal aliens are getting free tutoring and computer classes to advance their own lives.

For these reasons, I urge you to reconsider lowering detention standards.  I would also appreciate a copy of the internal memo obtained by the Houston Chronicle in addition to a briefing to discuss this report no later than Friday, June 18. Please contact Kathy Nuebel Kovarik of my staff at 202-224-3744 about this matter.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley

United States Senator

Hello.  I'm Chuck Grassley working in the U.S. Senate for the people of Iowa.   This week, the United States Senate considered a resolution to block the EPA from regulating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses.   The resolution of disapproval had broad bipartisan support.

I was an original cosponsor of this resolution because I'm concerned that EPA bureaucrats are making policy decisions that should be made by elected representatives of the people.  Congress should decide whether or not to impose limits on greenhouse gasses, not faceless bureaucrats.  The problem is that the EPA has been moving forward without congressional approval.  This is bad news for two reasons.

First, the job of a federal agency is to carry out the laws passed by Congress.  Congress is directly accountable to the American people.  The EPA is not.  When agencies that aren't accountable to the public bend existing laws in order to pursue an agenda behind closed doors, Congress must stop them.  An unelected bureaucracy shouldn't make policy decisions, especially when the decisions could have a major impact on an economy that continues to sputter.

Second, regulating greenhouse gasses under the Clean Air Act would be less efficient and more costly than a new system that is specifically designed to address greenhouse gasses.  The Obama administration has already acknowledged this fact.

The EPA is trying to bully Congress by saying, "Either you pass a bill that will raise costs for American Families or we'll pass regulations that will be even worse."

It is up to Congress to decide whether a new carbon tax makes sense.  We shouldn't let the EPA implement economically devastating regulations, particularly at a time of economic recession.  Iowa's energy intensive economy, especially agriculture and manufacturing, would be hit particularly hard if the EPA goes it alone.

Congress must continue to work to make sure that the EPA does not overreach on its responsibilities, and our resolution helps to put the EPA on notice.

Senator Chuck Grassley issued the following comment after the Senate failed to pass a resolution that would have blocked the EPA from moving forward with regulations on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses.  Grassley was an original cosponsor of the resolution.

"Our economy is sputtering and by not passing this resolution, Congress is ceding policy decisions that could have serious economic ramifications to a bureaucratic agency that is not accountable to the American people.  The EPA is simply trying to bully Congress by saying, 'Either you pass a bill that will raise costs for American families and destroy jobs or we'll pass regulations that will be even worse.'  The Obama administration has acknowledged this, but is still pushing forward.  EPA's go it alone policy is a big problem for Iowa families and businesses who will be hit particularly hard because of Iowa's energy intensive economy, especially in agriculture and manufacturing."

Washington, DC - Congressmen Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) and Phil Hare (D-Ill.) sent a letter today to President Barack Obama and Admiral Thad Allen, urging them to fully evaluate the impact of the BP Oil Spill on Mississippi River shipping lanes. As oil continues to drift closer to the Southwest Passage, a critical shipping lane for farmers who rely on barge traffic to ship their crops overseas, Braley and Hare are concerned about the impact a slowdown in Mississippi River traffic could have on prices for farmers, producers and distributors.

"While current reports indicate that the major ports and shipping lanes are unaffected by the oil slick, and that there are precautions in place to remove oil from any affected vessels, past experience has shown that delays in traffic have had a drastic economic impact on regions beyond the Gulf of Mexico," the letter states. "Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the agricultural industry suffered sharp declines in the prices of commodities as a result of a traffic slowdown.  Access to the Mississippi is crucial to many of the businesses in our districts, and is critical to the agricultural industry who depends on barge shipping to get their products to the rest of the world at competitive costs."

Braley and Hare requested that the Obama Administration perform a full analysis on the potential economic impact that the Gulf oil spill could have on barge traffic along the Mississippi River, and the further effect on commerce and local economies along the Mississippi. Braley and Hare hope that an efficient and thorough study of the impact could help mitigate the cost of the spill for the agricultural industry in Iowa, Illinois and the rest of the Midwest.

The full text of the letter is attached.

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