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30 September, 2004
ICE Responds to ADC's Concerns
For the statement from ICE, click here >>
On September 30, ADC raised concerns about the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) latest initiative. ICE has responded by releasing the following statement (see full statement below.)
During several phone calls yesterday, officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE stressed their commitment to continuing to build their working relationship with the Arab and Muslim American communities. They also emphasized that their initiative is not based on racial profiling but rather based on data from the Student Visitor Information System (SEVIS), the National Security Entry/Exit Registration System (NSEERS), and the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology Program (US VISIT). Additionally, they highlighted importance of all citizens voting in the upcoming Presidential election.
ADC would like to thank ICE for their rapid response and reiterates its commitment to building bridges with the federal government. However, it is worth noting that NSEERS, also known as the "Special Registration" program, required citizens from 24 Arab and Muslim countries in addition to North Korea to register with immigration authorities. The program was based on national origin profiling and a majority of the program was suspended by DHS in December 2003. ADC hopes that the information gleaned from that "Special Registration" program will not be used as one of the three resources for prioritizing ICE's enforcement activities because it was based solely on national origin.
_________________________
STATEMENT, September 30, 2004
Office of Public Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Contact: 202-514-2648
TERRORIST THREAT AND DISRUPTION EFFORTS BY ICE
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. As part of its homeland security mission, ICE seeks to maintain the integrity of the immigration system through effective enforcement of our immigration laws. ICE also seeks to protect the homeland by targeting immigration violators who may pose a threat to national security.
ICE has been working for the past several months at a heightened level in direct support of the government-wide Interagency Security Plan that will remain in effect through the 2005 Presidential Inauguration. ICE's stepped-up enforcement actions involve the re-prioritization of existing leads on suspected immigration status violators according to national security criteria. This initiative combines the resources of the ICE Office of Investigations, the Office of Detention and Removal and the Office of Intelligence to apply real-time threat information to detect, prevent, and disrupt potential terrorist activities. This initiative builds upon ICE's continued efforts to target immigration status violators in America - without regard to race, ethnicity or religion.
Acting on the prioritized leads, ICE agents in the field will locate suspected immigration status violators. If ICE investigators determine that the individual is out of status, then the individual will be arrested. Determinations on detention will be decided on a case-by-case basis in keeping with standard ICE detention policy. Anyone subject to detention will be afforded access to counsel as permitted under national standards.
When appropriate, and as resources allow, ICE agents will be supported by other law enforcement agencies through the nation's Joint Terrorism Task Forces.
What ICE is not doing:
· ICE is not conducting a "round-up" or a "sweep" in any community.
· ICE is not profiling based on race or religious affiliation.
· ICE is not instituting a blanket detention policy.
As the recent 9/11 Commission Staff monograph on terrorist travel notes, at least three of the 9/11 hijackers violated the terms of their visas before carrying out their attacks. The 9/11 Commission report further added that: "Had the immigration system set a higher bar for determining whether individuals are who or what they claim to be - and ensuring routine consequences for violations - it could have potentially excluded, removed, or come into further contact with several hijackers."
To detect and deter such abuses, ICE's Compliance Enforcement Unit routinely researches and assigns immigration status violator leads to ICE field offices nationwide based on data from the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), the National Security Entry/Exit Registration System (NSEERS), and the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program (USVISIT).
# ICE #
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Plans Immigration Sweeps
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has confirmed through federal government sources that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has initiated, or soon will initiate, specific enforcement actions in major metropolitan areas prior to the November 2nd Presidential election. This new ICE initiative is supposedly separate from the recent ADC alert about the voluntary interviews being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI.) However, ADC has confirmed that ICE's enforcement action is in fact, being carried out in conjunction with the FBI's latest initiative.
The ICE initiative consists of a stepped up effort to arrest a number of non-citizens whose immigration paperwork is "out of status." While ADC encourages and supports all measures to enhance our nation's security, ADC is troubled by the idea that immigration sweeps are being portrayed as successes in the war on terror. To date it is unclear whether the ICE initiative will be selectively carried out against Arabs and Muslims. ADC reiterates its strong objection to any selective enforcement initiative that is based solely on race, national origin, or religion.
Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE have failed to reach out to community leaders to communicate this matter or to address our concerns. This initiative damages efforts made at cooperating with the Arab-American community. ADC has actively worked to build bridges with multiple levels of law enforcement and the community through its successful national Law Enforcement Outreach Program (LEOP) and the ADC Michigan office's outreach program BRIDGES.
Furthermore, ADC, which is nonpartisan, hopes this ICE initiative will not be perceived by the community as intimidation to US citizens who may be relatives of those subjected to the enforcement action and may inhibit these citizens from voting, especially those newly registered to vote.
ADC suggests you contact the White House and the Department of Homeland Security to relay your concern and opposition to this new ICE initiative.
You may write to them online, via ADC website:
http://capwiz.com/adc/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=6480531
If you prefer to call, contact information is listed below.
ICE National Headquarters
Tel: 202-514-2648
Fax: 202-307-1918
White House
Tel: 202-456-1111
Fax: 202-456-2461
Email: president@whitehouse.gov
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