Delco Sanctuary Says Philly Mayor — A bill has been introduced in the Pennsylvania Senate — albeit it appears snarled — that would ban government units from adopting “sanctuary” policies. This basically means not checking immigration status and not complying with federal detention orders.
Philadelphia’s Jim Kenney, who mayors the bill’s numero uno target, is outraged. Delco and Montco and Chesco and Bucks do the the same he says.
The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) claimed — and still does— that Delaware County is a “sanctuary” for illegals.
The Philadelphia Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), however, sent us this: Delaware County, Pa and all police departments within Delaware County fully participate with PEP (Priority Enforcement Program).
Regarding the sanctuary city bill — SB 10 of 2017-2018– what exactly is the problem with governments checking into someone’s immigration status and complying with federal detention orders?
Delco Sanctuary City Nope — County Councilman John McBlain appears to have won the debate as to whether Delaware County, Pa. is a “sanctuary city” as claimed by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS).
The Philadelphia Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sent us the below comment:
Delaware County, Pa and all police departments within Delaware County fully participate with PEP. With the implementation of the Priority Enforcement Program (PEP) in July 2015, many law enforcement agencies, including some large jurisdictions, are now once again cooperating with ICE. DHS continues to make significant strides in building partnerships with local law enforcement and community leaders through PEP to ensure a common-sense approach that focuses enforcement resources on convicted criminals and individuals who threaten public safety and national security while also taking into account important community policing needs. For more information on PEP please visit www.ice.gov/pep.
CIS defines sanctuary city/county/state as a jurisdiction that does not comply with ICE detainers for jailed or incarcerated illegal aliens.
“Our Council has not and will not approve any policy that would qualify our county as any sort of ‘sanctuary’ status that would oppose the application of federal law,” McBlain said. “There’s no parsing words or being cute here – this website is flat out wrong.”
McBlain has demanded that CIS remove Delco from the list and retract the claim.
Bryan Griffith has since replied saying the data is correct and, further, “(Delco) has policy/legislation that limits or prohibits cooperation with ICE“. He said the county should take the matter up with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if it wants the claim removed.
The CIS definition is quite useful in that it exposes non-compliance that would otherwise be unknown to the public. It is unfair, however, to use it in a fundamentalist way. Three declined detainers over 21 months ending Sept. 30, 2015 — which is what Delco is accused of having done — does not a sanctuary city make. We would be interested in learning specifically what policy/legislation Delco has that “limits or prohibits cooperation with ICE”. None, however, is listed on the CIS map, unlike the listing for Philadelphia.
Chester County, which is also listed, has had but one declined detainer between Jan. 1, 2014 and Sept. 30, 2015. Montgomery County has had seven. Philadelphia County has had 171 and the city itself has declared itself to be a “sanctuary” via mayoral executive order.
The difference between Delco’s alleged sins and Philly’s known ones is huge and it is kind of unfair to put them on the same list.
UPDATE: A link has submitted by Bryan Griffith of Center for Immigration Studies to a Temple University Study from March 2015 says Delaware County has a written policy not to comply. As per the study: A privately run company, Community Education Centers (CEC), is responsible for correctional services at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Delaware County. Dated August 5, 2014, CEC’s policy is to not hold individuals based solely on ICE detainers. CEC was unwilling to turn over the policy because CEC considers it to be “proprietary information,” but noted that arrangements can be made for “in person” review of the policy.
Delaware County Sanctuary City? — A listing of sanctuary cities, counties and states is being circulated by the influential Center for Immigration Studies and on it is Delaware County, Pa. We contacted CIS asking the reason for the inclusion of Delco but have yet to hear back.
A “sanctuary city” or county or state is a jurisdiction that has declared that it will protect undocumented immigrants by not prosecuting them solely for violating federal immigration laws in the country in which they are now living illegally.
It rarely involves giving necessary sanctuary to true refugees. More often than not the motivation is cheap labor or the consolidation of political power through divisive identity politics.
Chester, Montgomery and Lehigh counties are also named as is, obviously, Philadelphia.
UPDATE — We heard back from Bryan Griffith of Center for Immigration Studies who tell us the definition in the article is incorrect with regard to their map. They define “sanctuary city (county/state)” as a jurisdiction that does not comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers for jailed or incarcerated illegal aliens. Griffith says Delco declined three detainers between January 2014 and September 2015 as per ICE.
UPDATE 2 — Bob Small has let us know that Swarthmore College President Valerie Smith has released a statement that the college is evaluating how to become a sanctuary campus after a petition signed by more than 1,100 students, faculty and alumni requesting such was presented to her. http://www.delcotimes.com/article/DC/20161116/NEWS/161119728#.WEBMF-4tJU8.email
Syrian Christians Excluded As Refugees — Hillary Clinton wants a 500 percent increase in refugees from war-torn Syria, while dismissing claims that the existing vetting process needs to be stringently strengthened.
Wholly owned by the Arabs.
This column by Syrian-American Tony George — who is very sensitive to the plight of those suffering in that war-torn land — crushes her claims while pointing out those pushing hardest for more Syrians to come here are the Saudis either as fifth columnists or to avoid having to take them.
And who is the candidate that is wholly owned by that oppressive land? Wiklileaks — and other sources — have revealed that Mrs. Clinton has received between $10 million and $25 million Saudi contributions and millions more from other Arabian states such as Kuwait and Oman.
Wikileaks further reveals that while the Arabians were giving money to the Clintons they were funding ISIS.
If you care about safety and security it is a no-brainer to vote against this woman.
Mexico Can Pay For Wall — Donald Trump says the wall he is proposing to stop the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants from Mexico will cost between $8 billion and $13 billion.
More practically he notes that Mexico receives about $24 billion annually from nationals working (or using social services) here and that by making a small change in the law to include money transfer firms as federal institutions, he could put an end to that.
Khizr Khan Emotions And Policy — Khizr Khan, a Harvard lawyer and Muslim, made a blistering attack on Donald Trump, July 28, during the Democrat National Convention concerning Trump’s concern about sleeper terrorists entering this country under the guise of Muslim refugees.
“Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims,” he said as wife, Ghazala, stood silently by his side. “He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country.”
The last sentence implies a permanent ban and isn’t true, but never mind that.
The Khans’ son Humayun lost his life while serving in Iraq in 2004 receiving a Bronze star and Purple Heart for his heroism. The media is trying to tie the label of cowardly chickenhawk on The Donald, which is ironic since by 2004 when young Humayun died he was speaking out against the war, and rather prophetically.
Khan made the point that there are Muslims who can be loyal, good and patriotic Americans.
This is not religious argument. Nobody is talking about vetting people concerning theological beliefs about the nature, or even existence, of God. This is a value argument. Do we have unalienable rights or can someone kill another simply because he disagrees with his belief about the nature of God?
We had better start vetting people as to whether they hold the latter view and keep them from coming here. Further, we had better start teaching those already here who hold this view that they are seriously wrong and that believing murder is OK for religious reasons will not be tolerated.
And with regard to diversity and such, where are the Catholic cathedrals and Baptist churches and Jewish synagogues in Mecca? Maybe we should start pushing that these things be allowed there, hmmm?
If one wants to save this country Trump is the only choice this November no matter how obnoxious your “betters” say he is.
SNAP Ends Mexican Advertising — The 2002 Farm Bill signed by President George W. Bush expanded the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) i.e. “food stamps” to non-citizens. His administration then agreed as part of a trade deal with Mexico to advertise this perk in that nation which ended up including radio and TV advertising.
No comprende? What did he say?
That’s right, our government was on Mexican radio telling Mexicans how to get U.S. taxpayer-provided freebies.
The service was expanded again in 2008, again signed by Dubya, and later expanded (naturally) by President Obama.
The 2014 Farm Bill passed by the Tea Party-influenced, Republican-controlled Congress put restrictions on government advertising SNAP on television and radio. This included broadcasting in Mexico.
Well heavens-to-Betsy, it is being reported that after more than a year the Agriculture Department is finally implementing this law.
Wonder if a certain political campaign might have set a little fire under their tails to finally act.
And how did this policy ever get implemented in the first place?
Trump Al Wilson And Snakes — Donald Trump at a rally in Cedar Falls, Iowa read the lyrics from a song which few Millennials know by a singer which few Millennials have heard to illustrate the wisdom of allowing Muslim refugees from ISIS controlled territory.
He made it work.
The singer is Al Wilson and the song is The Snake which was released in 1968.
Here are the lyrics.
On her way to work one morning, down the path along the lake, a tender-hearted woman saw a poor, half-frozen snake. His pretty colored skin had been all frosted with the dew. ‘Oh, well,’ she cried, ‘I’ll take you in and I’ll take care of you.’ ‘Take me in, O tender woman, take me in, for heaven’s sake. Take me in, O tender woman,’ sighed the vicious snake. She wrapped him up all cozy in a curvature of silk and then laid him by the fireside with some honey and some milk. Now, she hurried home from work that night. As soon as she arrived, she found that pretty snake she’d taken in and revived. ‘Take me in, O tender woman. Take me in, for heaven’s sake. Take me in, O tender woman,’ sighed the vicious snake.
“Now she clutched him to her bosom. ‘You’re so beautiful,’ she cried, ‘but if I hadn’t brought you in, by now you would have died.’ She stroked his pretty skin, and then she kissed him and held him tight. But instead of saying ‘thank you,’ that snake gave her a vicious bite. ‘Take me in, O tender woman. Take me in, for heaven’s sake. Take me in, O tender woman,’ sighed the vicious snake. ‘I saved you,’ cried the woman, ‘and you bit me. Heavens, why? You know your bite is poisonous, and now I’m going to die.’ ‘Oh, shut up, silly woman,’ said the reptile with a grin. ‘You knew darn well I was a snake before you took me in.’
Pennsylvania Terror Under-reported –For those who still think it wise to allow Muslims purportedly fleeing Syrian violence to live here, consider these stories from last week.
Jalil Ibn Ameer Aziz, 19, of Harrisburg, has been charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Aziz allegedly used 57 Twitter accounts to advocate violence against the United States and to disseminate ISIS propaganda and acted as an intermediary between a person in Turkey and several well-known members of ISIS.
Note the source is the Marple Newtown Patch using information unsealed Thursday U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. This story was not given major play in the local dailies or television.
And yesterday, Dec. 18, authorities evacuated the Walmart on Conchester Highway in the Willowbrook Shopping Center in Boothwyn, after receiving a bomb threat.
