ICE Officials Delayed Arresting Illegal Alien Intern for Political Gain, says FAIR

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Jan 15, 2013, 06:28 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Associated Press confirms that officials of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Washington, D.C., and New Jersey delayed the arrest of an illegal alien intern for political reasons. Documents obtained by AP now confirm that ICE officials openly discussed the political ramifications of carrying out the arrest of an illegal alien intern and convicted sex offender who was working as an unpaid intern in the office of Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) based on the upcoming elections. Those same documents also confirm that ICE agents in New Jersey had been prepared to arrest Luis Abrahan Sanchez Zavaleta on October 25, but were ordered to delay the arrest until after the elections. Mr. Sanchez was finally taken into custody on December 6.

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"This latest information confirms the lengths to which the Obama administration is prepared to go in order to aid and abet illegal immigration—even when the illegal aliens are sex offenders," charged Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). "In determining when to arrest an illegal alien who had been found guilty of multiple sexual assaults against an 8-year-old, high level officials at ICE were more concerned about the political implications of such an arrest than they were about protecting another child from being victimized by a deportable alien."

According to the documents, phone conversations between ICE headquarters in Washington and ICE officials in New Jersey revealed discussions about the impact of an arrest prior to the November 6 elections. ICE officials cautioned that arresting Sanchez immediately "had the possibility of garnering significant congressional and media interest." ICE agents in New Jersey were "advised to postpone the arrest" until given the green light by Washington.

"For nearly four years, Congress has sat on its hands as the Obama administration has subverted and undermined our immigration laws for political purposes. This case provides disturbing evidence that the people who are in charge of enforcing our immigration laws are acting to further the political aims of the administration, even if it means ignoring their most basic responsibilities to the American people," Stein continued.

"It is incumbent upon Congress to demand enforcement of our immigration laws and hold officials at ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accountable for their reckless dereliction of their duties. This incident must also give Congress pause, before any consideration is given to legislation that would result in amnesty for millions of illegal aliens, to consider whether the agencies tasked with carrying out such a policy have the integrity to ensure that the safety and security of the American people would be protected," Stein concluded.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is a national, nonprofit, public-interest, membership organization of concerned citizens who share a common belief that our nation's immigration policies must be reformed to serve the national interest.

Visit FAIR's website at www.fairus.org.

SOURCE FAIR