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DHS orders deportations to be cancelled for convicted felon illegal immigrants deemed not a ‘priority’

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WASHINGTON, DC – Multiple convicted felon illegal immigrants have had their deportations cancelled by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) because the Department of Homeland Security has decided they are no longer “priorities.”

The list of felons who will not be deported includes Heriberto Fuerte-Padilla, an illegal alien from Mexico who was driving drunk when he struck another vehicle.

The occupant of the other vehicle,  19-year-old Adrienne Sophia Exum, was killed in the November 2020 crash.

Padilla fled the scene on foot but was chased and captured by an off-duty police officer.

Despite the serious nature of the crime, and the fact he was an illegal immigrant, Fuerte-Padilla will not be deported back to Mexico after being granted a reprieve by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ changed rules.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asked for Fuerte-Padilla to be deported after serving his sentence, however that request is being withdrawn.

Under the new rules, offenses like DUI, drug possession, and domestic assault will no longer qualify for “priority lifts” or deportation.

Mayorkas ordered immigration officials to stand down in many cases:

“The fact an individual is a removable noncitizen, therefore, should not alone be the basis of an enforcement action against them. We will use our discretion and focus our enforcement resources in a more targeted way. Justice and our country’s well-being require it.”

The policy changes were allegedly established to direct resources to focus on specific targets such as those who pose a national security risk, recently crossed the border illegally, or are a public safety risk.

Although Padilla is a public safety risk, Mayorkas’ rules require ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to weigh criminal convictions against other factors, including how long the illegal immigrant has been in the U.S., how long ago they were convicted of the crime, and whether the families of the illegal immigrant would suffer due to detention or deportation.

Mayorkas ordered:

“The fact an individual is a removable noncitizen therefore should not alone be the basis of an enforcement action against them.

“We will use our discretion and focus our enforcement resources in a more targeted way. Justice and our country’s well-being require it.”

DHS orders deportations to be cancelled for convicted felon illegal immigrants deemed not a 'priority'

The Texas and Louisiana attorney generals have already challenged the decision to cancel deportations in court, with Arizona, Montana, and Ohio also challenging the rules in a separate case.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called the cancellations a “betrayal” to the American people:

“I believe that Biden has betrayed our country. He’s betraying families that are losing people right and left.

“I think the answer to the ‘why?’ is that they have greater goals that are more important than saving members of families.”

Jessica Vaughan, of the Center for Immigration Studies, said the policy creates a bizarre situation:

“Here we have a law enforcement agency handing ICE a criminal alien on a silver platter and ICE saying no thank you, and then the law enforcement agency saying really? And ICE saying no, we really don’t want to take this person.”

In addition to Padilla, several other cases where illegal immigrants with criminal records qualifying them for deportation will be granted a reprieve. Jose Godoy Vasquez, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, has several convictions for drunk driving in 2013 and drug possession and domestic violence from 2019 to 2021, will have his deportation cancelled. His current sentence runs through 2025.

Nay Thar, an illegal immigrant from Thailand, convicted of drug possession in 2017, DUI and fleeing police in 2018, and possession of contraband in prison,  has been released and will not be deported under the cancellations.

Victim Adrienne’s mother, Rhonda Exum, said she was told her daughter’s killer would be deported following his sentence, but that President Joe Biden’s immigration policies have denied her family the justice they deserve:

“I really want to know why. By him not being deported, it’s like you telling me my daughter’s life didn’t mean anything.”

She called the President, who she voted for,  a disappointment:

“I thought he was going to talk for the American people, basically, and not for himself.

“I don’t feel that he has done anything but disappoint.”

Secretary Mayorkas offered a defense for the new policy:

“For the first time, our guidelines will, in the pursuit of public safety, require an assessment of the individual and take into account the totality of the facts and circumstances. …”

Do you want to join our private family of first responders and supporters?  Get unprecedented access to some of the most powerful stories that the media refuses to show you.  Proceeds get reinvested into having active, retired and wounded officers, their families and supporters tell more of these stories.  Click to check it out.

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Biden’s DHS Secretary slips up and admits the border is worse now than it has been in 20 years

January 29, 2022

 

WASHINGTON, DC – The DHS Secretary admits that the border crisis is worse now than it has been in 20 years according to audio leaked that was obtained by Townhall.

Current Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas met with several members of the Border Patrol on January 26th to discuss several issues.

During the meeting, Mayorkas admitted that the increasing number of illegal border crossings has made the job worse for those in charge of securing our border.

During a recording of the meeting, obtained by Townhall, Mayorkas said:

“The job has not gotten easier over the last few months, and it was very, very difficult throughout 2021. I know apprehending families and kids is not what you signed up to do.

And now we got a composition that is changing even more with Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, and the like, it just gets more difficult…

“I know the policies of this administration are not particularly popular with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, but that’s the reality and let’s see what we can do within that framework.”

During the meeting, an unidentified federal agent stood up and asked the question that probably a lot of others in attendance were thinking…how border security is the main mission for the agency and yet they are allegedly not allowed to patrol the border.

The agent alleged that Border Patrol was being used to process thousands of illegal aliens into the country as opposed to securing the border.

After the agent asked the question, he allegedly turned his back on the secretary who responded:

“Let me just say, you can turn your back on me, but I’ll never turn my back on you.”

Another agent took the opportunity to point out the overcrowding that has been reported at different processing sites, including in the Yuma Sector where the meeting was occurring.

The agent told Mayorkas that it is not their job or responsibility to be processing illegal aliens and taking care of the family units.

Another asked Mayorkas why the number of illegal aliens was low in the Migrant Protection Protocols (Remain in Mexico) after the Biden Administration was ordered by a judge to reinstitute the practice.

Mayorkas conceded that the number of illegal aliens in the program were not sufficient:

“The numbers are not where they need to be. I agree with that.”

The policy was enacted under Republican President Donald Trump which forced those seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border to remain in Mexico while their asylum cases played out. This was one of the first policies that President Biden suspended when he took office in January of 2021.

The administration was forced to reinstate the policy by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas.

Later in the meeting when Mayorkas and the agents were specifically speaking about the overall conditions at the southern border, Mayorkas slipped:

“Look, it’s worse now than it, frankly, has been in at least 20 years, if not ever.”

One person who agrees with Mayorkas on this point is Steven Kopits who is with the Princeton Policy Advisors. Kopits analyzed the number of illegal aliens that will come into the country this year will outpace last years. He said:

“Given the comparatively steady pace of apprehensions, we might expect recent experience under the Biden administration to continue.

Under such circumstances, we forecast 2.1 million apprehensions for both calendar year and fiscal year 2022, both records besting not only all other administrations but even the Biden administration’s disastrous first year.”

While the reported numbers of illegal alien apprehensions are alarming, at least to some, another number is not addressed. That would be the number of illegal aliens that have come into the country undetected.

It would be easy to assume that those numbers, like the apprehensions, have also increased since President Biden has taken office. However, unlike the number of apprehensions made, there is no possibility of accurately estimating that number.

‘Enough already’: Sig Sauer announces major backing of national ‘re-fund the police’ campaign 

Editor note: For those looking for a quick link to get in the fight and support the cause, click here.

NEWINGTON, NH – Law Enforcement Today is pleased to share that Sig Sauer, highly respected and immensely popular leader in the firearms industry, has joined us as a corporate sponsor in our campaign to “Re-Fund the Police.”

As a Law Enforcement Today reader, you know that we have put forth a campaign to back the blue and support re-funding efforts, while calling attention to both the adverse effects of defunding the police, and the positive effects that our dedicated protectors in law enforcement create every single day.

In this campaign, we put out a call for individual and corporate sponsors to join us in this mission.

Sig Sauer, with its honorable and lengthy history of supporting law enforcement, answered that call with a generous donation, standing with us and with our brothers and sisters in blue.

From its humble beginnings as a German gun company in 1751 and a Swiss wagon factory in 1853 who merged in 1875 to its current status as a firearms industry leader, Sig Sauer has remained synonymous with expert, state-of-the art craftsmanship and reliability. 

Sig Sauer has also cultivated a close working relationship with law enforcement over the decades of its existence, marrying its expertise with the needs of those who serve.

As the Sig Sauer website states:

“It is the largest member of a worldwide business group of firearms manufacturers that includes J.P. Sauer & Sohn and Blaser, Gmbh. in Germany.

“This global network of companies gives SIG SAUER a world-class firearms knowledge base, unparalleled design expertise, and extensive manufacturing capacity, enabling the company to respond quickly and effectively to changing market conditions and the needs of its military, law enforcement, and commercial markets worldwide.”

DHS orders deportations to be cancelled for convicted felon illegal immigrants deemed not a 'priority'
Sig Sauer Academy. Photo courtesy of Sig Sauer.

In addition to state-of-the art equipment such as firearms, ammunition, optics, suppressors, and air guns, Sig also provides top-of-the line training for law enforcement officers and others.

Sig Sauer Academy, located in Epping, NH, offers firearms and tactics training to everyone from first-time gun owners to the most elite levels of law enforcement and military.  This facility “features state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor ranges, tactical training areas, urban environments, a shoot house, a maritime training area, and a force-on-force village.”

We recently sat down with Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive VP of Commercial Sales, to learn more about Sig Sauer’s decision to back our campaign to “Re-fund the Police.”

Taylor told us:

“The minute we heard the concept, it resonated with us here at Sig Sauer, because it’s so disgusting to us, the whole “defund the police” mentality….

“The police were already shorthanded, there’s never enough training, there’s never enough equipment, there’s never enough people, there’s never enough resources.  

“And then you throw at them this ‘defund the police’ mess, to put it politely.” 

He added:

“It just disgusts us, when we see specific incidents of police agencies like Austin, who have gone so all-in to this concept of taking resources away from an operation that is already underfunded. 

“Who is going to help save lives when they’re needed?  It’s harder and harder to get police officers where they’re needed, on time, because of a lack of resources….

“You hear the 911 calls where people are calling in the middle of a riot in Atlanta, and they say, we’re really sorry but there are no police officers to send to your aid right now.  

“It’s disgusting.”

Taylor explained further that raising money is itself important, but the plans to raise awareness and share the truth with the public are equally significant.

He continued:

“I think it’s important to educate the public that there’s a problem….

“No matter how much money we raise in this effort, it’s also very important that we let the world know that the police need resources and they need money.”

DHS orders deportations to be cancelled for convicted felon illegal immigrants deemed not a 'priority'
Sig Sauer Academy. Photo courtesy of Sig Sauer.

Taylor added that a further advantage to educating the public would be to improve the reputation of law enforcement as a career.

He told us:

“We also need to try to re-engage young people to be police officers, because that used to be such a noble and admirable thing, and now it’s becoming so difficult to be a police officer, and to have young people aspire to be in law enforcement.

“We want to communicate to the world that it’s ok to be a cop.”

Taylor expanded further upon Sig Sauer’s ties with law enforcement, saying:

“It’s in our DNA…. We work closely [at Sig Sauer Academy] with military and law enforcement…. 

“It’s a big part of who our Academy personnel are; they are all current or former military and cops… and so they are such thought leaders for our company for both training and equipment and importantly, mindset. 

“When we are developing a new product, we go talk to them.”

He added:

“Our CEO [Ron Cohen] served in the Israeli military for five years, and our dedication to supporting law enforcement and military runs so deep in this company…. The moment I mentioned the ‘refunding the police’ concept to our CEO, he immediately wanted to support this cause.”

Taylor concluded:

“We absolutely want to let the world know how much we support the thousands of police agencies and hundreds of thousands of officers who carry our products, and those who don’t….

“It doesn’t matter what product they use, they need our support.

“We are doing this because we have so much respect for our police officers, and it is very disappointing that a part of our society allowed something called ‘defund the police’ to become part of our culture, truly sad.”

DHS orders deportations to be cancelled for convicted felon illegal immigrants deemed not a 'priority'
Sig Sauer Academy. Photo courtesy of Sig Sauer.

In addition to its generous financial support, Sig Sauer will also be throwing its own marketing efforts behind the “Re-Fund the Police” campaign, amplifying the message on their social networks.

To learn more about Sig Sauer products and training, visit Sig Sauer at their website, SigSauer.com.  

You can also follow Sig Sauer on their Facebook page, their Twitter feed, their Instagram account, and their LinkedIn account.

Law Enforcement Today is immensely grateful for Sig Sauer’s strong stand to support all those who protect and serve, and we look forward to working together with Sig to “Re-Fund Our Police” and expand public understanding of the the daily good deeds of our protectors in blue, as well as the adverse effects of defunding the police.

Do you want to join our private family of first responders and supporters?  Get unprecedented access to some of the most powerful stories that the media refuses to show you.  Proceeds get reinvested into having active, retired and wounded officers, their families and supporters tell more of these stories.  Click to check it out.

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“Re-Fund the Police”: Law Enforcement Today launches nationwide campaign for Americans to back the blue

 

Editor note: In 2020, we saw a nationwide push to “defund the police”.  While we all stood here shaking our heads wondering if these people were serious… they cut billions of dollars in funding for police officers.  And as a result, crime has skyrocketed – all while the same politicians who said “you don’t need guns, the government will protect you” continued their attacks on both our police officers and our Second Amendment rights.

And that’s exactly why we’re launching this national crowdfunding campaign as part of our efforts to help “re-fund the police”.

For those looking for a quick link to get in the fight and support the cause, click here.

—

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – You back the Blue.  You support the police.  You quietly buy an officer a cup of coffee at your local coffeehouse.  You bring homemade cookies to your local police station.  You make it a point to thank an officer when you see one out in public.  

You watch the news, aghast to see crowds of anti-police protesters and rioters committing acts of violence and massive property damage.  You pray daily for the Blue family.

And yet, you may feel quite alone.

Politicians and the mainstream news media would have you think that police support is at an all-time low.

Some of you may have found it necessary to take down your Thin Blue Line flags from your house, or to scrape off the Thin Blue Line sticker from your vehicles, due to the potential for violent retaliation by those who hate the police.

Yes, it is the loudest voices that are the ugliest.  They revile and attack those who back the Blue.  They call, “Defund the Police!” at every turn, fueled by the lie that police officers are racists who are out to kill.

But you are actually in excellent company in your support of the blue family.

According to a Gallup poll, 85% of Americans support law enforcement.  That means supporters of the Thin Blue Line are 285 million strong.

DHS orders deportations to be cancelled for convicted felon illegal immigrants deemed not a 'priority'
85% of Americans support Law Enforcement

That would be 285 million who, like you, refuse join in the calls to defund the police.

And that means you are in the company of those who have logic and reason on their side.

After all, we at Law Enforcement Today bring you stories daily of exploding crime in police-defunded areas such as Austin, Portland,  New York City, or Los Angeles.

Homicide rates since defunding are up 58% in Atlanta, up 533% in Portland, and up 37% in Philadelphia.

Shootings in post-defunded New York City are up 64%, and they are up 51% in Los Angeles and up 18% in Chicago.

In addition, you have also followed our disturbing and often tragic stories of attacks on police officers in the era of police defunding.

Felonious attacks on police are on the rise, as documented by the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Data Collection.  

According to LEOKA:

“The 50 law enforcement officers feloniously killed in the first 8 months of 2021 represent a 51.5 percent increase compared to the 33 officers killed during the same period in 2020.”

DHS orders deportations to be cancelled for convicted felon illegal immigrants deemed not a 'priority'
370 officers gave their lives in the line of duty in 2020

Also thanks to defunding, police departments across the country now lack training, resources, and equipment.  Ironically, calls for additional training in cultural awareness, de-escalation, and use of force often have to go unheeded due to the lack of financial resources.

Another irony is that the push to do away with less-lethal options such as Tasers and tear gas will simply lead to more fatal police shootings.

These alarming stories and statistics indicate beyond a doubt that defunding the police is absolutely the wrong move for this great country.  You know this, yet you and 285 million other voices are all too often silenced by social pressures as well as physical threats of violence.  

You are even told, “Silence is violence,” when it comes to refusing to stand against law enforcement.

Your voice matters, and you need to be heard.

As Law Enforcement Today National Spokesman Kyle Reyes points out:

“Americans have stood by in disbelief as this ‘defund the police’ movement has spread across America and ravaged our communities.  

“We’ve watched our cities burn, our officers be attacked and violence skyrocket.  

“It’s time to come out of the twilight zone.  It’s time to fight back.”

Do you want to join our private family of first responders and supporters?  Get unprecedented access to some of the most powerful stories that the media refuses to show you.  Proceeds get reinvested into having active, retired and wounded officers, their families and supporters tell more of these stories.  Click to check it out.

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Law Enforcement Today, the nation’s largest police-owned media outlet, has developed a way to make your voice heard and oppose those who would seek to remove funding from those who protect and serve.

It’s called the “Re-Fund the Police” campaign.

Reyes explains:

“We wanted to make the “Re-fund the Police” campaign something that everyone- whether you can spare $1 or $1 million – can be a part of.

“People will donate to politicians all day long in hopes that person will get elected and possibly make a difference.

“We are asking for people to come forward and support those who make a difference and save lives every single day.”

Through your generous donations, Law Enforcement today will direct a media and advertising blitz to rally other Americans who, like you, are done with attacks on law enforcement, both physical and financial.  

Here’s what the funds go towards:

  1. We’ve assembled a “strike team” of researchers and reporters who will delve deeply into the devastating impact that defunding the police has on communities and families.  They’re going after not just the “leaders” in Congress who are pushing to defund the police… but they’re exposing everyone from the local politicians and city councils who are behind it.  They’re also tracing the money of exactly who is funding this “defund the police” movement.
  2.  We will focus on publicizing all the negative effects of defunding police while expressing support for our brothers and sisters in blue.  The advertising blitz will be a show of support for police officers all across America.

In addition, we will be sending a team of reporters into our communities to share positive stories of law enforcement, stories which are consistently ignored by the mainstream media.

As a thank-you for your generosity in standing strong for the blue family, we are offering access codes for Law Enforcement Today’s Wounded Officer documentary and Border Crisis documentary.  In addition, we offer additional perks such as stickers and Thin Blue Line face masks or yard signs.

Donors are also able to honor or memorialize a member of the blue family.

For those who cannot afford to contribute, we invite you to be a part of a nationwide chain of prayer warriors.  

You can join our prayer chain along with other supporters who are willing to pray for our brothers and sisters in blue.  

DHS orders deportations to be cancelled for convicted felon illegal immigrants deemed not a 'priority'
We support those who protect and serve.

Also, when you sign up for our newsletter, we will keep you informed on how we are continuing to back the Blue, and bring you the stories the mainstream media will not touch.

Now to small businesses who are sick and tired of watching our cities burn as the “defund the police” movement spreads.

For business donors, we are pleased to offer a unique opportunity to make a difference in police departments across the country.

Reyes explains:

“We wanted to make sure small businesses could get in the fight, so we are rolling out the ‘adopt a police department’ program.”

Your business donation will be used to cover stories in the community of your choice, and expose those who are attempting to defund the police.  Those stories, if you choose, will also include a thank you to your business and a link back to your business website.  

In addition, your generous business donation will go toward advertising campaigns that highlight the negative effects of demonizing and defunding the police.

DHS orders deportations to be cancelled for convicted felon illegal immigrants deemed not a 'priority'
We’ve got your 6.

This will give you the opportunity to show to millions of Americans that, unlike “woke” anti-police organizations, you support and appreciate law enforcement.

Reyes points out:

“Corporate America rallied around the Black Lives Matter movement, donating hundreds of millions of dollars to a campaign that brought widespread looting and destruction in our cities.  

“This is an opportunity for businesses to show America that law and order and keeping people safe still means something to them.”

Please join your voice with Law Enforcement Today in this campaign to support all those who protect and serve us.

We invite you to visit the Re-Fund the Police website for further information.

If you have questions, or you want to start your own fundraising team, feel free to email us at [email protected]

It’s time to get in the fight.

______________

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Make sure you click “following” and then click “see first” so you don’t miss a thing!  (See image below.)  Thanks for being a part of the LET family!
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About The Author

Scott A. Davis is a 28-year veteran of law enforcement. He served as a Police Sergeant and as a Detective in Pennsylvania. Scott retired from law enforcement in 2020. Prior to his law enforcement career, Scott was an award-winning journalist and recipient of two Keystone Press Awards.

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