SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT ACCEPTED INTO 287 (g)

"If you are an illegal alien and commit a crime in Monmouth County, you will be identified, turned over to federal authorities and deported if appropriate."
...Sheriff Kim Guadagno

We have covered illegal immigration and Sheriff Kim Guadagno's yeoman efforts to do her part to combat it here in Monmouth County. It went out over the Associated Press Wire Service this evening that the Monmouth County Sheriff's Department is one of 11 law enforcement agencies nationwide and two in New Jersey that have been accepted into the 287 (g) program.
The sheriff has kept a very important campaign promise.
If you really want to read the Asbury Park Press's expurgated version, in which they actually edit out all references to Guadagno, click here!
UPDATE!!! (Saturday, July 11th) The Press has had cub reporter Bob Jordan rewrite the article for today's paper. The sheriff is in it now. Click here!
UPDATED UPDATE!!!! Alyssa Passeggio has a great post this morning on the subject. Read All About It here!

THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FIASCO V

"I don't know how you can put a price tag on the lives on Monmouth County residents."
...Sheriff Kim Guadagno


Illegal aliens are not in the shadows, they're in our face.
Nowhere in Monmouth County was that more evident than in front of the Sheriff's office yesterday, where illegals and their enablers held a protest march opposing Sheriff Kim Guadagno's application to participate in the federal 287 (g) program. Sometimes you know you are doing the right thing by virtue of the critics you attract, and Guadagno has flushed out such enabling groups as the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and Casa Freehold.
The Sheriff promised to participate in this program during her campaign last year; it would essentially deputize several of her officers to investigate the immigration status of prisoners at the County Jail, and provide training to perform these duties. Inmates found to be here illegally would then be subject to a federal detainer at the completion of their County time.
Illegal immigration advocates stridently oppose such a program. If an inmate's immigration status slips through the cracks, they can be released at the end of their term, or bail out if awating trial. Then they're in the wind.
The Sheriff's Department already investigates inmates' criminal status. There is no point in releasing an offender if they are wanted by other jurisdictions. Even visitors to the institution are checked for active warrants.
Too, there are already inmates with immigration holds. Just check out http://www.datauniverse.com/ for more information. So this program would just close a loophole in the system. Guadagno has stated that this program would only be in place in the jail, so only those incarcerated would be investigated. The County Jail should not become a "Sanctuary City", even if some municipalities do.
Many of those attending yesterday's protest were members of the Latino community. Many feel that Latinos would be targeted by this program. While many currently in jail on immigration violations are Latino, many are not. A sampling of those non-Latino inmates includes Abass AbuBakar, Malek Afzal Adal, Deborah Allen, Kuan Chun Han, Gazi Hossain, Mohammed Hossain, Sergei Konduktorov, Mohammed Qureshi. So it's not just a case of going after the "lawnmower man".
Sheriff Guadagno deserves our support in her endeavor.

THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FIASCO IV

The illegal immigration issue continues to dominate the news. As I wrote in a previous post, they are not living in the shadows, they are in our face. Not only was there the Newark massacre, we recently had a Mexican woman finally deported after spending a year holed up in a Chicago church. Locally, men still "shape up" at "muster zones" in Freehold, Keyport, Manasquan and other Monmouth County towns. Even trendy Red Bank has them lining the streets around the train station. In a hip way, of course.

Citizens continue to demand enforcement of Federal immigration laws.

Sheriff candidate Kim Guadagno has called for the implementation of "Section 287 (g)" policies in the Monmouth County Jail to ascertain the immigration status of prisoners prior to their release.

Attorney General Anne Milgram has issued a directive calling upon New Jersey law enforcement to "inquire about the arrestee's citizenship, nationality and immigration status" when arresting perpetrators of indictable offenses or for DUI. Milgram's directive has come under criticism because it appears to exempt other offenses such as routine motor vehicle violations as well as disorderly persons and quality of life offenses.

Many of us, when filling out a job application, have had to to answer whether we are a U. S. Citizen or if an immigrant, authorized to work in the United States. If job applicants have to do it, it should be a no brainer that law enforcement professionals be authorized to ascertain the immigration status of all offenders at the time of arrest, and if the offender is illegally in the U. S., to refer them to ICE or other Federal authorities.

The Feds should then deport the offender as swiftly as is appropriate.

THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FIASCO III

Two so-called "day spas" were busted by Ocean Township Police for providing "happy endings" to their massages; eleven people were arrested, according to the Asbury Park Press. Three Prostitutes and three johns were arrested at the Ocean Day Spa, and three prostitutes and two johns were arrested at the Sea Day Spa.

All six hookers were from Flushing, NY and all had mainland Chinese names. The names of the five johns were not released. The nationality of the prostitutes would normally not be relevant but for the fact that they may not only be illegal, they may be the victims of human trafficking. I wrote on this very subject last July 24th. Hopefully, Ocean Township has implemented the 287g Program and will investigate the immigration status of the arrested women, and contact the appropriate federal authorities if there is evidence of organized crime, international or otherwise.

An interesting aside to this Press article is the Asbury Park Press itself. A look at the Business and Service Directory in the classified section will reveal that nothing has changed since my post nearly a year ago. There are still ads touting "Asian", "East European", "Brazilian" and other tupes of "massage". Nude and "shemale" can still be found. Indeed, today's (July 18th) issue still advertises both the Ocean day Spa and the Sea Day Spa, on the very same day that the Press reports the busts of the very same brothels!

Human trafficking is a horrible crime against humanity, where individuals are forced into prostitution or slavery. The Asbury Park Press prides itself on investigative reporting; maybe it could look into the plethora of "happy ending" spas that litter its own classified section.

THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FIASCO II

Earlier today, the proposed Amnesty For Illegals bill, backed by both President Bush and far left wingers like Ted "The Swimmer" Kennedy, went down to pounding defeat in the U. S. Senate. This is viewed as a victory for GOP conservatives. The issue is not expected to be taken up again before the 2008 election.
Hopefully, the administration will finally focus on securing the border!

THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FIASCO

This post was originally intended for May 30. With all the debate over the illegal immigration bill, the issue has taken on a life of its own, and appears to change with each and every passing day.

Continuing the topic of the Fort Dix 6, we find that three brothers, Dritan Duka, Shain Duka and Eljvir Duka were all illegal aliens, having crossed the Mexican border as children back in 1984. For over two decades, they evaded detection.
The Dukas and other non-Mexican illegals are referred to as "Other Than Mexicans (OTMs)" by immigration officials. While many OTMs are from Latin American countries, many, like the Dukas, hail from Muslim countries. Indeed, border agents have found a number of Korans, prayer rugs and head scarves among the litter at illegal border crossings.

Illegal aliens are not in the shadows, they're in our face.

Illegal immigration is an issue that hits home here in Monmouth County. Many Monmouth County towns, not just Freehold but Belmar, Red Bank, Asbury Park and Keyport, among others, are destinations for illegals. In some areas they now form a clear majority of the population. While many are Mexican nationals doing the so-called "jobs that Americans won't do", remember that Fort Dix is less than a half hour drive from the Monmouth County line. Shooting up a military installation is also a job that many Americans won't do.
The issue has been on the radar here for a while; last November it was the subject of an op-ed column in the Independent by Middletown committeeman (now mayor) Jerry Scharfenberger. His commentary was criticized by blogger Jackie Corley of Bayshore Journalista. And last week, Sheriff Candidate Kim Guadagno received positive attention when she proposed checking the immigration status of prisoners in the County Jail before release.

Human Trafficking

Another aspect of illegal immigration is that of human trafficking, which this blog addressed nearly a year ago. Many women are held in near enslavement and forced to work as domestics or prostitutes. The Asbury Park Press continues to this day to run advertisements for "massage" services, often advertising the race or nationality of the "therapists".

Mexivania

Many illegals register their vehicles in states with lenient motor vehicle policies. The biggest culprits in this area are Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The New Jersey Driver's Manual states that new residents moving into New Jersey from another state have 60 days in which to become licensed and registered here in the Garden State. While out-of-state registration was once the domain of "snow-birds" and those attempting to escape New Jersey's draconian auto insurance policies, it is now the illegals who dominate this scam.

Police will often overlook running immigration status checks on suspected illegal alien drivers because they wish to avoid the paperwork that results. Too, many municipalities fancy themselves as "sanctuary cities"; there, the direction comes from the municipal administration to avoid questioning immigration status.

Many also will salvage old plates from junkyards and are therefore driving around in vehicles that are neither registered nor insured. Normally they will flee an accident.

The Jobs Americans Won't Do

This is a fallacy. It is simply the propaganda of the open borders crowd on both the left and the right and it is disgusting. America was built by people, both immigrants and native born, with a can-do spirit and a willingness to do whatever it takes. Americans "won't do" the jobs that illegals do mainly for two reasons: Wages are depressed and they are priced out of the market by illegals, and: Out and out discrimination. Some employers will hire only illegals.

What Can Be Done?

Enforce the laws now on the books. Instead of passing so-called "immigration reform", the Federal Government can and should enforce the laws we already have. If they're not willing to do that, what makes them think that we will believe that they will enforce a new law? Our borders need to be brought under control; this can be done now, they don't need a new law to do that. Workplace enforcement has, save for a few high-profile and largely symbolic raids, been nearly nil. Employers need to be sent a message that to hire illegals will be very costly. This should include the widespread use of falsified documents like Social Security fraud.

Locally, a lot can be done, too. Kim Guadagno is very much on the right track. Some of the readers of this blog are local officials, and have a direct say in the policies of their municipality. Those policies can include enforcement of overcrowding laws in housing, and going after absentee landlords who are often major offenders in renting to illegals. Police departments can also do the same as Kim is proposing for the jail, and check the immigration status of offenders. This would also include "vice" type arrests such as a massage parlor bust. Maybe your town is a sanctuary city. That would be a great issue for a local GOP campaign to run on this fall.

Are there any sanctuary cities here in Monmouth County? If so, they deserve to be exposed.

TIMES SQUARE ON THE TOWN SQUARE, or ARCH STREET COMES TO MAIN STREET

By Times Square I don't mean the Times Square of today. No Disney or anything like that. What I mean is the pre - Giuliani Times Square. Strip clubs, X - rated theatres, brothels. A place you wouldn't bring the kids.
Arch Street was Philadelphia's answer to Times Square.
Although New York and Philly have cleaned up their erstwhile "red-light" districts, look out, it's here.
No, you won't see streetwalkers strolling Freehold or Red Bank. It's a lot more subtle than that. A look in The Asbury Park Press classified Business & Service Directory under "Massage" will reveal that much more than "therapy" is offered. The Saturday July 22 issue advertises "AAA NUDE 24/7"; a bit further down the page a "shemale" is advertised. "DOM Avail" can also be found. While I'm sure many of the other advertisers are legitimate, the ones referenced above would appear to refer to some type of prostitution.
Let's take another look at the page. Seven advertise as "Asian", another two as "Oriental". Another advertises as "Ukrainian Massage", while yet another under the heading "East European" promotes their "Russian, Ukrainian, Latvian Staff".
How is nationality relevant?
Well, normally it isn't. Let's take a look, however, at the world of prostitution. It's no longer limited to the fresh-faced Midwestern girls leaving the cheerleading squad and farm life behind, coming to New York and hooking up with a right-out-of-Hollywood-type pimp, usually black, wearing a loud suit, wide-brimmed hat with an arching plume and driving a loaded pink Cadillac. Nor is it any longer under the kindly eye of a matronly "madam".
Often what you have today are international rings luring unsuspecting young women with the promise of a life of opportunity in the United States. Unfortunately, they are forced into a life of slavery, often as prostitutes or domestics. Some women or children are forced to work in sweat shops. Many of these women come from Eastern Europe or the Far East.
This is called human trafficking.
Many of these international rings use the profits to fund other illegal activity; some may even fund terrorism.
What to do? Well, obviously, if there's any doubt about a business, don't patronize it. Report suspicious activity to the police. If you'd like a massage, stick to reputable practitioners; many of these can be found at your gym, or referred by a chiropractor's office.
In our area, Congressman Chris Smith, a champion of human rights in the spirit of Lincoln himself, has been a national leader in the fight against human trafficking.