Apply for 287g
The issue: Apply for a 287g partnership
The city said:
“This application would come with additional costs to Elgin's law enforcement officers rather than
having these duties performed by an ICE officer. The city would not be authorized to conduct
immigration enforcement cases independent of state criminal matters. However, the newest ICE
program, called ICE Agreement of Cooperation and Communities to Enhance Safety and Security (ICE
ACCESS), would appear to provide the city of Elgin police department with an additional tool to
conduct law enforcement. Among other programs ICE ACCESS would help the city to combat gang
suppression. I would give consideration in having the city participate in the ICE ACCESS program for
such purpose."
~Councilman Juan Figueroa
AFLA says:
First of all, the attitude by city council is much the same as it was for the CAP Officer – Immigration
doesn’t want to do it and we are OK with that.
Now, some information about ICE ACCESS. The ACCESS program is nothing more than repackaging
and renaming the same services they have offered in the past. It was unveiled in August of this
year. Why? Quoting from the Homeland Security press release, “ICE developed the ACCESS
program in response to the widespread interest from local law enforcement agencies that have
requested ICE partnerships through the 287(g) program.”
Oh how we wish the city would have applied for it back in June of 2006 when the original request
was made. Now we are at the back of a much longer line.
So Homeland Security has this stack of applications for 287g and they are essentially saying, “Look,
we can’t possibly get all of you trained this year or even the next. How about if you do some of
these other things instead?” It reminds us of the old parental trick of distraction. “No Eddy, you can’
t play with Juan’s fire truck. How about these nice Lincoln Logs instead?” And they gave it a new
name called ACCESS to make it sound like something special.
These are the same old services offered by Homeland Security. They just put them in a new
package. It is just one more example of incremental solutions to a monumental problem. And our
elected officials seem more than willing to go along with them rather than make some very vocal
demands that the feds do something.
Elgin needs to focus on the request for 287g, and not be swayed by these lesser programs, most of
which we are already participating in to some degree or are completely inapplicable to our city.
And in the absence of a CAP officer it would be wise for Elgin to focus their Memo of Agreement with
ICE in the area of screening and booking with a secondary emphasis on gang crime activity. These
two areas will reap the greatest benefits for the city as a whole.
If they can begin to understand why Carpentersville, Waukegan, and Lake County have all applied
for 287g, they will have learned something.
Once again, the city council members all came up with the same idea at the same time: ICE ACCESS.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
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The city said:
“This application would come with additional costs to Elgin's law enforcement officers rather than
having these duties performed by an ICE officer. The city would not be authorized to conduct
immigration enforcement cases independent of state criminal matters. However, the newest ICE
program, called ICE Agreement of Cooperation and Communities to Enhance Safety and Security (ICE
ACCESS), would appear to provide the city of Elgin police department with an additional tool to
conduct law enforcement. Among other programs ICE ACCESS would help the city to combat gang
suppression. I would give consideration in having the city participate in the ICE ACCESS program for
such purpose."
~Councilman Juan Figueroa
AFLA says:
First of all, the attitude by city council is much the same as it was for the CAP Officer – Immigration
doesn’t want to do it and we are OK with that.
Now, some information about ICE ACCESS. The ACCESS program is nothing more than repackaging
and renaming the same services they have offered in the past. It was unveiled in August of this
year. Why? Quoting from the Homeland Security press release, “ICE developed the ACCESS
program in response to the widespread interest from local law enforcement agencies that have
requested ICE partnerships through the 287(g) program.”
Oh how we wish the city would have applied for it back in June of 2006 when the original request
was made. Now we are at the back of a much longer line.
So Homeland Security has this stack of applications for 287g and they are essentially saying, “Look,
we can’t possibly get all of you trained this year or even the next. How about if you do some of
these other things instead?” It reminds us of the old parental trick of distraction. “No Eddy, you can’
t play with Juan’s fire truck. How about these nice Lincoln Logs instead?” And they gave it a new
name called ACCESS to make it sound like something special.
These are the same old services offered by Homeland Security. They just put them in a new
package. It is just one more example of incremental solutions to a monumental problem. And our
elected officials seem more than willing to go along with them rather than make some very vocal
demands that the feds do something.
Elgin needs to focus on the request for 287g, and not be swayed by these lesser programs, most of
which we are already participating in to some degree or are completely inapplicable to our city.
And in the absence of a CAP officer it would be wise for Elgin to focus their Memo of Agreement with
ICE in the area of screening and booking with a secondary emphasis on gang crime activity. These
two areas will reap the greatest benefits for the city as a whole.
If they can begin to understand why Carpentersville, Waukegan, and Lake County have all applied
for 287g, they will have learned something.
Once again, the city council members all came up with the same idea at the same time: ICE ACCESS.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE SERIES INDEX PAGE