A matter of priorities

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has announced that immigration officials will begin reviewing potential deportees to establish priorities for review. " Immigration judges will be able to more swiftly adjudicate high priority cases, such as those involving convicted felons.” This in a letter sent to 22 senators today.

She goes on to say that "it makes no sense to expend our enforcement resources on low-priority cases, such as individuals... who were brought into this country as young children and know no other home."

Hm-m-mm…

So, on the tenth anniversary of 9-11, we’re finally getting around to targeting convicted felons for deportation? And 125 years after the Statue of Liberty began inviting the poor and downtrodden of the world to our shores, we’re just now going to give less objectionable asylum seekers such as children an easier nod?

So, I have two questions:

1.    Why on Earth are we not already targeting felons for the old heave-ho?

2.    When has it ever gone against our grain to welcome those just looking for a fresh start? Or kids needing a fair shot at life?

The Irish weren’t always entirely welcome, Africans were once entirely too welcome for their own good, and while we look on Canucks as our wink, wink, nudge, nudge step-siblings from mother England, we see the Mexicans and First Nations as second class peoples to be sequestered. Our priorities have been screwed up for a very long time.

OF COURSE, we should prioritize certified jerks for early departure! But perhaps we should have done so quickly and quietly. I’m thinking that announcing we’re just now realizing that not all immigrants are equally desirable is more than a little embarrassing.

P.S.: Just in case this is read by anyone at DHS, let me make my thoughts clear: kick out the crooks and embrace the kids. Call me when you have a difficult choice to make.