Enforcement Now, Enforcement Forever: DHS Secretary — “We accept that we are going to continue to have and increase, potentially, the number of detainees”

“We accept that we are going to continue to have and increase, potentially, the number of detainees,” Janet Napolitano, Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Miami Herald, Oct. 7, 2009.

Given the many problems with the conditions of detention, as well as the accountability of those running the facilities, this is a disappointing statement from the DHS Secretary.  It would be nice to hear her

—  announce new binding regulations governing detention;

— announce new initiatives designed to immediately reduce the backlog of petitions for naturalization (recall that fees were increased dramatically with the promise of reducing backlogs; the result — backlogs have increased);

—  announce measures designed to reduce the deaths along the U.S./Mexico border;

—  announce joint programs with the Departments of Labor and Justice designed to reduce the exploitation of undocumented immigrants in the workplace:

—  announce a joint agency task force designed to in fact do something about human trafficking in the labor market generally;

—  announce programs designed to reduce racial profiling in immigration enforcement at our borders and in the interior of the country.

I could go on with a wish list, but Christmas is a few months off.  And, it seems that the best we can hope for from this DHS Secretary, who seems locked in the measures that were employed in Arizona, is ENFORCEMENT NOW, ENFORCEMENT FOREVER — promises of more detention, more border fence, more ICE officers, more technology for ICE, etc.

President Obama was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. His administration will hopefully do something soon to bring us peace along the U.S./Mexico border.

KJ