ICE Blames its Own Employees for Policy Delays; Obama Asked to Clarify Statements Before Violence Occurs

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ICE employees have formally requested that President Barack Obama personally intervene to clarify statements by DHS and ICE officials in a January 7, 2012, article in the New York Times titled, Agents' Union Stalls Training on Deportation Rules in which ICE and DHS officials blame their own employees for delaying new Administration policies that could suspend deportation for tens of thousands of illegal immigrants.    

"DHS and ICE told 11 million desperate illegal immigrants and their families and friends that ICE employees are responsible for stopping polices that could prevent their deportation.  It's an absolute lie.  ICE and DHS need to set the record straight before our employees are injured," said Chris Crane, President of the Union representing ICE employees.  "The angry emails are already coming in; ICE needs to act quickly before someone is hurt."

The ICE Union, consisting of veteran ICE agents, officers and employees from the field, has criticized the new ICE Prosecutorial Discretion policy stating that some of the worst criminals encountered by ICE will go free due to loopholes in the policy.  When ICE released the new policy on June 17, 2011, radically changing enforcement practices, the Union was the first to criticize ICE and DHS leadership for providing absolutely no training on the new policy as confused officers and field managers struggled to understand it. 

However, while the Union has voiced strong concerns and disagreement regarding the policy, the Union did not delay the Prosecutorial Discretion Policy itself, but only demanded training and a role in developing training.  "To say that we delayed this policy is absurd," said Crane, "in terms of bargaining, we only asked for training and that ICE comply with President Obama's Executive Order allowing the Union to work in partnership with ICE to develop that training – but ICE and DHS ignored the request."

ICE Union leaders point out that the Administration took two and a half years to put the Prosecutorial Discretion policy into effect and that ICE took another six long months to develop the training.  DHS and ICE excluded all Union involvement throughout, as it has done with every new policy during President Obama's term.  ICE finally notified the Union of its opportunity to bargain the training program on December 22, 2011, as most ICE management officials left for vacations extending through the New Year.  "The Administration worked on this policy for three years, we've had it for 19 days.  How have we delayed anything?" asked Crane.

A copy of the Union's letter to President Obama is posted at www.ICEUNION.ORG.

SOURCE ICE Union