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An ICE hotline set up to allow reports of crimes committed by "criminal aliens" has had a close encounter with trolls:
The administration set up the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office on Wednesday, in accordance with President Trump's executive order in January. The office, folded within the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, aims to "assist victims of crimes committed by criminal aliens," according to the Department of Homeland Security.
"Alien" is a term used by the federal government to describe individuals who are not American citizens but who reside on U.S. soil. [...] Despite the line's intended purpose, callers have been reporting a range of abnormal activity.
1-855-48-VOICE to report all your encounters w/ illegal martians, rude Sasquatch, unleashed Texas Blue Hounds, Springheel Jack. Goblin army.
— Kathleen Dennis (@chelseabmw) April 27, 2017
ICE denounced the calls, saying such actions hurt victims of real crimes. Callers have even mentioned spotting "muggle-borns," a term from the "Harry Potter" book series referring to magical characters with non-magical parents.
Also at The Atlantic and CNN. Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 29 2017, @04:42PM (17 children)
The terrible history of finding law breakers and sending them back to their home country? Which laws do we follow and which do we not? Should we stop reporting shop lifters too? We as a country agreed on the terms of how people not from this country can enter and stay. Sure our government is a shit show, and it's hard to get things changed, but we aren't rounding people up and gassing them. This is standard procedure in most countries.
You yourself do not have to like the laws, nor do you have to report law breakers. But you seem to be implying we are doing something deeply sinister, when we are not. People who break laws should realize that one day they may face consequences of their actions, and those consequences can and usually will affect their loved ones. It's sad but it's true. I don't see the out pouring of support for people that are thrown in jail, separated from their families. Is somehow jail better? Being on the other side of the state can be just as hard for people to go visit when you are dirt poor.
I'd like to see the laws changed to where if you were a child when you entered the country 20 years ago we don't send you back since you know nothing of your home country and may not even speak the language, but I don't think we can accept everyone who wants to come to this country either.
But please explain yourself on what exactly you mean by doomed to repeat it. Because all I am coming up with is the holocaust.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 29 2017, @06:11PM
The terrible history of finding law breakers and sending them back to their home country? Which laws do we follow and which do we not?
Be careful what you wish for.
http://www.theblaze.com/news/2014/11/04/david-barton-explains-how-you-could-be-committing-three-felonies-a-day/ [theblaze.com]
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 29 2017, @06:18PM (14 children)
There are few things on this earth that are more absurd than telling a person where he can or cannot be! It is more bigoted than restrictions on religion, which really is a matter of choice. Place of birth isn't. But.. people are animals, just as vicious and territorial, clinging to the false god of 'zero sum' and 'limited resources' in order to obstruct others. Among other life forms it is perfectly natural and normal. In humans, though still natural, it is pathological and irrational. Allowing freedom and prosperity of others does nothing to diminish yours. Just tear down the bureaucracy, and all will be well.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by jmorris on Saturday April 29 2017, @06:37PM (4 children)
You can have open borders or a welfare state. Choose one.
Personally I think we should have neither as a policy decision but math excludes implementing both at the same time.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 29 2017, @06:43PM (2 children)
Well, we are long ways away from a welfare state.
Well, welfare for the poor. We are replete with welfare for the rich - home mortgage deduction, tax-free health insurance, roth IRAs, college IRAs, health savings accounts, small business loans.
So open borders it is.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 29 2017, @08:31PM (1 child)
"Free" stuff:
Government schools, military, police, firefighters, roads, SNAP/food stamps/WIC, federal disability payments, cash payments via EITCs, subsidized living expenses ala Section 8, Robamacare [politico.com], various and sundry handout programs ala Obamaphones, weather reports, prisons, and more I'm overlooking.
In 2015, the US federal budget was 3.8 trillion dollars [nationalpriorities.org]. One way or the other, those funds are spent on welfare, with ~2.45 trillion mainly benefitting "poor" people.
The USA is absolutely a welfare state, a fatal flaw all on its own. Continuing the practice of open borders for a gravely-injured welfare nation will be fatal.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 30 2017, @01:02AM
So you made a list of things that we dribble out to as few people as possible for as short a period of time as possible.
The existence of some welfare does not make the USA a welfare state.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 29 2017, @06:50PM
You're just applying 19th century thinking. We don't need the slave trade anymore (which is what borders are all about. Nations are prisons). And we certainly don't need to allow bureaucrats so much power.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 29 2017, @06:45PM (5 children)
There are few things on this earth that are more absurd than telling a person where he can or cannot be!
Then I'm sure you won't mind if I move into your house starting tomorrow.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 29 2017, @06:58PM
Then I'm sure you won't mind if I move into your house starting tomorrow.
If countries are the same thing as houses you are already squatting in my house.
So GTFO you god damn hobo before I shoot you!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 29 2017, @07:32PM (3 children)
Please! Don't be stupid. You can move into the fraudulently foreclosed house next door.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 29 2017, @08:34PM (2 children)
What's stupid about it? I don't want to be in the house next door - I very specifically want to be in "your" house! You yourself just claimed that "telling me where I can or cannot be is stupid" [soylentnews.org], so how is "your" house any different? Please explain for me, the absurd one.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 29 2017, @08:45PM (1 child)
Not only are you being absurd, you are also obtuse. Maybe you're just being silly, I don't know. Sorry if I don't play along, I gotta haddock.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 30 2017, @06:18AM
He's apparently thinks he owns everybody's house, so even one illegal person here is in one of his houses.
(Score: 2) by IndigoFreak on Saturday April 29 2017, @07:40PM (2 children)
There are few things on this earth that are more absurd than telling a person where he can or cannot be!
You need to change this statement. We tell people where they can and cannot be all the time. You cannot be standing on roads or highways. You can get jailed. You can't be in private property. We limit the number of people in buildings. I'm not sure where you get the idea that everyone has the right to be anywhere. What about people with highly contagious diseases? Should we have allowed Ebola infected people to take airplanes and go to any country they wish? What about special events that require entry fees or special permission?
Why is it absurd that a country cannot have a say in who is and who is not allowed to enter?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 29 2017, @08:05PM (1 child)
No, it's the idea of 'country' that is absurd. Borders are for business, legal and illegal. And your other absurdities aside, a person has the right (though presently unenforceable) to live and work where he wants. We are entitled to the same rights as any other migrating animal. It is long past time we enforce our rights!
(Score: 2) by IndigoFreak on Saturday April 29 2017, @08:39PM
Going to assume you were the parent I was replying to. Why? You say these things are true, but you don't explain why. We are not animals. We have agency. Why are people free from rules placed on them by a society?
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Tuesday May 02 2017, @12:03AM
What, exactly, do you think is the purpose of this program?
Is it to identify and apprehend undocumented immigrants? Based on what, exactly? What evidence would a person have to prove that they were victimized by an undocumented immigrant? What, if you get mugged you expect the guy to hand over his immigration documents? Do you expect to knock on your neighbor's door and request to see theirs? Even if you did, they have no obligation to actually present such information.
So what we have here is a program where the government is asking people to report their neighbors to the police based on crimes for which they are unlikely to have any evidence. But their call CREATES the evidence for the government to go look. It provides a way to bypass standard due process for search and seizure while simultaneously sowing fear and distrust among the population by making us victimize each other on behalf of the government, without the government getting the blame for any resulting bias.
If these laws are so important to enforce, then empower the police to enforce them. If they aren't willing to spend the money to do that, maybe there's a reason. Either they DON'T think those laws matter, and just want to pretend to be doing something without funding it; or they want to enforce laws that they know the general public would oppose, so they're trying to find ways around that by having those potentially abusive or controversial actions carried out by non-government agents instead.