Showing that someone reads the Mercury, a handful of social justice activists showed up at City Council this morning to remind commissioners about a story we ran several weeks ago, about how dodging fare on the MAX has led, according to an immigration attorney, a disturbingly high number of deportation cases.
The cases stem from an anti-illegal immigration strategy called “Secure Communities,” a collaboration between Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and local law enforcement agencies that’s spreading to cities throughout the country. The crackdown is supposed to focus on “high-risk” immigrants convicted of serious crimes, but very often in Multnomah County, those detained have committed only minor crimes or done nothing at all.
“In perspective, it is the best transportation system on the planet,” Dave Magin said of TriMet. “But I’m worried. I see that as a misuse of their authority.”
Added Melissa Saraba, a Portland State student who spoke next: “There cannot exist two different sets of laws”—calling it unfair that for most fare dodgers wind up with a fine, while immigrants can wind up arrested and on a fast-track away from their families. “When is it OK to have two different kinds of punishment?”
The testimony, unlike a lot of what’s uttered by citizens before council meetings really get started, seemed to touch a few commissioners. Amanda Fritz mentioned that the city’s Office of Human Relations had been tracking the issue. And Mayor Sam Adams promised to “follow up and take a look at it.”
Although he confessed that he hadn’t seen the article the first time around.
“I’m obviously behind on my newspaper reading.”
DISCLAIMER: I think our immigration laws are very stupid in many ways. With that said, stupid laws have to be enforced, too, if for no other reason than that it will raise attention and political pressure for their change/repeal.
Now for the comment part!
There aren’t “two kinds of punishment.” A person in the country illegally, for whatever reason, is a fugitive from justice. The same way you would hope MAX authorities would turn over a suspected arsonist, pedophile or rapist to the police, once they realized they had that person in their grasp, MAX authorities are turning people over to the feds.
Whatever we think of the heartbreaking results of deportation, there shouldn’t be any doubt that a suspected illegal immigrant is a criminal suspect.
Why should these particular suspects be let go, while we’d expect others, who are legal citizens, to be arrested?
“There cannot exist two different sets of laws”—calling it unfair that for most fare dodgers wind up with a fine, while immigrants can wind up arrested and on a fast-track away from their families. “When is it OK to have two different kinds of punishment?”
Uh, wait, what? Two different kinds of punishments? Not at all. The fine for both people for *not paying the fare* would be the same, it just so happens that in the course of the investigation, it is revealed that one group of people are not citizens. And, when this gets discovered, said people are reported to ICE.
So the second group of people are guilty of an infraction that the first group (citizens who don’t pay their fare) have not committed. Is this super controversial? I don’t get it, I have to confess.
“In perspective, it is the best transportation system on the planet,” Dave Magin said of TriMet.
We sure do love to fluff ourselves in this town.
It sure would suck to get deported over $2.05.
I hate to agree with Blabby, but – “best transportation system on the planet”? What planet do they think they’re on?
They live on Portlandia, naturally.
@CC arsonist, pedophile and rapist ≠ illegal alien; come on!
I get your point CC, but this is still a poor prioritization of resources. The reason that the feds after going after fare dodgers is because its easier to get them than all those arsonist, pedophile and rapist running around Portland. They’re juking the stats!
“In perspective, it is the best transportation system on the planet,” Dave Magin said of TriMet.
Don’t let this guy visit Tokyo–he might just go completely insane and wonder how he left the planet.
“best transportation system on the planet”
said by people who probably drive to work and live in nice houses.
Public transit and cramped homes w/no yards are for the little people.
Nice to see that someone here gets it, Mike H.
@ Super Chundy, I’m not saying their morally equivalent, just saying they are both wanted on suspicion of violating some pretty major laws.
Am I taking crazy pills? Isn’t sneaking into the country (or overstaying a visa) a pretty big deal? I really, really, really don’t get the “c’mon, their only crime is being part of a shadow population that snuck into the country. We really should look the other way when they (continue) to commit crimes, if they’re just little crimes.” WTF. Policy is fucked, too, but the liberal response is baffling.
oh god a their/they’re fail. ALL IS LOST.
@CC What? Arson, pedophilia and rape are felonies. Sneaking across the border or overstaying a visa is not; they are misdemeanors (see: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/8/usc_se…)
Congressional Research Service – Immigration Enforcement Within the United States:
“The INA includes both criminal and civil components, providing both for
criminal charges (e.g., alien smuggling, which is prosecuted in the federal courts) and
for civil violations (e.g., lack of legal status). Being illegally
present in the U.S. has always been a civil, not criminal, violation of the INA”
(http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33351.pd…)
But really on matters of illegal immigration, I always defer to Moe Szyslak, who famously said: “Immigrants! I knew it was them. Even when it was the BEARS, I knew it was them.” (http://youtu.be/vhnTyxTBk9s)
Once again, the radical bear agenda is using immigrants to deflect attention away from all the problems they’re (!) creating!!!!
Just pay the fare, and all will be fine. It’s that simple.
@ Super Chundy, you have changed my mind. I was unaware that those were misdemeanors. If the feds aren’t going to classify those things as felonies (in an age where practically everything is a felony), then I completely agree that it’s a racist waste of resources for MAX officials to take any further action when they ticket someone they suspect may be illegally in the country.
I’m pretty sure we just broke the internet.