DO you think maybe we'll get something done now??

Immigration boss' transfer cheered

Daniel Gonz谩lez
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 17, 2006 12:00 AM

The federal official in charge of immigration enforcement for Arizona is being transferred to El Paso, drawing cheers from Gov. Janet Napolitano and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Roberto Medina's arrogant attitude and refusal to cooperate with state and local officials hurt the state at a time when Arizona is struggling to combat a major crime problem with smuggling networks that take advantage of federal policies that funnel illegal immigration traffic through the state, Napolitano and Arpaio said.

"His hostility to state and local law enforcement, coupled with a 'we know better than you' attitude was counter to the mission of his agency and did serious damage to the relations between our state and your department," Napolitano and Arpaio wrote in an Aug. 14 letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. "We are greatly relieved and encouraged that he is being replaced." advertisement




Medina was reluctant to share "even basic" information, and his agency refused to pick up and deport Maricopa County Jail inmates presumed to be in the country illegally after they were convicted or cleared of state smuggling- related felony charges. As a result, sheriff's deputies were forced to transport dozens of presumed undocumented immigrants to the border themselves or release some of them from jail into the community, Arpaio said.

A statement released by ICE said Medina has been selected to oversee the ICE office in El Paso. The transfer will probably not occur for at least six months, spokesman Russell Ahr said. No replacement has been named.

The statement also said Medina spearheaded several initiatives that enhanced cooperation with state and local law enforcement agencies. For example, ICE trained 12 Arizona Department of Corrections Officers to expedite the deportation of undocumented criminals from the state prison system, saving the state over $2.9 million.

The Phoenix office has experienced high turnover since the agency was created in March 2003. Medina, the sixth person to oversee the office, is leaving after less than a year and a half on the job.

They say there's lots of naturalized mexicans working in the US Border Patrol, somehow that just sounds like it paves the path for failure and conflicts of interest, there....but the Big Fix is still to prevent people from getting hired/place to stay/driver's license unless they're legal and legit, and those that aren't need to go back to Mexico, or whever else it is they're from.

As if the El Paso office didn't have enough problems, now they get this guy? Why isn't he cleaning toliets instead of overseeing anything having to do with the security of our country? I'm happy for Arizona, but saddened that my home state of Texas now has to put up with this putz.

Thankfully he wasn't transferred here to California. We have enough problems as it is without his contribution.

To long to read and really don't care. 2pts

Yeah since El Paso is pro human rights, we will welcome him here....Send him on over!

Yep. And El Paso is a dump full of trailer trash. Does someone really live there?