This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/26/us-immigrant-crime-office-homeland-security-trump
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Homeland security unveils Trump's controversial immigrant crime office | Homeland security unveils Trump's controversial immigrant crime office |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| The Trump administration has unveiled a controversial new office set up to support the victims of crimes committed solely by undocumented migrants, which was quickly labelled a device for “scapegoating immigrants” by advocates who pointed to numerous studies showing immigrants are significantly less likely to commit crime. | The Trump administration has unveiled a controversial new office set up to support the victims of crimes committed solely by undocumented migrants, which was quickly labelled a device for “scapegoating immigrants” by advocates who pointed to numerous studies showing immigrants are significantly less likely to commit crime. |
| The Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office, or Voice, was commissioned by Donald Trump in January through an executive order that also contained a host of hardline changes to immigration enforcement in the United States. The president was later booed by Democrats when he mentioned the new office during a speech to Congress in February. | The Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office, or Voice, was commissioned by Donald Trump in January through an executive order that also contained a host of hardline changes to immigration enforcement in the United States. The president was later booed by Democrats when he mentioned the new office during a speech to Congress in February. |
| At a launch event in Washington, the homeland security secretary, John Kelly, told reporters that the intention behind Voice was to “acknowledge the exceptional damage caused by criminal illegal aliens and to support the victims of these preventable crimes”. | |
| Kelly, who did not take questions from reporters, added: “There’s nothing but goodness in what we are doing here today.” | Kelly, who did not take questions from reporters, added: “There’s nothing but goodness in what we are doing here today.” |
| The secretary was joined at the unveiling by a number of crime victims and their families, reminiscent of the primetime speaking platform Trump offered to the family members of three individuals killed by undocumented migrants at the Republican national convention last July. | The secretary was joined at the unveiling by a number of crime victims and their families, reminiscent of the primetime speaking platform Trump offered to the family members of three individuals killed by undocumented migrants at the Republican national convention last July. |
| The new office, contained within homeland security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency [Ice], has established a hotline for crime victims to call. Operators would then direct victims to Ice officers who would assist in explaining enforcement and removal laws. The line would also help to assign one of 27 victim assistance specialists and assist victims in receiving automated custody status information under a new online system launched on Wednesday. | The new office, contained within homeland security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency [Ice], has established a hotline for crime victims to call. Operators would then direct victims to Ice officers who would assist in explaining enforcement and removal laws. The line would also help to assign one of 27 victim assistance specialists and assist victims in receiving automated custody status information under a new online system launched on Wednesday. |
| An Ice spokesman, Bryan Cox, said that the agency would use existing funds to finance the office and confirmed the 27 assistance specialists were existing employees. | |
| As part of the hardline January order, Voice is also expected to produce a quarterly report detailing all crimes in America committed by undocumented migrants. Cox confirmed the agency intended to comply with the directive but said there was no date set for the first of these crime reports. | As part of the hardline January order, Voice is also expected to produce a quarterly report detailing all crimes in America committed by undocumented migrants. Cox confirmed the agency intended to comply with the directive but said there was no date set for the first of these crime reports. |
| According to research published by the American Immigration Council in 2015, immigrants are far less likely to engage in criminal behaviour than those born in the US and are less likely to be incarcerated. Numerous other studies have pointed to similar conclusions. | According to research published by the American Immigration Council in 2015, immigrants are far less likely to engage in criminal behaviour than those born in the US and are less likely to be incarcerated. Numerous other studies have pointed to similar conclusions. |
| Representative Joaquin Castro, a Democrat from Texas, acknowledged there was no dispute that victims of crime underwent a tragic ordeal, but he told the Guardian: “It’s hard not to believe that the president doesn’t have an agenda here to make some kind of ugly example of undocumented immigrants.” | |
| Grace Meng, an immigration researcher at Human Rights Watch’s US program, shared these concerns. | |
| “Scapegoating immigrants as responsible for crime is a common tactic used by abusive governments around the world, to create a convenient fantasy that a society’s problems all come from the outside.” | “Scapegoating immigrants as responsible for crime is a common tactic used by abusive governments around the world, to create a convenient fantasy that a society’s problems all come from the outside.” |
| “If the Trump administration was serious about public safety, it would respect the stance taken by scores of law enforcement officials, who recognize communities are safest when immigrants are seen as important members of these communities, rather than outsiders who come to the US to cause harm,” Meng added. | “If the Trump administration was serious about public safety, it would respect the stance taken by scores of law enforcement officials, who recognize communities are safest when immigrants are seen as important members of these communities, rather than outsiders who come to the US to cause harm,” Meng added. |
| Steve King, a Republican congressman from Iowa who has often sparked controversy for making incendiary comments about immigrants, however, celebrated the creation of the new office. | Steve King, a Republican congressman from Iowa who has often sparked controversy for making incendiary comments about immigrants, however, celebrated the creation of the new office. |
| “I think it’s a terrific move by the president and his administration,” King told the Guardian. | “I think it’s a terrific move by the president and his administration,” King told the Guardian. |
| “It identifies the grief across the country that is caused by the hands of people who shouldn’t be here – that can’t be here legally and by law.” | “It identifies the grief across the country that is caused by the hands of people who shouldn’t be here – that can’t be here legally and by law.” |