No matter where you stand on the issue of illegal immigration, there is one piece of this subject on which most Americans agree. There is overwhelming support for the deportation of illegal aliens with criminal records, and even higher support if those criminal records are for violent crimes. The support is over 80% in favor of such deportation. That's why a news story out of Colorado has to be brought to the attention of the American people.
The subject of the story is a Colorado man who, together with accomplices, was convicted of a string of armed robberies about two decades ago. The circumstances of the crimes were such that the judge gave him and his fellow robbers a sentence of 98 years in prison. During the robberies, this guy held a rifle to the head of one store owner and used similar tactics in other places. The man in question was not a US citizen. He was in the country legally as part of the Mariel boatlift which brought thousands from Cuba in the 1980s. One condition of his right to stay in the USA was that he not engage in criminal behavior. As a result, after the conviction for armed robbery, ICE went to court and got an order of deportation requiring that this guy be deported once released from prison.
Now we get to recent events. Because of a mistake by the Colorado authorities, the guy was released from prison. After the mistake was discovered, he was returned to prison. Now, after litigation about that release, a judge has ordered him released again. ICE, however, has a final order from a federal court which requires that this guy be deported. There's no surprise there. The guy violated the terms on which he was allowed to stay in the USA. He was convicted of a violent felony. He had his day in court if he wanted to contest his deportation. ICE is waiting for him so that he can be sent back to Cuba.
Here's where the craziness starts. The Democrat governor of Colorado is trying to prevent the deportation. In fact, in order to try to stop that deportation, the governor just issued a pardon to this guy. The governor was in such a rush to push out the pardon that he didn't even follow the proper procedure for granting the pardon, but that doesn't matter. The Democrat governor of Colorado is bending over backwards to help keep a violent felon in his state.
This is not something that makes any sense. People can fight about a path to citizenship or legal status for some of those here illegally. No elected official, however, should be struggling to keep criminals here. It's just wrong. Sometimes, the Democrats have to wake up and realize that the law is more important than politics. I wonder when that will happen.
The subject of the story is a Colorado man who, together with accomplices, was convicted of a string of armed robberies about two decades ago. The circumstances of the crimes were such that the judge gave him and his fellow robbers a sentence of 98 years in prison. During the robberies, this guy held a rifle to the head of one store owner and used similar tactics in other places. The man in question was not a US citizen. He was in the country legally as part of the Mariel boatlift which brought thousands from Cuba in the 1980s. One condition of his right to stay in the USA was that he not engage in criminal behavior. As a result, after the conviction for armed robbery, ICE went to court and got an order of deportation requiring that this guy be deported once released from prison.
Now we get to recent events. Because of a mistake by the Colorado authorities, the guy was released from prison. After the mistake was discovered, he was returned to prison. Now, after litigation about that release, a judge has ordered him released again. ICE, however, has a final order from a federal court which requires that this guy be deported. There's no surprise there. The guy violated the terms on which he was allowed to stay in the USA. He was convicted of a violent felony. He had his day in court if he wanted to contest his deportation. ICE is waiting for him so that he can be sent back to Cuba.
Here's where the craziness starts. The Democrat governor of Colorado is trying to prevent the deportation. In fact, in order to try to stop that deportation, the governor just issued a pardon to this guy. The governor was in such a rush to push out the pardon that he didn't even follow the proper procedure for granting the pardon, but that doesn't matter. The Democrat governor of Colorado is bending over backwards to help keep a violent felon in his state.
This is not something that makes any sense. People can fight about a path to citizenship or legal status for some of those here illegally. No elected official, however, should be struggling to keep criminals here. It's just wrong. Sometimes, the Democrats have to wake up and realize that the law is more important than politics. I wonder when that will happen.
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