Chapter 5, Part 2: The Department of Homeland Security
Day 24 of reading and sharing my notes on Project 2025 (the long title is Mandate for Leadership 2024: The Conservative Promise, in case you're searching for it).
Here's my approach and why I’m doing this.
SUMMARY
We’re back in Chapter 5: The Department of Homeland Security by Ken Cuccinelli. His bio is in the previous post. This section is on U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
He says if all the immigration agencies aren’t merged, combining ICE and CBP, which he calls Border Security and Immigration Agency (BSIA), would be an alternative.
**-He discusses the mission and then says, “The BSIA should establish … mandates under existing law regarding the persistent need for and utilization of U.S. military personnel and resources to assist BSIA with increasing whole-of-government efforts and long-term strategy to secure our nation’s borders effectively.”
He wants some of this agency to be part of the National Security and Intelligence Community.
Then he talks about releasing data without needing White House or Department of Homeland Security review and approval.
MY OPINION
This is obviously about something I don’t know about. I think he’s saying the Biden Administration didn’t release data that didn’t make it look good. But the fact that Department of Homeland Security was involved may mean there were other reasons for that.
Generally, I’m for transparency, no matter how it makes the administration looks, and no matter whether I support that administration or not.
SUMMARY
He wants Customs and Border Patrol officials to be able to fly on government planes instead of having to fly commercial.
More on combining some departments.
Cuccinelli says CPB should start having horseback-mounted patrols again and says they were “falsely accused by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of whipping migrants …” He wants a formal apology.
OUTSIDE SOURCE
According to Politico, agents were cleared of whipping migrants but did use force and abusive language.
SUMMARY
Cuccinelli says CBP, ICE, and USCIS can give undocumented immigrants Notices to Appear, which begins deportation. He says CBP should turn them over to ICE for detention and let them give those notices, except for humanitarian reasons or medical emergencies. And it should stop giving Notices to Report.
outside source
According to AsylumAdvocacy.org, a notice to appear charges an immigrant with a crime. If an immigrant is given a notice to report, they can seek asylum in some cases.
SUMMARY
Cuccinelli says courts have forced ICE and CBP to have “unrealistic and differing detention standards …”
**-”Such standards should allow the flexibility to use large numbers of temporary facilities such as tents.”
MY OPINION
This reminds me of the Japanese internment camps during World War 2. No.
SUMMARY
Cuccinelli wants more money in the budget to detain people and to hire more personnel so that agents can be relieved of “processing aliens.”
He also wants better technology to catch drugs and contraband.
The next section is on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
**-”Order ICE to stop closing out pending immigration cases and apply the Immigration and Nationality Act as written by Congress.”
He says Biden let thousands of “illegal aliens and other immigration violators to go free in the United States.”
He says ICE should take custody of all immigrants with criminal records or previous removals.
**- “Eliminate T and U visas.” Victimization should not be a basis for an immigration benefit.
MY OPINION
They do not care about the victims of human trafficking.
SUMMARY
Cuccinelli says people given bond disappear and management isn’t good.
He also wants to “eliminate or significantly reduce the number of visas issued to foreign students from enemy nations.”
He says investigations special agents should enforce smuggling, trafficking, and cross-border crimes “as the biggest part of their portfolio.”
MY OPINION
I agree with that last point. The student visas, not so much. That’s a way out for many of them, and there is no better way to convince people of democracy than to let them live in it. But maybe spreading democracy isn’t the goal.
SUMMARY
Cuccinelli says ICE should be allowed to arrest, detain, and remove “immigration violators” anywhere in the United States,
**- “without warrant where appropriate, subject only to the civil warrant requirements of the INA where apropriate.”
MY OPINION
I assume this is about sanctuary cities and states. So much for states’ rights.
SUMMARY
**-Cuccinelli says orders about “sensitive zones” should be rescinded. “Rely on the good judgment of officers in the field to avoid inappropriate situations.”
OUTSIDE SOURCE
This is straight from ice.gov. These are the “sensitive zones” Cuccinelli wants ICE agents to be able to use their good judgment in:
Examples of protected areas include, but are not limited to:
Schools
Medical or mental healthcare facilities
Places of worship or religious studies
Places where children gather
Social services establishments
Places where disaster or emergency response/relief is provided
Places where funerals, graveside ceremonies, rosaries, weddings, or other religious or civil ceremonies or observances occur
Places where there are ongoing parades, demonstrations, or rallies
MY OPINION
I do not want ICE raiding schools, hospitals, churches, playgrounds, disaster shelters, funerals, or rallies.
SUMMARY
Cuccinelli also wants ICE to stop limiting its use of Expedited Removal to within 100 miles of the border.
MY OPINION
I suspect that part of the reason they don’t use Expedited Removal everywhere is to make sure they aren’t accidentally deporting citizens or other people with documents.
That is all I can stomach for today. Immigration is close to my heart. I teach immigrants English, and I was an immigrant myself for a few years. These are my neighbors and my friends.
The next section will be “New Policies.”