arizona: A top Department of Homeland Security official reportedly said his agency will not necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona authorities. John Morton, assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, made the comment during a meeting on Wednesday with the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune, the newspaper reports. "I don't think the Arizona law, or laws like it, are the solution," Morton told the newspaper. The best way to reduce illegal immigration is through a comprehensive federal approach, he said, and not a patchwork of state laws. The law, which criminalizes being in the state illegally and requires authorities to check suspects for immigration status, is not "good government," Morton said. http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/art鈥?/a>|||Can I answer your question with a question? How long can the police hold a person that may be guilty of a Federal infraction of the Civil Law which is a class B misdemeanor? In my state it is 72 hours unless they can charge them with some other crime. The burden of proof is on the State to prove where they are from, what they are being charged with and if the state cannot provide evidence then the person should be released. Legal Permanent residents need to have their green card on them at all times. We as US Citizens are required to carry a drivers license if we want to buy beer, drive or buy a playboy but if we are out for a walk is there a law that says we have to have our ID on us? Do we really want to become a Nation of "Show me your Papers" man that brings back Hitler history all over again. Maybe your question should be "How long should AZ hold an undocumented alien in jail" because the word "Can" is very interesting considering some of the things Joe has done in AZ. Some of the things he has done may be effective, but borders on legal and he has won several of the law suits yet has many others to deal with that have nothing whatsoever to do with the new law but things he has done in the past. So to answer your question "AZ can do whatever they want to do as they are showing the Nation but there will be unintended consequences to their actions" In AZ with the new law it will be longer when SB1070 goes into effect because they have criminalized what is a federal civil infraction . The first page of SB1070 states that no city, town or any agency can enforce the law in any lesser degree than the full extent. ICE does not even do that. ICE does not issue the fine all the time, nor do they issue the max jail time but most of the time deportation is what is done. It is very interesting to see what will unfold because AZ is helping this issue be dealt with and personally I feel we need to deal with this sooner than later. I don't agree with illegal immigration and I feel we need to secure our borders but we also need a reasonable reform. At the current deportation rate with the current ICE employees it would take 34 years to deport 12 million people and that is if no others enter the country. When employers stop paying undocumented people to work, prices will go up but attrition will send these people home. ICE does not have enough employees to go out and enforce fines.|||Indefinitely, until the next administration. They can make the illegal serve the entire sentence until we toss obama out. Sheriff Arpaio offered to build another tent city in the desert if Obama orders his goons not to take them. Also, I will let you know that Arpaio has done his own unauthorized deportations in the past. He just drives them up to the point of entry and dumps them off through the doors.|||best way to start cutting down on illegal immigrants is to start heavily fining companies that hire them, and to remove the "automatic citizenship" for being born on US soil|||I say lets flood moron Morton`s & DHS`s e-mail box with our opinions of his stance on this issue, and remind him who is paying his salary...|||Were already paying for all there need ,wy not room an bord , an 8+8 cell .|||Indefinitely It Is Not In Arpaios Job Description To Release Criminals Onto The Streets Of Arizona If The Federal Government Refuses Its Responsibility He Can Hold The ILLEGAL ALIENS In His Jail Till ICE Takes Them Into Custody It Is In The Best Interest Of The ILLEGAL ALIEN That ICE Act Swiftly To Remand Them Or Arpaio Can Hold Them Arpaio Has Another Option To Deport The ILLEGAL ALIEN After His Sentence Is Complete (Drop Them Off At The Border, And Watch Them Go South) He Has Implemented This Option In The Past, But I Do Not Believe He Will Any Longer He Will FORCE ICE To CoOperate With Him By Detaining Every ILLEGAL ALIEN He Arrests Till ICE Does Their Job These Arizona Lawmakers And Enforcers Are Under A Great Deal Of Scrutiny Because They Are Going Against All The Backroom Politics Regarding This Issue That Have Been In Place Since The Early Eighties While Adhering To The Guidelines Of The Constitution And The Law Of The Land These People Are True Patriots My Applause And Admiration To All Of Them For Having The Fortitude To Stand Up And Look Corrupt Government In The Face And Telling Them To Go FCK Themselves|||A top Department of Homeland Security official reportedly said his agency will not necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona authorities, I didn't know it was legal to ignore federal laws.Is this what immigration reform will bring ignoring federal laws allowing illegals to break any laws they want without ICE doing anything ? So Morton is saying if AZ catches human traffickers he will not press charges or if an illegal murders another person or robs a bank all federal crimes, Morton is saying he will not even apply any charges and will allow lawlessness to become rampant. It seems all the drug cartels of Mexico just move to AZ Uncle Morton want arrest you and you can do whatever you want. How are they going to keep them on anything when the Feds say the law it does not exist and Morton is allowing harden Mexican criminals to walk the streets of AZ free to murder, free to kidnap.Morton is a disgrace and should be fired.