From: George Bickel
gbickel2003@yahoo.com
April 1, 2008

Dear Jeff,

I attended the public hearing to which you refer on Saturday. The term "Klan rally" never crossed my mind, although the panelists and guests clearly supported the bill sponsored by Assemblyman Ball. The proposal did not seem outlandish to me as I believe firmly that people in this country should be in America legally. The bill essentially seeks to authorize training of local law enforcement officials empowering them to assist with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (in military parlance -- a "force multiplier") in the deportation of criminal illegals, while securing funds from the federal government to compensate states and localities for costs associated with prosecution and incarceration of criminal illegals, currently a large percentage of the federal prison system and threatening to clog state and local penitentiaries.

Granted, introducing and supporting such legislation has the potential to encourage the rise of additional nativist and hate groups such as the KKK, Neo-Nazi and Skinhead types; but careful legal monitoring can diminish the impact of such growth. At the close of the hearing, I provided Mr. Ball with the most recent edition of the Southern Poverty Law Center's newsletter that indicated a 25% rise in such groups over the past year or so. Thus there is no denying that attention to the issue has its pitfalls but that is no reason for us to put our heads in the sand about illegal immigration, which has exploded since the Simpson-Mazzoli Act of 1986.

I am also concerned that the 287g legislation which Mr. Ball proposes has the potential for misapplication and inappropriate extension to resident aliens and American citizens of non-WASP ancestry. Still, the problem the legislation seeks to address is undeniable. The panelists at the hearing cited numerous examples of crimes committed by illegals against citizens and intimidation of members of the illegal communities as well.

Since the federal government (Republicans and Democrats for their own respective economic and political reasons) is not enforcing American law with regard to immigration, efforts such as Mr. Ball's are understandable, whether one agrees with them on jurisdictional or other grounds or not. It won't do to cast aside this bill as the work of the Klan or to point out efforts to ameliorate illegal immigration as nativist handiwork.

The tension in the hearing room was palpable. One fellow asked a question of a sheriff from Ohio (he claimed to have an exemplary relationship with ICE in managing criminal illegals in his district), then proceeded in shout show fashion to scream at the panelist and nearly required removal from the hall. The fellow's name or agenda were not established. The fellow raised tensions in the room to such a level that many members of the public started shouting at him and he back at them; Mr. Ball indicated that such outbursts would not be tolerated.

The head of the Carmel Democrats was there and she asked a question. Mr. Ball forced her to identify herself and her position, probably in an attempt to discredit her question. She departed abruptly and somewhat angrily after getting the answer to her question.

Panelists included members of 911 families, rightfully angry about the loss of their loved ones, citing the fact that INA ( predecessor to ICE) failed to catch and deport Mohammed Atta and several others of the 911 terrorists and that local efforts such as 287g legislation might prevent other families from suffering as they did. Three or four members of officialdom in Suffern served on the panel, the mayor, a police official, a legal consultant; and they shared their concerns and examples of dealing with criminal illegals. Audience members told of criminal illegals who had attacked or killed family members and how these tragedies could have been averted by deportation of the perpetrators who had long rap sheets prior to the felonies but were caught and released back into the community, thereby enabled to commit horrendous crimes. Mr Rights attended but said nothing. Mr. Yee spoke at length of his NYC police officer experience working in joint task forces with the state and federal governments. His position was a clear support of the legislation.

As for me I thought the hearing was instructive and useful and opened a valuable dialogue. Nevertheless, the poster that appeared in the front of the hall in support of the bill featuring 4 of the 911 hijackers reignited fear and anger, two tools Mr. Ball may have chosen to use to promote support for the bill. His mention of the inevitability of another attack on the US, not a matter of where but when and how bad together with the aggressive articulate expressions of two of the 911 families panelists generated the usual heat in lieu of light that Mr. Ball brings to the issue and sounded much like the fear emanating from the White House for the last 7 years that have led us into the quagmire that Iraq has become.
Well, there are a few reflections for you to chew on. Sorry you missed the hearing as it would have provided you with plenty of material for you commentaries.

FYI, George Bickel