Report Nielsen, Vitello stopped deportation plan affecting 10,000

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and ICE acting director Ron Vitiello were both fired shortly after challenging a major White House plan to arrest thousands of illegal migrants across the U.S.

This happened weeks before their firing according to seven former and current Department of Homeland Security officials who spoke with The Washington Post.

The Daily Caller reported:

The plan — which had the backing of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller and then-ICE deputy director Matthew Albence — involved arresting thousands of migrant family members across 10 major U.S. cities as a public display of force, and help deter the rising influx of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border. Targeted cities included Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and other top destination spots for Central American immigrants.

The initial target by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations included 2,500 adults and children, but the proposal, which reportedly is still under consideration by the Trump administration, was treated as a stepping stone toward apprehending as many as 10,000 illegal migrants.

Ten thousand is not a lot. We now have just under 4,000 a day pouring into the country and they are all released into the interior, altering who we are as a nation culturally and politically. We have seen just under half a million come across illegally since January and many more get in unnoticed.

Nielsen and Vitello were worried about the plan:

“There was concern that it was being hastily put together, would be ineffective and might actually backfire by misdirecting resources away from critical border emergency response operations,” a DHS official said to The Washington Post, pointing out Vitiello and Nielsen’s doubts about the hurriedly drawn up plans.

The two DHS leaders were reportedly concerned about a number of things: Lack of preparedness by ICE agents, the shifting of resources from the already-porous border, and with the memory of the public backlash against family separation still fresh in the minds, they worried about public perception. Their trepidation over the plan, DHS officials noted, was not out of ethical concerns, but mostly of logistics.

Honestly 10,000 is nothing and might send a message. It should only be the beginning, but it should be done with the utmost concern for their welfare as they are picked up and deported.

The plan to deport up to 10,000 is being called “massive” but since we get that many every few days, it’s more like a drop in the proverbial bucket.

Nielsen and Vitello were let go because the President said he wanted to go in a tougher direction.

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