January 9, 2007, - 11:54 am
American Immigration Enforcement Held Hostage, YEAR ONE
By Debbie Schlussel
Today marks the first (and, hopefully, the last) anniversary of Julie L. Myers‘ a/k/a “The ICE Princess” reign over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
More than a year ago, I began writing about the “President’s” awful nomination of this incompetent woman to head up the enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws and the ever shrinking customs investigations (drug smuggling, money laundering, weapons smuggling, child pornography, etc.) that were the domain of the Office of Investigations of the U.S. Customs Service.
I put the word “President” in quotation marks because–even though it is his ultimate and foolhardy nomination and subsequent recess appointment–The ICE Princess was in charge of the search for the new ICE chieftain, and she pulled a Cheney. She chose herself, and the President approved because her uncle–General Richard Myers–pressed the President to help his “talented” niece, and her old crony and former boss, DHS chief Michael Chertoff, pimped her to the White House and on America, as well.
It was a year ago today, January 9th–after the cowardly recess appointment–that Myers stepped into her way totally cool office, got her runaway bride glare photogged to be posted all over ICE, and got her unearned credentials.
In that one year, I’ve detailed the tremendous waste of your tax dollars in the name of Myers’ and her cronies’ self-promotion, including a week-long party in her hometown of Kansas City, featuring respected immigration enforcement authority, Tommy Lasorda. At $30-50K, it was a big cha-ching for Lasorda (courtesy of U.S. taxpayers), a good time for ICE Princessdom, and the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in your money that could have gone to–and Congress allocated expressly for–immigration enforcement. Myers also absurd, wasteful bonuses–like the $45,000 reportedly given to ICE Director of Investigations Marcy Forman-Friedman a/k/a “Peppermint Patty.”
In that same time, ICE agents from all over the country have repeatedly complained to me that ICE is constantly short of money–that they are constantly short of pens and files to open new cases and investigations, and are not allowed to get oil changes on cars that have driven several thousand miles. ICE can’t afford it.
Then, there are Myers’ failures–no, refusals–to work with local law enforcement to help them help ICE enforce immigration laws. When Costa Mesa, California Mayor Allan Mansoor announced plans to have about 200 officers train with ICE and engage in immigration enforcement, little did he know that Myers would put the kabosh on it. Ditto for a group of Oklahoma legislators who also wanted to partner with ICE to make Oklahoma a State friendly to immigration enforcement. Myers couldn’t be bothered.
She was too busy partying in Kansas City, making dumb ICE Promotional videos, when a great video (minus Myers’ runaway bride visage) was already in existence. Taxpayers paid twice so Myers could stamp herself into it. Proving that twice is not always twice as nice.
And don’t forget The ICE Princess’ creation of a new, high-paying personal legal counsel position, because she wanted her own personal lawyer–being too good to go to the ICE army of lawyers everyone else in her agency uses.
In January, when she started the job (though she had a spy–fellow cronyist spoiled brat, Daniel T. Fahner–at ICE for months before), she began by ordering ICE agents in Texas to turn illegal aliens they arrested at a job site back to the great American abyss, without even verifying their identities. And it’s been similar tactics ever since.
Under her watch, The ICE Princess has allowed agents who participated in sex crimes and harassment to remain on the job, with one even being allowed to retire and collect a generous pension. She’s changed the rules so cronies, like her friend, Traci Lembke (head of ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility), can keep jobs with limited hours and flexible conditions that are unacceptable and unheard of for a man.
And Lembke’s job doesn’t really matter anymore, anyway. When it comes to professional responsibility, Myers doesn’t care about maintaining honesty and integrity within ICE ranks. She promoted John P. Torres, a man who obtained a job for an unqualified alleged extramarital paramour of his, to a permanent position within ICE and nixed ICE OPR’s prescribed several-month suspension of him. He’s Director of ICE’s Detention and Removal Operations. Not good to have a guy so willing to engage in unethical conduct running that operation (and he’s no qualified to do so, either). Yet, despite that, Myers made him the permanent chief of that division and canceled any discipline for his unethical–and, likely, illegal–behavior. So much for discipline.
She encouraged agents like Brian Moskowitz a/k/a “Abu Moskowitz” to continue consorting with extremist Muslims–even a “former” terrorist–who support terrorism. She hasn’t had a problem with Moskowitz asking that “former” terrorist to recruit Muslim agents, or with the fact that serious investigations into the Islamic community’s involvement in immigration violations have been shut down or ridiculously compromised, to sustain this absurd relationship.
So what are Myers achievements, other than promoting herself at the cost to you, the American taxpayer? Well, she did have ICE do some arrests at employers–first the pallet company in the spring, and then the raid of Swift & Co. meat packing in December. But did you know the Swift raid was a year in the making and planning? If all raids take that long, don’t look for many to happen. Do you enjoy the fact that you paid for a week’s worth of partying for 1,000 ICE personnel in Denver in connection with the raid? Gives extra special significance to the moniker, “Mile High City,” in a lot of ways.
In the case of the pallet company, previously incarcerated illegal aliens were released to freedom to make room for those newly arrested for the cameras. Many of those arrested were released within a day. A big waste, but useful in crafting Myers’ PR and image to the outside world, which is her main goal, since she’s roundly despised within her agency.
Despite zero law enforcement experience, barely having held any job in the Bush Administration for more than a year, and a lackluster record of ever having done anything to deserve this job, a 36-year-old from Kansas had enough pull, enough cronies, and enough protectzia to get the job she wanted, with wanton and wholesale disregard for America’s national security.
We’re not sure who is more harmed by The ICE Princess–the citizenry of the United States of America, or the baby she chose to have while in this very important position that requires 24/7 attention and involvement. Either that baby is suffering from inadequate attention by its mother or the country is suffering from inadequate attention to running the fiefdom that enforces immigration law.
It’s clearly the latter, judging by the past year. Agents are leaving in droves, retiring early despite plans to stay on, and transferring to other agencies even with a steep cut in government paygrade to do so. Morale is at an all-time low. And that is due, in no small part, to the person at the top and her lack of management, leadership, and law enforcement knowledge.
Happy Anniversary to ICE’s own Veruca Salt–the selfish, incompetent Julie Myers. We hope there won’t be a second one.
American Immigration Enforcement Held Hostage, Year One.
Tags: Allan Mansoor, America, American abyss, anniversary of Julie L. Myers ' a/k/a, Brian Moskowitz, Bush administration, California, Congress, Daniel T. Fahner, David Lunde, Debbie Schlussel, Denver, DHS chief, director of ICE, Director of Investigations, General, head, ICE, ICE Director, ICE OPR, ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility, immigration law, job site, John P. Torres, Julie L. Myers, Kansas, Kansas City, law enforcement experience, law enforcement knowledge, legal counsel, local law enforcement, Marcy Forman-Friedman, Mayor, Michael Chertoff, Office of Investigations, oil changes, Oklahoma, permanent chief, President, Princess, Richard Myers, Swift & Co., Texas, Tommy Lasorda, Traci Lembke, U.S. Customs Service, United States, United States of America, USD, White House
How much is her one year anniversary bash going to cost us?
I hope Peppermint Patty buys her a nice gift with her unearned bonus……
OOPS! FORGOT ABOUT THAT. JUST ADDED. THANKS.
DEBBIE SCHLUSSEL
MarySJ on January 9, 2007 at 12:59 pm