Apparently anyone with a high powered position like Julie Myers can get away with such racist allusions.
I wonder what she would have to say if one of the ICE employees came dressed up as an illegal alien or a suicide bomber. They would probably trump the jamaican immitator. If this woman can’t tell a real African American from a huckster at a masquerade party, then how would she be able screen out the illegal immigrants from the legal immigrants, those who threaten our national security from those who build our security. She treats national security like a Holloween trick. These are the people whom Bush appointed to protect us from outside forces who want to harm us? I’m starting to worry and wonder if I’m living in America or the Land of Oz. We are living in turbulent times where so much is at stake. We have the omnious storm cloud of radical islam hovering over us, waiting in anticipation to strike us at the right moment which could be any minute while Julie Myers is screwing around with our security.
Party time is over, Ms. Myers. Take off the hijab/burqa thats been blinding you from the true nature of these radical islamic groups whom you’ve been pandering to and do your job before you lose your job.Mature and secure or we’ll ship you out!
I guess we are left to defend ourselves since Homeland Insecurity is too busy partying to do so. They are more focused on ridiculous costumes than nuclear bombs. We are hanging on the last thread of the rope of America’s immovability courtesy of our inconsistent leadership. Radical Islam doens’t wear a costume, darling. See it for what it really is and deal with it the way it should be dealt!

Jew Chick on November 6, 2007 at 7:46 pm

Let the spin begin! As reported on CNN, Chertoff is praising Julie Meyers and throwing the low level ICE employee under the bus! ICE agents have seen this act over and over again. Now thanks to the sensational “mainstream” media the world is getting a look at everyday life in the ICE.

NDN on November 6, 2007 at 10:36 pm

Myers posed for photos with the employee, but they were discarded, ICE spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said.
“People do dumb things,” Chertoff said. “I get very perturbed when there’s anything that is done that suggests with respect to enforcement of the law we are anything but evenhanded. “The idea you can come and impersonate someone of another ethnic group, that is completely unacceptable,” Chertoff said. At the White House, Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino said: “Obviously we do not tolerate inappropriate behavior at the Department of Homeland Security.” Once the facts are determined, “we are sure that the department will take all necessary and appropriate actions,” she said. Chertoff said Myers was right to apologize for the costume. “I’m quite sure it bothers her. She was kind of caught by surprise by this and in the middle of the party and I know she’s mortified, but I think she’s doing what she needs to do at the moment,” Chertoff said.- multi media reports
Meyers “was kind of caught by surprise by this in the middle of the party..” And yet after she contemplated the situation, the employee’s costume of dreadlocks, dark makeup and prison stripes was deemed by Myers and two other managers as the “most original” at the party?
Truth is certainly stranger than fiction. No wonder many ICE field managers feel that they are untouchable, bullet proof and invisible as they conduct daily operations in violation of the agency’s Code of Conduct and Title 5 of the United States Code.
I am sure the taxpayers and voters of this country will be “mortified” if Meyers does not resign from her position sooner rather than later.

NDN on November 6, 2007 at 11:41 pm

Who was this blackfaced ICE agent anyway? Let’s see names! Was he given time on the beach? If not, why not? EVS, I’d love to hear you defend Julie on this one!

sanantonioins on November 7, 2007 at 2:18 am

ICE folks at HQ say it was a DRO employee and that the majority of the people thought it was funny.
No doubt that it was a stupid idea to have a costume party during work hours in an law enfrocment agency’s HQ to begin with, you are a law enforcement agency aren’t you? There are too many political appointees in ICE HQ to begin with, too many ass kissers and way too many that think we really shouldn’t be arresting aliens. They should clean house and start with Myers and the entire upper management.
I guess if you are a member of a Jamaican drug possee or entered the country illegally it might be offensive….

ficedup on November 7, 2007 at 6:08 am

sanantonioins,
Haven’t yet, won’t now.
Debbie,
As usual, I’ll not offer an opinion on our “appointed leadership”. I know the intent of the event was to generate more giving for the CFC. Good intention, bad result.
I do know that the Director for OI, nor the Deputy Director for OI was in attendance that day, and I don’t know what if any involvement they had in the planning/authorizing of such an event.
ICE Agents seem to always assume that if it happened in the CAB, then the OI Director or her staff were involved. WRONG. There are a whole lot of pieces of ICE that aren’t controlled by OI. If you don’t know this, go to the website and look it up.
I also know for certain that the employee with the “offensive costume” was not an OI employee.
My guess is this was a ICE Public Affairs idea gone wrong, but I haven’t yet confirmed this. I’ll be interested to see what if anything happens there.
Work safe,
EVS/Kyle

EverVigilantSheepdog on November 7, 2007 at 7:44 am

somewhat O/T-
I I don’t know how many of you, if any, signed up to start an ACT! for America Chapter. I received my package yesterday. I signed it & mailed it back already.
I am tired of reading about the progress of the global jihad everyday and feeling helpless about it. Tooling around the blogosphere is informative. Anyone interested in doing some grassroots anti-jihadist organizing with possibility of making some real progress against jihad ought to form or join an ACT chapter.
http://americancongressfortruth.com/get-involved.asp

USorThem on November 7, 2007 at 9:23 am

I am told that someone at the party has pictures on their cell phone, as a matter of fact I have seen them! So let them all lie then the pictures will surface!

Only4thecheck on November 7, 2007 at 9:28 am

The idiocy of the guy wearing the costume is funny, but so is the overcooked reaction to it by DHS officials. So, so phony! Who else are they going to castigate?
http://www.humblenarrator.com/2007/11/07/dhs-suspends-smart-looking-asian-guy-without-costume-at-halloween-party/

HumbleNarrator on November 7, 2007 at 12:09 pm

I donít know what the costume looked like, but I do think that this country is so ìsoftî that even the French could hurt our feelings.
I agree with EVS. There are too many entities thrown into ICE. In my opinion, investigations should never have been mixed with DRO, IEAs or any other uniform division; not to mention the poor FPS folks. OI should be a stand alone entity; however, ICE is the dumping ground for DHS, which is a dumping ground for the federal government as a whole.
I disagree however with EVS about ICE not being a joke. It begins with the name/acronym and rolls down hill from there. The biggest reason for ICE being a joke is the immigration debacle perpetuated by the federal government and not the agents. The predominant issues ICE is known for are ones involving immigration. Occasionally there will be a customs case such as child exploitation, but by and large it is immigration.
EVS lets be honest; people will apply for any 1811 job. Even the old INS had hundreds if not thousands apply when a vacancy came open. It doesnít mean that they want to work for ICE specifically as much as it is to get a federal agent spot. The standards to get the job are not as high as the FBI, Secret Service or even the DEA. So that means it is an easy agency to join and then jump ship after getting in. It isnít viewed much differently than the Border Patrol or Inspection Service for the legacy USCS or INS.
OI needs to have a name change, separate itself from the other entities and have clear leadership like that of Judge Bonner or Commissioner Basham. CBP gets appointees with credibility and clout and we getÖwell we know what we have and have had. We are a myth in the minds of those assigned to HQ and a legend to our memories.

mgofca on November 7, 2007 at 12:47 pm

I thought we were being treated to an updated rendition of Al Jolson singing “Julie”. I guess we will now hear a rendition of Brenda Lee’s “I’m Sorry”
I’m sorry, so sorry
That I was such a fool.
I didn’t know
Love could be so cruel.
Oh oh oh oh uh-oh oh yes.
You tell me mistakes
Are part of being young
But that don’t right
The wrong that’s been done.

FUBAR ? on November 7, 2007 at 1:01 pm

Good post by mgofca. Thousands apply for 1811 jobs. Once they get hired and see how screwed up ICE is they jump ship. Perfect example: My ICE SAT class of 23 … 16 have left for various reasons, including a few who went back to being local cops. I transferred to another agency where I can work financial crimes. Much better. All I did at ICE was arrest illegals. Financial cases, strat cases, etc. weren’t even worked in our office. Drugs and immigration. Guys who want to get their foot in the door apply for any 1811 jobs, so to play up the thousands who want to work for ICE is very misleading. They want to get their foot in the door is all. Standards are pretty low compared to the Bureau, DEA, USSS. We don’t even poly applicants, which I’ve always found hard to believe. Local cops get polygraphs, but not ICE agents. Does ICE even give agents TS clearances these days? As of last year they didn’t.

FormerICE on November 7, 2007 at 1:07 pm

So, where are the pictures? Is there an ICE agent that has the balls to put them on the Internet?
Julie Meyers posing with the costumed agent would get her fired if someone had the balls to post it.
FormerICE
I cannot believe they do not poly job applicants. No wonder the agency is so corrupt.
At my former agency, even booking clerks, a civilian position, where pre screened with a poly.

ScottyDog on November 7, 2007 at 2:49 pm

People who do not think this was offensive do not get the point. If the man had come dressed as a famous black, Latino or other minority figure who had done something famously stupid recently in the news (think Barry Bonds and steroids), then there would not have been such a big deal about a white man posing as a black. However, this guy was trying to come off as a generic black/Jamaican personÖ..but with prison stripes. If you were Jamaican or black, would you find this funny? How would you feel then if a group of whites were laughing and honoring this person who dressed as a mock-up of your ethnic/racial appearance?
It does not matter that it was a Deportation employee and not an Agent from investigations. It would not matter if it was support staff or a contractor. The point is that Myers and others on her “panel” found it funny. Does anyone think that a Robert Mueller, Louis Freeh, or Ray Kelly would have laughed and been photographed with someone wearing makeup to appear as a different race or ethnicity? How about the police chief of any major city? Myers is so far removed from being even remotely qualified, both from a point of experience and character, that she must go. She is a minor league role player in a major league game.
As to the comments about ICE Special Agents and qualifications and competence: There are agents lining up to jump ship from the Secret Service to come over to ICE, even with the knowledge they will do immigration enforcement as a percentage of their work. This is a flawed agency, but we still have a stream of very well-qualified candidates lining up for positions. We need to stop wasting this pool of candidates with worthless upper management. My own SAC office has had agents come on board from Secret Service, NCIS, Treasury, IRS and various OIGs. Yes, we should have a psych background and poly examination, but we still are getting educated and experienced applicants. Unfortunately, we need them desperately because of the number of people leaving and retiring since the merger has caused a huge attrition rate.
See, the law passed with the DHS creation required the Assistant Secretary for ICE to have at least five years law enforcement and five years management experience. If Myers had actually had this experience, she might not have made all the mistakes that she has. That she was offered and accepted the position, and continues to seek its confirmation, speaks to so much of her arrogance and that of the administration. The she has the gall to send out a message to ICE employees, making it seem as if WE need to be responsible and sensitive and aware of EEO policies. Last I checked, she was the one posing for pictures with someone wearing the blackface.

Staypositive on November 7, 2007 at 4:22 pm

Does anybody have ANY good news about ICE????? Can somebody throw me a bone here? Maybe a good rumor or two about this crappy, third rate shit hole….

kcrat on November 7, 2007 at 5:19 pm

Who cares that the employee was not OI…. Nobody around knows there is OI and DRO. We are all just lumped together into one big crappy immigration agency with no real law enforcement mission. LMFAO at anybody who thinks we actually are respected around the law enforcement community.

kcrat on November 7, 2007 at 5:22 pm

Imagine that a SAC Office has a similar party. An agent dresses up in the same costume, the SAC laughs and has his picture made with the guy. The local news media get hold of it. There is bad publicity which makes it way to Patty. What happens.
My guess is that the agent is fired and the SAC is transferred to New Orleans.

longshanks on November 7, 2007 at 5:39 pm

That guy sure didn’t put very much effort into his costume.

steve ventry on November 7, 2007 at 9:49 pm

mgofca,
You make some points that I won’t argue. However (there is always that however), it is a fact that 1811’s from other agencies are coming to ICE. Time will tell how long they stay. We just picked up two DEA agents, and they were fine staying in the city they currently worked in, so it wasn’t a geographical motivated decision. I think it’s too early to say if they will move on, but something attracted them, is all I’m saying.
There is also no doubt that people coming from non-1811 jobs are sometimes just looking to get their foot in the door, get some training, pad their OF-612 and move on. Some people will work for a number of agencies before they retire, and that’s fine. I’d rather the disgruntled or unhappy people move on rather then stick around and infect the ones that choose to stay. Because at the end of the day, we still have work to do.
formerICE,
TS clearances are requested when they are needed. Most agents fresh from ICESAT don’t need them for a few years, and many agents never need them. TS clearances are much more expensive than are regular Secret. It was the same way in Customs. Everyone didn’t have a TS, despite what you might have heard.
longshanks,
I’m sure you were taking a shot at us in New Orleans, but I guess I’ve not had enough to drink to follow your logic.
As for the polygraph issue, it’s been on the table and off the table so many times, and for some reason, it’s never been made a requirement. I don’t really think it matters though, as we’ve never had any more or any less corruption than the other agency that does polygraph.
Be interesting to see how this all pans out.
Work safe,
EVS/Kyle

EverVigilantSheepdog on November 7, 2007 at 10:50 pm

I agree with you, EVS. The poly is no more a barometer of how an Agent will perform on the job than regular background checks. More often than not, if a guy’s gonna be a shitbag on the job, a long documented trail will follow him TO ICE. Plus the types of non-specific pre-employment polygraphs that DEA and FBI administer to their applicants are NOTORIOUSLY error prone.

CapitalistPig on November 7, 2007 at 11:59 pm

I think he’s supposed to be like a major brown-noser.

steve ventry on November 8, 2007 at 5:09 am

You ICE agents are suffering because you still have HOPE. You must accept the fact that ICE was Dead on Arrival (ICE/DOA). The only way YOU can function is to accept the fact that ICE will never improve since ICE is dead. Jesus may rise from the dead but ICE will not. Accept reality and begin to function so YOU can survive. A rational brain that allows you to be in touch with reality will lead you away from ICE. You MUST get over the denial that INS, Customs and ICE are ALL dead and gone. Move on or get a hobby. Sober up and accept the obvious or you will end up drinking and pretending there is hope just like EVS.

NDN on November 8, 2007 at 8:46 am

NDN,
Do you really think anyone is listening to your incoherent rambling? You may be retired on duty, but the rest of us have work to do. Why don’t you go back to your cubicle and your computer solitaire, and leave the real work to us?
EVS/Kyle

EverVigilantSheepdog on November 8, 2007 at 9:20 am

EVS,
Have you ever stopped to think that if those ICE Agents that were unhappy and disgruntled actually left, you would have NO ICE (OI) AGENCY.
Are you that f-ing dumb to think that its only a few scattered around the country. Man, wake up. YOU are what is, and always will be, wrong with this agency.

kcrat on November 8, 2007 at 10:56 am

“NDN, Do you really think anyone is listening to your incoherent rambling? You may be retired on duty, but the rest of us have work to do. Why don’t you go back to your cubicle and your computer solitaire, and leave the real work to us?” -EVS/Kyle
Uh, at least one person is “listening”. That would be YOU, the EVS Moron.

NDN on November 8, 2007 at 12:46 pm

Everyone where I work has a TS. Most federal law enforcement agencies require one plus a poly. Except for OIGs and ICE, can’t think of too many that don’t require this. Locals and State cops all require one. Why not ICE? Doesn’t make any sense. Yeah, there are dirtbags everywhere, but wouldn’t a clearance have kept Frankie the Fig out of Customs? A predator in charge of Op Predator. What a joke. The secretaries in my office have higher clearances than ICE agents.

FormerICE on November 8, 2007 at 4:11 pm

Staypositive,
“People who do not think this was offensive do not get the point. If the man had come dressed as a famous black, Latino or other minority figure who had done something famously stupid recently in the news (think Barry Bonds and steroids), then there would not have been such a big deal about a white man posing as a black. However, this guy was trying to come off as a generic black/Jamaican personÖ..but with prison stripes.”
Point well taken. It would have been better if the costume were depicting a specific person and not trying to be representative of an entire ethnic group.

AmericanJewess on November 8, 2007 at 4:20 pm

FormerICE:
You have NO clue. TS access is given “when needed”, not some blanket “just in case”. Plus, your comment that locals and state officeres require one is asinine. Since when did the State of Texas start their own security clearances? What a moron…in fact, i kind of regret arguing with you. You obviously have not clue ONE…

CapitalistPig on November 8, 2007 at 11:46 pm

CapitalistPig is right. Sorry, FormerICE, but unless you work at the CIA, TS clearances are not given out at employee orientation. And as for state and locals having those clearances, that’s just not true. State and local officers assigned to certain task forces go through the process, but as another poster stated, getting a TS is expensive and lengthy.
Good luck to you.

The1789er on November 9, 2007 at 1:05 am

So what was Julie Myers dressed up as? Any pics of her costume? Or Peppermint Patty?

sanantonioins on November 10, 2007 at 12:46 am

I think Ms. Myers went as an aloof, clueless, culturally insensitive administrator, and Ms. Foreman went as a famous ‘Peanuts’ character. BTW, what kind of clearance did FBI spy loser Hanson have? I’ll bet it was higher than a TS. Do you guys know who does BI’s anymore? Retired ICE/DEA/FBI agents. Wish I knew how to ferret out the bad guys, but something is better than nothing.

q2thecore on November 13, 2007 at 12:01 pm

While I do not condone the costume worn by the ICE employee, I do not think his offense warrants administrative leave. The invitations to the party did not specify what could or could not be worn. It only noted to use “discretion”…which is open to interpretation. The most that could be done to this employee would be counseling and perhaps referral to EEO. I think ICE may have a lawsuit on their hands.
Another question, if Myers truly didn’t know this guy was not black, she must be the most sheltered person on the planet and thus shouldn’t be leading an organization. Anyone with a shred of integrity who was at that party would admit they knew he was not black. Not only was the make-up not evenly spread (showing white skin in patches), she spoke with him. And generally, most white people can tell who another white person is, and most black people can tell who another black person is.
But let’s assume she didn’t realize he was white… Most original costume??? For a black person in prison stripes??? Who needs the cultural sensitivity training??? Would it have been acceptable for a black person to come dressed as an illegal alien detainee???

EagleEye on November 16, 2007 at 7:01 am

FormerICE:
Hi there.
I’m just curious if you were ICE 1811 or 1801?

erin on March 15, 2008 at 7:48 pm