Fix ICE by Arresting, Deporting Only Criminal Illegals and Leave Everyone Else Alone
Amy Lituma, and her 4-year old son, in Peekskill last year
By Dan Murphy
We all understand that there are very few truly independent voters left in today’s political discourse. The nature of our hyper-partisan news, and the way in which social media exacerbates both sides, combined with the inflammatory nature of President Trump, usually forces voters over to one side of the fence or the other.
But that small sliver of the American electorate that is independent, which in my view means that over the last three Presidential elections, you have voted both for and against Trump, that determined the winner of the 2024 election and will determine which party controls Congress in 2026.
In Westchester, Congressman Mike Lawler is the face of our deeply divided American politics. He is hated by Progressive democrats and respected by conservative republicans. A small sliver of the electorate in the 17th Congressional District of NY has twice elected Lawler by narrow margins.
But over the past few weeks, there has been a defection of some of those Trump-Lawler voters in Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam, due to the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Americans do not want to see fellow Americans killed for protesting, even if thei protests are over the top and endanger the lives of ICE officers.
But the underlying issue with ICE is a question raised by one of the few middle-of-the-road, independent-minded media figures in the US- Michael Smerconish. On both his CNN and Sirius shows, Smerconish has asked the question, why is ICE apprehending so many illegal, or undocumented residents who have committed no other crime than entering our country illegally, while pursuing, arresting, and deporting criminal illegal aliens?
Last year, an incident in Peekskill drew national interest involving 24-year-old Amy Lituma. On July 29, ICE agents followed Lituma and her four-year-old son from her home in Peekskill to BJ’s Wholesale Club in Yorktown. Lituma, an Ecuadorian immigrant, claims the armed men forced her out of the vehicle.
ICE agents showed her a photo of her partner, Wilmer Delgado, whom they were seeking to detain. Lituma said she did not know where Delgado was. ICE allowed Lituma to return home and had her call Delgado, who told her, “Don’t say anything.”
When given the option of being separated from her son or self-deporting, Lituma decided to return to Ecuador with her son. A video shows her son scared at ICE outside of their home.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNCTZphPRvx/?igsh=aGpuaGp3N3Zlcnc0-video
A rally was held in Peekskill in support of Lituma. “Unmarked vehicles, unidentifiable officers, faces covered with masks,” state Sen. Pete Harckham said. “This is terrifying our immigrant communities. And not only is it doing that, but it is breaking down the years of trust and bridge-building that our local police have done. Our local police have worked hard to partner with our local immigrant community, and this is destroying our fabric. There is something very sick and broken about America right now.”
Lituma said she crossed the border into the U.S. in July 2021, when her son was eight months old, and has been working as a house cleaner while living in Peekskill. She hadn’t applied for U.S. asylum, and said she hoped to return to the U.S. with legal status someday.
“I’m not the only one,” Lituma said. “Many people are in the same situation. My request is not to break families apart.”
This is the concern that a majority of Americans now have with ICE. That same majority is OK with ICE detaining, arresting, and deporting criminal illegals, like those who have committed rapes, child sex offenses, and drug crimes.
But they do not want to see ICE pursuing a criminal illegal, and when they make that arrest, they also deport all of the family members in that home.
White House Border Czar Tom Homan recently held a press conference in Minnesota and reiterated the ICE policy. “For those who are not a national security threat or public safety threat, you are not exempt from immigration enforcement actions. If you are in the country illegally, you are not off the table. Let me be clear, President Trump intends to continue mass deportations, and these actions will continue every day throughout this country. And we have not directed otherwise.”
While Homan’s comments follow the Federal laws concerning deportations of undocumented illegal residents, those laws no longer have the support of the majority of Americans.
And the number of illegal or undocumented residents in our country being deported has now far exceeded the number of criminal illegals deported.
Dr Austin Kocher compiled apprehension totals from ICE, which show 70% of those apprehended have not committed a crime, other than that they are here illegally, some for 20 or 30 years. An example that Smerconish gave is a cook in a diner in New Jersey who has raised a family, paid taxes, and not committed a crime. Should he be arrested and deported? Most Americans say no.
So can ICE apprehend a criminal illegal in a household and not arrest the other undocumented residents in the residence that they raid? Can Homan change his policy to do just that?
Most believe that Homan and the President must do so, or else they will lose republican control of Congress in 2026, including the seat held by Congressman Lawler.
Lawler, at a recent town hall, said, “I fundamentally believe that if you have been in this country 5, 10, 15, 20 years, and you have not committed a crime, and you are participating in the workforce, and your children or your grandchildren may be American citizens, we should create a legal pathway forward. That does not mean citizenship. But it does mean they come out of the shadows and can participate in our economy and community without fear of deportation. That is something that I believe we can get bipartisan support for.”
Back to that small sliver of voters who have voted for and against Trump in 16’, 20’, and 24’. Those who voted for Trump that I have spoken to have had enough of ICE’s tactics, and they want it to change, or they will make a change when they vote in November.
Those same voters still support ICE apprehending and deporting those criminal illegals who have committed serious crimes.
If President Trump doesn’t move forward on fixing ICE, he will become a lame duck after November, and will be unable to pass any legislation, and will likely have Congress investigating and, yes, voting on impeachment.
