On Tuesday, Jeff Sessions viewed the border between the U.S. and Mexico, revealing to him a brand-new strategy on immigration prosecutions under the President. Federal law officials outlined an initiative he believes marks the start of a whole new strategy that relieves the nation's border and cities from what Sessions described as 'filth' brought on by organized crime and drug cartels. His travel arrangements consisted of visiting the U.S. point of entry where people observed Sessions was exiting his SUV before entering a restricted access area.
Sessions' propositions
The Attorney General has steadily expanded the role of the Justice Department within Trump's administration, but the border visit offered the most comprehensive glimpse yet at his ideas.
During his visit, Jeff urged prosecutors to strengthen their immigration crime policies surrounding illegal border crossings and the human trafficking the U.S. Such prosecutions are happening on a large scale already. According to Syracuse University's Access Clearinghouse for Transactional Records, immigrant arrests made up more than half of most federal prosecutions in 2016. Tuscon's Border Patrol covers most of Arizona. Their data revealed about 65,000 arrests made last year involved immigrants.
In a memo, Sessions shared with U.S. attorneys that he plans to prioritize prosecuted immigration by appointing border safety coordinators that oversee inspections, maintain statistics and provide legal training and advice to federal prosecutors. He also noted that all designated administrators would meet with federal immigration authorities regularly.
Also, the lawyer said federal prosecutors should consider felony convictions against those who have illegally moved into the country more than once. He also wants to apply felony charges to marriages evading immigration laws. He continued to push district attorneys by asking them to consider charging immigrants with felonies if they have prior convictions resulting from identity theft and documentation fraud.
Key statements from the Attorney General
"This is a new era. Here is the time of Trump," Sessions reported. "The lawlessness, the surrender of the duty to implement our immigration laws, and the release and catch practices of old are over."
Sessions approved of President Trump's proposed border wall, stating it will be another tool used in fighting illegal immigration with the Justice Department by punishing and deterring unauthorized border crossings. He also went back to the common theme in the Trump campaign, when he mentioned that gangs and drug cartels are turning American cities into 'war zones' and harming innocent people.
Critics blasted the attorney general's new initiatives as anti-immigrant fear rhetoric not rooted in facts.
Sessions responded, "It will be here, on this sliver territory, where we take our stand against this filth first."
The iconic statement shined in the city of Nogales. The town has witnessed a dramatic drop in foreign drug smuggling lately as more Central Americans flee to the U.S. from the physical violence in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
Following the tour, Jeff talked to law enforcement at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference. He discussed along with the border wall, immigration enforcement, criminal offenses, and local sanctuaries. Jeff scolded critics condoning massive incarcerations and praised the decrease in prison population.
