Crackdown on undocumented immigrants in Michigan

United States, 20th June: In a latest step to curb undocumented immigration in Michigan, the federal government has initiated tough action against undocumented immigrants in Michigan.

Since the beginning of last year, as many as 150 undocumented aliens have been caught and facing prosecution in Michigan.

Efforts aim to cut undocumented immigrants in Michigan—According to the director of Immigration Law Clinic, University of Detroit Mercy Law School, David Koelsch, such US immigration rules are the need of the hour.

Many immigrants keep crossing the US borders not just once but a couple of times through undocumented means. And immigrants re-entering the US through foul means are committing a felony, says Koelsch. So, its high time the nation begins considering deportation of such immigrants seriously, he asserts.

Crackdown criticized by experts—Nonetheless, many experts in the US, including a few lawyers, say this federal crackdown is nothing but a sheer wastage. They maintain that the government can catch hold of undocumented immigrants using several other means.

These include questioning at traffic stops or when crossing the US border. Several criminal defense advocates say enforcing latest federal crackdown by Michigan is not just a waste of government’s funds but even jail spaces for some undocumented immigrants.

Critics of the new action are calling for expulsion of undocumented immigrants involved in minor cases while ruling out any need for prosecution of such immigrants.

According to Miriam Siefer, a Federal Defender, many of such undocumented immigrants are guilty of disobeying traffic rules and as such, they don’t pose any risk to the security of the US.

Crackdown rewards legal immigrants—Meanwhile, justifying the latest act by Michigan on undocumented immigrants, a US ICE(Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officer, Jonathan Goulding, says that the rule is a meager investment likely to reap in huge benefits for the US.

He maintains that it can prove to be a real changer and can prove to be beneficial for the nation’s security. It may be noted that since January 2010, when Barbara McQuade had become a US attorney, the number of prosecutions of undocumented immigrants in eastern Michigan have gone up three times.

As of now, undocumented immigrants entering the US first time face a two years penalty while those getting deported following convictions due to any serious act of felony could be liable to 20 years penalty.