I like to keep the weekly updates to district specific issues, but with what is happening nationally I feel I have no choice but to address this topic. In complete transparency, I worked with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Afghanistan when I was the Director of the Border Management Task Force. They did the same mission in Afghanistan as they do here. “ICE’s missions are to protect America from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten national security and public safety”. The men and women of ICE that I worked with worked in very difficult conditions, they did an exemplary job. They are part of a much bigger security umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and their partners Border Patrol/Protection (BP), and Customs. They were a much needed combat multiplier in our nation building mission in Afghanistan.

There has been over 700 demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement Federal Law Enforcement Agents (ICE) throughout the nation over the last 3 weeks. The 50 offices of Obama’s “Organization For Action (OFA)” have been coordinating the demonstrations, with the support of their 32,525 members, and with the help of 14 field organizers. The demonstrators are being transported to various locations, and are being paid by George Soros.

The demonstrations are designed to eliminate the force of 6,000 ICE Agents whose primary function is to enforce US Federal Immigration Laws, and to apprehend convicted illegal alien criminals on the interior of the US. Obama’s OFA is lying about what ICE Agents are responsible for, and whipping up hysteria by saying ICE is separating illegal alien children from their illegal alien parents; the left of center liberal media establishment has been promoting that bold faced lie for the last three weeks.

ICE Agents have absolutely nothing to do with separating illegal alien children from the human trafficking illegal alien adults at the border. Those human traffickers are often masquerading as illegal alien parents. Often it not the real illegal alien parent with the illegal alien child, it is a drug cartel “mule”, using an illegal alien child as cover, in order to penetrate the US Southern Border illegally.

It is the Customs and Border Protection Federal Law Enforcement Officers, not ICE Agents, who try to determine if the illegal alien child, is in the custody of their real illegal alien parent.
The only reason an illegal alien child may eventually be separated from an real parent, is because the parent has hazarded their child, by bringing the child on a very long and dangerous journey thru hostile territory, traveling the full length of Mexico, then by finally committing the crime of illegally crossing the US Southern Border, instead of transporting the illegal alien child to an authorized US Port of Entry.

If that illegal alien parent were an American parent, the child would be removed from their custody by Child Protective Services, and placed in a Foster Home, because the child had been placed in a very dangerous situation by the action of the American citizen parent. If an American Citizen parent commits any crime in the United States, requiring incarceration in jail, they are separated from their child. Why should an illegal alien parent who commits a crime be treated any differently from an American citizen parent who commits a crime?

In June the number of illegal aliens, human traffickers, gang members, and drug smugglers that were apprehended entering the US thru the southern border exceeded 42,000. The US Border Patrol generally reports that they are only able to apprehend about half of them.

Everyone should understand that the extremists and the media are using this emotional issue of the children to “abolish ICE”. If we abolish ICE they will simply find a new law enforcement agency to attack and abolish. We will be less safe and our border will be open to illegal aliens, human traffickers, gang members and drug smugglers. Never forget that it was the events of 9/11 that formed DHS and ICE.

Please contact my office with any comments, questions or concerns. Email me at; tbrewer@leg.ne.gov. Mail a letter to; Sen. Tom Brewer, Room #1202, P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509 or call us at (402) 471-2628.