Sullivan Demands Immigration Anwers
Sullivan demands immigration answers
January 5, 2005
In Open Letter, First District Congressman Lays Groundwork Towards a Tulsa ICE Office
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Oklahoma Congressman John Sullivan sent the following letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Assistant Secretary Michael Garcia:
Mr. Michael J. Garcia
Office of the Assistant Secretary
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Dear Assistant Secretary Garcia,
Immigration law enforcement is an important issue for my constituents in the First District of Oklahoma. As I stated in recent conversations with you and Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security Asa Hutchinson, I plan to reintroduce legislation to create an United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office of Investigations in Tulsa, Oklahoma and I look forward to working with you to make this happen. Due to several recent immigration violations in my District, and in order to better facilitate the creation of an ICE office in Tulsa, I request answers to the following questions.
I would like you to provide a numerical breakdown of every ICE Office of Investigations location for each state. For example, it is my understanding that Colorado has 16 ICE Office of Investigations, while Oklahoma has only one. My goal is to compare Oklahoma's needs and resources with those of other states. Included with this should be a list of the number of ICE Office of Investigations agents for each office and state. Currently, the State of Oklahoma only has 12 agents to serve 3.5 million people. Oklahoma needs a more robust ICE enforcement presence throughout the state.
In addition, I request to have statistics on the number of illegal immigrants detained in Oklahoma and in the First District of Oklahoma from March 1, 2003 (the date ICE was created) to the present. Specifically, I would like to know how many illegal immigrants were detained in the commission of a crime, other than being in the United States illegally, for both the State of Oklahoma and the First District of Oklahoma. I would also like statistics regarding the prevalence and the number of all illegal aliens detained by ICE that were released into the public without judicial review for the same time period. For example, on September 22, 2004, ICE authorized the release of 18 illegal aliens, including children that were in the custody of the City of Catoosa, Oklahoma Police Department.
Immigration reform will be a top issue of mine for the 109th Congress. I would appreciate a full and complete accounting for these questions by no later than February 5, 2005 as I plan to reintroduce this legislation. If you need any additional information, please to not hesitate to contact me in my Washington D.C. office at (202) 225-2211.
[signed John Sullivan, Member of Congress]
http://sullivan.house.gov/press/050105.htm