LEAGUE CITY — Count Tom DeLay as one of those upset about Thursday’s roundup of day laborers in League City.
But the Republican congressman wasn’t troubled to see that 62 suspected illegal immigrants were rounded up in the sweep.
Instead, he was dismayed because almost all were let go.
“I am very encouraged we have local law enforcement that wants to go after criminals who happen to be illegal immigrants and that (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) would help,” said DeLay, who has made immigration one of the top issues of his re-election campaign. “On the other hand, I am disheartened that they had to release 60 illegal immigrants.”
In a joint sweep Thursday morning, League City police and agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided two hangouts for day laborers.
League City police said they were searching for three men wanted on charges ranging from sexual assault of a child to intoxicated manslaughter.
An immigration spokesman said her agency was there to assist in determining the immigration status of those rounded up and to detain only those who posed a risk to the community.
“It’s a matter of setting a priority because we simply do not have enough beds to take them all into custody,” said Louisa Deason of the immigration and customs agency.
Those not deemed a threat or not wanted by law enforcement were let go and told they must get their immigration status worked out, said Deason.
Two people were taken into immigration’s custody because they had warrants for their arrest.
None of the three men League City police were seeking was caught in the sweep. A police spokesman said the raid did not net any new information on their cases.
DeLay says none of those let go should still be free.
A staunch advocate of tougher enforcement of immigration laws, DeLay spent part of the day Friday on the phone with John Clark, deputy assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and Gene Lowery, assistant special agent in charge of the Houston office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, expressing his exasperation.
DeLay said the philosophy within immigration enforcement is changing from a policy of catch and release to catch and remove from the country.
“We are changing the philosophy of enforcing the law,” said DeLay. “Changing the philosophy takes money and organization.”
DeLay said Clark assured him the regional immigration office would soon get the money it needs to contract with area jails to detain illegal immigrants.
DeLay is not likely to find much support for his stance from members of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
A top official with LULAC’s district office said he would ask for the local chapter of the organization to investigate.
The Latin American Organization for Immigrant Rights as well as the Progressive Workers Organizing Committee plan to protest in front of the League City police department this afternoon.
David Michael Smith, one of the organizers, said his group is promoting an immigration policy that establishes a process for illegal immigrants to become legal residents.
But the U.S. House of Representatives rejected such a measure, backed by President George W. Bush. That legislation would have offered limited residency and a guest worker program.
Instead, a bill that would classify illegal immigrants as felons passed the House. That bill was backed by DeLay.
“The American people, particularly in my district, do not believe us when we say we can secure the border,” said DeLay. “So, until we can prove to them we will secure the borders first, no guest worker program will have any support from the public.”
Groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Service Employees International Union — usually on opposite sides on workplace legislation — back the Bush guest worker policy.
DeLay may have found support for the catch and deport philosophy from his likely opponent in the fall election — Democrat Nick Lampson.
Lampson, a former congressman, said he, too, is opposed to the current catch and release policy.
“We have to enforce the law,” he said. “If people are found to be violating the law, we cannot just look the other way.
Lampson said he wants to toughen enforcement against businesses that hire illegal immigrants.
“If you go back and look at how much action has been taken against those employers, it’s pretty clear we are not enforcing the law on either side of the problem,” he said.
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What: Protest against immigration sweep. When: 2 p.m. today. Where: League City Police Department, 500 W. Walker, in League City.
