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Ashcroft wants Immigrants Deported

Friday, July 20, 2001 

DENVER (AP) - Attorney General John Ashcroft threatened on 
Thursday to retaliate against countries that delay or refuse to take back 
immigrants convicted of crimes in the United States.

The threat followed the Supreme Court's ruling three weeks ago 
that immigrants cannot be jailed indefinitely while they await 
deportation to another country willing to take them.

Ashcroft said the ruling has created an emergency situation, and 
he vowed to ask Secretary of State Colin Powell to stop granting visas 
to those countries' citizens.

``This should be an enormous incentive for countries to take back 
their criminal aliens,'' he said in a statement.

``If necessary to protect the American people, I will not 
hesitate to exercise my responsibility under this statute to identify 
countries which repeatedly and wantonly violate international law.''

Ashcroft declined to name specific countries.

The June 28 ruling affected some 3,000 immigrants who have served 
sentences for serious crimes but whose home countries either will not 
accept them or no longer exist. The high court said legal immigrants 
convicted of certain crimes are entitled to a court hearing before they 
can be deported.

The Justice Department said the United States does not have 
repatriation agreements with Cuba, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. About 1,200 
of the detainees are from those countries.

Under the Supreme Court ruling, some of the detainees could be 
released as early as next week.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service said the criminal 
aliens held in the United States include hundreds of sexual predators, drug 
traffickers and murderers.

Ashcroft said he has ordered several steps to ensure that 
dangerous aliens are not released as a result of the court's decision. He said 
some criminal aliens have additional state or local sentences that they 
have not served, and he will work to extend their sentences. He also 
said some aliens will be hit with additional federal charges.

Other steps include the expanded use of anti-terrorism laws, 
after the Supreme Court said in its opinion that such detention might be 
appropriate in some circumstances.

The attorney general also said that criminal aliens who continue 
to stay in this country may be ordered to report to authorities and 
have limitations placed on their freedom.

Ashcroft was in Denver to focus on preventing gun violence and 
promote a new program by President Bush to crack down on illegal gun 
possession. He said the country already has strong gun laws on the books.

In Albuquerque, Ashcroft assured municipal and tribal police 
officers and sheriff's deputies that the federal government would work with 
local departments.

``Our goal is not to come in and federalize all gun prosecutions 
- quite the opposite,'' Ashcroft said. ``The objective of the Safe 
Neighborhoods program is to provide new resources and unprecedented 
cooperation between all levels of law enforcement.''

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