AZ Political Podcast: Former DHS official thinks ICE is hurting law enforcement’s reputation
John Cohen, a former high-ranking DHS official, told AZ Political Podcast that federal immigration operations are hurting law enforcement’s reputation.
Watch: AZ Political Podcast: Former DHS official explains how recent ICE operations are different | 34 mins
A former high-ranking Department of Homeland Security official tells me on the AZ Political Podcast that federal immigration operations conducted elsewhere are negatively affecting efforts in Arizona to capture dangerous criminals residing illegally in the U.S. — and are hurting law enforcement’s reputation in general.
As undersecretary for intelligence and counterterrorism coordinator at DHS, John Cohen oversaw multiple border security and immigration enforcement efforts. He believes there are plenty of people residing illegally in the United States — committing major crimes — who should be removed from the country.
But Cohen tells me that the scattershot efforts of the Trump administration to detain and deport people who are in the country illegally, but otherwise live peaceful, productive lives, are turning public sentiment against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies — even when their efforts are directed at taking criminals off the street. Criminals who are often committing crimes against other immigrants.
He also breaks down what has happened recently in Arizona. Homeland Security serving judicial warrants in Zipps Sports Grills and a shooting involving Border Patrol agents in the southern part of the state are occurring under different circumstances than what’s grabbing headlines elsewhere.
Cohen served in both Republican and Democratic administrations (and advised governors of both parties), so even though he’s a guest on the AZ Political Podcast, he doesn’t view border and immigration issues through a political lens — he sees things through a lens of public safety. And he doesn’t like the view he’s seeing right now.
Named “Law Enforcement Person of the Year” by Law Enforcement News, and among the “100 Key People in Homeland Security” by the National Journal, Cohen started his law enforcement life as an L.A.-area police officer and detective. He also served as an advisor to former Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, writing the state’s first homeland security strategy and helping to found ACTIC: the Arizona Counterterrorism Information Center.
The AZ Political Podcast is available at KTAR.com, the KTAR News app and everywhere you get your podcasts.
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Comments
32 Comments
I heard it put this way.
This is like a small child throwing a tantrum in the toy section of the dept store, do you give in allowing the child to learn this is the way to get things in life or do you get tuff, say no and discipline the child.
If local police kept those wanted by ICE in custody for ICE to pick up, it would take one agent. But releasing them into the community now requires additional agents going out into the community putting everyone at risk. Plus, if picking up from jail they get their one man but if the illegal they are picking up is living with other illegals all are getting deported.
Being in this country illegally is a crime.
Ice is hurting law enforcement reputation for implementing the law??? That's their job. What kind of upside down logic are we pushing here?
What we need is the politicians to change the law, that's their job. But It's easier to blame others than actually do anything about it I guess.
The MAGA sheep around here would apparently like to see ICE fully funded and allowed to murder any American citizen that doesn't bend the knee to them but instead cheers them as they carry out their brutality. They should be careful what they wish for.