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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Why was an Irish businessman and father-to-be arrested in his NYC home?

Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 07:21 AM

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An ICE official detains an unknown man

Recently an Irish businessman arrived home from his busy workday in Manhattan to find immigration agents outside his house.

Clearly because he was undocumented he had been turned in by someone who saw him as an enemy. He was immediately arrested and has since been detained in an immigration holding prison in New
Jersey.

His wife is several months pregnant and his family no doubt is deeply distressed by what has happened to him.

I am not going to identify him for obvious reasons, but suffice to say his arrest has been the big story in the community this week.

There are many questions around this case, but the most important one is very simple.

Why was this man picked up?
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Why was an Irish businessman and father-to-be arrested in his NYC home?

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He had dozens of people employed, was well-known as a very hard worker and a man who gave back to his community.

He was active in several Irish societies. There was even a photograph of him with Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny at one event.

I don’t personally know this man who was picked up, but several of his friends have attested to his hard work, basic decency and ability to create new businesses and jobs in New York City.

He is not unlike millions of Irish before him who came to America, worked hard and made a better life for themselves and everyone around them.

His only flaw was that he came at a time when No Irish Need Apply signs are back when it comes to getting working visas in America.

The Obama administration has made a big deal lately of its new policy of only tracking down criminal aliens and ignoring those who are just here to try to make a living.

The arrest of this Irishman would seem to give the lie to that particular policy.
I don’t know how much it will cost to incarcerate him, process his case and eventually, I guess, deport him, but it will surely run into the six figures.

I understand that immigration authorities in the U.S. have a job to do, and in the main they try and do it well I’m sure.

The Obama administration, like in many other areas, has talked a good game on immigration but delivered very little.

Either there is a coherent policy here that the target is those illegals who have broken the law and should be deported, or the opposite, that non-criminal aliens can also be sought out.

We can’t blame the agents for the arrest as they were clearly following orders, but the fact is that under Obama’s outline I understood that such people as this Irish businessman would no longer be deported, and that priority was to be given to those with criminal records.

So will he now be set free at some point, or is the administrative system going to swallow him up?

And what is the point of arresting him if there is no long-term plan to deport him?

I can only imagine the nightmare he and his family and his pregnant wife have gone through on this occasion.

The sad part is that it is so unnecessary, such a waste of valuable time and resources and a young businessman’s ability to create jobs, help the New York economy and play his role in the greatest country on Earth. All that has been so cruelly thwarted for all the wrong reasons.

The need to reform immigration law has never been greater.
---------------
Read more:
More on US politics from IrishCentral

Why was an Irish businessman and father-to-be arrested in his NYC home?

Was quarterback Tom Brady ‘talking Gaelic’ during heated argument?- VIDEO
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46 comments

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Murph46 | Dec 15, 2011, 10:30 AM EST

Hey what do you expect from this administration,The A.G.is selling guns to Mexican drug lords that have been used to kill American border guards!There is no immigration policy.

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Brnmar1 | Dec 15, 2011, 10:26 AM EST

ICE doesn't care what the president say. They are a power that do what they want. This type of behaviour by ICE has been going on for many year. My brother was arrested on his job (worked for a major food corporation)in 2007 by ICE. He had been working there for almost 5 years. He had lived in the USA for 35 years (since he was 18). He was deported a month later. Please don't try to blame Pres Obama for the behaviour of ICE.

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gavinpchow | Dec 15, 2011, 10:14 AM EST

I guess that you don't like for a natural born American citizen to speak his mind, as it might not be politically correct and might offend some of your whiners..

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joycean | Dec 15, 2011, 10:13 AM EST

I really don't see how someone runs a legitimate business who is here illegally. My husband and I own a business. You would not believe the paperwork. All of which requires identification information. If his employees are paid on the books, he should be reporting their information. If he has a car and gets stopped on a traffic violation, the policeman takes his license and runs it through his car computer. I doubt that his employees are Americans. I also doubt his business was entirely aboveboard. And any slip would be grounds for checking everthing.

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joycean | Dec 15, 2011, 09:57 AM EST

Either one or both of two things. He is in the US illegally and his number came up for deportation. Or/and he had a criminal charge - DUI/DWI/Assault/Battery take your pick - which automatically results in immediate deportation for aliens. This is America folks not Ireland and actions have consequences. He knew that when he decided to enter the country illegally.

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Searlit | Dec 15, 2011, 09:57 AM EST

Yesterday was a sad day for America.We're living in a military state. We have lost our civil rights and freedom, so much so that we now have the prison system privatized and run for profit. Lo, if the rest of the world follows in America's footsteps.

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IronMountainMovies | Dec 15, 2011, 09:56 AM EST

Obama was over in Ireland recently telling us all how much he loved us and how close the ties were that bond us. Yesterday, like his predecessor George W. Bush he announced the end of the Iraq war. After all the promise of his rise to power we discover that no matter what the colour of ones skin, once they get into power they quickly forget their promises and join the bullshitters brigade.

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gavinpchow | Dec 15, 2011, 09:52 AM EST

Same old whining. If you come to this country legally, then you have nothing to worry about from ICE. Come here w/o the legal papers, sorry, sooner or later you are goin to get caught. I don't care what country you come from or what you do with your life once you are here. If you come illegally, then suffer the just rewards. Go Home.Just because you have a sorry govt, is no excuse to come here illegally. We have a sorry govt and I am not trying to run away.. Change from within..

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giddyfiddles | Dec 15, 2011, 09:39 AM EST

The old adage comes to mind here - keep your friends close and your enemies even closer !!

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Ratslayer | Dec 15, 2011, 09:39 AM EST

Welcome to the Fascist Police State of America. Black is white in this f-upped nation. Stop the nonsense that America is a land of fairness and justice. Now American citizens can be held in Gitmo or wherever FOREVER without charge. Does anyone care, sheep?? Hell this hard-working tax-paying job creator stews in prison on the taxpayer dime but serial child rapist Sandusky sits in comfort at his home.

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TiocfaidhArmani | Dec 15, 2011, 09:34 AM EST

I would guess a competitor ratted him in, shame for him as he's contributing to America. Shame there's no avenue for people like him who've made it to become legal.

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lrishRed | Dec 15, 2011, 09:31 AM EST

WTF !!!!! We have millions of illegals here .Gangs made up of them ,repeat offenders ,killers .drug dealers that our government wont do a damn thing about .Sorry I didn't hear about the great TACO famine but yet our tax dollars go to support millions illegals that don't even want to be Americans rather then our own citizens . Is it any wonder we have so many people pissed off at our system.Here is what I think ,we make Ireland the 51st state ,open the doors for her people who are hard working ( shouldn't be hard to find ). Shame you didn't give the guys name I think the support for him and his family would truly be great.....

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Springfield9 | Dec 15, 2011, 09:30 AM EST

20,000,000 Illegal Hispanics and they get one Irishman. Homeland Security should be proud of themselves. I'll bet this was a 28 man "Sting" Operration that had gone on for 2 years. On the bright side .... Enda wants his business in Ireland.

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Imelda52 | Dec 15, 2011, 09:30 AM EST

This is very simple. His wife goes into the office and lets everyone go. They do not like Americans made unemployed especially in this day and age. If she has that kind of authority ie a partner in the firm. If he has dozens of people working for him and it's his company, fire everyone until he gets out.

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joycean | Dec 15, 2011, 09:27 AM EST

Isn't being here ILLEGALLY breaking the law?

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