ICE deports Polish fugitive wanted for manslaughter

On September 20, 2012 ICE's Chicago office issued a press release that heralded the deportation of a Dariusz Wietocha, a 43 year old citizen of Poland back to his native country so that he could be prosecuted for allegedly violating motor vehicles that resulted in two pedestrians being struck by the vehicle he was driving.  As a consequence of that accident, one of the pedestrians died and the other was injured.

According to the press release:

An arrest warrant was issued for Wietocha Aug. 30, 2004, by the Bialystok Regional Court in Poland in connection with a fatal traffic accident that killed one person and injured a second victim. According to the warrant, on Dec. 28, 1990, Wietocha was driving in Bialystok when he violated traffic regulations and hit two pedestrians, killing one. Wietocha then fled the scene of the accident.

Wietocha entered the United States by illegally crossing the Mexican border in 1991. He has an extensive criminal history in the United States, including a felony conviction in 2004 in the Northern District of Illinois for possessing Ecstasy with the intent to distribute.

In June ERO received information that Wietocha might be living in the Chicago area and that he was wanted for the crime of manslaughter in Poland. On July 17, ERO Fugitive Operations Unit officers arrested Wietocha near his Schaumburg residence and took him into ICE custody.

It is important to understand that an alien who evades the inspection process mandated by our immigration laws may have multiple reasons for entering the United States surreptitiously.  The inspections process is supposed to prevent the entry of aliens into the United States whose presence would be harmful.

In this case, Wietocha not only fled the scene of the crime but his country altogether, in an effort to evade law enforcement authorities.  Notwithstanding the fact that he had entered the United States illegally and was even convicted of committing a drug related felony in 2004 he managed to remain in the United States until he was finally deported back to Poland on September 20, 2012 more than two decades after he fled his native Poland and ran the U.S. Mexican border.

It is unfathomable that even after being convicted of possessing Ecstasy with the intent to distribute it that he was apparently not deported from the United States but somehow managed to be released back onto the streets of Illinois.  It should probably be presumed that this was likely the result of the attitude of the political leaders of Illinois that immigration laws are optional.  Illinois is a so-called “Sanctuary State” where immigration laws are generally ignored.

The press release continues:

"This individual snuck across the Mexican border to escape justice in Poland for the crimes he committed there," said Ricardo Wong, ERO Chicago field office director. "On a daily basis, ICE protects public safety by arresting and removing international fugitives who pose a threat to our communities."

It is a bit ironic that a high-ranking manager at ICE would note that criminal aliens such as the alien that served as the basis for the press release pose a threat to the communities where they live but blithely ignored the fact that it took more than 20 years for ICE to arrest this criminal and deport him pursuant to a criminal arrest warrant issued in Poland.  You have to wonder if any efforts would have made to locate and apprehend him if Polish authorities had not issued their warrant.

Under Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324, a section of law that s contained within the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), it is a felony to aid, abet, encourage or induce aliens to enter our country illegally or remain in our country illegally.

Unlike the laws of nature, man's laws are meaningless unless they are enforced.  It is inconceivable that politicians are not only not prosecuted for violating immigration laws that were enacted in order to protect American lives and the jobs of Americans, but that they are actually able to win re-election!

All too many of our fellow Americans fail to vote- but our obligation as citizens goes beyond the voting booth.

Failures of the vast majority of the citizens of our country to make their demands known to their elected representatives have empowered and emboldened many elected representatives to represent those with deep pockets who make the massive campaign contributions and all but ignore the great majority of their constituents.

For those of our citizens who are infuriated by the current circumstances and want to know who to blame, here is a suggestion- if you are not communicating with your elected representatives and making your concerns known on a routine basis, look in the mirror!

Democracy is not a spectator sport!