Tom Homan, Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, answers questions in front of gang related photos from the MS-13 gang during a daily briefing at the White House July 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
FOX NEWS - Critics of the sanctuary city crackdown say it will chill immigrants from helping ICE go after MS-13 gang members, but the feds say they have plenty of tools – including a change in visa status - to win cooperation from the immigrant community.
The options seem to be paying off, with investigators from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations saying immigrant cooperation is making a big difference in the fight against the lethal and ruthless MS-13 gang.
In an atmosphere where cooperating with law enforcement is a death sentence imposed by the gang, most illegal immigrants appear to be more concerned about how to obtain legal resident status than financial reward, said one investigator who declined to be identified.
But at the same time, critics warn that the visa tool should be used only sparingly, since it could lead to fraudulent claims.
One of the fierce defenders is Eddy Wang, Section Chief, HSI Contraband Smuggling and Gang Unit, who said, “We wouldn’t be able to close a good number of our cases without the cooperation of the immigrant community.
“Gang members prey on the immigrant community by co-opting their children, exploiting the vulnerable with drugs, and violence. They don’t want to be victims so they work with us.”
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