# ICE spokesman quits rather than make “false” statements for Trump and Sessions **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 14, 2018, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520 "2018-03-14T00:46:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/1 "2018-03-14T00:46:22Z")
[Vice News: “ICE spokesman quits rather than make “false” statements for Trump and Sessions”](https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/59k7kx/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions)\*Specifically, Schwab was frustrated over statements, made by officials like Attorney General Jeff Sessions, that Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf had helped about 800 undocumented immigrants evade arrest when she warned the public that ICE would launch a four-day raid in late February. The number of immigrants who avoided arrest was far lower, Schwab told the San Francisco Chronicle, which broke the news of his resignation. In reality, ICE agents picked up 232 people, and the agency had expected to make an even smaller number of arrests, Schwab told Oakland Fox affiliate KTVU. In fact, he said ICE couldn’t have possibly picked up those 800 people because the agency rarely captures 100 percent of the people it targets. “I quit because I didn’t want to perpetuate misleading facts,” Schwab told the Chronicle. “I asked them to change the information. I told them that the information was wrong. They asked me to deflect, and I didn’t agree with that. Then I took some time, and I quit.”\* Discuss. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/2 "2018-03-14T01:02:08Z")
Those are the least necessary quotation marks in journalistic history. ---
**Author:** ![Pinmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@Pinmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pinmin)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/3 "2018-03-14T02:31:25Z")
Was Sessions statement true that there were over 800 wanted aliens at-large in the community? If that’s true, then the statement was true; the mayor did help 800 evade arrest. It doesn’t matter how many they actually got and how many they were prepared for, all 800+ were potential targets of arrest. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/4 "2018-03-14T02:42:07Z")
> [@Pinmin](#): > > Was Sessions statement true that there were over 800 wanted aliens at-large in the community? If that’s true, then the statement was true; the mayor did help 800 evade arrest. It doesn’t matter how many they actually got and how many they were prepared for, all 800+ were potential targets of arrest. Since Sessions is the one to claim 800, it’s up to him to provide the source of that number. Pulled from his nether regions doesn’t count. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/5 "2018-03-14T02:44:20Z")
Also, by that logic, the police helped every criminal who ever managed to elude capture, which requires a level of logical twisting difficult even by Trump supporter standards. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/6 "2018-03-14T09:32:44Z")
Well done that man! ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/7 "2018-03-14T14:10:16Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Since Sessions is the one to claim 800, it’s up to him to provide the source of that number. > Pulled from his nether regions doesn’t count. It appears that everyone agrees with the 800 number. Sessions didn’t make it up. The issue is that this is the number of people who remained at large, versus the number of remained at large as a result of the mayor’s warning. That said, from the quote I’ve seen attributed to Sessions, he pretty clearly said the latter, which was incorrect. (I don’t know if he decided to make this claim on his own or was fed bad info.) ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/8 "2018-03-14T14:25:46Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > It appears that everyone agrees with the 800 number. Sessions didn’t make it up. > > The issue is that this is the number of people who remained at large, versus the number of remained at large as a result of the mayor’s warning. > > That said, from the quote I’ve seen attributed to Sessions, he pretty clearly said the latter, which was incorrect. (I don’t know if he decided to make this claim on his own or was fed bad info.) “Everyone”? Do you have a cite for “everyone” agreeing? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/9 "2018-03-14T14:30:57Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > It appears that everyone agrees with the 800 number. The source for this fact is…? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/10 "2018-03-14T14:33:02Z")
> [@yanceylebeef](#): > > “Everyone”? > > Do you have a cite for “everyone” agreeing? It’s the Trumpian “everyone”. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/11 "2018-03-14T14:34:07Z")
Forget it. Believe what you want. You want to inform yourselves, read up about it. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/12 "2018-03-14T14:50:01Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Forget it. Believe what you want. You want to inform yourselves, read up about it. You’ve been here for nine years. You’re no stranger to the debate forums. If you present something you claim is a fact, it’s on you to provide a cite, to demonstrate that you didn’t just make it up. You know this. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/13 "2018-03-14T14:50:36Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Forget it. Believe what you want. You want to inform yourselves, read up about it. Got nothing, I take it? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/14 "2018-03-14T15:15:23Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > You’ve been here for nine years. You’re no stranger to the debate forums. If you present something you claim is a fact, it’s on you to provide a cite, to demonstrate that you didn’t just make it up. You know this. Give him a break. He’s trying to get hired for that ICE spokesman job that just opened up. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/15 "2018-03-14T15:24:11Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Give him a break. He’s trying to get hired for that ICE spokesman job that just opened up. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/16 "2018-03-14T15:30:37Z")
Not everyone believes the 800 number, and my post is my cite. See? That was really easy to disprove, because I’m someone. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/17 "2018-03-14T15:50:44Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The source for this fact is…? The linked article in the OP. You guys are being pretty ridiculous. The story is clearly that ICE had a little over a thousand people targeted and they only caught 232. The “lie” Schwab refused to go along with is that they would have caught everybody on the list without the Mayor’s warning, even though 232 was apparently better than they expected. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/18 "2018-03-14T16:52:37Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > The linked article in the OP. You guys are being pretty ridiculous. The story is clearly that ICE had a little over a thousand people targeted and they only caught 232. The “lie” Schwab refused to go along with is that they would have caught everybody on the list without the Mayor’s warning, even though 232 was apparently better than they expected. Uh uh, the number 800 is not really the issue, the lie the spokesman quitted for was this: > **[ICE Spokesman Quits Over Leaders' Use Of 'Misleading Facts' To Discuss Calif....](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/13/593104213/ice-spokesman-quits-over-leaders-use-of-misleading-facts-to-discuss-calif-arrest)** > > "I told them that the information was wrong, they asked me to deflect, and I didn't agree with that," said James Schwab, who resigned from his job at the Department of Homeland Security. > [@](#): > > “I didn’t feel like fabricating the truth to defend ourselves against [the mayor’s] actions was the way to go about it,” Schwab told the Chronicle. “We were never going to pick up that many people. To say that 100 percent are dangerous criminals on the street, or that those people weren’t picked up because of the misguided actions of the mayor, is just wrong.” > > In his attack on Schaaf, **Trump said 85 percent of the targeted immigrants had criminal records. But when KQED asked ICE to explain why the targeted people had been classified as threats to public safety, a spokeswoman cited only five, of the 864, who had been convicted of serious crimes.** > > From KQED: > > ``` > "Of the 232 people arrested, ICE stated that 115, or just under half, had 'prior felony convictions for serious and violent offenses' or past convictions for 'significant or multiple misdemeanors.' The other half had no criminal history. > > "When asked to specify how many arrestees were felons, spokeswoman Danielle Bennett would only respond, 'all of those arrested were arrested for being in violation of immigration law.' " > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/19 "2018-03-14T17:52:38Z")
Y’all, reread Pinmin’s post 3. F-P correctly corrected his misunderstanding: it’s not the 800 that’s the problem, it’s the claim that the mayor helped them escape. (The fact that of those 800 very few presented a threat to anyone is another issue–but that’s not what Pinmin was wrong about). ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520/20 "2018-03-14T17:56:40Z")
Well, that’s likely another lie but the posters above were indeed doubting the 800 number. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-spokesman-quits-rather-than-make-false-statements-for-trump-and-sessions/810520.md?page=2)