Posted on 02/16/2009 4:46:30 AM PST by IbJensen
Eight congressional Democrats are urging President Barack Obama to suspend the construction of a “border fence” separating the United States from Mexico, a move that is sure to reignite the immigration debate months after the economic crisis bumped the issue from the national stage.
The construction of a border fence is a contentious issue in Democratic circles — especially among those congressmen who are of Hispanic decent or represent districts with a large Hispanic presence. They now hope Mr. Obama will undo some of the border-protection policies erected by the Bush administration. And the border fence sits at the top of the list.
“Though there are places where a fence is the most feasible option, we strongly believe the Bush administration’s approach of constructing a fence along much of the Southwest Border was ill-conceived as it was void of any meaningful input from the local communities or the Border Patrol Sector Chiefs who are most familiar with the challenges of securing our border,” eight Democratic lawmakers wrote Mr. Obama last week.
“In an era of advanced technologies, the border fence is an antiquated structure that has torn our communities apart and damaged our cross border relationships.”
In the letter, which was signed by U.S. Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz, D-Texas, along with U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas; Susan Davis, D-Calif.; Bob Filner D-Calif.; Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz.; Ruben Hinojosa, D-Texas; Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas;and Ciro D. Rodriguez, D-Texas, the lawmakers argued the fact former President George W. Bush to steps to expedite the fence, coupled with the project’s rising costs, are both grounds for a temporarily suspend the fence’s construction.
“The previous administration undertook controversial measures to expedite the construction of border fencing, such as the waiver of more than 30 environmental laws,” the letter read, adding, “the costs associated with construction of border fencing have rapidly escalated.”
The fence, however, is a success story to the numerous border agents patrolling the still porous U.S.-Mexican border and the need for its completion is undeniable.
“I’ve flown before and come back and had 70-plus [illegal immigrants logged in a tracking book],” Border Patrol pilot Brad Smith told CNN’s John King. “I know guys who have gone on a flight and come back with 100-plus illegals in their logbook. Now it is in single digits, typically.”
In urban areas, the three-layered fence has made illegal border crossings incredibly difficult and when the Secured Fence Act of 2006 was debated, one the bill’s chief sponsors, former U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., joked if anyone could cross the border fence they should be recruited for a spot on the Olympic team.
The act was passed, with the support of then-Sen. Obama, and Congress budgeted close to $3 million for the construction of the security fence deemed necessary to stem the constant flow of illegal immigrants into the country. The fence, when completed, will cover 670 miles of land.
But the Democratic call to stop the fence may be too late as 601 miles of the fence are already complete leaving just 69 additional miles. And time is not the only factor working against open border advocates, as popular support, even among Latinos, favors measures reducing the number of illegal immigrants entering the country.
On the eve of Mr. Obama’s inauguration, the Pew Hispanic Forum asked Latinos what were the issues they deemed “extremely important.” Despite the clamor of Latino rights advocates, which showed up in Washington clamoring for amnesty for the estimated 13 million illegal immigrants, immigration did not even make the top five.
Ordinary Latinos were concerned about the economy, education, health care, national security and the environment.
In a few more months it will be a difficult task to find a person who will admit voting for this communist.
and here I thought that this anti-american, ignorant, clumsy muslim wanted government spending on infrastructure, which is what the border fence is - in progress, creating jobs and is spending money right now? So why stop it and put these people out of work, zero?
That’s right. Americans are losing jobs right and left. Let’s get the Democrat congress and Osama on record now saying they will dismantle the fence and open the border. That’ll go over well.
Well,we all knew this was coming.Hey dumbacraps!Guess who is likely to lose a job with more illegals in the country?Man, these people are stupid and there is just no fix for that.
Someone tell Obrother that El Paso is resembling a Somali style warzone. The news is coming a bit slow out of Texas.
Well, now we know why and who dragged the construction. The money has already been allotted.
FYI
Let’s see...increases in gang violence in cities accross the country; narcotrafficing at an all-time high; strained public services due to illegals flooding our schools, hospitals and prisons; State government finances in the red; social security and medicare insolvent....
If I didn’t know any better, I would say that there is an ulterior motive in allowing our borders to remain unsecured that doesn’t involve inexpensive lettuce.
I don't think so at all. Sadly, this is what a lot of people want. Maybe not a majority, but certainly not a broom closet minority
I say this because we were used to some degree of freedom and peace within our own nation. Now these communist rats will turn everything upside down and they may not have to wait until the Second Coming to get their just punishment.
Those someona beaches!
So, tell me again how the democRATS are patriotic & want to protect America.....
So true,so true.
http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=101
Excerpt:
Only three-in-ten (31%) Latinos rate immigration as an “extremely important” issue facing the incoming Obama administration, placing it sixth on a list of seven policy priorities that respondents were asked to assess in a nationwide survey
Democrats need to import their voters.
They don’t breed much, and they often kill their young before they are born. Convenience, you know.
“These socialist cork soakers are going for it all in the first two months of the administration. “
Because they know that this may be their last chance to ever commit such acts of treason. The next item they are working on is trying to make it so they are never removed from office (Obama: changing tax structure so that even fewer people pay taxes and those that do will pay more, thereby guaranteeing the marxixts a permanent majority of the electorate; Obama: attempting to take the census into the Whitehouse where his operatives can abuse the system and further ensure favorable electoral districting.)
Where are all the sobbing idiots who were accusing Bush of every evil known to man - with no substance or evidence to back their accusations? What if Bush even announced his plans to do any of these things?
If a conservative government ever gets back in control of this country, they will have to rid the system of all of this mess created by Obama if we are going to survive as a country - regardless if these obamidiots burn their cities to the ground in protest.
Hey, they WON. The “One” said so, so shut up and like it. /sarc
millions spent and 69 miles to go and these dem clowns want to tear it down? hasn’t america suffered enough with the home invasions, gang warfare on our streets, carjackings, kidnappings, murders, burglaries, child molesting, arsons, rapes and drug running perpetrated by illegals?
Yeah, one could almost believe that someone is fomenting Civil War II.
Yeah, Dubya's refusal to issue engraved invitations HAS to be overruled.
Most ordinary people who vote democrat and aren't elected to any office want the fence.
Sylvestre Reyes is from Canutillo and used to be head of the Border Patrol in the El Paso sector. He knows better, but he is such a political hack he goes along with the party line on everything He is also not bright enough to form an idea on his own.
Votes trump national security.
Give a man a fish, and he’ll be back again tomorrow asking for another fish, then you can make him do something he wouldn’t voluntarily do in order to get that fish.
Teach a man to fish, and he’ll never need you again.
Why is this such a controversy? The US needs to protect its borders and it needs to allow legal immigration for various reasons as well.
No thoughtful person could possibly disagree with those simple facts.
It is simply not asking too much that folks who come across the border have a set of legal hurdles to complete....be it acquiring a visa, a green card, or a temporary workers permit. What’s the argument here?
We simply need to figure out the rules and put them in place.
And, since we can all agree that the US can not possibly take in every citizen of the world. It simply logically follows that we then all agree that there should be some limit on the number of immigrants who enter this country. So, again what’s the controversy here?
Finally, I totally disagree that Mexicans or South Americans would be offended by a real immigration policy. It would be an immigration policy. What country doesn’t have that?
The fact that this isn’t getting done simply points to the corruption in our government (and Mexico’s for that matter).
This is from a friend who lives in McAllen, Texas:
“In answer to your question about the “BAD Guys”....... The government has hyped up the security along our
border because it is only a stones throw across the river to Mexico.... We have seen the Border Patrol out in
force speeding up and down the river with riffles, etc...there are now helicopters that patrol the river and
now our city has night hilicopter patrol, maybe some of the other cities have the same... DRUGS are coming
in faster than you can blink your eye....Large, large amounts of All kinds of drugs....and many killings in
relation to the drugs.....The cortell (Sp) is a major danger in Mexico and along the border...they are killing
people like there are ants....!!! I would tell everyone to stay on our side and not venture into Mexico
IT IS DANGEROUS and yes there are very bad people being caught here that are from all parts of the World
that want to cause us harm. Mexico is really hurting in many ways....you see...the police are all incoots
with the Drug Cortell which has been in control in Mexico for a very long time and everyday there are many
killings.....it started many years ago when Don used to do a lot of work in Laredo,TX (north on the Border
from McAllen) when it got really bad he stopped working there...Thank God !!!
The Border Patrol is always chasing illegals and searching for stash houses...sometimes as many as 35-50
illegals in one houses....and there are many stash houses...ones that you would think that a very nice
family would be living in !!! They stay in these stash houses until their connection can come and take
them to Houston and other US cities... That Wall is Not going to keep illegals or drugs from entering this
country of ours.....The stupid US drug users are keeping the Bad Guys in Business !!!!!!!!!!”
Ignorant voters have elected a President and Congress that has:
* Passed and will soon sign into law, a $1 trillion spending bill.
* Started conversations with known terrorists states Syria and Iran.
* Is discussing dropping sanctions against Iran.
* Is signaling that he wants a trade war with China.
* Slipped in the beginnings of rationed healthcare into the spending bill.
* Is obviously planning on granting amnesty to illegal aliens.
* Has angered India by its willingness to appease Pakistan regarding Kashmir.
* We will soon see what he does to Israel.
I fail to see the benefit of complaining that we made no progress under the Bush Administration. If anything, it makes it easier for the Obama Administration to reverse the gains we made by claiming, “it’s not like we were doing anything, anyway.”
This is a ping list promoting Immigration Enforcement and Congressional Reform.
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Big post today, BIG post...
Conyers seeks DoJ probe into controversial sheriff
Reality Intrudes on the Drug War
Twice deported immigrant convicted of kidnapping girl in Phx
Twilight Zone at U.S.-Mexico border
US Uses Songs To Deter Immigrants
Don’t Bullyrag Immigrants And Hope To Get Away With It
Stop deportations to troubled Haiti
New testing discloses a deadly danger is in Bexar [Chagas in Texas]
Phoenix police tackle kidnappings
Carpet capital gone, joblessness moves into Dalton
Border fence is a dividing line in immigration debate
Mexico governor: Cartels behind northern protests
[New Mexico:]Deputies target Mexican drug cartel for murder
Next Steps for Immigration Reform and Workplace Enforcement
Deported for drugs, illegal sues rancher
Changing Direction in the Drug War
Tyson urged to hire Shelbyville residents before immigrants, refugees
Fed indictments tell how H-1B visas were used to undercut wages
Mexican Mafia gang members arrested in San Diego
'Hitmen' Held Over Mexico Murders
4 US Reps request probe of Ariz. sheriff's office { Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio }
Protest at Anderson fire station construction site enters second day
Report: Over 100,000 deportees had children in US
Border agent, mother in Metairie charged with harboring foreigners
[South Texas:]9 weapons found in vehicle; (Mexican)driver held
Unemployed Bricklayers: Workers Are 'Illegal'
Undocumented Student at Harvard on $50,000 Scholarship
Child rape suspect in court this morning (2 illegals rape 11 yo)
Recession hits Latino immigrants hard
E-Verify Program Removed From 'Stimulus' Package (Illegal Immigrants Can Now Benefit From Porkulus
Democrats undercut aid for U.S. workers
Mayor Says Tyson Should Hire Locals First
Protest staged at Anderson fire station construction site
US army 'wants more immigrants'
NY Honor Killer's Muslim Sympathy Site Yanked
Calif. polygamist gets life term for family abuses (Muslim Convert Gets Life)
Cartel violence: Is Dallas-Fort Worth within reach?
Beheading in Buffalo - at Muslim TV Station
The Internationalization of the US Military - New Program Has Goal of 25% Immigrant Enlistees
Black Conservative on the NY Times & Immigration
Indians involved in major US H-1B visa racket
Lawmakers (Non-Arizona congress-persons) Want Look at Sheriff in Arizona
Prominent Orchard Park man charged with beheading his wife
Violence from Mexico spilling into U.S. far from border
Conyers seeks DoJ probe into controversial sheriff(Joe Arpaio)
Border fence ping.
To think of how much damage this egotistical, smirking, non-American can accomplish within the next two years is mind-boggling.
A large majority of Americans will shortly come to despise this narcisistic communist.
McCain chortles gleefully.
And posing as Lincoln to suspend Habeas Corpus.
Just lovely.
This is the rule of government (as currently practiced).
It’s OBAMALAND.
Thanks for the ping, I think I’ll do my show Thursday on this.
Thank you.
sw
Texas, never been, but wishing I was their and had your sense of independence and getting it done...
Are you a Glenn Beck Listener/watcher?
He has been saying some ominous predictions that the tipping point may come from your state.
G_d help us all from the incompetence of these 90 day wonders, this is like a bad dream. Even my former 60's hippie friend has noted how over his head he is already....
What they save in supporting the illegals will pay off the fence in 3 years on average.....issue construction bonds and people still left with money will snap them up.
“If I didn’t know any better, I would say that there is an ulterior motive in allowing our borders to remain unsecured that doesn’t involve inexpensive lettuce.”
I am firmly convinced the libtards have as their guiding philosophy the destruction of America. Nothing they do or say gives cause to believe otherwise.
...and he'll spend the rest of his life in a boat, drinking beer.
“In an era of advanced technologies, the border fence is an antiquated structure that has torn our communities apart and damaged our cross border relationships.”
Translation: “A fence has made things inconvenient for drug-running, smuggling, kidnapping, job-stealing, murdering border jumping brothers and sisters to coordinate activities with their allies and fellow travelers on the north side of the border.”
Benefit? Interesting concept. I think that DUBYA made INSUFFICIENT progress. Is expressing that beneficial? More importantly, am I right in that opinion; is it true?
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