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Border Agents Assail Bush's Plan
The Los Angeles Times ^
| January 23, 2004
| Scott Gold and H.G. Reza
Posted on 01/23/2004 2:20:32 PM PST by Delta-Tango
HOUSTON U.S. Border Patrol agents, charged with enforcing the nation's border laws, are furious about President Bush's proposal to create a guest worker program for millions of illegal immigrants, union leaders say.
In interviews this week, nearly three dozen current and former agents across the nation called Bush's proposal an insult to the thousands of men and women who have devoted their careers to fighting illegal immigration, including wave after wave along the California-Mexico border.
The agents many of whom otherwise support the White House savaged the Bush proposal as a grab for Latino votes and a favor to the business community, factions of which rely on cheap immigrant labor. And they say they are bracing for a rush of people trying to sneak into the United States.
"We get rocks thrown at us. We get shot at. We get spit on," said James Stack, a representative of the agents' union and a 16-year veteran who patrols the border near El Paso.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: aliens; borderpatrol; bush; immigration; texas
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Straight talk from heroes on the *other* front line.
To: Delta-Tango
Excellent article. Unfortunately, it will be dismissed by those who think the ILLEGAL immigration problem is due to the inadaquacies of the BP.
Bush's faulty policy is a slap in the face to all the hard working men and women who put their lives on the line each day protecting our borders.
2
posted on
01/23/2004 2:23:26 PM PST
by
South40
(My vote helped defeat cruz bustamante; did yours?)
To: South40
Bush's policy is actually treasonous, and it's a slap in the face to all Americans, including the Border Patrol agents who risk their lives to defend our borders.
3
posted on
01/23/2004 2:26:13 PM PST
by
Thorin
To: Thorin
I agree. But there are some here who have been harrassing me for days because I say I'll still vote for him. Seems they think if I'm opposed to Bush's faulty proposal I should not support him for president. Like I'm going to vote for a democRAT.
4
posted on
01/23/2004 2:28:47 PM PST
by
South40
(My vote helped defeat cruz bustamante; did yours?)
To: Delta-Tango
nearly three dozen current and former agents across the nation called Bush's proposal an insult to the thousands of men and women who have devoted their careers to fighting illegal immigrationWith all due respect for their work, and speaking as a throw-em-all-out advocate, this is like saying that ending Prohibition was an insult to the men who devoted their careers to fighting rumrunning.
To: Thorin
I don't know if I'd go so far as "treasonous", but it darn close.
6
posted on
01/23/2004 2:29:49 PM PST
by
Jotmo
("Voon", said the mattress.)
To: South40
Like I'm going to vote for a democRAT.You could vote for the Constitution Party candidate.
To: Delta-Tango
Poor guys. Looks like unwilling administration support of willing border agents.
8
posted on
01/23/2004 2:31:00 PM PST
by
Mamzelle
To: Delta-Tango
Does the Border Patrol have a general view on H1B visas? Just curious.
9
posted on
01/23/2004 2:31:04 PM PST
by
onedoug
To: Delta-Tango
"throw-em-all-out": the illegals, that is
To: Land of the Free 04
You could vote for the Constitution Party candidate. And I could also be one of the 0.37% who vote Libertarian. But I'd rather my vote count and be effective in defeating liberalism. Notice my tagline.
11
posted on
01/23/2004 2:33:47 PM PST
by
South40
(My vote helped defeat cruz bustamante; did yours?)
To: onedoug
Does the Border Patrol have a general view on H1B visas? Just curious.The H-1B visa program has no serious safeguards to protect American workers from being replaced and is abused to provide cheap foreign labor.
12
posted on
01/23/2004 2:53:59 PM PST
by
South40
(My vote helped defeat cruz bustamante; did yours?)
To: South40
What sort of "protection" does the Border Patrol feel American workers need? And don't they subscribe to supply and demand economics?
Thank you.
13
posted on
01/23/2004 2:59:33 PM PST
by
onedoug
To: Thorin
"Bush's policy is actually treasonous, and it's a slap in the face to all Americans, including the Border Patrol agents who risk their lives to defend our borders."
Agreed! And let's not forget the slap in the face to those wishing to come here who do so legally while incurring great expenses in time and money.
To: Thorin
This policy really pisses me off. Try being a legal citizen of this country and then marrying someone of another nationality. The expenses one must go through with the Federal Government just to bring their spouse here are completely rediculous. Perhaps I should just consider bringing my wife here via Mexico. After all, that is what this encourages.
To: onedoug
What sort of "protection" does the Border Patrol feel American workers need?I can only speak for myself. But, with over 9 million Americans currently out of work we don't need to import labor.
And don't they subscribe to supply and demand economics?
The supply is already here, which is exactly why H-1Bs are unnecessary.
You're welcome.
16
posted on
01/23/2004 3:08:38 PM PST
by
South40
(My vote helped defeat cruz bustamante; did yours?)
To: Dr. Marten
Of course, as you say, the Bush amnesty scheme is also a slap in the face to those who came here legally or have tried to do so.
17
posted on
01/23/2004 3:14:54 PM PST
by
Thorin
To: Delta-Tango
Immigration experts, however, said the agents' lobbying effort likely will have little effect on the debate.They're affecting the debate to such a degree that the LA Times has to run a story to tell us they're doomed to failure.
"The business community, AFL-CIO and the immigrant community are the political forces that are going to determine whether the president's proposal passes"
Are we supposed to believe there's no other opposition besides the Border Patrol?
To: primeval patriot
Are we supposed to believe there's no other opposition besides the Border Patrol? Well, the Times didn't interview *me* and I am highly insulted! Actually, I'm surprised they even printed the Border Patrol position at all. At this point I will take what I can get.
To: Delta-Tango
I hope this whole thing is a cleverly veiled scheme of Dubya's, and he's planning on it to tank. He's got a serious portion of his base PO'd at him.
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