I don't know what happened to Joe, but that is the secret behind no one on FR criticizing our friend, D-Joe Baca.
Posted on 07/12/2004 10:51:41 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
Border Patrol agents who executed highly popular roundups of illegal aliens in Southern California last month – the first of their kind in recent memory – say they've been told to stop such enforcement action, and the Bush administration official in charge of the immigration enforcement has refused to say if there would be additional sweeps in the future.
In an extraordinary radio interview Thursday on Los Angeles talk-radio station KFI, talk-show host John Kobylt grilled Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security Asa Hutchinson about why the roundups had been ended. The official, a former congressman who works under Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, attempted to defend the Bush administration record on immigration enforcement, but was repeatedly pressured by Kobylt to justify the canceling of the sweeps.
In early June, the Temecula Border Patrol station formed a special Mobile Patrol Group that conducted a series of illegal-alien sweeps in Norco, Corona and Escondido, Calif. The12-man group made more than 450 arrests as a result of the roundups.
Ron Zermeno, shop steward for the National Border Patrol Council at the Temecula station was frustrated with the decision to stop the sweeps.
"We don't know which way to turn. For once we were doing our job, what the government pays us to do," he told the North County Times.
After the roundups occurred, Latino activists protested at Border Patrol stations demanding an end to the sweeps.
Late last month, Hutchinson told members of Congress the raids were executed without the approval of higher-ranking officials, according to the Times report. While the sweeps were not illegal, they violated policy and the chain of command, Hutchinson said at the time.
In the radio interview, which lasted 22 minutes without any commercial breaks, Kobylt repeatedly confronted Hutchinson about when sweeps of illegal aliens would begin again.
While Hutchinson did not directly confirm that the sweeps had been stopped, he repeatedly stressed that future operations would have to be "coordinated" with other agencies. He told Kobylt while the priority of the Border Patrol is stopping the flow of aliens at the border, he also supports "interior enforcement" of immigration laws.
"Those 12 guys in Temecula rounded up 400 people in three days," Kobylt said. "Why not let them do what they're doing? They don't need to coordinate with anybody.
"They were doing fine, and the American taxpayers here in Southern California were thrilled beyond belief."
While Hutchinson argued the priority should be placing personnel at the border, Kobylt countered that California has 2 million illegal aliens who he says are a drain on the taxpayers of the state.
"It's $5 billion in tax money going down the hole every year to support these people," he told Hutchinson. "Why aren't you doing your job? Why do we still have tens of thousands of illegal aliens piling over the border every year?"
Kobylt charged Hutchinson with not neglecting the task of interior enforcement, pointing out the California roundups were big news stories because such action had not been taken "for years."
"When are the [round ups] going to start up again?" Kobylt asked Hutchinson.
"I'm not going to announce that on the radio," responded the official, who appeared riled by Kobylt's direct and persistent questioning. "You can expect interior enforcement actions in the future."
Kobylt accused Hutchinson of bowing to political pressure from immigrant-rights groups. He slammed the official for not confirming that the roundups would continue.
Said Kobylt after one of Huthinson's responses: "That's gobbledy-gook."
The host continued to pound on the roundup issue, but did not get the "yes or no" answer he was looking for.
"Yes or no, are you going to restart the border sweeps?" Kobylt pressed.
Responded Hutchinson: "We're going to continue the enforcement operations. They'll be coordinated between the Border Patrol and the ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents. And that's the commitment that we make."
The talk-show host also pressed Hutchinson on the lack of enforcement action against employers in Southern California who hire illegal aliens.
"We have never seen a single company executive indicted for employing illegal aliens in this state," Kobylt said, who told Hutchinson he was "tap dancing" around his pointed questions.
"We have an enormous illegal-alien problem here in Southern California, and we are getting zero help from the federal government," Kobylt said.
Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., a long-time advocate of tough immigration enforcement talked to Kobylt and co-host Ken Chiampou yesterday about the interview.
Kobylt encouraged Tancredo to read part of the interview on the floor of the House of Representatives.
"Well, that's an idea," Tancredo said. "I will talk about this on the House floor and I will try to figure out a way to interweave that."
Said Kobylt: "We don't want this Hutchinson thing to die. …
"I don't care if [Hutchinson's] a nice guy or not. I don't care if he gives mouth-to-mouth to dying dogs. It doesn't matter to me. Is he going to do the job on something that is extremely important that three-quarters of the state wants enforced?"
Zermeno said the halt in sweeps stems from pressure from Latino-rights activists and others.
"It's a few activists that are screaming for us to stop doing our job, and they are the ones getting Hutchinson's ear. It's very frustrating," Zermeno told the Times.
The KFI talkers have urged listeners to contact Hutchinson's office about the issue. The following message appears on the show's website:
Trey Bohn is the director of Radio, Office of Media Affairs, for the White House, and he wants you to stop e-mailing Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for the Department of Homeland Security. Trey wants you to use a generic e-mail address, where you letters may or may not be seen. If you get a chance, why not give Trey a call and remind him who pays his salary. Call Trey at (202) 456-3851. Joseph Farah, WND editor and host of radio program "WorldNetDaily RadioActive," will play the interview on his show today. The program runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.
I, sir, am a native Californian. I was born there, grew up there, spent most of my adulthood there until two years ago when I got disgusted and left. Please explain what, precisely, I am "imposing" on you.
Follow up reply... it's not the illegal canadians we are concerned about. Where do you think the terrorists are trying to come in at? The southern border, where all the attention has been, or a vast, open northern border that has been all but neglected until 9/11?
Heh heh heh...
Good enough then. Who has got your vote? I am voting Bush.
I still voting from Bush even tho I would like more done about this issue. However, Bush has tried to do something and it is a lot different than the citizenship for all Kerry wants. Believe me if Kerry wins some kind of law giving illegals citizenship. There will be nothing to stop any new ones coming here under Kerry either. Bush has done things I agree with and some things I don't. Kerry with do nothing I agree with. Makes my choice easy.
Although I'll surely vote for Bush because he's better than the alternative, he has certainly turned plenty of broken-glass Republicans into the why-bother variety. I have no idea how so many here on FR could manufacture such a fictional image of a strong and unyielding president. He's been caving since very early in his administration, when he apologized to the Chinese after they knocked our plane out of the sky and held our people hostage. Simple truth: He's speaks loudly and carries a tiny little stick.
MM
With all due respect, are you trying to insult our intelligence? What attention? If by that you mean people people talking about the open border, that is because there aren't 10s of thousands of people coming over the Candian border every night. Now is it dangerous that the north is ungaurded against terrorist? Yup, but the LACK of attention to the southern border makes it more likely to be used by terrorist. I know personally that there are tons of Arabs jumping the border and going into New Mexico. Just because no bombs have gone off, does that mean they are benign? Hell no. The LACK of attention to the southern border has set up the psychological principle called the Broken Windows principle, where people contemplating a crime are more likely to commit it when they see broken windows in a neighborhood because it is assumed that the laws are not being enforced.
Everybody knows down here our laws aren't being enforced, even Osama.
Let me restate. The southern border is where the resources have been directed, because the focus was on illegal entry by Mexicans. It's only in the last couple of years that attention has been paid to putting more manpower on the northern border, where the focus is on detecting terrorists.
I'm not commenting on how effective our laws have been, I'm commenting on resource management. That's all.
I don't know what happened to Joe, but that is the secret behind no one on FR criticizing our friend, D-Joe Baca.
I completely disagree. The focus has been the appearance of that only. Its symbolism over substance. I know you feel you aren't getting your fair share, but the reality is that because of the broken windows principle, the south deserves a whole lot more resources and focus than it has gotten. Only then would I worry about the north, because right now, particularly since one got caught coming down that way, a terrorist would be sloppy to even bother with anything other than the Rio Grande.
Disagree if you wish, but since I was in human resources for INS there in Laguna Niguel I think I have a better idea of what the manning levels were on 9/11 and what they are now, for both the southern and northern borders.
I understand the angst down there, and I understand what you're saying about the Broken Window principle. I also understand the path of least resistence, which is why, if given a choice, a terrorist is probably more likely to cross through Badger's Ass, Montana than he is to try to come across at San Ysidro.
Washington DC knows it too, which is why the Northern border is getting technology and manpower that is should have had long ago.
I'm on your side, guys. We're all in this together.
I certainly hope so, but there is something "politically incorrect" that I believe some are too weak to admit to in this debate. Terrorism isn't the number 1 priority. I know that's heresy, but my primary opposition isn't a fear, or a paranoia about terrorist. Fact of the matter is, until the borders are sealed air tight, the likelihood of stopping a committed terrorist is nil. All the resources in the world don't matter unless the policy is commited--it ain't.
The primary need for border resources is stopping the Mexican invasion. As you might know, we are paying untold $s in welfare for them, at least $5 billion a year in known state expenses, not including 30% of our prison system being illegals, God only knows how many crimes being committed, let alone the criminals escaping extradition back over that border. Low wage jobs are drying up, and most importantly the American culture is being destroyed and tranformed into a 3rd world zone. There is no threat of any of that from the Canucks.
As I said, I understand your issues down there. I spent all but 9 of my 21 Marine Corps years in Southern California, and I grew up in California, so I know what's going on.
It would be helpful to all of us if the SoCal Coastal Commission hadn't refused to allow the federal government to make improvements to a 3-mile stretch of the border down there, which would have made detecting and stopping illegal aliens easier. Didn't want to harm the fairy shrimp, or some endangered weed, oh no. Those people need to get a clue.
I wish it was as benign as the "Granola" hippies you have to endure up there and their naive outlook on the environment, but there are much more self aware detrimental forces at work here. The Dems here and nationally want to create a permananent underclass in CA, beholden to them just like they fooled the blacks a generation ago. The GOP is no help because they want cheap labor.
The bad guys are winning.
Maybe, but I'm not going down without a fight. Sounds like you're not, either.
LOL, yeah. We're down by a couple touchdowns, but I have only begun to fight. The new game plan is the hit the GOP in the chops by taking down one of their own if need be.
You hit 'em from LA, I'll hit 'em from Seattle, and we'll squeeze them somewhere in Oregon. Deal?
I'm not going to apologise for Bush on this one. But I know why this is happening, there's only one reason: the latino vote. He doesn't want to stir up the latinos against the administration before the election. The irony is that he'd probably gain more non-latino votes than he'll gain latino votes if he allowed this to continue though.
Well, if you could whoop up on them up north and march through Oregon, laying waste to San Frans growing population and help us down in SoCal, we would be eternally greatful ;-)
;-)
I'll see what we can arrange!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.