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.
Thanks for posting this. I heard John's interview. It was a sad commentary on the Bush administration. Having lived in So Cal for 34 years, the invasion of illegals from Mexico and Central America is killing the US.
In a nutshell, the problem is that Bush is an incompetent president. Unfortunately, the alternative is even worse. The thought of having to vote for George Bush in November is sickening. His father was mediocre as president. The son has been a disaster.
We took our eye off of the goal of capturing or killing Osama and blowing billions of dollars with over a thousand US military killed in Iraq. And, we continue to close our eyes to the invasion of the US from the south.
We can't get more draconian police state measures passed without higher crime rates. The illegals help greatly in the escalation of crime.
They also provide cheap labor such as nannies, gardeners, housepainters, etc, which are sooo necessary to the bluebloods. (We CAN'T be expected to paint or mow, now can we?)
And last, and most important of all, is the tendency to drive down the wages of bluecollar people. This improves the bottom line, and stockholders must have their bottomlines improved regularly. They need the dough to get the mansion painted. And the yacht needs a little drydock time.
Arrrrghhhhhh!
I'd say 90 percent of the electorate would love to see these sweeps continue. But the poor stupid electorate will vote for more of the same, just like the herd animals they truly are.
It is pointless to discuss this miserable subject, since both parties are so hell-bent to destroy the fabric of America, but I can't just leave it alone.
No shiite. I can't believe the lengths people go to for a man or a Party but not for America...when does America come first? B.S.
They had Lee Baca on...he threatened them and said he had bigger balls than both of them....
Imagine, the LA Sheriff saying that.
I don't know if anyone brought this up, but it seems to me that Bush's coziness with Fox is costing us all. Mexico need to liberalize it's land ownership and intellectual property laws, reform it's courts and allow collective bargining. The illegals are Mexico's safety valve. Mexico gets the poor out and they send money back. A pretty convient way to avoid public unrest.
If you want to check out some of the allies of the illegals check this out - www.aztlan.net
quite an eye opener.
Remeber, Texas was part of the US before it was ever part of Mexico.
"Luckily" I vote in Washington DC, which any Democrat carries by a 90 percent margin - so I don't have to dirty myself voting for Jorge. Still, like you suggest, I prefer Kerry to lose.
It is really sad that we have no chance of choosing a decent president until the 2008 election.
What makes you think that? Because the dnc says so?
"... and blowing billions of dollars with over a thousand US military killed in Iraq."
I believe the 'over a thousand' is total number of coalition soldiers killed. Not all Americans.
They are the stupid ones.
This was thoroughly wrung out last week. The radio guys are fools and WND is just after publicity.
Seem like it is time for you to quit listening to John the Mouth.
Yes, you must be right. Just how could I question that Bush and Co. have yet to capture or kill Osama. Hell, it has only been just under 3 years since 9/11. Let's give him another 4 years to succeed.
As for your statement that the over 1,000 dead in Iraq being others besides Americans. Yeah, why should we give a rat's ass about a few dead Brits, Italians, Dutch, etc. Hey, only Americans are real people, right?
As for your statement about my statement: I state that you are stating that which I did not state.
Correction?
Flags Over Texas
Six flags have flown over Texas: Spain, France, United Mexican States, Confederate States of America, the Republic of Texas and the United States of America, with eight changes of government:
Spanish 1519–1685
French 1685–1690
Spanish 1690–1821
Mexican 1821–1836
Republic of Texas 1836–1845
United States 1845–1861
Confederate States 1861–1865
United States 1865–present
I thought that Texas was part of the Louisiana Purchase and was given to Mexico as part of the negotiations for Florida.
Am I wrong?
1803: The Louisiana Purchase extends the western boundary of the United States to the Rocky Mountains, occupying the drainage area of the Mississippi River, as estimated by the French explorer Robert La Salle. The Purchase doubled the territory of the United States.
1818: A convention with the United Kingdom established the northern boundary of the Louisiana Purchase at 49°N.
1819: Florida was ceded to the United States and purchased from Spain.
Bump to your post.
KFI now.......
He never asnwered that damn question!
All these employers love paying grown adults, teenager level wages, and then let the states and the tax payers foot the GD bill to deliver their babies, house them in our jails, use our hospitals etc etc, all at the expense of tax payers.
While the cheap, corrupt, bussiness owners, stand smiling, counting their profits on the backs of the tax payers, as they ready their contributions to the Democrats and Republicans...What lunacy!
This is all happening so a few people in politics can get elected and so the business owners can rake in a few more bucks in profits.
Talk about a damn total sellout. Does anyone have any idea where this is all going to lead? I do, and it's not a pretty picture.
This lawlessness and traitorous greed will eventually choke this nation off, and our own leaders are right in the pockets of the corporation/business owners......
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