"House Republicans have included significant immigration-enforcement measures in the House version of the intelligence bill responding to the report of the 9-11 Commission. These include doubling the Border Patrol from 10,000 to 20,000 agents, and tripling from 2,000 to 6,000 the number of investigations officers who enforce immigration laws in the interior."
Does anyone have more info on the current status of this item and its progress in the joint committee? Why is this getting ignored, with all the people here who scream about illegal immigration?!?!
I heard a few weeks ago that the language in the bill that has to do with immigration and border control, is THE sticking point between the Senate and House version. I have been praying that the version with strict border and immigration controls, is the one to get sent to Bushs desk.
However, since then Powell has gone to Mexico and practically sounded like he was going to put out the welcome mat, so I don't know where it stands.
Do you think that if we FReepers deluged the senators, congressmen, and Homeland Securtiy and White HOuse with calls and e-mails like we did vis-a-vis Sen.Specter, it would do any good? It didn't with Specter.
Read about it (and send free faxes) at www.numbersusa.com. President Bush was actually pushing to get the immigration provisions in the bill REMOVED.
ping
It's never been that they cannot connect the dots, they ignore the dots.
BTTT
The majority of the Senate is fighting these provisions of the bill tooth and nail along with the administration.
Did you see this:
Rumsfeld, Hostettler Warn US Borders at Risk toTerrorism
CNN.com/Lou Dobbs Tonight ^ | Nov. 16, 2004 | Lou Dobbs
Posted on 11/16/2004 10:40:03 PM PST by AuntB
DOBBS: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is warning of the threat of terrorists entering this country through the same routes as those used by illegal aliens. Secretary Rumsfeld, traveling in South America, warned that enemies look for weaknesses and take advantage of them.
DONALD RUMSFELD: The risk is that some of these human-smuggling routes into our country from this hemisphere could be used just as easily for terrorists. ~snip~
REP. JOHN HOSTETTLER (R-IN), CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION AND BORDER SECURITY: : Well, the House will not be taking up in a positive sense guest worker legislation. We know that this is a priority for some in Washington. It is not a priority for the House of Representatives. In fact, those of us in the House that deal closely with the immigration issue believe that we need to go the other way. And that is look at the issue of enforcement and strong enforcement of our immigration laws in order to keep not only more millions of illegal aliens out, but to do something about the 10 plus million that are here now.
HOSTETTLER: Oh, well, this is something that we have been concerned about for years. It is an issue that, as we look at the number of individuals crossing the southern border, referred to as OTMs, or other than Mexicans, that number is rising drastically, because others in the world realize that our southern border is porous. Our men and women in uniform and the Border Patrol are doing everything they can and then some to enforce and strengthen the border. There are just not enough of them. And this is something that there may be some disconnect within the administration..~snip~
"President Bush should insist the provisions stay and demand the bill on his desk as fast as you can say, "Bin Laden."
www.senate.gov
www.house.gov
president@whitehouse.gov
FYI