For "Thunder on the Border," click the picture:
Posted on 11/26/2005 1:31:05 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Polls show less tolerance for sanctuary in such cities as Houston
PEÑITAS, TEXAS - The No Trespassing sign tacked to a mesquite tree outside Elizabeth Nelson's property, along with the snarling of Marcos, her fierce Rottweiler, make her feelings clear: Illegal immigrants aren't welcome.
"There are good people coming just to make a living, but there are bad people, too," said Nelson, fed up with the sight of immigrants streaming into Peñitas, a town of 1,200 along the Rio Grande. "You just don't trust anybody."
Her attitude reflects what some anti-immigrant activists describe as "an awakening." More Americans, they say, are beginning to take a tougher stance against illegal immigration. And they're beginning to question the so-called sanctuary policies that are designed to protect illegal immigrants in such cities as Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.
"Every political survey that is done shows concern about immigration ranks up there with education, employment, and health care," said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a lobby group that opposes illegal immigration. "It's on the minds of people everywhere because it's no longer a localized phenomenon."
A recent Austin lawsuit has drawn attention to the debate, fueling discussion of whether cities and towns should report illegal immigrants or leave enforcement to the federal government.
On Nov. 4, the parents of a teenager killed in January 2004 sued the Austin police department. Humberto Garcia claimed that his daughter, Jenny Garcia Hayden, might be alive if police had reported her killer to immigration authorities after his illegal status was purportedly discovered during an unrelated investigation before the murder.
Austin officials deny any wrongdoing. They say their policy, based on a 1997 city resolution, is aimed merely at ensuring that city employees do not discriminate against illegal immigrants.
"The policy certainly would not prevent a city employee from reporting an illegal immigrant" to federal authorities, said Anne Morgan, an Austin city attorney.
In Peñitas, 16 miles west of McAllen, and many other spots along the Texas-Mexico border, local police routinely detain undocumented migrants and hold them until Border Patrol agents arrive. But in Houston and many other large metropolitan areas, police leave immigration enforcement to federal agents.
Shift in attitude seen
In recent years, however, attitudes about such policies have begun to shift, Melhman said, as residents and officials in such communities as Suffolk County, N.Y., and Danbury, Conn., question sanctuary policies.
"The average cop on the beat would be more than happy" to report an illegal immigrant, he said. "Usually, these directives are from top brass who for the most part are politicians, not cops."
Recent polls show strong opposition to illegal immigration from the southern border, including among Americans of Hispanic origin.
In May 2005, a Zogby International poll said 81 percent of those surveyed believed that local and state police should help federal authorities arrest illegal immigrants; 53 percent supported the deployment of troops on the border, and 56 percent opposed undocumented migrants' participation in a guest worker program proposed by President Bush.
In Arizona, where illegal immigration is now the nation's highest, a Northern Arizona State University poll found that 84 percent of those residents surveyed favored increased spending on border enforcement, and 70 percent wanted stepped-up deportation of illegal immigrants.
Pro-immigration advocates say police shouldn't get into the business of immigration enforcement. That would encourage racial profiling and hinder police who investigate crimes against immigrants, they say.
Law's complexities cited
"Immigration law is incredibly complex, and state and local police don't have the training to enforce the law and they make mistakes," said Michele Waslin, who directs immigration policy research for the National Council of La Raza, the largest national Hispanic advocacy organization. "If they did, it's very likely there would be racial profiling."
Waslin also said that while national interest in immigration has heightened, police associations continue to resist assuming immigration duties. And she said she knows of no major metropolitan area that has reversed its sanctuary policy
"Congress is trying very hard to pass laws that would force police to enforce immigration laws, but as far as I know, state and local police have not changed their minds," she said.
Immigration policies are flawed, she added.
"The immigration system is broken, it needs to be fixed," she said. "But having local police enforce immigration is not a solution."
Plan unveiled in Houston
Despite such views, a Department of Homeland Security plan unveiled in Houston earlier this month envisions asking local police to help with immigration enforcement.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said President Bush had ordered him to take control of the 7,000 miles of northern and southern borders, and the goal is to catch and remove every person who enters the country illegally.
Not everyone agrees with the enforcement priorities.
"People need to remember that 99 percent or higher of the people crossing the border into the United States without proper documents are Latin American labor migrants ... not potential Muslim terrorists," said Prof. David Spener, a sociology professor at Trinity University in San Antonio.
"A lot of people who have had anti-immigrant sentiments all along are now trying to use concerns about national security to advance an anti-immigrant agenda," he said.
Back in Peñitas, police and residents alike say they could use some help.
"There ought to be more security here," said Zaragoza Zamora, who lives on a four-acre tract next to the river levee. "If somebody comes from another country, the police should question them — that would happen to me or you in another country."
Oscar Montiveros, chief of the four-officer Peñitas police force, said his meager budget only allows for patrols from 8 a.m to midnight. Smugglers brazenly move drugs across the river during the day, he said, knowing there is only one officer on duty per shift.
Even so, his department this year has managed to seize a ton of marijuana and detain some 200 undocumented migrants, he said. "And we're not a big department, and don't work past midnight."
For "Thunder on the Border," click the picture:
Well "they" are a bunch of stupid idiots.
Bump!
A recent Austin lawsuit has drawn attention to the debate, fueling discussion of whether cities and towns should report illegal immigrants or leave enforcement to the federal government.
police shouldn't get into the business of immigration enforcement.
Quite a stretch, huh?
A red herring. If President Bush wanted him to follow his order, Chertoff would be following it. Instead, more talk.
God Bless the Minutemen but they must feel it's a losing battle.
Well, it's certainly an uphill battle.
"There are good people coming just to make a living,"
They're not "good people". They are Goths, vandals and Huns invading our country, lowering our standard of living, flaunting our laws and stretching our social support network.
And they most certainly are NOT immigrants. They are illegal invaders who have no desire to become Americans, just a need to parasitize our society for the benefit ofthemselves and the corrupt government which aids and abets them.
The current Administration has been a miserable failure in one of the most basic responsibilities of AANY government - to secure its borders against invasion. Unfortunately, the Democrats would be even worse.
Tough employer sanctions, enforce them and most illegal aliens will go home as their income disappears
Illegal aliens
Invaders
Intruders
Queue jumpers
Scammers
Identity thieves
Tax evaders
Underground economy
Pests, documented pests
Accurate synonyms for these low-lifelives.
Whenever I read about excuses being made for these people and the word "immigrant" being used to describe them, I see red.
My people came here legally in 1904. My people ate shit for the first generation. Now the minute you get off the banana boat it's party time and time to start breaking US laws. Those laws besides the first law you broke of illegal entry
I know how you feel. My people came her legally around the same time. Back then you were quarentined - for good reason - if you had any health problems. Then you were given a pick and shovel if you had no trade and put to work, and it was expected - again for good reason - that you would learn English and speak it.
And there were no "affirmative action programs" for people from Europe.
This pandereing to Hispanic radicals has got to stop.
Let's all stream into Mexico and see what a welcome we get. By the way, I caught a heavyhanded 'come to Mexico' vacation commercial on cable yesterday: An American (Jack), plays golf and shanks his ball into a marsh, tall grass, etc. The caddie, a darkhaired, smaller man, runs into the marsh, searches diligently. (We're to understand this happened in the past as it has a sepia tint.) Then full technicolor and Jack is back today, playing golf. The same caddie runs up and hands him the ball he'd lost (with 'Jack' and stars on it). The happy American asks the caddie if he'd like to play with them....and someone says, "You want the caddie to join us?" Jack says, "I want a Friend to play with us." The juxtaposition of the big, burly American and the wiry little Mexican, doffing his cap was supposed to make Americans feel ashamed. Big psychological ploy...Forget drug smuggling, criminals streaming here to commit crimes Americans won't, etc..America is mean to poor little Mexico.
Big finish! Rainbow letters....MEXICO... vacation here, yada yada yada. (Your old pals, reliable neighbors, etc.) This would work better, frankly, if a quarter of Mexico hadn't already fled north, and half of everybody left wasn't busy packing for the same trip. Of course, those stories about Mexican soldiers crossing the border, firing on US border agents and using a bulldozer to drag a drug truck back to Mexico don't help matters.
"Goths, vandals and Huns invading our country, lowering our standard of living, flaunting our laws and stretching our social support network."......one of the many reasons for the fall of Rome was the inability/unwillingness of the government to protect the borders....
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