Posted on 05/14/2006 12:50:24 PM PDT by FairOpinion
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist on Sunday dismissed concerns about a proposal to use National Guard troops to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border, saying it is the only short-term solution to stem the flow of illegal immigrants.
"The only thing that we can do to secure our borders right now is to give our states help, and that is best done through the National Guard," the Tennessee Republican told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer."
President Bush is scheduled to speak to the nation Monday night from the Oval Office about immigration and border security. (Full story)
Frist could not say whether the president will mention the proposal to bolster border security with National Guard troops.
Bush has discussed the proposal to bolster border security with National Guard troops, along with "a lot of [other] ideas," with members of Congress, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley told CNN.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
But if they really need to do it, to stem the screams of those, who, after 40 years of illegal immigration, just suddently discovered that it's a problem, under the Bush administration, and are acting, as if it just suddenly became a national crisis, and it's all "Bush's fault", I guess they have to do it. I just hope it is indeed for short term. The National Guard is needed elsewhere and contractors can do the supporting role they want to use them.
I personally hope that President Bush won't decide to use the National Guard, but if that has to be part of the package, I guess it's OK, but I know it still won't be enough to please those who are using illegal immigration as a club to beat up on President Bush.
Oh there's a fair analysis of those of us who want national security.
A lot is already being done, that people ignore and don't give credit for it to President Bush.
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http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/immigration/
Securing Our Border
President Bush Is Taking Action To Increase The Manpower, Technology, And Infrastructure Needed To Secure The Nation's Border. Since President Bush took office, funding for border security has increased by 66 percent. The Border Patrol has been expanded to more than 12,000 agents, an increase of more than 2,700 agents, or nearly 30 percent. The President's FY07 budget funds another 1,500 new agents. Agents are being provided with cutting-edge technology like infrared cameras, advanced motion sensors, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Protective infrastructure, such as vehicle barriers and fencing in urban areas, is being installed. Manpower, technology, and infrastructure are being integrated in more coordinated ways than ever before.
The Administration's Border Security Strategy Is Getting Results. Since President Bush took office, agents have apprehended and sent home more than 6 million people entering the country illegally - including more than 400,000 with criminal records. Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement are working together. More than 600,000 illegal immigrants were apprehended through the Arizona Border Control Initiative last year - an increase of more than 50 percent over the previous year. The men and women of our Border Patrol have made good progress - but we have much more work ahead, and we will not be satisfied until our agents have full control of our border.
The Administration Is Ending The Practice Of "Catch-And-Release." The President has set a goal to end "catch-and-release" over the next year. Most illegal immigrants from Mexico can be returned to Mexico within 24 hours. Non-Mexican illegal immigrants present a different challenge. For decades, government detention facilities did not have enough beds for the non-Mexican illegal immigrants caught at the border - so most were released back into society. They were each assigned a court date, but virtually no one showed up. The Administration is ending the practice of "catch-and-release" by increasing the number of beds in detention facilities by 12 percent this year; the President's FY07 budget proposes increasing that number by another 32 percent. The Administration is expanding the use of "expedited removal," which allows us to send non-Mexican illegal immigrants home more quickly.
We Are Making Progress In This Effort. Last year, it took an average of 66 days to process a non-Mexican illegal immigrant. Now, the process is taking only 21 days. This has helped us end "catch-and-release" for illegal immigrants from Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua caught crossing our Southwest border. Since last summer, the total number of non-Mexican illegal immigrants released into society has been cut by more than a third. There is more work ahead, and the Administration will work with Congress to close loopholes that make it difficult to process illegal immigrants from certain countries and will continue pressing foreign governments like China to take back their citizens who enter our country illegally.
Strengthening Enforcement Of Immigration Laws In America's Interior
The President Is Providing Resources To Strengthen Enforcement Of Immigration Laws. Since President Bush took office, funding for immigration enforcement has increased by 42 percent. These resources have helped agents bring to justice smugglers, terrorists, gang members, and human traffickers. For example, through Operation Community Shield, Federal agents have arrested nearly 2,300 gang members who were in America illegally, including violent criminals like the members of the "MS-13" gang.
Better Interior Enforcement Requires Better Worksite Enforcement. Last year, President Bush signed legislation to more than double the resources dedicated to worksite enforcement. We are working to hold businesses accountable and crack down on document forgery. Next month, the Administration will launch new law enforcement task forces in 11 cities to dismantle document fraud rings.
Send the SeeBees to the border then. Better yet, all the Mexicans we catch should be paid minimum wage, taxed and forced to work on the wall for six months. After the six months, we give them their pay and fly them to Chiapas.
Funny we don't have this problem with Canada and it's border the Canadians aren't flooding our country illegally.
If it takes our Troops on the border for mexico to get the message than so be it! maybe the defiant invaders will finally stop their onslaught!
And why is a "short-term border fix" necessary? Because this administration and our leaders in congress have had their heads in the sand hoping that the "border problem" would go away.
Congress May Expand Border Fences
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/11/ap/national/mainD8HHR5HG0.shtml
"Now, as Washington seeks to overhaul America's broken immigration policies, Congress is considering putting many more such barriers along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border, which already has 83 miles of fences.
A bill that cleared the House in December would put fences at immigrant- and drug-smuggling corridors in all four southern border states. At an estimated cost of $2.5 billion, the fences would cover 850 miles of border _ roughly one-fifth the length of the Great Wall of China _ though it would not be one continuous wall.
The gaps would be policed the way many remote areas of the border are already guarded now: with motion sensors, cameras, unmanned drone aircraft and Border Patrol agents."
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This sounds good to me -- it would cover about half of our 2000 miles of border. It's a good start, and if it isn't sufficient, we can build the other 1000 miles.
Much better, than putting the NG on the border in "supporting role" to the Border Patrol.
All smoke and mirrors anything the administration has done is BS he is waving illegals over here with both hands with talk of amnesty..Ollie Ollie in come free!
A fence/wall, increased border fence and a crack-down on employers would solve the problem on future illegals and current ones pretty quickly.
Of course, I'm sure we'll just hear the same parroted line repeated by president Bush and senator Specter a thousand times now: "we don't have to choose between being a lawful society and a welcoming society, we can be both." It's not even a good line.
I doubt it will happen. If it does I expect it will end about the second week in November.
China built a 10,000 mile long, elevated road wide enough for two soldiers to ride side by side along its top, thousands of years ago.
We can't build a simple fence???
Crack U.S. unit duels with Mexico drug tunnelers
Little known outside police circles, the Tunnel Task Force came to light with the Jan. 24 discovery of the passageway that was used to haul tons of marijuana almost half-a-mile from Mexico.
Based in San Diego, the team pools the resources of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection, and it draws support from a special U.S. military unit.
U.S. authorities have identified tunnels as an emerging threat to homeland security in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. Since then at least 40 have been uncovered linking cities in Arizona and California with Mexico, and one ran under the border from Canada to Washington state.
Most were shallow and easy-to-detect “gopher holes” used by undocumented immigrants to scrabble north. But the most sophisticated were scooped out by cash-rich Mexican cartels burrowing ever deeper and further inside U.S. territory in a bid to reap billions of dollars in drug profits. The one discovered in January was fitted with lights and a ventilation system.
Its members are specialists in hunting for tunnels. Some learned their skills in the U.S. war in Afghanistan, where the search for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden initially focused on the Tora Bora caves and tunnel complexes near the Pakistan border.
1500 additional border agents......that's one for every 2 miles of border........can they run that fast?
Folks, if Bush does not get a handle on this illegal problem it is going to sink him, the GOP, and the nation. I sense the average person that really did not think much about the problem is really getting pissed off. This is a real problem that is going to get very ugly very soon.
Look, I agree that using the National Guard is NOT a final solution. But if it is deemed necessary in the short term before something like a permanent wall can be erected, then so be it.
The salient fact is we MUST begin to get control of the border; and right now! And, we must not let Congress off the hook on this issue.
The point is that a lot is already being done, of course, more needs to be done, to secure our borders.
But some people act, as if the problem had started under President Bush, in fact, as if he had created it, and he could just stop it with a wave of a magic wand.
How many of those people demanding instant action now were demanding it under Clinton????
And those who threaten to stay home in Nov, vote 3rd party or Dems -- which will result in the Dems getting back to power -- how much do you think the Dems will do to secure the border?
They will even undo what President Bush started and give immediate REAL amnesty to the illegals, including immediate citizenship, to expand their voter base.
WHAT is being done?
Illegal immigration is rapidly accelerating.
Fines for employers are down.
Workplace enforcement is ZERO.
Nothing is being done. That's why everyone is getting so mad.
PLEASE STOP MAKING EXCUSES
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