Posted on 05/17/2006 11:41:04 AM PDT by radar101
The first of 6,000 National Guard troops President Bush wants to station on the southwest border will be deployed next month, assigned to fly helicopters to spot illegal aliens, lay sensors to detect their movement, and build roads and barriers to help the U.S. Border Patrol do its job.
"We're trained, we're ready to do this, and we're able to do this," said Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau.
But Mr. Bush's border mobilization plan is being questioned by besieged state and local law-enforcement authorities battling rapidly escalating violence by heavily armed alien and drug smugglers.
Zapata County, Texas, Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez Jr., who helped create and served as the first president of the Texas Border Sheriffs' Coalition, challenged Mr. Bush's plan to use unarmed National Guard troops to monitor cameras, build roads and repair fences
"It is my understanding the troops will be used only to enhance the personnel of the Border Patrol by being able to monitor a new 'technology fence,' " Sheriff Gonzalez said. "Who is going to respond to the burglar, thief, robber, rapist, murderer when the National Guard spots them in the act by satellite?
"It will have to be the local sheriff," he said. "As to violent acts and threats against our officers and our communities, again, if the National Guard is not going to be directly on the border, we are back to square one."
The proposal took a big hit yesterday when California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called it "a logistical nightmare and would be a poor use of forces trained for combat."
The Republican governor was briefed on the plan yesterday and wrote a letter to President Bush praising the rest of his Monday night address on immigration, but questioning whether the administration even had thought through its National Guard plan.
"I have several questions that I would like to have answered before the California National Guard is committed to this mission," the governor said.
Cochise County, Ariz., Sheriff Larry Dever, whose deputies patrol one of the nation's most heavily traveled smuggling corridors, said that if Mr. Bush had stood up five years ago and offered the same proposal, it would have been "more readily received."
"We have reached a national political threshold on illegal immigration, begging for the nuclear solution," Sheriff Dever said. "I've been pleading for this kind of approach for seven years, at the beginning point.
"But anything short of a decisive blow now to put an end to this problem will not, in my opinion, satisfy the majority of the American public," he said.
The Department of Homeland Security is supposed to deliver today a list of missions for which it would like help from the National Guard. The Defense Department will review the list and begin making mission assignments.
The Guard troops would remain under control of their respective states' governors, but the costs would be covered by the federal government. Governors would be allowed to look to their own state contingents first, but if there aren't enough qualified troops available, they could request troops from other states.
Guard members are expected to serve three weeks on the border, or a week longer than their usual two-week annual training commitment. By the second year, the force is supposed to drop to 3,000 as the Border Patrol graduates new agents to replace the Guard troops.
Sheriff Dever cited as a problem the need to continuously train the Guard troops who will be moved in and out of the border region. He said he was hopeful the federal government would work with local officials in implementing the plan.
"This is the best we're going to get for the time being, so we're ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work," he said. "Any time the federal government launches an initiative, there are local consequences, and who better to anticipate those consequences than local officials?"
Santa Cruz County, Ariz., Sheriff Tony Estrada said that while protocols need to be worked out to determine how and where the Guard troops are going to be used, any increase in manpower was welcome.
"Obviously, there are challenges that need to be addressed and questions concerning their training that need to be answered, but putting more people on the border is a good and positive thing," Sheriff Estrada said.
"A lot of people are coming through this county, and many are being victimized," he said. "Maybe they can keep people from dying in the desert."
The Border Patrol apprehended 1.15 million illegal aliens last year, more than 3,000 a day. More than half of them were apprehended in Arizona.
Rep. John Culberson, Texas Republican -- who authored a House bill calling for $100 million to border sheriffs to hire, train, equip and deploy additional deputies -- said the Bush plan recognizes the "severity of the problem along our border and the level of alarm it raises with the American people."
But he said the decision to send 6,000 Guard troops to the border "is not likely to have any immediate impact on the situation, since they will be unarmed and play only supporting roles."
Rep. Charlie Norwood, Georgia Republican, said the president should be "commended" for sending Guard troops to better secure the border, but he said the limited number of Guard troops "will not do enough to slow the flood of illegal aliens pouring into the country."
"The specific proposal is too weak in terms of manpower and missions and will not secure our border," he said.
Violence on the border by alien and drug smugglers continues to escalate despite recent efforts to increase the number of Border Patrol agents. It is fueled by a raging war between rival drug cartels over control of long-established cocaine- and marijuana-smuggling routes and a surge in profits from smuggling illegal aliens across the border.
Guard members are expected to serve three weeks on the border. AND, THEN, THE PROGRAM WILL END.
This is all hocus-pocus to mislead the naive conservatives into believing the President actually wants to do anything about illegal immigration.
He can't blame the DRats anymore, so he had to propose something, hoping conservatives would just buy it.
Bush thinks that by keeping the minimum wage low that the economy will prosper. I think the net result will be a demand for higher minimum wage (there will be an endless stream of "poor me" articles about our new citizens below the poverty line). The cost of healthcare, schools, prisons, etc. will turn us into a socialist country.
I suppose the ultimate goal is to merge Mexico with the US as one big socialist state. I'm still not thrilled at that prospect.
"AND, THEN, THE PROGRAM WILL END"
Is that what will happen?
Seems to me securing our borders would be the natural thing to do considering we're in a WOT. But then, I guess President Bush JUST MUST know what he's doing. Right? We're at war, right? Terrorists can come across the border, can't they? Or are they supposed to be easily distinguished between all those wonderful illegals who only want to work here?
Do they wear arm bands that say Alluh Akbar?
"Bush thinks that by keeping the minimum wage low that the economy will prosper"
I have read that in any of his economic plans. Do you have a link? Thanks in advance.
Thats right, he hasn't done anything.
But for some odd reason, illegal immigratin is down 24% since 2000.
Hocus pocus.
I have yet to read/hear of any basis for his stance on the immigration issue. I can only assume that his reasons boil down to the issue of the cost of labor, allthough I'll admit that I could be completely wrong about that.
I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt by assuming his motives are honorable in the sense that he thinks it would be good for the economy.
this is as lame as the 100,000 Clinton Cops "solution".
Check back and see what happened after Governors Richardson (D) New Mexico, and Napolitano (D) of Arizona declared emergencies and "put troops on the Border" (August 2005.)
Haven't seen that documented any where. Got a link? Thanks in advance.
And actually not many leaders have the cajones to ultimately do what is necessary to win the War On Islam.
Limit legal immigration to 1 million per year and run it as a lottery.
As many people as want may buy a ticket for $1000 and only a million will be chosen.
Use the lottery income.......at least $1 billion per year to build up border defenses.
Any illegal will be fined and or deported fast!!
Excuse me?!? "Down"?!? That is utter nonsense.
According to the US Census, in 2000 there were an estimated 6,000,000 illegals in the USA. The number now being thrown around is 13,000,000 and 30,000,000 is being talked about as being closer to the truth.
So not only has illegal immigration NOT decreased under Dubya, it has at the least DOUBLED. And if the 30,000,000 is anywhere close which I believe it is, that is a 500% INCREASE in the number of illegals he has allowed to enter.
And most of this after 9-11-01 when we are supposedly at war. I say supposedly due to the fact that if we were at war our borders would be closed - period. In addition, if this kind of thing was occurring under Klintoon - or any Dem, we'd be screaming for impeachment and prison.
But what do we hear from some here, besides flames and ad hominem attacks .....
What happens when an unarmed National Guard Trooper gets shot by some infiltrator?
They compile info from Govt sources, it's a pretty good article to read. And I should have not left out that includes legals, too. Its overall, which is better than only one group.
Rove told lawmakers . . . “The president doesn’t want to enforce immigration law because he’s afraid he’ll inconvenience someone who wants to come into the country for a better life.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12838263
better check that
is that a king quote or rov quote
and why are you ignroing what Bush said Monday night about law enforcement?
quit lying.
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