CA: Stonewalling Guard deployment may encourage border crossings

The Argus, CA ^ | 05/27/2006 | Bridget Johnson

[BJungNan]

[concentric circles]

Remember this?

"...Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged federal officials to beef up enforcement and secure the state's borders against illegal immigrants, saying Tuesday they must clean up a "lax situation" instead of "trying to run the other way."

"Close the borders. Close the borders in California, and all across Mexico and the United States," Schwarzenegger told hundreds of newspaper publishers at Newspaper Association of American convention the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.

"Because I think it is just unfair to have all of those people coming across, and to have the borders open the way it is," the California governor said. "We in California have to still finish the border. That is the key thing -- to have borders and to keep the law, enforce the law..." (April 20, 2005)

[calcowgirl]

It changes every day.

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/4/29/91814.shtml

Friday, April 29, 2005

Schwarzenegger Praises Minutemen

California’s governor has nothing but praise for the volunteers known as the Minutemen, who are watching the U.S-Mexican border for illegals.

Though the group has been dismissed by President Bush as "vigilantes," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday: "They've done a terrific job. And they have cut down the crossing of illegal immigrants by a huge percentage."

Schwarzenegger made his comments on Los Angeles KFI during an interview with the popular radio hosts "John and Ken." Schwarzenegger added that the concept is a good one. "It just shows that it works," he said.

"Our federal government is not doing their job," Schwarzenegger continued. "It's a shame that the private citizen has to go in there and start patrolling our borders."

Schwarzenegger’s strong endorsement comes on the heels of his recent comments that California should "close the borders" – a comment he quickly retracted and apologized for.

Schwarzenegger blasted the federal government for causing the problem, saying we "owe it to the people to secure the borders ... they're not doing their job. They're leaving it way open, anyone can walk across. It's not just the problem of immigrants. It's also a problem that any terrorists can come in."

Schwarzenegger also expressed misgivings as to why President Bush had criticized the Minutemen.

"I really cannot tell you exactly what his thinking is," Schwarzenegger told his radio audience. "The next time I see him, I will have this conversation."