<b>Hastert: 'Zero' entry by migrants</b> Group of mostly GOP lawmakers tours border

ARIZONA DAILY STAR, Tucson, Arizona ^ | 22 July 2006 | Josh Brodesky

[axes_of_weezles]

Tucson Region

Hastert: 'Zero' entry by migrants

Group of mostly GOP lawmakers tours border

By Josh Brodesky

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 07.22.2006

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NOGALES, Ariz. — Saying there needed to be "zero penetration" into the United States by illegal entrants, House Speaker Dennis Hastert got a look Friday at the challenges faced by those trying to secure the southern border.

The Illinois Republican and a handful of other lawmakers, including Republican Rep. Jim Kolbe, from Southern Arizona, are visiting the border with Mexico.

On Friday, the group took a daylong tour in Arizona, including an afternoon stop in Yuma and a late-night ride-along with Border Patrol agents near Nogales. The congressional leaders visit El Paso today.

The border-security tour comes about two months after the Senate passed a bill that would give the chance of citizenship to millions of illegal entrants. Hastert has been critical of the proposed legislation, saying there needs to be a greater focus on border security.

During a press conference at the Nogales International Airport, he reiterated that stance saying he wanted "zero penetration" along the border.

"You gotta secure the border before you do other things," he said, referring to proposed Senate immigration legislation such as a guest-worker program and opening the citizenship process to the nation's estimated 12 million illegal entrants.

"We have a border that is bleeding, and we need to heal it," he said.

Hastert said he would like to see more personnel, increased fencing and a greater use of technology along the border.

The House has passed its own immigration legislation, which is more punitive and focuses on increased border security.

Kolbe said he did not think Hastert's goal of "zero penetration" was possible, but he added that border security was the first step toward more comprehensive immigration reform.

The delegation began the day in Louisiana to look at hurricane reconstruction.

The lawmakers then traveled to Yuma, where they met with National Guard soldiers who are supporting the Border Patrol before moving on to Camp Grip, a remote Arizona desert site on the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge west of Ajo that officials described as an area used by smugglers.

In Nogales, the lawmakers spent most of the evening resting before taking a border tour later in the evening.

During the night tour, which lasted about 20 minutes, the delegation visited the Border Patrol's Nogales station.

Agents then took the group about a mile west of Nogales to a site where the Border Patrol had put up vehicle barriers about a month ago.

In the darkness, Hastert and Kolbe scanned the border for a few minutes using night-vision goggles. The tour, scheduled to last an hour and include three locations, was cut short because the lawmakers were tired.

Hastert said it was good to come to the border and "get a dose of reality."

The delegation included one Democrat, but it did not include Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva who represents Yuma and Nogales.

Speaking by telephone from Washington, D.C., Grijalva said he was not asked to be part of the delegation.

He referred to the visit as a "road show" designed to "keep the Republican majority."

He said he thought the issue of immigration reform had taken a back seat to politics, and he questioned Hastert's focus on border security.

"You need to deal with the realities of the people who are here (already illegally), and the need to keep the work force going," he said.

Asked why Grijalva was not invited, Hastert did not provide a direct answer. "This is a bipartisan thing," he said of the tour. "We're bipartisan here."

In addition to Kolbe and Hastert, the delegation included: House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King, R-N.Y.; Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich.; Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La.; Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M.; Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz; and Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill. However, Pearce and Hayworth were not with the delegation in Nogales.

Coming Sunday

● See Sunday's Arizona Daily Star for a story about the lawmakers' late-night tour along the border.

On StarNet: More border coverage, including multimedia features and a border blog at azstarnet.com/border

● Contact reporter Josh Brodesky at 434-4086 or jbrodesky@azstarnet.com

29 Comments on this story

Michael Nicley, chief of the Border Patrol Tucson Sector, left, talks with Hastert, center, and Rep. Jim Kolbe.

[axes_of_weezles]

Check out the comments. It's running ~30 to 1 border security versus the open borders folks in the local paper here in Tucson. The paper is leftist and pro open border. Amazing they even covered this.

[DumpsterDiver]

In the darkness, Hastert and Kolbe scanned the border for a few minutes using night-vision goggles. The tour, scheduled to last an hour and include three locations, was cut short because the lawmakers were tired.

I wonder if they were as tired as I am of them?

[pissant]

I met Denny Hastert at the Reagan Museum last year. Took a pic with him and my one year (at the time) daughter. Told Denny that meeting my daughter would help stiffen his spine for the tought work ahead. It may be working.

[axes_of_weezles]

They could probably not stand the heat. In Tucson yesterday it was 111-115. It cooled off to 80 last night.

Kolbe probably was thinking about his gay Panamanian lover.

They were there for the photo-op primarily, I bet.

[johnny7]

You, me... and millions of other Americans who are sick of their d*cking around on this issue.

[Spiff]

Kolbe said he did not think Hastert's goal of "zero penetration" was possible, but he added that border security was the first step toward more comprehensive immigration reform.

Well, of course Kolbe we be against a "zero penetration" policy - if you know what I mean. (Wink, wink...nudge, nudge...)

[axes_of_weezles]

I hope Hastert listens to citizens instead of Kolbe.

Kolbe has included riders in legislation to hamstring the Border Patrol and what they can and cannot do to enforce immigration laws here in Southern Arizona. Thank God he is not running again.

[axes_of_weezles]

Bwahahaha! Good one.

[DumpsterDiver]

ping

[NRA2BFree]

The Illinois Republican and a handful of other lawmakers, including Republican Rep. Jim Kolbe, from Southern Arizona, are visiting the border with Mexico.

Why was Kolbe with him? He's for open borders/amnesty!

[axes_of_weezles]

Nogales is in his district. He and his family owns property in Sonoita, his brother is a rancher, which is under 20 miles from Nogales.

[YOUGOTIT]

From the L.A Times:

1. 40% of all workers in L.A. County (L.A. County has 10 million people) are working for cash and not paying taxes. This was because they are predominantly illegal immigrants, working without a green card.

2. 95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.

3. 75% of people on the most wanted list in Los Angeles are illegal aliens.

4. Over 2/3 of all births in Los Angeles County are to illegal alien Mexicans on Medi-Cal, whose births were paid for by taxpayers.

5. Nearly 25% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally.

6. Over 300,000 illegal aliens in Los Angeles County are living in garages.

7. The FBI reports half of all gang members in Los Angeles are most likely illegal aliens from south of the border.

8. Nearly 60% of all occupants of HUD properties are illegal.

9. 21 radio stations in L.A. are Spanish speaking.

10. In L.A. County 5.1 million people speak English. 3.9 million speak Spanish (10.2 million people in L.A. County).

[NRA2BFree]

Nogales is in his district. He and his family owns property in Sonoita, his brother is a rancher, which is under 20 miles from Nogales.

Maybe so, but he's still for open borders/amnesty, right?

[axes_of_weezles]

Yes. You are correct 100%. The diary of an Iranian was found on his brother's ranch.

Kolbe is for open borders; because his gay lovers are illegal immigrants.

His brother is a rancher in the local area and is against his politics and does not support him politically.

Kolbe's own house was broken into last summer by illegals. You know what reported stolen? His clothes. Bwhahaha.

[NRA2BFree]

Yes. You are correct 100%. The diary of an Iranian was found on his brother's ranch.

Oh, my gosh. What was in the diary? That's scary! IF one was here, you know there's hundreds, maybe thousands more in the country.

Kolbe is for open borders; because his gay lovers are illegal immigrants.

LOL I saw that before and I thought you were just kidding?

His brother is a rancher in the local area and is against his politics and does not support him politically.

It sounds like his brother is a lot smarter than he is. Of course, Kolbe has been living with the "esteemed and honorable" elitists in DC for so many years that he doesn't see how bad it is and he doesn't have to deal with what the rest of us do.

Kolbe's own house was broken into last summer by illegals. You know what reported stolen? His clothes. Bwhahaha.

I remembered when that happened. I really laughed about it too. He's taken a job with Bill Clinton's company so he could care less what happens to the rest of us. I saw on the news the other night that NM is now the second largest crossing for illegals in the country. You know that's your fault don't you? You guys just had to make waves, and force them over to our border, didn't you? LOL! I think our sorry Gov Richardson is partly responsible for that. He's welcomed illegals into the state with open arms. Jerk!!

[axes_of_weezles]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1661490/posts

His gayness

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1631487/posts

His anti border patrol activities

[axes_of_weezles]

His brother finding the diary.

http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special03/articles/0227border27.html

[peyton randolph]

Re: Post #12.

Snopes.com tackles it.

The situation is bad, the border needs to be locked down and existing laws enforced...but shaky statistics are hardly the foundation for the argument.

[NRA2BFree]

Good Lord, he really is gay. I'm shocked. I thought it was just another rumor. What a sicko.

[TomGuy]

How long has Hastert been in Congress and how long has he been Speaker, and he is just now pulling his head into the sunshine?

Better late than never, but a large portion of the estimated 11-20 million came in during his tenure in Congress.

Maybe he's been reading his emails and knows he'll be retired if he doesn't take a strong stand on this issue.