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How Eisenhower solved illegal border crossings from Mexico
The Christian Science Monitor ^ | July 06, 2006 | John Dillin

Posted on 12/07/2006 10:11:21 PM PST by ruination

George W. Bush isn't the first Republican president to face a full-blown immigration crisis on the US-Mexican border.

Fifty-three years ago, when newly elected Dwight Eisenhower moved into the White House, America's southern frontier was as porous as a spaghetti sieve. As many as 3 million illegal migrants had walked and waded northward over a period of several years for jobs in California, Arizona, Texas, and points beyond.

President Eisenhower cut off this illegal traffic. He did it quickly and decisively with only 1,075 United States Border Patrol agents - less than one-tenth of today's force. The operation is still highly praised among veterans of the Border Patrol.

Although there is little to no record of this operation in Ike's official papers, one piece of historic evidence indicates how he felt. In 1951, Ike wrote a letter to Sen. William Fulbright (D) of Arkansas. The senator had just proposed that a special commission be created by Congress to examine unethical conduct by government officials who accepted gifts and favors in exchange for special treatment of private individuals.

General Eisenhower, who was gearing up for his run for the presidency, said "Amen" to Senator Fulbright's proposal. He then quoted a report in The New York Times, highlighting one paragraph that said: "The rise in illegal border-crossing by Mexican 'wetbacks' to a current rate of more than 1,000,000 cases a year has been accompanied by a curious relaxation in ethical standards extending all the way from the farmer-exploiters of this contraband labor to the highest levels of the Federal Government."

(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: aliens; ilikeike; illegals; immigrantlist; immigration; operationwetback
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Contrast this piece with Karl Rove's comments (made a few days ago) on the topic of illegal immigration.
1 posted on 12/07/2006 10:11:24 PM PST by ruination
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To: ruination

bttt


2 posted on 12/07/2006 10:12:44 PM PST by ConservativeMan55
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To: ruination
Law enforcement, instead of political corruption.

What a concept.

3 posted on 12/07/2006 10:15:32 PM PST by unspun (What do you think? Please think, before you answer.)
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To: ruination

bump


4 posted on 12/07/2006 10:21:16 PM PST by lowbridge
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To: ruination
"Contrast this piece with Karl Rove's comments (made a few days ago) on the topic of illegal immigration."

Karl Rove is more Bastard than Magnificent.
5 posted on 12/07/2006 10:21:26 PM PST by Prokopton
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To: unspun
Law enforcement, instead of political corruption.

But we can't. Rove said it.

L

6 posted on 12/07/2006 10:28:19 PM PST by Lurker (Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.)
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To: ruination

Thanks for posting this article. President Eisenhower is often dismissed as a passive, mediocre president, but the more I learn about him the more I admire him.


7 posted on 12/07/2006 10:33:48 PM PST by LiveFree99
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To: ruination

Karl Rove in this video shows exactly why the Republicans lost. His rant is full of outright lies. He claims that since July, no illegal alien caught was released, unlike the prior catch-and-release game. He did not say that this only applied to those caught in the border areas. If you made it deeper into the country, catch and release is still the game.

He also said that we need amnesty because there is a big difference between someone who came here illegally yesterday and someone who's been here 13 years. Yeah - the latter has been breaking the law 4,748 days longer.

It is this arrogant, elitist disregard for the majority of voters wishes that has turned them off to the Republican Party. And it will get worse if this arrogance continues.

Rove then equated the immigrants who came here legally to this illegal invasion.

Rove the Genius? He's a smug, smarta$$ moron. He almost blew the 2004 election against a pompous loser, he did blow the 2006 election, and he has set the seeds for an even worse blowout in 2008.

When all you Rove loyalists start losing your jobs to the cheap alien labor, and see your home equity halved, and your hospitals closed, Rove will be on K Street making millions showing up on TV lecturing to all of you. He will be the Republican Carville - a loser who just won't go away.


8 posted on 12/07/2006 10:56:23 PM PST by oldbill
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To: Prokopton

Karl and the other party members are badly mistaken if they think they are off the hook on immigration.Voters were pissed off at the way the president and his party thumbed their nose at them and ignored their pleas.They better hope that they wake up and put a stop to this before their ignorance causes many to lose their lives.


9 posted on 12/07/2006 11:16:49 PM PST by peeps36 (Rebuild Iraq's Army And Send It Over To Kick Iran In The Teeth)
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To: ruination
Then on June 17, 1954, what was called "Operation Wetback" began. Because political resistance was lower in California and Arizona, the roundup of aliens began there. Some 750 agents swept northward through agricultural areas with a goal of 1,000 apprehensions a day. By the end of July, over 50,000 aliens were caught in the two states. Another 488,000, fearing arrest, had fled the country.

By mid-July, the crackdown extended northward into Utah, Nevada, and Idaho, and eastward to Texas.

By September, 80,000 had been taken into custody in Texas, and an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 illegals had left the Lone Star State voluntarily.

IMHO, half the illegals here would go home if we had a president who would ask them to.

10 posted on 12/07/2006 11:21:42 PM PST by Razz Barry
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To: ruination
Sen. Cornyn R-TX is trying to sneak through a last minute bill that would vastly increase H-B1 visas. Possibly tonight. If not tonight then tomorrow.

Stop Microsoft lobbyists swarming Senate to double foreign workers

Should the U.S. increase its H-1B visa program? Wages belie claims of a labor shortage

11 posted on 12/07/2006 11:32:44 PM PST by TigersEye (Ego chatters on endlessly. Mind speaks in great silence.)
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To: ruination

VIVA!!! Operation wetback. This article is one of the few treatments in the press. Because Operation Wetback was so effective it was scary. ACLU lawyers would try to jam such an approach these days. Mexico would cut off oil shipments and so would Hugo Chavez


12 posted on 12/07/2006 11:36:35 PM PST by dennisw
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To: ruination
1. why do mexicans get a "pass"?

2. what effect will the "legalization" of 20+ million future dumocrats have on the potential for Republicans (or conservatives) to regain any measure of power or influence in Washington in the future?

3. Do we need (can the market support) 20+ million low end workers and their dependents in the near future. If not, who pays?
13 posted on 12/07/2006 11:38:49 PM PST by taxed2death (A few billion here, a few trillion there...we're all friends right?)
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To: oldbill
Rove the Genius? He's a smug, smarta$$ moron.

He's way too impressed with himself. He has gotten GW elected but has now outlived his usefulness. He has always lied about the border and illegal immigration. He can go to hell

He's set for life and could care less about the invasion
The "peasants" fight wars for this POS and suffer the consequences of the Mexican/Central American invasion

14 posted on 12/07/2006 11:41:52 PM PST by dennisw
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To: taxed2death
1. why do Mexicans get a "pass"?

 Vietnamese and others are pissed. They would love to legally bring more of their own here but Mexicans/Central Americans have jammed the system and the bureaucracy that does the paperwork
15 posted on 12/07/2006 11:44:47 PM PST by dennisw
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To: ruination

hope this article can "go national" AGAIN!


16 posted on 12/07/2006 11:48:01 PM PST by 1234 (WHO is Responsible for ENFORCING IMMIGRATION LAWS?)
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To: oldbill

Yeah, Republicans showed extaordinary cowardice leading up to the 2006 elections. They didn't please the base and didn't present a clear choice, even on the war in Iraq. Don't cut and run wasn't descriptive enough a strategy to win in that country and voters know that. Some Republicans waivered on Rumsfeld, gave in to the Democrats even before the election. While our troops are bleeding and fighting our elected leaders are surrendering. What in the hell did Bush say to Rummy after the election? Now you be a good soldier while I cut you off at the knees? And what the hell are the troops fighting for anyway if we are just going to throw away our sovereignty?


17 posted on 12/07/2006 11:53:13 PM PST by TheThinker
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To: oldbill; dennisw

Note to self: When serving up bullshit don't forget the folksy drawal, lobster appetizers, and a nice California zinfandel.


18 posted on 12/07/2006 11:53:17 PM PST by SpaceBar
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To: oldbill

*BUMP*! . . .


19 posted on 12/08/2006 12:19:12 AM PST by ex-Texan (Matthew 7: 1 - 6)
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To: dennisw
Why not an "Executive Order" Retuning Illegals Home? The ships leave for Cancun, tonight.
20 posted on 12/08/2006 2:41:35 AM PST by tiger-one (The night has a thousand eyes)
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