Posted on 06/12/2008 10:36:27 PM PDT by pissant
The open borders of the United States amount to a national security exposure. This is a fact that cannot be debated.
One has only to look at the number of foreign nationals attempting to illegally enter the U.S. through Mexico over the last several years.
Since 2005, the Department of Homeland Security reports that more than 331,000 people from countries other than Mexico have been apprehended trying to cross the Southern land border. These individuals came from virtually every country in the world, including some with whom we have an adversarial relationship, such as Communist China, Iran and North Korea.
These apprehensions as well as the approximate 3.1 million border arrests over the same period are the result of a U.S.-Mexico border that has been left wide open and largely unprotected against illegal entry. This vulnerability continues to be exploited by migrants and smugglers everyday and, until our borders are secure, we must anticipate that terrorists may eventually try entering the U.S. the same way.
In 2005, when testifying before Congress, then-Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security James Loy confirmed the seriousness of this threat. According to Mr. Loy, "Al Qaeda leaders believe operatives can pay their way into the country through Mexico and also believe illegal entry is more advantageous than legal entry for operational security reasons." He also added that intelligence "strongly suggests" terrorists have considered entering the United States through Mexico.
That same year, while visiting Mexico City, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, "We are quite aware that terrorists will try very hard" to use the border with Mexico to enter the United States. Miss Rice also acknowledged the fact that terrorists will continue trying to infiltrate the United States this way, and thus "we need to make certain that we keep working on this issue." I could not agree more. The threat created by our open borders, as well as many of the other problems that are attributable to illegal immigration, will only intensify until this exposure is closed.
While we have made some progress in recent years toward creating a more enforceable border, we still have a lot of work left to do. Moving forward, we must continue strengthening security through manpower, technology and infrastructure, including the most reliable and effective enforcement tool so far: border security fencing.
Much like many other areas of the border today, the land corridor that once existed between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego, Calif., was for many years considered to be the most prolific and dangerous smuggling route in the nation. It was not until I wrote into law the construction of a double border fence that the drug smugglers and armed gangs lost control of this corridor and conditions on both sides of the border started to improve.
Since construction of the San Diego border fence started in 1996, the smuggling of people and narcotics in this area has decreased by more than 90 percent. Violent crime is down by 53 percent, according to FBI statistics, and vehicle drug drive-throughs have been eliminated altogether. There are also significantly fewer apprehensions in the San Diego sector due to fewer crossing attempts.
In Yuma, Ariz., where almost 30 miles of fencing has been completed to date, there have been similar results. In 2006, before the start of fence construction, there were 119,000 apprehensions in this sector. By the next year, once fence construction started, there were 81,000 fewer arrests.
Homeland Security is rightly building fence at other points along the border and reports it is on course to complete 370 miles by the end of this year. Given the effectiveness of fencing, as demonstrated in San Diego and Yuma, it is in our national interest to extend this infrastructure to other smuggling routes and heavily traveled areas of the border.
Our nation's security largely rests on the security of our borders. We know what we need to do. All we have to do is act.
The GOP could have had Duncan Hunter for our standard bearer but the RINOs and nay-sayers decided that John McCain’s superior record on border security made him more viable (har har) as a candidate.
The Party of Reagan is dead.
I haven’t heard Duncan Hunter mentioned as a running mate for McCain, but he would be a great choice.
“....only to have the dems and the RINOs constantly trying to cut his legs out from under him.”
and my question is... why?
This issue has been COMPLETELY taken off of the screens by the system and Tweedledee/Tweedledum. Neither of those two fools will take it up, nor will their campaigns promote it, nor will the corrupt two party system at the top controlled by lobbyists for open borders, make IMMIGRATION AN ISSUE IN THE GENERAL ELECTION, even though it was a burning issue in the initial GOP primaries, (conveniently until all pro-border security types could be knocked out one by one by the establishment and media).
Let’s see how we could have fared...
Close Gitmo and give Habeas Corpus to the terrorists? McCain Sí , Hunter NO.
Open up ANWR? McCain NO, Hunter YES
Open up the coastlines and increase coal production? McCain NO, Hunter YES.
GIve amenesty to 20 million plus illegals for a nominal fine (if they can afford it)? McCain Sí, Hunter HELL NO
Ban the incandescent lightbulb? McCain Sí, Hunter NO
End waterboarding? McCain Sí, Hunter HELL NO
Worry and fret what the leftists around the world think about us? McCain Sí, Hunter HELL NO
Put on perfume and kneepads for the communist scumbags in China? McCain Sí, Hunter HELL NO
Eliminate taxes on US manufacturing entities? McCain no, Hunter Yes.
ELiminate the Dept of Education, Energy, Hud, the IRS, and slash the EPA’s budget by half? McCain no, Hunter YES.
Raise CAFE standards? McCain Sí, Hunter NO
List the polar bear as endangered species per the radical environmentalists request? McCain Sí, Hunter NO
Enforce the law about US content of US defense systems? McCain NO, Hunter HELL YES.
Pass legislation to give FULL constitutional protection to the unborn, or alternately, amend the constitution? McCain No, Hunter HELL YES.
Fast track permitting for the border fence? Mccain NO, Hunter HELL YES.
Pass the LOST treaty giving the UN control of the world’s oceans? McCain Sí, Hunter NO
Join the International Criminal Court? McCain Sí, Hunter NO
Burder the US with trillions in costs for Cap and trade/Global warming? McCain Sí, Hunter Hell NO
Close the “gun show loophole” and ban “cheap handguns”? McCain Sí, Hunter Hell NO
Further restrict the 1st Amendment with more campaign finance laws? McCain Sí, Hunter Hell NO
“windfall” profits taxes for oil companies? McCain Sí, Hunter Hell NO
Remind me again why McCain is the nominee?
If not dead, it certainly is on life support.
Farm lobbyists, hospitality lobbyists, and rank liberalism, not necessarily in that order.
Geeee... Really? Wow, I'm really really impressed she figured this out so quickly.
Do they people in DC take One-A-Day Dumb pills every morning?
Mental giant. Too much education, not nearly enough common sense.
Just for the heck of it....
This should have been put in place when CA was inspecting cars on I-5(?) years ago.
He also chnged his tune about what the lesson learned was....and he is right. He was pimping amnesty all last year and yet he got nominated. The GOP voters can kiss my arse. This disgusts me to no end.
Dream thought that will never ever happen.
The Republican party morphed into a strange leftist, liberal organization some years ago. It's basically been undermined and compromised by impersonators.
Hunter never had a chance.
Yeah, take that gringo...
Actually, since Juan Hernadez is john's hispanic outreach director, and since McCain is speaking before the almighty great and wonderful La Raza in July, perhaps these are his campaign workers...
> but he would be a great choice.
LOL! Except that they have almost nothing at all in common except that they both breathe air...
Careful now, you might give somebody the impression that this Conservative forum is the Free Republic instead of the Free Republican."
Tell those that are so ga-ga over McCain’s stance on National Security that our National Security begins at our borders. He has nothing to offer We The People on the latter.
It’s part of the plan to throw the election to the dems?
Globalist manipulation? Either way, it seems they win.
No it doesn't. Just ask Bush, Chertoff, McCain, LaRaza, the Chamber of Commerce, Tyson Foods, almost an landscaper, etc.
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