INS agents want armed Guard members at border

Burlington Free Press ^ | 3/19/02 | Erin Kelly

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

The unarmed National Guard troops that began working on the Vermont-Canada border Monday are actually hurting security by displacing armed U.S. immigration and customs agents at a time of red alert, union leaders say.

Unions representing Vermont's 1,000-plus Immigration and Naturalization Service agents and its 120 Customs Service agents say the situation is especially dangerous at 15 remote rural ports of entry along the Vermont border where a single armed INS or Customs agent is paired with an unarmed guardsman. The agents had been paired with other armed agents in the six months since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

[TomGuy]

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said Monday he is collecting senators' signatures on a letter to President Bush urging that the Guard members be armed.

Wow! First Sen. Byrd is opposing the amnesty bill, and now Leahy is wanting Guardsmen armed.

It's a sad day when the Demo's are right and the Repubs are wrong. What's the world coming to?

[Digger]

We can't upset the elites that want to fill our country will these illegals. GW better get his butt on the correct side of this issue IMMEDIATELY. Never thought I would be with Leahy & Bird on any issue.

[DoughtyOne]

Once again, this only addresses guards at a checkpoint. It does not address the other 99.99% of our border. What will it take for us to close the damn border? We enforce borders all over the world, then let ours leak like a post collision Titanic.

[gcruse]

Oh, yeah. The airports have armed Guard members to shoot the travelers, if need be, but the soldiers guarding the entrance to the country itself aren't allowed weapons because of how it might look. Who is running this operation, the State Department?

[iopscusa]

We were attacked from within our borders by these same types of immigrants/illegals/non-US citizens. This is a National Emergency...close the borders, fix the INS or get rid of it and if this is not done, the least we do is stop paying taxes until it's done or until we elect the people who will do the right thing!! PS: if Senators Leahy, Byrd or Helms speak the truth I'll listen...