Bush official slammed for stopping illegals sweeps

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Tuesday, July 13, 2004 | Ron Strom

[JohnHuang2]

Border Patrol agents who executed highly popular roundups of illegal aliens in Southern California last month – the first of their kind in recent memory – say they've been told to stop such enforcement action, and the Bush administration official in charge of the immigration enforcement has refused to say if there would be additional sweeps in the future.

In an extraordinary radio interview Thursday on Los Angeles talk-radio station KFI, talk-show host John Kobylt grilled Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security Asa Hutchinson about why the roundups had been ended. The official, a former congressman who works under Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, attempted to defend the Bush administration record on immigration enforcement, but was repeatedly pressured by Kobylt to justify the canceling of the sweeps.

In early June, the Temecula Border Patrol station formed a special Mobile Patrol Group that conducted a series of illegal-alien sweeps in Norco, Corona and Escondido, Calif. The12-man group made more than 450 arrests as a result of the roundups.

Ron Zermeno, shop steward for the National Border Patrol Council at the Temecula station was frustrated with the decision to stop the sweeps.

"We don't know which way to turn. For once we were doing our job, what the government pays us to do," he told the North County Times.

After the roundups occurred, Latino activists protested at Border Patrol stations demanding an end to the sweeps.

Late last month, Hutchinson told members of Congress the raids were executed without the approval of higher-ranking officials, according to the Times report. While the sweeps were not illegal, they violated policy and the chain of command, Hutchinson said at the time.

In the radio interview, which lasted 22 minutes without any commercial breaks, Kobylt repeatedly confronted Hutchinson about when sweeps of illegal aliens would begin again.

While Hutchinson did not directly confirm that the sweeps had been stopped, he repeatedly stressed that future operations would have to be "coordinated" with other agencies. He told Kobylt while the priority of the Border Patrol is stopping the flow of aliens at the border, he also supports "interior enforcement" of immigration laws.

"Those 12 guys in Temecula rounded up 400 people in three days," Kobylt said. "Why not let them do what they're doing? They don't need to coordinate with anybody.

"They were doing fine, and the American taxpayers here in Southern California were thrilled beyond belief."

While Hutchinson argued the priority should be placing personnel at the border, Kobylt countered that California has 2 million illegal aliens who he says are a drain on the taxpayers of the state.

"It's $5 billion in tax money going down the hole every year to support these people," he told Hutchinson. "Why aren't you doing your job? Why do we still have tens of thousands of illegal aliens piling over the border every year?"

Kobylt charged Hutchinson with not neglecting the task of interior enforcement, pointing out the California roundups were big news stories because such action had not been taken "for years."

"When are the [round ups] going to start up again?" Kobylt asked Hutchinson.

"I'm not going to announce that on the radio," responded the official, who appeared riled by Kobylt's direct and persistent questioning. "You can expect interior enforcement actions in the future."

Kobylt accused Hutchinson of bowing to political pressure from immigrant-rights groups. He slammed the official for not confirming that the roundups would continue.

Said Kobylt after one of Huthinson's responses: "That's gobbledy-gook."

The host continued to pound on the roundup issue, but did not get the "yes or no" answer he was looking for.

"Yes or no, are you going to restart the border sweeps?" Kobylt pressed.

Responded Hutchinson: "We're going to continue the enforcement operations. They'll be coordinated between the Border Patrol and the ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents. And that's the commitment that we make."

The talk-show host also pressed Hutchinson on the lack of enforcement action against employers in Southern California who hire illegal aliens.

"We have never seen a single company executive indicted for employing illegal aliens in this state," Kobylt said, who told Hutchinson he was "tap dancing" around his pointed questions.

"We have an enormous illegal-alien problem here in Southern California, and we are getting zero help from the federal government," Kobylt said.

Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., a long-time advocate of tough immigration enforcement talked to Kobylt and co-host Ken Chiampou yesterday about the interview.

Kobylt encouraged Tancredo to read part of the interview on the floor of the House of Representatives.

"Well, that's an idea," Tancredo said. "I will talk about this on the House floor and I will try to figure out a way to interweave that."

Said Kobylt: "We don't want this Hutchinson thing to die. …

"I don't care if [Hutchinson's] a nice guy or not. I don't care if he gives mouth-to-mouth to dying dogs. It doesn't matter to me. Is he going to do the job on something that is extremely important that three-quarters of the state wants enforced?"

Zermeno said the halt in sweeps stems from pressure from Latino-rights activists and others.

"It's a few activists that are screaming for us to stop doing our job, and they are the ones getting Hutchinson's ear. It's very frustrating," Zermeno told the Times.

The KFI talkers have urged listeners to contact Hutchinson's office about the issue. The following message appears on the show's website:

Trey Bohn is the director of Radio, Office of Media Affairs, for the White House, and he wants you to stop e-mailing Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for the Department of Homeland Security. Trey wants you to use a generic e-mail address, where you letters may or may not be seen. If you get a chance, why not give Trey a call and remind him who pays his salary. Call Trey at (202) 456-3851. Joseph Farah, WND editor and host of radio program "WorldNetDaily RadioActive," will play the interview on his show today. The program runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.

[BurbankKarl]

oh, here we go...lets have the Bush Apologists start posting here...

[gubamyster]

ping

[Reagan Man]

Border Patrol agents who executed highly popular roundups of illegal aliens in Southern California last month – the first of their kind in recent memory – say they've been told to stop such enforcement action...

If its working, let it be. Let the BP do their job.

[jnarcus]

Good for the guys at KFI...I am steamed about what we are NOT doing at the border....time to build a fence

[TheEaglehasLanded]

Another cave by W and his admin, keep doing this crap and the base will stay home.

[Consort]

It still looks like a ploy by Liberals in the BP to scare out the Latino vote for the Democrats and throw some business over to their Liberal lawyer friends at the same time.

[janetgreen]

the base will stay home

I know many who plan to stay home because they feel there's no choice. Others plan to vote third party in protest.

[wasnova]

The truth is that mass sweeps could have immediate and significant negative effects on the economy of S. Cal.

It's not just the Latino vote. It's both, and that makes it a tough political issue.

What politician would risk alienating the Latino vote And squashing the economy of southern California at the same time - with the election just months away?

[heleny]

I know many who plan to stay home because they feel there's no choice. Others plan to vote third party in protest.

I recommend the latter choice if they feel that strongly against Bush. That way, at least they plan to vote, so that they can vote against Sen. Boxer (for the boring and unmotivating Bill Jones) and against the bond issuances and tax propositions.

[heleny]

alienating the Latino vote

Illegal aliens, as well as legal aliens, shouldn't be voting. If the rest of the citizens are pleased with the border enforcement enough to vote, they will easily outnumber the Latino voters. Besides, some Latino citizens support the immigration enforcement.

[LiberalBassTurds]

Anyone see any written speculation about them having a different agenda for these sweeps? Not to put my tinfoil hat on but I noticed they started after the announcements of potential attacks this summer and speculation that Mexico could be an entry point. Maybe our boys were looking for something else and found what they needed.

LBT

-=-=-

[Dane]

oh, here we go...lets have the Bush Apologists start posting here..

Especially since John and Ken of KFI seem to be Joe Baca(D-CA) apologists.

Joe Baca is the person who got the ball rolling tp stop the sweeps.

[TLI]

There are a few individuals here that continually expound on how the united States of America can not possibly close the mexico border, just fence or wall it off and keep it closed except for the proper crossing points and bridges.

Here is a bit of my feedback to such nonsense.

http://photos.iofc.org/storage/images/preview/korea_border.jpg
South Koreans keeping the peace.


http://www.abc.net.au/science/slab/seastars/img/zfence2.jpg
Border `cross tha bayyyyeaaaa!


http://www.loogadis.co.za/ezimagecatalogue/catalogue/variations/3723-200x200.jpg
Responders from a slow moving APC.  My Idea is to trade armor for HIGH speed.


http://www.smh.com.au/ffxImage/urlpicture_id_1058035140145_2003/07/17/wld_korea,0.jpg
North Korean blockhouse that I was told are too expensive to build by the u.S on the mexican border.  Strange, North Korea is FAMOUS for being just absolutly dirt poor.  The can build blockhouses on their border.  I bet if we had blockhouses on our border we could keep fresh paint on them and fix the roof.


http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/02/18/bush.skorea/vstory.korea.frontier.jpg
My lord goodness gracious!  Are those electrical wires ?  

HOW MEAN SPRITED.

: )

[wasnova]

Maybe W could win votes by supporting sweeps, but I doubt he believes it.

I don't know what the outcome would be, but it wouldn't suprise me to determine (upon review of important numbers and such) that sweeps would be better timed for next year.

That is, if you prefer a Bush Presidency to a Kerry (and I do).

[CBF]

...I am steamed about what we are NOT doing at the border....time to build a fence

I agree, then after it's built, round up each and every illegal and throw them back over it. Let them apply, then come if they are approved, like everyone else.

Of course we can expect the U.N. and the world court to condem us and sanction us. What could be better. So long as we are pissing off those bastards, let's us know we are moving in the right direction, eh?

[TheSpottedOwl]

I emailed Asa and he didn't email me back :-(

I feel so...used.

[heleny]

Maybe W could win votes by supporting sweeps, but I doubt he believes it.

In CA, he could win on just that issue (in addition to his record), since CA voters don't like the effects of illegal immigration.

I don't know what the outcome would be, but it wouldn't suprise me to determine (upon review of important numbers and such) that sweeps would be better timed for next year.

After the elections? That'll be too late for CA's votes. When the President announced his "not an amnesty" amnesty plan earlier this year, it was not popular among citizens in CA. By restarting the sweeps, he could make himself very popular. That is, if you prefer a Bush Presidency to a Kerry (and I do).

Sure, I do, too, but CA Democrats outnumber Republicans, Democrats won the last few Presidential elections in CA, and there aren't any signs of a significant change in CA opinion.

If Bush does nothing, he won't gain CA's 55 electoral votes and nothing really changes. If he can make voters in CA happy, he could not only gain 55 but also take 55 away from Kerry for a net change of 110 EV's and a landslide victory.

[heleny]

after it's built, round up each and every illegal and throw them back over it. Let them apply, then come if they are approved, like everyone else.

IIRC, deported aliens must wait 10 years to apply, so they can't apply like everyone else.

[antceecee]

yada yada yada....