Thread: Bushbot Chertoff touts the Patriot Act and a guest-worker

http://www.pe.com/localnews/desert/stor ... 0a9be.html

Security moves are defended

MEETING: The Homeland Security chief touts the Patriot Act and a guest-worker plan.

12:14 AM PST on Thursday, January 5, 2006

By DAVID OLSON / The Press-Enterprise

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Wednesday in Palm Desert that the Bush administration's proposed guest-worker program would strengthen border security, and he defended the controversial Patriot Act as a way to keep up with terrorists' new high-tech methods.

Bush faces strong opposition in Congress to his guest-worker program, especially from conservatives. But Chertoff said that not giving immigrants more legal ways to work in the United States would ensure a constant flow of undocumented workers from Mexico and put "enormous pressure on our Border Patrol and our border-enforcement people and our sheriffs to hold the line."

Chertoff, speaking at the National Sheriffs' Association midwinter meeting at Desert Springs, a J.W. Marriott Resort and Spa, touted the guest-worker proposal as part of a comprehensive program that includes more Border Patrol agents, more fences and sensors, and tougher sanctions against employers who hire illegal workers.

Chertoff said he would announce today at the border crossing in San Ysidro a new federal, state and local law-enforcement initiative to combat human smuggling.

Chertoff also said on Wednesday that he welcomes debate on the renewal of the Patriot Act. Congress last month extended the law -- which was scheduled to expire Dec. 31 -- until Feb. 3 to ensure more debate, reflecting concerns that some provisions of the law enacted in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks go too far in restricting civil liberties.

But, Chertoff said, police have long used some tactics in the law against other types of criminals.

"If we can use this type of tool against the guy who's smuggling marijuana, why do we not want to give the government the authority to use this kind of tool against someone who's smuggling in a chemical weapon or a biological weapon or setting up an improvised explosive device?" he asked.

In an interview after the speech, Sheriff William Barnwell of Montcalm County, Mich., said he understood concerns about balancing civil liberties with the fight against terrorism.

But, he said, "The world has changed. Terrorism has changed, and we have to change with it. No one's looking to violate people's rights. What we're trying to do is to prevent another 9/11."

Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks praised Chertoff for listening to local law-enforcement agencies' immigration concerns by increasing the number of beds to detain undocumented immigrants, expediting their deportation, and leaving to local agencies the discretion of whether to get involved with checks on the immigration status of arrestees.

For now, let me just say

Originally Posted by LegalUSCitizen

I'm ticked off as heck today, because I can see what's coming. He is not going to do what needs to be done. Watch and see.

I just knew it! How is a guest-worker program going to strengthen our borders? We need the fence, DAMN IT! People everywhere are going to BLOW-UP if any form of guest-worker goes through.

Butterbean, I hate to see how it will be. You are sure right. People are going to be furious. What is so terrible is that he doesn't care.

He believes we will just have to live with it. And we will. What WILL we be able to do



One thing is for sure. WORDS are going to be flying in this country.

And unless Tom Tancredo runs, we will end up with a Democrat in 2008.
Which is even more incentive for the Dems to support him with this. THEY KNOW what it will do for them if he signs a guest worker program in.

At this point.....I would......almost......TAKE A DEMOCRAT !!!

I need a glass of water....and some fresh air. It wasn't easy to say that.