Thread: AZ: Chertoff visits amid protests

Sandy Rathbun reports
Chertoff visits amid protests

November 14, 2008

The U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, visited Arizona on Thursday and Friday. Michael Chertoff patrolled with Border Patrol agents between Nogales and Sells on Thursday. On Friday, he lectured at the University of Arizona Law School in addition to talking to reporters.

During a news conference, Chertoff said security along the U.S. Mexico border has improved in the past few years. He says, "There has been measurable and significant progress."

Chertoff says illegal immigration is down because enforcement is up. "We've seen a decrease in not only the number of apprehensions of people coming across the border, but in the number of entries," he says.

Chertoff partly credits the physical wall being built between the U.S. and Mexico. He says it'll be almost finished when he and President Bush leave office in January. Chertoff says, "We'll be better than 600 miles completed or significantly completed, which is better than 90 percent of what I'd hoped to do."

Part of this decline could have less to do with enforcement, and walls and more other factors. A study by the Pew Research Center cites factors such as a shrinking housing market, which employs many illegal immigrants, as well as a declining economy, and legislation which prevents employers from hiring illegals immigrants.

Chertoff cautions progress could be reversed if Barack Obama's new administration isn't careful. He says, "If there's a change in approach, if there's a lack of commitment to continue what we're doing on border security, we could see ourselves surrendering many of the gains we've made."

While Chertoff spoke inside the law school, outside on Speedway Boulevard, about 60 people protested his policies.

Protestor Susan Thorpe held a sign and demanded, "Stop building this wall, $2.7 billion for a wall that doesn't work."

Protestor Roberto Rodriguez insisted, "Their era is over. The era of walls, of demonizing immigrants, that's past."

These folks say they'll push the new Obama administration to tear down the border wall and to pass an amnesty program for illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

www.kvoa.com

These folks say they'll push the new Obama administration to tear down the border wall and to pass an amnesty program for illegal immigrants already in the U.S.


And THESE folks say we'll push back and even harder than they push.

You know, you really have to wonder just how long these folks are going to be able to keep it up with their IA advocacy.

The conditions in this country and the direction we're headed is the great euqualizer. These people so eager to help the "poor" IAs are NOT immune to job loss, not being able to provide the basic needs for themselves and their families, losing their homes, etc.

Lets just see how much longer they're going to remain pro-illegal when they need every cent they can get their hands on and there's nothing to be had because illegals......or newly legalized "workers" have the jobs.

Originally Posted by azwreath

These folks say they'll push the new Obama administration to tear down the border wall and to pass an amnesty program for illegal immigrants already in the U.S.


And THESE folks say we'll push back and even harder than they push.

You know, you really have to wonder just how long these folks are going to be able to keep it up with their IA advocacy.

The conditions in this country and the direction we're headed is the great euqualizer. These people so eager to help the "poor" IAs are NOT immune to job loss, not being able to provide the basic needs for themselves and their families, losing their homes, etc.

Lets just see how much longer they're going to remain pro-illegal when they need every cent they can get their hands on and there's nothing to be had because illegals......or newly legalized "workers" have the jobs.

Totally true. And I wonder what OBL shills like Rev. Jessie Jackson have to say now? His followers are facing the worst possible job competition--and he doesn't have much of a political future either, it seems. I know Big Labor is going to seek to push the Obama administration into huge spending projects---based upon hysterical alarms about America's "crumbling infrastructure." We're already seeing it around here in this blue state, where reasonable projects have suddenly mushroomed into huge money wasters. And everybody is salivating to get in on the action.

These people don't know Americans very well....as Wreath said basically....take the food out of our chilrens mouth and watch Americans ROAR

Did anyone see the dark and ominious clouds hanging over the white house right now ....wonder if it is a sign from above over the meeting of the big 19 going on there!!