Thread: Chertoff at the Border: Don't stop with security; consider..

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Chertoff at the Border: Don't stop with security; consider workers

08:22 AM CST on Friday, November 4, 2005


Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff this week received what sports guys call an "up-close and personal" look at the Texas/Mexico border. If it's not drug gangs turning Nuevo Laredo into Little Baghdad, it's the futility of catching and releasing illegal immigrants.

Mr. Chertoff already had received an earful about the extreme conditions. Twenty Texas congressional reps had "shared their concerns" in September with the administration. That's Washington talk for "Are you guys asleep, or what?"

The 20 were particularly worked up about the "other than Mexican" practice. Immigrants from nations other than Mexico often are caught and released because of the lack of detention beds in South Texas. Many "OTMs" come from Brazil. But others are from nations like Pakistan. If that reality doesn't get you thinking about terrorism, what does?

To his credit, Mr. Chertoff has hopped-to, not only making this trip but also outlining to the 20 representatives what the administration is doing to make the border more secure. The list includes:

• Adding 1,800 detention beds along the border.

• Sending illegal immigrants home more quickly.


• Moving more agents into corridors with large numbers of illegal crossings.


Those are good security changes, as was Mr. Chertoff's call Wednesday for better security technology along the border. And we say that as a page that supports a more open approach to immigration. The folks down there can't sit still until Congress finally takes up an immigration bill.

But there are not enough guns, planes and agents in the world to safeguard the long stretch from Brownsville to El Paso. Washington needs to create a program where workers from foreign countries, including illegal immigrants already here, can qualify for a legal work visa and apply for citizenship.

We were pleased to hear GOP Rep. Kay Granger advocate a dual approach during an immigration panel in Dallas on Saturday. The Fort Worth legislator pressed for security changes but said Congress can't stop there.

We hope Secretary Chertoff came away with the same understanding. Border problems will get solved only by dealing with security and workers.

We do NOT need any DUAL APPROACH. WE need to SEAL the borders and stop any immigration until all illegals still in this country are deported.

But there are not enough guns, planes and agents in the world to safeguard the long stretch from Brownsville to El Paso. Washington needs to create a program where workers from foreign countries, including illegal immigrants already here, can qualify for a legal work visa and apply for citizenship.

We already know that it would take 24,000 troops, placed a quarter of a mile apart and working an 8 hour shift everyday(3 shifts). That's about the same (+ or -) number of our troops you hear about coming and going to Iraq.

President Bush has his agenda and it has nothing to do with his oath. He is in violation of his oath and must be impeached.

But remember, all it would take is the enforcement of fining contractors or suspending their licenses when they are caught employing illegals and this whole mess will be gone. So, I would point out that securing the borders comes second because enforcing the laws for illegal hirings would domino to the point that they would all go home. This in turn, would cause some businesses to go out of business (probably like they should) and the rest would be forced to raise wages in order to attract workers (even teenagers for construction!) Problem is, they choose to break the law, or get our politicians to change it without debate in order to keep them from having to raise the wages (which hasn't been sufficient since the early 80s) so that they can rake in bigger profits.

Chertoff has no idea. He is another imbecile without a clue. You can toss this aside, and pretend I never said it. In all honeslty Chertoff, do you feel qualified to protect the American people? I dont want to rely on you, thats for sure!!

Excellent points, Rockfish. The businesses are going to have to have penalties levied against them STARTING WITH HALLIBURTON. You notice that it is the SUB-CONTRACTORS who are going to be culpable because Halliburton can sit back and contend that they had no control over what their sub-contractors did. That is something that SHOULD be addressed. The buck should stop at the very top.

Butterbean--we might get "outed" for disagreeing with Bush's choice of Chertoff so we better walk the straight and narrow!!! You know what happens to ANYBODY that disagrees with Bush and Cheney. They get ZAPPED. One thing for sure--if they come after any one of us, all of ALIPAC needs to come to our defense because we will know it was retribution for the "crime" of disagreeing!!!

Originally Posted by butterbean

Chertoff has no idea. He is another imbecile without a clue. You can toss this aside, and pretend I never said it. In all honeslty Chertoff, do you feel qualified to protect the American people? I dont want to rely on you, thats for sure!!

In my opinion, Chertoff should have been put to the curb along with Brown. Of course, he'd still receive a huge paycheck as an "advisor". PUKE.