Thread: Congressional Delegation Tours Arizona-Mexico Border

Congressional Delegation Tours Arizona-Mexico Border

November 18, 2007

Suleika Acosta, KOLD News 13 Reporter

Inspecting border security and examining border policy. A group of U.S. law-makers, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, toured the Arizona-Mexico border.

Giffords wanted to give some her colleagues an idea of what Border Patrol is up against. She and seven other representatives toured the Nogales Port of Entry and night operations along the border fence.

The group witnessed an apprehension of one illegal immigrant trying to cross. They also got to see two tons of marijuana that was recently seized at the Nogales checkpoint.

Border Patrol and Giffords hope the house members will walk away with a deeper understanding of the border.

http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S= ... v=menu86_2

They should have gone down to Lerado Nuevo in Texas. That is where most of the violence is occurring.

Think this is the same group but not sure since all the names aren't mentioned. If it's two different groups that's all the better. All congressional members need a tour imo
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Barrow Leads Group to US Border
Nov 18, 2007
Tristan Tully
Illegal immigration. It's been one of the most talked about national and local issues of the year. Last week Georgia Congressman John Barrow announced he would lead seven members of congress on a tour of the united states border patrol areas. The three-day trip starts today heading to Arizona and Texas. They'll meet with border patrol and immigration officials; examine traffic checkpoints and "point of entry sites."


Barrow hopes the tour will give congress a better understanding about the problem that's a huge concern in the nation and right here in the coastal empire and lowcountry. We take a look at the controversial issue.


"We all want to keep the cost of freeloaders and illegals impacting our tax paying citizens but it seems that the more we try, the more our hands are tied. As my councilwoman says, what part of illegal don't you understand?" That's what Hardeeville Mayor Rodney Cannon had to say in September about illegal immigration.


The issue has also been brought up at several of the presidential candidate’s visits to the lowcountry. Republican candidate Fred Thompson was in Bluffton last month, "These communities that are telling their local authorities that you can't cooperate with the Feds in terms of illegal immigration, you can't even tell them when you run across an illegal immigrant, that's got to stop.


When candidate Rudy Giuliani came to Bluffton in September, voters asked him about his stance on the issue. His response, "We should end illegal immigration and I would be able to do that. I did things like that when I reduced crime in New York City."


Now, Congressman John Barrow is leading the way down to the border to see what conditions are like. And, some of your coastal empire neighbors pleased with the effort. LaGina Frazier says this, "It goes to show that he's aware that things affect us beyond the coastal empire. So, I really appreciate that and those are qualities that I really admire in my congressman." While Savannah native Wayne Evans had this to say, "It's a strong decision to say we're going to go on a fact finding mission and go find out face to face, you know, what's actually being done."

www.wsav.com

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2007
Giffords shows 7 U.S. House members the situation up close



By Jim Lamb, Green Valley News
NOGALES—Seven U.S. representatives prowled the U.S side of the Mexican border on Sunday night on a fact-finding mission to help solve the thorny issues of illegal immigration and drug smuggling.

Standing on a rocky hill on a night with very little moon, they could easily see the lights of another country. Stadium-like lights helped light up the U.S. hills.

“Securing the border and the war in Iraq are the two most important issues in America today,â€

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2007 :: Last modified: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 9:13 PM EST

Altmire: Illegal immigration a well-organized operation




By: J.D. Prose, Times Staff

Before making a three-day visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire said he thought illegal immigration was mostly a haphazard and singular crime of opportunity carried out by those desperate enough to make attempts.

What he found, however, was an organized, well-planned operation to smuggle in illegal immigrants that rivals the United States’ effort to stop it.

“It’s a very high-tech process,â€

Before making a three-day visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire said he thought illegal immigration was mostly a haphazard and singular crime of opportunity carried out by those desperate enough to make attempts.



Do these people ever think about how very bad they sound sometimes.

If this is all he knew about something as important and as talked about as illegal immigration - the man needs to be sent home - now. Any lawmaker who hasn't taken it upon him/herself to find out what is going on on the border and in our interior - needs to go home.

I don't believe I would admit that I knew nothing about quite possibly (and definitely in my opinion) the most important thing threatening our country today.

Has this man be asleep? Or did he want 'plausible deniability'? Or is he such an elitist, he really doesn't care? Or is he just not too smart?

Barrow wants to secure borders, crack down on employers, deny benefits to illegals
Coastal Empire | Intown
Larry Peterson | Thursday, November 22, 2007 at 12:30 am
Back from touring border areas in Arizona and Texas, U.S. Rep. John Barrow says he is more determined than ever to "stop the invasion."

The Savannah Democrat and half a dozen other congressmen spent two days near Tucson, Ariz., and El Paso, Texas. They saw border station facilities, met with border patrol and immigration officials and visited traffic checkpoints and border-crossing sites.

Barrow said Wednesday that he is committed to securing the borders before considering any so-called "comprehensive" immigration policies.

He has voted against so-called "amnesty" measures to let illegal immigrants stay in the country.

Nationally, both parties are divided on the issue.

But Barrow's position "is a winning one in Georgia," said University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock.

Earlier this year, Bullock noted, U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, both Republicans from Georgia, leaned toward a measure that included amnesty provisions.

"But they got caught in the firestorm of controversy and backed off," he said.

Barrow said he is not trying to head off Republicans who might label him as soft on amnesty when he seeks re-election next year. Last year, GOP challenger Max Burns used an out-of-context partial quote from a newspaper story to do so.

"What's going on at the border is not a photo-op," Barrow said. "It's the real thing. There is an invasion going on."

Barrow said more than half a million illegal immigrants a year enter the United States, and that depresses the wages of citizens as well as immigrants here legally.

"This is not a victimless crime," Barrow said. "The victims are workers who have a right to be here.

He said more fences, walls, detection equipment and - most of all, more border patrol agents - are needed at or near the border.

Facilities such as walls don't stop illegal immigrants but slow them down and extend the reach of patrol agents, Barrow said.

Moreover, Barrow said, employers must be required not only to ask workers for identification, but also check with the federal government to determine whether it is valid. That can be done by e-mail or by telephone, he said.

Barrow is backing a bill that would require employers to do so, but he doesn't expect a vote soon.

Lastly, he said, no federal benefits should go to illegal immigrants.

He dismissed a recent Krieble Foundation poll that found most Americans doubt that the border can be secured without a temporary worker program.

A general willingness to hire illegals - rather than a need for temporary immigrant labor - is driving the influx from across the border, Barrow said.

Local businessman and Barrow supporter Ed Feiler disagrees with the congressman's position, but he said so with a hint of resignation.

"When John Barrow makes up his mind on something like this," Feiler said, "he does it for reasons that are important to him. ... He's a big boy. He can decide for himself."

http://new.savannahnow.com/node/402485

I agree Jean, All our congress members need a tour of our border,border towns and the desert near the border.They need a good look and smell of the mountains of trash left by the Illegals !!

Shall we start a email campaign demanding they have "first hand" knowledge of such an important issue before they make any further decisions which effects us all ?