Thread: Reform Glitch Saps Border Patrol

http://www.dailybulletin.com/Stories/0, ... 66,00.html
7/26/2005

Reform glitch saps Border Patrol
Some agents doing wrong jobs

By Mason Stockstill, Staff Writer

Some immigration enforcement agents working the U.S.-Mexico border aren't doing their assigned jobs because of a mix-up that occurred when immigration operations were reorganized two years ago.
According to Richard Skinner, acting inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, the glitch has meant that agents whose job descriptions include processing detainees and hunting fugitives have spent most of their time performing transportation duties and reporting to the wrong government agency.

Special Report Beyond Borders

"He's identified a problem that we have raised concerns about to no avail," said T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council. "Perhaps he has more clout, and someone will take a harder look at this problem."

According to Skinner's report, the mix-up stems from a 2003 reorganization of U.S. Customs, the Border Patrol and the Immigration and Naturalization Service into two new entities: Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection.

The agents in question had performed transportation duties while working for INS, but they were moved to ICE after the reorganization.

However, some of those agents continued to perform the same transportation work for CBP.

That's led to confusion around those agents, because they draw their salaries and benefits from one department but work for another, where their supervisors are unable to handle employee-relations issues or discipline them.

"This has resulted in problems for both the (immigration enforcement agents) involved and the Border Patrol supervisors to whom they report," Skinner wrote in his report.

That's no surprise to Andy Ramirez, president of the Chino-based Friends of the Border Patrol.

Ramirez who is leading a group of volunteers to patrol the border near San Diego in September said he often hears complaints from Border Patrol agents about how disorganized the government's immigration enforcement efforts are.

"One of the things agents are telling me constantly is the new bureaucracy known as DHS is a complete mess," Ramirez said. "It's an utter disaster."

The report comes as Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff plans to again overhaul the department, with an emphasis on comprehensive immigration reform.

Unveiling his proposal earlier this month, Chertoff outlined several improvements for border enforcement that included increased staff, new technology and better infrastructure.

"But control of the border will also require reducing the demand for illegal border migration by channeling migrants into regulated legal channels to seek work," he said.

Chertoff backed the president's guest-worker program, which would allow a certain number of migrants to move freely across the border to perform jobs U.S. workers won't take.

He also called for shortening delays in the citizenship application process and steps to "ease the path" for foreigners to obtain temporary visas.


Mason Stockstill can be reached by e-mail at mason.stockstill@dailybulletin.com or by phone at (909) 483-4643.

Originally Posted by butterbean

http://www.dailybulletin.com/Stories/0,1413,203~21481~2981366,00.html
7/26/2005

Reform glitch saps Border Patrol
Some agents doing wrong jobs

By Mason Stockstill, Staff Writer

Some immigration enforcement agents working the U.S.-Mexico border aren't doing their assigned jobs because of a mix-up that occurred when immigration operations were reorganized two years ago.
According to Richard Skinner, acting inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, the glitch has meant that agents whose job descriptions include processing detainees and hunting fugitives have spent most of their time performing transportation duties and reporting to the wrong government agency.

Special Report Beyond Borders

"He's identified a problem that we have raised concerns about to no avail," said T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council. "Perhaps he has more clout, and someone will take a harder look at this problem."

According to Skinner's report, the mix-up stems from a 2003 reorganization of U.S. Customs, the Border Patrol and the Immigration and Naturalization Service into two new entities: Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection.

The agents in question had performed transportation duties while working for INS, but they were moved to ICE after the reorganization.

However, some of those agents continued to perform the same transportation work for CBP.

That's led to confusion around those agents, because they draw their salaries and benefits from one department but work for another, where their supervisors are unable to handle employee-relations issues or discipline them.

"This has resulted in problems for both the (immigration enforcement agents) involved and the Border Patrol supervisors to whom they report," Skinner wrote in his report.

That's no surprise to Andy Ramirez, president of the Chino-based Friends of the Border Patrol.

Ramirez who is leading a group of volunteers to patrol the border near San Diego in September said he often hears complaints from Border Patrol agents about how disorganized the government's immigration enforcement efforts are.

"One of the things agents are telling me constantly is the new bureaucracy known as DHS is a complete mess," Ramirez said. "It's an utter disaster."

The report comes as Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff plans to again overhaul the department, with an emphasis on comprehensive immigration reform.

Unveiling his proposal earlier this month, Chertoff outlined several improvements for border enforcement that included increased staff, new technology and better infrastructure.

"But control of the border will also require reducing the demand for illegal border migration by channeling migrants into regulated legal channels to seek work," he said.

Chertoff backed the president's guest-worker program, which would allow a certain number of migrants to move freely across the border to perform jobs U.S. workers won't take.

And this would benefit what aspect of an American Citizen's best interest?

[quote:1r6d8dt6]He also called for shortening delays in the citizenship application process and steps to "ease the path" for foreigners to obtain temporary visas.

[/quote:1r6d8dt6]

And this would benefit what aspect of an American Citizen's best interest?

WHO DOES CHERTOFF THINK HE WORKS FOR?