Thread: Sessions says 'The border is not open'

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'The border
is not open'
Sessions, in Eva, says fence, guardsmen vital for nation's
security


By Ronnie Thomas
DAILY Staff Writer
rthomas@decaturdaily.com · 340-2438

EVA — U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions said Tuesday that a fence and the presence of the National Guard are vital to securing America's southern border.

"The fence is a critical part of border security, and we should absolutely have it," he said. "An overwhelming majority of the senate voted for it, 83 to 16. But it took awhile. A year ago, if you had taken that vote, people wouldn't have agreed."

Sessions, R-Mobile, said lawmakers studied the results of a fence erected in San Diego "and how well it worked, how much crime was reduced. We need to build fences in strategic areas, no doubt."

Sessions made the comments before taking part at a groundbreaking with U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, for Eva's wastewater treatment facility.

Sessions said guardsmen are not working as enforcement personnel but are nearby, providing assistance.

"They could do construction work," he said.

"It appears that the number of illegal crossings has gone down a little bit, although that's not certain."

If the number has decreased, Sessions said, it could be attributed to the fact that "we've sent a signal to the world that the border is not open. When the president said he's calling out the National Guard, I think maybe it convinced some people in South America and Central America that the border was no longer open."

He said he recently was in South America and saw a poll that said 60 percent of Nicaraguans and 70 percent of Peruvians would come to the United States if they could.

"It's obvious this nation can't accept everybody," he said.

Sessions also said short-term detention beds are needed, so officials can detain illegals long enough to deport them. He added that those who come legally should receive a counterfeit-proof identification card and that businesses shouldn't hire people who don't have the cards.

"If we do those things, we would be surprised how far we'd go to creating a lawful system. And from then on, we have to do the little things that are necessary to make it work," he said.

Iraq a 'difficult thing'

On Iraq, he said he and three-fourths of the Senate supported the invasion. He conceded "it has been a more difficult thing than I think most of us thought, but the war went easier at the beginning than I think most of us thought it would."

He said the post-invasion violence is so mindless that it's difficult to imagine. He said there is a small but significant group of Islamic radicals hostile to the Western world and that "they continue to strike out and have been increasingly doing so over the past 20 years."

He said America and its allies "are in a long-term struggle. All we have to do to be successful is to be strong, be patient, be smart and not give in."

The senator, who has made four trips to Iraq, said he recently asked the U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. John Abizaid, if U.S. withdrawal from Afghan-
istan or Iraq would calm the insurgents.

"He grew up in the Middle East. He speaks Arabic. He's been our commander over there since the beginning," Sessions said. "His reply was that it would make them more aggressive. It would embolden them."

Aderholt agrees with Sessions on border security and Iraq.

"Until we get the border secure, it's difficult try to convince Americans that we need to go toward a passive citizenship or amnesty," Aderholt said. "It's a must that we get border security first, and it includes several things, such as a fence or a virtual fence, measures in the bill that helps employers and government officials to make sure that the immigration laws are being implemented and that they are being abided by."

Aderholt said he has been to the border and watched infrared cameras as illegals crossed the Rio Grande.

"It was about 11 p.m., and we were in real time," he said. "I watched it happen. Border customs and border security are professionals. They need more money in order to implement what they have, and they need more men to do it."

On Iraq, Aderholt said, it would be "a big mistake" to give a timeline for withdrawal or moving out immediately.

"I have made one visit to Iraq and had an opportunity to see good things happening there, where the people are so appreciative," he said. "Sometimes the stories we see focus on the ones who do not want us there."

Aderholt said he could envision what would happen if the U.S. gave an indication of a timeline for withdrawal.

"The insurgents would just wait, and all those Iraqis who have been loyal to the U.S. would be the first ones to have their heads cut off," he said. "Right now, I think we're doing the right thing in staying."

"If we do those things, we would be surprised how far we'd go to creating a lawful system. And from then on, we have to do the little things that are necessary to make it work," he said.

Amen Senator Sessions. Let's also remove the EOIR court, and all the legal loopholes which can be exploited.
These laws could be simplified.

'The border
is not open'
Sessions, in Eva, says fence, guardsmen vital for nation's
security

Perhaps it's just me, but did anyone else find the title of this article a little deceiving? After reading the header, I thought Sen. Sessions was declaring the border closed, but after reading the article, I see that is not what he said at all. Maybe I'm seeing something that is not there, but it has gotten to the point where I no longer trust many journalist and reporters to report the news without bias. I know, I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, I just wanted to see if the article title caught anyone elses attention in the same way it did mine.

I guess the title could have been solely intended to get the casual browsers attention - well it certainly got mine.

MW,
we think alike! I assumed that title was a quote from Sessions, but obviously was taken out of context which made it misleading.

"If the number has decreased, Sessions said, it could be attributed to the fact that "we've sent a signal to the world that the border is not open.When the president said he's calling out the National Guard, I think maybe it convinced some people in South America and Central America that the border was no longer open."