Security agency lobbies for 'open' borders
Homeland Security effort demonstrates USA 'a welcoming nation'

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/artic ... E_ID=54557

Posted: March 6, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

The federal department assigned to make the United States borders secure and prevent the admission of terrorists who could create another national catastrophe like that of 9/11 in which thousands of innocent Americans were killed now is promoting open borders.

The Department of Homeland Security's website features a section that is called "Secure and Open Borders," where it provides information about a visa waiver program to make it easier for people to travel across national borders with less documentation, as well as a program called US-VISIT.

That program is a "top priority" to enhance security and ensure integrity of the immigration system but it also "facilitates legitimate travel and trade" and "protects the privacy of our visitors."

"US-VISIT is helping us demonstrate that we remain a welcoming nation and that we can keep America's doors open and our nation secure," the department says.

The pronouncements follow the vision brought to Homeland Security by Secretary Michael Chertoff, who said recently that a visitor's first impression of the United States is lasting.

"We lose a lot of ground if people come to this country and have a bad experience. And so, when we protect our borders, and I'm second to none in my determination to make sure that are borders are protected, we have to protect them in a way that doesn't close them…"

"We want to have safe borders but open borders," he said. "Now, how do we do this? Well, earlier this year Secretary [of State Condoleeza} Rice and I, at the State Department, announced a series of initiatives to promote easier and more welcoming flow of people into the United States."

However, even he acknowledged the nation is growing increasingly frustrated over the inability or unwillingness of the federal government to secure the nation's borders not only against illegal aliens seeking work but also against criminals, drug dealers and terrorists.

"The American public is rightly distressed about a situation in which they feel we do not have the proper control over our borders," Chertoff said at one point regarding the millions of illegal aliens now in the United States, and thousands more coming over weekly.

Two Democratic governors, Janet Napolitano of Arizona and Bill Richardson of New Mexico, already have declared states of emergency due to increased violence along their borders with Mexico, and WND has reported that illegals cost the U.S. on average about 12 lives daily.

WND also has reported on efforts by the government, including the Department of Homeland Security, to prosecute a deputy sheriff for trying to shoot out the tires of a vanload of illegal aliens he thought was trying to run him down.

And WND also has reported extensively on apparent government efforts to manage a criminal prosecution of former U.S. border agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean who fired shots at a fleeing drug smuggler.

The department did not return messages left by WND seeking a comment.