Thread: Rift between Border Patrol agents, leadership widens

Rift between Border Patrol agents, leadership widens


By MICHELLE MITTELSTADT
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Relations between Border Patrol management and rank-and-file agents appear unusually tense, with many agents feeling estranged from their leadership and angered by President Bush's push for what they view as amnesty for illegal immigrants.

The rift widened this week when leaders of the National Border Patrol Council, the union representing 11,000 of the force's 13,000 agents, made public its unanimous vote of no-confidence in Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar.

Local union representatives, rather than their national leaders, pressed for the vote at their recent convention in Corpus Christi, council Executive Vice President Richard Pierce said. More than 100 of the local leaders, most of them senior agents, participated.

"There is so much going on in this outfit. The morale is so shot because of all the policies the administration has instituted," said Pierce, a retired agent.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is standing by his deputy, Aguilar, saying he is doing an excellent job.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the top Republican on the Senate immigration subcommittee, also defended Aguilar.

"I don't understand why someone would say they have no confidence in him, because everything I've seen does give me confidence," he said.

Chertoff blamed the tension on the prosecution of two Texas agents for wounding a fleeing drug smuggler.

The case of ex-agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos, serving 12- and 11-year sentences, respectively, for the 2005 shooting, has become a flashpoint. Defenders say the men were prosecuted for doing their job; federal officials say they fired on an unarmed man and concealed evidence.

"I understand there is a certain amount of unhappiness over the result of what happened in the prosecution of the two Border Patrol agents," Chertoff said about the no-confidence vote. "That, of course, is a matter in the courts currently ... None of this has to do with Chief Aguilar, who has been a magnificent leader."

But Pierce and union President T.J. Bonner said Chertoff is misreading the situation if he believes the Ramos-Compean case is the main area of friction.

"This no-confidence vote is an indictment against the entire administration and its policies, including Michael Chertoff and the president," Bonner said. "Their policies and their philosophy is just counter to what the men and women out there on the line believe needs to be done to secure our borders."


At heart of the matter
Bush, Chertoff and Aguilar are urging Congress to legalize the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants and create a legal pathway for future arrivals. They argue such an approach is necessary to free agents to focus on drug traffickers and would-be terrorists.

"I would hope that the council would take a look at the president's plan," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Wednesday. Still, she added, "I understand that they have very real concerns since they work on the border every day."

Within the ranks, many believe the only way to reduce illegal immigration is to crack down on employers.

Bonner, Pierce and others blame Aguilar for promoting legalization and guest worker programs. Also, they also accuse him of insufficiently defending his agents.

Agents are quitting at an increased clip, Bonner said, with attrition at 12 percent this year, up from 4 percent a year ago.

"I've been an agent for 29 years now, and I've never seen morale lower," he said.

The prosecutions of Ramos, Compean and others who used force is doing more than harming agents' morale, some said.

"When they see that aggressive kind of prosecution against law enforcement officers, I think we run the risk of a Border Patrol officer being killed in the line of duty because he hesitates to pull his service revolver or hesitates to take action," said Rep. Steve King of Iowa, the top Republican on the House immigration subcommittee.

King, who opposes the Bush immigration plan, said he fears the Border Patrol has been permanently damaged.

Chertoff acknowledged he is monitoring the force to make sure there is no "chilling effect" that would inhibit agents from defending themselves.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4749600.html

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the top Republican on the Senate immigration subcommittee, also defended Aguilar.

"I don't understand why someone would say they have no confidence in him, because everything I've seen does give me confidence," he said.

There seems to be a lot you don't "understand" concerning the issue of border security and illegal immigration!

"There is so much going on in this outfit. The morale is so shot because of all the policies the administration has instituted," said Pierce, a retired agent.

I am sure that this is probably part of Bush's agenda. He must be proud!

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http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=N ... e&sid=2111

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the top Republican on the Senate immigration subcommittee, also defended Aguilar.

"I don't understand why someone would say they have no confidence in him, because everything I've seen does give me confidence," he said.


I suppose that would be true if Sen. Cornyn has a different agenda from that of the American people who want that border secured.

What is it that you are confident of Senator. Are you confident that the moral of the Border patrol agents will continue to decline causing many to quit or refuse to do their jobs?
Are you confident that the travesty of justice visited on Ramos, Hernandez, Compean and others will continue to deflate the numbers of new border patrol agents joining the fight?
Are you confident that the American people will continue to allow this mass exodus from Mexico into America because we are so uninformed of the consequences?
Senator. You may be confident but I question your competence, your agenda, and your patriotism.

Border chief defended on 'no confidence'

By Jerry Seper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published April 27, 2007

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner W. Ralph Basham says a "no-confidence" vote against Border Patrol Chief David V. Aguilar by leaders of the agency's rank and file is "derisive, detrimental and blatantly unfair" and wants to meet with union leaders to tell them the chief is the right man for the job.
"From my personal experience, I do not believe the rank-and-file agents have lost confidence in this chief," Mr. Basham said. "I would very much like for the union to come to the table, have a dialogue at this time of great challenge and great opportunity. I'm extending my personal invitation and laying my personal reputation on the line."
But National Border Patrol Council President T.J. Bonner yesterday called Mr. Basham "a political hack who blindly supports the president's ill-conceived immigration agenda without regard for the damage it does to the mission of the agency and the security of our borders."
Mr. Bonner said the council leadership, which represents all 11,000 non-supervisory Border Patrol agents, is willing to talk with Mr. Basham, but has "serious doubts" about his sincerity.
"He appears to be far more concerned about the public perception of the bureau's leadership than the underlying problems that led to the vote of no confidence," he said.
Mr. Basham extended the invitation during an interview this week at CBP headquarters in Washington, after passage of the unprecedented no-confidence resolution, which was unanimously approved by the 100 members of the council leadership.
The resolution accused Chief Aguilar of "shamelessly promoting" a Bush amnesty program it said endangers field agents, noting a "growing frustration among front-line employees with the misguided policies and politics" of the agency and the refusal of its top managers to speak out against them.
"Instead of maintaining their traditional neutral advisory role, these high-level managers have become advocates for the administration's ill-conceived political agenda that includes amnesty for millions of illegal aliens," it said.
The resolution also said the chief had turned his back on Border Patrol agents who have been convicted in federal civil rights cases, including Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, convicted for violating the civil rights of a Mexican national who abandoned 743 pounds of marijuana in Texas. The agents were sentenced to 11- and 12-year prison terms, respectively, for shooting the drug-smuggling suspect in the buttocks as he fled into Mexico.
Mr. Basham, a 37-year federal law-enforcement veteran who formerly headed the U.S. Secret Service, said the decision to charge the agents was made by federal prosecutors in Texas and approved by the Justice Department.
He said a grand jury found that the agents sought to cover up what they did and the lengthy sentences were mandated by federal sentencing guidelines.
Mr. Basham said the case "had nothing to do with Chief Aguilar," although it put him in a difficult position because it would have been inappropriate for him to make any public comments.
But Mr. Bonner said front-line agents who risk their lives protecting the border "have every reason to expect that the leadership of their own agency will support them," and when they fail to do so, "no one should be surprised when they express a loss of confidence in those managers."
He said the government was not required to bring a mandated 10-year firearms charge against the agents, which resulted in the lengthy sentences.
Former CBP Commissioner Robert C. Bonner, no relation to T.J. Bonner, picked Chief Aguilar for the job and said he did so after concluding he "was the best leader and most effective strategic thinker."
Mr. Bonner, now in private law practice in Los Angeles, said the chief put together the Border Patrol's enforcement strategy and personally fought for 6,000 new agents.
"He can get the job done," he said.

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20070 ... -1987r.htm

Doesn't it figure that Agular was the Tucson Sector Chief prior to his national appointment?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner W. Ralph Basham says a "no-confidence" vote against Border Patrol Chief David V. Aguilar by leaders of the agency's rank and file is "derisive, detrimental and blatantly unfair"

The exact same thing could be said of the actions taken agaisnt border patrol agents Ramos, Campeon and others who are risking their lives to try and apprehend illegals with guns, drugs and God knows what else trying to cross the borders 24/7.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is standing by his deputy, Aguilar, saying he is doing an excellent job.

Chertoff, the walking skull, is just a front man for George Bush. I wouldn't believe anything he told me.....or Bush for that matter.

Well what a surprise, the rank and file boarder patrol agents just voted no confidence in their leader, Boarder Patrol Chief David Aguilar.
Is it the fact that he is undermining the hard work the patrol agents are doing out in the field. By not supporting them and making sure they know that they will be sent to jail over drug smugglers shot in the butt even though that person was caught two weeks later smuggling again. Not only did they not follow protocol in that situation but they used this drug smugglers testimony in trail giving him a sweet deal in exchange. Now how moronic is that.
Or is it the fact that Chief David Aguilar has made it clear that he wants to legalize millions of illegal immigrants and create a legal pathway for the future. Does that not conflict with what the boarder patrol is supposed to do. Is it no wonder they want him out; I'd like to be able to defend myself against illegal immigrants who are drug smuggling without fear of being prosecuted for doing my job. Hesitation kills; and will get them killed if their worried about their so called superiors backing them up.
Coincidence Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar shares the same agenda as Michael Chertoff who is head of homeland security. Who shares the same agenda as John Corayn of Texas, top republican on senate immigration. They all want to legalize the illegal immigrants and create an never ending pathway into the US.
No wonder there is a vote of no confidence.
Then to top it off they excuse their position by saying this will free the boarder patrol to catch real criminals like drug smugglers instead of just illegal immigrants. Somehow I don't buy it either.