Thread: Homeland security's new chief a good choice

Homeland security's new chief a good choice
Gus West

Friday, November 21, 2008


Like all Americans, Latinos understand the grave responsibilities vested in the Department of Homeland Security and the importance of staffing the agency with the best-qualified people. As our nation prepares to celebrate Thanksgiving, and families across the country plan their holiday reunions, we are grateful for the changes at the Department of Homeland Security.

President-elect Barack Obama's selection of Gov. Janet Napolitano as Department of Homeland Security secretary is change, and change at this agency significantly impacts Latino and immigrant families.

We know of her involvement with the Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, and her time as U.S. attorney and Arizona attorney general. We have watched Gov. Napolitano conduct herself as a thoughtful executive, balancing her respect for the law with a compassion for working families (demonstrated by her opposition to the state's Proposition 200, clashes with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and opposition to the border fence). She is an advocate for increasing the number of worker visas and for working with the Mexican government to remove incentives for forced migration. Should she be nominated and confirmed as secretary, we hope it sends a signal that immigration reform is a priority for the new administration.

What may prove even more important than this appointment are the next steps President-elect Obama takes at the department. We have recent examples (Michael Brown at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Julie Myers at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department) of how not to seriously address the security challenges we face as a nation.

A first step in the right direction would be ending the ICE raids on businesses, communities and immigrant families. So we look forward with guarded optimism to learning more about these other appointments, and seeing how the department executes its enforcement duties.

Gus West is board chairman of the Hispanic Institute, a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C.

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Gus West is board chairman of the Hispanic Institute, a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C.

The Name, the organization and the location says it all

We know of her involvement with the Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, and her time as U.S. attorney and Arizona attorney general. We have watched Gov. Napolitano conduct herself as a thoughtful executive, balancing her respect for the law with a compassion for working families (demonstrated by her opposition to the state's Proposition 200, clashes with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and opposition to the border fence). She is an advocate for increasing the number of worker visas and for working with the Mexican government to remove incentives for forced migration. Should she be nominated and confirmed as secretary, we hope it sends a signal that immigration reform is a priority for the new administration.

Americans don't be fooled, we are under attack by the third world; and the leaders don't care about anyone but the money.

I think it is more the votes....we all know who the poor and uneducated vote for, the redistribution of wealth and all the freebee's the Dems can get out of hard working middle America.