You Decide
Always decide for yourself whether anything posted in my blog has any information you choose to keep.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
The House Panel: Senate Bill Would 'Cede Control' of Border
By Kevin Mooney
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
August 17, 2006
(CNSNews.com) - Key provisions of the border security bill passed by the U.S. Senate are "meaningless" according to the House Judiciary Committee, which is holding a field hearing on the bill in El Paso, Texas, Thursday. Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.) warns that the Senate is trying to "cede control" of the country's southern border security to the Mexican government.
The Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act (H.R. 4437) has already passed the House of Representatives but has not been reconciled with the competing Senate bill sponsored by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.).
The House bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to "construct double-layered and reinforced fencing and additional barriers, roads, lighting, camera and sensors along designated stretches of the southern border which are the major points of current illegal border crossing."
The proposal includes 72 miles of fence in California, 342 miles in Arizona, 70 miles in New Mexico, including the border area just west of El Paso, Texas, and 370 miles of fencing in Texas.
Conversely, the Senate bill authorizes only 370 total miles of fencing and makes construction of any fences conditional upon consultation with the Mexican government.
A statement issued by Sensenbrenner's office indicates that the committee is particularly displeased with that part of the Senate's proposal.
"Mexico is unlikely to provide its approval for new fences because its political leaders have made it a top priority to stop any more fence construction," the committee statement said. "Consequently, the Senate's fence provisions become meaningless, and an important precedent [would be] established to cede control of security on the Southwest border to Mexico."
The House committee is also concerned that the Senate bill would inhibit local sheriffs and police departments that want to help enforce immigration laws. Local law enforcement officials operating along the Mexican border strongly object to the proposed restrictions and have told other members of congress that such provisions would undermine security.
Rep. Edward Royce (R-Calif.), chairman of the International Relations Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation, recalled that it was local law enforcement officials who stopped four of the 19 hijackers for speeding prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
"All four terrorists could have been arrested if the officers ... realized that they were here illegally," Royce told Cybercast News Service in an email.
Royce also warned that the Senate bill could discourage local police from detaining aliens who have remained in the country illegally after their visas have expired.
"Afraid of being blamed for making a wrongful arrest and getting sued, many law enforcement agencies may stop helping the federal government enforce immigration laws altogether," Royce added. "Instead of tying the hands of local law enforcement, we should be encouraging them to cooperate with immigration officials to help enforce our immigration laws."
Sheriff Leo Samaniego of El Paso County, Texas, will testify at Thursday's hearing. He told Cybercast News Service that the border can be protected if enough personnel and resources are deployed.
"Can we secure the border?" Samaniego asked, rhetorically. "You betcha!"
"Operation Linebacker" is a prime example, Samaniego said, of how local law enforcement agencies can work together to support the federal government border enforcement efforts. The program allows sheriffs to hire additional personnel to target illegal aliens who get past the U.S. Border Patrol.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry secured grant funding for Operation Linebacker which resulted in more resources for sheriffs operating along the border. Although it has only been active for a few months, the operation has resulted in a dramatic reduction in criminal activity in participating counties.
Samaniego estimates that the $100 million-a-year for border county law enforcement agencies in the House bill would be sufficient to fund initiatives like Operation Linebacker all along the southern U.S. border. The Senate bill is problematic, he says, because it would only provide about $50 million.
Moreover, the Senate's funding would be available to any community within 100 miles of the Mexican or Canadian borders. That feature would "dilute" the impact of bill, Samaniego said, because the funding would be allocated to so many agencies." Archives
April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 January 2013 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 March 2011 January 2011 December 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 March 2005 November 2004 October 2004
Subscribe