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typoon · Feb 17, 2005, 05:43 PM

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/17/in...&partner=MYWAY

U.S. Aides Cite Worry on Qaeda Infiltration From Mexico

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 - New intelligence information strongly suggests that Al Qaeda has considered infiltrating the United States through the Mexican border, top government officials told Congress on Wednesday.

We need to close this border between the US and Mexico NOW! The homeland security bill that just passed was such a farce it propsed nothing about securing this border. IT HAS TO BE DONE! I believe they are working on something now after it was passed but it should have been included. If Members of the house from either party didn't vote for it we should be taking names and making sure they DON'T get voted in again. The senate better have a bill or something that includes securing the border. If not we should once again be taking names and making sure they DON'T get voted in again.

The President should make a big push for this.

Millennium · Feb 17, 2005, 06:20 PM

There's no need to close the border completely; that would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. That said, we could certainly be handling it better; as it stands, taking Swiss cheese down there practically causes it to turn green with envy.

JohnSmithXTREME · 07:48 PM

Originally posted by Millennium:
There's no need to close the border completely; that would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. That said, we could certainly be handling it better; as it stands, taking Swiss cheese down there practically causes it to turn green with envy.

that last bit was a rather clunky cross-metaphorical comparison! I had to read it twice to figure out why the cheese was turning green in mexico. cheese doesn't really turn green with envy, people turn green with envy. cheese turns green when it rots.

or maybe the cheese turned green after it was left in the bath water for too long. did the baby have lots of holes in it? too many expressions combined into one post!!

RAILhead · Feb 17, 2005, 07:56 PM

As someone who lives close by and benefits from the work force, we need to be pushing for work visas and shipping the rest back.

Maury

Timo · Feb 17, 2005, 07:56 PM

Originally posted by typoon:
We need to close this border between the US and Mexico NOW! [/B]

How?

typoon · Feb 17, 2005, 08:01 PM

Originally posted by RAILhead:
As someone who lives close by and benefits from the work force, we need to be pushing for work visas and shipping the rest back.

Maury

That would be a good idea.

typoon · Feb 17, 2005, 08:06 PM

Originally posted by Timo:
How?

We should allow Ranchers in the border states arrest authority and if they arrest an illegal they are then turned over to INS and sent back. Also allow law enforcement to arrest and send back any illegals.

Call back our troops from Europe. Leave a quick reaction force there, one division. Have them come back and help to patrol the border. Give them the ability to send illegals back if they are caught coming over the border.

If illegals are caught committing a crime they should be sent back no questions asked.

Just one idea.

JohnSmithXTREME · Feb 17, 2005, 08:21 PM

Originally posted by typoon:
We should allow Ranchers in the border states arrest authority and if they arrest an illegal they are then turned over to INS and sent back. Also allow law enforcement to arrest and send back any illegals.

that's the worst idea ever. a bunch of armed religious fanatics living the hills of afghanis--I mean, texas, do not need to be given the authority to arrest immigrants.

el chupacabra · Feb 17, 2005, 09:37 PM

My grandpa's a rancher. He's not religous. He and other ranchers have all kinds of problems with these illegals.

That said, there's no way a rancher could arrest these guys. They come accross the border armed to the teeth and guns blazin.

thunderous_funker · Feb 17, 2005, 09:48 PM

Why over the course of the last 200 years do conservatives seem to constantly (and wrongly) latch onto the supply side of every issue?

Illegal immigration (just like so many other major issues) isn't a supply problem, its a demand problem.

The US spends practically zero dollars in investigating, prosecuting and punishing companies that lure and hire illegal workers. Crack down on the demand for illegals and the supply will dwindle.

They aren't coming here for their health or the weather.

As long as the demand continues to grow, the supply will also. Leaving demand for illegals unchecked, no amount of money or manpower will effectively close the border.

In fact, giving in to exactly the kind of rhetoric in this thread the natural crossing points have become vastly militarized at tremendous costs. The result? Illegals now cross in utterly inhospitable places and end up dying in the wilderness or raiding local communities desperate for shelter, food and water. Not to mention that a whole "coyote" economy has sprung up to bring people over "guns ablazing".

In fact, the human smuggling is vying for drug smuggling as a great business model in border areas. Smugglers are making a fortune and resorting to more and ruthless and violent means of transporting their human cargo to meet the rising demand for illegal workers.

Again, leaving demand unchecked will make all other efforts at border control futile. The costs financially and in human tragedy are tremendous. Meanwhile, employers in the US continue to turn a nifty profit by continueing to recruit and hire illegal workers.

Agent69 · Feb 17, 2005, 11:22 PM

What I have a problem with is the attempt to legalize people who have entered illegally, and providing public services to illegals.

Now, I have no problem with people entering the country, indeed I welcome them, but they need to do it legally.

olePigeon · Feb 22, 2005, 04:43 AM

He's not going to close the borders because America needs more immigrants to do the dirty work so society's elite can retire at 25.