County opposes feds' 24-hour gate
Border Patrol still needs cash to build I-19 checkpoint
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The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to oppose the U.S. Border Patrol's plan to set up a permanent, round-the-clock checkpoint on Interstate 19 south of Green Valley.
Critics told supervisors such a checkpoint would be worse than ineffectual in stopping illegal immigration and likely would create safety and crime problems for the nearby communities of Green Valley, Sahuarita, Arivaca Junction and Tubac.
The county-approved resolution has no legal weight to stop the Border Patrol from proceeding.
Democrat and Republican board members' comments to the Border Patrol representatives were unusually strong. Before voting 5-0 against the checkpoint, the supervisors claimed that the agency intended to force its plan on local governments and the public, despite widespread opposition.
"I think it was unfortunate that the Border Patrol declared it was going forward with the checkpoints without local consultation," Supervisor Ray Carroll said. "That kind of showed their hand."
Border Patrol officials said the checkpoint would be established regardless of the wishes of residents and elected officials.
"There is a gaping hole in the Tucson sector," Robert Gilbert, chief agent for the Border Patrol locally, told the supervisors.
The checkpoint is intended as a backup to the DeConcini and Mariposa ports of entry at the border in Nogales in helping to apprehend immigrants who have made their way into this country illegally, he said.
Congress has not appropriated funding to build and staff the checkpoint.
Joining the supervisors' condemnation of the checkpoint were residents and business owners likely to be affected. They are concerned that illegal immigrants avoiding the permanent checkpoint will be diverted through their communities.
Smugglers of contraband and illegal immigrants would establish staging areas in Pima and Santa Cruz counties south of the checkpoint, creating a potentially dangerous scenario for residents there who may happen upon illegal activities, said Carol Cullen, executive director of the Tubac Chamber of Commerce.
Supervisor Sharon Bronson, whose district shares 130 miles of border with Mexico, said the Border Patrol has turned a deaf ear to the impact a checkpoint would have on residents and local governments.
She cited public safety concerns and increased costs for services that would be borne by area taxpayers as an "unfunded mandate" by the federal government.
"Washington says we will have the resources, but you know that doesn't happen," Bronson said. "This puts our taxpayers at a disadvantage compared to other taxpayers" not living in border areas.
Supervisor Ramón Valadez agreed with Bronson.
"We are leaving our communities completely on their own to deal with these impacts," he said.
Supervisor Ann Day said the agency was inflexible in its plan for the permanent checkpoint.
"So your ability to compromise is what?" Day asked agency representatives. "What's the compromise?"
Board Chairman Richard Elías called the agency's insistence on a permanent freeway checkpoint part of "a flawed strategy" that is failing to slow illegal immigration. Elías said the agency should concentrate on stopping illegal entry at the border instead of setting up a checkpoint that will stop American citizens as well as illegal immigrants.
"I think the timing of this issue is perfect to let the people know how the Board of Supervisors feels about this," Elías said.
"MURDERED IN ARIZONA BY ILLEGAL":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3it4OwTwnk
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.19.2007
"PHOENIX — A Phoenix police officer was killed Tuesday by a man who was himself later fatally shot as he pointed a gun at a carjacking victim's head."
"The officer, 33-year-old Nick Erfle, had been trying to arrest the suspect on a warrant when the two got into a fight. That's when the suspect pulled his gun and fired, police spokesman Sgt. Joel Tranter said."
"Phoenix police identified the man as Erik Jovani Martinez, 22."
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS/AZSTARNET
Here is what I found out about the suspect, and it did NOT surprise me at all:
MARTINEZ ERIK J 04/18/1985
Gender Height (inches) Weight Hair Color
MALE 67 182 BLACK
Eye Color Ethnic Origin Custody Class Inmate / Detainee
Brown MEXICAN NATIONAL 2/3 INMATE
Sentence (yyymmdd) Admission Prison Release Date Max End Date
001/00/00 01/23/2006 06/07/2006 06/07/2006
Cur. Absconded Hist. Absconded Release Type Most Recent Loc.
-- -- COMM SUP END DT [info] ASPC - TUCSON
SOURCE: ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Not only that, the Arizona Republic reported that this criminal Illegal was DEPORTED in 2006 after he got out of prison, and that he was also a Gang member.
ANOTHER DEAD COP THANKS TO THE PRO-ILLEGAL ALIEN AND OPEN-BORDER CROWD IN ARIZONA, AND AT TUCSON NEWSPAPERS INC., WHO HID THE SUSPECTS IMMIGRATION STATUS FROM US, IN THEIR EFFORT TO "PROTECT" CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS AT ALL COST.