To: Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Re: Invitation to visit the border in Arizona

Dear President Obama

I understand you have been invited to visit Nogales, Arizona by the Mayor of that city for the dedication of the new Mariposa Port of Entry .

Please come to the Arizona-Mexico border and not only visit the new port facility, but also to see the border in all its diverse manifestations.

Please come to the Arizona-Mexico border and meet with the diverse people who are the voices of the border’s issues.

Please bring with you leaders of both political parties from the US House and Senate. Especially include Senators Kyl, McCain and Grassley and Representatives Grijalva, Chaffetz and Issa.

Here is a proposed itinerary and discussion topics for the visit:

Fly into Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson and take a helicopter tour of the Arizona border region. Fly over the various Border Patrol office complexes in Tucson and Nogales and Sonoita and see all the Border Patrol vehicles parked in their parking lots. See the checkpoints on Interstate 19, and other roads in the region. Then fly the line from Douglas out over the Tohono O’odham Indian Nation and see where the border fence has been constructed and where it has not been completed. See the rugged countrysides and deserts where immigrants and drug smugglers cross into the United States. Maybe you might even see drug cartel spotters sitting on our mountain tops guiding groups of undocumented aliens and drug smugglers around Border Patrol deployment. The borderlands residents will not agree the border is “secure” until the drug cartel spotters and smugglers are ousted from the United States.

Then stop in Nogales and walk down Morley Avenue and then go to the Nogales Wal Mart and see hundreds of Mexicans shopping in border stores contributing to the US economy.. Talk to people you meet in the stores and the store keepers about the economic importance of trade with Mexico. You will see first hand that it is true that border security inside border cities is vastly improved as claimed.

Then tour both the DeConcini Port of Entry and the new Mariposa Port of Entry and see what the gateways to the United States look like. In particular notice the massive traffic jams at the two ports. The USEPA can provide you with documentation that these traffic jams create a serious air pollution problem on both sides of our border.

Then meet with a delegation of maquiladora, produce and retail interests to talk about the problems of crossing the border. They will tell you that building fancy new port facilities is wonderful…but the lack of sufficient Customs and Border Protection officers to staff the ports takes away the benefits of expanded port facilities and still leaves the border gummed up and not functioning as well as it should. You will hear requests for more funding to fully staff the ports of entry.

Then meet with the border county sheriffs from Cochise, Santa Cruz, Pima and Yuma counties. You will get a diverse view of the border from Dever, Estrada, Dupnik and Ogden. Since federal border enforcement authority and strategies reach 100 miles into the US, also include sheriffs Babeu and Arpaio.

You will hear vastly different views of the border security “problem” from these sheriffs. There is truth in all of what they have to say because they are the front line of the human smuggling and drug trafficking problems in our state.

Then meet with some of the Samaratans…folks who go out in our deserts every day to provide water and first aid to undocumented immigrants who get in mortal danger trying to enter the United States. They have some chilling stories to tell you about the humanitarian crisis in our borderlands.

Then meet with the Pima County Medical Examiner who will describe Pima’s morgue full of unidentified bodies of undocumented immigrants who died in our deserts. Hundreds of bodies are found every year around here. Bodies will continue to be discovered as long as the remains are intact and many will never be discovered because of the rugged nature of the region.

Then visit the site of one of the rape trees along our border. There is one near Arivaca. Consider the violence being wrought against undocumented aliens in our borderlands by bandits.

Then meet with representatives of the Tohono O’odham Indian Nation and hear their version of the border security problem and the impacts on their people. Half of the dead undocumented aliens being discovered in our borderlands are found on the Indian lands.

Then visit the site where Border Patrol agent Brian Terry was murdered by some of the border bandits and talk to some ATF agents who blew the whistle on their bosses for “walking” guns to the Mexican drug cartel. Two of those “walked” guns were found at agent Terry’s murder scene. Meet with agent Terry’s family.

Begin to consider that your administration’s approach to the Gunwalker scandal should not be hiring a public relations agent, but to weed out of the government the misguided management that “walked” the guns. Make sure your administration understands that any US official who impedes Senator Grassley’s and Representative Issa’s investigation into Gunwalker will be fired and turned over to the US Attorney’s office for prosecution for obstruction of justice.

Then come to one of the border ranches and meet with Sue Krentz, the widow of Robert Krentz and, Dan Bell and Tom Kay and Jim Chilton and others whose ranches are along the border and daily have to deal with drug smugglers and undocumented aliens in areas where…by the Border Patrol’s own admission, the border is not secure. Hear their stories.

I would hope by the time you visit our borderlands you will see what the problems really are.

First, I would hope that you begin to understand that when folks around here demand that the border be secured, we’re not talking about a moat filled with alligators and 10,000 more Border Patrol agents.

What we are questioning is why the federal government cannot finish building the fence. As your own Government Accounting Office has documented, your federal land managers along the border are impeding securing the border.

What we are questioning is why the Border Patrol has spread itself around 100 miles into the interior of the United States instead of concentrating themselves at the border.

What we are questioning is why the federal government cannot adequately staff its ports of entry.

What we are questioning is why the federal government cannot come up with a visa tracking system so 6 million people who entered the US and overstayed their visas cannot be found.

What we are questioning is why a Guest Worker program cannot be developed immediately to get people out of our deserts and mountains.

What we are questioning is why are parts of our country being taken over by the drug cartels armed with automatic weapons.

What we are questioning is why some sort of legalization process cannot be agreed upon to bring 11 million undocumented aliens above-ground that is not an “amnesty”.

As the final stop in your trip, I’d like you to enjoy some bar b que steaks at one of the border ranches and have a frank discussion between yourself and key congressional leaders to develop a legislative package that secures the border and straightens out our immigration mess.

The claim that legalization is going to benefit Democrats in 2012 is actually bogus. If you knew our Hispanic residents you’d begin to see what a mistake it has been for some to demonize illegal aliens. We have millions of people who believe in the American dream of hard work equals a better life. If they weren’t the target of xenophobes, they just as likely would vote Republican in the future.

We must break the political and rhetorical impasse we are in now on the border. Neither side of the border debate should use the border for political gain as this does nothing to actually solve our border and immigration problems.

Come to our border Mr. President and hear all the diverse voices coming from our region….aid workers, retired Border Patrol agents, ranchers, sheriffs, produce importers, store keepers…and appreciate everyone is right from their side and between all of the various views there are solutions we can all agree on.

Thank you.

PS: If you can’t make it out here please talk to Chris Sautter who has been making a documentary film about our border and has a lot of this on film.

________________________________________________________

More on border issues:

The following are articles and commentaries on border issues and SB 1070 that have appeared in the View From Baja Arizona .

Most recent….
“Probationary Presence” not “amnesty” needed in immigration reform

Who will wipe your baby’s butt? Who will pick your lettuce? Who will mow your lawn?

The View from Baja Arizona blog was launched May 10, 2010. Over 800 posts later this has been an interesting venture.

In the last year we’ve had SB 1070 and the border issues blow up in the national news, the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the emergence of an almost tongue-in-cheek effort to create a new state called Baja Arizona and even a scandal involving the ATF “walking” guns into the hands of the murderers of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

And along the way we’ve had the rants of a peeved senior citizen, ocelot kittens for sale, and other items which caught the attention of a lot of readers.

What I’ve tried to do with this blog is several things:

–provide a view of border issues from an on-the-ground perspective since I am deeply involved in border stuff;

–share a view of Tucson area issues such as the environment and economy as well as history and traditions;

–provide a forum for intelligent debate about issues;

–occasionally offer my own opinions about things that ought to be done;

–provide access to interesting stuff I stumble on that you might not notice.

One of the things I’ve been doing is posting all the press releases I get from US Customs and Border Protection which describe the activities of the Border Patrol as well as the ports of entry folks. Cumulatively it gives readers an idea of the magnitude of what’s going on at the border.

In recent months the View from Baja Arizona has been drawing anywhere from 30,000 to over 60,000 page views a month, making it one of the top viewed blogs on TucsonCitizen.com.

Thank you readers !!!! Keep the comments coming !

Will be interesting to see what the coming year brings….

The top 25 posts in View from Baja Arizona in terms of page views the last year:

Anonymous Senior Citizen tells it like it is

More calls for an investigation into ATF’s Project Gunrunner scandal

_______________________
Note: About Hugh Holub: Originally a Texan my family moved to Tucson in 1954 so I’ve seen a lot of change in the area over the last 57 years. I graduated from the UA with a couple of degrees. I started out as a reporter for the Tucson Citizen back in 1967, changed career paths and got a law degree and worked on water issues for many years, then served as City Attorney and then acting Public Works Director for Nogales, Arizona. I’ve been writing op ed commentaries in newspapers all over the region for decades. My day job is Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Development based in Tubac, Arizona.
_______________________

Citizen bloggers are not paid for doing their blogs.

If you like the View From Baja Arizona you can make a contribution to support this blog.

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Thank you !!! DONATE BY CLICKING HERE

The Center for American Progress…a progressive think tank… offers a study showing that if Arizona succeeded in getting rid of all the illegal immigrants in the state, Arizona’s economy would tank.

The report claims that deporting all the illegal immigrants in Arizona would:

• Decrease total employment by 17.2 percent
• Eliminate 581,000 jobs for immigrant and native-born workers alike
• Shrink state economy by $48.8 billion
• Reduce state tax revenues by 10.1 percent

Idea of the Day: Legalization Would Have Better Economic Effects than Deportation in Arizona

Our national debate over urgently needed immigration reform is now careening through our state legislatures, city halls, and town councils due to political gridlock at the federal level. And nowhere is that debate more contentious than in Arizona, where in April of last year the state’s legislature sought to rid the state of undocumented immigrants with passage of S.B. 1070. The law is specifically designed to trigger a mass exodus of undocumented immigrants from the state by making “attrition through enforcement the public policy of all state and local government agencies in Arizona.”

S.B. 1070 remains unenforced due to legal challenges to its constitutionality by the U.S. Department of Justice, yet nearly a year later the Arizona State Senate appears intent on doubling down on that strategy by passing even more restrictive immigration measures. Among other things, the new push would unconstitutionally require K-12 students to prove citizenship, evict public housing tenants if an undocumented person resides there, and make it a crime to operate a vehicle while undocumented.

This crackdown may play well politically for some local elected officials but is it in the best economic interests of the state? The purpose of our new report, “A Rising Tide or a Shrinking Pie,” is to arm state legislators and their constituents across the country with an answer to that basic question. If S.B. 1070-type laws accomplish the declared goal of driving out all undocumented immigrants, what effect would it actually have on state economies? And conversely, what would the impact be on state economies if undocumented immigrants acquired legal status?

The economic analysis in this report shows the S.B. 1070 approach would have devastating economic consequences if its goals were accomplished. When undocumented workers are taken out of the economy, the jobs they support through their labor, consumption, and tax payments disappear as well. Particularly during a time of profound economic uncertainty, the type of economic dislocation envisioned by S.B. 1070-type policies runs directly counter to the interests of our nation as we continue to struggle to distance ourselves from the ravages of the Great Recession.

More…

The Wahington Post picked up on the report…

Arizona demonstrates the lunacy of mass deportations

…The report, “A Rising Tide or a Shrinking Pie,” shows that the effect of full-scale deportation of illegal immigrants in Arizona would be tantamount to a major recession, quite possibly more severe that that of 2008-09. Undocumented workers, who make up 7 percent of Arizona’s population and 9.4 percent of its workforce, are critical to the state’s economic health; not only do they do vital jobs that others will not, they also shop, pay rent, pay taxes and sustain the jobs of many other, legal workers.

A worst-case scenario, in which all of Arizona’s 445,000 illegal immigrants are deported, is highly unlikely. If it did take place, however, Arizona’s economy would shrink by nearly 20 percent, total employment would contract by 17 percent and state tax revenue would be slashed by 10 percent, the report estimates. Deporting even a third of Arizona’s illegal immigrants would cost the state $1 billion in annual revenue…..

More…

Maybe that’s why this year’s bundle of anti-immigrant legislation died at the state legislature….

From the Arizona Republic March 19, 2011:

Immigration-enforcement efforts damaging to community, police group says

by JJ Hensley on Mar. 18, 2011, under Arizona Republic News

It’s been nearly two years since law-enforcement leaders from around the country gathered in Phoenix to discuss immigration enforcement, and little has changed.

The number of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., and in Arizona, has decreased since that convention. But debate about illegal immigrants and the impact they have on crime and the economy has not subsided, nor has the debate among law enforcers over the role local police should play in enforcing federal immigration laws.

The Police Executive Research Forum is the latest law-enforcement group to call localized immigration-enforcement efforts misguided, concluding in a study released last week that it can damage the relationship between police and the community.

The group is a 35-year-old Washington, D.C.-based non-profit that conducts research and offers leadership forums for law-enforcement managers.

“A key issue in all of this is it has the potential to undermine the trust between the residents of the community and the police department,” said Jerry Murphy, the research group’s homeland security director. “Police chiefs all cross the country want anyone to be comfortable coming up a police officer or calling a police agency to report a crime. Police agencies in this country for 15, 20 years now have been engaged in community policing, and a central tenet is that police and residents need to work together.”

The report examined police agencies in six U.S. cities. Some are geographically diverse and have unique immigrant populations, but the conclusions drawn from each were the same:

-Local police should not be allowed to arrest people solely because of suspected immigration violations.

-Local police should work with the community to educate about the need for victims and witnesses to report crimes, regardless of their immigration status.

-All police agencies should have clearly defined written policies on handling undocumented immigrants that police can easily share with community members.

The report studied two Arizona cities – Mesa and Phoenix – where immigration enforcement and community relations have collided, and the study frequently contrasted the efforts in those two Valley cities with those of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Arpaio has heard these arguments often, from liberal groups that allege sheriff’s deputies cannot enforce immigration laws without racially profiling, from a libertarian watchdog group that believe the Sheriff’s Office prioritizes immigration enforcement too much, from executives who claim the efforts damage Arizona’s business environment and reputation, and from national law-enforcement experts who consistently condemn immigration-enforcement approaches that appear to place a higher premium on disrupting the immigrant community than on targeting “hardened criminals.”

Arpaio last week declined to “dignify the study with a response,” but a spokesman said none of those arguments resonates with the sheriff because he firmly believes his priorities are best for Maricopa County, Lt. Brian Lee said.

Arpaio has contended for the past several years that his deputies are authorized to enforce any and all state and federal immigration laws to their fullest extent, regardless of how other police agencies approach the issue.

Only the voters could change Arpaio’s mind, he said.

“I think the people of the community could send him that message,” Lee said. “If the people of the community didn’t like the job he was doing, they could vote him out of office.”

The research organization points out, however, that crime rates are declining in Phoenix and Mesa while, according to one report it cites, violent crime rates have “soared” in the sheriff’s jurisdiction. That is a point Dan Saban, an Arpaio political opponent, tried to make with voters in the 2008 sheriff’s race, to no avail.

Violent crime is up within Arpaio’s jurisdiction during the four most recent years for which statistics are available, according to records filed with the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The number of violent crimes increased from 850 in 2006 to 992 in 2009. Violent crime in the same time span dropped by more than 20 percent in Phoenix and essentially held steady in Mesa.

The report implies that Phoenix’s decision to focus “on violent border-related crime, as opposed to lesser violations of federal immigration laws,” contributed to that significant decrease in violent crime.

Mesa’s efforts to deploy resources based on computer analysis of crime trends are also lauded in the report because they focus officers’ time on catching criminals regardless of their immigration status. The agency’s community-outreach efforts helped to explain the department’s role in immigration enforcement, said Detective Steve Berry, a Mesa police spokesman.

“Working smarter, good analysis, good policies – instead of alienating the community, let’s work with the community . . . all of those things combined have led to the decrease in crime that we’re enjoying,” Berry said.

Lee said the report also points out that the Sheriff’s Office shares jurisdiction with Mesa and Phoenix but does not credit the agency for playing a role in the declining crime rates there.

“We have some impact there, too,” Lee said.

Here’s the first article about local law enforcement and the police group March 4, 2011:

Cops don’t want to be junior Border Patrol agents (except in Maricopa County)

The New York Times reports that the Police Executive Research Forum has some real issues with laws like Arizona’s SB 1070 which attempts to turn local law enforcement agencies into immigration law enforcement outfits…junior Border Patrol agents.

Police Chiefs Wary of Immigration Role

As many state legislatures consider laws to expand the role of local police departments in immigration control, police chiefs across the country say they are reluctant to take on these tasks and want clear lines drawn between local crime-fighting and federal immigration enforcement, according to a new report by a police research group.

Dozens of police department commanders who participated in the report recommended that local officers should be explicitly prohibited from arresting people solely because of their immigration status, and should have orders to protect victims and witnesses regardless of that status.

The report, issued on Thursday by the Police Executive Research Forum, cites worries among police chiefs that if they are pulled into immigration enforcement, a job that was limited until recently to federal agents, their ties to immigrant communities will be eroded, with the result that crimes would not be reported and witnesses would be afraid to cooperate in investigations.

More….

The  Police Executive Research Forum issued a report about Police and Immigration and had the following recommendations from a summit conference:

Immigration Summit Participants’ Recommendations

For the Administration and Congress

1. United States borders should be made more secure, not only in terms of preventing illegal immigration, but also in preventing the illegal trafficking of drugs and firearms.

2. Federal agencies and the Congress should consult with state and local police agencies as they craft immigration policies and legislation. The inclusion of local law enforcement in the policy-making process will result in more realistic, practical and informed policies that have the support of local communities.

3. The motivation for involving local police agencies with the federal agencies that are charged with immigration enforcement should be to improve public safety and information-sharing among all law enforcement agencies

4. National comprehensive immigration reform legislation should not be delayed any longer. New legislation should include provisions regarding guest workers, provision of permanent legal status, and employer and family-based visa systems.

5. Improvements should be made to ensure tamper-proof identification and work authorization documents for persons allowed into the country

6. Recognizing the federal government’s recent shift in emphasis regarding the enforcement of illegal immigration law in the employment arena, with less attention to worker violations and greater attention to employers who cultivate illegal workforces, there should be comprehensive plans and setting of priorities for enforcement in this area. Local police should be consulted prior to major enforcement actions in their communities and should be informed about arrests in their communities.

7. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should increase its coordination with and responsiveness to local police agencies. ICE officials should be more visible in communities to explain their policies and actions and should be available when local police request assistance.

8. The authority of local police agencies and their officers to become involved in the enforcement of federal immigration laws, and limitations on that authority, should be clearly defined.

9. Stricter controls should be put into place regarding whose names are entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) on civil immigration detainers. Controls are needed to eliminate the entering of civil detainers into a system intended for criminal warrants, which creates confusion for local police, and may cause them to exceed their authority by arresting a person on a civil detainer

Immigration Summit Participants’ Recommendations

For Local Police

1. Officers should be prohibited from arresting or detaining persons for the
sole purpose of investigating their immigration status.

2. Officers should arrest persons who violate the criminal laws of their
jurisdictions without regard to the immigration status of the alleged
perpetrator or the victim.

3. Local police must uphold the Constitutional and civil rights of persons
regardless of their immigration status.

4. Local police must protect crime victims and witnesses regardless of their
immigration status, and should encourage all victims and witnesses to report
crimes, regardless of their immigration status.

5. Local police should engage immigrant communities in dialogue about
department policies and programs.

6. Local police agencies should educate their communities about their role in
immigration enforcement, especially the legal authorities and responsibilities
of local police and federal law enforcement.

7. Local police should develop comprehensive written policies and procedures
regarding handling of undocumented immigrants.

8. Local police agencies should monitor indicators of racial profiling by
employees, investigate violations, and sanction offenders.

9. Local police agencies should become knowledgeable about programs such as
287(g), Secure Communities, and state or local initiatives to ensure that the
programs meet the agency’s specified goals for participation.

More….

_______________________________________________________________

More articles and commentaries about the border

______________________________________

Citizen bloggers are not paid for doing  their blogs.

If you like the View From Baja Arizona you can make a contribution to support this blog.

It is a secure Pay Pal transaction.

Thank you !!!  DONATE BY CLICKING HERE
___________________________

From the New York Times:

Utah G.O.P. Adopts Immigration Alternative
By JULIA PRESTON
Published: March 6, 2011

In the first move by a state to extend legal recognition to illegal immigrant laborers, the Utah Legislature has passed immigration bills that include a guest worker program that would allow unauthorized foreigners to work legally in the state.

With the immigration package, passed in both chambers of the Republican-controlled Legislature late Friday, Utah made a sharp break with the hard-line trend in state immigration legislation that has been led by Arizona, which passed a strict enforcement law last April.

More….

Unlike Arizona which wants to run illegal immigrants out of the state by “attrition by enforcement”, Utah looks to have found a saner path to the issue.

They also tried to avoid the problem of racial profiling that stunk up SB 1070.

The most amazing thing was the Utah folks actually included a Guest Worker provision.

Guess they figured out someone would have to do their laundry and pick their crops.

The New York Times reports that the Police Executive Research Forum has some real issues with laws like Arizona’s SB 1070 which attempts to turn local law enforcement agencies into immigration law enforcement outfits…junior Border Patrol agents.

Police Chiefs Wary of Immigration Role

As many state legislatures consider laws to expand the role of local police departments in immigration control, police chiefs across the country say they are reluctant to take on these tasks and want clear lines drawn between local crime-fighting and federal immigration enforcement, according to a new report by a police research group.

Dozens of police department commanders who participated in the report recommended that local officers should be explicitly prohibited from arresting people solely because of their immigration status, and should have orders to protect victims and witnesses regardless of that status.

The report, issued on Thursday by the Police Executive Research Forum, cites worries among police chiefs that if they are pulled into immigration enforcement, a job that was limited until recently to federal agents, their ties to immigrant communities will be eroded, with the result that crimes would not be reported and witnesses would be afraid to cooperate in investigations.

More….

The  Police Executive Research Forum issued a report about Police and Immigration and had the following recommendations from a summit conference:

Immigration Summit Participants’ Recommendations

For the Administration and Congress

1. United States borders should be made more secure, not only in terms of preventing illegal immigration, but also in preventing the illegal trafficking of drugs and firearms.

2. Federal agencies and the Congress should consult with state and local police agencies as they craft immigration policies and legislation. The inclusion of local law enforcement in the policy-making process will result in more realistic, practical and informed policies that have the support of local communities.

3. The motivation for involving local police agencies with the federal agencies that are charged with immigration enforcement should be to improve public safety and information-sharing among all law enforcement agencies

4. National comprehensive immigration reform legislation should not be delayed any longer. New legislation should include provisions regarding guest workers, provision of permanent legal status, and employer and family-based visa systems.

5. Improvements should be made to ensure tamper-proof identification and work authorization documents for persons allowed into the country

6. Recognizing the federal government’s recent shift in emphasis regarding the enforcement of illegal immigration law in the employment arena, with less attention to worker violations and greater attention to employers who cultivate illegal workforces, there should be comprehensive plans and setting of priorities for enforcement in this area. Local police should be consulted prior to major enforcement actions in their communities and should be informed about arrests in their communities.

7. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should increase its coordination with and responsiveness to local police agencies. ICE officials should be more visible in communities to explain their policies and actions and should be available when local police request assistance.

8. The authority of local police agencies and their officers to become involved in the enforcement of federal immigration laws, and limitations on that authority, should be clearly defined.

9. Stricter controls should be put into place regarding whose names are entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) on civil immigration detainers. Controls are needed to eliminate the entering of civil detainers into a system intended for criminal warrants, which creates confusion for local police, and may cause them to exceed their authority by arresting a person on a civil detainer

Immigration Summit Participants’ Recommendations

For Local Police

1. Officers should be prohibited from arresting or detaining persons for the
sole purpose of investigating their immigration status.

2. Officers should arrest persons who violate the criminal laws of their
jurisdictions without regard to the immigration status of the alleged
perpetrator or the victim.

3. Local police must uphold the Constitutional and civil rights of persons
regardless of their immigration status.

4. Local police must protect crime victims and witnesses regardless of their
immigration status, and should encourage all victims and witnesses to report
crimes, regardless of their immigration status.

5. Local police should engage immigrant communities in dialogue about
department policies and programs.

6. Local police agencies should educate their communities about their role in
immigration enforcement, especially the legal authorities and responsibilities
of local police and federal law enforcement.

7. Local police should develop comprehensive written policies and procedures
regarding handling of undocumented immigrants.

8. Local police agencies should monitor indicators of racial profiling by
employees, investigate violations, and sanction offenders.

9. Local police agencies should become knowledgeable about programs such as
287(g), Secure Communities, and state or local initiatives to ensure that the
programs meet the agency’s specified goals for participation.

More….

Was searching Google for articles about Baja Arizona and stumbled on a really interesting commentary about how the growth of the Hispanic popuation in texas is scaring the pants off the white Texans….

“It’s Basically Over For Anglos” In Texas. Or Have They Not Yet Begun To Fight?

By Peter Brimelow

I’ve rarely seen so much email traffic as on this Houston Chronicle blog item Texas demographer: ‘It’s basically over for Anglos’ [Posted by Gary Scharrer at February 24, 2011 04:16 PM].

“Two of every three Texas children are now non-Anglo and the trend line will become even more pronounced in the future, said [Steve] Murdock, former U.S. Census Bureau director and now director of the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas at Rice University.

Today’s Texas population can be divided into two groups, he said. One is an old and aging Anglo and the other is young and minority. Between 2000 and 2040, the state’s public school enrollment will see a 15 percent decline in Anglo children while Hispanic children will make up a 213 percent increase, he said.”

This is one of these stories whose sudden explosiveness puzzles people who work in the field. (See ex-Texan Brenda Walker’s comments here). The demographic shift has long been obvious to anyone who cared to look—but, of course, no-one does care to look, certainly not the conservative Establishment. I expect there will be a similar explosion when it’s reported, probably later this year, that a majority of births in the U.S. are non-white.

More….

Maybe one can understand Arizona state senator Russell Pearce’s paranoia about the “invasion from Mexico”….

Instead of seeing the future as an opportunity to integrate Hispanics into US society, guys like Pearce want to kick every non-white “illegal” alien out.

One hestitates to remind Pearce that there are a whole lot of people in Arizona whose ancestors woke up one morning  and found that the border crossed them and not the other way around.

Ranchers asking for more border security

By AMANDA LEE MYERS

Associated Press

PHOENIX — Rancher Dan Bell has come face to face with drug smugglers on his southeastern Arizona cattle ranch, he has found the bodies of illegal immigrants who died of exposure on his property, and a Border Patrol agent was killed in December about 5 miles from his home.

The 42-year-old has had about enough.

More….

For all the noise and political turmoil and litigation over Arizona’s efforts to draw attention to our broken border and immigration laws, the reality is we’re still getting nowhere.

It is absolutely clear we are not going to see serious efforts to reform our immigration laws until the border is secured.

But outside of those who live in the path of illegal immigration and drug smuggling…Arizona’s ranching community…there is no consensus or plan going forward to define what “securing” the border means and how to do that.

Border fence ends west of Nogales on Dan Bell's ranch

I take media types down to the border and out on the ranches to see what is going on. It is obvious what the problem is. The countryside is rugged. There are few roads. There is no fence. And drugs and illegal immigrants continue to cross into Arizona nightly.

Stationing Border Patrol agents on roads 20..30…60 miles inside Arizona is not going to stop the flow. It can only be stopped right at the border.

It is obvious looking at the countryside…especially west of Nogales…how difficult that task will be.

Environmental groups oppose building roads and fences in what they claim is a wilderness area. The roads and fences will have to be built if we’re really going to secure the rest of the border.

Border Patrol agents are not going to be able to commute from home to their duty stations on a daily basis in much of the remote area. They will  have to work from Forward Observation Bases in something that looks a lot more like a military deployment than a police function. More agents will have to ride horses in the back country. It will take a lot of agents to cover some of these areas because the countryside really is rugged and easy for people to sneak through.

We’re also going to have to really crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants.

We’re going to have to increase the penalties for illegal entry and overstaying visas.

We’re going to have to fix our broken visa tracking system.

We need to consider Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations and deal with them in that context.

Arizona’s strategy of trying to make the state a hell for illegal immigrants forget that the reason folks are leaving Mexico is that it is already a form of hell.

People willing to risk their lives walking through the desert really don’t worry a lot about Joe Arpaio. Many are fleeing drug cartel gunmen. Arpaio isn’t shooting at the immigrants with AK 47s (yet).

People in the interior of Arizona can complain about all the alleged evils of illegal immigrants…but the ranchers on the border are on the front line ground zero of the problem with people with automatic weapons running around the canyons down there. Robert Krentz and Brian Terry are not going to be the last victims of the outlawry going on in our borderlands unless the border is secured.

Congress needs to hold some hearings down along the border and see for themselves the situation and the problems. And then stick some specific requirements in appropriations to Homeland Security and the Border Patrol mandating a change in focus so we do not see a lot of Border Patrol agents in Casa Grande and a lot more within a few miles of the border.

Conresspeople need to come down to Dan Bell’s ranch west of Nogales and see first hand what the problem is. The solutions are obvious.

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