On Friday, August 12, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson declared a state of emergency in four counties. The following Monday, Arizona governor Janet Napolitano did the same. And the federal government is less than pleased.
In New Mexico, Gov. Richardson cited “violence directed at law enforcement, damage to property and livestock, increased evidence of drug smuggling, and an increase in the number of undocumented immigrants” as the reason for the state of emergency in Doña Ana, Luna, Grant, and Hidalgo counties.
“I’m taking these serious steps because of the urgency of the situation and, unfortunately, because of the total inaction and lack of resources from the federal government and Congress,” he said. “We will continue to work with the federal government in an attempt to get their assistance, but something had to be done immediately. I want the people of Doña Ana, Luna, Hidalgo, and Grant counties to know my administration is doing everything it can to protect them.”
In Arizona, “The federal government has failed to secure our border, and the health and safety of all Arizonans is threatened daily by violent gangs, coyotes and other dangerous criminals,” said Governor Napolitano. “These funds provide our law enforcement community with another valuable tool to fight crime related to illegal immigration.” The state of emergency covers Cochise, Pima, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties.
Both governors charge that the Department of Homeland Security is not doing enough to stem the tide of illegal immigration and crimes committed by illegal immigrants and coyotes as they make the border crossings.
Rejecting such criticism, a spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, said the problems Richardson and Napolitano complained about were the result of successful efforts to enforce border laws elsewhere.
Moreover, the official said, trouble in those relatively sparsely populated areas had been anticipated and additional resources had been dispatched to deal with them.
An enforcement drive in the Tucson sector of Arizona has forced illegal immigrants to use border crossing points in the counties that Napolitano had declared disaster areas, Customs and Border Protection spokesman Mario Villarreal said. “In anticipation of this, we had already permanently assigned an increase in staffing to those sectors.”
CBP plans to boost staff by 20 percent along the Arizona border this year and has doubled the number of patrol aircraft there, Villarreal said, and the El Paso sector, which covers all of New Mexico and part of Texas, will get an additional 300 agents. — Los Angeles Times
The actions by the two state governors frees up emergency funding which will be used to step up law enforcement efforts in the affected counties.
DHS obviously should have seen this coming, and is wasting money by only dealing with single spots and not the entire border.
The danger, global scope, and limited resources for dealing with terrorism require a systems-based approach to the issue. Unless all aspects of the program are coordinated and deal with simultaneously, dealing with part of it will cause a “bulge” elsewhere. Conversely, a coordinated effort can reduce overall costs and redundancy, because of synergies between the component programs. — David Stephenson
Stephenson goes on to point out that DHS didn’t warn state and local officials of the enforcement efforts or that they might see increased activity in other areas.
For all the good it’s done, the current approach to border security is like trying to plug up a dam with a finger. A completely new approach is required.
I know several of you live in Arizona and New Mexico, either in or near the affected areas. What do you think needs to be done?
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N. Mallory
Aug 20, 2005
My dad, who lives in NM, and I recently discussed this. The real problem, he says, is that people are coming across the border looking for work and the government isn’t doing anything to prosecute or stop companies from hiring illegal immigrants who work for less and are paid in cash. If the government wasn’t so worried about making companies mad, maybe something would be done.
He also said that the emergency money that was freed up isn’t enough to really help the problem. In NM, it’s something like $1.4 mil.
Nonsense Nation
Aug 20, 2005
It is interresting that the two governors are Democrats. This looks like a move to take the presidency in 2008. If one side takes on this issue and the other doesn’t, they WILL win. Too much of this country is affected by illegal immigration and knows it. Voters toward the middle WILL break party lines to support a candidate who wants to stop illegal immigration.
Declaring the emergency is not about the funds. It is about the political momentum that stands to be built by taking a stand against the Bush administation.
If the Republicans are going to keep the White House in 2008, Perry and Schwarzenegger need to break with their party. The voters will stand behind them, other elected officials will see the voters really do support their actions, and BOTH parties will be doing right by our country.
Aug 25, 2005
The news just keeps breaking - IO ERROR
Aug 27, 2005
Has America become fascist? The 14 defining characteristics of fascism - IO ERROR
Anonymous
Jul 07, 2007
fuck the illegals wait until they take your job and you lose your house then we will see how much compassion you have your so liberal and compassionate when it comes to the treatment of those not affecting you and fuck the people who’s job they take and the americans that are sacrificed for those poor souls who cross the border bullshit all of it get the bastards out cut them off for everything they can die in the street because thats where they put me and my kids wait until the fuck your life up and maybe you won’t feel so compassionate put the bastards who hire them in the same boat greedy self loathing fuckheads i want my job i am sick of the dirty fucking loud music mariachi tortilla eating fucks kill them at the border fuck them bullets are cheap.
carla
Aug 19, 2007
I’m glad anonymous stayed anonymous. I would hate to think he is a neighbor of mine. I worked as a domestic worker when I first got here (USA) to make my way through school. I NEVER, I repeat NEVER saw ONE white person intervew for a job that I wanted.Not one college student, not one desperate for work white person. NOT ONCE in 8 years. It seems they don’t want to wash floors, do lawns, wipe white baby’s asses, and take a lot of grief and threats from employers. I never abused the health care system because like all illegals, I was afraid of being caught and deported. I never called the police and used their services because I thought they would turn me in. I’d like to ask mr Anonymous how many languages he speaks. I’ll assume one-barely. I speak three fluently. I pay my taxes, parking tickets, health insurance, car insurance and mortgage. But I started out as an illegal alien. No one wanted to hire me because……I was WHITE and they thought I was going to rip them off. But when i did get under the table domestic work, it was with the lovely hard-working brown skin people who’s food and music is a way to reconnect with their cultures and families.So there’s no stealing of jobs, less taking advantage of the system than americans do-because illegals afraid to get busted and turned in. And when you start saying totally ignorant things about people’s culture’s ie. their music or food, you only display your pitifully small mind. Sorry you are from such a hateful home. I was always taught there’s enough food on the table. And if this overweight,carbed-out,indulgent,consumptive nation feels they might lose everything they have to people who are just happy to make their way, I send you my love and compassion.You arer spiritually ,isguided and need to learn to love.
Wendy
Nov 05, 2007
It’s the ignorance of our nation that continues to attack minority groups throughout out history. This country is built on immigration, whether its legal or illegal.
This country does not learn from its mistakes… its very sad to see