WASHINGTON - Calling the nation's immigration laws "sorely outdated and in need of revision," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano pressed Monday for passage of the DREAM Act, saying it is the most-urgently needed change to immigration policy.
In response to another question after her second annual State of America's Homeland Security address, Napolitano also acknowledged that "serious mistakes were made" in Operation Fast and Furious, the government's botched gun-trafficking investigation.
But much of her speech was dedicated to the successes of her department and the challenges that remain, including threats of cyber-terrorism, the difficulties of responding to natural disasters and the need to balance fair trade with safe trade.
Napolitano touted the department's use of a "risk-based, information-driven approach to security" in combating security threats.
She boasted about President Barack Obama's commitment to securing the U.S.-Mexico border, pointing to a 53 percent decline in illegal immigrant attempts over the past three years as measured by Border Patrol apprehensions. She also cited an increase in seizures of illegal drugs and weapons along the border.
"We are also enforcing our immigration laws in smart, effective ways designed to protect communities while, to the greatest extent possible under current law, fostering legitimate employment and foreign investment," Napolitano said.
But Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Mesa, called Napolitano's assessment of the U.S.-Mexico border overly optimistic.
"In talking with ranchers and other residents near the border, and given the continued violence in the Tucson sector specifically, the approach to secure the border the Obama administration is pursuing is clearly insufficient," Flake said in a prepared statement.
Napolitano, who was governor of Arizona before being appointed by President Obama to head the department, conceded much work was still needed along the border. But she said lawmakers need to adopt policy changes to solve the nation's complex immigration problems.
"The bottom line is that our nation's current immigration laws are sorely outdated and in need of revision," she said. "President Obama views such a revision as both a matter of fairness and as an economic necessity."
In a question-and-answer period immediately following her address, Napolitano pointed to passage of the DREAM Act when asked what one aspect of immigration reform was most necessary.
"If you have to take just one element out of the whole universe of immigration that needs to be fixed, should be fixed, and came very close to being fixed by the Congress ... it would be that," Napolitano said.
Napolitano conceded problems with Operation Fast and Furious, an investigation by Phoenix office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in which agents let illegal gun-buyers go in hopes of tracing guns to larger gun-trafficking rings. The operation, begun in late 2009, lost track of about 2,000 guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is scheduled to testify to a House committee Thursday about the operation.
"I think it was acknowledged that mistakes, serious mistakes were made there," Napolitano said. "The key question is making sure those kinds of mistakes, from my standpoint, are never again repeated."
That statement underwhelmed a spokesman for Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a prominent critic of the Obama administration's border policies.
"To say that mistakes were made during Fast and Furious is the understatement of the year, but it's nice that Secretary Napolitano has acknowledged as much," said Matthew Benson, the spokesman.
Benson agreed that security along the Arizona border has increased during the past few years, but attributed that more to a weakened U.S. economy than effective border-security policy.
"Anyone can point to their own statistics, but I think if Secretary Napolitano spoke with some of the ranchers who lived along the border or law enforcement who deal with this on a weekly or daily basis, she would see it is not secure," he said.
hamguy posted at 9:44 am on Tue, Feb 14, 2012.
We were taught in school why immigration control is needed. Basically to protect the American culture or way of life. What we are seeing is the result of no control and boys and girls, I'm not speaking about our southern border only, it is all over from Guam Island (or Western most point of entry) to the Canadian border. Add the East. and West coasts.
It is not all about Mexico by any means. I don'tr know what if anything is taught about the need of control today as I was class of 1956 when things were better controlled.
I question the idea of State Militia since we already have the National Guard into which much money is pumped. We need to get the government to earning it's keep. VOTERS! I'm speaking to you - are you there?
WT Fover posted at 9:41 am on Wed, Feb 1, 2012.
The Cartels are actually doing the 'crackdown' with guns supplied by Nappy''s boss.
Rational Human posted at 8:40 pm on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
That photo of nappy was photo shopped. It originally had pom poms in both her hand and her clothing was changed from a cheer leading uniform that had Obama on the front. Seriously, this bozo is still at this when California is about to go under from the strain of illegal immigration?
California will run out of cash by early March if the state does not take swift action to find $3.3 billion through payment delays and borrowing, according to a letter state Controller John Chiang sent to state lawmakers today.
Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/01/controller-state-to-run-out-of-cash-in-march-without-action.html#storylink=cpy
It would be funny if it weren't so sad.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 4:26 pm on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
We have hundreds of millions of dollars in drugs (marijuana, Meth, cocaine, heroin and even opium) coming across the Mexican Border on the backs of Illegal Aliens every single day and this Liberal Democrat is touting....."BORDER SECURITY"...is she "NUTS" ???
We have the Attorney General of the United States of America, Eric Holder, lying to the American Congress about when he knew about and what he knew about the "Fast and Furious" Gun-running Program that used American's tax-monies to buy guns to sell to the Mexican Drug Cartels......is he ..."NUTS" ???
We have an American President, Barack Hussein Obama, who hasn't spent a...."WHOLE WEEK"...behind the Presidential Desk in the Oval Office of the White House since he was inaugurated on January 21, 2009. He has more... "SKY MILES"....than an ....astronaut for Gawd's sake. A President who is still blaming the previous President for everything and anything under the Sun. Is.......Obama ..."NUTS" ???
And the... "NUTTIEST"... of them all... are the Liberals, Progressives, Democrats, Socialists, Anarchists and Communist Wanna-bies........WHO BELIEVE WHAT THIS ADMINISTRATION IS TELLING THEM ! ! ! !
Masterrogue666 posted at 4:24 pm on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
"Nappy" looks like she's going to throw a piece of chalk (or something) at someone. HOW DISRESPECTFUL! LOL!!!!
Masterrogue666 posted at 4:23 pm on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
President Reagan gave amnesty back in 1986 with the understanding that the border would be made much less porous than it REMAINS today.
Janet/President Obama: The MAJORITY of U.S. citizens are against ANY FORM of amnesty under the border is made MUCH MORE difficult to cross. Walls won't stop all crossers, but it will help to slow them down. You want to get rid of ILLEGAL ALIENS? Tell them they will NEVER receive amnesty. Require ALL businesses to check ALL employees identity to verify if they can LEGALLY work in the U.S. If you check EVERYONE, then NO ONE can claim profiling or race discrimination, can they? Any business that doesn't check EACH person gets fined. If they continue to follow the law, heavier fines until they comply, or are out of business. That way, an HONEST business has a decent chance to remain in business!
NO WALL, NO FORM of amnesty.
k33j88 posted at 4:10 pm on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
Big Sis will take care of all our needs----not to worry.
Suelee posted at 3:24 pm on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
Dead bodies of small children strewn across the desert. Not a pretty picture, but this will be the reality if the Dream Act passes in any form. The lure of having US taxpayers pay for their children's education will be too much for many irresponsible parents who will risk their children's lives to cross into the US.
hamguy posted at 2:14 pm on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
Immigration from any source must be controlled as uncontrolled it will affect the local (or in this case, the American way of life). This is what was taught up into the 50's
It appears that no one seems to be aware that there no longer exist an American Way as when we look around we have "little this or that" Cost of publishing drivers test in multiple languages has sky rocketed (Thought that english was the language of America not hienz 57 varieties. English was the language of Commerce for many years but that is changing. We can not afford to open the borders as much as the President et -al want but then can they be closed? I don't mean just the southern but all the way. I think not since there is no will to do it from any source capable of doing it. You voted them in now get them out people!
Slabside posted at 10:09 am on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
DING DING DING! And we have a winner for "The Liberal Jacka_s_s Racist Award"! Today's recipient is bblade50 for injecting racism into a post when he has nothing intelligent to add.
bblade50 posted at 9:42 am on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
The republicians were in favor of the dream act when W was in office but as soon as a Dem. a black one at that come in the spot they whated nothing to do with it. Just look at our loser McCain. He push this act even in his run in 2008. abut as soon as he lost he stop and said it was a bad idea. We need to look at this and not make it easy otherwise we will end up no better than aome other countries.
deein623 posted at 8:44 am on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
How soon does 1 forget. We changed the policy to your liking. It's not working out to well and niether is 200mil citizens who cant find work
wrtrblk posted at 8:13 am on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
Janet, you are a re t*rd. You should spend a week or two housed along the border with some of those ranchers. Get a first hand look at what's happening down there. I think that's the only way you'll get the eye opening realization of how porous the border really is.
wrtrblk posted at 8:07 am on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
"President Obama views such a revision as both a matter of fairness and as an economic necessity." I think he's referring to the dream act. Economic necessity?????? Thousands upon thousand of illegal aliens brought their children to the US illegally. Now, when these kids reach that age, what are they going to do? Reproduce. Without a job!!!! Then you and I are stuck with giving them food stamps, housing and medical. How is this considered an economic necessity? How is it economically feasible to pay for illegal aliens to have babies?????
SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME!!!!!!
one of the last posted at 7:32 am on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
Of course Flake and other GOP legilature, governer, and the Sheif joe insist the figures are wrong. It serves their cause for them to be. Would any of them be elected without the Imigration issue.
Juggernaut8000 posted at 5:38 am on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
I have a Dream...where the American taxpayer is treated as good as the dirty illegals that may benefit from this terrible bill.
AZZenn posted at 10:18 pm on Mon, Jan 30, 2012.
Yes there has been a decline in criminals crossing the border but not 53%! The reason for the drop? Less work for criminals coming in to AZ because our economy is in the toilet.. C'mon down to AZ - spend a beautiful night under the stars at the Organ Pipe National Monument - It's awesome.... It's OK to carry a gun with you and please do -- Organ Pipe is also called the 'Cartel Corridor' -- Stay a few nights and you'll need a firearm.. And about criminals coming to the US -- Why don't they take the $2K + they pay a coyote to cross and go through the proper procedures? Raise your right hand and swear allegiance to the US and become a legal naturalized citizen of the US.... This immigration situation has gotten completely out of control and I agree that modifications to the immigration laws are needed -- But your DREAM Act is a nightmare !
Janet, Janet, Janet - make that noise -- You know, that noise your head makes when it pops out of your rear end..
devils66 posted at 9:14 pm on Mon, Jan 30, 2012.
I want to know who her hideous hair dresser is![beam]
samkat posted at 8:55 pm on Mon, Jan 30, 2012.
Janet is beginning to look a little porky. Maybe it is because she is so full of BS. :-)