Two sheriffs gave a grim assessment of security along the U.S.-Mexico border Thursday, telling a lawmakers they need the federal government to send more soldiers.
“Get the military on the border and get them there now,” Cochise County Sheriff Larry A. Dever said in a presentation to the Senate Border Security, Federalism and State Sovereignty Committee.
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said that a “visible human fence” comprised of armed military men and women is the answer to reducing crime and cutting down the flow of illegal immigrants.
“The military should be there as a visible deterrent,” Babeu said. “The [border] problem has not gone away. Do not be lulled into a false sense of security.”
The sheriffs both proposed a three-pronged approach to border security: increased the military presence, improving existing infrastructure such as the border fence and bolstering enforcement.
“As long as we have a porous border, no other socioeconomic solution will have value,” Dever said.
During Dever’s presentation, Sen. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, and Sen. Frank Antenori, R-Vail, broke into a heated exchange about border enforcement and SB 1070. Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, the committee’s chairwoman, banged her gavel to stop them.
Last year President Obama deployed 1,200 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Babeu said the Border Patrol’s Yuma sector has seen a significant decline in crime and illegal border crossings since it focused on those three areas. He also pointed to significant reductions in crime and apprehension rates along the San Diego Border Patrol sector after the construction of a double-layered border fence.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently canceled funding for a controversial “virtual fence,” a billion-dollar project led by Boeing Corp. to put a line of sensors along the U.S.-Mexico border. Instead, DHS plans to use proven technologies such as mobile surveillance systems, unmanned aircraft and thermal-imaging devices.
Allen said in an interview that she would like to see the Tucson sector imitate successful border security initiatives employed in the California and Texas sectors.
“We need a fence built, we need a surveillance and we need a lot more men on the ground,” Allen said. “And if we can do those things I believe that we will be able to get a handle on this like these other sectors.”
Sen. Robert Meza, D-Phoenix, suggested a holistic approach to border security by addressing the economic and social crises in Mexico.
“This is a systemic problem,” Meza said. “The root of the problems lie in Mexico, so why haven’t the U.S. senators tackled the problems in Mexico?”
AZMomma posted at 12:26 pm on Fri, Jan 21, 2011.
I cannot believe the idiocy of the Meza statements ! It is NOT any business of the US (or AZ) government to try to 'fix' anything in Mexico.
Meza needs to have a couple slaps upside his pinata-brain and even a sit-down CTJM where his personal priorities are evaluated.
He speaks more as a Mexican-citizen. Who elected this idiot?
hoopydreams posted at 12:40 pm on Fri, Jan 21, 2011.
Nogales, AZ has one of the lowest crime rates in the country. All the violence takes place on the Mexican side of the border. Also, why aren't we sending troops to the worst crime ridden cities in the country? Why aren't we taking care of our own people? Obviously if our border cities are not finding heads in the desert, or bodies hanging from parks in Tucson, I think that this border security is blown WAY out of proportion.
Currently the most crime ridden cities are as follows:
1.New Orleans, LA
2. Camden, NJ
3. Detroit, MI
4. St. Louis, MO
5. Oakland, CA'
No border cities even rank in the top 25!
Regardless what you're for or against make sure to educate yourselves. I think the men and women who are currently protecting our borders are doing a fine job. So well that we aren't finding the same problems in our country that Mexico has.
EmperorSmith posted at 1:02 pm on Fri, Jan 21, 2011.
Hoopy drive about 75 to 150 miles west of Nogalas
Freethinker posted at 3:08 pm on Fri, Jan 21, 2011.
"why haven’t the U.S. senators tackled the problems in Mexico?"
Dear Senator Meza,
Have you been receiving talking points from Sarah Palin?
Mexico is not in the United States, it is a FOREIGN NATION.
And this guy got elected? Sheesh!
rrjenn posted at 4:26 pm on Fri, Jan 21, 2011.
Meza is sort of right when he says the root of the problems lie in Mexico. Just 50 families in Mexico own over 95% of the wealth in Mexico. The guy who has the telecommunication monopoly is currently the richest man it the world. If you don't believe that go to Mexico and make a local phone call. The rest of the people are very poor even though the unemployment rate in Mexico is below 4%. There is a small professional population, but the vast majority live in abject poverty. That is why they want to come here. Ex Presidente Fox was quoted as saying that if America wants to stop illegal immigration they should just put all the peasants in Mexico on American welfare. That way they would stay in Mexico. I've heard some experts say that if we were able to stop all illegals from crossing into America, Mexico would explode into revolution. We are a release valve designed to keep those few Mexican families in power and the peasants poor. I think the peasants need to rise up and throw the present government out. Let a new bunch of crooks run the show for a while.
Hoopy, Oakland just cut their police force in half in order to balance their budget. If they wanted security, they wouldn't be a sanctuary city and would toss the illegals out of their city. They get what they pay for as far as I'm concerned. The two cities most likely to go belly up are both on the coasts and sanctuary cities that just need to get their priorities set right.
azrepublican posted at 5:42 pm on Fri, Jan 21, 2011.
hoopydreams,
Which one of those cities you mention has signs put up by federal cops telling Americans not to travel in because it's too dangerous? They put those signs up along the most dangerous areas 70 to 80 miles from the border here in Arizona. How's that for dangerous? We have 70 to 80 miles from the border in the state of Arizona where we are advised not to go. People in non border states just have no idea what it's all about even when they know there is a 80 mile dead man's zone between us and the border. What that means for those of you who still don't get it is that the drug cartels own up to 80 miles of Arizona land all along our border with Mexico. Even border agents risk their lives traveling into this dead man's zone. And you all wonder why Arizonan's are so fed up with the feds inaction in securing the border. And when we try to secure it we are called racists and Nazis and all sorts of other things. Isn't it about time for states to start doing for themselves what the feds will not do?
samkat posted at 6:29 pm on Fri, Jan 21, 2011.
Heck, all Meza has to do is to don a police uniform and strike out in a marked vehicle either way from Nogales. He might not return in one piece though.
hoopydreams posted at 9:27 pm on Fri, Jan 21, 2011.
I guess you've never been to a ghetto azrepublican, and there are no signs to tell you of the dangers.
I'm just shocked at my state. We want to put all this money into protecting our border, but nothing to solve the problem that is causing these people to come here. We would rather spend billions of dollars on National Security, than to educate our children on how to solve these problems for their future (b/c we sure aren't doing anything about it to stop it) by providing them the basic necessities they need. There just has to be a middle ground somewhere, b/c everyone wants to shout at each other but won't make any compromise. That's the problem with both sides. Troops and guns aren't going to solve this in the long run.
It took us decades to mandate that you need a passport to get over borders in North America. Europe and the rest of the world have been doing it for a long time. It's not brut force that will win this battle with immigration it will take technology and thinking outside the box to solve it.
hoopydreams posted at 5:25 am on Sat, Jan 22, 2011.
@rrjen: Oakland has a high rate of crime not because of "illegals" aka brown people, it's because of the amount of gang violence that goes on. American gangs, like Bloods and Crypts. Don't wear blue in the wrong neighborhood, you'll get swarmed, stabbed, and killed. This is happening on American soil by Americans. Not "illegals." And what about all the other American cities like Detroit, Camden, and St. Louis? These are not "sanctuary cities." The violence that occurs is between American Citizens, not "illegals."
Also, as for illegal immigration, if you're white you're an illegal immigrant. White people came to this country, illegally. We came in with guns, took the natives' plant (tobacco) grew it, exploited, and turned into a multi billion dollar business that was built on the backs of slaves. But we seem to selectively forget that.
AZMomma posted at 6:40 am on Sat, Jan 22, 2011.
Hoopy - You can go back and grab that old horse-pucky about "white man stole from noble red man" but it just does NOT fly anymore.
If you want to cover your shoulders with the mantle of "oppressor", have at it. The rest of us just snicker at your ignorance and naivete'.
Spend some time taking modern anthro classes, read a few books and learn how the American continents were settled, fought over, re-settled etc.
Hint: So many of the ranters are still spewing 'data' from late Victorian experts and the world-discoveries have changed.
rrffcc1 posted at 8:16 am on Sat, Jan 22, 2011.
We DO need more troops on the border! And, as soon as they arrive, they need to form a single rank right on the line, do an about-face and fix bayonets. It's critical that we take immediate steps to contain this insanity virus to the United States, and Arizona in particular.
azrepublican posted at 11:53 am on Sat, Jan 22, 2011.
Hoopydreams,
No one said that the Arizona border was or is the most dangerous place in the world. Probably Somalia is the most dangerous place on Earth. The border is in my backyard, and more important to both my security and United States security than any city you can name. No one said it was this "brown people" you speak of that made those cities dangerous, and it's not just black gangs making those cities dangerous either, so why do you even bring it up? You only mentioned crips and bloods. Are you prejudiced against blacks or do you really think they are responsible for all the violence? It's not "brown people" that are making the border so dangerous. It's those gangs you mentioned (brown people gangs) that are also making the border a nightmare. Actually you didn't mention the Hispanic gangs but should have, and what about the white people gangs? Ya, we all know they are people too, right? As for color, every Hispanic person I know considers themselves to be white. Only the Latino leaders who wish to incite people for political division call Latinos "brown people". Do you consider Asian people to be "yellow persons". lol I know a few that would take great offense to being called yellow. I hate to always mention my race as a qualifier of what I write, but it may be important here to state that I am a "black person".
So what do you want us to do other than secure the border? Should we put all Mexicans on American welfare as President Fox suggested. Should we declare the southern border open to whoever wants to come here? Watch out cause middle eastern Muslims can easily pass for Latinos and they could be the terrorist types. What you say about European whites being illegals is pure nonsense. According to that illogical notion, everyone south of our border should be allowed to legally cross into America just because they were somehow considered to be on this continent first. You can ask for the moon but you wont get any sympathy from me when you don't get it. You will be better off discarding that notion and accepting the current reality as it isn't going to change. Tell us what exactly that you want our government to do about the problems on the border. I mean both sides of the border. How do we solve this problem?
EmperorSmith posted at 12:03 pm on Sat, Jan 22, 2011.
I kind of understand where Hoop comes from I went to a Catholic HS on the southern end of Gary, IN. There a few years in the 80s it was the murder capital USA. But the difference I see from that time to the border now is that if you carried yourself right and didn't fear. you would be left alone.
Slabside posted at 2:49 pm on Sat, Jan 22, 2011.
Obama is not going to take the chance of upsetting undocumented DemocRATS.
rrjenn posted at 11:56 am on Sun, Jan 23, 2011.
rrffcc1
Perhaps we could use the Mexican Army to contain this insanity virus to the United States, and Arizona in particular. I mean, they already work for the drug cartels through the wealthiest 50 families that control 95% of Mexico's wealth. You are such a funny t@rd.
EmperorSmith posted at 12:22 pm on Sun, Jan 23, 2011.
It seems like it is getting to the point where we are going to have to fight next rev in Mexico for them. If so I want the Baja, they can have New York and isolated parts of CA, I'm joking. on some of the parts.
rrjenn posted at 6:57 pm on Sun, Jan 23, 2011.
Smith, you just gave me a great idea. Since Mexico's wealthiest families are getting rich off the backs of American taxpayers, We should just start annexing parts of Mexico. Baja would be a good place to start. Maybe we should move the border south about 100 miles and turn it into a real dead man's land with plenty of land mines. Lets just see how the smugglers deal with that. Sure would make tunnel digging harder.
Richka posted at 9:31 pm on Sun, Jan 23, 2011.
Who in the heck elected this clown Meza anyway?
The answer to his "holistic approach to border security by addressing the economic and social crises in Mexico" .." the root of the problems lie in Mexico, so why haven't the U.S. senators tackled the problems in Mexico?" Is he nuts? They need to tackle OUR problems first and one of the biggest and most expensive problems is the fleecing of America by the millions of illegals.
The only way to stop the invasion is to quit playing cat and mouse games with the illegals. There is absolutely no deterrent for illegals to jump the border. If chased down and caught, they get food, water and medical attention, a ride back to the border, and a couple of days later they're back in the U.S. How about putting a little fear in them instead of americans being the laughing stock of the world. The whole thing is just crazy. Just ship that moron Meza back to Mexico and let him solve their problems. ....I'm still shaking my head over this guy's stupidity.
rrjenn posted at 11:10 pm on Sun, Jan 23, 2011.
It isn't his stupidity that gets me, it's the arrogance that he and the rest of the open border reconquistas have in demanding that we be their welfare mommas. Fortunately more Americans (real Americans) are waking up to this scam.
Accuracy posted at 12:22 pm on Mon, Jan 24, 2011.
To the Senate Border Security, Federalism and State Sovereignty Committee, Cochise County Sheriff Larry A. Dever and Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said the federal government should send more soldiers for security along the U.S.-Mexico border.
But not Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik . . . All because he feels border areas are safe, and are not a problem. Sheriff Dupnik went on record saying he and his deputies in Pima County (who controls a county along the porous Mexican border) absolutely would not enforce the “racist, disgusting and unnecessary immigrant self-identification law" (SB 1070).
In the Jan. 22-24 news; Pima County Tea Party Patriots and Dan Baltes, executive director of Americans Against Immigration Amnesty, say they plan to indict Sheriff Dupnik for his comments blaming political rhetoric and free speech for the shooting rampage that killed six people and wounded 13 others including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
EmperorSmith posted at 1:09 pm on Mon, Jan 24, 2011.
Jenn as un PC and out invading. I love the idea.
Richka posted at 1:35 pm on Mon, Jan 24, 2011.
Dupnik REFUSES to enforce the law? So, why is he still the sherrif of Pima country?
Law enforcement officers are SWORN to uphold the law, no matter what their personal beliefs are. I wonder who's pocket he is in. Looks to me like he needs to join the unemployment line. There is surely a qualified undersherrif in Pima country that can take over.
rrjenn posted at 7:15 pm on Mon, Jan 24, 2011.
I heard that the reason Sheriff Dumbdick doesn't agree with SB1070 is largely due to the fact that his wife is Hispanic and half his in-laws are living in the US illegally.
Masterrogue666 posted at 7:11 pm on Fri, Jan 28, 2011.
hoopydreams: So you want us to send aid to Mexico? It's in the top 10 for GNP! Shouldn't aid go to those more deserving? Since Mexico IS in the top 10, why can't they TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN CITIZENS!!!!!
Masterrogue666 posted at 7:13 pm on Fri, Jan 28, 2011.
Sorry, forgot the link:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_gro_nat_inc-economy-gross-national-income
rrjenn posted at 10:32 pm on Sat, Jan 29, 2011.
Masterrogue666, I really hate to keep harping on one subject, but it's an important one. Here in America, we have around 5% that control 80% of the wealth. That leaves the rest of us quite a bit to live on. In Mexico, there are these 50 families that control 95% of that countries wealth. The family that has the telecommunications monopoly in Mexico is the richest family on earth today. That is why most Mexicans live in abject poverty. In a very real way, American taxpayers are being ask to help support the vast Mexican poor so that the 50 Mexican bandits, aka families, can continue to get wealthier. Every dollar that you pay to support illegal immigration is really going into the pockets of one of those 50 families. The really dirty truth that no one wants to talk about is that these same families are made wealthier by every ounce of drugs sold in this country. You don't think they could defeat the drug cartels if they really wanted to? No money in doing that amigo. Even our own government isn't all that interested in stopping the sales of drugs here. They keep it to a minimum, but know that if we didn't have our drugs to cloud our minds to what is really going down, we would wake up, and that would spoil the game. The war on drugs is a joke the same as the so called war on terrorism. Heck, we defeated Hitler in 4 years, but can't seem to find Osama Bin Hiding for ten years. If you knew the truth you would sh!t a brick. So maybe it's best if you all just keep your heads in the sand.
rrjenn posted at 10:37 pm on Sat, Jan 29, 2011.
Geez, Mexico has twice Russia's GNC? Thanks for the info http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_gro_nat_inc-economy-gross-national-income