When will the United States get serious about stopping the illegal flow of aliens from Mexico? Not only is this an immigration issue, but it may be a terror issue as well, since foreign terrorists could gain entry into the US over the porous border. Here in Dallas, where many illegals find a home, there are major sections of the city that are now almost completely populated with once illegal immigrants. In many of these sections, crime, drug and gang activity are rampant. Last week, two immigrants kidnapped a restauranteur for ransom, but they shot him dead after he tried to escape. One kidnapper was caught in Chicago. The other kidnapper escaped back to Mexico. Many business owners in these areas are scared to death, reported a local news station. This illegal immigration is fundamentally changing the entire US Southwest, and for the worse in many cases. When the military gets back from Iraq, they need to go to the US/Mexico border to stop this illegal immigrant invasion.

Tom...
If you can see first hand the efforts of the US Border Patrol here in Southern Arizona...
The area covering from Arizona/California to Arizona/New Mexico is being upgraded in areas known to be heavy in intrusions...especially the Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora (Mexico) area.
There are heavier barriers consisting of steel beams, concertina wire, motion-sensitive devices, cameras, and increased mobile activity...both in the air as well as ground searches.
The Tucson Station/Sector has added additional agents and vehicles that cover the area as deemed necessary.
Arrests/apprehensions have dramatically increased within the last 6 months...

To add...
The US Military was active at one time...it was either here in Arizona and California...
New Mexico and Texas, I believe, were next on the agenda...
I'm not that sure if the military is still as involved.

The only problem i can forsee is that using soldiers as policemen can cause problems. OK they may be used to patrol borders, but effectiviley they will be used in a policing role.

Using combat trained soldiers can have its flaws, they will need some extensive training, and clear defined rules of engagment for various reasons:

1. To protect themselves for the legal quagmire than can come from a forced arrest, or shooting.

2. The political stance of the US Gov, of having US Forces active within in its own borders, from a home and foriegn policy point of view.

3. Th US and UK forces are doing an excellent job in Iraq & Afghanistan, but the public and Politicians will take a very different view when its on home soil.

I agree that border security should be increased, both in the US and here in the UK.

Its an interesting debate and thread you have started.

I agree we need tighter border security. OKC has an illegal alien population estimate of 25,000. And most are congregated in an area we, in my bussines, simply call "The Barrio". And there is high drug and gang activity in and around this area.

But at the same time, like Mike, I hesatate to place the military in the role of law enforcement. The Border Patrol does a fairly good job. Their largest problem is the the same as all lew enforcement, manpower. Its a money thing. I would like to see INS get either more money in their budget for border security, or use more of what they do have for this function.

Its kind of a catch 22 here. If we use the military and something goes to hell we have an international incident on our hands. But if we don't and even one terrorist gets through and plays out an act of violence here then the public will be ready to hang our elected officials. Damned if we do, damned if we don't. No easy answers. But I can tell you, from being on this side of the badge, the cooperation and sharing of information between the Border Patrol & state and local LE has gotten better over the last few years. Its still not perfect, but it is better.

When our military was assigned the mission of working with the US Border Patrol, they were extensively trained in the proper Operating Procedures before they were sent to the affected areas.
I recall the extensive media coverage...both national, regional and local...of what was done.
Believe me...talk about being under the proverbial microscope...

I think both cooperation with all branches of law enforcement with the border patrol at all levels would help. Have heard stories of cops who know someone is in the country illegally, but can't do anything about it, because of the beaurocratic bs involved.

Also to have the numbers of border patrolmen beefed up considerably would help as well.

or we could always just annex Mexico..

Wow, border security for CONUS is a big topic in itself.

I've spent time along the US-Canadian border and there are place where you can't be sure which country you are in.

Further, our historic protection from the rest of the world by having oceans to the east and to the west doesn't serve us that well with newer technology as we really have so many unprotected ports and means to defeat just about any system of perimeter detection for that much mileage. The coast of Maine itself, depending on how you calculate it, is over 2,000 miles; and that's just one state!

Perhaps the best we can do is to have a much better coordinated infrastructure between the Feds and local governmental forces, making entrance to the U.S. a much higher priority.

Today, if you know where to go, you can literally drive a truck across the border into the U.S. without detection or interdiction whatsoever.

And that doesn't fit with today's security requirements.

There never has been there is none that exist, and there never will be a secure border, no matter what you do.

The human will, and ingenuity will overcome. History has proven that time and time again

Correct, I believe that in today's world most security is illusionary, especially when you combine that aforementioned will and ingenuity with the openly available technology.

It also means the entire world is going to need to do a whole lot of rethink on raising the satisfaction factor of humanity in general.

Satisfaction factor is a poly sci term - the higher the sf, the greater the chance for peace.

Any saavy IT pro will tell you that no matter how sophisticated your internet defense system is, your best bet is to hope nobody out there thinks you're worth the time to penetrate.

Sadly, the same dynamics apply in real life too.

Civilians from all walks of life - patrolling the border day and night -- even with the threat of violence. It's called the Minuteman Project. Their goal is stop the flow of illegal immigration through the Arizona-Mexico border.

With nearly 500 volunteers from across the nation these self-proclaimed "guardian vigilantes" are preparing to head south.

From his Orange County home, Jim Gilchrist is planning a mission. His tools are a computer, an atlas and an army of volunteers.

"I struck the mother load of nationalism. I thought I would be lucky to get 12 volunteers. In six months, I've gotten almost 500," Gilchrist told NBC4.

Their target is a 230-mile stretch of desert along the Arizona Mexico Border. Some people call the area America's Open Door. Along this section of the border, more than 43 percent of all illegal entries to the U.S. take place.

Last year, the Tucson Border Patrol apprehended 491,000. But for every person caught, at least five walk in undetected.

"We're going to setup at least 40 maybe 80 outposts, four to six people per outpost 24/7, looking for people who are infiltrating over that border," Gilchrist told NBC4.

To do this, Gilchrist is amassing people from all walks of life to spend a month camped out on the border -- people like James and Linda Chase.

"We're doing something that can help our country. We're stopping people that are coming across illegally," Linda Chase told NBC4.

But some say taking the work of border patrol into their own hands could be deadly. While Gilchrist stresses non-violence, he doesn't rule out the possibility that many of his volunteers will be armed.

"Ten percent of our members are retired law enforcement officers who have a right to carry a concealed weapon. They probably will carry and you won't know it," Gilchrist told NBC4.

But Andy Adame with the U.S. Border Patrol in Tucson told NBC4 that "people are going to get hurt." Adame said many of these volunteers don't know what they're in for.

"When you have untrained civilians, that are armed, that are out in the middle of the desert, in the middle of the night, in the dark, and they meet up with one of these smuggling organizations...you're going to have a gun fight," Adame told NBC4.

Border patrol agents have seen a growing problem with violence in recent years. Agents have been attacked by frustrated smugglers with rocks, bricks, even automatic weapons.

According to authorities, violence along the Tucson sector has climbed to an all-time high. "Bringing untrained civilians into this border environment is a recipe for disaster," Adame told NBC4.

But that has not deterred many of the volunteers.

"It's absolutely a good idea," said a man who plans to volunteer as a pilot for the Minuteman Project. When asked why he thought is was a good idea, Adame told NBC4, "Because I've spent my whole life just about in the military to keep somebody from coming into this country so why not keep it up?"

He's part of what's known as the Minuteman Air Force, both plane and pilot, many of which are well past retirement. They actually plan to use about two dozen aircraft. The typical plane they intend to use down on the border is a small private three-seater aircraft. "I feel it's time the American people stood up and said enough is enough," one of the pilots told NBC4.

It's that mentality that the Minutemen hope will have government officials taking notice.

"This is a chess game. They move and we move and spot and report, and border patrol intercepts and apprehends," Gilchrist told NBC4.

But Gilchrist, who says he wants to work with border patrol, has yet to contact them. "They know what we are doing and I don't feel I have to ask permission to express myself under the first amendment," Gilchrist told NBC4.

The law allows them to do this. It's not illegal for people to organize and in this case camp out in public areas. So come April 1, the Minuteman plan will be in place along the border.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ What do you want to bet that the Minutemen get into more trouble defending our borders than the illegals coming in.
My hat's off to the volunteers......at least they are doing something about the problem.

FBI Warns Of 'Special Interest' Aliens
Associated Press
March 9, 2005

WASHINGTON - FBI Director Robert Mueller told Congress on Tuesday that people from countries with ties to al-Qaida have crossed into the United States from Mexico, using false identities.

"We are concerned, Homeland Security is concerned about special interest aliens entering the United States," Mueller said, using a term for people from countries where al-Qaida is known to be active.

Under persistent questioning from Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, Mueller said he was aware of one route that takes people to Brazil, where they assume false identities, and then to Mexico before crossing the U.S. border.

He also said that in some instances people with Middle Eastern names have adopted Hispanic last names before trying to get into the United States.

Mueller provided no estimate of the number of people who have entered the country in this manner.

Bush administration officials have previously said al-Qaida could try to infiltrate the United States through the Mexican border.




In recent congressional testimony, Adm. James Loy, deputy Homeland Security secretary, said al-Qaida operatives believe they can pay to get into the country through Mexico and that entering illegally is "more advantageous than legal entry."

But Loy said there's no conclusive evidence that al-Qaida operatives have entered the country via Mexico.

Likewise, Mueller did not acknowledge that terrorists had entered the country through Mexico, only that it's believed people from countries where al-Qaida is active have done so.

U.S. authorities are investigating groups that may be smuggling people from countries with al-Qaida ties, he said.

On another topic, Mueller said it will take until 2008 and cost an unknown amount of money to replace a flawed computer system that was supposed to greatly improve management of terrorism and other criminal cases.

The Virtual Case File project was to have been the final piece of the FBI's overhaul of its antiquated computer system, an instantaneous and paperless way for FBI agents and analysts to manage all types of investigations.

Instead, faced with mounting evidence that the system is inadequate and outdated, the FBI is undertaking a new project.

"We intend to develop and implement a state-of-the-art case management system," Mueller said.

The new system, as yet unnamed, will be deployed in four phases, Mueller said. An estimate of the additional cost should be ready by the end of March, when planners should know what aspects of the system will have to be developed from scratch and what software can be purchased off the shelf, he said.

"Ultimately, it will be better than VCF," Mueller said.

But skeptical lawmakers, who heard similar predictions before, were not reassured.

"Can you tell us how you guarantee there won't be a third failure?" asked Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., the subcommittee chairman, alluding to problems with the Virtual Case File and an earlier FBI computer system.

The FBI director said the new project would be better managed and put into place in distinct pieces.

After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Mueller made improvement of the agency's computer systems a priority. Members of Congress and the independent Sept. 11 commission said the overhaul was critical to enabling the FBI and intelligence agencies to "connect the dots" in preventing attacks.

The first two phases of the "Trilogy" project - deployment of a high-speed, secure FBI computer network and 30,000 new desktop computers - have been completed.

But the upgrade already is 2 1/2 years behind schedule and, at nearly $600 million, more than 25 percent over its initial budget.

Mueller has said he expects the loss to taxpayers from the Virtual Case File to be $105 million.

Before the overhaul, begun in November 2000, many of the FBI's computer systems were 30-year-old hand-me-downs from other government agencies. Few of the bureau's 56 field offices had connections to the Internet and its networks couldn't even transmit a digital photo.

*************************************************************************************************And still American politicians refuse to do anything to strengthen our national borders.If there is another attack by terrorists,the politicians had better run and hide.....they will have to answer for their negligence.

U.S. Undocumented Population Surges
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050321/D88VEAMO0.html

The nation's undocumented immigrant population surged to 10.3 million last year, spurred largely since 2000 by the arrivals of unauthorized Mexicans in the United States, a report being released Monday says.

The population of undocumented residents in the United States increased by about 23 percent from 8.4 million in the four-year period ending last March, according to the analysis of government data by the Pew Hispanic Center, a private research group.

That equates to a net increase of roughly 485,000 per year between 2000 and 2004. The estimate was derived by subtracting the number of unauthorized immigrants who leave the United States, die or acquire legal status from the number of new undocumented immigrants that arrive each year.

The prospect of better job opportunities in the United States than in their native countries remains a powerful lure for many immigrants, said Pew center director Roberto Suro, pointing to a reason often cited by other researchers.

"The border has been the focus of federal efforts (to cut illegal entry) and has not produced a reduction in flow. Certainly that's an indication of ongoing demand," he said.

The population is growing at a similar pace as in the late 1990s even though the U.S. economy today isn't as robust, Suro said.

Assuming the flow of undocumented immigrants into the country hasn't abated since March 2004, the population is likely near 11 million now.

The report considered "undocumented" immigrants primarily as those here illegally; those in the United States on expired visas; or those who violated the terms of their admission in other ways.

Also included are a small percentage of immigrants who may have legal authorization to be in the United States, including those with temporary protected status and those applying to seek asylum.

Mexicans by far remain the largest group of undocumented migrants at 5.9 million, or about 57 percent of the March 2004 estimate. Some 2.5 million others, or 24 percent, are from other Latin American countries.

Overall, the U.S. foreign-born population, regardless of legal status, was 35.7 million last year. Those of Mexican descent again comprised the largest group - more than 11 million, or 32 percent.

Controlling the flow of immigrants over the porous U.S.-Mexico border will be a central topic of discussion when Mexican President Vicente Fox meets with President Bush in Texas on Wednesday.

The number of U.S. residents with Mexican backgrounds has increased by nearly 600,000 annually since 2000, with more than 80 percent of the new arrivals here with proper documentation, the Pew center estimated.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other government officials have raised concerns about border security amid recent intelligence that al-Qaida terrorists have considered using the Southwest border to infiltrate the United States.

Bush, meanwhile, has also promoted a guest-worker program that would allow migrants to work in the United States for a limited time as long as they have a job lined up.

Critics of the plan argue that such workers drive down wages because they often work for lower pay and fewer benefits that native-born residents.

"The best way to approach this is attrition by enforcement - better enforcement of the borders and of worksites," said Steve Camorata of the private Center for Immigration Studies.

The Pew report found undocumented immigrants increasingly fanning out beyond longtime destination for foreign-born residents. In 1990, 88 percent of the undocumented population lived in six states - California, New York, Texas, Illinois, Florida and New Jersey.

By 2004, those states accounted for 61 percent of the nation's undocumented population. The top state is California, where nearly one-quarter of the undocumented reside, followed by Texas (14 percent) and Florida (9 percent).

Next on the list were New York (7 percent), Arizona (5 percent), Illinois (4 percent), New Jersey (4 percent), and North Carolina (3 percent).

Arizona and North Carolina are two of the fastest-growing states in the nation overall and have metropolitan areas booming with new construction, restaurants and service-oriented businesses - job sectors that often hire undocumented workers.

Flow of Illegal Immigrants to U.S. Unabated

Mexicans Make Up Largest Group; D.C. Area Numbers Up 70 Percent Since 2000

By Sylvia Moreno
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 22, 2005; Page A02

Despite tighter border enforcement and a post-Sept. 11, 2001, economic slump, the number of illegal immigrants in the United States has continued to grow steadily, with many moving into states that traditionally have small foreign-born populations, according to a new report released yesterday.

Based on Census Bureau and other government data, the Pew Hispanic Center, a private research group in Washington, estimated the number of undocumented immigrants at 10.3 million as of last March, an increase of 23 percent from the 8.4 million estimate in 2000. More than 50 percent of that growth was attributable to Mexican nationals living illegally in the United States, the report said.

Most of the overall growth has been in states that previously had small foreign-born populations, including Arizona and North Carolina, as well as the Washington metropolitan area.

The combined population of illegal immigrants in Maryland, Virginia and the District increased almost 70 percent from an estimated 300,000 in 2000 to about 500,000 in 2004, said demographer Jeffrey S. Passel of the Pew Hispanic Center.

The reason, he said, is simple. "What drives the growth in immigrant populations in general is employment opportunities," Passel said, especially in fields that do not require formal education. Specifically, Passel cited the booming construction industry in Virginia, Maryland and the District; the service industry in Washington; and poultry processing plants on the Eastern Shore.

The report comes on the eve of a mini-summit in Texas tomorrow during which President Bush, Mexican President Vicente Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin are scheduled to discuss immigration, among other topics.

Pew Hispanic Center Director Roberto Suro said that the number of illegal immigrants continues to grow at the same rate as in the 1990s -- approximately 485,000 a year -- "despite significant efforts by the government to try to restrain the flow . . . at the border."

Mexicans remain the largest group of illegal migrants, at 5.9 million or about 57 percent of the March 2004 estimate, the report said. An additional 24 percent or 2.5 million undocumented immigrants are from other Latin American countries. Assuming the flow into the country has not changed since a year ago, the population of undocumented immigrants could number nearly 11 million today, the report said.

Of particular note, said Suro and Passel, was the growth of large undocumented populations in states other than those with traditionally large foreign-born populations, such as California, Texas, Florida and New York. Joining those states in 2002 were Arizona, with an estimated 500,000 illegal migrants, and North Carolina, with 300,000. There are now six states that each have an estimated 200,000 to 250,000 undocumented immigrants, including Maryland and Virginia, Suro said.

The size, age and national origins of the undocumented population were derived by subtracting the estimated legal immigrant population from the total foreign-born population.

Undocumented immigrants are defined as those who are in the United States illegally or who have remained in the country on expired visas, as well as a small percentage of those who only have legal authorization to be in the United States, such as those with temporary protected status and those seeking asylum.

The numbers in the Pew report came as no surprise to immigration advocacy groups, some of whom have issued similar estimates in the past four months.

"It's clear that America's lost control of its border," said Steven Camarota, director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors tighter immigration controls. "The problem is that once we all agree we have this enormous problem, then what to do about it is something we can't agree on. When you can't agree on the benefits and costs of a program, it becomes extraordinarily difficult to formulate any kind of a policy."

Angela Kelley, deputy director of the National Immigration Forum, which favors a plan to legalize illegal immigrants, said the continued growth of that population simply shows that current immigration policy "is broken."

"It's dysfunctional. How we go about fixing it is the big question," she said.
************************************************************************************************
Congrss can steamroll a bill for Ms.Schiavo.Pres.Bush returns th Washington from his vacation in Texas,for the sole purpose of signing above bill.
Yet we,the people, are left floundering under the tide of illegals coming into our nation.Our
elected officials DO NOTHING!!!
What is wrong with this picture?Is it because our elected officials are in bed with the human trafficers and/or the companies that use illegals as workers?
Where is the outrage over all these people coming in illegally?When are the sheep (us)going
to realize that the wolf is at our door?
How much longer do we have to subsidize the health care,school,law enforcement systems that are being overwhelmed by illegals and their families?
When is enough ENOUGH?!?!!

I don't think Bush realizes the greater problem, since he is living in the White House in D.C. But here near my house in Mesquite/Dallas, TX the area is being overrun by illegal immigrants. Dallas was just listed as the number one crime spot in the U.S. Home and auto burglaries are at all time highs. And the streets are getting more dangerous, since these illegals are driving like they are in Mexico - disobeying speed limits, DWIs, running stop signs, etc. Bush's tactic - importing cheap labor to drive the economy - will eventually undermine American society. I like Bush, but on this issue it is as treasonous as Bill Clinton giving China access to American high technology. See story:

Bush decries border project
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20050324-122200-6209r.htm

By James G. Lakely
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

WACO, Texas — President Bush yesterday said he opposes a civilian project to monitor illegal aliens crossing the border, characterizing them as "vigilantes."
He said he would pressure Congress to further loosen immigration law.
More than 1,000 people — including 30 pilots and their private planes — have volunteered for the Minuteman Project, beginning next month along the Arizona-Mexico border. Civilians will monitor the movement of illegal aliens for the month of April and report them to the Border Patrol.