Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer: Obama Isn't Doing his Job
AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said on Fox News last night that the Obama administration has ignored her requests to work together on border security issues and is ignoring its responsibilities along the border.
In spite of an influx of federal resources along the Southern border in the past year, including an increase of people on the ground, Brewer said the administration's response to security issues is "frustrating" -- and her message appears to be resonating with the public.
"Seventy percent of the American public agrees with Arizona that no one is taking any action -- no one is calling us, no one is corresponding with us," Brewer said on Fox News' "On the Record." "It's very, very frustrating. We have the right in Arizona, as does everyone else in our country, to feel safe, and we cannot afford the expense that is the federal government's responsibility."
Brewer was referring to a Rasmussen telephone survey often cited by Republicans showing that 70 percent of likely Arizona voters approve of the state's controversial new immigration law, which makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally. It also mandates that legal immigrants must carry documents proving their status. Opponents of the law, including President Obama, contend it could lead to racial profiling.
A CBS News/ New York Times poll showed that 60 percent of Americans thought the Arizona law was "about right" in its approach or did not go far enough to address illegal immigration. Meanwhile, a new Rassmussen survey out today shows Brewer, who faces a GOP primary challenge this year, gaining ground among likely voters in her state since signing the immigration measure into law.
"We are on the battlefield getting the impact of all this illegal immigration and all the crime that comes with it," Brewer said last night. "We need help. [Administration officials] need to do their job. They need to step up and secure our borders!"
The Department of Homeland Security responded by telling Hotsheet that the federal government has dedicated unprecedented manpower, technology, and infrastructure resources to the Southwest border over the course of the past 14 months. The Border Patrol is better staffed today than at any time in its 85-year history, according to DHS spokesman Matt Chandler. In 2009, the number of agents at the border reached 20,000, with more than 4,000 deployed in Arizona.
Over the past year, Chandler said, an additional 110 special agents for the Border Enforcement Security Task Force have been deployed, doubling its personnel. The number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement intelligence analysts along the Southwest border tripled with 28 new analysts added in April 2009.
Additionally, state and local law enforcement officials working with DHS identified 46 percent more criminal aliens in 2009 than they did in 2008. DHS statistics, displayed in a chart by the pro-immigration group America's Voice, show more criminal and non-criminal deportations under the Obama administration than at any other point in the past 10 years.
"The administration continues to evaluate additional law enforcement options as needed, including the use of the National Guard, along the Southwest Border," Chandler said. "We continue to work with Congress on comprehensive reform of our immigration system, which would provide lasting and dedicated resources at our borders."
Nevertheless, Brewer said she has had trouble communicating with the administration on the issue.
"I have repeatedly sent letters to the administration and to the president of the United States with absolutely no response," she said. "I'm hopeful when I'm in Washington, D.C. in about a week I will be able to at least touch base with the secretary of Homeland Security and the president of the United States."
She added, "A nation without borders is like a house without walls -- it collapses. And that is what is going to happen to our wonderful America."
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May. 25, 2010
Mexican Senators To Listen, Not Protest In Arizona
Mexican Senators To Travel To Arizona To Hold Forum On Immigration Law, But Won't Protest
(AP) MEXICO CITY (AP) - A delegation of Mexican senators plans to go to Arizona to listen to opinions about the U.S. state's immigration law, but it will not take part in any protests against the controversial measure.
The Mexican Senate has already voiced its opposition to the Arizona law, which will make it a state crime to be in Arizona without documents. Mexico's government says the law is discriminatory and raises the risk of racial profiling.
Sen. Luis Alberto Villarreal says "we are not going to demonstrate," adding that the senators have respect for a nation's laws.
Sen. Claudia Corichi said Monday the delegation will meet with Mexican consuls to plan what actions to take if the law goes into effect July 29
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Interesting .... Senators from another country are inviting themselves to 1 of our 50 states that happens to be voicing their opinion and passing Arizona SB1070.
Just as interesting is the fact that approx $20+ BILLION dollars get sent into Mexico each yr, mostly by those woking in the U.S. .... according to Banco De Mexico in '08 $25billion was sent and '09 $21.2billion.
From what I've read it's Mexico?s second largest source of foreign cash behind oil.
Calderon and these Mexican senators would seem to have about $20billion reasons why they'd be so interested and speak out against Arizona's SB1070. 49 other states don't have something like SB1070 - yet .... you can bet that's how they'd like to keep it.
I support legal immigration .... NOT ILLEGAL immigration.
There's a right way to enter this country and a wrong way .... it's just too bad our fed gov't hasn't done a better job over the yrs (both parties).
P.S. .... does Mexico allow just ANYONE to freely enter and exit their country? .... or is there a "process"? .... I'd guess there's a "process", just like there is/has been here and most country's around the world.
"I don't think the Arizona law, or laws like it, are the solution," Morton told the newspaper.
The best way to reduce illegal immigration is through a comprehensive federal approach, he said, and not a patchwork of state laws.
The law, which criminalizes being in the state illegally and requires authorities to check suspects for immigration status, is not "good government," Morton said.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-AL, said it appeared the Obama administration is "nullifying existing law" and suggested Morton may not be the right person for his post if he fails to enforce federal immigration law.
"If he feels he cannot enforce the law, he shouldn't have the job," Sessions told Fox News. "That makes him, in my view, not fulfilling the responsibilities of his office."
Sessions said the U.S. government has "systematically failed" to enforce federal immigration law and claimed Morton's statement is an indication that federal officials do not plan on working with Arizona authorities regarding its controversial law.
"They're telegraphing to every ICE agency in America that they really don't intend on cooperating with Arizona," Sessions said. "The federal government should step up and do it. It's their responsibility."
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-AL, said it appeared the Obama administration is "nullifying existing law" and suggested Morton may not be the right person for his post if he fails to enforce federal immigration law.
"If he feels he cannot enforce the law, he shouldn't have the job," Sessions told Fox News. "That makes him, in my view, not fulfilling the responsibilities of his office."
Sessions said the U.S. government has "systematically failed" to enforce federal immigration law and claimed Morton's statement is an indication that federal officials do not plan on working with Arizona authorities regarding its controversial law.
"They're telegraphing to every ICE agency in America that they really don't intend on cooperating with Arizona," Sessions said. "The federal government should step up and do it. It's their responsibility."
http://digg.com/politics/Arizona_Drug_War
http://digg.com/d31RrY1
Well, APPARENTLY, it isn't getting the job done, now is it? Nowhere does it say those agents were ALL sent to Arizona, does it? And, why has it been only in the last 14 months? The problem has been ongoing for YEARS, under both democrat and republican administrations. Arizona has decided, since the federal government REFUSES to do their job, to get rid of ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS for themselves. Since it IS the job of our federal government ANY state that has to deal with the problem on their own SHOULD RECEIVE FUNDS from that same federal government, since the federal government has confiscated those same funds from the occupants of the many states to begin with.
Divide and Conquer (get elected). They play the electorate like a fiddle, with the greedy media close by.
The truth is that greedy Americans would rather hire an illegal than pay a fellow American a fair wage.
Attention Walmart shoppers - China owns America now and you are their colony.
It's the old shell game. You lose, ... again. Follow the Money.
Now to add insult to the previous slam(s), it's been mentioned ICE may not process ILLEGALS arizona turns over to them ..... I'm begining to think Obama is actually PRO-ILLEGAL immigration, offering very little in the way of help or communication with one of the 50 states he's supposed to be the pres of.
I understand more recently Jan Brewer has asked for helicopters from the fed gov't ..... we'll see what happens with that, but Arizona probably shouldn't hold it's breath on that, based on Obama's previous actions toward Arizona.
Ran across a pretty good article about Arizona SB1070 written by a professor of law @ the university of houston law center titled: "Opposition to Arizona law often based on faulty facts"
here's the web address: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/7015240.html
I'm for legal immigration .... NOT ILLEGAL immigration
And support a national Boycott of Mexico, L.A., San Francisco ect.
Love the "Heil Hilter" pose in the photo.
You have it all wrong. That isn't a 'heil hitler' pose; that's an 'Arizona is spanking some Illegal Alien Invader ass' pose.