Ridge Plans ‘Massive Restructuring’ of Security Along Borders

[Aknauta]

washingtontimes.com

Ridge identifies challenges, strengths of new department
By Audrey Hudson
THE WASHINGTON TIMES


MIAMI — Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge yesterday announced a massive restructuring of security along the nation's borders to prevent terrorists and weapons from slipping into the United States.

"The sheer depth and breadth of this nation, the magnitude of what occurs here from sea to shining to sea, means that one slip, one gap, one vengeful person can threaten the lives of our citizens at any time and any number of ways," Mr. Ridge said.
Under the restructuring, a new agency called the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection will be formed by merging the Customs Service, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Border Patrol and the Agricultural Plant Health and Inspection Service. Its 30,000 employees will oversee the movement of goods and people across U.S. borders.
It also creates the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to bring together the enforcement and investigative duties of the Customs Service, INS and Federal Protective Service. It will employ 14,000 people and share information with the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Offices.

We are coming after you," Mr. Ridge said (http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030131-8462577.htm)

[jhf]

At the Miami airport, only a day or two before Ridge was in Miami trying to get people to believe that they were actually going to enforce the laws, investigators from the GAO (Government Accounting Office) were waltzing through the inspection process unimpeded. They used phoney documents and, in one, case weren't even required to present them. They had been asked to run the tests by a couple of Senators, Grassley and someone else, I believe.

The point that I would like to make is that, in spite of Ridge's blustering, he works for Bush. Until Bush and the Congress go the INS (soon to be the DHS) and say "We're serious; we want the immigration laws enforced", it ain't gonna happen. I still represent Border Patrol Agents and nothing's changed. There are a few more people on the border, and that's it. No one has said to go out and arrest more aliens, to lock them up, etc. The borders are a sieve and it's going to take some kind of drastic action to change it. Yes, I know Bush wants to make them all legal so there won't be a problem; that's not what I had in mind.

Pleasedon't be fooled; so far it's all window dressing.

[BIG CASINO]

Uh, jhf, that would be Mr. Bush, or President Bush. Just saying 'Bush' makes you sound like Dan Rather!

It is interesting how when the new Sec. of Homeland Security announces his plan to begin to get the boarder situation under control, he is immediatly dumped on for not doing enough. Secretary Ridge must start somewhere, and I think it is too early to proclaim his plan to be worthless junk!

The plan sounds like a step in the right direction for a change, and we can hope that it is followed by many more steps.
Lets keep the pressure on Mr. Ridge.

Paddle forward, kids

[Aknauta]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Paddle forward, kids[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

LOL

[navyblue]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Uh, jhf, that would be Mr. Bush, or President Bush. *Just saying 'Bush' makes you sound like Dan Rather!
[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Doesn't matter much how you refer to the prez. *It's his policies than count in the long run. * Jhf, if he's legitimate (and I have no reason to think he's not) probably knows more about the border situation than all the rest of us put together. *I happen to agree with his assessment that unless the prez and congress go to the B.P. and tell them they want the laws enforced for real, nothing much will change.

But I'm looking at what action or lack of action I've seen in the past and if you will remember those emergency water stations that they put in the desert? *Wouldn''t surprise me to see one of those direct line taxi phones put up next. *Well.....okay, maybe just a bus schedule.

[jhf]

Gosh darn it, &quot;Big Casino&quot;, I don't mind being corrected; but being compared to Dan Rather is a &quot;low blow&quot;. Your point is well-taken; we should respect the office, even if we don't respect the person in it. (Am not trying to imply that you don't respect President Bush.)

Thank you for giving my &quot;bona fides&quot; the benefit of the doubt, &quot;Navy Blue&quot;. I'm frequently in touch with Border Patrol Agents and their union representatives around the country; from what I hear, little has changed. There are a few more Agents, more electronics are being put out on the border, more equipment is being purchased, etc. That said, the mandate/orders are just the same as they were prior to 9/11. No one has said to do anything different - to catch more aliens, to hold them until you can actually &quot;i.d.&quot; them (to see if they're in the system, such as &quot;prior deports&quot; or are on any of the lookout lists), to answer all calls from OA's (Other Agencies, such as local, county and state PD's), etc., etc.

Mr. Bush has also cut the amount of funding requested for DHS. I heard this morning - but haven't seen in writing - that he will not fund any more BP Agents for 2004.

While Mr. Bush talks about &quot;national security&quot;, the borders are wide open. Allen Wall wrote a very good &quot;Open Letter to President Bush&quot;. (He writes for VDARE. Sorry, but providing a link is beyond my abilities.) He points out the fact that Mr. Bush made no mention in his state-of-the-union adddress about what he was going to do to stiffen up our borders. Wall likened the &quot;war on terror&quot; to &quot;combing the neighborhood for thieves while leaving one's own door open.&quot;

Until Mr. Bush and Congress say: &quot;No, really, we want the immigration laws enforced.&quot;, it ain't gonna happen. Once that order goes out, you can legitmately blame INS, DHS, or whoever, if it doesn't get done.

&quot;Big Casino&quot; is also correct when he says that we'll have to give Secretary Ridge time - and pressure - to get things done.
However, those of us on this end of the process are not seeing any emphasis to &quot;get serious&quot; about immigration enforcement - just to maintain the status quo.

Please forgive my lack of brevity.