Problems on the Arizona Border

Incursions from the Mexican Army, Murders of American Citizens, and the Inaction of Our Government.

Following Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s signing of a controversial immigration bill, media outlets, President Barack Obama, and even the Government of Mexico all jumped in to disparage not just the law but Arizona in general.  What has not made it to the debate are some of the conditions along the border that lead to action by the state legislature.  

Arizona’s border is so porous that not only do drug traffickers and illegal immigrants cross at will, but so does the Mexican army.  In fact, one immigrant trail not only violates the borders of the United States and Arizona, but cuts across one of our most sensitive army bases at Fort Huachuca. 

While the bill is not perfect and the possibility exists for abuse (as it does under many laws), the bill increased the debate on a national level.  Unfortunately, instead of drawing attention to problems on the border, the attention has been misplaced on the citizens of Arizona.  Today, Robert Gibbs again commented on the law, focusing not on the border and motivation behind the bill, but rather on the legal challenges that the Administration is planning. 

Obama criticized the effort as “misguided” and said it “threatened to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe.”  Similar to the unfounded accusations that he leveled at Cambridge Massachusetts police, the President has weighed in again without checking his facts.  The Arizona law is designed to mirror an imperfect and often unenforced federal law.  Speaking with police in Phoenix, they expect little to change since the laws enumerated in the bill are already on the books.  What does change is focus on enforcement of those laws. If there is probable cause to believe that a suspect in a crime is also in the country illegally there is an obligation to follow-up on those potential violations.

Since there is nothing written into the bill that targets individuals of a certain race and the bill specifically says that race can not be the reason for initially contacting a suspect, it is insinuated by the opposition and presumably the President that merely the potential for abuse exists.  They do have a point, but that can be said of so many laws that exist.  A prostitution law does not give the police the right to harass a young lady walking home from school but the potential exists.  A drug law does not give the police the right to pull over and harass young people, but the potential exists.   As far as legal status goes there is a precedent for these actions, in the federal enforcement of immigration laws.  Along the Arizona border, there are mandatory checkpoints operated by federal officers where every car is stopped to check for illegal immigrants.  As these check points are manned by Border Patrol officers, reporting to the Administration through the Department of Justice, it is curious that the President believes that the potential for abuse by Arizona police officers is more prevalent than the potential for abuse in his own Administration.  The inconsistency of the Administration’s own enforcement policies seem to be at odds with the President’s hasty remarks.  

In a larger sense, this bill may have been designed to call the Federal Government’s attention to their responsibilities along the border.  In Arizona, border security is a critical issue and a recent escalation in the tactics of smugglers threatens the security of citizens.  There is public support behind this type of measure, if for nothing else than to show the frustration of the electorate.  The bill has served to force the debate at a national level.  Sadly, our President has come down not on the side of our existing laws or on the side of security; he has thrown in his lot with the prone to violence open-border crowd.   This is the same group that tossed bottles at police last week and recently smeared refried beans in the shape of swastikas on the windows of the Arizona State Capital. http://michellemalkin.com/2010/04/26/theyre-back-a-gallery-of-open-borders-extremists/

Here are some pictures of people on the President’s side of the argument:

 

 As for the government of Mexico, their credibility on the issues of border security is even more tenuous than Barack Obama’s.  Secretary of Foreign Affairs Patricia Espinosa said, “The government of Mexico regrets that, despite the overtures made at all levels by Mexican federal and state officials, the legislators who passed this measure and the governor of Arizona have not taken into account the valuable contributions of migrants to the economy, society and culture of Arizona and the United States of America.” Espinosa continued. “The government of Mexico acknowledges the sovereign right of every country to decide on the public policies that should apply in their territory.”  Yet their actions do not merit the sentiment of their statement.

The AP reported that the Government of Mexico feels the Arizona law will hurt the international relationship between the two countries.  What, then, do armed incursions into the United States by the Mexican Army do for Mexican/American relationships? Armed Mexican troops have entered Arizona 43 times between October of 2007 and August of 2008 and continue to do so today.   But it is an Arizona law that threatens the relationship? 

From the Arizona Republic: 

Mexican soldiers enter state, hold border agent at gunpoint

by Sean Holstege – Aug. 7, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic  

Four Mexican army soldiers entered southern Arizona and pointed their rifles at a U.S. Border Patrol agent early this week, the Border Patrol said. 

The incident Sunday was the Mexican military’s 43rd incursion across the U.S. border since October, the agency said. However, it was unusual because firearms were involved. The Border Patrol and the Mexican government are investigating, Border Patrol spokesman Mike Scioli said. 

Details remain sketchy, but the incident occurred at 2 a.m. on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation about 50 miles southeast of Ajo. The incident took place just north of the border in sight of the new border fence.  

The soldiers held their weapons on the agent for several minutes until he identified himself in Spanish, whereupon they lowered their guns and walked back across a gap in the fence, Scioli said. 

In Washington, D.C., State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said the encounter “stemmed from a momentary misunderstanding as to the exact location of the U.S.-Mexican border.” 

The Mexican army has told the Border Patrol it knew of an incident involving its soldiers, but it did not confirm the details. In years past, the Border Patrol has arrested Mexican soldiers who crossed the border, then typically released them back to Mexico. 

  In the case of the above incident, it is difficult to believe that it stemmed from a momentary misunderstanding as is claimed.  These soldiers had to enter and exit through a gap in the border fence.  Somehow these incidents are prevalent on the US/Mexico border but are nonexistent in the north.  Our southern border is much more discernible than its northern counterpart, yet the Canadian government seems to know where their border is.  A quick Google search did not turn up a single incident of incursion by the Canadian military, inadvertent or not. Of course, the Canadian army is not in the business of protecting smuggling.  We do know if the Mexicans were working for their government or freelancing for the cartels during their excursions, but here is an article on at least one such group: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11226144/ 

If Arizona’s unprotected border is confusing in spots, this is not the case with the border near El Paso, which is well designated by a river.  Yet the Mexican Government has crossed there as well.  

2nd Mexican helicopter sighted in U.S. airspace

Pentagon looks into violation by military aircraft

By LYNN BREZOSKY
SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS

April 2, 2010, 12:10AM

BROWNSVILLE — The U.S. Department of Defense said it was investigating the second sighting within three weeks of a Mexican military helicopter flying in U.S. airspace over rural Zapata County. 

“The incident did occur and it’s still under investigation,” department spokeswoman Maj. Tanya Bradsher said, confirming that the copter, believed to belong to the Mexican navy, was seen Sunday. 

Rick Pauza, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman, earlier in March confirmed a Mexican military helicopter hovered as long as 20 minutes on March 9 over a residential area near Falcon Lake, a reservoir on the Rio Grande.  

He said CBP officials who lived in the neighborhood were among those who saw it. 

Pauza said the helicopter crossed back without incident and that once the sighting was reported up the chain of the command “that was the extent of it.” 

Recently in Arizona there was an incident in which an Arizona rancher, known to give water and aid to illegal immigrants, was lured into a section of his ranch and executed.  This is a departure from the random burglaries, traffic deaths, and the occasional home invasion or murder that happen at the hands of Mexican criminals along the boarder.  The killing of Robert Krentz seems to be in retribution for an intercepted drug shipment and changes the stakes for Arizona’s border counties. 

As for Barack Obama, I am still trying to understand how his sense of fairness comes into play with violations of our boarders by a neighboring government, and how he considers the execution of an American citizen fair.  Senators Kyle and McCain have offered a 10 point security plan which includes 3000 federally funded National Guard troops and 3000 border agents.  To turn his own healthcare argument upon him: Mr. Obama, has offered no other alternative, has not added to the debate, is practicing the politics of NO.  No security for Arizona.  No concern for the loss of American lives along the border.  Until the border is secure,what option do the citizens of Arizona and other border states have?

Update: Read more from American Thinker- The Arizona Uproar

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/04/the_arizona_uproar.html

Update from American Spectator- Fixing Americas Immigration Black Market

In short, DOL has put in place the perfect program for increasing the size of the black market. When compliance costs too much money, time, and hassle, few people will bother. That’s how the world works.

http://spectator.org/archives/2010/04/27/fixing-americas-immigration-bl