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HOME > PUBLICATIONS > Exclusive: Washington Remains Clueless about the Dangers Lurking on the Mexican Border

March 16, 2010

Exclusive: Washington Remains Clueless about the Dangers Lurking on the Mexican Border

Presidential Policy: Does It Make the Grade?, James Jay Carafano, PhD

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Once again the White House is two steps behind the most imminent foreign policy and national security challenge. It is the one on the nation’s own doorstep – the criminal cartels operating in Mexico are a constant threat to the security, sovereignty, and prosperity of the United States. Between 5,000 and 6,000 died from the criminal violence in Mexico in 2008. Last year, it was even worse, upwards of 8,000. This year violence is even higher. Earlier this month, the Texas Department of Public Safety urged “spring breakers” to avoid Mexican border towns. Why? Too dangerous. When two American citizens and an employee of a U.S. consulate in Mexico were murdered, the president expressed “outrage.” Unfortunately, that outrage has not been matched by effort.
 
Just last week the president signaled his support for an amnesty bill, allowing those who have illegally entered into the United States to legally stay. The White House plans to reintroduce an amnesty bill to grant permanent status to the millions living in the United States unlawfully is completely wrongheaded. What could he be thinking? Immigration policy has major consequences, not just on national sovereignty issues, but on public safety and border security as well. When Congress granted amnesty in the 1986 immigration reform act, the border immediately got more, not less, porous. Amnesties just encourage more illegal border crossing.
 
Instead, the president should be putting a lot more emphasis on border security. The debate should move to new approaches that can keep up with the threat. Topping the “to do” list should be getting more of the right technologies: the kinds that can find tunnels, track smugglers and spot small groups crossing rough terrain at night far across the border. Don't think of it as a “virtual fence.” That term has been much maligned, mostly because the idea was poorly understood and poorly implemented. But the Homeland Security Department really does need technologies that can guide border agents to the right place at the right time to thwart creative, innovative and adaptive criminals.  Specifically, security demands: fixed towers with sensors on established smuggling routes, mobile sensors that can be shifted around rough terrain, and unmanned aerial vehicles both short and long range. These systems must be able to share information with each other in real time.
 
We also need the right kind of boots on the ground. State and local police are vital to combating illegal border activity. Federal, state and local officers should work cooperatively in Border Enforcement Security task forces.
 
Finally, we need to help Mexico. The Bush administration started an aid program called the Merida Initiative. The Obama White House should follow up with a full-blown plan of strategic cooperation to help the Mexican government fight back. (Read more at the Washington Examiner.)
 
Grade for the week “D” for just plain dumb.
 
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., is a leading expert in defense affaires, intelligence, military operations and strategy, and homeland security at the Heritage Foundation.
 

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The borders need to be closed and the cross-border traffic restricted to designated crossing points. No illegals should be allowed to cross! Fences need to be built that will prevent unauthorized access to our country. Our culture, our rule of law, our environment and our economy are crumbling due to violation of our sovereignty.

posted by: DanP
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 09:52 AM

We have an illegal president saying we can offer amnesty and benefits to illegal aliens!What is happening is a travesty.We must band together and hold Washington to the SPIRIT of the Constitution of this nation or we will no longer be a nation,just another cesspool like the lands these illegals come from!

posted by: Ken H
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 10:10 AM

The danger from across the border in Mexico to this country is real and an example is the recent murder of U.S. Counsulate employees in Juarez, across from El Paso. Obama is NOT listening to the people of the United States and Obama has lost the realization of the fact that he works for the people of the United States. Just like with his Obamacare program, the people of the United States do not want his program. Close our borders and make the United States secure and safe. The illegals are draining our economy and ruining our country. We welcome those who come here legally and obey the laws, but the illegals should be harshly punished as they are violating the law.

posted by: stevestall
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 10:38 AM

Sorry, but the old paradigms of either helping Mexico financially or closing the unsealable border have been proven unworkable. Instead, the problem gets worse yearly, as proved by the latest escalation, because the root causes of poverty, injustice and crime in Mexico remain untouched. The answer all along has been to incorporate Mexico into the U.S. as 10+ new states then encourage mass southern migration to mix pop. and resources and alleviate the root causes. It can be done in just a few years with my 7-step nonpartisan Megamerge Dissolution Solution. The alternative is ever-worsening problems. Tell your reps to study the MMDS proposal at http://go.to/megamerge

posted by: TL Winslow
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 10:45 AM

They are taking over our country and have never had to fire a shot. This is an inside job.

posted by: Cmf
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 11:16 AM

The illegal immigrant in the Whitehouse doesn't care.
He wouldn't be President if it weren't for lax immigration laws. They wouldn't have let his commie mother and her illegal Muslim son back into the US.
Besides, where would "O" get his suppy of crack from if he shut the Mexican border down?

posted by: al Kidya
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 11:51 AM

How many radical Muslims do you suppose are coming through Mexico and into the US?
I would be there are many more than the government wants us to know about.
Now they want to give amnesty to any illegals?
I say increase the number of guards at the border and give Mexico what they need financially so they can do the same on the other side.
A simple chain link fence 'ain't gonna cut it'!

posted by: al Kidya
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 11:55 AM

A minefield would solve the whole problem! We would see less loss of life with that than we have now!

posted by: Steelhead
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 12:48 AM

I find it funny how ignorant the people in America really are. Analyzing the situation from the back of your Television does not give you any useful understanding whatsoever. Get out there and see for yourself why people are really immigrating, not just because immigration is a natural movement since the dawn of mankind. Anyone who buys anything pays Sales Tax for the city, state, and government. Hard not to pay taxes, immigrants pay their taxes, ask them. Immigrants are not terrorists, they mean no harm, just searching for a better life, just like you would if you had no job.

posted by: Jason
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 01:07 PM

@Ken H,
Send them back we they came from? Are you serious??? If that is true then all Americans should leave this country because most of us have immigrated here. Whites should go back to Britain, oh yes I forgot Whites Immigrated here to look for a better way of life, away from the unfair British Crown. No one is going to return anywhere if they have already left, simple as that. Fencing a border is just Plain Retarded, seriously you cannot stop the Human Movement. We need to help our neighbors, NAFTA has only resulted in more damage for Mexico. In order for people to remain in a certain area they need a job(Income), Home(shelter) and source of food. Most important for anyone would be a D@MN JOB! Period.
Stop buying drugs, America so Addicted to Drugs. The whole world supply's America with drugs whether from Cuba, Russia, Middle East, Latin America, anywhere.

posted by: Tony
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 01:38 PM

The United States was founded on the principle of a new beginning. The fact that Mexicans want to come here surprises me. I live along the border and travel into Mexico two or three times a week, and I am a tall white guy. the violence that our media talks about is not as rampant as they want America to believe. I'll concede that Juarez is bad right now, but the people in Mexico are good people that care about their families. The US needs to do everything we can to help a neighbor. We need to make sure our neighbors are given the help they need. As for making Mexico a part of the US... The Mexican people would never allow it. They hate the fact that we complain about how bad our lives are. Even the worst of us don't have it as bad as some of them. Wee need to wake up and remind government that is a "government of the people, by the people, for the people."

posted by: GaryA
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 03:51 PM

Think you have a problem?

We've got Pakistanis here in Britain. Like Mexicans with the added bonus of Islam built in.

Towns are teeming with them. Some completely over run.

Unassimilated, intransigent, violent criminal tendencies, huge swathes on welfare, the lot.

Visit any major airport at the Islamabad terminal and hardly a British face in sight. Just hordes of beards, burka's and bother.

Those are the legals.

The rest mainly from Afghanistan arrive, get a free home, state benefits, free schooling, free health care and don't give a tinkers cuss what any one else thinks. For them it's their right.

Trouble, however is brewing. It's reaching breaking point and riots are the next thing to look forward to.

Welcome to the wonderful world of socialism.

posted by: logdon
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 04:08 PM

Put up a secure fence and close the border to land traffic. All traffic to and from Mexico must go by sea or air with controlled points of entry. This is the only way to know for sure that everyone that is crossing the fence on land is a criminal. When they are caught crossing the fence, send them back to Mexico immediately. No exceptions !! Anyone caught crossing into Mexico is sent to a Mexican prison. No exceptions. Shut down the border !! VP

posted by: Van P.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 07:20 PM

We make Germans, French, Spainish, Indonesians, Japanese tec etc go through our immigration system (discriminating against them?) and let Mexicans walk across border illegally and they you are racist if you object. Stupid of many stupid things these days.

posted by: james
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 08:01 PM

We, about 50, do whatever it takes to make illegal aliens lives a living nightmare.

posted by: Defingerd
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 11:52 PM

Seven amnesties have been granted since 1986...Ronald Reagan in 1986 and six by Bill Clinton in the 90's (one was prompted to help Clinton's re-election)...and they have all been disasters and look what they have created since 1986. Why keep making the same mistake over and over again when once should have been enough? Guess it must be those pesky open border activists that play on the sympathies of our overly generous and compassionate government and Americans that keep the illegal foreigners coming back for more!!!

posted by: pack
Thursday, March 18, 2010 at 03:13 AM