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tashby

Apr 21, 2011, 7:30 AM

Post #1 of 8 (2236 views)

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Bored on the Border

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From the Los Angeles Times. "Plunge in border crossings leaves agents fighting boredom"

http://www.latimes.com/...utm_content=My+Yahoo

chinagringo

Apr 21, 2011, 7:35 AM

Post #2 of 8 (2223 views)

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Re: [tashby] Bored on the Border

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Great - 1st we have FAA traffic controllers sleeping and watching videos and now the border patrol!
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

jrpierce

Apr 21, 2011, 9:51 AM

Post #3 of 8 (2175 views)

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Re: [tashby] Bored on the Border

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That is an article with some very interesting data! Thanks for the post! It shows that the resources being poured into border security are working. It seems the flow of illegals is being stemmed.

Now, if the USA would just realize how beneficial it is to have Mexican labor for many reasons, and implement some kind of guest worker visa program, I'd have some renewed faith in my country of origin.

Jim

Maxmilliano

Apr 22, 2011, 6:20 AM

Post #4 of 8 (2044 views)

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Re: [tashby] Bored on the Border

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I saw that also and had to laugh, illegal drugs pouring into the US and a crazy amount of arms and dirty money pouring into Mexico and US Border Patrol agents are bored WTF?

chinagringo

Apr 22, 2011, 6:31 AM

Post #5 of 8 (2040 views)

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Re: [Maxmilliano] Bored on the Border

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From the article linked below:
"A November 2008 study by the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank, estimated 2,000 U.S. guns are smuggled into Mexico each day. A new U.S. effort to increase inspections of travelers crossing the border has netted just 386 guns in two years."

http://www.borderlandbeat.com/...lawyer-hires-us.html

Also from the same article:
"Also Thursday, a Mexican official confirmed that President Felipe Calderon's government has hired a U.S. law firm to investigate possible civil lawsuits against U.S. gun manufacturers or dealers, for what Mexican officials consider the companies' responsibility for guns that are smuggled to Mexico's drug war."
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

(This post was edited by chinagringo on Apr 22, 2011, 6:33 AM)

Gringal

Apr 22, 2011, 7:43 AM

Post #6 of 8 (2016 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Bored on the Border

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Not entirely relevant, but several states in the U.S. now allow guns on school campuses. Where will it end?

richmx2

Apr 22, 2011, 10:56 AM

Post #7 of 8 (1970 views)

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Re: [jrpierce] Bored on the Border

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The reply from "jrpierce" just goes to show what all those extra "boots on the ground" were really about... political kabuki.

Having lived for a time on the U.S. side of the border, most of what the extra security meant (besides overburdening local school districts in some of the poorest counties in the United States, who suddenly had young families moving into their isolated towns, and the social disruption you expect whenever you have an influx of outsiders) was loss of business from cross-border trade and — for many — a sense of being under siege in their own homes by their own government.

Immigration is dropping to the United States for other reasons, tougher immigration laws being only part of it. As it is, it's so damned expensive and time consuming to become a legal resident, that the economic situation in the U.S. (as well as Mexico, Guatemala, etc.) has a lot more to do with whether people are migrating without papers than the number of border patrol agents... who would be better employed looking for smugglers and money launderers than people seeking a future in the dish-washing industry.

http://mexfiles.net
http://voiceofmexico.com
http://editorialmazatlan.com

jrpierce

Apr 22, 2011, 11:44 AM

Post #8 of 8 (1949 views)

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Re: [richmx2] Bored on the Border

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Richmx2,

I'm not sure what your comment means--that my response shows the border controls were political kabuki. Please explain.

To expand on my thoughts, let me say that I think the US has several tasks at the border.
1) Stop the uncontrolled entry of undocumented workers across the border. Perhaps this will also deter the coyotes who prey on Mexicans and Central Americans. Also, I note that the cries from border state officials and vigilante groups that the Federal government is not doing enough have pretty much ceased. Remember when border town sheriffs were talking about all the criminals entering across the open border (also now greatly reduced)?
2) Create a way for Mexican workers to enter the US legally on a guest worker visa. IMHO, this would benefit both the US and Mexico.
3) Shift more resources to focus on stopping drugs from Mexico and arms and cash from the US.

It sounds to me as though manpower can be shifted from searching for illegals to some of these other priorities.

Are we in disagreement?

Jim