Border Crackdown Working, Numbers Show

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Associated Press

By TRACI CARL

TECATE, Mexico (AP) - Mexican shelters, usually the last stop for northbound migrants, are filling with southbound deportees. Fewer migrants are crossing in the wind-swept deserts along an increasingly fortified border. Far to the north, fields are empty at harvest time as workplace raids become more common.

Mexicans are increasingly giving up on the American dream and staying home, and the federal crackdown on undocumented workers announced Friday should discourage even potential migrants from taking the risks as the United States purges itself of its illegal population.

U.S. border agents detained 55,545 illegal migrants jumping over border walls, walking through the desert and swimming across the Rio Grande River between October and June. That's down 38 percent for the entire border compared to the same period a year before.

U.S. and Mexican officials say increased border security, including 6,000 National Guard troops, remote surveillance technology and drone planes, have thwarted smugglers who had succeeded for years at beating the system.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20070811/D8QUVU8G0.html

[On the Road]

1. This is Good News

This is what we should be doing. Bush, however, had to wait until his base was ready to mutiny.

[thunder rising]

2. It's possible that anyone that can run, swim and jump

is already over here cutting grass!

[libodem]

3. I can't wait until they really

fuck things up. I hope all the fruit in California rots on the trees. I hope our country has high food inflation and we all starve. I hope the Mexicans stay home and work in their country and make it the best ever. We'll have to go down there to afford a head of lettuce.

[Popol Vuh]

4. I am with you on that

And I hope all the Mexicans serving in the U.S. military take off their uniforms and go back home.

For the likes of me I swear I cannot understand how anyone in our country can view a people who's ancestors have been here on this continent for thousands and thousands of years and who have suffered colonization from the decedents of the true illegal immigrants and who have fought in several of our wars for us and view them as "illegal"?

Its not just xenophobic and hypocritical. Its pathetic.

[Cobalt Violet]

6. Thanks for hoping we all starve.

How progressive.

[Honeycombe8]

9. Americans didn't starve before illegals took those jobs. I imagine we'll muddle through it, after

they leave those jobs. (I'm not saying they should be rounded up and summarily deported from the country.)

American citizens and legal immigrants will gladly do those jobs....for American wages. They deserve it.

Those who feel for the poor Mexicans who need the work (and who doesn't feel for poor people around the globe?), they are always free to subsidize a family in Mexico, so that the parents can stay in their country with their children, and the family won't have to split. They are then in their country and able to get politically involved, vote, and get elected a liberal President who will at least somewhat try to better their circumstances....as we do in this country.

[Honeycombe8]

5. Good. Our borders should be enforced and the laws obeyed.

Legal immigrants....fine. Illegal immigrants....my heart is with the thousands of people whose jobs have been taken by illegals, even though I feel for poor people in other countries. Shall we take money and jobs from poor illegals and send it to even poorer people in Africa or elsewhere?

It is not racist or hypocritical or mean to expect our laws to be obeyed and our borders secured. A country without borders doesn't last long as a country. I am expected to abide by the laws. So too should people from other countries.

If you cross the border illegally into Mexico, they'll escort you back at the point of a gun or throw you in prison.

Just imagine how the last Mexican election would've ended up if all the illegals in our country had gone home to Mexico and voted for the liberal candidate. The conservative candidate won by a hair.

As for the agricultural conglomerates that will have trouble manning their fields....whose fault is that, that they hired 70% illegals? Who did those jobs before the illegals did? If our market doesn't justify a business staying in business while paying American wages, maybe it shouldn't exist? I expect after an adjustment period, the farms will man their fields with American workers and start producing again. Prices will go up, but then wages of Americans will go up, and the economy may be stronger.

It is not unreasonable to expect our laws to be obeyed. And to wish Americans harm because they try to enforce their laws....where does that person's loyalty lie?

[Kali]

7. you are avoiding the issue of whether the laws

are fair or mot, racist or not, selectively enforced or not. Maybe instead of enforcing arbitrary immigration laws and keeping those brown, and worse, POOR, Mexicans out we should examine why we have those particular laws in the first place.

[Honeycombe8]

8. The immigration laws apply to all other countries.

I am unaware of any selective enforcement. There are more hispanics caught illegally entering our country because there are so many more from Mexico and South America than from other countries, like China.

The people fighting for the guest worker program and not to enforce the borders are not fighting to change immigration laws. They are fighting for the allowance of breaking American laws as they exist. There have been no bills recently in Congress to broaden immigration laws, except for the guest worker/visa part. There has been talk to enlarge the number of immigrants into the country, but no bill recently.

Even if the # of legal immigrants allowed is increased, it will have little effect on those entering illegally. It's not that they have applied to emigrate and come over illegally while waiting. They are not applying to enter legally at all. Gang members, drug dealers, sex offenders, murderers, as well as hard working hispanics looking for jobs, come over illegally.

[Popol Vuh]

10. Obey Laws?

How many laws with respect to native peoples has the U.S. disobeyed? How convenient to argue on obeying one set of laws and not address all the other laws that still go disobeyed. How many treaties (laws) with native peoples has the U.S. violated and remain in violation?

But of course those laws don't count - do they?