'Made in Mexico' uniforms chafe Border Patrol agents

[Ediacara]

'Made in Mexico' uniforms chafe Border Patrol agents

Billy House
Republic Washington Bureau
Jun. 11, 2004 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON - It seems an odd fit: U.S. Border Patrol uniforms with labels that say, "Made in Mexico."

Some agents are irate and said they are amazed and embarrassed to find that their new orders for green shirts and trousers - and maybe other uniform items - are being filled with articles of clothing manufactured south of the border.

It is an ironic twist, they said, for the agency whose job it is to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border.

"I just received a half-dozen new shirts, pants - and the labels all say they are made in Mexico," said Rich Pierce, a Tampa-based agent and executive vice president of the 16,000-member National Border Patrol Council, the agents' union. "Why can't we have uniforms made in the U.S.? What's next? Shipping our Border Patrol jobs to the Mexicans? The other agents I've talked to all think this is some bad joke."

More at the Arizona Republic

[aquart]

1. American uniforms should be made in America.

I just had a fantasy of emigrants dressed as border patrol officers, strolling across the border in their official uniforms.

Or drug dealers. Or terrorists.

Seems quite easy to do with the uniforms completely out of US control.

Brilliant planning. You betcha.

[chimpy the poopthrower]

3. but I would think anyone can make a fake uniform

I hope it takes more than a fake uniform to get through our borders.

[Leprechan29]

5. That does make sense

I don't see why uniforms cannot be made in the US for American border patrol agents. Go ahead and let citizens buy foreign-made goods, but government employees whose uniforms are supplied by the government should be able to get clothing from the nation that the government is a part of

[LiberalFighter]

13. Part of gw*s policy... outsourcing jobs

[chimpy the poopthrower]

2. link doesn't work

Anyway, from the snippet I don't see what the big deal is. Their job is to stop illegal border crossings, which has nothing to do with foreign imports. I'm not one who cries "racism" at any situation, but that's what seems to be at play here.

[Ediacara]

4. strange

clicking the link gets a page not found warning, but the html is exactly as it is when you go to the story from the Arizona Republic's main page...

[Leprechan29]

7. Racism?

Because Border Patrol agents are getting uniforms from a country that they are supposed to be restricting access to and from? I don't see it...maybe if they were barred from other mexican goods (personal purchases), but uniforms supplied by the gov't?

[chimpy the poopthrower]

8. 5and9 (post 6) explained it as well as I could. (nt)

[tranche]

6. the minds of border patrol agents

"Why can't we have uniforms made in the U.S.? What's next? Shipping our Border Patrol jobs to the Mexicans? The other agents I've talked to all think this is some bad joke."

This comment might suggest that this man views immigrants (be it illegal) as some sort of enemy. It's not like they're the French or people of that sort.

If you buy some of the views of free trade between countries one might come to realize that the production of these stinking t-shirts and pants in Mexico may actually make their jobs easier.

Sort of bitching for bitching's sake as I see it.

[brokensymmetry]

16. No, no, no.

Labor in Mexico is now too expensive. Chinese labor, on the other hand, remains a bargain. So the clear solution is to bring in L1 visa workers from China and let them patrol the U.S. side of the border. When the L1 visa time is up, they can patrol the Mexican side of the border while others patrol the U.S. side.

Switch the two groups back and forth as needed.

The sad thing is, some outsourcing CEO will probably think this is a good idea! :(

[TexasMexican]

9. HAHA, thats funny.

"What's next? Shipping our Border Patrol jobs to the Mexicans?"

Well I'm sure there are plenty of Hispanic Boarder Patrol Agents, some Hispanics such as myself prefer to be called Mexican.

[chimpy the poopthrower]

10. Huh?

What do you mean?

[TexasMexican]

14. ...

Well the I thought the whole situation was funny. Having BP uniforms hecho en Mexico.

I also thought the guys comment was funny.

I'm Hispanic, I dont mind being called Mexican. There are other Hispanics that feel the same way. Thus Mexicans work in BP too.

[FattyMcCraigs]

11. correct link

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0610uniforms-ON.html

[saigon68]

12. kick

[struggle4progress]

15. Congressfolk could have fun with this one.