Dem mayor (TX, natch) now "every redneck's hero" (for "immigration control")

[UTUSN]

**********QUOTE********
Texas Mayor Caught in Deportation Furor http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/us/05immig.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Texas Mayor Caught in Deportation Furor

.... If the arrest had come earlier, it might have had little effect on his life. But two years ago, Irving made a decision, championed by its first-term mayor, Herbert A. Gears, to conduct immigration checks on everyone booked into the local jail. So Mr. Urbina was automatically referred to the federal authorities and now faces possible deportation, becoming one of more than 4,000 illegal immigrants here who have ended up in similar circumstances.

As battles over illegal immigration rage around the country, Irving’s crackdown is not unusual in itself. What makes it striking is that it happened with the blessing of a mayor like Mr. Gears, an immigrant-friendly Democrat with deep political ties to the city’s Hispanic leaders, a man who likes to preach that adapting to immigration — especially in a city like his, now almost half-Hispanic — is not a burden but an opportunity, or as he says, it’s “not a have-to, it’s a get-to.” ....


“And now,” Mr. Gears added ruefully, “I’m the hero of every redneck in America.” ....

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[WolverineDG]

1. They've been doing that for years in Dem-friendly South Texas nt

[Buck Laser]

2. I'm not sure what you mean by that about south Texas...

Most towns near the border realize how important Mexico is to them. Most staunchly oppose the stupid border fence. Mexican and Texian culture are so thoroughly intermixed along the border that a fence would be utterly destructive.

That mayor, by the way, seems to have realized the error of his way.

Finally, our recession is doing more than anything else could do to encourage immigrant workers to return to their homes.

[WolverineDG]

3. I've only lived on the border my whole life

so I obviously don't know what I'm talking about, huh? No, I only live in a "Constitution-free" zone, where Border Patrol routinely shows up at traffic accidents & demands to see papers. I can't go anywhere north of my home in the US without going through a checkpoint & declaring my citizenship. Sometimes I get to take an English test, or justify where I'm going & why, especially if the agent is a recent graduate who thinks everyone along the border is an illegal &/or drug dealer. The Border Patrol wants to put poison in the only water source we have because they want to wipe out all the living things along the river so they can see better. All because Fred & Martha Framus in Podunk, PA are skeered of "illegal aliens." So yeah, I'm totally clueless about border issues.

The Wall is one thing; however, when someone is arrested & brought to the county jail, an immigration check is done. They've been doing it for years here.