More evidence Bush doesn't intend to enforce border laws

[CARLHAYDEN]

By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W Bush's plan to send thousands of National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border could spark a surge in immigration cases and U.S. courts are ill prepared to handle them, according to congressional and court sources.

The administration failed to plan for the surge in court cases and did not consult the judicial branch on the impact more arrests would have on federal courts in the region, said Dick Carelli, a spokesman for U.S. federal courts.

Bush asked for $1.9 billion in emergency funds for the border plan, including $20 million to help the Justice Department deal with its increased caseload, but that did not include the courts.

"We were left out of the process," Carelli said. He added that since Bush unveiled his proposal to increase border patrols, federal judiciary officials have had to quickly cobble together a proposal to Congress for $20.3 million in emergency funds to hire three full-time judges and about 240 support staff for the Southwest.

Even without the stepped-up security at the border, federal courts in southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas have been over burdened. Carelli said those five judicial districts, out of 94 nationwide, account for 34 percent of all criminal cases moving through U.S. courts.

"It's irresponsible to think that you can take care of the border security problem without also addressing the justice enforcement problem, which federal courts are indispensable in," said a congressional aide.

Most immigrants caught crossing illegally are ordered out of the country without prosecution. But that still leaves a growing pile of cases involving illegals who are being prosecuted after being caught multiple times or those accused of other crimes.

Public defenders, pretrial services and probation officers are all provided by the federal courts. "And obviously, those hearings have to take place in federal courts. The border courts and the judiciary are just being swamped," the congressional aide said.
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The truth is that Bush doesn't want those who violate border laws to be prosecuted.  He cann't publicly admit that this is his position, so he merely makes it impossible to enforce the law by denying funding.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I didn't need any more evidence that Bush is a total joke.

[Nym90]

Bush has no interest in stopping the supply of cheap labor from entering the country. This should come as no surprise to anyone.

[MODU]

Bush has no interest in stopping the supply of cheap labor from entering the country. This should come as no surprise to anyone.

On this point, you are correct.  From day one, he was campaigning for a guest worker program, which in effect, would increase the number of foreign workers within our country.  Why people think he would do otherwise is beyond me.  (And no, I have no problem with increasing the number of foreign nationals working in our country.)

[CARLHAYDEN]

Arrest of illegals falls off Clinton pace
By Stephen Dinan
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
May 25, 2006


The U.S. Border Patrol increased at a faster rate and apprehended more illegal aliens per year under President Clinton than under President Bush, according to statistics from a new, unpublished congressional research briefing report.
    Mr. Bush trails his predecessor on a series of measures of border security, says the briefing from the Congressional Research Service to the House Judiciary Committee, which was based on Department of Homeland Security data.
    Mr. Clinton increased the number of Border Patrol agents and pilots by 126 percent over his eight-year term, or an average of 642 per year, while Mr. Bush has averaged 411 new agents per year through 2005, for a total increase of 22.3 percent over his tenure.
    Although Mr. Bush last week said his administration has caught and returned 6 million illegal aliens, that's actually a drop from any five-year period during Mr. Clinton's administration, the briefing says.
    Meanwhile, the number of alien absconders has grown by more than 200,000 during Mr. Bush's term, reaching 536,644 in fiscal 2005; the number of completed fraud cases has dropped; and, until recently, detention beds hovered at or below the level Mr. Bush inherited from Mr. Clinton in 2001.
    "The sense of urgency that comes with deploying the National Guard is belied by the administration's consistent opposition to providing the necessary resources that our border security agencies need to do their jobs," said Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
    Mr. Byrd has sought for years to get the Bush administration to add Border Patrol agents and detention beds and improve enforcement technology.
  T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, said Border Patrol staffing and spending has increased, but because of "insane policies" that tie agents' hands, they are apprehending fewer illegals. In 1987, each agent averaged 357 apprehensions, but that fell to 110 per agent in 2004, he said.
    In addition, while the number of aliens being smuggled by criminal organizations has gone up, the number of smugglers being prosecuted is about the same.
     House Republicans, though, said that they worked within the budget constraints the White House gave them and that if the president had told them he would find more money, they would have done more.
    Rep. Tom Tancredo, head of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, questioned Mr. Bush's commitment to border security, saying the president had to be pulled "kicking and screaming" to go along with earlier border-security measures. He said he thinks Mr. Bush will say anything to win a guest-worker program.
    "I'm sorry to say this, but he is not sincere about his desire to secure the border," the Colorado Republican said. "He is sincere in his desire to get an amnesty that will pass, and he will essentially do a Clinton on us -- say anything, promise anything -- but I'm afraid I just don't trust him anymore."

[KillerPollo]

^^^

That room is full of people who care.