Thursday, March 31, 2005
The Minutemen Get Results
A good summary come from the Fourth Rail Blog on the Minutemen and the Border War . The Minuteman Project (MMP) has already had a real impact on getting more Border Patrol officers to the Arizona border immediately. It does raise the questions of why it took this much stimulus for action and whether this reponse is sufficient. The article provides a breakout of new Border Patrol forces assigned to Arizona - it's a large increment and starts now.
As to who is coming over the border : "According to the Department of Homeland Security, “over 351,700 illegal immigrants” were apprehended on the Arizona border in 2004. It is estimated that only one-third of illegal immigrants are apprehended. While the overwhelming majority of illegals crossing the border are Mexicans, a significant number of non-Mexican illegals are entering via the Southern border:
[O]fficials are alarmed that a growing number hail from Central and South America, Asia, even Mideast countries such as Syria and Iran. In 2003, the Border Patrol arrested 39,215 so-called "OTMs," or other-than-Mexicans, along the Southwest border. In 2004, the number jumped to 65,814. ....
Panamanian security chief Javier Martinez recently stated that al Qaeda is setting up shop in his country and may be planning to attack the Panama Canal, a vital economic and military causeway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Al Qaeda is also establishing relationships with Central American gangs and crime syndicates. The brutal Honduran gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, has begun to cooperate with al Qaeda “in an effort by the terrorist network to seek help infiltrating the U.S.-Mexico border.” Al Qaeda operative Adnan El Shukrijumah, who is believed to be the next Mohammed Atta and is the target of a nationwide FBI manhunt, has met with MS-13 to coordinate efforts."
It's good that the government is responding, but it does seem that the problem is a lot more threatening than just migrant workers. Also, these numbers do show why the government would seek a way to allow contolled entry of temporary workers, since that would free up resources to focus on the threat of criminal or terrorist infiltrators.
It seems clear that the MMP volunteers are getting a good start on the the kind of positive response and action they seek. They are not the only activists converging on Cochise County this April; their opposition will also be out in force. Let's hope neither they nor their antagonists cause a flare-up that sets this good cause back. I still think it would be a good idea for the Border Patrol to join forces with the MMP volunteer in a common experiment to find better ways to monitor the border. It's a good chance to learn some practical lessons.
As to who is coming over the border : "According to the Department of Homeland Security, “over 351,700 illegal immigrants” were apprehended on the Arizona border in 2004. It is estimated that only one-third of illegal immigrants are apprehended. While the overwhelming majority of illegals crossing the border are Mexicans, a significant number of non-Mexican illegals are entering via the Southern border:
[O]fficials are alarmed that a growing number hail from Central and South America, Asia, even Mideast countries such as Syria and Iran. In 2003, the Border Patrol arrested 39,215 so-called "OTMs," or other-than-Mexicans, along the Southwest border. In 2004, the number jumped to 65,814. ....
Panamanian security chief Javier Martinez recently stated that al Qaeda is setting up shop in his country and may be planning to attack the Panama Canal, a vital economic and military causeway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Al Qaeda is also establishing relationships with Central American gangs and crime syndicates. The brutal Honduran gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, has begun to cooperate with al Qaeda “in an effort by the terrorist network to seek help infiltrating the U.S.-Mexico border.” Al Qaeda operative Adnan El Shukrijumah, who is believed to be the next Mohammed Atta and is the target of a nationwide FBI manhunt, has met with MS-13 to coordinate efforts."
It's good that the government is responding, but it does seem that the problem is a lot more threatening than just migrant workers. Also, these numbers do show why the government would seek a way to allow contolled entry of temporary workers, since that would free up resources to focus on the threat of criminal or terrorist infiltrators.
It seems clear that the MMP volunteers are getting a good start on the the kind of positive response and action they seek. They are not the only activists converging on Cochise County this April; their opposition will also be out in force. Let's hope neither they nor their antagonists cause a flare-up that sets this good cause back. I still think it would be a good idea for the Border Patrol to join forces with the MMP volunteer in a common experiment to find better ways to monitor the border. It's a good chance to learn some practical lessons.
