Minuteman National Blog

From The Arizona Republic:

ARIVACA R.D. Ayers remembers hearing the heavy whirl and chop of helicopter blades cutting through the sky above the Tres Bellotas Ranch, a sprawling swath of oak trees and barberry brush right on the U.S.-Mexican border.

Even from inside the ranch house, Ayers could tell it must be a big helicopter. He headed outside, thinking it might be U.S. customs, maybe a drug bust.

Instead, Ayers walked right into a group of armed, masked men speaking Spanish and dressed like agents from the Federal Investigative Agency, Mexico''s FBI.

The encounter on U.S. soil would be investigated by the FBI, U.S. Border Patrol and Mexican authorities, one of the latest in a long list of suspected incursions from Mexico into U.S. border states.

After long downplaying the number of incursions along the Southwestern border, top Border Patrol officials now acknowledge such incidents are all too common. Over the past decade, the Department of Homeland Security has reported 231 incursions along the border, including 63 in Arizona. Homeland Security defines an incursion as an unauthorized crossing by Mexican military or police, or suspected drug or people smugglers dressed in uniforms.

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Click the title link for the rest of the story.

The AP reports on the early word about when the Senate will take up legislation on border security and illegal immigration. Last October, Majority Leader Frist said it would be brought before the Senate this month, but now it''s been pushed back to the end of March. Well, it''s not like there''s a crisis on the border so there''s no harm in taking their time, right?

WASHINGTON - Majority Leader Bill Frist told a group of key lawmakers involved in immigration legislation the Senate will take up the issue on March 27, Sen. John Cornyn said Thursday.

"That''s when the fireworks begin on the floor," Cornyn said.
Cornyn was among the handful of Republican senators who met in Frist''s office for the strategy session. Also in the meeting were Arizona Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl and Sens. Mel Martinez of Florida, Richard Lugar of Indiana, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the Judiciary Committee chairman.

Cornyn is optimistic the Senate bill will include President Bush''s proposal for an expanded immigrant guest worker program to help curb illegal immigration.

SNIP

Cornyn said he doesn''t see a lot of support in the Senate for a provision denying children of illegal immigrants born in the United States citizenship or for building a fence on the southern border. But he said differences remain on giving any sort of legal status to people already in the country illegally.

So, Sen. Cornyn is basically saying the Senate is going to sell us out again. No real border security and amnesty for illegals. Time to fire up the phones, faxes and e-mails, folks.

KVIA-TV in El Paso reports on the fallout from last week''s border confrontation.

SNIP

In the past few days, Hudspeth County Sheriff''s Department deputies and their families have received threats to stay off the Rio Grande. Sheriff Arvin West told ABC-7 Thursday morning, before departing for Houston that the Mexican military is behind all of this.

Sheriff West said, "There is no doubt in my mind -- from the first time going back to a couple of years ago and every time in between --- it''s the Mexican military. In a nutshell, everybody''s been trying to tell everybody that they were here...they''ve been here ...[and] they come here quite often, regularly."

Now Sheriff West is having to deal with threats being made against his deputies and their families. One Sheriff''s Deputy, who refused to appear on camera out of fear, described the situation today in Hudspeth County as "very dangerous." and now, he said, "it''s getting personal."

Click the title link for the complete story and video report.

THE FEBRUARY INSPECTION

MINUTEMAN CIVIL DEFENSE CORPS

There is a post out along the Arizona/Mexico border that has been longing for the presence of a Minuteman. Daily, this vacant post sees thousands of illegal aliens come across our nations borders, unguarded, unchallenged. Our Arizona border is calling you, the volunteer Minuteman; to come stand and keep watch over her. Will you come for a weekend? Come inspect your nations open border policy in action.

DATE: FEBRUARY 17th, 18th and 19th.

LOCATION: Palominas Arizona, Trading Post Café

TIME: First Shift Friday at 5PM

SECTOR CHIEF: Carmen Mercer, Tucson Chapter Director

LINE LEADERS: To Be Announced

This is a three day weekend operation. Come for a day, come for three, but come. You will arrive at the Trading Post Café in Palominas Arizona (Coshise Co) where tent and RV camping is available. No hook ups. Hotels are available nearby in Sierra Vista and Bisbee. Upon your arrival, please check in at the desk.

All Minutemen needing training, classes will be given. First class will run at 3PM on Friday. We will also have one at 10AM Saturday. You will be required to attend the class prior to taking a post if you are a new Minuteman. We welcome new volunteers as well, they can register and take a class on site. Backgrounds will be done. No felons or racists need apply.

Fridays shift will run 5PM-Midnight.

Saturdays shifts will run 8AM-4PM. Night Shift will run 6PM-1AM or longer.

Sunday shift will run 8AM-4PM. Night shift pending volunteers. If you show up late for a training class or shift, you will not be posted.

All past and tapped future line leaders are requested to be on site Friday by 3PM.

Please come well prepared for these shifts. You are welcome to stand as many shifts as you like, day and night. Please dress warm, layered. Cell phone, two way radios, lawn chair, video/camera equipment, binos, spotters, night vision would all be appreciated. Sidearms are allowed, no long arms please. Please prepare a cooler of drinks and food/snacks for your post. You may also want a thermos of coffee as well, bring what you can to be comfortable on post.

We ask that all MM RSVP if you are coming. Please RSVP via email to Rick@Minutemanhq.com

If you need to be in touch with Carmen Mercer, she can be reached at Carmen@minutemanhq.com She is looking for admin volunteers, as well as Comms.

Directions:

Off I10 East, take Sierra Vista Exit, go South. Stay on Hwy until you get to 92 bypass. Follow it until you get to Palominas. Trading Post is on your right hand side.

Semper Vigilans.

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) has given some good information and common sense advice in a new piece today at Human Events Online that all of his colleagues in Congress should read.

Two events last month on the Mexican border, one in Texas and one in California, highlight the challenge the U.S. faces on our Southern border. They illustrate how not only vulnerable our border is but also why it is difficult to fix the problem. Mexico won’t or can’t control its side of the border, and the U.S. doesn’t want to embarrass Mexico by admitting that fact publicly.

To read the entire article, click on the title link!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NEW BORDER INCURSION BY ARMED MEXICAN SOLDIERS DENOUNCED BY MINUTEMEN

U.S. SENATE URGED TO ACT

(PHOENIX, AZ) February 2, 2006 – Just a week after the Mexican government announced that they were ordering their military to stay two kilometers from the U.S.-Mexico border in the wake of an armed standoff between U.S. and Texas law enforcement and Mexican soldiers guarding a drug smuggling operation on U.S. soil in Hudspeth County, heavily armed Mexican soldiers were observed yet again on U.S. soil at the same location on Tuesday.

The soldiers were seen by a news crew from KFOX-TV and a Hudspeth County sheriff’s deputy. KFOX describes the incursion in a report on their website:

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/6666879/detail.html

An excerpt from the report:

As a Hudspeth County sheriff''s deputy was describing what happened during a reported incursion last week - suddenly one ''soldier'' emerged from the brush on the Mexican side of the border and darted back under cover. Moments later though, two other men who appeared to be soldiers marched across a clearing, in plan view. Shortly after that, the Deputy spotted soldiers who were well hidden and out of camera range crossing into the United States - attempting to flank the Deputy and the news crew.

According to the Deputy "They are doing the classic thing, flanking around each side of us and actually coming up into the U.S. and trying to figure out what we are doing, they are looking at us very heavily."

Reporter Ben Swann replied, "So I guess it''s time to go." The Deputy responded "Yeah, it would definitely be time to get out of here.”

The Mexican government released conflicting statements acknowledging the incursion, one acknowledged the presence of Mexican soldiers on U.S. soil, the other claimed the men seen on the American side of the border were Mexican State Police officers. Both statements claimed the incursion was part of an investigation into last week’s incursion, yet neither statement explained why that would entail crossing onto U.S. soil and without permission.

Chris Simcox, President of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, issued the following statement on the incident:

“With this latest armed incursion, the government of Mexico once again has demonstrated their contempt for the United States. It is disgraceful that American citizens, including law enforcement, live under the threat of a foreign army that enters our country at will.

“The House of Representatives has passed a bill (H.R. 4437) that is a first step toward securing our borders. The Senate needs to follow the House’s lead and pass strong legislation that will immediately secure our borders without getting bogged down on debating so-called guest worker programs. The safety of our nation and its citizens must not be secondary to lobbying by special interest groups.

“The Minutemen are not alone in urging the Senate to defend our borders. For too long the government has turned a deaf ear to the cries for help from those of us who live in daily terror from armed invasions on our southern border.

“It took the murder of 3,000 Americans on American soil for the government to take international terrorism seriously. With the Mexican army, drug smugglers, human traffickers and terrorists able to cross our borders with impunity, it seems that only the mass murder of Americans living on our border will cause the government to take decisive action to secure our borders.”

President Bush spoke in Nashville today, following up on his State of the Union address last night. He spoke much more expansively about border security than he did last night. Here''s the part of his speech where he spoke about the border and immigration (take note where the audience applauded):

A big issue is immigration. It''s important for us to get this issue solved so that we can be competitive as we go out into the 21st century. First of all, the obligation of the federal government is to enforce our borders, is to make sure that -- (applause.) And I want to thank Leader Frist for passing a strong appropriations bill to provide resources necessary for more Border Patrol technology along the border. Listen, the border is long, and it''s not easy to enforce. But with proper use of technology, some physical barriers, I think we''ll be able to do a much better job.

The second issue along the border, by the way, is that when we catch somebody sneaking into our country illegally, we just can''t release them out into the system. We''ve got to have more detention space -- (applause) -- we''ve got to have more detention space so that -- it used to be they''d catch them, a lot of the folks, they''d say, all right, check back in with your immigration judge here in 45 days. And the guy would say, yes, you bet. (Laughter.) See you later. So we''re changing that along the border.

I do want to talk about the worker issue. A lot of people here in America have come to do jobs Americans won''t do. And they''re here because they can make money for their families. I used to tell people in Texas that family values didn''t stop at the Rio Grande River. If you''re a mother or a dad and you want to put food on the table for your children, and you had the choice between $5 and $50, you''d head for $50 if you could.

I believe a very significant part of enforcing our border, make it easier for our Border Patrol to do the job, is to end this system that encourages smuggling and pressure on the border by people sneaking across, and saying if there is somebody that''s willing to do a job an American won''t do, let''s give him a fool-proof pass so they can be here on a temporary basis.

Now, I''m against amnesty, and the reason I am is I believe if you grant amnesty to people that are here, it will cause another wave of people to want to come. (Applause.) But I am for recognizing reality and saying that if you''re doing a job, if you''re an employer and you''re looking for somebody to do a job an American won''t do, then here is a card for a temporary worker. That''s a humane way to treat the issue. I can''t stand a system that has caused people to get stuffed in the back of 18-wheelers and they''re driving across the desert. We have -- because of our policy, we have caused there to be a whole smuggling industry, and a forgery industry. If you''re out there working and somebody shows up and you can''t find somebody to find work, and they show up and you say, show me your card -- you don''t know whether it''s real or not real. There are people forging cards in order to help these people find work.

We''ve got Border Patrol agents chasing people getting smuggled across the border to do work. If you are able to have a rational plan on a temporary worker basis, it doesn''t seem like to me they''re not going to have to try to sneak across the border, and our Border Patrol will be able to do a better job on drugs and terrorists and guns that are trying to be snuck in and out of this country. Immigration is an important issue and I''m looking forward to working with Congress to get a job done on behalf of the American people. (Applause.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SIMCOX STATEMENT ON STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

(PHOENIX, AZ) January 31, 2006 – Chris Simcox, President of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, issued the following statement on President Bush’s State of the Union address:

“The state of our border is the state of our Union, and the state of our border today is disastrous to our national security. This evening, President Bush again failed to outline any steps to secure our borders. Over four years after 9/11 the Union remains vulnerable.

"The President placed major emphasis on keeping America''s economy strong and competitive. But above all America must be secure. The devastating impact on our American way of life and our economy of one biological weapon or one dirty nuclear device can not be overestimated. Our dangerously porous border today invites just such attacks.

“In the President’s remarks on illegal immigration, border security was listed first. We call on the President to encourage the Senate to follow the House’s lead and pass strong legislation that will immediately secure our border. The first priority must be given to national security. Any offer of amnesty disguised as worker permits for illegal aliens will cause yet another uncontrolled flood of humanity into the United States.

“The President has claimed extraordinary powers to conduct the war on terror, claims that have caused great controversy, yet he declines to exercise a power that he incontrovertibly has: the power to declare a state of emergency on our borders and deploy the military to protect our Union.

“Last year, thousands of Americans banded together as Minuteman volunteers to demonstrate to the President and Congress that it is possible to secure our borders—all it takes is the political will to do so. Thousands more Americans will return to the border this April to do the job the government continues to refuse to do. The Minutemen will protect the American Republic from invasion at our border until properly relieved.”

Scarborough Country, hosted by Joe Scarborough, featured a discussion last night on border security, and the lack thereof, with Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reporter Sara Carter, terrorism expert Steve Emerson and Pat Buchanan:

Welcome to SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY—no passport required, only common sense allowed.

Hey, thanks so much for being with me tonight. I appreciate it.

We got a jampacked show with those stories. Plus, Oprah, the queen of TV , apologized and then fried a disgraced author. So, why is he and big publishing companies laughing all the way to the bank? We are going to be talking live tonight with Jerry Springer about that.

And “American Idol” remains a monster hit. But Paula Abdul says she still can‘t get a date. Well, former contestant and Paula friend Corey Clark is in SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY. He says Paula knows exactly what she‘s doing when it comes to dates. We will have those stories and more.

But, first, a SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY exclusive. Is a dangerous South American gang planning attacks along the U.S.-Mexican border? Well, that‘s a shocking report from California and a newspaper that has obtained secret U.S. government documents. According to a captured member of a deadly drug cartel, there‘s a secret attack planned and it‘s a plan that calls for members of the gang to gather in Mexican border towns, and then attack the United States using the same route they use to smuggle drugs.

It‘s all contained in Homeland Security documents obtained by “The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin” that are apparently not being shared with local law enforcement officers at the border.

Here to talk about it, we have Sara Carter. She has been breaking news on this story for “The Inland Valley Daily News” (sic) and she joins us live from Los Angeles.

Also with us, MSNBC political analyst Pat Buchanan and NBC terror analyst Steve Emerson.

Sara, let‘s begin with you.

Two shocking findings from your reports. First, talk about these international gangs that are planning attacks along the U.S. border. What can you tell us tonight about these documents that you have obtained by the Department of Homeland Security?

SARA CARTER, “THE INLAND VALLEY DAILY BULLETIN”: Yes, it is shocking, Joe. You are right.

We have obtained a document that shows that MS-13 gang members, along with what they believe to be rebels from Guatemala, are planning attacks on our local law enforcement, officials all along the Southwest border. It came to me just recently, this week, and I was able to verify the document.

SCARBOROUGH: And so, they are actually talking about attacks—international gangs are actually talking about attacking our local law enforcement officers so they can control some of these border towns. Do you have any information as to why local law enforcement officers that could have been the target of those attacks weren‘t notified by the Department of Homeland Security?

CARTER: It‘s baffling.

None of the local law enforcement officials ever received any documentation from the Department of Homeland Security to warn them of these attacks. I contacted several of them today. And all of them told me the same thing, that they are changing their modus operandi on the border and that they will now be preparing for this.

These have been rumors about this for the last maybe two or three weeks. They have noticed an uprising and attacks on local law enforcement officials as well as Border Patrol agents. But now with the document, they have said that they will be changing the way they operate on the border and securing their deputies, and their sheriffs, as well as Border Patrol agents who are patrolling the Southwest border.

SCARBOROUGH: Sara, stay with us because I want to talk about the possibility of these international gangs and others smuggling into the United States to pass along to Iraqis and al Qaeda members.

But, first, I want to get a response.

Let‘s go to Pat Buchanan right now.

Pat, I‘ll tell you what. This is an explosive issue. You are talking about an invasion of at least, along the border, of—invasion of these border towns. What‘s going on? And look behind us; why isn‘t Congress, why isn‘t the president of the United States, who is going to go up and speak to the American people tomorrow about keeping America safe, why aren‘t they concerned about protecting our borders?

PAT BUCHANAN, NBC POLITICAL ANALYST: I don‘t understand this, Joe.

The gang, MS-13 is Mara Salvatrucha. I have read myself in the last two weeks where they have a policy called green-lighting, whereby they are authorized to assassinate police and others who have been traders. And I have heard myself. And I have got reports I have been working on that they have been invited by some of the drug cartels to come down and start shooting Border Patrol agents for the reason that the Border Patrol is getting more aggressive.

(CROSSTALK)

SCARBOROUGH: Killing Americans.

BUCHANAN: Killing Americans.

SCARBOROUGH: We have got international gangs that are going to come across our border and kill American law enforcement officers?

BUCHANAN: Gangs are right here. There are 6,000 MS-13 right out in Fairfax County. They green-light people. They have killed people out in the Shenandoah Valley. These people are in the country, Joe. Mara Salvatrucha, MS-13, probably has 10,00 to 15,000 people in the United States.

SCARBOROUGH: Pat, explain to me why we have got Border Patrol agents, why we have got local sheriffs, Americans, with targets on their back. We have got Sara, who has uncovered these documents from the Department of Homeland Security, and our local law enforcement officers haven‘t been notified.

BUCHANAN: Only one explanation why Homeland Security wouldn‘t raise Cain about this and the only explanation I can think of, and I don‘t know it for sure, is that George Bush has an open borders policy. He has got a guest worker policy he wants to get through Congress in February. And you start talking about gangs green-lighting Border Patrol agents on our border, and it will knock a hole in that, Joe, and what you will get is overwhelming support for the security fence on the American border that the House of Representatives voted in December.

SCARBOROUGH: And, you know, Steve Emerson, it reminds me of what was happening before September 11. You actually had the president of the United States that was talking about a general amnesty program for three million Mexicans before 9/11; 9/11 came along. He had to back off of that.

But now you have got, again, four years after 9/11, some pretty shocking reports. What is going on? I would guess, Steve, you would consider securing our borders as being integral to protecting our nation.

STEVE EMERSON, NBC TERRORISM ANALYST: Both borders. The Canadian border and the Mexican border are absolutely pivotal to securing our country, because it‘s clear that al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, all other radical Islamic groups have figured out that they don‘t need to enter our border through the ports, through the airports any longer.

They just need to enter it through the borders, through Mexico or through Canada, and that they can do so with almost impunity at this point. And you know that, Joe, that, at this point, the seriousness with which we have attacked the security at our borders is a joke.

And, so, therefore, al Qaeda can basically initiate any type of penetration at will. And we know that.

SNIP

Click the title link to read the rest of the discussion.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

HOME OF HERNDON MINUTEMAN LEADER TARGETED WITH GRAFFITI

(HERNDON, VA) January 31, 2006 – The home of George Taplin, leader of the Herndon Minutemen, was targeted with graffiti this weekend by opponents of the Minuteman’s stand for enforcement of immigration and employment laws.

The graffiti was spray-painted on the sidewalk in front of Taplin’s Herndon home using a stencil and language that mimics the appearance of signs carried by supporters of the controversial taxpayer funded day labor center in Herndon.

The graffiti attack is being investigated by the Town of Herndon police.

Two separate messages were spray-painted: “No One is Illegal” and, under a heart-shaped globe, “Love Sees No Borders.”

Taplin issued the following statement on the incident:

“The Herndon Minutemen will not be intimidated from exercising our constitutional rights. Our position is simple: enforce immigration and employment laws and don’t encourage law-breaking by subsidizing it with tax dollars.

“While the Minutemen scrupulously follow the law in their actions, it is telling that supporters of criminals who preach tolerance would resort to a criminal act that conveys a message of intolerance for those who seek for the law to be upheld.”

The Department of Homeland Security issued the following statement:

WASHINGTON, DC – Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff announced today the implementation of Expedited Removal (ER) along the entire U.S.-Canadian border and all U.S. coastal areas, as part of the Secure Border Initiative. Today’s announcement reflects the further implementation of ER that was initially implemented along the Southwest border and will now be implemented along all of the United States’ border areas. ER is an effective border management process that swiftly returns illegal aliens to their countries of origin while maintaining protections for those who fear persecution.

“With the Secure Border Initiative, we made a commitment to implement new tactics throughout the U.S. in order to gain control of our borders,” said Secretary Chertoff. “We have seen success in deterring illegal border crossers since Expedited Removal was implemented throughout the Southwest. Implementing this process along all borders will provide DHS agents and officers with an additional tool to protect our nation’s boundaries and quickly remove those who entered our country illegally.”

Expedited Removal authority was established by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and applied initially at our nation’s ports-of-entry. Since last September, DHS has successfully implemented ER between the ports-of-entry at all nine U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol Sectors on the Southwest border. CBP Border Patrol agents have been trained and are now ready to implement ER in all Border Patrol Sectors. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention and Removal officers have devoted significant detention space to ER and have removed more than 4,750 aliens under the program since September.

ER provides DHS the authority to expeditiously return applicable illegal aliens to their country of origin as soon as circumstances will allow. DHS will be applying ER to aliens who have spent 14 days or less in the United States, and are either apprehended within 100 miles of the border with Mexico or Canada or arrive by sea and are apprehended within 100 miles of a coastal border area.

Individuals in ER proceedings are generally not released into the United States. ER disrupts the various human smuggling cycles that occur along the border by substantially reducing the time from arrest to ultimate removal from the United States and foreclosing opportunities for these illegal aliens to reconnect with their smugglers and guides.

Under the Secure Border Initiative, the Expedited Removal process has proven to be a successful tool in rapidly returning illegal aliens to their country of origin, while providing those aliens who have a credible fear of persecution or torture the opportunity to present their case before an immigration judge. By implementing ER more widely, ICE and CBP personnel in all border sectors will be provided the mechanism to effectively deter future entries and accelerate removals.

Human Events has a column by Phyllis Schlafly on Republican political maneuvering regarding guest worker proposals:

SNIP

In December, the House passed Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner’s (R.-Wis.) border-security bill, which rejected support for Bush’s guest-worker/amnesty plan. Since 88% of Republican House members voted for this bill, that should have been a wake-up call to the President.

Shortly thereafter, Arizona Republican National Committeeman Randy Pullen gathered enough signatures to present a resolution to the Republican National Committee (RNC) at its January 19-20 meeting in Washington, D.C., which endorsed border security measures and opposed any guest-worker plan. (See “Gizzi on Politics,” page 18.)

A competing resolution endorsing border security plus a guest-worker plan was floated by Texas Committeeman Bill Crocker. After he realized the strong tide against guest-worker, he began negotiating a compromise with Pullen, and one version of the compromise eliminated guest-worker.

When the RNC Resolutions Committee met on January 19, the chairman, Idaho Committeeman Blake Hall, brought up the original Crocker resolution that included guest-worker language. An attempt by one committeeman to substitute the Crocker-Pullen compromise was ruled out of order, and then a motion to remove the guest-worker language was voted down 5-to-3.

That evening, the Bush Administration sent in its big guns, Vice President Dick Cheney and Sen. Sam Brownback (R.-Kan.), to insist that RNC members support the guest-worker plan or else they would be labeled disloyal and disrespectful of President Bush. RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman made the rounds to regional caucuses to demand approval of Bush’s guest-worker plan and defeat of the Pullen resolution.

At the RNC meeting on January 20, the Hall-approved resolution was incorporated and passed as part of a package of nine resolutions in order to preclude a specific vote on the border-security guest-worker issue. The Pullen resolution did not come up.

This donnybrook happened on the same day the New York Times reported that 18,207 illegal OTMs (Other Than Mexicans) have been beneficiaries of the Bush Administration’s scandalous “catch and release” procedure in the three months since Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff promised to “return every single illegal entrant—no exceptions.” Catch and release means the illegal OTMs are not deported but, after catch, are released on their own recognizance with instructions to reappear a few weeks hence, with everybody understanding that they will disappear into the American population.

SNIP

Click the title link to read the entire article.

The AP reports on the troubles facing Central American immigrants whose humanitarian temporary permits to work in the U.S. are about to expire:

SNIP....immigrant advocates say thousands of others will stay illegally if federal officials don''t renew their temporary protected status this year. More than 300,000 immigrants, most from Central America, are in the U.S. under temporary protected status granted to those who fled dangerous conditions.

If their status isn''t renewed, immigrant advocates say, parents and their American-born children could be separated, the number of illegal workers in the U.S. could skyrocket, and thousands of people could be forced back to countries that offer little.

"Now is not the time, because all the considerations have not been made," said Jose Lagos, president of the Miami-based advocacy group Unidad Hondurena. "The impact would be catastrophic."

SNIP

The same thing will happen if we institute a years-long guest worker program. After a few years, you put down roots, start a family, the next thing you know your permit''s expired and then what?

This is important. Read this, then click on the title link for the rest of the details.

Members of a violent international gang working for drug cartels in Central and South America are planning coordinated attacks along the U.S. border with Mexico, according to a Department of Homeland Security document obtained by the Daily Bulletin.

Detailed inside a Jan. 20 officer safety alert, the plot''s ultimate goal is to "begin gaining control of areas, cities and regions within the U.S."

The information comes from the interrogation of a captured member of Mara Savatrucha, or MS-13, a transnational criminal syndicate born from displaced El Salvadoran death squads from the 1980s.

The MS-13 member, who claimed to have smuggled cocaine for the Gulf Cartel, explained a plan to amass MS-13 members in Mexican border towns such as Nuevo Laredo, Acuna, Ojinaga and Juarez. The Gulf Cartel runs its drug smuggling operations from Del Rio, Texas, to south of Matamoros, Mexico.

"After enough members have been pre-positioned along the border, a coordinated attack using firearms was to commence against all law enforcement, to include Border Patrol," the alert states.

There is a lot more detail in the article. Apparently the warning circulated only within DHS and was not shared with any local law enforcement agencies along the border.

Good reporting from the El Paso Times.

The national head of the Border Patrol, Chief David V. Aguilar, said that despite denials from Mexican authorities, the men in uniforms in a border standoff Monday near Sierra Blanca might very well be Mexican soldiers.

"They were wearing military-style uniforms, driving military-style vehicles, carrying military-style weapons, but we didn''t apprehend them. We don''t know what they are. Sheriff (Leo) Samaniego feels they were (Mexican soldiers). I would have a tendency to agree with him," Aguilar said.

The standoff, between state troopers and armed and uniformed men in a Humvee, occurred in the Neely''s Crossing area in Hudspeth County. The men on the Mexican side of the river were protecting a drug load in SUVs fleeing back to Mexico. No shots were fired.

Aguilar, who stopped at a plane hangar on Boeing Drive on Friday as part of a border tour, said he received commitment "at the highest level" of the Mexican government to investigate the incident fully.

To read the entire article, click on the title link.