In Washington, the bipartisan Gang of Eight has embraced the concept of a border-enforcement “surge” to curtail illegal border crossings and curry favor with some wavering Republicans.
Along the border, however, there is a good deal of skepticism about the new political deal.
“We’ve been trying to secure the border since 1972 when President Nixon declared war on drugs,” Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño told our San Antonio Express-News colleague Aaron Nelson. “More boots on the ground is not going to fix the problem. You need to look at technology and the infrastructure that Mexico is lacking. I think we need to pass a bill to get our foot in the door, but not as it is.”
*Meanwhile, back at the border ... VL By Julián Aguilar, Texas Tribune One way or another, the Texas 84th Legislature was bound to pass immigration and border security bills. That was the general consensus after tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants flooded across the Rio Grande into Texas last summer.…
Julián Aguilar, Texas Tribune After the sudden resignation of one of its members, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Wednesday reiterated that it has not endorsed a controversial provision of the U.S. Senate-backed immigration bill that calls for more fencing and boots on the border. U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, tendered his…
By The Editorial Board, New York Times Those who view fixing immigration as simply a matter of getting tougher on lawbreakers tend to overlook how tough the system already is, an ever-growing web of agents, cops, courts and prisons whose cruelty and deficiencies are appalling. Much attention has focused on…
