www.completethefencenow.com
Sen. Jim DeMint rallies the grass-roots on the still-unfinished border fence:
Sen. Jim DeMint announced today the release of a new grassroots website for the “Complete the Fence Act” called www.completethefencenow.com. The website features a two minute video about the need for the border fence titled “700 Miles of Necessity” and has a list of border fence facts and links for visitors interested in blogging, writing a letter to the editor or telling friends and family about the bill.
“Immigration reform is a critical issue for our nation that cannot be ignored,” said Sen. DeMint. “This debate will only be won if the voices of concerned Americans are heard. I want this website to serve as a resource for people looking to get this important information out to others.”
Sen. DeMint hopes the video will raise public awareness of the critical need for actually completing the fence along our border with Mexico and other members of the Senate will realize this issue is about more than immigration.
“I think it is important for people to realize the urgent need for completing a security fence along the Mexican border,” said Sen. DeMint said. “It’s not just an immigration issue. This bill also addresses our nation’s drug problem, human trafficking, and the very real threat of terrorism.”
The “Complete the Fence Act” is part of 14 separate pieces of legislation intended to address the immigration problem. Sen. DeMint wants the Senate to take immediate action on this bill due to the serious national security issues stemming from our failure to complete the fence.
“We can’t sit around and wait for Congress to agree on every single detail of our immigration policy while our borders remain unsecured,” he said. “Americans clearly see the necessity for building the fence. It’s time we quit talking and start building.”
Meanwhile, down in Texas:
South Texas landowners fighting border fence surveys have gained traction in court and could keep the federal government from meeting Congress’ demand for 670 miles of Mexican border fencing by the end of the year.
One case has already held up dozens of others for more than a month. Its outcome could mean further delays for 38 more cases scheduled for hearings this week.
The Justice Department has sued more than 50 property owners in Texas this year — a total of 75 along the whole U.S.-Mexico border — after the owners refused to allow workers onto their property for preliminary work such as surveys.
No Texas judge has ruled in favor of the landowners, but a recent ruling from U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ordered the government to first try to negotiate the price of access with landowners.
The Department of Homeland Security has won access in 35 of those cases, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Most of the nearly 500 property owners in the fence’s path gave voluntary access to their land and as of Feb. 21, 303 miles of fencing had been built.
Communities along the Rio Grande in South Texas have fought hardest. They fear being cut off from the river and agricultural lands and bristle at the imposition of a plan hatched in Washington, D.C.
Earlier this month, Richard Stana of the Government Accountability Office testified to a House subcommittee that “keeping on schedule will be challenging because of …difficulties in acquiring rights to border lands” among other factors.
Barry Morrissey, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman in Washington, D.C., said last week that while he cannot predict the future, “we remain optimistic that we can stay on schedule.”
Some illegal immigration activists have organized a 9-day anti-fence protest from Dallas to Brownsville. Not everyone’s on board with the open-borders agenda:
The protest, which drew more than 200 people for different legs of the trip, ends Sunday in Brownsville.
While opposition to the fence is strong here, some off the march route favor it.
“I am for securing the border so that they can provide some security to Americans,” says Moses Sorola, a 74-year-old bookkeeper in Brownsville. “If that is a fence, fine. If that is whole line of soldiers at the border, fine.”
The Mexican government needs to begin providing good jobs for its people so that they stop migrating to Texas, Mr. Sorola says.
Meanwhile, down in Mexico:
Even while the central government in Mexico decries efforts within the U.S. to build a southern border fence, one northern Mexico town has decided to build its own border fence to fight crime.
About 70 percent of the residents of the town of San Nicolas de los Garza voted last month to erect a barrier with neighboring Guadalupe, on the outskirts of the city of Monterrey. San Nicolas law enforcement authorities say criminals strike inside their town and flee to Guadalupe, outside of their jurisdiction.
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I say…any Family member or individual American harmed in any way by an Illegal alien, should be allowed to Sue the Land Ownwers where the illegal crossed into America, for the loss of their God Given Rights to Life, Liberty and Pursuit of happiness. All this being shattered because they are inhibiting Every day Americans from feeling safe.
I hope DeMint can pull this off. I’m not holding my breath though. Our do nothing congress will make it difficult to get the fence voted on.
L
Let’s see, in the Kelo case the Supreme Court upheld the right of a town to invoke emminent domain to grab a citizen’s property to give to another private land owner just to increase tax revenue for the city. But when it comes to securing our national border against an invasion that costs taxpayers tens of billions of dollars annually, everyone in government gets all teary eyed and sensitive about taking away someone’s land? What am I missing? BUILD THE FENCE ALREADY!!!
It is not enough. We can spend $13 billion dollars in Iraq to try and secure their borders, but Congress gave $22 million additional “additional prosecutors, support staff and deputy U.S. marshals” to secure ours. It is criminal.
link
Forgive the typo – I meant to say “a month” after $13 billion – which makes it even worse…
Enforce the laws on the books. Build the wall and boycott any company hiring the illegals. Cut off all federal funds to Cities and States that are sanctuary cities. Take away tax exempt status to any Church hiding them. Basically cut off the magnet and they will go home on their own.
This is a case of the landowners looking out for themselves before the good of the country. Sadly, I think our society has lost the idea of America and what it means to be American. If so, we may never recover.
It seems there are few politicians with the political will to advocate for the idea of America. Doing so will get you branded as a racist or a nativist.
Build a fence, and gather biometric data. Make it a misdemeanor for the first offense, a felony after that. Removing the illegals from the workforce will deny them the opportunity they seek and the reason they come here. Well, the opportunity to work here and the possibility of amnesty-citizenship about every 20 years.
Employer penalties are working here in Arizona, extend those nationwide.
Mexico’s second biggest source of income is money earned in the U.S. and sent home. Their government doesn’t want to cut off that income stream, nor close the safety valve of getting rid of their unemployed. Imagine the trouble they would have if they suddenly had an extra 10 million unemployed people at home with $23.9 billion less to the state treasury. Perhaps regime change would occur, as all the people who experienced the benefits of capitalism would not settle for the old status quo.
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/31/money-sent-home-by-mexicans-almost-stagnant-in-2007/
I agree with #1, we should ba able to sue landowners and politicians that continue to ignore this invasion and protect our borders – build the fence with these folks on the mexican side and move on.
I wonder how quick they’d be willing to cooperate after it was decided they were about to become Mexican citizens?
As Demint pointed out, the immigration isn’t our only problem with border security. I don’t think terrorists are all that concerned about getting welfare or low wage construction jobs, just access.
Great minds. Just blogged about this exact point concerning eminent domain use in New London – short post.
So let’s start by building the fence where the landowners allow it. This will help, and will “funnel” the rest of the illegals through the parts where the landowners refuse to allow the fence to be built. Maybe when the traffic through their land increases 50X, it will cause them to change their tune. If it doesn’t, build the damn fence anyway!
With Hillary Hussein Mcbama as president, they will just tear ot down anyway.
We seem to be living in a time where our government has been so consumed by the lobbyists, they simply don’t care what the voters think.
It’s not just the border fence. If you ask most Americans privately, they will tell you it is not a good idea to send so many of our jobs to China and elsewhere. But nothing is done about this issue, either.
And at the state level, it isn’t much better. Taxpayers in my home state (PA) have been screaming for school property tax reform for as long as I can recall, but nothing concrete is ever done.
Our founding fathers are surely twirling in their tombs!
Is exactly right…this is a 3 pronged matter of concern which Jorge and his ilk never want to mention. 1. illegal immigration and the cost in $(338 billion a yr) and American societal values, along with the health concerns of previously all but eliminated diseases T.B. and leprosy. 2. the so called war on drugs, which I’m not buying the government is fighting whole heartedly, and at what cost to Americans people? 3. Terrorism, we already know there are Islamic terror cells within the states…do we need more?
I fail to see how Bush is upholding his oath of office by allowing all of the above. when the presidents 1st responsibility is to protect the American citizens from enemies within or outside the country.
I think building the fence strictly along the Rio Grande just shows the lack of creativity by Home Land Security. If someone or something blocks construction, construct around the obstruction, it need not be constructed within inches of the border. So what if illegals can walk an extra mile before they can walk no more. If the construction variance requires building around bad lands, these bad lands would also act as a diterant to illegals and muchly reduct construction costs. If the avoidance might require an unreasonable variance then eminent public domain acquisition could be used.
We once legislated and paid for 780 miles of Duncan Hunter caliber fence. Mr. Lettuce Head has Katrinaized this mission to the point of not being recognized. Will this same degenerate be in charge of building the DeMint Trojan. When DeMint said I think it is important for people to realize the urgent need for completing a security fence along the Mexican border, did he mean the 70% of America who have so believe such long before the Duncan Hunter was not built or did he mean the people who live on his home planet.
I remember seeing where the “border fence” isn’t being built on the boarder, but at some distance from the boarder where it is easier to build. If I owned land on the border and the government was going to take a lot of it that is not on the border, I would be angry and fight it too.
If the fence is on the actual boarder, no argument.
border -5sp.
Do like I have done here in Mississippi, go to large construction areas, usually shopping centers and walk around and take pictures. Go there and take pictures, while also jotting notes in a little black book. Nice touch is to give yourself that casual business/cop civilian attire, shirt tie and light jacket.
We have to begin this fight before it is too late. Our elected officials are not going to do JACK!
This can be applied to anywhere illegals are suspected to be the primary slave labor for the greedy contractor, factory, meat/chicken processing plant, landscaper,..etc
Support the minutemen and buy the movie;
http://www.bordermovie.com You will be pissed after watching this documentary.
A renowned Pharmacy Professor at Campbell University in NC was killed by an illegal driving while impaired and of course…..no license.
I tried to post about it on WRAL website in Raleigh and they will not allow my opinion.
Please write/ban WRAL tv in Raleigh!
Thank you.
We’re all preaching to the choir. Do whatever it takes, but build the danged fence. That said, I want to see the employers of illegals go to jail. I don’t care if it’s an airport hiring sub-contractors, hotels/motels, construction companies, or the housewife foolish enough to hire a nanny (& turning over her most precious possession to their care) without the ability to check actual references or valid criminal records. No fine on first offences for these employers – jail. Too many of those same employers (Tyson comes to mind) are prolonging the use of aliens in the workforce and hoping for the amnesty. There should be no going about your merry way showing outstanding profits, while taxpayers foot the real bill for your profit.
I certainly hate to see a deep recession, but one appears to be on the horizon. Will any of the candidates running for POTUS be foolish enough to consider amnesty with a large workforce out of a job? Will any candidate consider extending welfare or some kind of benefits to those here illegally? It would be far cheaper for taxpayers to foot a one-way ticket home.
Interesting times are ahead I’m afraid folks.
The DeMint Complete the Fence Act will require DHS to complete the 700 miles fence by December 31, 2010, using only reinforced pedestrian fencing, not vehicle barriers or “virtual” fencing.
Since when does Congress have to issue a we really mean it statement/legislation to Mr. Lettuce Head and if the Complete the Act does not pass then is the Duncan Hunter legislation nullified. Is not insanity defined as repeating the same act and expecting different results. Would it not be more effective for Congress to call for Mr. Lettuce Head to resign or better, for his boss to resign.
Chertof is Bush’s willing stooge.
Do like the Israelis do and just build the fence inside of Mexico. They owe us for all the billions illegal aliens have sent back to Mexico anyway. If Bush and the neocons are keen on using aggression, at least use it for the benefit of our country.