County seeks relief for border crossers
July 4th 2012 · 9 Comments
A letter addressed to Janet Napolitano, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, urging her involvement in expediting northbound pedestrian traffic affected by high temperatures at the downtown Calexico Port of Entry was signed by the Imperial County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
The letter requests assistance and direct involvement in helping the county “solve a health and safety emergency that continues to exist as a direct result of the Department of Homeland Security interaction — or inaction along the U.S. border,” Imperial County Executive Officer Ralph Cordova said.
“That’s it in a nutshell,” Supervisor John Renison said as he continued the presentation to the board.
The letter comes after several weeks of meeting with the committee in charge of discussing border issues, and though “we respect very much the local board officials and regional directors,” Renison said, “we think that at this point in time it’s prudent to go higher up and to shake a few trees.
“We have almost a crisis situation here,” he said, referring to northbound pedestrian traffic, and “I know we don’t like to talk about it, but it’s a reality — it’s just becoming inhumane.”
The board showed support for the letter, but questioned whether to add to the letter that there are concerns about attitudes border crossers face when interrogated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel.
“I don’t know those allegations have been substantiated or followed up with the proper process,” Supervisor Michael Kelley said.
“I just don’t want to think we are slamming our homeland security forces when we really don’t know the (integral) details,” he said before suggesting this portion of the letter to be revised.
Supervisors Jack Terrazas and Ray Castillo agreed with Kelley.
“I think you are right on the money on just sticking on one subject,” Terrazas said.
“I’ve encountered not hostility, but just the officers doing the inspecting sometimes are not very friendly and it might have to do with the weather, too,” Castillo said.
Castillo, a former Customs inspector, added that agents may not want to be friendly when trying to “catch the bad guys.”
Renison said he had no problems with making the changes and shortly before the signature of the letter was unanimously approved with the provision that the reference to CBP agents’ attitudes be deleted.
A version of this column originally appeared in www.ivpressonline.com.
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Tags: Board Of Supervisors, Board Officials, Border Crossers, Border Issues, County Board Of Supervisors, County Executive Officer, Crisis Situation, Customs And Border Protection, Department Of Homeland, Department Of Homeland Security, entry, High Temperatures, Homeland Security, Imperial County Board of Supervisors, involvement, Janet Napolitano, letter, Letter Requests, Local Board, Michael Kelley, pedestrian traffic, Port Of Entry, Process Supervisor, Regional Directors, relief, Renison, Safety Emergency, Secretary, Secretary Of The Department Of Homeland Security, U S Customs And Border Protection
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Our government IS NOT DOING IT’S JOB therefore, IMHO, the STates have the right to do anything they need to do to survive this onslaught of illegals.
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set up M-60 gun emplacements along US border – fire at all moving objects- leave carcasses to rot in desert sand- let the buzzards pick the flesh off the bones- this action will immediately result in 100% decline in illegal alien criminal invasion…
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that would be a little extreame…..but yes robert larson…that is what it will take to slow them down….maybe
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This is just too stupid to be real – county seeks relief “FOR” border crossers – could understand if it read seeks relied “FROM” border crossers. What next, seeks assistance in home invasions or some other illegal act??? Turn them around and make sure they keep going til the get back across the border.
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Why don’T the Dept of Assistance set up at border with Food— Water–Bedding and Hand out –Automatic Replinishing Credit Cards to everyone so they can BUY Transportation to whatever Destination they Like ?——————–Its the least we can do to undo “OUR” “Selfish” Attitude Toward — Illegal Alien– Entries.
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Who is writing the letter isn’t Cordova the pres of Mexico? Is Mexico complaining because the border patrol is rude to the criminals that cross the borderr? Tell em to take a hike.
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What makes you think she is going to start doing her job. Vote them out come November and pray for strong leadership to replace all of them.
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Yes, throw them back, that’s what.
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I love my country;it’s the government I don’t trust.
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