In a remarkably candid letter to members of Congress, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said her department could have to delay pursuits of illegal immigrants while waiting for horses to be brought in so agents don’t trample protected lands, and warns that illegal immigrants will increasingly make use of remote, protected areas to avoid being caught.

The above quote from the Washington Times makes one take note. In fact, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) has been crusading to shore up the gaps between DHS border control and environmental rules coming from the Dept. of the Interior. He confirms his displeasure over border initiatives to install towers associated with the virtual fence being denied because of wilderness designation.

The Dept. of Interior has also charged DHS over $10 million because of:

… a “mitigation” penalty to pay for damage to public lands that agencies say has been caused by Border Patrol agents chasing illegal immigrants.

Aren’t things like this part of immigration reform? Isn’t this border security part of immigration reform?

According to the Washington Times:

 

The conflict between the environment and border security has raged for the past decade as better enforcement in urban areas has pushed the flow of illegal immigrants into Arizona and straight into some of the nation’s most remote and fragile desert.

A major problem is wilderness – lands deemed so pristine that they should be maintained in that condition, free of man-made structures.

Wilderness is governed under a 1964 law that imposed strict rules that tie Border Patrol agents’ hands, and there is a lot of that land along the border. According to the Congressional Research Service, California has 1.8 million acres of wilderness within 100 miles of the border, and Arizona has 2.5 million acres. New Mexico and Texas have smaller plots.

According to e-mails obtained by Mr. Bishop, Park Service officials at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and at the Denver office that oversees the park said they will not allow the Border Patrol to place electronic surveillance towers on parts of the park that are designated wilderness.

 

Yea, those old rules/laws from back in 1964 and those under Ronald Reagan are just working out real well, aren’t they? Not only are they not working for current immigration problems but they are also costing us a fortune.
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3 Thoughts to “Border Security and Environmental Protection on a Collision Course”

  1. Second-Alamo

    Why don’t the illegal immigrants get themselves declared an endangered species, and then they’re home free so to speak! I’m sure there’s some group out there that would go along with that, and because they are in the minority they will get national support. So on their way to your local 7-11 they will now trample over some sacred ground. That’s got to be a conflict of interest for the liberals!

  2. Or part of immigration reform could be to reconcile the problems that are causing this incredibly stupid situation with our own laws.

  3. hello

    Why is Napolitano even in this position? As governor of Arizona she said that she didn’t see any spill over violence from drug cartel’s or smugglers while an average of 1 person a day was being kidnapped in Phoenix alone.

    She can’t protect the citizens of her own state but somehow is trusted to protect all of us? What moron chose her for this job? He should be fired….

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