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| Congressman wants high-tech defenses on border |
| 2005-09-23 |
| Congressman Rick Renzi (AZ â 1), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today released a new strategy to secure Americaâs borders. Called the âRed Zone Defense,â Renziâs plan is a new comprehensive, aggressive and proactive border strategy which proposes to use state-of-the-art technology to track immigrants before they cross the border. His district covers all the state except Phoenix, Tucson, and the southern and western border counties. It's the largest district except those which cover entire states. âAmericaâs border communities continue to experience the crush of illegal immigration and are feeling desperate by the federal governmentâs limited response,â said Congressman Renzi. âIt is time for a major strategy shift on Americaâs border security. Before there can be a comprehensive immigration policy, America must first secure its borders.â Renzi noted that border areas are seeing some of the most violent drug cartels in the world smuggling human beings as well as drugs and contraband. These cartels will be the same organizations the terrorists will seek out to look for new ways to enter the U.S. Renziâs âRed Zone Defenseâ will implement proven technology already being used with success in several U.S. operations around the world. The increased use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), drones, ground sensors and tower sensors, aerostat balloons equipped with night-vision technology and other intelligence methods will allow authorities to better identify staging locations of illegal aliens before they cross the border. This capability will provide a constant stream of real time intelligence, which can be down-linked to a multi-agency command center. This will allow federal border officials to shift manpower to interdict those coming across the border. âWe rely on our friends to the south who contribute greatly to our nation, however a new border strategy is required to stop the violence and lawlessness that currently threatens our border communities,â Congressman Renzi said. âMore importantly, a successful defense will allow us to be more compassionate in the type of immigration program we develop, because we will have again earned the trust of the American people.â |
| Posted by:Jackal |
| #2 The first solution, that counting illegals with sensors is the same as catching and returning them, is nonsense. However, the military is not really a solution, either, as border partrol is different from what an army is trained to do. The solution is twofold. First, to channelize the illegals. This can be done with an eye to capture, or to dissuade them with harsh terrain, or both. The idea is to herd them into corridors. Much of the border is easily "passable", but there is no destination from which to leave or to arrive on either side of the border. 50 miles of roadless rocky desert on either side in many places is impassable. The few who could manage to cross here are not worth pursuing, compared to the vast numbers who cross elsewhere. The second solution is "immediate denial". That is, for example in Arizona, sheriff Joe Arpaio has tent cities for inmates. They are inexpensive to operate and can be set up overnight for thousands of people. All illegals who are captured are given only water, no food, and put in these tent cities on the border for not more than 48 hours before being returned to Mexico. A half dozen immigration judges on site could hear any statements or demands for refugee status from non-Mexican illegals. All illegals would be fingerprinted, photographed and otherwise documented. First offense is immediate return. Second offense is a week in the tent city before being returned. Subsequent offenses results in longer stretches in these tent jails. With Joe's typical ration of only cheap green bologna and trail mix, the typical illegal would seriously reconsider coming back into the US. The objective is to keep them away from public lands and private property, towns, roads and ranches. Also to never let them get to cities in the first place. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-09-23 16:31 |
| #1 Border security on a de facto hostiel border should be (and always will be) a military problem. The Military should be handling it. Call in civil authority to do the criminal processing, but patrolling, securing and defending the border is a function of the military. Rotate a division through on the southern border every 6 months as training for wilderness ops and LIC. |
| Posted by: Oldspook 2005-09-23 15:12 |