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Taking security measures into their own hands, Arizona wants your help to expand the country's southern border fence

Natalie Gonnella
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When it comes to border security, President Obama may prefer mocking attacks over addressing security gaps, but that isn't going to stop the lawmakers of Arizona from securing their state.  And thanks to a new law that went into effect today, so long as they can raise both private donations and landowner support, the people of Arizona can now build their own barrier along the state's southern border without the approval (or aggravation) of the federal government.

Citing the fact that the border fence in Yuma successfully prevented 93 percent of all undocumented crossings in that area, Arizona's leaders hope to replicate that success throughout the rest of the state.

With the help of the recently launched Border Donation Service of the State of Arizona, Republican state Senator Steve Smith, who sponsored the legislation aims to raise at least $50 million from nationwide donations.

USA Today notes that, overall in Arizona:

The state's southern border is about 370 miles long. About a third of that, mostly in the western part of the state between Yuma and Nogales, has the type of fence lawmakers want. The rest either has no fencing or has fencing designed to keep out vehicles. In that part of the state, the fence is only a few feet tall and is made of barbed wire or wooden posts. Smith said most illegal immigrants cross into the eastern part of Arizona over that more porous border.

The Joint Border Security Advisory Committee will oversee the administration and management of the construction and maintenance of the fence, and 100% of donations, which will be held by the Arizona State Treasury's office, go directly to the project.

For more information on the Arizona border security initiative, visit www.buildtheborderfence.com.

"Who's really twisting the truth?": Representative Lamar Alexander hits back at the WaPo's recent attack on GOP border security concerns

Natalie Gonnella

Much like the President's recent mockery of the GOP's border concerns, on Sunday the Washington Post also accused Republicans like Representative Lamar Alexander of exaggerating about the lack of security along the US-Mexico border.

Citing clear statistics from the nonpartisan GAO report, Alexander today hit back at the Post's assessment, and at the Obama administration's continued disregard for securing the nation's borders.

Here's a look at what the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee had to say:

The Obama administration — and apparently The Post — pretend the border is more secure than ever because apprehensions are down. But apprehensions are down for two reasons: Our sluggish economy and the limited ability of the Border Patrol to apprehend illegal immigrants.

...But 7 million individuals work illegally in the United States, and the administration hasn’t done much to stop them. In the past two years, work-site enforcement activities have plummeted by 70 percent. If the administration enforced immigration laws, we could open up millions of jobs for unemployed legal workers. And it would send the signal that we take our immigration laws seriously. This would deter illegal immigration.

Alexander adds that:

...Because of the administration’s selective enforcement of immigration law, only 44 percent of the southern border is under the operational control of the Border Patrol, according to the GAO. There is no substitute for improved border security coupled with increased interior enforcement of drug and immigration laws if we want to secure our border.

Congressman Alexander full letter to WaPo Editors is available to view here.

Unlike the President, two-thirds of voters believe US-Mexico border is not secure

Natalie Gonnella
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In his speech in El Paso on Tuesday, President Obama took yet another mocking swipe at GOP efforts to address security concerns along the country's southern border:

We have gone above and beyond what was requested by the very Republicans who said they supported broader reform as long as we got serious about enforcement. But even though we’ve answered these concerns, I suspect there will be those who will try to move the goal posts one more time. They’ll say we need to triple the border patrol. Or quadruple the border patrol. They’ll say we need a higher fence to support reform. Maybe they’ll say we need a moat. Or alligators in the moat. They’ll never be satisfied. And I understand that. That’s politics.

And although the President once again claimed the US-Mexico border is safer than it has ever been, a new Rasmussen Reports survey reveals that most Americans strongly feel otherwise.

According to the poll conducted last week (shortly after the President's remarks in Texas), nearly two-thirds of voters felt that the nation's southern border was not adequately secure.  When broken down by political preference 86% of Republicans, 65% of unaffiliated voters and nearly half of Democrats agreed.

Additionally, just 23% of voters have a favorable view of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who in March also claimed the US border was safer than ever.

With frustration growing among border-state politicians and residents alike, and only 44% of the border currently protected (only 15% of which is "airtight") perhaps the President should consider his own comments and stop playing politics and start addressing serious policy concerns.

As Representative Joe Walsh said in a video message on Wednesday: "Mr. President if it takes moat and alligators for you to be serious - I'm game."

Immigration reality-check: Immigrants are driving innovation in America, so why would we drive them away?

Ryan Streeter
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Most of our debate over immigration focuses on the border issues, illegal immigrants, and the like, but as this Wall Street Journal article reminds us, our immigration policy as a whole needs work.

Immigrants already drive much of American innovation. We should make it easier to ensure they don't leave and take their intellectual capital and future innovations with them.

In times like these - or any times, really - it doesn't make sense for our higher educational institutions to be laboratories of learning and IP development, only to export it back overseas to our competitors.

Here are some key factoids from the article worth ruminating on:

• The U.S. Patent Office says immigrants invent patents at roughly double the rate of non-immigrants, which is why a 1% increase in immigrants with college degrees leads to a 15% rise in patent production.
• In recent years, immigrant inventors have contributed to more than a quarter of all U.S. global patent applications
• These immigrants also start companies at an accelerated pace, co-founding 52% of Silicon Valley firms since 1995.
• Last year, foreign students studying on temporary visas received more than 60% of all U.S. engineering doctorates.
• These engineering students drive economic growth. According to the Department of Labor, only 5% of U.S. workers are employed in fields related to science and engineering, but they're responsible for more than 50% of sustained economic expansion (growth that isn't due to temporary or cyclical factors).
• For the first time, a majority of American-trained entrepreneurs who have returned to India and China believe they are doing better at "home" than they would be doing in the U.S. The numbers weren't even close: 72% of Indians and 81% of Chinese said "economic opportunities" were superior in their native countries.

What They're Saying: Policy or politics? Border state Republicans respond to President Obama's immigration speech

Natalie Gonnella
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Despite widespread wildfires and pressing border concerns, President Obama's visit to Texas yesterday largely revolved around his own 'grand vision' for comprehensive immigration reform.

Regardless of the fact that over 445,000 people illegally entered the US in 2010 by way of the country's southern border (thousands of miles of which remains open and unprotected) the President used the majority of his time in Texas to garner support for his revamped citizenship proposal (and of course his 2012 reelection campaign).  And rather than address security gaps along the border, during his speech in El Paso the President instead chose to mockingly attack the GOP's concerns: 

We have gone above and beyond what was requested by the very Republicans who said they supported broader reform as long as we got serious about enforcement. But even though we’ve answered these concerns, I suspect there will be those who will try to move the goal posts one more time. They’ll say we need to triple the border patrol. Or quadruple the border patrol. They’ll say we need a higher fence to support reform. Maybe they’ll say we need a moat. Or alligators in the moat. They’ll never be satisfied. And I understand that. That’s politics.

With Senate Democrats preparing to reintroduce the DREAM Act (which would give legal status to some illegal immigrants who came into the United States as children) on the heels of the President's remarks, here's a look at what a number of border state Republicans had to say about yesterday's speech, and the administration's continued preference for political games over securing the southern border:

In a statement expressing his frustration and disappointment with the President's political manipulation of issues like immigration and border security, Freshman Congressman Ben Quayle commented:

Much like his deficit speech last month, President Obama’s immigration speechmwas driven by politics and politics alone. Instead of real solutions and reforms, the President offered finger pointing and spin. He even claimed that the border fence between the United States and Mexico is ‘basically complete.’ That assertion couldn’t be further removed from reality.  

Governor Jan Brewer summed up her response with a comment via Twitter:

@GovBrewer: I’m afraid Obama's announcement is more of the "promise something, do nothing, blame someone" spin we're accustomed to hearing from DC

Senator David Vitter offered his views via his congressional website, noting that:

If President Obama and Sen. Reid are serious about immigration reform, amnesty needs to be completely removed from the debate. Democrats and Republicans overwhelmingly rejected amnesty in 2007 and the DREAM Act last year, and I’ll most certainly continue to oppose amnesty in any form, especially while our borders are not secure...There are literally online donation campaigns to raise money to complete the border fences because of the lack of action from the federal government.  Americans shouldn’t have to pass the hat to pay for the border security this administration is refusing to provide.

Prior to the President's speech, Senator Jon Cornyn said of the administration's position on immigration:

It’s disappointing that the only time border security and immigration reform get President Obama’s attention is when he is campaigning.  The bottom line is that nothing President Obama says, or where he says it, can change the fact that he failed to deliver on his promise to make immigration reform a priority during his first year in office.

Ahead of this morning's Homeland Security subcommittee hearing on border security, Congressman Michael McHaul stressed that:

The President is not giving the American people a complete picture of security on our border with Mexico...The data on spillover crime and violence is deceiving and underreported. While we have more resources, the border is more dangerous...Before we start talking about reforming our immigration policy we need to prioritize our national security and gain operational control of the border.  Despite the President’s rhetoric that he has gone ‘above and beyond’ to secure the border, this mission is not accomplished.  The President can start by extending the deployment of National Guardtroops beyond June 30 and increase their numbers and authority. 

"Snubbed": With border governors left off the guest list for the President's "immigration summit," Gov. Jan Brewer expresses her frustration with the Administration's continued disregard for the security concerns of southern border states

Natalie Gonnella

President Obama yesterday hosted a private meeting with key immigration "stakeholders" to discuss their ideas and opinions on current policy as he aims to "intensify" his push for comprehensive immigration reform.

In a statement addressing the purpose and outcome of the event, the White House noted the President's commitment to ensuring bipartisan cooperation on the issue:

[T]he President listened to stakeholders describe a variety of problems that result from the broken system...The President reiterated his commitment to comprehensive immigration reform that both strengthens security at our borders while restoring accountability to the broken immigration system, and pointed out that perpetuating a broken immigration system is not an option if America is to win the future...The President noted that he will continue to work to forge bipartisan consensus and will intensify efforts to lead a civil debate on this issue in the coming weeks and months, but also noted that he cannot be successful if he is leading the debate alone.

Quite apparent, however, was the absence of every current border governor (three of which are Republicans) at yesterday's meeting, a "snub," which not surprisingly has irritated a number of elected officials who have repeatedly called for increased attention from the President to address the significant gaps in security along the US-Mexico border.

In an interview last night with Fox News' On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer expressed her frustration with the administration's continued disregard for the concerns of those living along the country's southern border, apparent yet again in his choice to not include border governors in this week's summit:

I'm a little bit offended. I think that I put my name out there. I put my career out there. I've been fighting hard for the people of Arizona in regards to this. I believe I've been relentless. And I think I have a lot to offer. I'm going to speak for the people.

And if we could sit down and discuss these things, we could get the solutions, maybe we could get something implemented. And it is what I told him when I visited with him. We have to agree to disagree. I'm not interested in a lot of solutions until we get our borders secured. It's simple. And not having been invited today was truly a snub. It was a snub.

 Earlier in the interview, Governor Brewer also commented:

I feel Arizona, I believe I and Rick Perry and certainly the governors on the border have been leading the fight. We've been bringing the message to America. And I think that we should have been afforded that opportunity to be at the table to help him understand the situation that we want straightened out

Adding that:

The bottom line is that [the President] has a different agenda than what the American people have. Unfortunately, we keep talking and we keep contacting him with our concerns, really no response, no concern. Of course now we are in the election period so we now he's going to be standing up and talking about he's going to do this and that. He's had two years to deliver what he promised two years ago and hasn't delivered.

So we want our borders secured. I truly believe that the majority of us are not going to discuss anything else in regards to what his agenda is, until we get satisfaction with security at our borders.

Although the Administration failed to reach out to the current border governors for yesterday's meeting, his invite list did include a number of well known individuals from a variety of backgrounds including:

• NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (a very vocal advocate against gun laws passed under Governor Brewer who in February set up an undercover sting to investigate Arizona gun shows)
• The former police chief of New York Bill Brown
• Former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff
• Former Senator Mel Martinez
• Greg Page, chairman and CEO of Cargill
• Reverand Al Sharpton
• Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook (interestingly, the President is heading to Facebook HQ today to host an online townhall to drum up support for his reelection bid)
• Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Richard Trumka, who is AFL-CIO union leader. 

Governor Brewer's full interview can be viewed here.

What They're Saying: After inspecting US border sites, Arizona Republicans continue to disagree with the Administration's border security decisions

Natalie Gonnella

As President Obama's prepares to pull over a thousand National Guard troops from the US border and with Secretary of Homeland Security and former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano declaring security between the US and Mexico to be better "than it has even been," five Arizona Republicans who have been highly critical of the President's border policy, this week took a tour of US ports of entry to observe the situation for themselves.

Although the delegation did note that there had been some minor improvements, after a two-day inspection Senator John McCain, Congressmen Paul Gosar, Ben Quayle, David Schweikert and Jeff Flake, continued to disagree with the Administration's decision to decrease National Guard numbers along the US border, calling instead for an increase in troop levels to ensure security improvements continue.

Here's a look at what a few of the delegation members had to say in their own words:

Senator John McCain said at a press conference:

The work that the National Guard has been doing is vital and it needs to be increased rather than decreased...When the Secretary of Homeland Security withdraws the National Guard from the border after they've been doing such a good job, we don't know if they are really serious about securing our border."

Congressman Paul Gosar said in statement:

This week my colleagues and I personally inspected several ports of entry into Arizona, including rural areas along the border and residential communities.  One thing became very clear- the people of Arizona are far from being safe and secure on the border.  More troubling is the recent decision by the Administration to unilaterally withdraw the National Guard troops from the border.  Although the threat level is increasing, the Administration is decreasing our security efforts.  This makes no sense.   The personnel on the border are already stretched too thin- we cannot take away this vital resource from our brave men and women who serve and are vigilantly working to keep Arizona safe. 

In a post on Twitter, Congressman Ben Quayle said:

Napolitano still says the border is more secure than ever. After our border visit the past 2 days, I continue to disagree http://ow.ly/4miyu

Earlier in the month, Representative Quayle also penned an op-ed for The Arizona Republic on the issue (a post which resulted in an opinion piece on TownHall.com by Chuck Norris who strongly backs Quayle's stance on the issue), commenting that:

Based on some of her recent statements related to border security, sometimes I wonder whether Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is talking about the Utah-Arizona border or the U.S.-Mexico border.

Americans trust Republicans more than Democrats on nine out of ten key issues, with both parties tied on Social Security

Natalie Gonnella

Two months into the 112th Congress, Americans trust Republicans more than Democrats on a majority of "important issues" regularly surveyed by Rasmussen Reporting.

In a new poll investigating the views of 1000 voters, Rasmussen reveals that in nine out of ten areas of political concern, Americans' trust the GOP over Democrats, with both parties locked in a tie on Social Security.

Rasmussen last compared voters' trust levels in early January, and since that last survey (which ranked Republicans as most trustworthy on all ten issues), there has been little change.

As congressional debate continues on issues like spending cuts, health care and entitlement reform, and with a number of potential 2012 contenders moving closer to declaring their candidacy, Rasmussen's bi-monthly survey of Americans' trust levels will definitely be an interesting one to watch.

The full anlaysis of Rasmussen's latest poll can be viewed here.

Governor Susana Martinez moves one step closer to fulfilling her campaign promise to end the issuance of driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants

Natalie Gonnella

As a number of states hesitate on immigration reform, last week Governor Susana Martinez inched closer to fulfilling her campaign promise to stop the issuing of New Mexico drivers' licenses to undocumented immigrants.

During a vote on Friday in the state's Democrat controlled House of Representatives, New Mexico legislators passed a bill which would prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining drivers licenses 42-28.

In a statement applauding the House decision, Governor Martinez said:

Today, the will of the people of New Mexico was heard in the House of Representatives.Despite numerous procedural schemes to defend the status quo, a broad coalition of Republicans, Democrats, and the House’s lone Independent came together to stand with an overwhelming majority of New Mexicans who want to see the dangerous practice of issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants overturned. I hope the Senate will also listen to the people of New Mexico and give this bill an up-or-down vote.

Although the bill is expected to face a stringent challenge in the state's upper chamber, should New Mexico senators pass the legislation, the number of states issuing licenses to illegal immigrants dwindles to two: Utah and Washington.

Report: Number of unauthorized immigrants in the United States "virtually unchanged" since 2009

Natalie Gonnella

The number of undocumented immigrants living in the the US has levelled off after a two year decline. As of March 2010, according to a new report by the Pew Hispanic Center, there were an estimated 11.2 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States, a number that is nearly unchanged when compared with 2009 figures:

Florida, New York, Virginia and Arizona saw a decline in numbers, as did the combined population "of three contiguous Mountain West states -- Arizona, Nevada and Utah."

In contrast, over the past three years:

There was a statistically significant increase in the combined unauthorized immigrant population of Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The change was not statistically significant for these states individually, but it was for the combined three states.

The increase gives Texas one of the largest populations of undocumented immigrants in the country, a figure which puts the state's unauthorized populace second only to California. Texas and California are also "among the states where undocumented immigrants constitute the largest shares of the overall populations," at 6.7% and 6.8%.  Nevada, however, takes the top spot on this measure, with an unauthorized population accounting for 7.2% of state inhabitants.

Pew's findings come as several lawmakers take steps to tighten immigration policy within their states:

This week, Governor Susana Martinez issued an executive order authorizing New Mexico law enforcement to inquire into the immigration status of anyone arrested within the state. A North Carolina Republican has proposed a bill that would ban undocumented students from attending North Carolina community colleges and universities. Nearly a dozen state legislature's have proposed legislation which would implement Arizona style immigration laws within their own borders. And last Thursday, Arizona legislators proposed a law that would make changes to the legal definition of a citizen of their state.

State governors have yet to comment on the findings, but the full report by the Pew Hispanic Center can be viewed here.