Guest Column
Border control aims at wrong bad guys
- By Marisa Trevino
- USA Today
- Feb 24, 2006
The latest news from the U.S.-Mexico border is not good. Violent assaults against Border Patrol agents are up 108%, says Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar.
Sheriff deputies haven't fared much better. After last month's clash between Texas' Hudspeth County lawmen and armed drug smugglers dressed in Mexican military-style uniforms, deputies were warned to "stay off the river" or risk getting killed.
Journalists are not immune to the violence, either. There was the brazen attack at the El Maņana newspaper in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, across from Laredo, Texas, where a reporter was struck five times by gunfire. The motive for the attack remains a mystery, though the drug cartels are strongly suspected.
The increasing violence along our southern border demands more congressional scrutiny and a better understanding of who really are the bad guys. They belong to two groups: warring drug cartels and "coyotes," who smuggle people across the border. These are the guys operating criminal enterprises, not the illegal immigrants in search of a job and a future.
Congress' attention to the border violence, however, appears more like political posturing to steer public opinion to endorse anti-illegal immigrant legislation. Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., for one, recently said, "A lot of the people coming across the border are criminals and potentially terrorists."
No immigrant advocate is naīve enough to think that all illegal immigrants are angelic. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, 28% of federal inmates are non-U.S. citizens. But to date, no Spanish-speaking illegal immigrant has been jailed for being a terrorist.
Though it is not clear whether critics believe that our porous border allows "real" terrorists access to our country, what is clear is that this vocal group is advancing a misguided approach that might best be described as trying to kill two birds with one stone.
There's no denying our fear of terrorists. What's not clear is why we should fear most illegal immigrants whose sole intent is to improve their quality of life. A Pew Hispanic Center report issued last year showed that most illegal immigrants exhibited characteristics that everyone, from conservatives to liberals, can appreciate: a strong work ethic and a deep commitment to their families. The report showed that the median weekly wage of migrants is only $300. The bulk of this income is often used to support their families.
Their deeds lead to the same conclusion: The majority of illegal immigrants put others before themselves. That doesn't sound like terrorism or a criminal threat. It sounds like an unselfish act. Are these the kind of people who deserve to be called the bad guys?
Marisa Treviņo is a freelance writer in Dallas.
USA Today article at: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=679&e=4&u=/usatoday/20060224/cm_usatoday/bordercontrolaimsatwrongbadguys
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