In a stunning admission, officials in the Obama Administration admitted to The New York Times they resisted producing a metric to determine whether the border is secure because President Obama did not want any hurdles placed between illegal aliens and a pathway to citizenship. (The New York Times, Mar. 21, 2013) The admission was made to the New York Times Thursday, a day after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials shocked Members of Congress by announcing that despite promises to develop one, they still have no official way to measure whether the border is secure. (Id.) (Hearing video clip; Mar. 20, 2013)
In 2011, the Obama Administration abandoned the metric of “operational control” and it planned to develop a new “holistic” measure, called the Border Condition Index (BCI) to measure border security. Indeed, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano herself told Congress in October 2011 that this index would be able to provide “the big picture” for measuring progress at the border and that it would be ready the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2012. (Napolitano Testimony, Oct. 25, 2011; See FAIR Legislative Update, Mar. 4, 2013, for more background information.)
But testifying Wednesday before the House Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, Mark Borkowski, Assistant Commissioner of the U.S. Border Patrol, told Members of Congress that not only was the BCI not yet developed, but that the BCI was never intended to be an overall measure of border security. (Hearing video clip; Mar. 20, 2013) “First of all,” Borkowski said to Chairwoman Candice Miller (R-MI), “I don’t believe that we intend, at least at this point, that the BCI would be a tool for the measurement that you’re suggest[ing]…I need to start there.” (Bloomberg transcript, Mar. 20, 2013) He continued, “The BCI is part of a set of information that advises us on where we are and, most importantly, what the trends are and that’s what it’s designed for. So it is not our intent, at least not immediately, that it would be the Measure you’re talking about.”
Visibly irked, Chairwoman Miller warned the Homeland Security officials before her that the inability to measure border security could derail efforts to pass amnesty legislation. (Id.) Even pro-amnesty Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) seemed surprised. She quipped, “And I would say to the department: You’ve got to get in the game. And what I’m hearing here is not really a definitive game strategy.” (Id.)
Upon learning the Obama Administration delayed developing a border security metric to protect a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens, FAIR sharply criticized both the Administration and those in Congress who are trying to ram a mass amnesty bill through Congress. “The American people need to understand that the current administration has no intention of honoring any enforcement commitments that might be included in an amnesty bill. Both the administration and leading lawmakers are making it clear that enforcement will either be delayed endlessly or ignored altogether,” said FAIR’s President Dan Stein. “Moreover, how can Congress possibly consider passing mass amnesty legislation when the Department of Homeland Security admits it has no way of measuring whether the border is secure, and when Obama Administration officials say they don’t want one?” he concluded. (FAIR Press Release, Mar. 22, 2013)
11 Comments
Why have I never heard of an initiative to Impeach Obama and if there is how do I get involved?
Oboma is just trying to break this country, just like his father was doing in Africa.
He does not care about the AMERICAN PEOPLE.
If this isn’t covered under high crimes and misdemeanors for impeachment purposes then NOTHING is covered and high crimes and misdemeanors is just a useless phrase .
Didn’t the oath of office that Obama took, for the second time, still say that he was supposed to protect the country and enforce the laws that the representatives of the people had enacted and that had been signed into law by the President of the United States. Since when does he and his justice department get to choose which ones they want to enforce and which ones they choose to ignore. Choosing to not uphold the law seems, to me, to be a violation of the oath he swore to uphold. He should be held accountable and not allowed to disregard the laws of the land.
When Americans break the laws of this country, they are arrested, jailed, fined, etc. When foreigners break the laws of this country, they are rewarded with housing, medical, education, food stamps, etc., etc., etc.,. How do I become an ILLEGAL alien? I’m really hurting out here and after working all my life am being totally covered up in more and more taxes. Seeing all the ILLEGALS and entitlement groups living a whole lot better than I can, burns me up. When is this going to stop? The muslim in chief knows exactly what he is doing. His goal, that he was put in the White House to do, is to destroy this country. He is doing a great job.
I have lived along the Border all my life and I don’t believe the US will stop the illegal entry of aliens to this country. There is no doubt that the entry of individuals into our country will continue so long as there is work for higher pay,
a lack of labor force to do field work for our farmers, better protection of individuals rights as so granted by our constitution within our borders, free education, protection of gays, and this country’s policy of family unity and medical benefits to undocumented aliens. History will also repeat itself. What makes us think that we are better than out fore fathers who gave us our constitutional rights.
WE need imagration control not reform its all ready in place on how to become a citizen they are braking the law by being here if i brake the law i go to jail WHAT IS WRONG with congress and or so called pres,.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
they even lied about number deported; 54% are on welfare and keeping them would me earned income credit and allowing them to hold on to our jobs while americans and our veterans suffer every day (many suicides, etc.)
Our veterans need help that they are not getting (as well as their familie being denied college and benefits while they get in-state). 23 million americans with no jobs comes before illegals and PO passes immigration and goes golfing (cancel jobs comm, no budget, still sending money everywhere else – nothing for americans or legal immigrants!
…jobs mexico that mexicans are too lazy to do for 1.00 so they came here and do the same job for more (and now accuse us of being lazy and prejudice; black but have never been lazy…any laws anyone else breaks we have to be responsible -no amnesty for any of us – pay no taxes (jail). PO stopped border patrol from arrests so number will go down so they have no way of knowing and don’t care
look up alipac-
They have no idea how to measure if the border is secure? More of our “broken system”? How about this. No amnesty since supposedly border security is to happen at the same time as amnesty. YOU CAN”T BE TRUSTED.
The Obama regime is undoubtedly the most vile, treasonous, and corrupt in our history. Comrade O is deliberately deceiving the American people in order to protect those that his corrupt regime should have deported. Sooner or later the people will rise up against O’s dictatorial behavior…. I hope.
You are absulutely correct, so what can you/ we do about it?
I don’t put that as a challenge, or a slap down like the La Raza, Mecta. and other such pro amnesty groups would, but as a concerned American retiree.
There’s nothing we can do to reverse this agenda, and 90% of the law makers today are culpible to our withering economical status, yet we keep voting for these ‘elitist left wing’ jerks again, and again.
Do you think it REALLY makes a difference to those, wherher or not, they get reelected? Of course not. They would simply retire out, even after one term, and draw their pensions which insults my own for which I worked a full 50 years to accrue. I certainly am not alone in this.. just another victim, like most Americans..
Then, while America is in such dire financial straights, the remaining 90% GIVE what’s left to every country, and cause in the name of generousity, and/or charity.
Am I wrong in believing the old saying that: “Charity begins at HOME?’ Have we given up the individual right to choose which charity’s to contribute our tax money’s to?