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CYA from DHS over CBP

posted at 11:33 pm on May 9, 2006 by Allahpundit
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Just posted at the Border Patrol website.

From today’s article in the Daily Bulletin:

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman confirmed the notification process, describing it as a standard procedure meant to reassure the Mexican government that migrants’ rights are being observed.

“It’s not a secret where the Minuteman volunteers are going to be,” Mario Martinez said Monday.

“This … simply makes two basic statements — that we will not allow any lawlessness of any type, and that if an alien is encountered by a Minuteman or arrested by the Minuteman, then we will allow that government to interview the person.”

Whom do you believe? The Bulletin, or this guy?

Update: Here’s CNN’s report on the controversy. Note the interview halfway through with Andy Ramirez of Friends of the Border Patrol. He says info about his operation turned up on the Mexican government’s website — and is adamant that the only way they could have gotten it is from CBP.

Update: Sara Carter, the reporter who broke the story for the Daily Bulletin, is sticking to it. Keep your eye on the boss’s blog for details…

Update: Here’s Michelle’s post, in which she re-prints two e-mails she received from Carter. For all of DHS’s supposed indignance, they’re not asking the Daily Bulletin to retract the story.

MM has advice for righty bloggers:

This White House has another burgeoning debacle on its hands. And it’s not the Daily Bulletin or conservative bloggers’ fault. I would highly recommend that blind Bush supporters not attack the reporter as some sort of NYTimes liberal ideologue. Those who have followed their excellent journalism over the years know that the Daily Bulletin and its reporters in the trenches have been at the forefront of border and immigration enforcement reporting.

Message to apologists: Stop blaming the messengers. It’s only going to make those poll numbers you worry so much about worse.

Message to the White House: Stop blaming the messengers. Do us all a favor by ending this travesty and apologizing. And please don’t fire Mario Martinez for telling the reporter the truth.

Blowback

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It surely could put the lives of the minutemen at risk, especially from drug runners..
I’ve been a republican since Regan and now IM getting worried about where the party is going..

Tom N on May 10, 2006 at 12:47 AM

I’m hearing from a friend down that way — a member of the Texas branch of MCDC — that the Minutemen pretty much figure on the illegals knowing where they are anyway, due to everything from media coverage to dust plumes from their vehicles to Mexican “scouts.” I need to finish massaging his emails into a blog post and run it by him for redaction. I’ll post a link to it on an appropriate post here when it’s ready.

bdfaith on May 10, 2006 at 1:02 AM

Looks like we have the old smoke and mirrors tricks, the entrenched functionaries of government are not Walking the Walk. I think the Head of ICE, DHS and the Border Patrol need to explain this, Oh dont forget to invite someone from the State Department, remember it is their immigration polices, mandated by Congress that have created this mess.

John In El Paso, Tx

jgm666u on May 10, 2006 at 5:23 AM

Let’s see how this plays out. I would be more inclined to dismiss the story if Bush hadn’t referred to the Minutemen as ‘vigilantes’.

dman on May 10, 2006 at 8:14 AM

This issue has risen to the level where a simple denial on the CBP site just won’t cut it. I demand a full retraction from none other than the President himself – TODAY. Not Tony Snow, the President.

dman on May 10, 2006 at 8:24 AM

The Minutemen are an unregulated militia, formed to defend the United States of America, against invasion, from a foreign government, Mexico.

Our President and Congress, have failed to provide for our common defense, as required by the US Constitution.

Any act of sharing information, about troop movements, logistics, planning, or operations, of the unorganized militia, with a foreign government, is high treason, punishable, in time of war, by death.

Does that about cover what is going on?

I am not an attorney but I think that is what has occurred in this situation.

Now is the time for good men to come to the aid of their country and Impeach the lying occupants in the White House and Congress.

ScottyDog on May 10, 2006 at 8:39 AM

If you read the CBP statement carefully, their only claim is that they do not provide the info the the Mexican GOVERNMENT. Having been educated in Clinton-speak, we have to read between the lines. Can you spell ‘L-E-A-K’, boys and girls? I knew you could!

Get on TV, Mr. President, and stop this cold.

dman on May 10, 2006 at 8:46 AM

This administration needs to grow up about this issue yesterday. There has been no response to Mexican Federales crossing the border and firing weapons at US agents, and now that same agency has imperilled citizens who are trying to do the right thing. When will these goofs wake up?

Jezla on May 10, 2006 at 8:59 AM

November 8th, unfortunately.

dman on May 10, 2006 at 9:07 AM

Jorge Bush and his Federales are doing their best to facilitate border incursions. Que basura!

MCPO Airdale on May 10, 2006 at 9:48 AM

This is unbelievable
Viva Aztlan
Where’s my sombrero? I need a siesta!

Defector01 on May 10, 2006 at 12:26 PM

Isnt’ the notification of the Mexican government,Treason?

Marquis on May 10, 2006 at 1:45 PM

Just remember what the Bill of Rights is actually for…

hoosier_federalist on May 10, 2006 at 1:51 PM

Why should we have to reassure the Mexican government of ANYTHING? ah, more PC bull****. make sure we don’t hurt their FEELINGS…boo hoo hoo. we wouldn’t want to do that, now would we? big bad americans that we are…not giving illegal aliens (oops, migrant immigrants)civil rights, free healthcare, free education, and access to our courts. where is our compassion? sarcasm off/
AAARRRRRGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!

pullingmyhairout on May 10, 2006 at 5:36 PM

And why is this not Sedition? Congress should investigate immediately and punish all involved.

pat on May 10, 2006 at 8:59 PM

I’ve received a couple of good emails on this subject from "Papa Ray from West Texas" whom some of you may know from his comments on several conservative blogs. A few excerpts:

As a person who lives in the general area of the Border in question, I have a different viewpoint than most. Also, I know that fighting the "Man" and the Wetbacks can only be done from a position of strength and common sense. First, let me tell you something you might not know. I just joined (this month), the Texas Chapter of the Minutemen. I had been putting it off, using the $50.00 fee for an [easy] excuse (the fee is for a criminal background check on the applicant). But after my visit last month with a bud that owns a ranch on the Border I decided to go ahead and join.I have been in phone and email contact with my rancher bud for years. He is one of the few that still is alive from my previous life. He has told me, it has never been an issue with him or with any of the law enforcement agencies or Border Patrol that he has talked to or with any of the the new " Minuteman association" volunteers that he has talked to. He stated also that the coyotes and illegals knew of and kept track of their locations. This is mainly because its impossible to keep it a secret in the first place. The news media and the trails of dust going hundreds of feet in the air make movement and placement of observers impossible to keep secret. Plus, the coyotes have their own intelligence systems; they have been doing this for decades and are experts. [...]The Minuteman Mission is not to sneak up on the illegals and capture them. That would only result in getting people injured or killed. The mission is to Observe and Report and that is all…end of Mission Statement.Oh, and if you’re a Border Patrol Officer, you follow orders or you stop being one. …[...]This issue about illegals is not going to go away. But we need not bite off more than we need to to start off with. The border must be closed NOW and take the other issues one at a time. If the results are not satisfactory, we have to vote out those that won’t vote the will of the people and vote in those that will. That is the way that it is supposed to work in a Republic.This sorry situation took years to develop into what it is today and will take years to completely straighten out.
[...]Everyone is for closing the Border, but those that live along the border understand that without cooperation between Mexico and the United States, it will soon turn into a war zone.No sane person wants that.Papa Ray

I’ve included the full text of Papa Ray’s emails in my "U.S. tipping Mexico to Minuteman patrols" — Two sides to the story? post. Please read them and give what he has to say some thought.