Border Patrol replies to criticisms

An article in the Nogales International on 12/20/02 contained various statements allegedly made by David Aguilar, Chief Border Patrol agent in the Tucson sector. Below is the response to the statements by an expert on border affairs in the area:

TRANSLATIONS added by Dave Stoddard, a retired Border Patrol agent.

David Aguilar, chief of the Tucson sector of the Border Patrol, which includes Santa Cruz County, said that the impression of some residents that the government has chosen not to enforce immigration laws is incorrect.

TRANSLATION: The government is charged with enforcement of immigration laws. We continue to make a show of enforcing inconsequential laws that doesn't piss anyone off. Never mind that many of those laws that Mexico doesn't like are being ignored and not being enforced.

"Arizona has been at the focus of the Border Patrol's efforts for several years.

TRANSLATION: The Border Patrol has been in Arizona since it was established in 1924.

"INS and the Border Patrol are in fact and have been aggressively enforcing our nation's immigration laws.

TRANSLATION: We regard "aggressively enforcing" as showing up for work and going through the motions of enforcing as long as it doesn't offend the Mexican government or my buddies in LULAC.

"The Southwest Border Strategy is a multi-year, multi-phase strategy.

TRANSLATION: This massive invasion has been going on unabated for many years and is likely to continue.

"The Border Patrol, along with its fellow government agencies, has been working very diligently and aggressively in support of protecting our nation's borders.

TRANSLATION: Our nations borders are being secured by many agencies which are acting in the same proper politically correct manner as is the Border Patrol.

"Border Patrol agents, Customs agents, DEA and a host of other agency agents and resources deploy on a daily basis in an all-out effort to bring manageable control to our borders," Aguilar said.

TRANSLATION: These agencies go to work every day and usually do the same thing in the same ineffective manner.

When asked if higher level officials don't want larger numbers of arrests reported, as some citizens believe, Aguilar said:

"While numbers of arrests are not the only measure in gauging our operation's effectiveness, they are an essential part in our measuring effectiveness.

TRANSLATION: Yes.

"Our stations and agents go to great lengths to ensure that information that we use is accurate to the degree possible."

TRANSLATION: It is impossible to release accurate figures as my superiors will remove me from office for malfeasance.

Although not everyone is served by the agency 100 percent of the time, Aguilar said the quality of life in city and rural areas in Santa Cruz County has improved.

TRANSLATION: The quality of life for rural residents must be sacrificed in order to allow the city residents a little peace and quiet so they will shut up believing they have actually accomplished something.

"By bringing manageable control to the border, populated areas and rural residents alike benefit.

TRANSLATION: Although "manageable control of the border" is the mantra, it sounds good to the media and has no clear definition. I am impressed with my ability to throw out these ill-defined words in terms which may baffle the uninformed.

"The Border Patrol's continued efforts to expand our operations have in fact mitigated illegal incursions in areas that were previously experiencing elevated levels of illegal incursions.

TRANSLATION: We are preventing entries in downtown Douglas and Nogales

"Today, as we speak, Nogales Station levels of apprehensions are comparable to levels of apprehensions that were occurring during fiscal year 1995.

TRANSLATION: As I am speaking, we continue to have massive illegal immigration.

"Santa Cruz County Attorney Martha Chase and Police Chief John Kissinger attribute their community's reduction in crime to Operation Safeguard, the Border Patrol's border strategy," Aguilar said.

TRANSLATION: Martha Chase and John Kissinger attribute the reduction in crime in small pockets in Nogales due to the fact that outlying residents are being victimized instead.

Some complain that they don't like the way Border Patrol agents have handled certain circumstances.

TRANSLATION: We don't care what the complaints are. I simply don't care. I just don't want my cohorts in Mexico or my companeros in LULAC to be offended.

Aguilar said the agency "encourages private citizens and community members to call and report any suspected criminal activity.

TRANSLATION: Call all you want, we will tell you we can't respond or we will blow you off just to get you off my back.

"Any reports of alleged or suspected other than law enforcement detentions are handled under very specific guidelines that are in place to protect all parties involved in the incident.

TRANSLATION: There are very specific guidelines that allow Mexico to dictate which immigration laws we enforce, if any.

"In these instances, the U.S. Attorney's Office, the County Attorney's Office, the Sheriff's Office and the appropriate Consulate of the alien involved are notified to give all interested parties an opportunity to interview all parties involved.

TRANSLATION: All our operations are subject to approval of the Mexican Consul. If the Sheriff's Office, or the County Attorney disapproves we will also discontinue those operations.

"These guidelines are in place to ensure that all parties having a jurisdictional interest in the rights of the affected, be those of the alien(s) or the private citizen, have an opportunity to review the circumstances."

TRANSLATION: We will continue to be politically correct in all circumstances. My yearly bonus will not be endangered by my enforcing the law and offending anyone other than those citizens being victimized whose cries to politicians have gone unheeded and unheard. Their way of life, culture, peace and security is the price we pay for globalism and keeping the Mexicans and the cheap labor lobby happy.

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