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Return to Article: Intelligence reform bill boosts hiring at Homeland Security agencies

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  I'm glad to see that several ICE agents already have pointed out the fact that this "reform" bill does not include a single dime to fund any of the extra Border Patrol and ICE agents it authorizes. Americans will have to wait until the appropriations process next fall to see whether the funding is forthcoming.

  That is not the only critical shortcoming of this bill, however. The 9/11 Commission documented a littany of immigration loopholes that terrorists have used to enter and remain in the United States. The bill passed by the House to address the Commission's findings, H.R. 10, addressed virtually all these loopholes. The bill that was signed into law yesterday (12/17) will do almost nothing to prevent foreign terrorists from attacking us on our own soil again.

  The provision regarding Federal standards for driver's licenses is a perfect example. The driver's license provision passed by the House and advocated by Rep. Sensenbrenner during the conference actually listed minimum standards of issuance and design, including a requirement that the applicant provide proof of legal presense in the country. Senate conferees, though, insisted on a hollow promise that the Department of Transportation will negotiate with the 50 states to see if they can agree on some unspecified minimum standards by 2008. And even then, states will be able to opt out of compliance.

  The 19 9/11 hijackers had 364 aliases (that we know of) and 63 state-issued driver's licenses -- some issued to hijackers who were illegally present -- which they used to board the airplanes with which they murdered 3,000 Americans. Yet the Senate couldn't bring itself to inconvenience illegal aliens, even to protect Americans' lives.

  Rosemary Jenks Posted December 18, 2004 3:49 AM
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  Before hiring an additional 10,000 Border Patrol agents and 4,000 ICE agents, DHS needs to correct many severe problems, especially within ICE. The idiots in charge have given away so much traditional Customs investigative authority to the FBI and DEA that ICE is on the brink of collapse. As another response mentioned, nobody in DHS has the authority to investigate terrorism, even though we were created specifically for that purpose. This entire department is simply a puppet for the FBI. The FBI had a seat at the table during the creation of DHS even though they aren't even a part of it. It's therefore no surprise that we have given so much away to them. And on top of that, when the next terrorist attack happens, the FBI has the perfect scapegoat - DHS. So in essence, an entire department was created in which the FBI has been able to pilfer whatever it wants from it, and which the FBI will be able to blame for any future tragedies. It's perfect for the FBI, and extremely disturbing for anyone interested in the security of the U.S. Seeing as the FBI wants authority over everything, I suggest forcing them to take full jurisdiction over all illegal immigration issues. Then perhaps DHS can get to the work at hand - terrorism, weapons violations, drugs, money laundering, terrorist financing, and border security.

  Additionally, with the sudden rush to hire 10,000 new border patrol agents and 4,000 new ICE agents, can you imagine the crap we are going to get? With such a hiring craze, the hiring process will no doubt be significantly streamlined, and standards will be lowered to dangerous levels. Border Patrol and Immigration already had severe problems in these areas due to their notorious turnover rates, and now that problem is going to be even worse. Border Patrol and ICE will be overrun by delinquents soon after this new hiring frenzy begins.

  GovExec.com reader Posted December 13, 2004 12:06 PM
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  Wow, Where do I start. 4,000 new SA positions over 4 years. I'm impressed ! Another unfunded mandate that is meaningless without the funds to actually hire these new Agents; smoking mirrors? Who is Congress kidding. I have to fax in my G ride gas receipts every week to my RAC. How many unhappy Agents are going to bail out of this failed, dysfunctional ICE Agency in four years, will there be a break even point with the new hires ? Too bad this bill did not include a clause or language firing Michael Garcia, Clark, Forman, Hutchinson and the Headquarters mouthpiece spinmyster, Russ Knocke . Let the Legacy Customs Agents go to CBP and concentrate on the Customs violations that they were well adapt at doing. Conversely let the Legacy INS Agents return to working only INS related violations, including the OCEDEF Task Forces and related VGTF units. Two weeks of cross training for the respective Agents was a joke ! I hope these new ICE Agent Trainee hires, if they EVER in FACT get hired, look very closely at ICE as a career before they sign on the dotted line !

  GovExec.com reader Posted December 10, 2004 8:10 PM
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  We're going to need those additional 4000 agents to push our cars.

  GovExec.com reader Posted December 10, 2004 1:28 PM
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  Does the bill also include funding to hire those 4,000 new agents for ICE, and 10,000 for the Border Patrol? If not, it's just another piece of useless legislation. Remember ICE had to cancel training and send new agents home from FLETC, as well as freeze hiring due to serious budget difficulties. Besides, why hire more ICE agents to fight terrorism, when we can't, because it's the sole jurisdiction of the FBI? I'm sure the 9/11 Commission meant well, and the families of the 9/11 victims as well. However, this legislation will actually do little more than make people feel that something is being done, when it really doesn't add much to the fight against terrorism. Does anyone really think that one person can handle all the intelligence assets of this nation, or that bureaucratic infighting will be eliminated by this legislation?

  GovExec.com reader Posted December 9, 2004 7:21 PM