At Border Patrol, Trump lifts morale that was at an all-time low

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/02/at-border-patrol-trump-lifts-morale-that-was-at-all-time-low.html

 

 

A thick fog recently blanketed the U.S.-Mexico border along Imperial Beach, Calif., a prime opportunity for border crossers to probe vulnerabilities in both the fence and the beleaguered agency patrolling it.

In SUVs or ATVs, Border Patrol agents with video surveillance equipment and binoculars spent hours, as they do every day, scanning the hilly and treacherous terrain that connects Tijuana, Mexico, to Southern California to try and prevent anyone trying to illegally cross the border.

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By the next morning, the processing rooms at the U.S. Border Patrol Imperial Beach Station were filled with men. They included two men from Turkey who washed up onshore on surfboards and wearing wetsuits. Federal agents spent hours that morning questioning nearly a dozen detained men who were suspected of being from Pakistan.

It’s just a snapshot of what happens every day along the busy San Diego sector of the U.S. Border. Agents say they are doing all they can to protect the border, but for years have found themselves in a losing battle against a well-financed and sophisticated network of smugglers.

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"We are undermanned and there are revisions and renovations that need to be made in the infrastructure along the border," says Chris Harris, a veteran Border Patrol agent and director of legislative and political affairs for the National Border Patrol Council.

Agents hope all that changes under President Donald Trump.

BORDER PATROL CHIEF, WHO ONCE BACKED IMMIGRATION REFORM, REMOVED FROM OFFICE

Harris said the unprecedented support the agency has received from Trump will reinvigorate an agency that has for years been hampered by inadequate funding, dismal resources and seesaw policy changes.

On January 25, Trump laid out a forceful yet controversial border security policy through a series of executive orders that included suspending “catch and release,” moving forward on building a border wall and pledging to hire 5,000 more federal agents.

The move drew outrage among immigration advocates across the country. But to the rank-and-file agents who have attempted to guard the border with a vague and contradictory mission for the past eight years – and saw morale plummet to historic levels – it was a welcome move they believe will make their agency more effective.

“When Trump was elected, there was an increase in optimism among the agents, but nothing like what we’ve seen in the past few days,” Shawn Moran, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council, said in reference to Trump’s executive orders.

Moran said he saw first-hand how morale plummeted under the Obama administration. Agents, he said, felt handcuffed by stringent policies that prevented them from doing their jobs. Under “catch and release,” they were releasing nearly 80 percent of the people they apprehended trying to enter the U.S. illegally, Moran said.

Moran said he is not totally surprised at the opposition Trump is receiving from sanctuary city mayors and the public, who he believes does not understand the implications of illegal immigration.

“I’m not surprised by the reaction,” Moran said, “people just don’t get it.”

DHS SECRETARY: BORDER WALL SHALL BE FINISHED IN TWO YEARS

But overhauling the agency will not be an easy task. Harris said it will entail a philosophical paradigm shift and will require agents to rethink how they approach their missions.

“Our skill sets have atrophied in this arena during the last eight or so years concurrent with the previous presidential administration,” said Harris. “It will take a complete paradigm shift in some of the ways we conduct business, and even in the way we think. Our operational mindset needs to be rethought and rechanneled.”

Despite Mexico’s pledge to stem the flow of Central American migrants entering its country from bordering Guatemala, the numbers have increased over the past year.

The number of unaccompanied children apprehended at the Southwest border jumped nearly 50 percent between fiscal years 2015-2016, from 39,970 to 59,692. In the first three months of this fiscal year (Oct. 1-Dec. 31), 21,321 have already been apprehended, according to Border Patrol stats.

But it is the number of family units apprehended that is staggering. Apprehensions jumped 95 percent between fiscal years 2015-2016, from 39,838 to 77,674. The numbers for the 2017 fiscal year have already surpassed the total for 2015, with 44,843 apprehended the past few months, according to Border Patrol.

Trump has made it his priority to stem the flow of migrants coming in through the porous border – saying it’s a matter of national security.

“The unprecedented surge of illegal migrants from Central America is harming both Mexico and the U.S. and I believe the steps we will take starting right now will improve the safety in both of our countries. It's going to be very, very good for Mexico,” Trump said when announcing the executive orders. "A nation without borders is not a nation. Beginning today, the U.S. gets back control of its borders, gets back its borders."

 

Joseph J. Kolb is a regular contributor to Fox News Latino.

[TBoneTX 45,283]

Anything at all that improves the typically foul (sometimes openly hostile) moods of the border agents will be positive.

Edited February 3, 2017 by TBoneTX

[eieio 1,594]

Great article. Just another step in making America great again. Sounds like the wall will be built. If all Trump accomplished was building the wall….I would consider my vote well cast.

 

But no….We are getting so much more. A temporary halt on potential terrorists, appointed a constitutional judge….who will be approved, no tpp, etc. He is just getting started. Truly a great time to be alive.

[TBoneTX 45,283]

A buddy just e-mailed me:

"So far, President Trump is different than the other Republican presidents we've had because he has backbone. He doesn't care what the media thinks nor is he afraid of the liberals. He just does what he has promised and ignores the flack. This makes the liberals so mad because they can't control him."

Admittedly without having gone down any lists, and granting that it's early, I can't think of any promises that Trump has broken yet.

[eieio 1,594]

6 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

A buddy just e-mailed me:

"So far, President Trump is different than the other Republican presidents we've had because he has backbone. He doesn't care what the media thinks nor is he afraid of the liberals. He just does what he has promised and ignores the flack. This makes the liberals so mad because they can't control him."

Admittedly without having gone down any lists, and granting that it's early, I can't think of any promises that Trump has broken yet.

What he said he would do and what he has been doing are one and the same. Now there will be things that he will not be able to get done and some things he will change his mind on.....but far less than most other presidents. His appointment of the judge is so huge it cannot be understated. So many conservatives stayed home or voted third party because they did not believe he would appoint a judge in the mold of Scalia. Millions of other conservatives made a leap of faith and voted for Trump in the hope that he would appoint a " conservative" judge.  I Hope crackpots like RBG hold onto their seats until 2020.  Conservatives will once again vote for Trump just so he can make another exceptional Supreme Court pick. 

[bcking 3,157]

There are a lot of things that I don't like about Trump or his agenda, but I have to agree that at least right now he is at least keeping to his "promises". Part of it is made a little easier by having a majority in both Houses, but regardless he is sticking to his goals. I may not like his goals but I have to admit he is sticking to them.

 

The Supreme Court pick will always be a thorn for me though since I still believe it was absolutely unprofessional to leave it for 11 months. It was Obama's right to nominate, and it was the legislatures duty to evaluate and discuss. To table the issue for almost a year was completely childish and unprofessional. It is what it is though.

 

As for the wall. Yes seems like it will get built. Now lets see if Mexico really does pay for it (taxes on imports would not count).

[Dakine10 5,452]

7 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

A buddy just e-mailed me:

"So far, President Trump is different than the other Republican presidents we've had because he has backbone. He doesn't care what the media thinks nor is he afraid of the liberals. He just does what he has promised and ignores the flack. This makes the liberals so mad because they can't control him."

Admittedly without having gone down any lists, and granting that it's early, I can't think of any promises that Trump has broken yet.

 

   It's only been 10 days. He's got 1451 days left. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

52 minutes ago, bcking said:

There are a lot of things that I don't like about Trump or his agenda, but I have to agree that at least right now he is at least keeping to his "promises". Part of it is made a little easier by having a majority in both Houses, but regardless he is sticking to his goals. I may not like his goals but I have to admit he is sticking to them.

 

The Supreme Court pick will always be a thorn for me though since I still believe it was absolutely unprofessional to leave it for 11 months. It was Obama's right to nominate, and it was the legislatures duty to evaluate and discuss. To table the issue for almost a year was completely childish and unprofessional. It is what it is though.

 

As for the wall. Yes seems like it will get built. Now lets see if Mexico really does pay for it (taxes on imports would not count).

I do agree it was the sitting presidents right to appoint the opening as much as I would have hated to see what lefty that would have used the Constitution for toilet paper he would have appointed. I am surprised the dems let the go so easily 

[bcking 3,157]

47 minutes ago, Nature Boy Flair said:

I do agree it was the sitting presidents right to appoint the opening as much as I would have hated to see what lefty that would have used the Constitution for toilet paper he would have appointed. I am surprised the dems let the go so easily 

We actually do know who he appointed though. Poor Merrick was waiting around for months (I'm sure he knew he would never actually be confirmed). He was a fairly moderate judge all things considered. Of course Obama would appoint someone more left leaning that Trump or pretty much any Republican, but I did feel like he went with a sort of "middle road" person.

 

While I'm not 100% knowledgeable on the appointment process I'm not really sure what the dems could have done differently. With Republican control of the Senate I don't see what option dems had other than to "let it go". Though maybe there is some strange esoteric law somewhere that could have applied, I have no idea.

 

My hope is that the Dems this time around fillibuster and then force Republicans to remove the fillibuster power from Supreme Court nominations (it should be removed all together honestly). I think in the long term view (if our country is around in 20+ years) it would be better. Though honestly I think Supreme Court Justices shouldn't be appointed by a President (or they shouldn't be appointed for life, one or the other). I think Justices, if they are truly for life, should be appointed by a committee of their peers. Something to try to remove partisanship from the equation (though I realize completely removing it is impossible). It seems crazy that a President who serves for 4 or 8 years can appoint someone who may serve for 40+.

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

49 minutes ago, bcking said:

We actually do know who he appointed though. Poor Merrick was waiting around for months (I'm sure he knew he would never actually be confirmed). He was a fairly moderate judge all things considered. Of course Obama would appoint someone more left leaning that Trump or pretty much any Republican, but I did feel like he went with a sort of "middle road" person.

 

While I'm not 100% knowledgeable on the appointment process I'm not really sure what the dems could have done differently. With Republican control of the Senate I don't see what option dems had other than to "let it go". Though maybe there is some strange esoteric law somewhere that could have applied, I have no idea.

 

My hope is that the Dems this time around fillibuster and then force Republicans to remove the fillibuster power from Supreme Court nominations (it should be removed all together honestly). I think in the long term view (if our country is around in 20+ years) it would be better. Though honestly I think Supreme Court Justices shouldn't be appointed by a President (or they shouldn't be appointed for life, one or the other). I think Justices, if they are truly for life, should be appointed by a committee of their peers. Something to try to remove partisanship from the equation (though I realize completely removing it is impossible). It seems crazy that a President who serves for 4 or 8 years can appoint someone who may serve for 40+.

I would love to see this guy on the SCOTUS

 

 

 

[bcking 3,157]

Just now, Nature Boy Flair said:

I would love to see this guy on the SCOTUS

 

 

 

He could always look up the constitution on his ipad if he wasn't sure what decision to make.

[Boiler 45,486]

10 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

A buddy just e-mailed me:

"So far, President Trump is different than the other Republican presidents we've had because he has backbone. He doesn't care what the media thinks nor is he afraid of the liberals. He just does what he has promised and ignores the flack. This makes the liberals so mad because they can't control him."

Admittedly without having gone down any lists, and granting that it's early, I can't think of any promises that Trump has broken yet.

[bcking 3,157]

10 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

A buddy just e-mailed me:

"So far, President Trump is different than the other Republican presidents we've had because he has backbone. He doesn't care what the media thinks nor is he afraid of the liberals. He just does what he has promised and ignores the flack. This makes the liberals so mad because they can't control him."

Admittedly without having gone down any lists, and granting that it's early, I can't think of any promises that Trump has broken yet.

Didn't Trump promise to prosecute Hillary? He did mention he isn't going to pursue that now, but at one point it was promised. That's the only one I can think of right now. I don't give him much credit, but at least in the first 2 weeks he has lived up to what he said he would do (unfortunately, in my opinion).

Edited February 3, 2017 by bcking

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

5 minutes ago, Boiler said:

I think a certain mod, I wont call his name because it may be a TOS violation but it sounds like a bone and  T rex or something, is Putin but it's not well known. This is his hobby 

Edited February 3, 2017 by Nature Boy Flair

[KierenHby 899]

1 minute ago, bcking said:

Didn't Trump promise to prosecute Hillary? He did mention he isn't going to pursue that now, but at one point it was promised. That's the only one I can think of right now. I don't give him much credit, but at least in the first 2 weeks he has lived up to what he said he would do (unfortunately, in my opinion).

He has done a few good things, give him credit for that. Standing up to Israel, some immi reform.

He is different. As in mentioning rosie o'Donnell and arnold's tv ratings. Don't want my prez talking about those. Like he is the messiah and noone can stop him.