HOUSTON - Special teams of Texas Rangers will be deployed to the Texas-Mexico border to deal with increasing violence because the federal government has failed to address growing problems there, Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday.
"It is an expansive effort with the Rangers playing a more high-profile role than they've ever played before," Perry said of the Department of Public Safety's elite investigative unit.
The forces, dubbed "Ranger recon" teams, are the latest effort "to fill the gap that's been left by the federal government's ongoing failure to adequately secure our international border with Mexico," he said.
The Governor early this year asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano for 1,000 National Guard troops and renewed his call last month in a letter to President Barack Obama. The request is bogged down over who will pay for the troops and how they will be deployed.
'Boots on the ground'
Perry's announcement Thursday comes amid increasing border violence, particularly in El Paso, mostly involving people with ties to Mexican drug gangs.
"They'll be deployed to high-traffic, high-crime areas along the border," he said. "They'll give us boots on the ground, put people in these hot spots no matter what or where they may exist."
Perry said the effort also would focus on remote areas where farmers and ranchers have complained of being overrun by smugglers and gangs from Mexico in numbers that also overwhelm local law enforcement and border patrol officers.
"Washington is shortchanging them, not giving them the support they need," Perry said. "As a result, we're having to dedicate our resources to deal with the challenges we have along the Texas-Mexico border and ensuing issues that porous border has created all across state of Texas."
He said the state would pick up the tab of $110 million, allocated by the Legislature in the past two sessions.
Perry's announcement drew immediate criticism from U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is running against the two-term in bent in the March GOP primary.
"Today's announcement is yet another empty election-year promise from Rick Perry on border security," Hutchison spokesman Joe Pounder said.
Perry fired back that it was the "height of hypocrisy for someone who's been in Washington, D.C., for 16 years, who's had the opportunity to help Texas on our border security, and they've been no more successful in delivering the resources and help."
"So please do that job up there first before you come down here and start criticizing about the state of Texas," he said.
Hutchison also took Perry to task for the absence of any Texas agency from a federal program that allows Homeland Security personnel to work with local law enforcement on immigration issues.
"Texans need a governor they can trust to actually improve our security," her campaign said in a statement.
"I happen to think we've taken advantage of every program that's been effective," responded Perry, who has been branding his opponent as someone from Washington out of touch with her home state. "Pointing out one program that has been funded and leaving the 800-pound gorilla — which is 1,000 National Guard troops that we need — I am stunned someone from Washington, D.C., would say they've done enough to secure our border."
Brig. Gen. Joyce Stevens, commander of the Texas Army National Guard, said about 200 soldiers and airmen already have started integrated operations with the Rangers.
Tony Leal, assistant director of the Texas Rangers, declined to provide the number of his officers involved in the effort.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32793136...news-security/
Both of these folks are fools. Let's waste as much money as we can without solving anything. Although it's entertaining to see them battle for the racist vote.
If either of these people were serious they'd advocate passing an enforcement clause to criminalize those who hire undo ented workers. They don't however, because they're really buddy buddy with these type of employers. Follow the money.
upcoming gov. race may get interesting...
I am happy with this. I would rather have Texans on the Texas border, especially if the Rangers are there primarily to stop violent crimes and drug smuggling, not as an illegal immigration prevention force.
As for the real solution nuclearfm... IMO, just provide easy ways for illegal workers to become legal. If its easy, then there is no reason to sneak across, unless you plan on coming to cause mischief, in which case, that should be handled forcefully.
I would agree with you, except for the fact that's not going to happen. People don't want a way for illegals to be legal, they call that amnesty. Your going to see every single xenophobe in the planet (yes overseas too) opposing it. People are already freaking out about losing their "white" iden y ( a made up iden y at that).
i thought the rangers were playing pretty well.
Don't they play the Mariners today?
I don't think anyone can argue that more law enforcement officers on the border is not a good thing. That being said Perry does a "nice" job of politicizing the issue and will once again score major points with republicans on his "us versus washington" theme. KBH is forced to respond, yet unfortunately for her all she can come up with is the generic "playing politics" card. She's right of course, but then she's just as guilty of doing it as Perry is, so she doesn't really get anywhere on this issue. Perry wins this round.
Thats really not that hard IMO. There are some valid complaints there, since the Federal Government promised to fix the border, yet after however 1000 years, still have no solution, and aren't even close as far as I can tell.
That's (Politics as) Entertainment!
I can, it wastes a lot of money and really doesn't solve much. Yeah, KBH is playing into his scheme. If she keeps playing this game, she's going to lose. The bad thing though is, I doubt Perry has enough support to win the GE which is bad overall for the party. I know plenty of republicans that refuse to vote for him (for more than in favor) , excluding a nancy pelosi type liberal is on the dem ticket, which it likely won't be.
As for wasting money. There needs to be something done. The violence that sprouts up at the border is going to cause a lot of issues if left unchecked. You can't just allow criminals to continue committing crimes because its expensive, especially not violent crimes.
Governor has little real power in TX. as long as its a reasonable Dem, I'm fine with it. I don't mind dems in state gov't, only in federal...
Rangers?
Send SWAT teams.
Perry won't lose the GE if he's able to get there. There are plenty of republicans who don't like him, but they don't like the idea of a democrat governor more. Especially considering how no one knows who the any of the democratic candidates are. KBH would win in a landslide. Perry wouldn't win by much, but he'd still win.
There gonna roundhouse the crap out of those hoodlums
Kinky for Governor damn it!
http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/
If he runs against Kinky (he's in the Dem primary) I think he may be in for a real battle. Kinky appeals a lot to the anarcho-capitalist, Libertarian crowd. The Democratic label just gets him in the game. If he actually prepares for his debates this time, I don't see Perry overcoming him. It'd be extremely odd having a Dem governing this state again, but then again Ann Richards wasn't elected that long ago.
It's really not that hard to enact a procedure to tell law enforcement to abide by the law and get on it. Hiring an illegal is illegal, both at the state and fed level (avoiding taxes).
It's much less expensive (and easier) to put one person in jail that will likely force several illegals home rather than try to catch every single one only for all only to come back again.
They're simply avoiding it because it is politically risky (maybe financially). I'm tired of wasting tax dollars on things like this. It's a shame that conservatives don't largely complain about this. Modern conservatism isn't conservatism anymore.
I wish Perry would decide whether he is for states rights or federal handouts.
Like all politician- s, he's for whatever bumps him a point or two in the daily polls.
As part of the capitalist/libertarian crowd I'd really like to believe that there are enough of us, but I doubt there are. I like Kinky though. During his last run I actually met him at the airport and got to talk to him for about 5 to 10 minutes. He's a really interesting guy to talk to.
I couldn't applaud Perry more for both his actions...and his statements.
I really have had no big qualms with Kay, but Perry is right. She has been in DC too damn long, more part of the problem than any solutions
Exhibit A: Person who has destroyed Republican party. Pro-wasteful spending, pro-controlling everything.
They need to send the Marines down there. Set an example for anyone trespassing on our land. Be a great way to train the snipers. Send the Rangers to the home depots corners and round up the ones we have here already and ship there ass back to where ever they came from.
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