Drugs and criminals are a lot like water—they flow to the place of least resistance. Our nation’s borders are no different. We have locations along our southern border that are “highways” to the most dangerous sort. Drug smugglers, human trafficking, and even whole cartels are slicing into our nation in our proverbial “chinks” in the armor. Shocking, to me, is the biggest hurdle to combating these incursions—the environment.
What does the environment have to do with border security? I’ve recently discovered, a lot. Specifically our National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges. Two specific examples are Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. While progress is being made to tighten border security in the wake of 9/11 and improved patrols from federal agencies are gaining ground in other areas, there are gaps.
Gaps made by federal laws restricting vehicular traffic from “environmentally protected” area are being exploited. Even by using federal agents on foot and on horseback isn’t making a dent. So much, in fact, that portions of these parks are closed due to the dangers posed by heavily armed cross-border bandits.
This is not lost on all lawmakers. Utah Republican Rep. Rob Bishop went digging and was rewarded with previously-marked “sensitive” documents. Thomas Burr of the Salt Lake Tribune pointed out in a December 6, 2009 article, “[a]s part of several requests the congressman has made to Interior and Homeland Security, he unearthed the threat assessment from 2002.”
This threat assessment showed the gaping holes in our security and despite some minor efforts in 2003 and 2006, the problem is getting worse. In a June 17, 2010 article on FoxNews.com:
“It’s intensifying,” Bishop said. The Utah Republican is the author of a bill, H.R. 5016 [introduced in April], that would allow border agents to patrol parkland without worrying about the environmental restrictions. He described that bill as the solution to the problem.
“They’re not allowing the Border Patrol to do the job that they know they need to do,” he said.
New attention has been drawn to the issue following reports about the Buenos Aires refuge. Signs have been posted warning Americans not to cross into the closed-off territory — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service originally sent around a notice in October 2006 that about 3,500 acres were being closed to public use out of concern for public safety.
“The Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge has been adversely affected by border-related activities,” the notice said. “Assaults on law enforcement officers and violence against migrants have escalated. Violence on the refuge associated with smugglers and border bandits has been well-documented.”
What strikes me as humorous is that these lands were set aside for preservation and refuge, but are now being destroyed by incursions from foreign criminals. Federal forces who would be able to respond and interdict are restricted from doing so in the most efficient manner. With security beginning to clamp off other areas of intrusion, these “gaps” are becoming an arterial bleed of national security.
Regardless of your personal stance on immigration, this is a fundamental form of security expressly in the lap of the federal government (for the common defense). States that have tried to combat this by sending their own troops or security forces are headed off by federal supremacy laws or other federal interference. What will it take for people to realize this isn’t about environmental protection, undocumented workers, immigration rights or human rights—it’s about security, plain and simple.
Providing that security must come sooner rather than later. I, for one, support Congressman Bishop’s efforts and hope we can cut the restrictions so these gaps can be secured.
Links:
Salt Lake Tribune: http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13936032
Fox News Story: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/06/17/lawmaker-warns-drug-cartel-danger-public-parks-intensifying/
Graphic: http://www.sltrib.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=2766451
