[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18300]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  BORDER CROSSINGS AND TRAFFIC TICKETS

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, news from the lawless southern border: Homeland 
Security is claiming illegal entry is decreasing. According to their 
reports, the number of illegals arrested on the Mexico-U.S. border has 
decreased almost 25 percent.
  Armed with these statistics, these bureaucrats are thus claiming 
fewer illegals are trying to sneak into the United States. Interesting 
enough, just last month the Homeland Security Secretary said, while he 
was lobbying for the now defeated Senate amnesty plan, that he cannot 
secure the U.S. borders. Now he claims illegal crossings are down 
because apprehensions on the border are down. That is like saying there 
are fewer cars on the road because the police are issuing fewer traffic 
tickets.
  The American people are not fooled by this statistical game. Rather 
than claiming these glowing statistics mean that all is well on the 
southern front, Homeland Security should stop issuing propaganda 
statements and give the border protectors the support, equipment, and 
manpower to protect the border from infiltration. Homeland Security 
must quit being delightfully ignorant of the truth and not claim border 
victory because it issues fewer traffic tickets.
  And that's just the way it is.

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