Oh yes, Ms. Myers has a vision for ICE…should she be confirmed, that is: “If confirmed, here is my vision for ICE…a new ICE culture.”

In FY2004, border patrol agents arrested 1.2 million illegal aliens including 643 “special interest” aliens.

(The statistics I have read suggest for every illegal alien we capture, 3-4 slip through.)

The new culture envisioned by Myers would include “improved morale” and “better infrastructure.”

For the love of creatures great and small - this is our immigration enforcement agency!

Guess what? I don’t care if immigration officers feel better about their agency leadership, their co-workers or their office space.

The ability to play well with others in or out of the sandbox is not a skill I look for in an immigration officer.

Skip the Dr. Phil Team Building Marathon and just keep the illegals OUT, ok?

Watch the Committee hearing Webcast here.

Sheila Jackson-Lee has introduced a bill to beef up border security, and provide a lot more detention space.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee joined the border security debate Monday by offering her own proposal to beef up Rio Grande patrols and add 100,000 spaces at detention centers.

The Houston Democrat, best known for supporting immigrants, says a recent tour of the border left her convinced the federal government is not doing enough to secure the borders from drug runners and terrorists.

“This government, the federal government, has failed,” she said at a press conference attended by T.J. Bonner, the head of the National Border Patrol Council.

Jackson Lee is not the first Democrat to criticize the Bush administration on the national security issue. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, both Democrats, declared states of emergency earlier this year because of drug-related violence on their respective borders.
HoustonChronicle.com - Jackson Lee proposes stronger border security, By Edward Hegstrom, Oct. 17, 2005

Sheila Jackson-Lee is to the left of almost everybody on almost everything. She is still likely somewhat to the left of Bush on amnesty. (Republicans need to learn that there is no room to the Democrats left on amnesty.)

But she’s to the right of Bush on border security. Amazing!