September 06, 2004

Another VDARE.COM Whistleblower Says Customs Crippling Border Enforcement

By Juan Mann

For those who know that there IS a problem of unprecedented illegal immigration in America, and that the borders are NOT secure, this election season’s offerings of silence and doublespeak is maddening.

But courageous whistleblowers inside the federal bureaucracy continue to smuggle out the truth.

In response to my recent articles [here and here] on the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), I received the following report from an anonymous VDARE.COM reader.

It’s painfully obvious that he (or she) knows all too well what is really going on along the border:

“I must say I certainly appreciate your website. The last year after the Customs hostile takeover (yes, call it what it really is) has certainly been eye-opening and even makes former INS Commissioner Doris Meissner look effective.

“However, while she was rightly criticized, current Commissioner Robert Bonner seems to be a ‘Teflon’ official immune from scrutiny. He has succeeded in destroying any remaining morale from border inspectors so they will either ‘give up and just collect checks’ or just quit and add to the shortage of capable inspectors. After all, new inspectors can be programmed.

“Customs has a long history of playing politics and trying to look good, and they are certainly bringing that to CBP. I guess since they do such a great job in keeping drugs out of the country all these years—well, you get the picture—officers now feel that their only function is to avoid complaints no matter what. Just bang people in as quickly as possible—oh, unless they tell you they're a terrorist. Fat chance of that!

“Congress or the [General Accounting Office] GAO sorely needs to investigate the sad situation and talk to first-line inspectors and supervisors. The nation's security depends on it. But I doubt that will happen. [Many] are afraid of speaking out for fear of retaliation…

“Officers just cringe (or roll their eyes) when they hear [Secretario] Ridge and Bonner talk about how much better the border is now.

“Inspectors are performing clerical work about 50 percent of the time to try to finish the endless needless bureaucratic paperwork and reports imposed on them by Customs. It really appears as if the Customs management is out to settle a vendetta against the former INS. Some cooperation—some 'one face at the border' propaganda!

“There was more [immigration and customs] cooperation before the hostile takeover. Now CBP doesn't want inspectors to talk to the FBI, etc. One has to call incompetent special agents with no knowledge of immigration law who will ‘help’ you. Might as well call [Presidente] Vicente Fox!

“And now of course, any decision is questioned—Why not use ‘discretion’? Translation: Just let them all in. Unless they volunteer that they’re a terrorist.

“Here's a great example of priorities. Apparently under the direction of [CPB Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations] Jayson Ahern, Bonner recently directed supervisors—GS-13 and higher—to invade employee's desks and offices (in non-public areas) and tear down anything that was hanging on a wall not in a frame. It didn't even matter if it was work related….I guess Ahern was concerned that things were ‘messy.’ But these were non-public areas. Good thing we are focusing government money on this nonsense—GS-13s [i.e. $75,000-plus a year] no less!

“I guess he decided that not enough employees were demoralized and resigning in spite of HQ’s efforts to water down laws and ignore enforcement. So now he decided to treat grown men and women like 4 year-olds.

“CBP is a joke. I admire people like you for telling it like it is and giving us hope for better days. They sure do not like bad publicity, but they equate non-enforcement with ‘good’ publicity.

“Why does Congress have its head in the sand?”

We at VDARE.COM admire whistleblowers inside the federal immigration bureaucracy not only for carrying on against impossible odds day after day, but also for having the courage to tell their stories.

Eventually, the truth, and more whistleblowers, will set us free!

Other recent whistleblower reports by Juan Mann: