The National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers is calling for a reversal of the Obama administration’s “autocratic” policy designed to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants without so much as approval from Congress, saying the President has shown “contempt” for the Constitution and the laws he is sworn to uphold.
NAFBPO Chairman and former Assistant Chief Patrol Agent Kent Lundgren went even further. In an exclusive interview with Liberty News Network national correspondent Andy Ramirez, Lundgren said lawlessness from Obama and the Department of Homeland Security needed to be urgently stopped.
“We have got to get the American people to look at this administration, rein it in, and say: ‘Hey, there are laws out there, you didn’t make them, you may not like them, but the Constitution says that you shall take care to see that they are executed, and you are not doing that. And listen up, we’re going to change things if you don’t,’” Lundgren said.
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The organization of former Border Patrol and immigration officers remains focused on its main mission: working to help secure America’s border. But there are more and more related issues that must be dealt with, too.
Among the biggest concerns: various efforts to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants under the guise of “immigration reform” and similar misnomers. “In no way was it reform in 1986, nor is what is being proposed now any sort of reform,” Lundgren explained in the interview. “It’s a disaster.”
Worse still, according to Lundgren, is the Obama administration’s recent “policy change” nixing some 300,000 deportation proceedings. “That in itself is an egregious violation – I think – of his duty,” Lundgren said, noting that the President was violating his constitutional obligation to faithfully execute constitutional U.S. laws.
Based on the DHS’ recent announcement, Lundgren said it was “clear” that the Obama administration realized it would not succeed in ramming amnesty through Congress. “So they’re going to do it by bits and pieces with policy changes,” he said.
And not only is Obama failing to enforce the law – “no President in the last three administrations has,” said Lundgren — he is ensuring that nobody else can, either. As evidence, Lundgren cited the federal persecution of state governments such as Arizona’s that are attempting to deal with the issue.
“The fact is this administration does not want any immigration controls except perhaps with respect to serious criminals,” he charged. “And they don’t have any trouble making that happen within the DHS organization.”
Other serious concerns were also addressed during the interview — the murder of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry chief among them. The fact that there has not been a proper investigation, charges or convictions, Lundgren said, was an outrage.
“I’m at a loss for words. I cannot believe the things that have happened have gone on,” he explained. And when one factors in the administration’s “Operation Fast and Furious” — a federal scheme to put weapons in the hands of Mexican cartels, including several guns that were involved in Terry’s murder — the scandal has tremendous implications.
“We have been betrayed by our leaders in a way that I just did not think was possible,” Lundgren said. NAFBPO is even considering publicly calling for a special prosecutor to investigate the matter, “because clearly Eric Holder’s Department of Justice is not the organization to do it.”
Considering the range of recent scandals involving the DOJ, “you can see that they simply are not to be trusted,” Lundgren said. Congressional action might even be required to get the bottom of it, he added.
Ramirez called the situation “an outrage that’s beyond thoughts or expression,” citing the fact that agents’ safety had been compromised. “And it doesn’t really appear that that much is being done about it.”
The Justice Department is covering something up, Ramirez added. “Can they truly be trusted to investigate themselves?” Countless analysts are wondering the same thing.
Another serious matter in need of attention, according to Ramirez, is a “terrible pattern” that is developing — the federal government’s protection of suspected criminals and prosecution of border agents such as Jesus Diaz. Especially disturbing, Ramirez said, is the involvement of the Mexican government.
Lundgren agreed, saying agents were being intimidated and penalized for doing their jobs. And something needs to be done.
“The reason we came together is that we recognized about five years ago that there was no other organization existing that had our scope of experience in this field,” Lundgren said. “There’s a lot of misinformation and a lot of outright lies floating around. We thought we would put our experience to use to try to educate the public and our elected representatives about the realities.”
In a public statement released late last month about the new DHS decision cancelling hundreds of thousands of deportation hearings, NAFBPO said the Obama administration’s behavior needed to be urgently addressed. “This policy is clearly designed to sidestep congressional authority to regulate immigration,” the group charged.
Homeland Security boss Janet Napolitano justified the move by claiming the clogged immigration-court system meant resources needed to be focused on “our highest priorities.” But NAFBPO and other critics say the excuse is absurd – for more than a few reasons.
“Americans should understand that the policy has just granted amnesty in fact to approximately 300,000 illegal aliens already in deportation proceedings,” the group’s press release stated, noting that the incentive to use America’s legal immigration process had been effectively removed. “The policy promises similar haven to millions more.”
According to NAFBPO, the administration was again showing its “contempt for law and the Constitutional requirement that the President see that the laws be faithfully executed.” On top of that, the decision was a transparent scheme for more votes, the group said.
“This autocratic, misguided policy sends a clear message to foreigners contemplating an illegal entry – the agency charged with removing them does not intend to do so,” the press released stated. “NAFBPO therefore demands that it be rescinded immediately. If the Obama administration chooses not to do so, we urge Congress to act quickly to rein in this failure of constitutional duty and limit its negative impacts upon the country. “
Watch NAFBPO Chairman Kent Lundgren’s exclusive interview with LNN below:
Andy Ramirez is the founder and president of the Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council, the next step in advocacy after his previous organization known as Friends of the Border Patrol. Liberty News Network is an affiliated news group of The John Birch Society.
