Tag Archives: border security

Mark Caserta: Liberal Democrats desire to change the face of our nation – literally

13 Mar

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Mark Caserta is an opinion columnist and managing editor at Free State Patriot

3.13.2019

 

Illegal immigration across our southern border has understandably been on the increase.

It’s certainly not because our efforts at the border have diminished, they’ve not.  Illegals are simply being instructed that if they ever wish to have opportunity to cross our southern border into the United States, they’d better do it quickly.

And it isn’t just people seeking a better future.

Along with the illegal immigrants, we are seeing an increase in gang activity, drug and firearm smuggling and human trafficking.  Anyone who tells you the humanitarian crisis at our border is manufactured, is trying to sell you something.

In other words, they’re propagating fake news, or news intended to persuade or influence, rather than inform.

Believe me, when I tell you President Trump will successfully build a wall and bring lawful stability to our southern borders.  He simply doesn’t know how to fail.

Given our current illegal immigration crisis and liberal Democrat’s vehement battle against President Trump’s border wall, how many times do you suppose President Barack Obama visited our southern border?

One time. He gave a speech. Go figure.

When was the last time you saw a story of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or Sen. Chuck Schumer visiting the southern border for a fact-finding mission?

They avoid it like the plague.  And yet, they still claim there is no crisis at the border.

The truth is… the truth is not important to liberals. Just stop Trump – period.

Hypocrisy seems to be the new platform for the Democrat Party. Despite supporting border security and even voting for the Secure Fence Act of 2016, they shamefully continue to fight against yet, another win for President Trump.

And alas, the newest liberal Democrat talking points avoid the word “wall” like it was akin to saying “Islamic terrorist”.  They use words like, “barrier or fence”.  It’s actually very intellectually insulting.

The Democrat Party has eroded so badly, they act like small children throwing a tantrum because mommy wouldn’t buy them a toy.

Folks, we must ask ourselves, why?

Why have liberal Democrats “flip-flopped” on supporting re-enforcing our southern borders against illegal entry?  As void as they are of “morals and principles”, they aren’t stupid.  There must be a reason.

This liberal hatred of Donald Trump simply aligns with the Democrats ultimate goal.

Liberal Democrat’s ultimately desire to change the face of our nation, one in which will complacently succumb to the liberal ideology of government power and control over the people.  Frankly, those on the far left  would love for it to begin a a soft transition into socialism.

Democrats used to hide this socialist agenda – now, they run campaigns on it.  It’s called “progressivism”.

Trust me when I tell you they will never be satisfied until they own you.  They believe they know better, than you do, what you need to be successful in life.  They’ve proven it time and again.

Here’s a Democrat postulate for you. Liberal Democrats believe that you are stupid and they are wise.

Remember Obamacare?  Talk about a piece of legislation totally passed on lies!  And to date, Democrats refuse to address the falsehoods perpetrated on their constituents.

For those forgetting, this type of predictable border controversy is a primary reason for electing a president who is committed to nominating conservative justices to the highest court in the land!

No doubt, we will see other challenges escalated to the Supreme Court, such as live-birth abortion or gun control.  Owning a conservative balance insures a fighting chance for our children’s future!

President Trump called it accurately when he predicted his National Emergency Declaration would be challenged in the lower courts, probably failing, but then eventually decided at the Supreme Court.

Let’s move President Trump’s National Emergency Declaration through the courts and allow the Supreme Court to decide.

Dig in.  The battle has just begun.

 

 

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Mark Caserta: Americans, behold the hypocrisy of liberal Democrats!

9 Jan

border patrol

(Brave Border Patrol agents work to protect our nation’s borders from illegal entry)

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Mark Caserta is an opinion columnist and editor for Free State Patriot

January 9, 2019

 

Allow me to illustrate just how hypocritical liberal Democrats are on funding President Trump’s border wall. Even I’m amazed at the audacity of these corrupt politicians! This proves just how “dumb” and “unengaged” Democrats believe the American people have become!

All these quotes regarding border security, are unedited, accurate and available all over the internet, from a handful of fair and balanced media.

Let’s first hear a 2005 quote from former senator and then, president, Barack Hussein Obama.

“We simply cannot allow people to pour into the U.S. undocumented, undetected, unchecked, circumventing the people who are waiting patiently, diligently, lawfully to become immigrants in this country.”

George W. Bush was president.

Now, let’s hear a 2014 quote from progressive “queen,” former senator and “twice” presidential candidate, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

“I voted numerous times when I was a senator to spend money to build a barrier to try to prevent illegal immigrants from coming in and I do think you have to control your borders.”

Barack H. Obama was president.

Let’s not forget current Senator Chuck Ellis Schumer, when in 2009, he said:

“People who enter the United States without our permission are illegal aliens and illegal aliens should not be treated the same as people who enter the U.S. legally. The American people will never accept immigration reform unless they truly believe that their government is committed to ending future illegal immigration.”

Barack H. Obama was still president.

Oh, and then, there is Schumer’s current “presidential rebuttal” partner, House Speaker Nancy Patricia D’Alesandro Pelosi, when in 2008, the far-left liberal politician said:

“We do need to address the issue of immigration and the challenge we have of undocumented people in our country. We certainly do not want any more coming in.”

George W. Bush was still president.

And we can’t leave out self-proclaimed socialist, Senator Bernie (no middle name) Sanders, when in 2007, Bernard said:

“I don’t know why we need millions of people to be coming into the country who will work for lower wages than American workers and drives wages down even lower than they are right now.”

“W” was still at the presidential helm.

And at no extra charge, let’s hear from ex-Senator Harry Mason Reid, when in 1993, he stated:

“If making it easy to be an illegal alien isn’t enough, how about offering a reward for being an illegal alien? No sane country would do that, right? Guess again … (If you’re an illegal immigrant who gives birth in the U.S. you can go on welfare immediately.) Is it any wonder that two-thirds of the babies born at taxpayer expense in the county-run hospitals in Los Angeles are born to illegal alien mothers?”

Fast forward to 2019.  Donald Trump is President of the United States.

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The crisis of illegal immigration is more prevalent than at any time in our nation’s history. America’s southern border is more volatile than ever.

These are direct quotes taken from House Leader Nancy Pelosi’s and Senator, Chuck Schumer’s Tuesday evening rebuttal of President Trump’s address to the nation, regarding his commitment to border security:

First, Ms. Pelosi:

“…The President is forcing American taxpayers to waste billions of dollars on an expensive and ineffective wall – a wall he always promised Mexico would pay for.”

(The president did, indeed, announce, during his address, the wall would be financed indirectly via the recent trade agreement he negotiated with Mexico.)

Now, Mr. Schumer:

“My fellow Americans, we address you tonight for one reason only: The President of the United States – having failed to get Mexico to pay for his ineffective, unnecessary border wall…”

These are the same people who voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which, including maintenance, was pegged at $50 billion over the next 25 years!  The act included many of the same features of President Trump’s wall!

These unethical politicians are now the face of the Democrat Party. By refusing to protect Americans, they are, indeed, the face of evil. There is no “downside” in building Trump’s wall. In fact, it’s never been needed more.  Yet, Democrats have no apparent desire to legitimately control our borders!

Per the U.S. Border Patrol’s website, in 2018, an average of 40,000 illegals attempted to cross our southern border every month! Agents have responded with increased in manpower, modern technology, such as infrared night-vision scopes, seismic sensors, and a modern computer processing system. But it isn’t enough. Illegals keep finding entry points along the 2000 miles of border- illegally. These numbers don’t even factor in those who’ve illegally overstayed their visas.

Most estimate the U.S. currently has well over 20,000 illegal immigrants in our nation, most of which strain the economy.

If only 1 percent of these illegals mean to bring harm to our people, is it worth it?

And despite what Democrats would like to leave out, under the guise of “compassion”, this ultimately is about the “rule of law”. Every single person who crosses the border illegally, is already breaking U.S. law – period.

Build the wall, President Trump. If you need to declare a national emergency, true American patriots are with you. There’s no need to play “chicken” with Democrats. And there’s no need to compromise on your devout principle of protecting U.S. citizens and our nation’s sovereignty.

The American people have your back.

 

 

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Mark Caserta: President Trump may declare national emergency to build wall.

6 Jan

trump leaving for camp david

(President Donald Trump speaks to the media before departing the White House for Camp David on January 6, 2019 in Washington, D.C. – Pool/Getty Images)

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Mark Caserta is an opinion columnist and editor for Free State Patriot.

January 6, 2019

 

As the government shutdown continues, both sides remain firmly entrenched in their ideology about building a wall along our southern border. The difference?

It’s this simple.

President Trump’s position protects Americans. The Democrat position puts them at risk.

I have a question for readers, and maybe more specifically, for Democrats. Why do federal prisons have some sort of a fence or a wall around them? Why do people build walls around their homes or businesses? The answer is ridiculously obvious to an intellectually honest person. But apparently progressive Democrats don’t fall into that category.

Walls are meant to keep people, critters or anything intrusive on their respective sides!  Why did the city of Huntington build a “flood wall”?  To keep out unwanted water!

The Democrats position asserting a wall along our southern border with Mexico would be ineffective and a waste of money simply defies common sense.

Per a May 2018 column in USA Today, at the end of World War II, there were seven border walls or fences in the world. Today, as President Trump pushes to deliver on his campaign promise to build a wall on the border with Mexico, there are at least 77 walls or fences around the world. Many were erected after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City and at the Pentagon.

Each of us realizes the threat of terror and crime across the globe has increased exponentially over the past 17 years. As the threats increase, we must prepare accordingly. We never “arrive” in our pursuit of safety. Our military is constantly working on new and innovative weapons designed to protect our homeland, while our enemies are simultaneously working on weapons designed to destroy it.

“Not” building the wall is a blatant dereliction of our representative’s duty and responsibility to protect Americans!

Let’s be clear. The battle over President Trump’s border wall isn’t about money for Democrats. It’s about seeing Donald Trump fail, at something, at anything – just fail. And liberal Democrats are willing to lower themselves to any level, to obstruct this president, even if it means Americans will be less safe.

But trust me when I tell you, President Trump will not fail in his “America first” pledge to protect our country from illegal immigration by building a border security wall or in some locations a fence. The president has often stated, geography will determine what structure will be needed to prevent illegals from entering our country.

Last week, President Trump threatened to declare a national emergency over immigration, which would allow him to bypass Congress and build the wall on our southern border. By declaring a state of national emergency, White House officials believe it will unlock money from other sources, allocating the $5.6 billion needed to construct the wall.

“We can call a national emergency and build it very quickly,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden when asked about an emergency declaration.

Asked if his claim was intended to scare Democrats into making a deal, he replied, “I never make threats.” Officials at the Homeland Security, Justice and Defense Departments have reportedly researched the issue for Mr. Trump.

Under the National Emergencies Act of 1976, presidents can take unilateral action in times of crisis, provided they notify Congress, specify the circumstances that necessitated the declaration and document all uses of executive authority that are covered by the emergency.

One must remember, Donald Trump “wrote the book” on negotiation. I believe shutting the government down was a necessary step to negotiate from a position of strength. He knew Congress’s feckless method of “kicking the can down the road” with Continuing Resolutions has never solved a single problem. He was determined to take a path to success, even at the risk of owning the shutdown.

Negotiation “101” teaches a party “must” be willing to walk away from the table. And that’s exactly what President Trump did. Democrats and Americans, alike, now realize he means business.

I expect President Trump will allow the government shutdown to continue long enough to get the attention of the American people in exposing Democrats in their illegitimate argument against the wall. If Democrats don’t come to the table with a proposal that fully funds the president’s proposed wall, he will procure it in another manner. I believe his team has already researched other options to secure the wall’s funding.

I still believe the president would be well-served if he would lay out his plan to ultimately have Mexico pay for the wall, either directly or indirectly. This most assuredly would bolster support for his position, as it was, indeed, part of his campaign pledge. At some point, he must do so.

So, for the time being, we wait and watch, as the mainstream media boost their ratings decrying every step this president takes. But in the end, it will be President Trump and Americans in the winner’s circle.

And liberal Democrats will cry and lament over Trump’s continued success as president.

 

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Mark Caserta: My advice: Stay the course with President Trump

24 Dec

trump wall

(President Trump talks about a version of his proposed border security wall)

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Mark Caserta is an opinion columnist and editor for Free State Patriot.

December 24, 2018

 

Progressive Democrats and “Rino” Republicans are in shock that President Trump would be willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill his promise to the American people.

Donald Trump promised he would address illegal immigration head-on and build a wall making it much more difficult for illegals to cross the border. A promise, by the way, which helped him get elected in an electoral college landslide.

Progressive Democrats still don’t get it, and never will.

Politicians have become so used to lying to voters to get elected, they lose their minds when someone actually does something honest and keeps their word, even if it’s controversial and could cost them votes.

If self-centered, elected officials would work as hard keeping their word as they do lying their way back into office, their approval rating may rise to the level of hemorrhoids and herpes, which it’s currently below.

Our U.S. government shutdown is well into its first week. But lawmakers displayed their concern by leaving Washington for the Christmas holiday, leaving their constituents feeling there is no sense of urgency to resolve President Trump’s demand for more money to build the border wall to protect Americans.

And we pay these people for what, again…exactly?

It’s disappointing and maybe even a bit criminal the way our elected representatives fulfill their responsibilities to their constituents. Don’t get me wrong. There must be some committed to their job, but not many.

In fairness, I’m disappointed President Trump hasn’t vocalized how he expects Mexico to pay for the wall.

That certainly was an integral part of his “stump” speeches during his campaign. I believe it would go a long way in negotiating with Democrats if he could present his plan to Americans as to how the Mexican government would ultimately foot the bill. It would absolutely add to his negotiating position.

Now, let’s be clear, $5 billion dollars for wall construction on the U.S.-Mexico border is a relatively small amount by Washington standards. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, the United States provided roughly $49 billion in 2016 in Foreign Aid to other countries, which included military and security assistance. This accounts for about 1.2 percent of the federal budget.

And we can’t spend $5 billion for our own protection? Trust me when I tell you this isn’t about money!

It’s about ending President Trump’s winning streak. And once again, what’s best for Americans couldn’t possibly factor less in liberal Democrats pursuit of this progressive prize. Their actions are guided by their passionate hatred of Donald J. Trump.

Also, understand, the argument Democrats leverage in their opposition of the wall that it’s “wasteful and ineffective” is hogwash!

As a senator, Barack Obama once praised border control legislation much like that proposed by Donald Trump!

“The bill before us will certainly do some good,” Obama said on the Senate floor in October 2006. He praised the legislation, saying it would provide “better fences and better security along our borders” and would “help stem some of the tide of illegal immigration in this country.”

Obama was talking about the “Secure Fence Act of 2006,” legislation authorizing a barrier along the southern border passed into law with the support of 26 Democrat senators, including party leaders such as Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer.

So, what’s changed? Which would be more “ineffective” – a fence or a wall? The argument doesn’t pass the smell test.

These Washington parasites have become so accustomed to lying, they don’t seem to believe “honesty” is a competency important to their position as a public servant.

Yes, President Trump is very, very different from politicians we’ve elected in the past. His mission is not to be re-elected. His mission is to be the most successful president in history. Having read several books and strategies on negotiating, I have a deep belief that many of his actions are not what they appear on the surface.

Successful negotiating calls for achieving a “win-win” for both parties. Most often, this takes time and planning. But one “must” be willing to walk away from the table. That’s negotiating 101.

And that’s exactly what President Trump has done with the Democrats in border wall negotiations. He made Dems an offer in 2018 which included protection to undocumented immigrants born in our country in exchange for border wall funding and they refused it.

That’s how negotiation takes place – offer, counter offer, deal or no deal – period. And one can never negotiate from a position of weakness!  And a wide gap is a traditional starting place for seasoned negotiators.

President Trump, with all his short-comings, is in the process of building a foundation for future wins. At times, it may feel uncomfortable, but understand, Donald Trump is thinking in terms of years, not days or months.

My recommendation is to stay informed, stay engaged and stay the course.

 

 

 

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Mark Caserta: Liberal Democrats unfairly attack Trump on emotional issue

1 Jul

sanct

Jun 29, 2018

 

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Mark Caserta:  Free State Patriot editor

 

 

Liberal Democrats were wrong to portray President Trump as apathetic to children being taken from parents as they illegally attempted to cross our southern borders. The president was simply doing his job: protecting American citizens, by enforcing the law.

Trump ultimately showed his compassion by signing an executive order allowing children to stay with their parents after crossing the border illegally, which exceeded the actions of his predecessors.

But while sad, it isn’t Trump’s fault these parents made the choice to put their children at risk.

In the wake of the president’s decision to enforce a “zero tolerance policy” on illegal immigration, liberal Democrats and the mainstream media once again thought they had Trump “trapped” when they began to feign moral outrage over the Trump administration’s decision that required children to be separated from parents illegally attempting to cross the border into our country.

Where were these virtuous defenders during prior administrations’ “crimes against humanity?” It’s unfortunate Democrats aspire to exploit the sympathies of marginally engaged Americans and portray themselves as the party of compassion, while positioning themselves for another vote.

What liberals intentionally failed to tell you is the policy to separate children from their parents during the prosecutorial process has been in place for multiple administrations, including the Obama administration, which prosecuted half a million illegal immigrants and similarly separated families, per a June column in The Daily Caller by Saagar Enjeti. This time allows an immigration judge to review “the initial deportability and custody determinations,” per a Supreme Court ruling in Reno v. Flores (1993).

Enjeti’s column featured stories and photos of such separations from not only the Obama administration, but the Bush administration as well. Liberals simply saw this as another opportunity to strike a low blow at this president.

No doubt the left thought they could ride this issue to the November mid-terms and regain control of Congress.

Following the president’s decision to sign the executive order, I observed CNN’s news reporting was tagged with a headline that read, “Trump flips” on family separation.

There was no “flip.” Trump chose to follow the law while calling on legislators to fix a problem they’ve ignored for generations. When he discerned their deceitful attempt to politicize innocent children, he made the decision to fix it himself and move forward on immigration reform.

Although very sad, families are routinely separated in communities across our nation when parents who break the law are incarcerated. There is no difference. But let’s talk about the tragic, permanent separation of parents and children.

How about 32-year-old Kate Steinle, who was shot and killed in 2015 by an illegal alien who’d been deported five times and had returned to our country and given sanctuary in the city of San Francisco.

How about 16-year-old Tessa Tranchant, who was killed in 2007 in Virginia Beach. Tessa and her friend were sitting at a stoplight when an intoxicated illegal alien rear-ended their car. The illegal had a history of prior convictions, but Virginia Beach’s sanctuary policies protected him from detention.

Liberals were wrong to use children and an emotional issue to take down Trump.

We’re fortunate we have a president who is determined to honor the rule of law and keep his promises to the American people, even in the winds of discontent.

Mark Caserta is a Cabell County resident.

 

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