The Center For Individual Freedom

From the Center for Individual Freedom

"The next time you hear a Member of Congress speak about so-called "comprehensive immigration reform," remember the story of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.
Ramos and Compean are U.S. Border Patrol agents who are facing 20 years in prison for attempting to apprehend an illegal alien -- who was also smuggling drugs -- at the border.
Hard to believe, but it's true! Consider this account of the incident from the Internet magazine WorldNetDaily.com:
"When Border Patrol Agent Ignacio Ramos pulled the trigger last February, all he knew was that his partner was lying on the ground behind him -- bloodied from a struggle with a fleeing suspect -- shots had been fired and now, it appeared, the drug smuggler he was pursuing had turned toward him with what looked to be a gun in his hand... "Ramos, 37, is an eight-year veteran of the U.S. Naval Reserve and a former nominee for Border Patrol Agent of the Year. "On February 17, he responded to a request for back up from agent Jose Alonso Compean, 28, who noticed a suspicious van near the levee road along the Rio Grande River near the Texas town of Fabens, about 40 miles east of El Paso... "Behind the wheel of the van was an illegal alien, Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila of Mexico. Unknown to the growing number of Border Patrol agents converging on Fabens, Aldrete-Davila's van was carrying 800 pounds of marijuana. "Unable to outrun Ramos and the third agent, Aldrete-Davila stopped the van on the levee, jumped out and started running toward the river. When he reached the other side of the levee, he was met by Compean who had anticipated the smuggler's attempt to get back to Mexico. "'We both yelled out for him to stop, but he wouldn't stop, and he just kept running,' Ramos told California's Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Aldrete-Davila crossed a canal. "'At some point during the time where I'm crossing the canal, I hear shots being fired,' Ramos said. 'Later, I see Compean on the ground, but I keep running after the smuggler.' "At that point, Ramos said, Aldrete-Davila turned toward him, pointing what looked like a gun. "'I shot,' Ramos said. 'But I didn't think he was hit, because he kept running into the brush and then disappeared into it. Later, we all watched as he jumped into a van waiting for him. He seemed fine. It didn't look like he had been hit at all.'"
But that wasn't the end of the story! Two weeks later, a Border Patrol Agent received a call from the drug smuggler's mother-in-law in Mexico who claimed that Ramos had actually shot the drug smuggler in the buttocks.
And our own government filed charges against Ramos and Compean for violating the civil rights of this illegal aliens and felon.
In the words of U.S. Assistant District Attorney Debra Kanof, "The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled it is a violation of someone's Fourth Amendment rights to shoot them in the back while fleeing if you don't know who they are and/or if you don't know they have a weapon."
That's not all. Not only did our government give immunity to this drug smuggler to obtain his testimony at the trial, but this illegal alien and drug smuggler is now suing Ramos for $5 million dollars.

Yes Jeff:
Send my 30 personalized Blast Fax messages to President Bush and the leadership of the House and Senate.
Our elected leaders will return to Washington D.C. shortly and it is vitally important that they know that you have not lost your resolve. Tell them that the American people want secure borders first and foremost and that any legislation that grants a path to citizenship for those who have flouted our laws and come to the United States illegally is off the table.
Please accept my contribution to send these Blast Faxes and support the vital work of the people at CFIF who have a heart for this great country and so honestly want to serve me.


You may be asking yourself, what does Ramos and Compean's sad tale have to do with so-called "comprehensive immigration reform?"
The answer is EVERYTHING!
Simply put, such a travesty of justice could only occur in an environment of ambiguity -- and that is exactly what "comprehensive immigration reform" -- as the Senate calls it -- creates.
The lack of a strong, no-nonsense immigration policy sends those who flout our laws the wrong message.
Ambiguous laws and immigration policies effectively tell the would-be illegal alien and those whose job it is to enforce our immigration laws that the United States has no resolve when it comes to securing our borders.
Perhaps Andy Ramirez of the nonprofit group Friends of the Border Patrol said it best when commenting on the Ramos-Compean story:
"This drug smuggler has fully contributed to the destruction of two brave agents and their families and has sent a very loud message to the other Border Patrol agents: If you confront a smuggler, this is what will happen to you."
If we -- as a nation -- are really serious about fixing the problem of illegal immigration, we MUST send a clear and unmistakable message that America's borders are indeed secure and that crossing those borders illegally will not be tolerated -- PERIOD!
You cannot speak of tough enforcement and programs that give amnesty and pathways to citizenship in the same breath. It's ridiculous beyond reason. But that's exactly what our politicians in Washington want to do!
And that's why we MUST continue to send our own message to our elected leaders. The American people want secure borders and tough enforcement, AND NO AMNESTY -- END OF SENTENCE!"

This is outrageous. We cannot tolerate this behavior by our government against one of our distinguished law enforcement officials. If we do, it will happen again.