President Obama has sent out a subtle message to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to stand down and slack off the enforcement, former border agents told the National Review Online.
Some agents say the White House has purposely failed to order them to take care of the influx of illegals across the border, said Ronald Colburn, the former national deputy chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, National Review Online reported. And that neglect has led to the scores of illegal minor-age immigrants coming up from Central America, Mr. Colburn said.
“They’re sitting still at their desks, reading newspapers, playing video games on their government computers, because they’re not being tasked with work, and they feel like it’s coming all the way down from the top,” Mr. Colburn told National Review Online. “These are guys that do want to go out more, but basically they’re not.”
Mr. Colburn said some ICE agents actually head to the gym each day for four-hour workouts, just to keep busy on the job.
And he’s not alone in making such claims.
Dave Stoddar, executive vice president of the Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council and a retired Border Patrol agent, told National Review Online that ICE agents have told him similarly.
“These ICE officers are sitting, in some cases, in brand new offices, brand new furniture and the telephone that never rings, and brand new cars with no place to go,” Mr. Stoddard said, National Review Online reported. “They’re on the payroll, and they need to entertain themselves or occupy themselves some way or the other.”
Some read through books; others hone their shooting skills at the range, he said.
ICE declined to comment to National Review Online.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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