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One_liners

_Next week, we won’t be sending out border_lines to allow time to reflect on the things we’re grateful for in our lives; from the borderlands to wherever you are, we wish you time to enjoy family, good eats, rest, and reflection.

_A Senate committee voted 11-4 to approve the nomination for DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen_who doesn’t support a border wall, but wants more border enforcement_setting her up for a full Senate vote by the end of November.

_Starting the week of Nov. 26, yours truly will be reporting from Washington, DC, (currently I’m in Tucson, AZ) for the final push for a #CleanDreamAct without further militarizing the border.

_Border towns who believe in safe communities were pleased to see a federal judge in Philadelphia rule that the Trump administration cannot withhold federal law enforcement funds to a city just because the police refuse to enforce federal immigration laws.

_The ACLU-NM Regional Center for Border Rights is urging New Mexico senators to sign the petition and resist Trump’s deportation force and support a clean Dream Act now.

Must reads

_Two things are crystal clear: (1) Congress needs to pass a clean Dream Act before the end of the year to protect young immigrants who are at risk for deportation and (2) the government doesn’t need to spend another centavo más on immigration or border enforcement (so call, already!).

_Quality over Quantity Needed. A report issued by the inspector general about homeland security’s record of mismanagement notes, “Neither CBP nor ICE could provide complete data to support the operational need or deployment strategies for the 15,000 additional agents and officers they were directed to hire.” And “DHS often fails to update and clarify guidance and policies, ensure full and open communication between employees and management, offer sufficient training, and reduce administrative burdens. Our reports are replete with examples of insufficient training to enable and enhance job performance.”

_Furthermore. An opinion editorial in yesterday’s Newsweek magazine by the CATO Institute further confirms that not only are more border patrol agents not needed, but the agency should also focus on addressing its corruption problem first.

_Lawmakers Oppose Eminent Domain for a Wall. Because 70% of the land at the U.S.-Mexico border is privately owned by U.S. citizens, five border state congressional members sent a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan asking him if he supports seizing private property to build Trump’s border wall.

_Stonewalling on the costs of the wall? A U.S. Senate report takes the Administration to task for not having the information on the real estate costs or the numbers of U.S. citizen landowners that would be affected by the building of a border wall.

_Speaking of a wall. The Texas Observer released government documents that reveal where the Trump administration plans to build a wall in the Rio Grande Valley. Targeted areas include private property, wildlife sanctuaries, and an RV park for retirees. We can think of many places where money could be better spent, such as improved roads, providing health care, and better K-12 education.

_Follow the wall $$$. A recent report, Wall Street’s Border Wall, illustrates how five firms would benefit financially from the construction of a border wall. We might as well gold-plate it.

_A wall kicker. Check out this somewhat, sort of, kind of brilliant publicity stunt that aims to block the border wall by encouraging customers to buy a piece of the land it might be built on. It sold out in hours.

_So-called late applications can re-file. You may have heard that 4,000 DACA applications were considered late_even though they were sent well in advance_after a postal service slowdown. Thanks to public outcry and the leadership of Border Champions New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich and Texas Representative Beto O’Rourke, the administration has now said they will reconsider these so-called late applications.