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| Sunday, 16 January 2000
Ex-Border Patrol chief turns reformer
By Tim Steller
The Arizona Daily StarRetirement has freed Ron Sanders to take a stand on the issue that was the focus of his career: illegal immigration.
Since leaving his post as chief of the Border Patrol's Tucson sector in July, Sanders has joined a local immigration-reform group and is weighing in on the presidential race.
Sanders plans to accompany Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan at his campaign stop in Douglas Wednesday. Sanders said he shares Buchanan's passion for ending illegal immigration and strengthening border enforcement.
``I'm a supporter of any candidate who wants to control the illegal immigration problem and the drug problem in Arizona,'' Sanders said. ``I'm just going to be there to give any advice that I can.''
A registered Republican, Sanders stopped short of endorsing Buchanan. But Sanders acknowledged that he has joined Arizonans for Immigration Reform.
``They asked if I would join, and I'm not a joiner, but I said I would be happy to join them for the good of Arizona and for the good of the country,'' Sanders said.
Wes Bramhall leads the small, Tucson-based group, which supports reducing legal immigration and eliminating illegal immigration. Members also have demonstrated in support of the Border Patrol.
``We write letters to the editor, we picket (U.S. Rep. Jim) Kolbe's office. We do things like that,'' Bramhall said.
In a letter to The Arizona Daily Star published in 1995, long before the latest wave of migration began passing through Southern Arizona, Bramhall wrote, ``Our nation is being invaded by millions of illegals every year.''
Last year, Bramhall attended a forum about racial profiling given by attorney Armand Salese; he drew jeers during the question-and-answer period when he quizzed Salese about his ethnic background.
Immigrants-rights activists consider Bramhall and Arizonans for Immigration Reform their opposites.
Jesus Romo Vejar, a Tucson attorney who belongs to the local Derechos Humanos Coalition, often filed suit against the Border Patrol during Sanders' five-year tenure.
He said he found it dismaying that someone in Sanders' position would share the views of an anti-immigration organization.
In an interview yesterday, Sanders, 55, said one of his greatest disappointments is the lax enforcement of immigration laws in the nation's interior.
When employers hire illegal entrants, he said, ``you also will see OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) laws violated, fair labor laws violated, minors are employed. If the employer turns his head on one law, he probably will turn it on other laws.''
Sanders also expressed concern that the number of undocumented people entering the country this year will slant the census count. That could affect the apportionment of congressional seats, Sanders said.
Some of his strongest criticism, though, was directed at Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican who is a leading candidate for his party's presidential nomination.
``I'm really disappointed that we have a senator from our state, running for president, who has not done much for keeping the drugs out and the illegal aliens out,'' Sanders said.
He singled out other Arizona Republicans - Kolbe and U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl - as more supportive of the Border Patrol.
Nancy Vies, press secretary for McCain's presidential campaign, took issue with Sanders' characterization of her candidate, calling McCain one of the harshest critics of the current administration's border policies.
``For 17 years, John McCain has been front and center on trying to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S. and help control drug trafficking into this country,'' Vies said.
``He has fought tirelessly to boost technology and manpower available to U.S. Customs and INS agents on Arizona borders to help control drug trafficking and illegal immigration.''
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