Violence on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border is raging. On Friday, gunmen killed seven police officers in Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso, Texas. The Juarez drug cartel claimed responsibility for the brazen attack.
Gunmen attacked another government convoy on Saturday in the western state of Michoacan -- in a sign that the cartels have shifted tactics and are starting to target law enforcement and government officials, as opposed to rival gangs.
U.S. authorities suspect an illegal immigrant murdered Arizona rancher Robert Krentz on March 27.
The violence has heightened concerns about border security, leading some to warn Washington that an election-year push for immigration legislation is premature.
Stephen Brophy, president of the Arizona Cattle Growers Association and a friend of Krentz, said any move to push for federal legislation without improving security could entice hordes of immigrants to cross into the U.S. illegally in hopes of hitting the jackpot -- a law that puts them in the clear.
"You can't have immigration reform until you have secure borders," Brophy said Monday. "If the border is not secure, there will be a flood of them (coming) north thinking that immigration reform will legitimatize their presence here, the likes of which we've never seen."
Republican lawmakers, while not uniformly against the idea of taking another stab at immigration legislation, held to that position in interviews on the Sunday talk shows.
"I just don't think this is the right time to take up this issue with the border security problems, the drug wars going on across the border," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told "Fox News Sunday," adding that high unemployment also needs to be addressed first.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., told CNN's "State of the Union" that passing an immigration package "is not practical because we still haven't sealed the border."
Calls for better border security have mounted from members of both parties since Krentz's murder. Some have called for more Border Patrol agents. Some have called for a stronger National Guard presence. - FOX News Story
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