Is Asa "Squishy" on Immigration?

UPDATE 8:35 AM 05-12-06: Hutchinson spokesman David Kinkade emails:

Asa squishy on immigration? My response to that is to look at the record. When Asa went to DHS , he took on a system that was already broken and took steps to start fixing it.

Let's take one example: Prior to 9/11, the system for issuing student visas in the US was a manual, paper-driven process. That meant you had thousands of people in the nation without any real accountability -- in fact, in both the 1993 WTC bombing and in 2001, at least a few of the perpetrators had exploited that system to get into the US. After 9/11, Homeland Security developed the SEVIS program, a web-based system for issuing and tracking student visas. Think about that for a minute: As late as 2001, the US govt was still handling foreign exchange student entries into the US by pushing paper. Amazing.

Check out that issues page I linked above and look at the record: US-VISIT, breaking up the old INS into citizenship and enforcement components to better focus missions, new border initiatives....DHS did a lot of work on immigration enforcement and border security in the two years he was there. Was the job done when he left? Nope. Was everything accomplished that he'd have wanted to accomplish? Nope -- part of governing and being in an executive position is setting priorities and making decisions. Would he tell you that there's a lot of work left to do? Yep. But look at the record of what he started while there and it's solid.

I think he has a point. Taking on leadership of DHS was taking on leadership of a conglomeration of broken bureaucracies. A giant bureacracy of bureaucracies doesn't transform instantaneously--reforms come in steps. To his credit, we have not had a major terrorist attack since 9/11. That is no small thing.

You can check the issue page for information about how Asa plans to handle the immigration issue as governor.
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UPDATE 10:15 PM: Check out this article by a reporter who doesn't seem to be much of an Asa fan. (Of course, if a reporter doesn't like you, that's often a very good sign.) The reporter contrasts his belief that a guest-worker program should be instituted first with Asa's belief that the border must be sealed before any other actions are taken.

That's not a "squishy" position.

If you're interested in position papers, check out Asa's issue page on Immigration.
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That's what someone just asked me in an email referencing this post from Malkin today. Her post is about immigration policy conflicts between Department of Homeland Security (DHS) management and regular employees:

But now is a crucial time to step back and look at this disturbing episode in a larger, informed context-- that is, as part of the longstanding battle between DHS management and rank-and-file employees over strict, tough, and unapologetic immigration enforcement. Supervisors in Washington and in major Border Patrol sectors are cowed by ethnic activists, business lobbyists, and meddling Mexican consulates. Field agents are demoralized by top-down efforts--from the White House on down--to undermine their law enforcement duties.

Read all of it. Asa is mentioned:

Border Patrol rank-and-file blew the whistle on Beltway bosses retreating from interior enforcement again. After extensive intelligence-gathering, local agents had conducted effective illegal alien sweeps in July 2004--which sent Mexican officials and the open-borders lobby into full-scale hysteria. Washington bowed to the pressure and ordered the agents to stop enforcing immigration laws. Grilled by KFI's talk show hosts John and Ken, then-DHS undersecretary Asa Hutchinson--who had badmouthed his own employees and condemned the sweeps--blubbered that DHS would enforce immigration laws "in a reasonable manner and will consider the sensitivities associated with interior enforcement of our immigration laws."

Sensitivities to whom?

I've never seen or heard Asa "blubber" anything, but voice-characterization aside she does raise a good question.

What "sensitivities associated with interior enforcement of our immigration laws" was Asa referring to? Was he referencing his personal views when he made this statement or views dictated to him by administration policy? Was there a greater context to this quote?

Perhaps he or someone familiar with his work can elaborate.