According to union members’ website, “In response to a question about the low morale problem in CBP, she answered with a laugh “My morale is high.” Her dismissive comment is simply stunning, but unfortunately, it is typical of the way she has run things.”
Napolitano has come under criticism before by the boots on the ground employees for her lack of concern and false claims about a secure border, but her comments at the video conference wer not spontaneous. All questions had to be submitted days beforehand so she could select the questions she wanted to answer. Agents say that “This was a scripted publicity stunt designed to show she is “connecting” with agents.”
“Asked about her most memorable moment as DHS Secretary, she said something even more stunning. She said her most memorable moment as DHS Secretary was the time she threw out a first pitch at a Yankees game. This pretty much says it all. She revels in her “celebrity” while leading the largest law-enforcement agency in the history of this nation and the most memorable thing she has done is throwing a pitch at a baseball game,” according to a post on their website. “Not attending a funeral of a murdered agent, not meeting with the families of murdered agents, not anything to do with her job (outside her “celebrity” status), but throwing a pitch at a baseball game.”
Agents have “begged for real leadership in this Agency for years, and it’s become painfully apparent that nobody cares.” They believe that “it is more important” for Napolitano to “lie to the American people about how secure the borders are and to push for another amnesty program than it is to be a real leader of a law-enforcement agency.”
They say that they “don’t believe rank-and-file agents give one hoot about Napolitano throwing out some ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game. We care about border security, being allowed to do our jobs, being able to take care of our families, getting the equipment and support we need. And we continue to dream about having a real leader who we can respect and trust.”
Last week, Secretary Napolitano traveled to New York to meet with business community leaders to push immigration reform. Once again she made claims that are counter to what the agents on the border are finding. She told business leaders that our borders are more secure and our border communities are among the safest communities in our country” and argued that “America needs a 21st century immigration system that meets the needs of law enforcement, businesses, immigrants, communities, and our economy.”
Agents do not believe that she is interested in meeting their needs or those of Americans living in border communities.
While in New York, Napolitano participated in the inaugural Forbes Women’s Summit, where she spoke as part of a panel discussion highlighting the growing influence of women in shaping policy.