Add the name Nicholas Corbett to the rogues gallery of Border Patril agents who think because they were a badge, the are above the law. Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean are two others who come to mind.
This week federal prosecutors will open a murder trial against an Arizona border agent. But for many people, the case also will put on trial the nation’s border security strategy.
The retrial of U.S. Border Patrol agent Nicholas Corbett in Tucson is inflaming the divided passions about immigration and border security.
Corbett’s defenders say the case is about a man defending himself against a violent attacker in a dangerous place, and then being punished, for political reasons, for doing his job.
They say the confrontation that led to Corbett shooting an illegal immigrant is reason for stricter security and tighter immigration laws. (How about more training and a tighter rein on these cowboys?)
Prosecutors say the case has nothing to do with border issues. Rather, it’s about upholding the law to punish a man who abused his power to commit murder.
Human-rights activists also say the case represents an overly severe border policy that needs stricter oversight.
The Corbett case has attracted attention on each side of the border, with Mexico calling for Corbett’s prosecution.
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