The story of convicted and incarcerated border agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean reminds why I support limited government and taking power away from bureaucrats. You can read their story here. I’ve not said anything about their story yet because frankly there are some issues. Did Ramos and Compean do everything right in their encounter with Mexican criminals? No, they didn’t. However, I don’t think that justifies the excessive prosecution and sentence. They had been in a struggle with a criminal, shots had been fired, and they were in pursuit of criminals. In that situation, following every procedure could be difficult. I’m not arguing they shouldn’t have received a reprimand or something, but 11 and 12 years in prison?

I am most bothered by two points in this case: granting immunity to a Mexican drug trafficker for testimony against Ramos and Compean and misapplying a federal law. First, the government put up a Mexican drug trafficker in a local hospital and gave him immunity to testify against the two border agents. Why is our government going after our own citizens who risk their lives and giving immunity to a guy bringing drugs to our streets? It boggles the mind. Second, the federal law in question, which accounts for most of the sentence of Ramos and Compean, shouldn’t even apply to their case. Recently liberal California senator Diane Feinstein argued as much, even asking President Bush to commute the sentences of the border agents. Other Congressmen agree with Feinstein and also have appealed to President Bush for commutation or a pardon.

And yet, Bush says he is not going to use his authority to free these guys. California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican, said this about Bush’s refusal to commute the sentences of Ramos and Compean: “I think it has a lot to do with an attitude in this administration that refuses to admit any mistakes and protects its own clique but nobody else.” Well said Congressman.

So, I hope, along with a bipartisan group of Congressmen, that Ramos and Compean are freed immediately. Should they face some internal disciplinary action? Perhaps. But the response shouldn’t be a prison sentence based on giving immunity to a drug dealer and misapplying a federal law. The ball is in Bush’s court, but I’m not hopeful.