Biographies

At FOBP, we believe it is important for donors and recipients to know the background of FOBP personnel who are or may assist them.  Andy Ramirez's biography appears below.  Biographies of other FOBP personnel may be viewed by selecting them from the list on the right. Due to previous threats, we have not posted profiles of all directors/staff.

Andy Ramirez, Chairman

Andy Ramirez serves as chairman of Friends of the Border Patrol, which he founded in 2004 initially to support the Border Patrol and their agents, while improving the quality of life for border residents. Since then, FOBP's role has expanded to include all law enforcement officers. FOBP is the go-to organization due to their efforts to improve national security at and between the ports of entry as well as along our coastlines, including Puerto Rico.

Andy has become a trusted conduit of info between Congressional leaders and the front lines, including border sheriffs. The media has extensively reported Andy's discoveries of border corruption, security compromises, and inaccurate information by DHS, as well as the trumping up of charges against officers doing their jobs. His field investigations have led to him repeatedly testifying before Congress as an expert witness on border security. Andy's work has led to a number of Congressional bills addressing border security policies that will help America's law enforcement officers by enhancing enforcement of our laws and removing the obstructionist red-tape hindering them.

For their work exposing the DHS/DOJ War on Law Enforcement, Andy and FOBP became known as "Defenders of Border Patrol Agents", though this has now evolved to include all law enforcement officers for their championing the defense of all law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs, or are unjustly prosecuted, terminated, and persecuted for doing their jobs, expecially whistleblowers. Issues discovered included suppression of evidence, abuse of power, suborning of perjury, ignoring Supreme Court rulings, illegal criminal alien violaters who broke laws and were protected by DOJ/DHS during prosecutions of agents/officers. Some of the cases include Customs Officers Rhodes, and Israel, as well as Border Patrol Agents Aleman, Compean, Ramos, and Sipe, with many others Andy and FOBP have assisted behind the scenes. FOBP is shifting away from criminal cases and now are taking on administrative cases where agencies trump up charges against officers to cover their own incompetence, as well as whistleblowers, and victims of various forms of abuse.

Andy authored a comprehensive report titled "Unjustifiable & Impeachable, The FOBP Report on DHS, DOJ, and the Courts", which was released on Veterans Day, 2008. It is a follow-up to the previously issued reports by FOBP addressing the the War on Law Enforcement and the 2008 National Conference. It is the culmination of four and a half years of active field investigations.

Andy has appeared extensively as a frequent guest on national news programs including CNN's Lou Dobbs, FNC's Fox & Friends, and Hannity & Colmes. He has also been a featured guest on syndicated programs such as Michael Reagan, G. Gordon Liddy, Laura Ingraham, and local Talk Radio shows in Chicago, Colorado Springs, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tampa, and Washington, DC.

Andy has worked to eliminate expenses for Multiple Sclerosis patients' costly medications, while reassessing qualifications for disability and coverage for the disabled. In 2001, ANDY helped cut red tape for expensive medications, and as a result, MS Patients in L.A. County now have access to their essential medications without having to wait for state patient benefit coverage approval or denial. ANDY himself was diagnosed with MS in 1990, and forced to retire from semi-pro ice hockey, where he was a goalie.

Andy Ramirez was the Democrat Nominee for CA State Assembly, 60th District in 1994 and 1995, feuding with Speaker Willie Brown before re-registering after the election. ANDY built an excellent record as a leader for political accountability, less government, perk reduction, budget reforms, and preservation of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Over the past decade, Andy Ramirez has testified before the California Legislature on many types of legislation though in recent years primarily working to defeat Sen. Gil Cedillo's driver's license for illegal aliens bills (SB-1160, AB-2895, and SB-60). In 2005, Andy was part of a delegation that successfully lobbied Governor Schwarzenegger, which resulted in his vetoing 2005's SB-60, and assisted California border residents with wrong-way drivers.

Andy remains dedicated to reforming the California Legislature, State Budget Process, and bringing accountability to California Politics. In late-1997, Andy authored the ballot measure, The California Public Accountability (or CALPAC) Initiative. This measure was the initiative version of "The California Legislative Reform Act of 1996", introduced as SCA 31 in the Senate by then Senator Ray Haynes. These measures sought to make CA's State Government accountable to taxpayers and would have saved millions of dollars annually.

Andy attended Cal Poly Pomona, and Mt. San Antonio College, where he studied psychology, political science, and minored in broadcast communications. However, his degree comes from the school of hard knocks after 20+ years of battling the debilitating disease Multiple Sclerosis.

Visit AndyRamirez.com for more about Andy's life.