Bush caves to Fox - no US Visit processing for Mexican BCC visa holders

Frontera Tijuana ^ | 03/05/04 | Mexican Wire Services

[Pa' fuera]

More than 10 million mexicans with border crossing cards will not be processed when they enter the United States for visits of less that 72 hours or visits that do not extend beyond the 40 kilometer border region, announces Homeland Security under-secretary Asa Hutchinson.

Giving testimony before the Government Reform Comitte in the House of Representatives, Hutchinson specified that BCC (Border Crossing Card) holders will be photographed and fingerprinted, like other visitors, if they spend more than 72 hours in the US or travel beyond the 25-mile border region.

“The BCC already incorporates the biographic and biometric data of the visitor, he added, by warning that the card carrier is using it in a manner different from its purpose.”

“Those carriers who use the card as a visa by traveling beyond the border region and stay longer than 3 days in the US – will be processed (through US Visit) in the Secondary Inspection area, like other visitors are”, explained Hutchinson.

If the use of the BCC is as a local pass, the holder will not be processed.

The US Visit program, which began to function last year, and was installed in 115 airports and 14 ports on January 5, gathers the biometric data of visitors to the US to verify their identity and compares the data on the visa with the data integrated into a system that eventually will house millions of foreign visitors’ photos and fingerprints.

Hutchison stated that there are already numerous security measures in place on both the Canadian and Mexican borders.

The system was put into place as a consequence of the September 11 terrorist attacks, when extremist islamics who had overstayed their visas hijacked four passenger aircraft and were able to crash three of them into the twin towers of New York and the Pentagon in Washington. Some three thousand people died in the attacks.

The exemption is considered as a gesture to president Vicente Fox, who this weekend will visit President Bush in his Crawford, Texas ranch. It is also seen as a measure to facilitate trans-border commerce.

The Border Crossing Cards are normally given to people who live in the border zone once a criminal background check has been performed and after the individual has been interviewed and screened by State Department personnel.

The majority have businesses or jobs or need to make quick visits to the US side of the border.

Hutchison also informed that Homeland Security will implement pilot programs this year at the 50 busiest cross-border locations, using machine readers of the biometric information contained on BCCs and visas. These programs have the objective of improving border administration and to expedite the crossing of the BCC and biometric visa holders.

[k2blader]

Your post evoked in me an unsettling dichotomy of hilarity and depression. Thanks. ;-D

[k2blader]

Thanks for the translation. I was trying to read the article in Español but didn't get too far. :-)

[Tamzee]

I remember the good old days when folks around here took a leftie agenda article or foreign press piece of garbage and deconstructed it to expose the intent and potential damage it could pose to us on the right.

NOW we have part of the right-wing SEEKING those articles and promoting them deliberately, and defending the post if you try to deconstruct any anti-right spin.

[Pa' fuera]

For example, at entry points, they ask if you're affiliated with any terrorist organizations. If you say yes, they will deny you entry, keeping the country safe from terrorists.

the daily routine in San Diego every morning must go something like this:

Mexican Construction worker approaches checkpoint at 6 AM with BCC in hand and tools in the back of the truck

border patrol: "Where are you going"

"shopping"

this is repeated for 20-30,000 vehicles on every weekday of the year.

[Tamzee]

The title of this article is not the same one posted at the source site.

It is against Free Republic rules to change article titles so that they serve your own political preferences.

[onyx]

No agenda here, huh? (sarcasm off)

[k2blader]

I also wonder if those whining about the headline even bothered to read the article.

[PRND21]

NOW we have part of the right-wing SEEKING those articles and promoting them deliberately, and defending the post if you try to deconstruct any anti-right spin.

Election year antics.

[CyberAnt]

Not only that .. These people are already photographed and fingerprinted when they apply for visas - why should that be repeated - there's already a record.

We do the same for Canadians.

Bush isn't caving to anybody - it's just the dept making a judgment to treat Canadians and Mexicans the same.

[Pa' fuera]

I also wonder if those whining about the headline even bothered to read the article.

not that it would matter if they did. Remember, Bush can do no wrong -- he's just sowing future Republican votes among Hispanics.

[Pa' fuera]

Bush isn't caving to anybody - it's just the dept making a judgment to treat Canadians and Mexicans the same.

a dumb move when you consider that when these cards went biometric, all holders had to renew them and their old cards were invalidated. Not so surprisingly, hundreds of thousands of the Tijuana BCCs were not renewed. They had already served their purpose - that of getting the immigrant into the country. The Mexicans have proven they consider the whole process a farce and a game, they should be punished for their contempt.

[dagnabbit]

I guess some enforcement at the southern border would interfere with Bush Jr's ongoing massive matricula-card amnesty, or with his upcoming dishonest "temporary" worker scheme.

[dagnabbit]

Hutchison also informed that Homeland Security will implement pilot programs this year at the 50 busiest cross-border locations, using machine readers of the biometric information contained on BCCs and visas. These programs have the objective of improving border administration and to expedite the crossing of the BCC and biometric visa holders.

These "laser" cards have been issued for what? 6, 7 years, and only now they promise to launch "pilot programs" to try to read the things. Why haven't they been reading them all along? This is about as believable as Bush's promise to start enforcing the law, but only after his illegal alien amnesty .

[Pa' fuera]

These "laser" cards have been issued for what? 6, 7 years, and only now they promise to launch "pilot programs" to try to read the things.

what good are biometrics if you never read them? I guess they're good to make political hay, because then you can say biometric and tamper-proof to impress the masses

[CyberAnt]

Well .. the "farce and game" has been going on for a lot longer than Bush being President. You're blaming Bush for something that has taken years to establish, and you're expecting Bush to wave a magic wand and fix it all. That's just not realistic.

[Don Joe]

He was dishonest, I called him on it. Nitpicking? I guess the truth isn't important to you either.

You are straining at a gnat, while swallowing a camel. When confronted on this behavior, you protest that gnats are in fact unclean animals, and ask why I object to your refusal to swallow them.

I have no use for pharisees.

[PRND21]

And you are beating a dead horse. Truth matters.

[Don Joe]

This thread is rife with nitpicking attacks on the original poster, from people who do not like the information he revealed, and are trying to find some way to silence him, even stooping to invoking A.M. actions.

[Don Joe]

I also wonder if those whining about the headline even bothered to read the article.

Oh, I rather suspect they did, which is precisely why they're trying to get the thread derailed and/or deleted. The do not like the facts the poster pointed out, so they're trying to nitpick him to death.

Despicable tactics, IMO.

[Don Joe]

And you are beating a dead horse.

You can of course characterize yourself any way you please, but I'll have no part of it, TUVM.