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.

[Pa' fuera]

This is a huge win for Mexico. This was going to be a big blow for Mexican visa overstayers, but Bush is not going to let that happen on his watch.

[PRND21]

False headline.

[Howlin]

Your headline is a lie; this was announced before Fox even got here.

One doesn't need to wonder what your agenda is here.

[Pa' fuera]

This is an exemption that Vicente Fox has been asking for, and he got it.

[Pa' fuera]

read post 4

[Williams]

The media is building this up because they know the illegal immigration issue weakens Bush's base. But Kerry will do NOTHING about illegal immigration. The Mexicans affected here are NOT illegal immigrants. They are extremely short stay legal travelers. Am I now supposed to hate every policy detail affecting Mexicans who enter the U.S., even legally?

[PRND21]

How liberal of you. Truth matters.

[Pa' fuera]

The media is building this up because they know the illegal immigration issue weakens Bush's base. But Kerry will do NOTHING about illegal immigration. The Mexicans affected here are NOT illegal immigrants. They are extremely short stay legal travelers. Am I now supposed to hate every policy detail affecting Mexicans who enter the U.S., even legally?

FYI, this is the Mexican media. Secondly, border crossing cards are one of the main sources we have for illegal immigrants. There are 1.6 million card-holders in Tijuana alone. Tijuana's entire population probably doesn't amount to 1.6 million. Hundreds of thousands of the Tijuana cards were used to gain entrance to the US, and, after 3 days, these people became illegals and are still living in the United States. The number is surely in the millions when you count all BCCs issued at all consulates/embassies in Mexico.

[Pa' fuera]

Did Fox want the concession? Yes.

Was he supposed to get it by the original terms of US Visit? No.

Did he get the concession? Yes.

Did Bush concede it to him? Yes.

There's the truth for you.

[Howlin]

It's STILL a false headline; it's your opinion and that doesn't belong in NEWS.

[Howlin]

The truth is that your headline is a lie, period.

[Pa' fuera]

it's not my opinion that these Mexican visa holders were slated to be included in US Visit, that Mexican pressure was brought to bear, and the Bush administration backtracked on the original scope of US Visit

[PRND21]

Did you break forum guidelines by changing the headline? Yes.

[Pa' fuera]

so, how 'bout them law-breaking illegals?

[PRND21]

so, how 'bout them law-breaking illegals?

Your dishonest thread isn't about illegals. Whiff!

[Pa' fuera]

It is about border crossing card carriers and how they won't be processed. There are hundreds of thousands if not millions of illegals who have these cards and used them to enter the US.

[PRND21]

What does that have to do with your false headline? How about this one...

Bush Doesn't Cave to Pa'fuera

[Amerigomag]

The media is building this up because they know the illegal immigration issue weakens Bush's base.

True but the issue didn't weaken Bush's base. Bush did.

Bush was on the wrong side of the issue. The media simply keeps reminding him of his bad decision.

I think that is incumbent for all conservatives to remind Bush of his bad decision.

[satan]

In case you hadn't noticed, FREE-Republic is only free if you don't criticize Republicans, especially Bush. We are unfair and biased.

[Pa' fuera]

He continues to thumb his nose at his base. These crossers should be screened at the border. What this will do is allow these 3-day permit holders to cross into the US and stay here for 10 years without Homeland Security being alerted to their presence. It also allows them to cross back to Mexico via land and re-enter via land, also without HS's knowledge of any violations.