Illegal Immigrant Apprehensions On The Rise

KOLD - TV 13 (Tucson) ^ | 30 March 2004 | Dan Marries

[JackelopeBreeder]

Tent cities are in the works to hold illegal immigrants captured near the Arizona-Mexico border. Authorities are catching a skyrocketing number of people; at least 30 percent more in the last five months. On Sunday, March 27th, 3,067 people were apprehended in the Tucson sector alone. The Tucson sector shares 261 miles of border with Mexico and stretches from Yuma County to the New Mexico state line.

Now that the Homeland Security Department has launched the new Arizona Border Control (ABC) Initiative, that number is expected to rise even more, "Traditionally this is a busy time of the year for us," says Greg Maier a U.S. Border Patrol agent assigned in Tucson. He says over the weekend a group of 300 illegal aliens was caught near Nogales but it's just a fraction of the actual number being apprehended.

So far for fiscal year 2004, that's from October 1st to date (March 28th), Border Patrol agents have detained more than 211,000 illegals in the Tucson sector. Compared to nearly 145,000 for the same time period last year. And so far this month to date (March 28th) 63,0000 apprehensions. Nearly double the 34,000 captured in March of last year.

Agents credit stepped up patrols, not only along the border but on highways and in airports for the increase. Another reason may be the weather. Agent Maier says more are crossing now in an effort to beat the heat, "I think a lot of them have been informed that it's just deadly to cross that western desert in the heat of the summer."

Homeland Security Spokesman Roger Maier (no relation to Greg Maier) says federal authorities anticipate the enhanced enforcement with the ABC Initiative will generate more apprehensions which will generate " more prosecutions and more people being returned so we need a place to put those people." Places like a temporary tent city set up southwest of Tucson. It's similar to Sheriff Joe Arpaio's tent city in Maricopa County.

Seven more air conditioned tents will be built at the Border Patrol Detention Center in Florence at a cost of two million dollars, "these facilities will house people that are waiting to have their ability to stay in the United States examined and generally that period runs anywhere from 18-41 days," explains Roger Maier. The additional tent facilities will increase the capacity for illegal immigrants in Florence by 500 from the current 750. A 66% increase, "We're not having to build brick and mortar that cost much more and may not even be necessary at the end of this year."

The Arizona Border Control Initiative is expected to cost taxpayers more than 10 million dollars in all. It's only a temporary program lasting until the end of the fiscal year which is September 30th.

[Iron Matron]

The bigger question is WHY do our politicians think we welcome this invasion?

Politicians should be asking this bigger question: How long will citizens put up with this illegal invasion before taking protection into their own hands?

Americans have the RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS.