Posted on 09/03/2004 3:53:17 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Many non-Mexican illegal immigrants disappear after quick release, lawmakers say.
BROWNSVILLE - New intelligence gathered along Texas' border indicates al-Qaida and other possible terrorist groups may be trying to enter the United States through Mexico, according to several Democratic lawmakers.
U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, hosted U.S. Rep. Jim Turner, D-Crockett, and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, both members of the House Homeland Security Committee, in a tour of several border facilities in the Brownsville area Thursday. The three disclosed the intelligence in a news conference after the gathering.
Turner said intelligence reports indicated that "a group of Middle Eastern men" was moving through Latin America toward the Texas border. No further details of the threat were available, he said.
Ortiz also said El Salvador officials had confirmed with U.S. authorities last month that "Mara Salvatrucha," a violent gang with roots in the Salvadoran civil war and branches in several U.S. states including Texas, had met with al-Qaida. Ortiz said he could not elaborate on the threat Thursday.
The reason Ortiz said he had invited Turner and Lee to the area was so they could observe the border facilities firsthand and develop ideas for strengthening the porous border region against terrorism without jeopardizing the flow of trade. Ortiz called attention to procedures along the 2,000-mile border with Mexico, particularly how "other than Mexican," or "OTM," immigrants often are released after apprehension because of limited bed space in detention facilities.
About 50,000 non-Mexican illegal immigrants are caught entering the United States annually, Turner said. Of those, more than 20,000 are released and don't return for scheduled immigration hearings. Lee said only 19,000 beds exist for the estimated 22,000 illegal immigrants caught every day trying to enter the country.
Six Cuban immigrants who landed near Port Aransas last week fit that mold. They turned themselves in after two months at sea in a 30-foot boat knocked off course by Hurricane Charley and were scheduled to be moved to a holding facility in Port Isabel, but because the facility was full, were released after hearings were scheduled for them. One later was sent to Port Isabel and released.
"Our porous southern border represents one of the greatest security threats to this country," Lee said. "But on the other hand, we don't want to impede the free flow of trade and commerce."
Turner recommended the government make "the largest investment in infrastructure, personnel and technology we've seen in the history of this country." Lee's recommendations were more specific: emergency funding from Congress, intelligence sharing, modifying procedures for non-Mexican detainees and reducing the shortage of beds.
The Rio Grande Valley has been subject to increased national scrutiny in recent months because of the announcement of new Homeland Security illegal immigrant regulations and the apprehension and detention of a South African woman at McAllen's international airport in July.
The woman, Farida Goolam Mahomed Ahmed, 48, was headed to New York and was apprehended with no visa or U.S. entry stamp, according to The New York Times, and three pages of her passport were torn out.
Several weeks after the woman was arrested, the Homeland Security department announced new regulations that would allow Border Patrol agents to deport non-Mexican illegal immigrants more quickly, without hearings before immigration judges.
Turner called the plan a "Band-Aid" solution, and cited information gathered from his visit Thursday that suggested Border Patrol agents had received few instructions about how to implement the new plans.
"They've received no training and no funding," he said. "Frankly, it sounds like a good idea, but it will have to be just one part of an overall solution."
Ortiz said he hoped insight gained from the visit would allow the three to return to Washington and spread the word.
"All it takes is for one crazy guy to come here and disrupt the economy and the flow of trade, and then we'll have very serious problems."
Contact Brad Olson at 886-3764 or olsonb@caller.com
Just watch. The democrats need a "spark" to ignite this campaign. Looks like this may be the one they're picking. Most polls run in the 75% and above range against all illegal immigration or benefits for them. And it's not going to fare well for Pres. Bush when it gets out that his administration is planning on giving illegals social security.
Couldn't it also be argued that some of those cells have been broken up?
the democrats are already on record as thinking that Bush doesn't go far enough to assist the illegals in this country. Not sure if this 'spark' is the right one to 'ignite'.
I'd hate to see Kerry take a position on this that he might have to change after a day or so. He's bound to give himself whiplash with all his position changes.
I haven't heard of any of them moving back 'home.' They caught some guys out of New York, but the rest across the United States have been pretty quiet.
I have said before that they are probably peaceful, but as in most big families, there are "black sheep." Just never know.......
"I'd hate to see Kerry take a position on this that he might have to change after a day or so."
If it weren't for changing his "beliefs" every other day, there would be nothing consistent about him!
If they can hurt Bush with illegal immigration, they'll do it.
Maybe they are at Gitmo. Weren't there some picked up in Oregon? I'd still prefer a more UPDATED map. We might be focusing on the wrong areas now.
I'll take it on faith that the numbers of border agents you quote is correct. But I'd wager the total number of agents is spread over three 8-hour shifts. Add in admin time, vacation time, staff turnover, etc ... the actual number of "miles per agent" is probably a lot higher.
How else could tens of thousands of illegals (and probably a few "OTMs") be getting across?
The same arguement could be used against them, so I doubt they will. If they talk about how Bush needs to clamp down on the border more, they just tick off half of their voters. It could help Bush in the long run.
Probe? Terrorists need to probe the border? Geeze. All they need to do is walk on over.
You are so full of jackass dung.
We have hundreds of thousands that enter successfully unabated, and we don't have a GD clue who these people are!!! Are you on freaking drugs?
Just four months ago, other open border hacks like yourself were on this great forum telling any fool that would listen that "Terrorist do not/will not enter from Mexico."
Routinely they find homes packed with hundreds of illegals, trucks parked in Wal-Mart parking lots with 90 freaking people packed inside. THESE ARE JUST THE ONES THAT ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND! We have not a clue who has entered this country.
Statements like yours and from other illegal alien apologist are absolutely ludicrous. It's about time someone tell you to shut the h*ll up with this absolute babble.
Why bother to 'probe' the border when all you need to do is walk in and sign up for benefits. </sarcasm>
>>Wrong. On the Canadian border there is one border agent for every five miles. On the Mexican border there are seven agents per mile. Plus the Mexican border has fences, rangers, military forces, drones, towers, sensors, fixed wing and helicopter surveillance; and mounted cameras.
Additionally we have special arrangements with the Mexican and Latin American governments aimed at stopping terrorists. Our objective is to catch them before they get within a hundred miles of our border.<<
bayourod
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1206882/posts?page=16#16
I understand your frustration. I cannot imagine why anyone would be willing to risk our borders, our security for votes or cheap labor, or a lop sided sense of "equity". We are the world....we are the children.....NOT! If it makes you feel any better, your views are in the VAST majority of conservatives. I'd like to see FR do a poll on a few questions, like....Do you support illegal aliens receiving free college tuition, free medical care, social security, medicare...etc....
You may have already read Mexifornia by Victor Davis Hanson. Here's part of a discussion on it from CSpan.
http://www.booknotes.org/Transcript/?ProgramID=1747&QueryText=Mexifornia
~snip~
HANSON: Well, because it`s a very strange thing that`s happening. We have the corporate conservative right who wants a perennial supply, I think, of cheap labor, who is in alliance with the therapeutic left that wants an unassimilated constituency. And the language that we use -- protectionist or racist -- precludes discussion of this issue, which is -- we have an election coming up in California, a bizarre election. But we have this 800-pound gorilla of illegal immigration, and it doesn`t have anything to do with Mexicans or Mexico or legal immigration. It`s a particular illegal immigration from Mexico that`s starting a whole series of inconsistencies, antitheses problems. And we`re not discussing it.
LAMB: What`s the -- what are the numbers?
HANSON: Well, we don`t know. Nationwide, I think the U.S. census suggests there`s nine million illegal aliens. I`ve seen figures of 15 or 19, 20, that advocates on both the left and right will use, that are currently in the United States. In California, I`ve seen as many as 3 to 4 million. A term that`s used now is immigrants, meaning people were born in Mexico, and that precludes the argument whether they`re here illegally or legally. But whatever the term we use, it`s a radical shift since, say, 1970, where we had 400,000, not 4 million. And most of them were here legally, and we had the assimilationist pattern, where we had no bilingual education, no Chicano studies, and it was based on assimilation, intermarriage and unity of the United States. And I -- and I grew up in that generation, and the people that I knew -- I was one of the few non-Mexican-Americans in my school district. They`re all smashing successes now.
TX ping
Well, these people aren't on the run. They have big Mosque's which are huge buildings. They just can't pack them up like a tent and hit the highway.
Steve Emerson is the one who wrote the book "Terrorists Among Us." I was going to find his email and write to him to see if he has an updated map. I, too, would love to have one.
I'd say that national security trumps your right to a fast buck.
There was this which only was posted here once and only got 5 replies:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/926120/posts
Do-it-yourself deportation
Rich Lowry (archive)
June 10, 2003
Quietly, all across America, illegal immigrants are doing an extraordinary thing -- deporting themselves.
In response to stepped-up immigration enforcement, thousands of Arab and Muslim illegals are leaving for home on their own. It is a dynamic that offers the first hopeful sign for solving an illegal-immigration crisis that has an estimated 700,000 illegals coming to the United States a year and joining an illegal population of roughly 9 million.
Earlier this year, 82,000 Arab and Muslim men registered with immigration authorities in a post-Sept. 11 security program, and more than 13,000 proved to be illegal. Those 13,000 are slated for deportation, but authorities might not have to force them out, because many of them -- and many others -- will leave on their own.
Yea, break out that big ol'nasty can of sealant, aye??
I was just up around the Canadian/Maine boarder this past week. The anti-people coating on that border seemed a little thin...
Know what I mean?
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