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
Source?
Our objective is not being met. Your statements are misleading, our border is a sieve. If they were able to sneak across the border how would we know? Ridiculous.
You want cheap labor and You want me to pay for their schools, medical care and crimes. You are asking me to support your business. I decline.
rs
The numbers I'm looking for are "how many men per shift is on the national borders per mile?" North and South.
bayourod has this snotty attitude where he thinks that everything he says should be believed without question.
Sorry, that doesn't fit in with my character. I question everyone for the source of their "facts".
Yep. My favorite part is
"But on the other hand, we don't want to impede the free flow of trade and commerce."
Because illegal aliens are just such an integral part of trade and commerce here in the U.S. When you think of the hundreds of thousands of legitimate businessmen swimming the Rio Grande, or wandering across the desert, or hopping the fence with their suitcases full of product samples...gosh, it just makes me worried how badly our economy would be affected if we stopped those illegals, darnit!
[/sarcasm]
Anyone living in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, or California who does not own a firearm for personal security has a few screws loose in his brain.
Well, that goes for the other forty-six states in our great country...but the threat of invasion by truly desperate terrorists seems increased in the southwest.
~ Blue Jays ~
Big deal. The Titanic was doing pretty good to until it hit an iceberg. Why take the chance?
And it only took one.
OH, good old Bayourod is back. Was wondering where your nonsensical drivel has been.
LOL, not even close.
There has not been one single case of a person confirmed to be a terrorist sneaking across the Southern border.
Wrong again.
Some are doing processing, while others are manning communications, sensors, and other gear. That leaves at most 45 to actively patrol. The real fallacy is to think in terms of linear miles. It should be thought of in square miles.
The Naco station's primary patrol area is about 238 square miles. The secondary extends out to 510 square miles. Most of this area has terrain far more favorable to the illegals than the agents. That -- and our milder climate -- makes it easy to understand why almost 25% of illegal aliens use this small area as their fence-jumping point.
Let's say two groups of 30 to 50 illegals are spotted early in the shift. Depending on where they are spotted, it will require 8 to 12 agents to round up each group, transport them back to the BP station for processing, and stick them back through the gate. Suddenly, half the agents are tied up for a couple of hours and a big chunk of the border is wide open and unguarded. The coyotes aren't dumb; this is when they push the bulk of their clientele through.
If you go to this link right now, you can watch part of tonight's action as it goes down.
This sucks. Instead of being out with the gang, I'm sitting here trying to close out the FY04 budget in one window, while watching the video feed in another. And occasionally posting in a third...
rolling_stone said: "You want cheap labor and You want me to pay for their schools, medical care and crimes. You are asking me to support your business. I decline."
I and many others, like Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R) agree with you. Of course the congressman doesn't know about Bayourod, hopefully, but he agrees on your theory. Victor Davis Hanson believes it is also the desire to be of the "eletist" class with a class of slaves (my word, not his) to service their menial needs....cheaply. He goes on to explain that 20 years later those illegals will still live in poverty and be a drain on social services, as the last 20 years has shown.
Beds? Illegal invaders don't get beds? New policy: no bed, TOUGH SHIITE!
How about "If you violate this law, you will be shot on sight...period."?
We can monitor our borders and be secure if we really want to, but I believe we all know the answer as to why we aren't.
You don't have a clue what you blabber about, do you?
Post #49 tells the facts from a man who KNOWS what he is talking about. He has aided the BP in gathering up illegals for deportation for A FEW YEARS.
Sh!t. Another group in the crosshairs and no BP agents available. All busy. No overhead assets either. No choppers, no UAVs. I'm outta here.
LOL
I'm enjoying my one day this week.
Should say "I'm enjoying my one day off this week.".
The only problem would be time. The BP takes forever to respond so you'd have to detain them for hours.
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.
I think the ones who leave on their own are the ones with 'conscious.' How many stay that have no conscious? The ones who leave on their own were hoping to come to America to free their land full of terrorism and start a new life. The ones we have to worry about are the terrorist that have no regard to human life, and stay in the U.S. behind closed doors.
The Mosque's that sprung up in the United States are all legal IMO. They bought land and property, became American citizens and live and work among us.
It's what they can harbor, that has me concerned.
I also heard on a news report that the ME women are flying over to Detroit Mosque when they are about due to deliver a baby. They stay on a Visa with their people, go to the hospital, have their baby, and fly back to their home. All at the expense of the taxpayers dollars of Detroit.
The Governor said he has no idea how to stop it??!!
Let's probe them back then.
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