US Att'y: Border Crossing Terrorists May Go Free

Regulations implemented this month along America's busiest southern border crossing would force Border Patrol agents to free captured illegal aliens even if they're known to be guilty of terrorist activity.

Border Patrol sources tell San Diego's TV News 10 that under the new guidelines, the criminal history of smugglers or illegal immigrants will be considered only if they've been convicted of murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, rape or multiple felonies in the past five years.

"If they have committed a crime longer than seven years ago, it will not be considered -- that includes crimes like child pornography, weapons crimes and even terrorism," reports the San Diego station.

U.S. Attorney Carol Lamb mandated the new guidelines in a letter sent to Border Patrol agents late last month. Though's Lamb's office was mum as to when the new policy is supposed to be implemented, border agents working the crossing between San Diego and Tijuana say the new rules went into effect Nov. 1.

Contacted by News 10, Lamb defended the policy, saying her office will handle the prosecutions on a case-by-case basis.

"A key al-Qaeda operative seized in Pakistan recently offered an alarming account of the group's potential plans to target the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction . . . .

"Sharif al-Masri, an Egyptian who was captured in late August near Pakistan's border with Iran and Afghanistan, has told his interrogators of 'al-Qaeda's interest in moving nuclear materials from Europe to either the U.S. or Mexico' . . .

"Masri also said al Qaeda has considered plans to 'smuggle nuclear materials to Mexico, then operatives would carry material into the U.S.'"

Last year, about 62 million people crossed into the U.S. through two tightly regulated checkpoints in the San Diego area - the crossings at San Ysidro and Otay Mesa - making it the world's busiest border crossing.

But Border Patrol agents told News 10 that in area's to the east, there are many holes in border security. San Diego residents, who fear terrorists could easily take advantage of the security gaps, say that when patrols are on shift changes, illegals by the dozens cross in those lightly-secured areas.

Here's a few that are trying:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c108:1:./temp/~c1084uPlbV::
COSPONSORS(29), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]: (Sort: by date)

Rep Barrett, J. Gresham [SC-3] - 7/22/2004 Rep Bradley, Jeb [NH-1] - 10/6/2004
Rep Culberson, John Abney [TX-7] - 7/22/2004 Rep Davis, Jo Ann [VA-1] - 7/15/2004
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] - 7/22/2004 Rep Doolittle, John T. [CA-4] - 7/15/2004
Rep Duncan, John J., Jr. [TN-2] - 7/15/2004 Rep English, Phil [PA-3] - 7/15/2004
Rep Gallegly, Elton [CA-24] - 7/15/2004 Rep Garrett, Scott [NJ-5] - 7/22/2004
Rep Goode, Virgil H., Jr. [VA-5] - 7/15/2004 Rep Goodlatte, Bob [VA-6] - 11/17/2004
Rep Hayworth, J. D. [AZ-5] - 7/15/2004 Rep Hostettler, John N. [IN-8] - 7/15/2004
Rep Johnson, Sam [TX-3] - 7/15/2004 Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] - 7/15/2004
Rep King, Steve [IA-5] - 7/15/2004 Rep Manzullo, Donald A. [IL-16] - 9/15/2004
Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] - 9/15/2004 Rep Miller, Gary G. [CA-42] - 10/6/2004
Rep Miller, Jeff [FL-1] - 7/15/2004 Rep Norwood, Charlie [GA-9] - 7/15/2004
Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] - 7/22/2004 Rep Royce, Edward R. [CA-40] - 7/15/2004
Rep Sessions, Pete [TX-32] - 9/15/2004 Rep Smith, Lamar [TX-21] - 7/15/2004
Rep Sullivan, John [OK-1] - 7/15/2004 Rep Tancredo, Thomas G. [CO-6] - 7/15/2004
Rep Whitfield, Ed [KY-1] - 7/22/2004
Expressing the disapproval of the House of Representatives of the Social Security totalization agreement between the United States and Mexico. (Introduced in House)

HRES 720 IH

108th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. RES. 720

Expressing the disapproval of the House of Representatives of the Social Security totalization agreement between the United States and Mexico.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 15, 2004

"Others opposed to the guest-worker program were Reps. Lamar Smith, Sam Johnson and John Culberson of Texas; John Hostettler of Indiana; Nathan Deal of Georgia; Ed Royce, Gary G. Miller and Dana Rohrabacher of California; Tom Tancredo of Colorado; John J. "Jimmy" Duncan Jr. of Tennessee; Roscoe G. Bartlett of Maryland; Kevin Brady of Texas; Robert B. Aderholt of Alabama; Charles W. "Chip" Pickering Jr. of Mississippi; John Sullivan of Oklahoma; J. Gresham Barrett of South Carolina; Barbara Cubin of Wyoming; Sue Myrick and Walter B. Jones of North Carolina; and Steve King of Iowa."

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