Posted on 02/08/2005 6:24:38 AM PST by txdoda
FEBRUARY 7, 2005 - Action 4 News undercover cameras catch Border Patrol agents dropping off illegal immigrants at a local bus station by the van load.
How do we know the immigrants are not possible terrorists? You'll soon find out we don't! Could this be a sign of border breakdown?
New Year's Eve morning agents pull up to the Valley Transit bus station in Harlingen, open the back of their van and a hand full of illegal immigrants jump out.
But that's just the beginning, six days later more illegal immigrants were set free, free to travel anywhere they want in the U.S. Why should you be concerned?
They are residents from what Homeland Security calls special interest countries - countries like Brazil and Argentina. The U.S. government has identified the countries as supporters of terrorism.
Luther Jones owns the Harlingen Valley Transit Bus Station.
"We offer them transportation via the bus to the destination they're traveling."
He says the unsupervised transportation of recently captured illegal immigrants is common.
"Immigrations will drop off, I call them entrepreneurs that are people seeking a better life. They come through the doors, we meet them and start them off with phone card, so they can call their family, if they're in need of money, we assist them with retrieving money through Western Union here at the bus station."
Some fear the illegal immigrants could be possible terrorists. Several U.S. Border Patrol agents who don't want to be identified tell Action 4 News they want people to know they're being told to drop off the immigrants at the bus station.
They say they do it at all times of the day. Even at night. The trips to the bus station they say just don't stop!
On January 17, the Border Patrol releases a dozen or so illegal immigrants. We're told they're from El Salvador.
Four months ago, law enforcement in El Salvador warned the U.S. that Al Qaeda may be recruiting gang members there.
"No, these people they're so friendly and it's such need is what I see coming through the door," Jones said.
On another day, Action 4 News cameras caught four men from Brazil sitting at the bus station.
Jones says they also entered the country illegally. He says they're waiting for family to wire them money for bus fare.
27 year-old Fernando Tello-Huila from southern Colombia doesn't have any problems telling his story.
He says he traveled to Matamoros and paid a coyote $900 to show him where and how to cross the Rio Grande. Coyotes are paid handsomely to smuggle immigrants illegally into the country.
Border agents apprehended Fernando in McAllen.
"The immigration police gave me the information fast so I could quickly get my permission to stay in the U.S.," said Tello-Huila.
Fernando's talking about his walking papers. Border agents say federal jails are so overcrowded, illegal immigrants without a criminal background may be released.
They're given a future court date to appear before an immigration judge and if they promise to appear, they're set free.
Fernando's court date is March 30 in Houston.
"I'm thankful for the services and information the agents provide to help me travel freely through out the United States."
The problem is nearly 70 percent of the illegal immigrants never show up for their court date.
Congressman Solomon Ortiz says the illegals then simply get lost in the government's red tape.
"They're not about to show up, they spend money, they paid money to the coyote to come across and then to be here two months and then show up to be sent back, that's not going to happen."
We showed Congressman Ortiz the video of border agents at the bus station.
We ask him "how do you know these guys are not possible terrorists?"
Ortiz answers, "there's no way because we do not have any records. We need to have records from the country they're coming from and I know there's no records. What I am trying now to establish, it has been an uphill battle, is to talk to the embassies in those countries to come up with a program where we can exchange information until we have that, we don't know who they are."
In approximately six months, 15,000 illegal immigrants have been released in Texas with only a promise to return for their court hearing.
Ortiz says it's hard for the government to keep track of them because they usually change their names or buy someone else's identity.
"A terrorist is not going to come through the border with a "T" on their forehead, we don't know who they are and this of course concerns me very very much."
Congressman Ortiz says he's going to take the video of the illegal immigrants to Washington. He says he going to show it to congress to show them the breakdown at the border.
What procedures does the Border Patrol follow before releasing illegal immigrants.
Border Patrol supervisor Roy Cervantes says before the agency releases anyone from a special interest country, agents make sure they don't have a criminal history.
He says they run extensive background checks including fingerprints through numerous FBI data bases. He admits there's always room for error.
Because of Action 4 News investigation, Cervantes says they're looking into a new way of releasing illegal immigrants.
"Well because of this, the media attention, we're always looking for ways to do things better. Sometimes doing the right thing is not always the popular thing, we're going to continue doing the right thing and that's protecting America and enforcing immigration laws in the U.S."
Cervantes was instructed by the Border Patrol in Washington D.C. not to talk about the number of illegal immigrants from special interest countries being released on a daily bases.
In March we'll find out if Fernando, who traveled to the U.S. from Colombia shows up for his court date in Houston.
Yep that Ortiz feller sounds like a real Klukker?
LOL
Yes we're pretty much doing just that --- the poverty rates (aka welfare rates) along the border are staggering --- but no matter, there's no limit to how much of Mexico's vast problems we'll take off the hands of the oligarchs. We're hell bent on keeping the corrupt in power.
I heard something similar about a factory in Michigan where the unemployment rate of course is high and going higher --- a factory employing illegals was raided, at least some were deported and they showed right back there again.
Probably because the border region is so desperate for jobs and federal money coming in to keep it afloat --- nice paying federal jobs --- and the taxpayers won't complain thinking it's to guard the open border.
I don't know that much about him, but I have read several articles where he speaks of this issue, long before any "sweeps" for the medias.
Yep, that nation-wide SS# *verification* hot-line taxpayers paid for, should be mandatory for all employers to use.
LOL......thanks
Unfortunately, the relief is probably temporary...
Yep.....enjoy the peace & quiet.
Have you seen anything about where BP *taxi's* your OTM's to. ???
I was just teasing you. You were chatting with a real PC sort at the time.
Why my-o-my, that'd be to logical wouldn't it? Maybe they do, and have a mole on the other end of the line, saying 'SHO NUFF HONEY, THAT NUMBA IS FINE AS FROGS FUR.. GO AHEAD.. HE'S GOOD.. ' then some sucker gets a statement at the end of the year..you owe taxes homey... too much withheld...pony up or the 'other feds' will come knocking. Yeah.. all the open border folks would change their tune if the illegals used THEIR social security numbers... stole their identity... fought years to fix it.... and, why even, have to hire attorneys (who rarely work for free *newsflash*) to help them fix what shouldn't be broke in the first place.. only to be out thousands of dollars for their disenfranchised border jumpin' good will needin' family lovin' healthcare deeeprived, friend of animal and man. God willing, they'll have the opportunity to feel that goodwill..
Bump
Yep. The concern between the lines in the article quotes is that the media caught ICE dropping the illegals off. The procedure changes will be to make sure that no cameras are running at the next drop.
The Administration seems more concerned about spinning and controlling the reports about our open border, than doing anything about it.
Apparently to everyone but our 'electeds', they passed this program as *voluntary* for the employers to use.
That way the few 'illegal' employers that are busted can still plead innocent "because they aren't document specialists".
good !!
Yes, & it's been so nice since he left.....
I don't know what they do with the OTM's here ---- I think they actually risk being deported. Here though most of the Mexicans will just take the ride and come back the next day.
"Here" is real close to the border though --- and it's very easy for them to come back -- and everyone knows where the easy routes are --- if it's not Anapra, likely San Isidro is easy. I can tell how easy it is to get over the border because every so often someone gets taken back --- but they show back up laughing about it in a day or two. For example --- a while back a couple guys heard the pay is much better in California --- they figured they could make it on bicycles in a couple days --- so they took off on bicycles down I-10 but only got to Deming before they were picked up --- about 100 miles. Two days later they were back and laughing about their California Dreamin adventure gone wrong.
Well, this article clearly states mexico won't take any OTM's back across their border.
Con. Orteiz started complaining about OTM's last year when they caught woman @ the airport. I saw the congressman speaking, on the TX news channel, up here on the issue.
"Here" is real close to the border though --- and it's very easy for them to come back
Yes, I knew that........anybody know how many chances the mexicans get to sneak in ?? Article yesterday said they had caught one 9 times in 3 years......still no jail time yet.
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