Posted on 04/21/2005 11:17:56 AM PDT by madfly
PHOENIX, AZ (April 20, 2005) - Apparently the U.S. Border Patrol believes that national TV and radio stars don't have to play by the same rules as others.
Mr. Sean Hannity, a well-paid commentator for Fox News, climbed over a barbed wire fence separating the United States from Mexico yesterday at about 3:15 p.m. A few minutes later he climbed back over the fence, breaking federal law by reentering the U.S. illegally.
Mr. Hannity's border violations were videotaped by ACLU Legal Observers. The Border Patrol was contacted, but they chose not to arrest or cite Mr. Hannity for his willful violation of federal law. Likewise, Minutemen in the vicinity of the incident did not take the opportunity to turn Mr. Hannity over to federal officials, as they have allegedly done with all other illegal immigrants apprehended on the border this month.
Federal law, specifically 19 U.S.C. Section 1459(a), requires all "individuals arriving in the United States other than by vessel, vehicle, or aircraft [to] enter the United States only at a border crossing point designated by the Secretary; and immediately report the arrivals and present themselves, and all articles accompanying them for inspection; to the customs officer at the customs facility designated for that crossing point."
According to 19 U.S.C. Section 1459(e), anyone who intentionally enters the United States at a place other than a designated border crossing can be imprisoned for up to one year and fined up to $5,000. Mr. Hannity faces neither of these penalties. Individuals apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol do.
This is the very same crime that Minutemen have traveled across the country to Arizona to stop. While some may argue that Mr. Hannity's actions were not significant, he committed the same crime that all individuals who enter the country illegally commit. In fact, ACLU observers were warned that they would be arrested if they accidentally or deliberately crossed the border and tried to reenter the U.S.
Why is U.S. Border Patrol demonstrating such an obvious double standard? If the Minutemen came to Arizona to watch the border for signs of illegal immigration, why did they fail to report Mr. Hannity?
There is only possible conclusion. The Minutemen and the Border Patrol have one set of rules for television celebrities, and another for hard-working people who cross the border in search of work.
Hannity is an ass. He didn't get reported because he probably hopped the wrong fence.
We must be in better shape than I thought if this is what the Dems are reduced to.
"Look at meeeee!!!!!"
Hannity did not break any law. The fence separating the U.S. and Mexico has a 3 foot easement from the actual border. Hannity did pass through the fence, but never left the U.S.. Therefore, he broke no immigration laws.
The border extends another three feet beyond the fence - he was still in US territory.
This is total B.S. 60 minutes had a whole segment on illegals last night. The reporter did the same exact thing. He was on a ranch, stepped over a fence, said now I'm in Mexico, stepped over the fence again said now I'm in the U.S.
I may be wrong, but I believe the fence is three feet inside U.S. territory. Therefore, simply hopping the fence and hopping back across would not consitute a border entry because Hannity never left U.S. territory.
Stupid Democrats. If they had brains, they'd be as intelligent as barn flies.
Is this all the pot smoking ACLU can come up with? They ignore 100,000 illegals crossing the border and take a picture of Sean stepping through a hole in the fence? Double standard indeed.
Hard working people looking for jobs. Ha illegal immigrants eating at the blue collar forces of the United States. More power to Hannity, at least he works for a living unlike the ACLU which seeks to cause problems
DP
How many illegal immigrants did the ACLU contact the border patrol concerning?
This is serious ROTFL material. In the same article the ACLU cries foul about selective enforcement, they document the case of the one, singular guy they would ever consider calling BP on.
Why don't they go hound John Kerry for the gun regulations he was photographed violating?
And the idiot who wrote this press release called into Hannity yesterday and when asked if it was against federal law to cross the fence, stay in the buffer zone, and then come back across the fence she wouldn't answer (because she knows its not illegal). Hannity destroyed her when she called in yesterday.
I love what Hannity and Rush are doing. Unfortunately, they should have been doing it five years ago. I have been screaming about illegals for that long, and have been treated like dirt because of it.
Hannity has done much to promote the cause of the MMP and keep attention focused on the issue.
He is not. He is bringing attention to this issue. What is wrong with that?
Yer link is broken.
Here's a good one:
http://www.hannity.com/index/news-app/story.65
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