Posted on 01/13/2006 9:05:49 PM PST by NormsRevenge
EAGLE PASS, Texas (Reuters) - A pilot program that jails all illegal immigrants crossing into this Texas border town from Mexico has led to a dramatic fall in numbers attempting the journey, the U.S. Office of Border Patrol said on Friday.
A program known as Operation Streamline II, instituted on December 12, is aimed mostly at non-Mexican illegal immigrants who were arrested and released because Border Patrol agents did not have sufficient space to jail them.
The blanket crackdown is also being applied to undocumented Mexicans who were previously subject to criminal background checks and released back over the Rio Grande without charges.
The U.S. Marshals Service has freed up 1,000 beds in several county jails abutting the Border Patrol region that includes Eagle Pass, Texas, to accommodate the growing number of immigrants.
"The message is one of zero tolerance to all illegal immigrants, whether they are Mexican or (non-Mexican) nationals," said Hilario Leal, the U.S. Border Patrol's spokesman for the sector that includes Eagle Pass.
"It appears to be getting out by word-of-mouth and through the media south of the border, as the numbers attempting to cross has fallen dramatically."
Since the pilot program began around Eagle Pass, 140 miles west of San Antonio, the number of undocumented immigrants picked up by Border Patrol agents has dwindled to 10 a day, down from highs of around 150 a day in mid-2005, officials said.
The U.S. Office of Border Patrol said 740 illegal immigrants have been arrested and charged with misdemeanor illegal entry under the program. They are tried in federal court and jailed for up to 180 days pending deportation to their country of origin.
"We have lots of space, and we can handle all the prisoners the court sends us," Deputy U.S. Marshal Tim Hughes said. "If it grew to an incredible number we could send them out of state."
Each year, an unknown number of illegal immigrants, most from Mexico and Latin America, cross the 2,000-mile (3,200-km) border from Mexico, seeking a better life in the United States. Last year, almost 1.2 million were nabbed making the journey.
A proposal in the U.S. Congress to build a steel fence equipped with lights and security cameras has angered Mexico.
fyi
Border Story
At one time this problem was not bad and most US citizens turned a blind eye to it, but as time went on the cost of supporting these illegals(not immigrants, immigrants come here legally) became unbearable.
Whatever the cost to texas it will be worth it to stop the influx of illegals, illegals who soak up our tax dollars in the form of healthcare, depressed wages, missed tax revenue, etc.
Gee, now there's a shocker.
Hmmmm, tent city in the middle of nowhere; cooling their heels for 180 days (earning NOTHING) before being sent back home. I can see where that would be a dis-incentive.
Arizona, New Mexico and California .... here's an idea.
Worth the cost.
I think we should force the illegal to have a micro explosive surgically implanted in the backside of their brain
and ring the country with detonators and explain to the illegal if they should return they could be a danger to others when their head explodes.
There was a movie where they had exploding collars on prisoners I like micro implantable RFID explosives they
are so tin foilish.
When 99% of our forefathers IMMIGRATED to America; it was a one way ticket. They came here, knowing that they would likely never return 'home' again. They knew that the chances were almost certain that their children would never return either. They came here with the goal of 'Success or Death'; that is an incentive plan.
For a vast majority of the Mexicans who come here are NOT immigrants. For the most part, they are little more than parasites; here to take what they can get and then leave. Most have No Loyalty to the USA, in fact quite a few hold the USA in disdain and contempt. We aren't doing enough for them, so we must be evil. That is a lot easier for them to believe than to look to themselves for the solution of their social ills.
If we re-instituted the draft of all able bodied men under tha age of 35, ; you would see an exodus of Mexicans crawling across the desert to escape back to Mexico. Meanwhile, Americans (as usual) will do the work, pay the ultimate price, and keep the world safe for parasites; no matter where they live.
A good start.
I say that instead of a draft and instead of deporting this illegals we should press them into military service. The ones who survived would be given green cards, the ones who refused would be sent back to where ever they came from.
Wow!
Texas is actually doing to Mexicans what Mexico does to Texans!
This is true. I remember when I was young, immigrants that wanted to become American citizens joined the armed forces. It was the easy way to citizenship(fast way anyway) but carried danger with it.
This program exists to this very day. There are guys and gals in the service that are earning their U.S. citizenship in exactly this manner.
I am glad to hear it and support it whole heartedly. Anyone who will risk their lives in the defense of this country gets my vote for citizenship.
L
ping
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