Posted on 05/12/2006 7:22:41 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Congressional leaders Thursday called on the Department of Homeland Security to investigate reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has given information to the Mexican government about the locations of U.S. civilian border watch groups.
California Reps. Duncan Hunter, R-El Cajon, and Darryl Issa, R-Vista, along with Texas Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, sent a formal letter to DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff asking for a full investigation into all circumstances and events related to civilian border observation groups and the Mexican government.
The letter was in response to a story published in Tuesday's Daily Bulletin, which reported Border Patrol officials shared civilian groups' locations with the Mexican government when illegal border crossers were detained and at the request of the Mexican consulate, among other things.
"U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Tuesday refuted the report, calling it 'inaccurate,' '' the congressmen's letter stated. "While that applies to those who are seeking to unlawfully enter the U.S., it must also apply to U.S. citizens who are peacefully exercising their right to protest and monitor along the border.
"We are deeply concerned that if the media reports are accurate and the Department of Homeland Security is relaying information to the Mexican government on the locations of these citizen groups, whether formally or informally, their safety is being put at risk and their peaceable goals undermined.''
The Daily Bulletin story referred to three reports regarding the activities of "vigilantes'' in the United States that are posted on Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Relations Web site.
The third report, dated August 2005, mentioned instances of Mexican consulate officials asking U.S. Border Patrol officials to provide them with information on civilian border watch groups in the United States.
Kristi Clemens, spokeswoman for Customs and Border Protection and DHS, said the Daily Bulletin's report was "inaccurate'' and that Border Patrol officials are not giving the location of civilian watch groups to the Mexican government.
Clemens said the United States gives information to Mexican officials under the the rules of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, which provides foreign nationals being detained by a government the right to consular access.
In a statement released Tuesday, Clemens said, "During a detention of a legal or illegal immigrant that produces an allegation of improper treatment, Border Patrol reports the allegation and allows the appropriate consulate to interview the individual in custody.''
Mexican consulates, however, went beyond the boundaries of the Vienna Convention, asking U.S. Border Patrol officials to provide them with information on "vigilantes'' operating along the U.S. border, according to the August report.
"The mission of the consulate is to protect the Mexican citizen if they need protection,'' said Rafael Laveaga, spokesman for the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C. Laveaga added that his government only received the information required by the Vienna Convention.
Border Patrol agents, interviewed by the Daily Bulletin, said they were not surprised by Mexico's report and added that the Mexican consulate would normally request information from the agency and that U.S. officials would acquiesce to their requests.
On Thursday, the union chapter representing Border Patrol agents in Tucson, Ariz., issued a statement regarding the Mexican reports. "This Local has nothing to do with any alleged management directives to report the location of the Minutemen volunteers to the Mexican government,'' according to Local 2544's statement.
TJ Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, which represents more than 10,000 border agents, said he has no doubt officials share information with the Mexican government and that line agents have been complaining for years about the issue.
Scott James, a former Border Patrol agent stationed in the Tucson sector, said he resigned after eight years in February for that very reason.
James said that agents in his sector were continuously having to deal with the demands of the Mexican consulates, who he said eventually moved into a Border Patrol office at the Nogales station.
James added that roughly half a dozen Mexican consular officials shared the Border Patrol office and were privy to agents' investigations because of the close contact.
"Of course (Border Patrol officials) are going to deny they are sending information to the Mexican government,'' James said. "I don't think anyone is going to believe their denials. There were directives not to talk to civilian border groups, but if you have any contact with a civilian border group you were supposed to contact your supervisor immediately and report it.''
James said he believed the congressmen's request for Chertoff to look into the report is a step in the right direction but said he worried an in-house investigation would not be sufficient.
"I hope there's more than a hearing but a full-blown investigation,'' he said. "I hope it doesn't end there. The federal government has no business sharing the lawful activities of its citizens, especially with one that is riddled with corruption as Mexico is.''
Andy Ramirez, chairman of the Chino-based Friends of the Border Patrol, said he was pleased with the representatives' call for an investigation. He said information posted on the Mexican Web site detailing the location of his volunteer group near San Diego was only given to U.S. Border Patrol officials.
"Congress needs to investigate this personally to get to the truth,'' he said.
Chris Simcox, founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corp., a civilian border watch group, spent Thursday in Washington, D.C.
Simcox asked congressional leaders for a full investigation into the reports.
"I think it is apparent there have been years of frustration for our rank-and-file Border Patrol agents, and it's gratifying to know that they finally have an avenue to voice their concern,'' said Connie Hair, spokeswoman for Simcox's group.
"As far as the statement of denial from the DHS, I would believe TJ Bonner and the Border Patrol agents before I would believe someone sitting behind a desk in Washington.''
WEBLINK:
Tucson's Union Public Comment about the report: www.local2544.org
oh pullllllezzzzzzz...
the only thing I want to hear from these clowns in Congress is that they are funding a wall on the border! PERIOD!
Put Sheriff Joe Araipo in charge of the Border Patrol!!
Lyman Stucky, of San Bernardino, Calif., pulls away from a rally against illegal immigration in Birmingham, Ala., Tuesday, May 9, 2006. Stucky is driving his red, white and blue 1970 Mercury Cougar in a national caravan organized by the Minuteman Project. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)
"The mission of the consulate is to protect the Mexican citizen if they need protection,'' said Rafael Laveaga, spokesman for the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C. Laveaga added that his government only received the information required by the Vienna Convention.
hmmmm, if they're mexican citizens, why are they demanding American rights?
There should be an investigation! This is no different than the cops telling robbers where the neighborhood watch is working.
The only thing I would believe from this government re: illegal immigration, is if on prime time tv tonight President Bush says..."We are going to enforce our immigration laws, if you are illegal you will be caught and deported. We are going to start a massive interior enforcement campaign against employers of illegal aliens. If you are here illegal you need to go home now or eventually be deported."
I can dream can't I?
The reason according to my friend is, there is being built just next to them, six new homes.....big ones! He said the trash iscoming from the Mexican work crews working at the construction sites.(McDonald Bags, Burger King trash, etc).
He has pleaded with the site supervisors and the general contractor to no avail, called the City, County, and the Police and got no help. So, guess what some people in his community did?
They organized about twenty folks, named themselves The "Inner Neighborhood Services" to go out at lunch time and "police" the trash themselves. It is what they did while picking up the trash that is HILARIOUS !!!!!!!!
They got some navy blue baseball caps and had the initials "INS" in gold put on the caps. It doesn't take a rocket scientist, however, to understand what they hoped people would think it means.
Well the day after their first pick up detail, with them wearing their caps and some carrying cameras; 46 out of 68, of the construction workers did not show up for work the next morning and haven't come back yet!!!!! It has been ten days.
Now the General Contractor, I understand is madder than hell, but can't say anything publicly, because he could be busted for hiring "illegal aliens". My friend and his bunch can't be accused of impersonating INS folks, because they have it on their home owner association records the vote to form the new committee within their association, plus they informed the INS about what they were doing in advance, and the INS said basically according to my friend.............."Have at it"!
SO FOLKS, I THINK YOU COULD SAY THAT YANKEE INGENUITY TRIUMPHS AGAIN!!!!!!!
Great story; I am especially encouraged by the citizens' resourcefulness as well as the outcome. And shame on that contractor, and everyone else who hires lawbreakers.
Well how else will they maintain plausible deniability?
I'm filing that away in case we need it here locally.
< The reason according to my friend is, there is being built just next to them, six new homes.....big ones! He said the trash iscoming from the Mexican work crews working at the construction sites.(McDonald Bags, Burger King trash, etc). >
This is the stuff that really cranks me up about the illegal immigrant world. They bring in gramma, grampa, the 10 kids, all the cousins and nieces and nephews. Then they find one home for all. Two bedrooms...no problem. put 10 in the dining room and 20 in each bedroom. These places are everywhere per my family in Tuscon. The nice place next door becomes a sight of squalor overnight.
Not to you.
I just think it's funny that you and others were literally screaming in posters faces and now when the facts are coming out that it may in fact be true, you're nowhere to be found. I guess the Minutemen AREN'T such crazies after all, hunh?
DHS: There is no intelligence sharing with Mexico about U.S. citizens or groups
Let's review: A press secretary vigorously denies the story. Border Patrol employees, the boots on the ground so to speak, say this happens all the time, and may in fact be happening to the Minutemen. Hmmmm which to trust, which to trust?
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