Posted on 08/02/2006 5:31:36 AM PDT by radar101
Another 35 prosecutors will be assigned to U.S. attorney's offices along the border, including San Diego, to handle immigration and drug cases, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced Monday.
The move comes weeks after U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, wrote a letter blasting the local U.S. attorney's office for not prosecuting more smugglers of illegal immigrants. Issa cited an unofficial, anonymous report that claimed government attorneys prosecuted only 6 percent of 251 cases involving illegal immigrant smugglers during fiscal year 2003-04.
In a statement released Tuesday, Issa cheered the assignment of more prosecutors, but also criticized the Department of Justice for not giving smuggling cases higher priority.
"This is a start, but the Department of Justice still needs to clearly articulate what resources it needs to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for prosecuting traffickers of human beings," Issa said.
Twenty of the new federal prosecutors will focus on immigration crimes, as will 10 other lawyers, now with the Department of Homeland Security, who will be designated special U.S. attorneys.
Another five lawyers, one for each judicial district on the border with Mexico, will work on drug prosecutions.
Fund the wall, fine employers, and enforce the laws already on the books and there would be no need for 35 more prosecutors or new facilities to house them and their staff.
That's a solution.......More Lawyers?
What about increasing the number of judges? I saw one judge from New Mexico, who has heard over 700 cases so far this year. The illegals have clogged up our court system!
More promises just like the 6000 national guard troops at the border. In point of fact there are only 3000 NG troops. When will these prosecutors actually be on the job?
ping
Border Ping!
I hope they're quicker than they were in the 70's. We were 'detained' by the border patrol back then and it took the FA 3 hours to decide to let us go.
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