Posted on 11/23/2006 7:18:33 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
The Webb County Sheriff’s Department captured more than 700 undocumented immigrants and made 18 drug arrests in the first six months of Operation Linebacker, a state and federally funded program intended to bolster security and combat drug activity, violence and terrorism along the Texas-Mexico border.“We have 18 drug arrests and 700-something illegal immigrants?” said an incredulous County Judge Louis Bruni after hearing about the report.
Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, apparently shared Bruni’s sentiments, telling the El Paso Times, which compiled numbers for all the border counties, that “the statistics say that the operation has been, in effect, an immigration operation, not a serious crime operation.”
Sheriff Rick Flores focused not on immigrants, but instead on the sheer amount of drugs confiscated during the operation — more than three tons in the first six months, and a ton and a half in the last six months — as validation of the effectiveness of the program.
As for the number of undocumented immigrants netted during the campaign, Flores said the department is not targeting them, but is obligated to turn them over to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol when deputies stumble upon them during their routine duties.
While Webb County ranked third in the number of illegal immigrants captured, it ranked second in amount of drug seizures and third for drug arrests, in comparison with the other 16 counties receiving funds for Operation Linebacker.
The El Paso Times obtained Operation Linebacker reports from each of the 16 counties for the period of January through June 2006. It found that sheriffs’ deputies requested Border Patrol assistance with 4,756 undocumented immigrants, and during the same period, arrested 702 individuals, 179 of them on drug charges.
The newspaper’s analysis indicates that for every drug arrest, seven undocumented immigrants were detained.
Civil rights activists and legislators alike said the sheriffs are targeting immigrants and jeopardizing millions in funding meant to fight drug-related and violent crime, according to the El Paso Times.
Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, told the El Paso Times that sheriffs don’t have training to enforce complex federal immigration laws, and wants to see additional accountability requirements attached to any legislation that approves border security money for sheriffs.
“We in the Legislature don’t mind providing them help to fight crime and target drug smugglers, but certainly the money is not intended for them to enforce immigration laws,” Hinojosa said in an interview with the El Paso Times.
“They dilute their power when they lose focus on criminals and start doing immigration stuff,” he said. “It defeats the whole purpose.”
Sheriff Flores said that criticism is misplaced, vehemently explaining that “we don’t enforce immigration laws,” and that notifying Border Patrol of suspected illegal immigrants is “our duty as law enforcement.”
“We don’t know if the group of people apprehended, if one is a terrorist camouflaged as a Mexican,” he said. “We don’t know if they’re narcotraffickers or human smugglers. (Ranchers) don’t come up and ask them, ‘What kind of business are you in, and why are you on my property?’”
Flores said the number of immigrants caught is simply an offshoot of increased patrols, calls and intelligence reports.
“We just happen to run into these people while we are performing our duties,” he said. “That’s a big difference from actually going out there and enforcing immigration laws.”
He shot back at skeptics, calling the criticism “ludicrous.”
Flores added that Hinojosa’s comments “left a bad taste” in the mouths of those in law enforcement.
“For people to criticize and say the funding is being misused and we are enforcing immigration laws, that’s totally incorrect; we are providing security and national security,” he said. “Instead of people in Washington complaining about where the money is going, they should be trying to get more money to provide more vigilance along the border.”
The sheriff, however, praised Congressman Henry Cuellar’s efforts to bolster law enforcement in the community.
The $1.6 million that the sheriff’s department received was used for buying equipment and funding more than 2,000 overtime hours, Flores said, a clear positive for the community.
In an interview Tuesday, Cuellar said the funds — $5 million from the U.S. Department of Justice that were distributed to the 16 border counties — were intended to “fight the drug violence and violence on the border.”
“I do hope that is what they are doing,” he said. “Immigration enforcement should be left to the Border Patrol.”
For his part, Carlos Carrillo, Border Patrol chief of the Laredo sector, said he appreciates any assistance he can get from the sheriff’s department or otherwise.
“Operation Linebacker was established in (the) vein to support border security; when done in coordination with an ongoing operation, it can always provide some benefit,” he said.
Carrillo said Border Patrol, as a subdivision of the Department of Homeland Security, is undeniably the highest authority in border security, but it is impossible for the agency to monitor every inch of the 171 river miles the sector includes.
“That is what we are funded to do, that is what we are trained to do, that is what we are resourced to do,” he said, adding that if Operation Linebacker stops law violators, no matter what law was violated, it’s a benefit for the community.
But Bruni said if state and federal funding is being used to capture undocumented immigrants, the money should go to the federal agency charged with that responsibility.
“That money should go to Border Patrol; that is their primary function, not the sheriff’s,” he said.
Carrillo, however, said he was unsure what, if any, effect the money would have if it were funneled to Border Patrol.
“The border patrol is being funded today at levels never seen before in the past,” he said. “Would the money being spent on Operation Linebacker make that much of a difference? I don’t know.”
(Kirsten Crow may be reached at (956) 728-2557 or by e-mail at kirsten@lmtonline.com)
Operation Line Ping!
They're not that complex, Chuy.
Hey Chuey;
Check your Webster's,
"Illegal" and "criminal" go hand in hand.
The smugglers run with the herd, trying to blend in. It is their strategy!
Stop the herd, stop the smugglers.
Sound to me like Hinjosa is on their payroll!!!
So's going 75 on the Interstate. Your point?
ping
Which is why the possible illegals that they encounter are being handed off to the Border Patrol to handle, dimbulb.
These pro-illegal immigrationists always bleat out this, "local law enforcement doesn't have the specialized training blah blah blah." Then when someone suggests that the local cops attend the classes the feds offer to train them, these complainers are completely opposed. Just admit it, you don't want the immigration laws enforced, period.
Probable cause.
Bttt!
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