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Border plan raises worries ~ U.S. to keep track of legal crossings
ARIZONA DAILY STAR ^ | 4-29-2003 | By Michael Marizco

Posted on 04/29/2003 1:50:15 PM PDT by buffyt

NOGALES, Ariz. - Some Mexican nationals say they are suspicious of a new U.S. security plan that will eventually track all foreign visitors as they enter and leave the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security's National Security Entry-Exit Registration System will be implemented by next year at the 50 largest land ports of entry in the United States, including Nogales, Ariz., and Douglas.

Its ultimate goal is to allow the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to track - through a registration system - the arrival and departure of every foreign visitor. Once implemented, the system will allow the government to keep out foreign nationals it considers a risk for terrorism and to track how long all visitors stay.

The system, which was originally introduced in 2000, has gained momentum after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

However, some Mexican residents who cross frequently into the Arizona to shop, visit or work are concerned about how the government will use the tracking data. Others wonder how the new plan will affect the time it takes to cross back into Mexico. Crossing into the United States, they say, already can take a long time.

"They're doing this for concerns of terrorism; I understand that, but it's not our fault," said Luis Garcia Manzo of Nogales, Sonora. As a delivery driver, he crosses into Arizona two to three times a day to buy gasoline that is cheaper and of higher quality than what is sold in Mexico.

The concerns range from invasion of privacy as crossing habits are monitored to what people are supposed to do when confronted by federal officials. "One day they're going to ask: 'Why are you crossing? What's your intent here?' " said Roberto Felix of Nogales, Sonora, who crosses into the United States to buy his groceries.

Mexicans who cross frequently using border crossing cards are not checked by U.S. officials at the border when they return to Mexico.

"We're not coming here to commit any crimes. We're coming here to shop," said Amelia Acuña of Nogales, Sonora, as she carried three bags of clothing she had just purchased.

If shopping in the United States means her comings and goings will be tracked and recorded, "it's better not to come," she said.

It's comments like Acuña's that make Arizona border city officials cringe as they contemplate what the new tracking system might do to their cities' economic security in the name of homeland defense.

Cities such as Nogales, Ariz., and Douglas are major points of entry, with a combined 75,000 people crossing daily from Mexico into the United States. Many of those people cross to shop in border towns, as well as Tucson and Phoenix.

Mexican shoppers contribute 60 percent to 65 percent of Nogales, Ariz., revenue, estimated city spokesman Juan Pablo Guzman. That is equal to about $248 million annually.

In Douglas, Mexican shoppers account for about 40 percent of the retail sales, or $60 million annually, said Douglas Economic Development Director Art Macias.

But those points currently lack the infrastructure that would be required to check people returning to Mexico, officials said.

For example, Douglas has six traffic lanes coming into the United States and only two for leaving.

"People will be waiting one hour to come into the U.S. and another hour to leave. That's another hour to buy a gallon of milk," Macias said.

The new security program will track only people crossing into the United States legally, Guzman said. "People who are wanting to come and stay illegally are just going to continue crossing the desert and jumping the fence," he said.

Seeking to allay some of those concerns, the Border Trade Alliance, which is part of the exit system task force advising the Department of Homeland Security, has been meeting with border officials to help establish a plan for efficient crossing back into Mexico.

While the problem is a challenge logistically, small cities like Douglas have a chance to sway federal policy and get funding to help pay for the changes, alliance member Luis Ramírez Thomas said at a meeting Monday with the Douglas Chamber of Commerce.

This is an opportunity for small towns to implement the same type of technology used by larger border cities such as El Paso and San Diego, he said. Those cities use a concept called the "SENTRI lane," for Secure Electronic Network for Travelers' Rapid Inspection. It is an inspection system that speeds the passage of frequent crossers who submit to background checks.

"It can encourage people to cross into the U.S. from Mexico to shop if we qualify for the speed lanes," said Douglas restaurant owner Eddie Rivera. But if Douglas is overlooked for the speed lane technology because of its size, the city will lose its Mexican customers, he said.

"It's going to be bad for the economy," said survey company owner Frank Ambriz. "People are going to get tired of the lines."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Mexico; News/Current Events; US: Arizona; US: California; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: borderpatrol; borders; homelandsecurity; illegalimmigration; patrols
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1 posted on 04/29/2003 1:50:16 PM PDT by buffyt
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To: buffyt
IF they don't like it they DO NOT have to come to USA.
2 posted on 04/29/2003 1:50:40 PM PDT by buffyt (Can you say President Hillary, Mistress of Darkness? Me Neither!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: buffyt
How many hollow threats to illegals does this make now?We have yet to see the implementation of ANYTHING!!
3 posted on 04/29/2003 1:52:48 PM PDT by INSENSITIVE GUY
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To: buffyt
Some Mexican nationals say they are suspicious of a new U.S. security plan that will eventually track all foreign visitors as they enter and leave the United States.

Hmm.

Sounds like these people need to be on some sort of watch list.

4 posted on 04/29/2003 1:53:25 PM PDT by Poohbah (Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women!)
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To: buffyt
"One day they're going to ask: 'Why are you crossing? What's your intent here?' "

Ummmm, maybe it's just in the movies that I've seen this, but don't they already ask this?

:) ttt

5 posted on 04/29/2003 1:54:41 PM PDT by detsaoT
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To: buffyt
For example, Douglas has six traffic lanes coming into the United States and only two for leaving.

There's the problem right there... let's have fewer lanes coming in, and more going out!

6 posted on 04/29/2003 1:54:53 PM PDT by So Cal Rocket (God bless the coalition troops and their families)
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To: buffyt
If shopping in the United States means her comings and goings will be tracked and recorded, "it's better not to come," she said.

If she means to threaten us she'll have to do waaay better than that.

7 posted on 04/29/2003 1:55:22 PM PDT by skeeter (Fac ut vivas)
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To: skeeter
I agree with her.

It would be better if she did not come and use the toilet paper and tampons they make in Mexico.
8 posted on 04/29/2003 1:57:23 PM PDT by mabelkitty
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To: mabelkitty
It would be better if she did not come and use the toilet paper and tampons they make in Mexico.

I've heard people talk of mining the border or setting up machine guns, but this is really over the top.

9 posted on 04/29/2003 2:05:19 PM PDT by skeeter (Fac ut vivas)
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To: buffyt
As a delivery driver, he crosses into Arizona two to three times a day to buy gasoline that is cheaper and of higher quality than what is sold in Mexico.

He must think we fell off of the Jicama truck.

10 posted on 04/29/2003 2:07:00 PM PDT by Stentor
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To: madfly
ping
11 posted on 04/29/2003 2:18:25 PM PDT by Libertarianize the GOP (Ideas have consequences)
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To: skeeter
Hey, sometimes tough measures are required to get your point accross.
12 posted on 04/29/2003 2:19:43 PM PDT by mabelkitty
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To: buffyt
If shopping in the United States means her comings and goings will be tracked and recorded, "it's better not to come," she said.

I think she stubbled into the correct answer to the problem...
13 posted on 04/29/2003 2:38:53 PM PDT by alameda
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To: Free the USA; Libertarianize the GOP; B4Ranch; FITZ; Spiff; JackelopeBreeder; Tancredo Fan; ...
ping
14 posted on 04/29/2003 2:55:39 PM PDT by madfly (AdultChildrenOfLegalImmigrants.org)
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To: buffyt
You know what torques me about the reaction of "some Mexican nationals" to this plan?

Mexico already does this!

When we vacationed in Puerto Vallarta, we had to fill out a Mexican tourist/business visa form to be scanned by an OCR system, indicating where we were staying, how long we expected to stay, our passport numbers, and our names and home address.

Upon entry, our passport data was scanned, and the Mexican customs officer kept the top half of the form. Upon our departure, we had to return the bottom half of the form to be matched to the top half.

I have an extra copy of the form at home, I'll post it when I get there.

15 posted on 04/29/2003 3:09:55 PM PDT by mvpel
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Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: mvpel
Mexico has all sorts of commonsense controls on foreigners. Their voting system requires a photo i.d., government issued for the purpose of voting (in the U.S., such a thing would immediately cause the ACLU, the NAACP, La Raza and Lulac to come unglued and sue everyone everywhere).

Children of foreigners are not issued birth certificates unless the parent(s) can produce evidence of a legal right to be in the country. Mexican police profile whenever they feel the need: no one cares if a gringo's feelings get hurt. Foreigners cannot own land within 35 miles of the Mexican coast. And on and on and on (here in the U.S., our own government is busy loaning illegals the money to buy land next to our coastline, if not simply handing it to them outright).

Their stance is this: what's ours is ours and what's yours is negotiable. The agitation they engage in here -- the whining, the demanding, the insistence on special treatment -- is done because, well, we fall for it! They consider us weak saps who deserve to be stripped of our country and belongings because we obviously don't have the will power to keep it. But they do, in their view. So they institute commonsense legal mechanisms to protect what's theirs, and go all out to get rid of the same mechanisms here. They view it as the strong taking from the weak, and in that culture, they see nothing wrong with that.

17 posted on 04/29/2003 4:51:44 PM PDT by Regulator
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To: mvpel
Mexico already does this!>>>>>>>

And don't forget, if you violate some of the Mexican laws, you could be given THREE DAYS to leave the country, or your JAILED.

18 posted on 04/29/2003 5:27:14 PM PDT by txdoda ("Navy-brat")
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To: buffyt
" U.S. to keep track of legal crossings"

Which just tells you how *#(U)$%()%()@#$*(*(&*(_&T_&!()&!#%__ we have been. You mean we haven't been?????? That says volumes about how the terrs can have a field day here. INS must be run by the cheapest, dumbest bureaucrats money can rent.
19 posted on 04/29/2003 5:40:08 PM PDT by Beck_isright (If a Frenchman and a German farted in the Ardennes, would Belgium surrender?)
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To: txdoda
Regarding your post the other day about the Chinese illegals and SARS.

I found this out from the BP that the illegals entered the US in Brownsville.

Also on Mexican TV today, they were talking about the high number of Chinese in Mexico. Supposedly, they have jobs in Mexico. I guess they are doing the jobs that Mexicans won't do. According to TV their numbers are in the thousands.
20 posted on 04/29/2003 5:54:15 PM PDT by texastoo
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