Feds to review border agencies

The San Diego Union-Tribune | August 6, 2004 | Leslie Berestein

[South40]

Federal officials are drafting guidelines that are supposed to clarify the roles of the two principal agencies in charge of guarding the border.

The guidelines will affect Customs and Border Protection, the parent agency of the Border Patrol, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which focuses on investigations linked to criminal activity, including terrorism and human smuggling.

A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, Dennis Murphy, said "there are no changes in policy," but "there has been discussion between the Border Patrol and ICE to make sure we have clear-cut responsibilities so there is no confusion."

Since the 2003 creation of the Homeland Security department, which oversees both agencies, some Border Patrol agents have expressed frustration about where their responsibilities lie. This happened most recently after a series of roving patrol operations conducted by a mobile unit out of the Border Patrol's Temecula office in June, which resulted in the apprehension of more than 400 undocumented immigrants.

Following meetings with several members of Congress concerned about what critics characterized as "sweeps," Border and Transportation Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson concluded that the Temecula agents failed to follow policy by not obtaining prior authorization.

In a letter last month to U.S. Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino, Hutchinson wrote: "Most Border Patrol operations have a clear border nexus and deal with recent arrivals to the United States. Border Patrol operations also target transportation hubs that facilitate the movement of recent illegal arrivals."

Hutchinson also wrote that interior enforcement actions like those in the Temecula area would normally be conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, "perhaps with the assistance of the Border Patrol."

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner issued a directive to Border Patrol sectors that stated purely interior enforcement must be preapproved and coordinated with ICE.

A draft memorandum of guidelines, which is being worked on by both agencies, said federal officials, includes the same "general direction" given by Hutchinson, Murphy said.

However, Customs and Border Protection officials said the intent is not to take duties away from Border Patrol agents.

"This memorandum of understanding in no way limits the authority of the Border Patrol agents working along the border and at our immigration checkpoints," said Gloria Chavez, a spokeswoman for Customs and Border Protection, adding that the memo has been in the works since before the roving patrols started in June.

"It is not an outgrowth of the direction from Hutchinson. It had nothing to do with the June arrests."

She said that the memorandum deals not just with the two agencies' roles in interior enforcement but also with the sharing of information and intelligence and other issues.

Chavez would not say to what degree the flap over the roving patrols this summer has affected the content of the memorandum, which is still subject to change.

Officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement said they have so far received no word of any policy changes that might affect their operations.

Some local Border Patrol agents, however, already upset over the confusion that ensued in the wake of the roving patrols, are pessimistic.

"They are codifying turf wars," said Joe Dassaro, president of Local 1613 of the National Border Patrol Council, the agents union. "This would restrict the Border Patrol to the border and a very immediate area."

[South40]

Link

[eno_]

Following meetings with several members of Congress concerned about what critics characterized as "sweeps," Border and Transportation Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson concluded that the Temecula agents failed to follow policy by not obtaining prior authorization.

Time for Hutchinson to go.

[gubamyster]

ping

[B4Ranch]

>>Chavez would not say to what degree the flap over the roving patrols this summer has affected the content of the memorandum, which is still subject to change.<<

Sweeps further than 5 miles from the border will be forbidden by all law enforcement agencies. That will keep President Fox and President Bush smiling.

The only ones with frowns will he the ones paying them friggin bills..........yeah, you and me taxpayers. But our opinion doesn't count until it voting time and empty promises will satisfy 90% of the voters.

[FITZ]

They already moved the borders up 80-100 miles under Clinton. If you travel along the border but well within the USA (or you thought) you will have to drive through border checkpoints on certain highways. Of course those are very easy to bypass so there really is no border.

[B4Ranch]

The one up by Hot Wells, Tx would be a hard one to get around unless you knew those dirt roads real well.

[FITZ]

It's pretty easy to bypass the one on I-10 from El Paso to California --- Golden State bus lines was taking the back road to Deming with buses crammed filled of illegals. They only got fined, not shut down for doing that.