Border Patrol, Minutemen Have Double Standard on Immigration (Dem Press Release)

Hannity.com ^ | Apr. 20, 2005 | Kyrsten Sinema

[madfly]

PHOENIX, AZ (April 20, 2005) - Apparently the U.S. Border Patrol believes that national TV and radio stars don't have to play by the same rules as others.

Mr. Sean Hannity, a well-paid commentator for Fox News, climbed over a barbed wire fence separating the United States from Mexico yesterday at about 3:15 p.m. A few minutes later he climbed back over the fence, breaking federal law by reentering the U.S. illegally.

Mr. Hannity's border violations were videotaped by ACLU Legal Observers. The Border Patrol was contacted, but they chose not to arrest or cite Mr. Hannity for his willful violation of federal law. Likewise, Minutemen in the vicinity of the incident did not take the opportunity to turn Mr. Hannity over to federal officials, as they have allegedly done with all other illegal immigrants apprehended on the border this month.

Federal law, specifically 19 U.S.C. Section 1459(a), requires all "individuals arriving in the United States other than by vessel, vehicle, or aircraft [to] enter the United States only at a border crossing point designated by the Secretary; and immediately report the arrivals and present themselves, and all articles accompanying them for inspection; to the customs officer at the customs facility designated for that crossing point."

According to 19 U.S.C. Section 1459(e), anyone who intentionally enters the United States at a place other than a designated border crossing can be imprisoned for up to one year and fined up to $5,000. Mr. Hannity faces neither of these penalties. Individuals apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol do.

This is the very same crime that Minutemen have traveled across the country to Arizona to stop. While some may argue that Mr. Hannity's actions were not significant, he committed the same crime that all individuals who enter the country illegally commit. In fact, ACLU observers were warned that they would be arrested if they accidentally or deliberately crossed the border and tried to reenter the U.S.

Why is U.S. Border Patrol demonstrating such an obvious double standard? If the Minutemen came to Arizona to watch the border for signs of illegal immigration, why did they fail to report Mr. Hannity?

There is only possible conclusion. The Minutemen and the Border Patrol have one set of rules for television celebrities, and another for hard-working people who cross the border in search of work.

# # #

[concerned about politics]

I don't think he is an idiot for demonstrating on national TV just how poorly secured our southern border is.

I agree! You'd think our border would be a real fence! What do they expect to keep out with the three strand barbed wire? Elephants?

[madfly]

Many thanks to Hijinx for keeping the ping list active. Also great thanks to gubamyster and New Rome Tacitus.

[madfly]

thanks

[mtbopfuyn]

What double standard? It the bp arrested everyone who crossed the border, we'd not have a problem. There's only one in about 100,000 who ever sees the inside of a courtroom. The ACLU surely has something else to do with their time.

[melancholy]

>>Federal law, specifically 19 U.S.C. Section 1459(a), requires all "individuals arriving in the United States other than by vessel, vehicle, or aircraft [to] enter the United States only at a border crossing point designated by the Secretary; and immediately report the arrivals and present themselves, and all articles accompanying them for inspection; to the customs officer at the customs facility designated for that crossing point."

According to 19 U.S.C. Section 1459(e), anyone who intentionally enters the United States at a place other than a designated border crossing can be imprisoned for up to one year and fined up to $5,000. Mr. Hannity faces neither of these penalties. Individuals apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol do.<<

Complying with the above law, how many illegal "entrants" were jailed and fined in the past 10 years? However, the head of a conservative US citizen should roll because of one step into Mexico and back in seconds, on camera that is! LOL

If the writer really meant what she wrote I would recommend her to head the BP right now.

[BadAndy]

Typical liberal with s*** for brains. Hundreds of thousands of non-US citizens illegally cross the border and the ACLU defends them against anyone trying to stop them. A US citizen makes a crossing (yes I know about the 3 foot easment) and they want him arrested. They claim they want equal treatment, Ok, let them arrest and lock up Hannity if they will do the same to the 1 million wetbacks illegally in the US.

[b4its2late]

It was great! I saw the tape!

And he had this broad on his radio show yesterday. What a flippin' ditz. Typical liberal mind numbed know nothing.....She'd be a perfect fit for a PETA spokesman too BTW..

[Tarantulas]

Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat, Arizona legislator, 2005

Link

Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona State University law student, 2004

Link

Kyrsten Sinema, Green Party activist, giving a speech about her party's strong ties to organized labor, 2000

Link

Sometimes important to know about a person's roots.

[untrained skeptic]

He didn't really demonstrate that considering that he was reported to the Border Patrol, and could have been arrested if he had actually broken the law.

The Minutemen have done a good job of showing how insecure our southern border is, Hannity's stunt didn't make that message more clear. It was just a stupid stunt.

[redrock]

"Because Mr. Hannity is one of the good guys you left-wing lunatic democrats and your ACLU toadies!

Minutemen ~ Bump!"

Exactly!!!

redrock

[blaquebyrd]

No one believes that Hannity should be locked up for his stunt and that's what it was a stunt. Now whether or not he helps the cause by diverting attention away from the problem and turning the spot light on himself is another matter. He could've made a stronger point by showing detained or infiltrating illegals versus making the story about how easy it is for him to cross. Those men down there are doing their best to ensure they're not breaking any laws and they don't need Hannity tiptoeing across or even near the border saying he look at me.

[dennisw]

Sean Hannity is good. I like any talk show host who visits with the Minutemen.

[blackie]

Hey Redrock ~ how's it going?

Things are fine here. ;)

[Flyer]

The Minutemen have done a good job of showing how insecure our southern border is

But it is hard to deny the great exposure they got with Hannity broadcasting live with them for two days.

[melancholy]

>>Sometimes important to know about a person's roots.<<

Right you are! The Green Party picture shows that she's not worried about her body "environment". Foreign matter filled with chemicals used for enhancement isn't very healthy.

Hypocrisy at its best. Still, A dog is a dog is a dog!

[4Freedom]

I'll second those kudos to your list of stellar FReepers.

[lowbridge]

bump

[Peter Libra]

Yer 'Annity may be a bit of a loose cannon. He is surely giving the old grape shot to a lot of liberals .

ACLU like a bunch of silly school girls- tellin' teacher. Who ever teacher is.

[4Freedom]

If Bush was doing his job, Sean Hannity would have been stopped by a barrier that was all but impossible to cross.

Sean is demonstrating Bush's incompetence in protecting our Nation's borders for the whole world to see.

We're coming up on the 4th anniversary of 9/11 and 3 million illegal aliens are still entering our country every year.

If there are some FReepers that think Sean is an idiot, what does that make a president that ignores the defense of our Nation's sovereign borders to the extent that Bush has?

[PeterFinn]

Good to see someone sensible in here. No matter what point he was making he was hopping a fence that was supposed to be the border - now the backpedaling is that the fence wasn't the border.

So he didn't prove anything at all, did he? He just hopped a fence.

Hannity is an ass. He's also a poor copy of Limbaugh.