Posted on 01/13/2006 9:05:49 PM PST by NormsRevenge
EAGLE PASS, Texas (Reuters) - A pilot program that jails all illegal immigrants crossing into this Texas border town from Mexico has led to a dramatic fall in numbers attempting the journey, the U.S. Office of Border Patrol said on Friday.
A program known as Operation Streamline II, instituted on December 12, is aimed mostly at non-Mexican illegal immigrants who were arrested and released because Border Patrol agents did not have sufficient space to jail them.
The blanket crackdown is also being applied to undocumented Mexicans who were previously subject to criminal background checks and released back over the Rio Grande without charges.
The U.S. Marshals Service has freed up 1,000 beds in several county jails abutting the Border Patrol region that includes Eagle Pass, Texas, to accommodate the growing number of immigrants.
"The message is one of zero tolerance to all illegal immigrants, whether they are Mexican or (non-Mexican) nationals," said Hilario Leal, the U.S. Border Patrol's spokesman for the sector that includes Eagle Pass.
"It appears to be getting out by word-of-mouth and through the media south of the border, as the numbers attempting to cross has fallen dramatically."
Since the pilot program began around Eagle Pass, 140 miles west of San Antonio, the number of undocumented immigrants picked up by Border Patrol agents has dwindled to 10 a day, down from highs of around 150 a day in mid-2005, officials said.
The U.S. Office of Border Patrol said 740 illegal immigrants have been arrested and charged with misdemeanor illegal entry under the program. They are tried in federal court and jailed for up to 180 days pending deportation to their country of origin.
"We have lots of space, and we can handle all the prisoners the court sends us," Deputy U.S. Marshal Tim Hughes said. "If it grew to an incredible number we could send them out of state."
Each year, an unknown number of illegal immigrants, most from Mexico and Latin America, cross the 2,000-mile (3,200-km) border from Mexico, seeking a better life in the United States. Last year, almost 1.2 million were nabbed making the journey.
A proposal in the U.S. Congress to build a steel fence equipped with lights and security cameras has angered Mexico.
fyi
Border Story
At one time this problem was not bad and most US citizens turned a blind eye to it, but as time went on the cost of supporting these illegals(not immigrants, immigrants come here legally) became unbearable.
Whatever the cost to texas it will be worth it to stop the influx of illegals, illegals who soak up our tax dollars in the form of healthcare, depressed wages, missed tax revenue, etc.
Gee, now there's a shocker.
Hmmmm, tent city in the middle of nowhere; cooling their heels for 180 days (earning NOTHING) before being sent back home. I can see where that would be a dis-incentive.
Arizona, New Mexico and California .... here's an idea.
Worth the cost.
I think we should force the illegal to have a micro explosive surgically implanted in the backside of their brain
and ring the country with detonators and explain to the illegal if they should return they could be a danger to others when their head explodes.
There was a movie where they had exploding collars on prisoners I like micro implantable RFID explosives they
are so tin foilish.
When 99% of our forefathers IMMIGRATED to America; it was a one way ticket. They came here, knowing that they would likely never return 'home' again. They knew that the chances were almost certain that their children would never return either. They came here with the goal of 'Success or Death'; that is an incentive plan.
For a vast majority of the Mexicans who come here are NOT immigrants. For the most part, they are little more than parasites; here to take what they can get and then leave. Most have No Loyalty to the USA, in fact quite a few hold the USA in disdain and contempt. We aren't doing enough for them, so we must be evil. That is a lot easier for them to believe than to look to themselves for the solution of their social ills.
If we re-instituted the draft of all able bodied men under tha age of 35, ; you would see an exodus of Mexicans crawling across the desert to escape back to Mexico. Meanwhile, Americans (as usual) will do the work, pay the ultimate price, and keep the world safe for parasites; no matter where they live.
A good start.
I say that instead of a draft and instead of deporting this illegals we should press them into military service. The ones who survived would be given green cards, the ones who refused would be sent back to where ever they came from.
Wow!
Texas is actually doing to Mexicans what Mexico does to Texans!
This is true. I remember when I was young, immigrants that wanted to become American citizens joined the armed forces. It was the easy way to citizenship(fast way anyway) but carried danger with it.
This program exists to this very day. There are guys and gals in the service that are earning their U.S. citizenship in exactly this manner.
I am glad to hear it and support it whole heartedly. Anyone who will risk their lives in the defense of this country gets my vote for citizenship.
L
ping
I don't think we would have to worry about it, as most of the illegals would go home when faced with the prospect of fighting in Iraq. Actually, I was half joking, the program of allowing LEGALS to join the military and becoming US citizens is still in effect. We don't need Illegals in the military and that is for sure.
Dear Lord, please give the US strength to withstand this insanity. We can accept some, but this is too much for any country to bear.
I still feel odd about non citizens providing our military force for us (though I realize my speaking room on this topic is limited - I haven't served either. Looked into it after Sept 11 but found I was too old:( - regret not serving while younger.) A nation of 300 million should be able to source it's own military. I'm also leery of people who hold dual citizenship of another country and serve in that country's military. I realize there are many people who are non citizens or dual citizens and are serving honorably in the US military, and I certainly want to be careful not to disrespect them in any manner. I just think such practices should be a rare exception.
Money sent back by the illegals is very important to the Mexican economy. A lot of people think that one of the reasons the US turns a blind eye to it is to keep a Communist revolution from breaking out there. If you go across the Texas border into Mexico, you'll see a true third world country. When I was a kid we went there, and the children follow you around begging the whole time you're there. One of the kids (around six or seven) followed us into a shop, and the shopkeeper punched him in the mouth and chased him out of the store, kicking him. When we left the shop, he was standing there, like nothing had happened, trying to sell us some gum or something.
Texas had better watch it. They'll lose four seats in Congress if this is really effective.
Beatings, jail, poor food, cramped unsanitary conditions etc ....etc....
A pilot program that jails all illegal immigrants crossing into this Texas border town from Mexico has led to a dramatic fall in numbers attempting the journey, the U.S. Office of Border Patrol said on Friday.
----Sounds good.
I agree with your premise. There is one exception. Liberal hate-America-first are not in the matrix. There are at least a dozen folks in Congress that I'd drop into the Great Barrier Reef as shark fodder.
I think the numbers have fallen to ten a day because most of them are already over here and living in Houston.
They won't lose any seats...these people are undocumented and don't affect our population stats. There are over a million such people living in and around the Houston area now by some estimates. The truth is that no one really knows how many there are. Bank of America is now accepting the Matricula Consular card as a valid form of identification to open bank accounts. They are also donating money to build these illegals facilities that will help them find work more easily. Where you or I are required to show a driver's license or passport to open an account, illegals are able to show a card that basically has whatever name on it they wrote when they filled out the form. The banks are interested in charging them wire transfer fees for all the cash they are sending back to Mexico or their countries of origin. When these people default on their credit cards or bank loans, Bank of America will make up the difference by upping the rates for all of us. In my opinion, we should be having the ones we catch down on the border building that wall for us while they are serving their 180 days.
Hey wetbacks! Got some strawberries and melons for you to pick for us free for 180 days.
I got my mind right boss. I got my mind right.
TIME TO BOYCOTT BANK OF AMERICA!!!!!
I agree...I actually moved my company and personal accounts from them for this reason. Many hispanic illegals represent good credit risks because they tend to be entrepeneurial industrious people. They shy away from home ownership and bank accounts because of the necessary paperwork required to establish them. The problem is that you get the good with the bad and the consular card exposes the banks to additional risk in the form of fraud. We end up footing the bill for that. Basically, Bank of America is trying to generate revenue through wire transfer fees as well as get at some of the $20 billion in mattress cash that these immigrants send home every year. Insurance companies are getting scammed as well because these same people will take out insurance on the same car through five different companies under different names and then collect from all five when they total the car in an "accident". We happily pick that cost up in increased premiums.
**A pilot program that jails all illegal immigrants crossing into this Texas border town from Mexico has led to a dramatic fall in numbers attempting the journey,
Gee, now there's a shocker.**
It is almost as shocking as the reality that when you lock up criminals they stop comiting crime! Who would have thought this could happen!!!!!!
Hmmmm, tent city in the middle of nowhere; cooling their heels for 180 days (earning NOTHING) before being sent back home. I can see where that would be a dis-incentive.
Maybe we could put them to work on the border fence.
I beg to differ. I was in the military for almost a decade, and based upon My experiences although there are indeed non-us citizens in the Uniformed Services, that alone does not entitle citizenship. I should know; the INS person specifically stated that to Me when I enquired.
That's an attempt at sarcasm, right?
That statement just made my day..
sw
Only until the election is ove, or amnesty is given to every illegal who comes here. No need for jail then. Jail an American citizen just for being here? I don't think so.
I beg to differ. I was in the military for almost a decade, and based upon My experiences although there are indeed non-us citizens in the Uniformed Services, that alone does not entitle citizenship. I should know; the INS person specifically stated that to Me when I enquired.
They just recently granted citizenship posthumously to a young soldier who was not a U.S. citizen (was either Mexican or Guatamalan, I believe). They have to complete their service tour first, but indeed this program does exist.
Kinda what I was thinking.
true
Hmmm. I will have to take that one with a grain of salt, as a posthumous award may have just been an exception to the rule. I should add; I am a Naturalized Citizen and I did My time in the military for almost ten years between the late Seventies and middle Eighties. When I initially attempted to become a Citizen the INS told Me flat out that Military Service did not guarantee citizenship. I was given absolutely no preference or assistance in My battle to achieve it, a process which would ultimately require almost a decade of time and four failed attempts until it was finally granted.
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