Posted on 05/09/2006 9:16:57 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
The U.S. Border Patrol is alerting Mexican officials when civilian border patrol groups detain or allegedly mistreat suspected illegal immigrants, according to a newspaper report published Tuesday.
The policy is meant to assure the Mexican government that migrants' rights are being observed, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Mario Martinez told the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin of Ontario.
On Tuesday, the agency called the article inaccurate.
Citing interviews with Border Patrol agents and documents on a Mexican government Web site, the newspaper reported agents notify Mexican authorities when members of civilian groups such as the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps apprehend or allegedly use violence against border crossers.
"If an alien is encountered by a Minuteman or arrested by the Minuteman, then we will allow that government to interview the person," Martinez told the newspaper.
The report also cited three documents on the Web site of the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations that say Mexican consulates are in close contact with Border Patrol officials regarding the safety of border crossers who have been stopped by civilian groups.
T.J. Bonner, president of the Border Patrol agents' union, said members have long complained that the Mexican government has undue influence over U.S. enforcement policies.
"That's not a legitimate role for any foreign nation," Bonner said.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Washington, D.C., issued a statement disputing the newspaper's report.
"Border Patrol does not report activity by civilian, non-law enforcement groups to the government of Mexico," according to the statement. "During a detention of a legal or illegal immigrant that produces an allegation of improper treatment, Border Patrol reports the allegation and allows the appropriate consulate to interview the individual in custody."
The Daily Bulletin's managing editor, Jeff Keating, said Tuesday the newspaper stands by its story.
Martinez did not immediately return a message left Tuesday by The Associated Press, and an after-hours call to the Mexican embassy in Washington, D.C., was not immediately returned.
Minuteman members said any contact between the Border Patrol and Mexican officials negates the group's effectiveness and could endanger the lives of its members.
"It's unbelievable that our own government agency is sending intelligence to another country," said Chris Simcox, the organization's founder. "They are sending intelligence to a nation where corruption runs rampant, and that could be getting into the hands of criminal cartels."
"I am still waiting to see supporting evidence that the news that you are a horse thief is false."
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Hmmmm, interesting logic here. Today we get reports from a variety of sources that the feds are reporting the activities of the Minutemen to the Mexican Government. The Minutemen themselves believe this is occuring and have made public statements in that regard.
The story is then refuted by the feds. We are now left to decide whom to believe.
And your argument that supports the feds is that I have been reported to be a horse thief.
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm in let the dust settle mode myself.
This place is getting nuttier than a fruit cake.
There is exactly zero proof that this story was anything but wrong. I'm absolutely stunned that so many are still buying it, in spite of the fact that there is no corroborating evidince other than some paranoid rambling.
Let's face it, "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidince," and claiming that the government it tipping the Mexican army off to what American citizens are doing is pretty friggin extraordinary.
They all copied or paraphrased the original source. That happens all the time in journalism, you know that!
"I'm absolutely stunned that so many are still buying it, in spite of the fact that there is no corroborating evidince other than some paranoid rambling."
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Well, all we have are competing testimonies to what you term an "extroardinary event."
That aside, the fact that so many believe it...so many who voted FOR Bush in both elections, shows you how much trust has been lost by the Bush administration with its core supporters on the issue of illegal immigration.
If it had been a story about how Bush is giving aid to Al Queda....then the outcome of that would have been completely different. The story likely would have been laughed off of FR instread creating the frenzy that the Minuteman story created.
Political heads would roll if true...Well....maybe not.
People ought never become so emotionally invested in an issue that they throw aside common sense. :(
This place is getting nuttier than a fruit cake.
--
Life in general is, many would say.. FR doesn't have exclusitivity on FRuit cakes, by any means. The nature of the forum in this day and age draws them and leaping to conclusions like flies to stink.
"People ought never become so emotionally invested in an issue that they throw aside common sense. :("
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If one has lost trust in a person, group, or organization, then it IS common sense not to believe what they say.
The core has lost trust in the Bush Administration on the issue of illegal immigration. Otherwise today's Minutemen story would have been laughed away or zotted.
We shall see what happens in the next few days but I don't foresee any firm resolution in favor of Bush.
C'mon, the gov't doesn't lie...;)
What...hang on.
Over at the DU they say he eats puppies and that we attacked Iraq over oil. Should we believe that, just because W seems to like Mexicans more than some of us approve of?
"The administration is currently attempting to cut off one important source of real-world information: Border Patrol whistle-blowers, who are being threatened with retribution. Agent Ron Zermeno, of the Temecula, California, office, told local officials last August that illegal-immigrant roundups had been stopped by officials in Washington, setting off a public outcry, according to the North County Times. Zermeno says he was subsequently threatened with being fired by Border Patrol management. It seems the Border Patrol is implementing new, looser rules regarding agents’ performance reviews—rules that Border Patrol agents say can be used to kill dissent within the ranks."
http://chroniclesmagazine.org/Chronicles/2005/February2005/0205Allensworth.html
February 2005
Common sense is the last resort...Common sense is for people that don't have any facts or knowledge to go on...
Here's what Mr. Robinson, the most excellent and admirable proprietor of this site, has to say about it:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1629359/posts?page=178#178Attention:
"Those of you who are calling for revolution, secession, violence, impeachment, etc, will no longer be posting on FR. Sheesh, it's a phony report (pure Marxist propaganda), but it sure is exposing a lot of hothead idiot trolls."
Don't buy into the "fake but accurate" hooey.
But you should read their comments to and regarding JR's posts following his.
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