artist's impression: The NEW AND IMPROVED welcome wagon..
Posted on 07/19/2006 9:07:10 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
(AP) TONOPAH, Ariz. About 100 illegal immigrants were rescued from the desert about 50 miles west of Phoenix, many suffering from dehydration and exhaustion after triple-digit heat.
Seven immigrants and three sheriff's deputies were taken to hospitals after the rescues late Tuesday, said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Officers used a helicopter, canine units, all-terrain vehicles and foot patrols to find them.
The immigrants told authorities that three people had died, but Kempher said no bodies had been found.
Deputies were pulled out of the desert when night fell, said sheriff's Sgt. Jim Kempher. They left water behind and posted some deputies in the area until the search could resume later Wednesday for any more immigrants.
Arpaio, whose office made the discovery, said investigators suspect the immigrants were left in the area until smugglers could arrange for transportation elsewhere.
"They are stashing them out there," Arpaio said.
Authorities gave water to the immigrants, who were being turned over to federal immigration authorities, Arpaio said.
Some immigrants said they hadn't had water since Sunday, said Lt. Chuck Siemens, who was in charge of the search operation. "They were bombarding us for water. We passed out water bottles, and it was a frenzy," he said.
The state has a new anti-immigration law, passed amid frustration over Arizona's porous border with Mexico and the costs of health care and education for illegal immigrants. Immigration is usually a federal responsibility.
The immigrants found Tuesday won't be arrested, Arpaio said. They weren't caught in the act of being transported by a smuggler — a necessary element of proving the state crime.
"We are now zeroing in on the smugglers," Arpaio said.
Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, is Arizona's most populous county.
LOL... No doubt the AP and KUTV also report a bank robbery by reporting that the men were making a withdrawal when they were suddenly attacked by the police.
The Mexicans will just cover a wall with graffiti. A fence would be better.
Humane Borders' fault!
And the taxpayers have the unique opportunity to foot the bill.
Build a fence!!! Oh, never mind. Washington voted for the fence before voting against funding a fence.
No, these 100 (plus a few thousand of their cousins we missed this week) can't be countes in the 12 Million because they're new arrivals.
"About 100 illegal immigrants were rescued from the desert about 50 miles west
of Phoenix, many suffering from dehydration and exhaustion after triple-digit heat."
well, when The U.S. Senate and a U.S. President dangle amnesty and
citizenship (via a short-circuit to screw legal immigrants)...
this is all totally forseeable.
We passed a law in Arizona that made the smuggling of humans illegal, so that lets any LEO arrest a coyote. Andrew Thomas, the Maricopa County Attorney (a great conservative), said that any illegals who paid a coyote to bring them into the country could be charged with conspiracy to further the coyote's crime. So far there are around 250 illegals and coyotes in jail awaiting trial. I think there have only been 2 illegals sent to trial for conspiracy, and the judge (the weak link) threw out the charges for them due to insufficient evidence. Andrew Thomas vows to have more evidence when the next illegals come up for their trials.
Sheriff Arpaio can't arrest the illegals unless he catches them in the act of smuggling or being smuggled. But he has vowed to turn them over to I.C.E. and I have no doubt that's what he will do.
artist's impression: The NEW AND IMPROVED welcome wagon..
Yes, they are lawbreakers and ICE will be returning them to the countries of origin.
But they are human beings and should not be treated like dogs by those profiteers who promise them safe delivery.
Yes this is accurate. And I noted in yesterday's event it was a sherrif that spotted the group in the desert and alerted ICE.
A clarification on the location - it was not actually in Tonapah but about 50 miles of I-10 in the desert between I-10 and Wickenburg. Temperatures have been 110 to 115 this past week. Someone had to have dumped them, they never could have made the trek from the Mexican border alone. That and given the fact that most were not Mexicans but from countries further south than Mexico.
If the problem had been duly recognized and dealth with 10-15 years ago, we would not be having this discussion now.
real immigrants cross at the borders, in line with the others - sotty for your plight
This was reported on the news. My daughter heard about the coyote trying to sell a can of soda for $10. She started giggling. I didn't understand at first, then realized she didn't know what a coyote in that context was. She thought a four legged coyote was selling sodas.
Let's get all these healthy Americans who are sitting home collecting a welfare to working. They now have a program called "Welfare to Work". This program is an failure because it is supposed to get people off welfare and out in the job market. But that isn't working. Why not have working as a condition to get welfare. It should be "Welfare for work." Not work to welfare. Anyone who is healthy should have to work to receive any kind of assistance. For the many teen age girls who are popping out babies they either go to school or work. That is both reasonable and entails that the individual has a hand in taking care of him or herself. It instills responsibility. Let's call our congressman and start pusing Welfare for Work. That way a lot of these jobs that illegal immigrants are working at can be filled by Americans.
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