BP implements zero-tolerance policy for illegals - Some fear ‘Streamline’ could overburden courts

McAllen Monitor ^ | June 10, 2008 - | Jeremy Roebuck

[3AngelaD]

EDINBURG -- The Rio Grande Valley will be the next place to implement a zero-tolerance policy credited with slashing illegal immigration rates by almost 70 percent in other parts of the state. Dubbed "Operation Streamline," the plan calls for the criminal prosecution of every migrant caught crossing the border without proper documentation, Border Patrol officials said...while the program has had dramatic results in rural parts of Texas and Arizona, it remains untested in more populous regions where the number of immigrants apprehended each year is higher.

Skeptics fear prosecution of every illegal immigrant could overwhelm local federal courts, which already spend much of their time on immigration...

The Border Patrol rolled out the policy Monday along a four-mile stretch of Cameron County's border with Mexico from Brownsville to Fort Brown...All undocumented immigrants arrested will be detained, sent to court, jailed for up to 180 days if found guilty and then deported. Formerly, first-time offenders were offered the option of voluntary deportation and were processed, put on a bus and sent back to Mexico...in Del Rio, where agents implemented the Streamline policy in December 2005, immigration arrests have dropped by 67 percent... Officials saw similar results in Yuma, Ariz., and Laredo..

"The word has gotten out," Del Rio-based Border Patrol Agent Hilario Leal said. "People know not to cross in Del Rio..."

...Federal courts in the region already handle twice as many immigration cases as the next highest ranked district...and there are signs that the targeted prosecutions have already strained smaller districts.

"We don't have as much time as we'd like to handle each case," said Del Rio-based Federal Public Defender William Fry...

But Border Patrol spokesman Rosas said Tuesday that it was too early to tell what kind of effect Streamline would have in the Valley.

[3AngelaD]

There is always one or more jackass willing to explain why enforcing the law just won't work. And there is always some idiot reporter willing to buy into the argument.

[Psycho_Bunny]

"Skeptics fear prosecution of every illegal immigrant could overwhelm local federal courts"

As far as I'm concerned the "skeptics" can shut their useless mouths and go strait to hell.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

Imagine that - a "zero-tolerance policy" produces "dramatic results".

Who'd a thunk'd it?

[ArchAngel1983]

Someone should tell the ‘Black Robes’ that streamlining islamofascists through the justice system could overburden the courts as well.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“”We’ll get a case on Wednesday and the court expects us to be back and ready to go by Friday. That’s not enough time to adequately represent a client.”

Not enough time? Gimme a break! They were caught sneakin’ in. They have no papers. Should take 10 minutes per case max!

[Prokopton]

Imagine that - a "zero-tolerance policy" produces "dramatic results".

Who'd a thunk'd it?

I wonder if Guiliani is for this? He was against enforcing immigration laws but was in favor of zero tolerance.

[GAB-1955]

There is a legitimate concern. Supreme Court rulings for over a century have made it clear that merely being in the United States without authorization cannot result in automatic deportation without a hearing before an impartial judge. The question is, what sort of hearings? Not every hearing has to be a full-blown trial, but it can't be a pro forma hearing, either. It's a valid question, and if we are a nation of laws, we have to address it. I think we could arrange some administrative hearings which would satisfy the legal questions.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Uh...ya...anyway........

[3AngelaD]

What are you talking about? They get a full court hearing, they get FREE, TAXPAYER-PROVIDED LEGAL REPRESENTATION. They are here illegally; that is not in dispute. The taxpayer-provided lawyer is bitching that he does not have time to prepare a defense for someone who is, by definition, here illegally and can’t prove otherwise. In other words, he wants more time to stall while they are eating on the taxpayer dime as well. This is just more squish-head stuff and you are part of the problem if you think they are not being treated fairly. Go sit in federal court for a couple of days and get back to me. I have been there. We bend over backwards to guard the legal rights of these human parasites who have no respect whatsoever for our system and the rule of law. Give me a break.

[Mogollon]

Skeptics fear prosecution of every illegal immigrant could overwhelm local federal courts,...

Better to let them in and let them overwhelm our hospitals, schools, wefare offices, etc., etc. /s

[proxy_user]

Er, I was wondering why British Petroleum cared....

[bornred]

There’s a kernel of truth here, but the solution is not to stop prosecuting these criminals. Rather, the focus should be on reducing the cost of incarceration (e.g. Sheriff Arpaio’s tent cities) and throwing the maximum sentence at the ones who fight the charges.

Keep in mind the fact that clogging the system is an explicit goal of the open borders lobby, so we need to make sure it is in the illegal alien’s self-interest to take a plea.

[3AngelaD]

Uh, they are calling themselves “Beyond Petroleum” now.