After Mexico's consul general's complaint, Arrests OK only at border.

dailynews ^ | August 13, | By Associated Press

[VU4G10]

SAN DIEGO -- Border Patrol agents in California have been ordered to stop making arrests on city streets and avoid questioning suspected illegal immigrants except along the border and at highway checkpoints in Orange and Riverside counties.

The directive, outlined in an Aug. 8 memo, is aimed at agents in San Diego County and southern areas of Orange and Riverside counties.

It follows protests over recent arrests in San Diego and San Juan Capistrano. Five members of a Mexican family were detained Aug. 1 as they walked to the Mexican consulate in downtown San Diego to apply for identification cards issued by the Mexican government to its citizens living in the United States.

The memo says enforcing U.S. immigration laws away from the border and at workplaces should be left to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"They are no longer Border Patrol functions," according to the memo by William T. Veal, chief patrol agent for the greater San Diego area.

"Border Patrol agents are not authorized to conduct any 'interior enforcement' or 'city patrol' operations in or near residential areas or places of employment, including immigration inspections at day labor pick-up locations or on city streets while agents are en route to assignments," Veal said.

Veal's memo, first reported Wednesday by the Los Angeles Times, was directed to all agents in the San Diego sector, which includes San Diego County and border checkpoints in San Clemente and Temecula.

A Border Patrol spokesman said the directive reiterated policy set in Washington, not in San Diego.

"The memo in question is an internal document that resulted from a series of recent incidents," said the spokesman, Ben Bauman. "The memo was issued to remind agents of those long-standing policies."

A union local representing Border Patrol agents said that the order was a response to political pressures.

"In general, broad terms, it prevents agents from doing their job to the best of their ability," said Joseph Dassaro, president of National Border Patrol Council Local 1613, a union that represents San Diego-area agents. "It basically ties their hands behind their backs."

Mexico's consul general in San Diego, Rodulfo Figueroa, filed a complaint with the Border Patrol after the Aug. 1 arrests, calling them "an act of bad faith." He didn't question the legality of the arrests but said enforcement of immigration laws so close to the consulate inhibits his ability to do his job.

The Border Patrol also has come under scrutiny for a series of vehicle stops and arrests in San Juan Capistrano. Critics say parents have reported being detained while picking up and dropping off children at school.

[VU4G10]

"but said enforcement of immigration laws so close to the consulate inhibits his ability to do his job!!!"

[.cnI redruM]

WHAT!!!!

We need the National Guard on the borders. Screw Vincente Fox.

[GatekeeperBookman]

CLOSE the mexican consulates. CLOSE the mexican embassy.
http://www.Deportaliens.com

[Lion Den Dan]

I agree. The Border Patrol has enough to do working on the border. They simply must stop going into Mexice and grabbing those poor people off of the streets.

[John Jorsett]

The struggle is nearly over. Between this policy and driver's licenses for illegals, it's clear that American may as well throw out the pretense that there even is a border.

[Lion Den Dan]

Mexice = Mexico

[GatekeeperBookman]

http://members.cox.net/marineinspector/

Another 'disappeared' person. I guess this is forfbidden posting.

[doc30]

I always thought the Border Patrol's authority resided within a 20 mile radius of any port of entry. Is the consulate within 20 miles of the border or 20 miles of an international airport?

[thegreatbeast]

While this crap is allowed to go on there is NO security within the US. We might just as well wish each other "good luck" and pray for the best because everything else is just a show.

[Tacis]

The most valuable aspect of the Mexican matricula ID cards is that you don't have to ask questions. If the wetback presents it as his/her ID, arrest the criminal illegal alien.

[VU4G10]

Action Alert!

Fight Kolbe, Flake, and McCain Massive Guestworker Amnesty
Urge your elected officials to oppose H.R.2899 and S.1461!

[GatekeeperBookman]

Done. Bump

[drypowder]

Duh! This jackass wouldn't have that job if the Border Patrol stopped the illegal intrusion at the border!

[heleny]

The LA Times and the LA Daily News got the story on Wednesday, but the San Diego Union Tribune waited until today to report about this memo to the Border Patrol. I didn't see it in the OC Register at all, but I didn't look too carefully.

[heleny]

I always thought the Border Patrol's authority resided within a 20 mile radius of any port of entry. Is the consulate within 20 miles of the border or 20 miles of an international airport?

Not true. The I-5 and I-15 border checkpoints are about 50-60 miles north of the Mexican Consulate, which is only about 15 miles from the border with Mexico. Those checkpoints are near the northern end of San Diego County, which, along with Imperial County, include CA's entire southern border with Mexico. Those two checkpoints are nowhere near the border.

The Mexican Consulate, 1549 India St., San Diego, CA, is only THREE MILES from the airport terminals at Lindbergh Field (San Diego International Airport), according to Yahoo. The runway is even closer -- about 1 mile.

[heleny]

Those two checkpoints are nowhere near the border.

Clarification: those checkpoints are only about 70 miles from the border. It's close to Mexico when compared to Canada, but it's pretty far when you consider that about three million people live in San Diego County, and most of the county is south of the checkpoints.

Travel through those checkpoints is usually unchecked, especially during rush hour (several hours per day), and the trains are never checked, either.

[FITZ]

Screw Vincente Fox.

Yes --- if he cared one iota about these people, he'd made Mexico less a hell-hole for them. He does care about the big money filling his pockets.

[hgro]

This illegal immigrant issue is going to sink Bush if he doesn't get it under control. He seems to be going for the Latino vote but he is losing the vote of more native born Americans than he realizes. Carl Rove better get his head out of the sand if he is the one behind this.

[LibertyThug]

I heard about this on the radio this morning. Disgusting.
When are we all going to wake up?!

[philetus]

Eventually, some of you will relize the pols don,t care what you want and have no intention of doing anything.