Richard Marosi, Los Angeles Times, May 7, 2008
U.S. border authorities no longer apprehend illegal immigrants only as they enter the country. Now they’re catching them on the way out.
At random times near the Tijuana-San Diego border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have been setting up checkpoints, boarding buses destined for Mexico and pulling off people who don’t have proper documentation.
The operation appears to be an expansion of a broader federal crackdown targeting illegal immigrants in jails, airports and workplaces across the country.
The checkpoints, which are not announced in advance, are set up on southbound Interstate 5 about 100 yards north of the border. Vehicles in all lanes must stop.
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But some GOP politicians and anti-illegal immigration organizations praise federal authorities for widening their enforcement efforts. A spokesman for Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon) said agents were simply doing their job.
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Illegal immigrants became targets for arrest at the checkpoints only a few months ago, according to immigrant rights groups and human rights organizations in Mexico. It is unclear how frequently the checkpoints have been set up.
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Federal agents say the checkpoints are a productive way to stop dangerous criminals, drug shipments and money launderers.
The illegal immigrants they apprehend are typically turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol for processing. Unless they have serious criminal records or numerous immigration violations, most are returned to Mexico within a few hours, the agents say.
Wayne Cornelius, director of the Center of Comparative Immigration Studies at UC San Diego, said he was not aware of similar crackdowns in the past. The checkpoints make sense for intercepting contraband, but targeting illegal immigrants voluntarily leaving the country is a “bizarre” way of handling the illegal immigration question, he said.
Other critics call it an enormous waste of resources and say it could be counterproductive and discourage immigrants from going home.
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But groups that fight illegal immigration praise federal authorities for showing more willingness to enforce existing immigration laws aggressively. Focusing on the criminality of people entering the country is only part of the job of border agencies, they say.
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Original article
Email
Richard Marosi
at richard.marosi@latimes.com.
(Posted on May 8, 2008)
Comments
What a great idea! Catch them after they have damaged our way of life and culture, not before! Perhaps provide them with showers, hot meals, and everything else to compliment them on a job well done at breaking into the country at tax payer expense. This is all a way of saying “we supposedly have to kick you out but you are welcome back at any time.”
Posted by Rich at 6:46 PM on May 8
Im not so sure I like this idea. Why would we want to strike fear in the hearts of illegal aliens who want to return, for whatever reason, to mexico and points beyond? They might think twice about heading home if they think they may be arrested on their trip south of the border. I would like to see a law where illegals are encouraged to leave and allowed to do so unmolested, IF, IF, they are not wanted for a crime, other than being here illegally. They would be guaranteed an unmolested journey home, fingerprinted, and told you are free to leave, but if we catch you in the States again, you will face felony charges for being here illegally.
Posted by Mike Harrigan at 9:05 PM on May 8
ABout time! ANyone that lives near the border knows that there is virtually NO check going into Mexico — which is how all the dirty money, guns and stolen cars get in there every day.
Posted by cartman at 9:06 PM on May 8
I think this program could create confusion and that’s a good thing because confused people are easier to control. I mean look at us. This program should reinforce the unwelcomeness to our country and may discourage more immigrants.
Posted by at 10:23 PM on May 8
Looking for wanted criminals on their way out is a good idea. The soldier who raped another fellow soldier, killed her and then fled to Mexico might have been caught this way before we had to promise Mexico not to give him a court-ordered injection of Goodbye Juice, just to have him extradited.
Posted by Michael C. Scot at 3:01 AM on May 9
If the authorities identify and print the illegals caught leaving, they can prosecute them (we can hope) if they show up again inside the US.
Catching and identifying illegals coming or going will have good effect on the problem.
Posted by Gary at 2:06 PM on May 9
The important thing is to fingerprint them and digitize their faces. These are the same guys that will be back after the holidays to pick up working at their stolen jobs for crooked employers. If our country had a 21st century set of data bases for employment, social security, finance, etc. these illegals would be a lot more ticked off. Once caught they would be doomed.
Much is made of a fence not being able to catch every single illegal who crosses. The fact is that if the penalty of getting caught would mean NEVER getting a job or being able to drive or conduct any sort of business then the illegals would think twice before trying. Not only would a triple barbed wire fence keep out hundreds of thousands of new illegals each year but it would allow us to catch more before they could get in and establish themselves.
Posted by hugo at 5:36 PM on May 9
Let them leave unmolested. This is the one form of amnesty I support.
Posted by RaceandCountry at 11:05 AM on May 10
The local sheriffs should deputize legal Americans to check for proper I.D.of all Mexicans. It only takes one good eye to spot a Mex. I see them roaming around in Lowe’s and The Home depot at will.
Posted by at 9:18 PM on May 10
Utterly stupid. Amnesty dressed up as enforcement. Strengthen the borders against Mexicans coming here, but why make it harder for Mexicans to return home? Because businessmen don’t want them to.
Posted by Alan at 12:04 AM on May 11
