Border crossers rarely prosecuted

[peejay 327]

For the Bush administration to blame these prosecutor firings on lax immigration enforcement is total bullsh*t. The Bush administration has actively and blatantly had a heavy hand in circumventing immigration enforcement since coming into office to supply his crooked business cronies with as much cheap and plentiful illegal alien labor as they wanted. Who are these clowns kidding? Not me!

Border crossers rarely prosecuted

By ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press Writer

Guidelines issued by U.S. attorneys in Texas showed that most illegal immigrants crossing into the state had to be arrested at least six times before federal authorities would prosecute them, according to an internal Justice Department memo.

The disclosure provides a rare view of how federal authorities attempt to curb illegal immigration. The memo was released this week in response to a congressional investigation of the dismissals of eight U.S. attorneys.

The Border Patrol makes more than 1 million arrests a year on the U.S.-Mexico border. T.J. Bonner, head of a union representing Border Patrol agents, said it's unrealistic to prosecute all violators.

"Let's be honest, there isn't enough jail space to incarcerate everyone who crosses that border," said Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council. "If everyone demanded hearing in front of an immigration judge, it would bring our system to a grinding halt in a matter of days."

It is unclear when the memo was written, but the Justice Department reviewed the guidelines sometime after a February 2005 performance review of Carol Lam, the top federal prosecutor in San Diego from 2002 until she was fired last month. Some Republican lawmakers had complained that Lam failed to aggressively prosecute immigration violations.

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said Thursday that immigration prosecutions are a high priority and that the government sent 30 additional attorneys to the border region in the second half of 2006. He said U.S. attorneys set guidelines that, in part, reflect local crime issues and staffing.

"Increasing the number of prosecutors will permit districts to adjust their guidelines and take in more cases," he said. "For law enforcement reasons, the department cannot discuss what the present prosecutorial guidelines are concerning the border."

The memo was written in response to Justice Department inquiries about immigration prosecutions by the five U.S. attorney offices that cover the 2,000-mile border — San Diego, Phoenix, San Antonio, Houston and Albuquerque, N.M.

Guidelines vary by office, but migrants with no criminal records who have not been deported by an immigration judge will almost certainly be turned back to Mexico "numerous times" before getting prosecuted, according to another Justice Department memo dated Nov. 22, 2005. Those "voluntary returns" are booked on administrative, not criminal, violations.

Parts of the other memo are blacked out so it's unclear whether the document refers to U.S. attorneys in Houston or San Antonio.

The memo says one Texas district prosecutes migrants if the Border Patrol catches them at least six to eight times. The other district prosecutes after someone is caught at least seven times.

In late 2005, the government created a 200-mile zone near Del Rio, Texas, in which every adult arrested for illegal immigration would be prosecuted and jailed before being deported.

The San Diego office, which covers an area stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Arizona state line, does not prosecute "purely economic migrants" as a general rule, according to the memo.

The Arizona district, the nation's busiest corridor for illegal crossings "almost certainly" declines to prosecute on a first or second offense, the memo says. The New Mexico district makes decisions based on criminal records in the U.S.

There are many exceptions to the rule, including violators with criminal records.

Representatives of the U.S. attorney offices in Houston, San Antonio, San Diego and Albuquerque declined to comment, and a call to the Arizona offices was not immediately returned.

Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, who advocates a crackdown on illegal immigration, said the Texas guidelines underscore a lax enforcement attitude. He said the federal government should contract for more jail space, perhaps with local governments.

"If you made it a priority of the department, you would see a reduction," Tancredo said.

Arizona's Paul Charlton and New Mexico's David Iglesias were also among the eight U.S. attorneys abruptly fired. Justice Department officials have said they were concerned about the prosecutors' approach to immigration cases.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070322/ap_on_...tors_immigrants

[Ban Hammer 14,269]

just read that one on yahoo news. shocking.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

What a shame. We should bus these people right back over the border. I can't fathom the resources they steal from US taxpayers.

[slim 1,533]

I heard this and several other illegal immigration stories on the radio last night.

I made up my mind right then and there that I'm going to close my ears to illegal immigration because we still PAY Americans to sit in free houses and do nothing except make more children. Until we resolve that issue, I'm not going to worry about the hard-working illegals. In my oppinion, these people have 10 times the right to be here that those sitting on their butts do.

I think it's a sad state of affairs when our government must decide what to do with people who are willing to risk everything they have for the right to come here and work. I believe they should fill the buses not with illegal immigrants, but with lazy Americans.

[almaty 19]

touche brother slim./. a noble stand

[eap620 0]

I completely agree Slim!!!

[JohnK 0]

I think that everytime we catch one sneaking across the border we should lop off one of their fingers before sending them back.

[almaty 19]

I think that everytime we catch one sneaking across the border we should lop off one of their fingers before sending them back.

you forgot starving them too

[slim 1,533]

I think that everytime we catch one sneaking across the border we should lop off one of their fingers before sending them back.

I think we should take them to the projects and pull out the inhabitant of one apartment, give it to the "border sneaker" and lop the finger off the project-dweller then send them back across the border in the sneaker's stead.

[almaty 19]

I think that everytime we catch one sneaking across the border we should lop off one of their fingers before sending them back.

I think we should take them to the projects and pull out the inhabitant of one apartment, give it to the "border sneaker" and lop the finger off the project-dweller then send them back across the border in the sneaker's stead.

bravo...

[JohnK 0]

I made up my mind right then and there that I'm going to close my ears to illegal immigration because we still PAY Americans to sit in free houses and do nothing except make more children.

It's impossible to offer social programs to help the needy and not have the losers in society try to take advantage of the generosity. But that doesn't mean that since you can't completely solve one problem you just start ignoring other problems. You don't think some of the illegals would be more than happy to move here and sit on their asses doing nothing just like some US citizens?

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I heard this and several other illegal immigration stories on the radio last night.

I made up my mind right then and there that I'm going to close my ears to illegal immigration because we still PAY Americans to sit in free houses and do nothing except make more children. Until we resolve that issue, I'm not going to worry about the hard-working illegals. In my oppinion, these people have 10 times the right to be here that those sitting on their butts do.

I think it's a sad state of affairs when our government must decide what to do with people who are willing to risk everything they have for the right to come here and work. I believe they should fill the buses not with illegal immigrants, but with lazy Americans.

So so sad. Many illegals are sitting in free housing making babies (anchors) so they can stay in the US, pay little to no taxes and keep wages low.

Illegals don't undergo a background check (unlike the spouses on this board) so there are many hardened criminals killing USCs and residents.

Your apathy is appalling.

Illegal aliens murder

12 Americans daily

[slim 1,533]

I made up my mind right then and there that I'm going to close my ears to illegal immigration because we still PAY Americans to sit in free houses and do nothing except make more children.

It's impossible to offer social programs to help the needy and not have the losers in society try to take advantage of the generosity. But that doesn't mean that since you can't completely solve one problem you just start ignoring other problems. You don't think some of the illegals would be more than happy to move here and sit on their asses doing nothing just like some US citizens?

Yes of course, and they do. But that's why we need to address issues that are counterproductive first, instead of attempting to combat a largely productive "problem".

We could take all the money we're paying the "losers" and use it to fund those who are willing to work. That would kill two birds with one stone.

[peejay 327]

I heard this and several other illegal immigration stories on the radio last night.

I made up my mind right then and there that I'm going to close my ears to illegal immigration because we still PAY Americans to sit in free houses and do nothing except make more children. Until we resolve that issue, I'm not going to worry about the hard-working illegals. In my oppinion, these people have 10 times the right to be here that those sitting on their butts do.

I think it's a sad state of affairs when our government must decide what to do with people who are willing to risk everything they have for the right to come here and work. I believe they should fill the buses not with illegal immigrants, but with lazy Americans.

And you don't think these illegal aliens don't game the system? Come on...give me a break! I see them with all too much frequency in Section 8 taxpayer subsidized housing and checking out at the grocery store with their taxpayer funded Lone Star food stamp debit card. Not to mention the millions of $$$ when they show up at the taxpayer funded city / county hospitals. They get their kids educated while putting close to nothing into the system. Not to mention that our jails are full of illegal aliens in them that should be in jail in their own countries because they should be back home committing crimes.

Yes...we have enough homegrown problems of our own without allowing everyone elses' to be dumped across our border.

Last year the USA allowed roughly 3 million foreigners LEGALLY into the USA as permanent residents or on temporary work visas. This is more generous than any country on earth.

Screw the illegal aliens. They cheated their way in, they cheat to remain here, and they should be deported. They have no respect for our laws or our country.

Edited March 23, 2007 by peejay

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Slim has no ability to solve either problem, so that "solution" is a bust. However, not being one to close my eyes and ears to problems, I am well-known to US representatives.

Edited March 23, 2007 by Green-eyed girl