Thread: Where is ICE keeping them from Re-Entering America?

OK....according to this article, massive numbers of Mexicans living in America along the border (can we say ILLEGALS?) streamed across the border into Mexico today to vote...where is our border patrol to make sure it was a ONE WAY TRIP?

US-resident Mexicans pour over border to vote
http://www.topix.net/content/reuters/08 ... 1925452476
Reuters
July 02, 2006


Anywhere you go on the border... there's violence, insecurity and robberies, and it's a big challenge for whoever gets to run the country By Magdiel Hernandez

NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico (Reuters) - Thousands of U.S.-based Mexicans swamped polling stations south of the border on Sunday in a rush to vote in a tight presidential election with high stakes for crime-weary border residents.

A large stream of Mexicans trekked on foot and piled into cars to cross the border and vote in towns from Tijuana in the west to Nuevo Laredo below Texas.

Several polling stations were overwhelmed by the number of expatriates who showed up to vote, and hundreds were turned away after ballots assigned to voters from outside each district were exhausted within hours.

"It's a very close-fought race ... and if we don't vote, we can't hope to decide the outcome," said Luis Tovar, 28, a shipping agent who drove from San Antonio, Texas, to vote in Nuevo Laredo.

Many waited for hours in the sweltering heat to cast their votes in a fight between leftist front runner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and conservative rival Felipe Calderon.

Television and newspaper exit polls said the result was too close to call, after a bruising campaign fought over job creation, the economy and corruption.

The Federal Electoral Institute, or IFE, was to announce official results at around 11 p.m.

Only 40,000 of an estimated 6 million to 7 million Mexicans of voting age in the United States registered to vote by mail mostly because the paperwork was difficult.

IFE officials in Tijuana, south of San Diego, said 15,000 ballots set aside for voters from outside the area were used up within hours, as Mexicans living in southern California came south of the border to vote.

"I'm prepared to wait in line for 10 hours if I have to," said Enedina Trujillo, 32, a Wal-Mart cashier from San Diego as she prepared to vote for the leftist.

"(We need) to get these bandits out of power," she said, referring to Calderon's ruling National Action Party.

While the candidates have campaigned on economic growth and corruption, expatriates said they were more concerned about rampant drug crime on the border and migrant welfare.

"Anywhere you go on the border... there's violence, insecurity and robberies, and it's a big challenge for whoever gets to run the country," said well-known singer Alicia Villarreal, from Odessa, Texas as she waited to vote in Nuevo Laredo.

Hundreds of people have been shot, stabbed and beaten to death on the Mexican side of the 2,000-mile (3,200-km) border since January in a turf war between cartels battling for control of the drug trade to the United States.

Handyman Maurileo Salcido, 40, crossed to Tijuana from San Diego to vote in an election in which emigration to the United States has been a campaign issue.

"I'm going to vote for Lopez Obrador. Let's see if he can deliver the job opportunities (at home) so that Mexicans don't have to leave the country," he said.

(Additional reporting by Lizbeth Diaz in Tijuana)

Copyright © 2006 Reuters, All Rights Reserved.

That is a very good question! Why wasn't the bus trip only one way? Let me tell you why, because our federal government is eaten up with hypocricy, that's why! I'm sure the border patrol was instructed, by higher authority, not to interfere with the illegals voting right. This is unacceptable and shows you why Bush's secure border agenda won't work. We need to militarize the border now! It is becoming abundately clear, Bush does not have the will, nor the desire to secure our borders.

You are so right....by some estimates, over 300.000 people crossed over into Mexico to be there for the elections....now, if we use 15 million as the number of illegals here, that means almost three PERCENT OF THEM LEFT of their own accord to go back home....yet we did NOTHING to keep them there! Absolutely PATHETIC.