Thread: Border Patrol launches crackdown in New Mexico

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Border Patrol launches crackdown in New Mexico


Last Update: 07/21/2006 5:21:37 PM
By: Associated Press


EL PASO, Texas (AP) - The U.S. Border Patrol is launching an offensive against illegal immigration in southern New Mexico to halt a program which allowed undocumented immigrants to voluntarily return to Mexico after being arrested.

Border Patrol spokesman Doug Mosier says Operation Lightning Strike starts Saturday morning at midnight.

The operation, which has no end date, will mean any undocumented immigrant from any country who is arrested will be taken to court for a formal deportation hearing.

Mosier says immigrants caught in Lightning Strike could face felony charges and prison time if they are arrested again after being deported.

It marks a change from a policy in other Border Patrol sectors that allows illegal Mexican immigrants with no criminal history to waive their right to a court hearing and voluntarily return to Mexico.

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/9559248/detail.html

Border Patrol Cracking Down On Migrants

POSTED: 7:06 pm MDT July 21, 2006


July 21, 2006 -- Janice Carpio, KFOX News at Nine

The Border Patrol announces a major policy change with Operation Lightning Strike. Beginning at midnight Friday, the agency will now pursue criminal charges against people who are caught crossing the border illegally for a second time. It means repeat offenders will face felony charges and prison time. It's the latest attempt to reduce the high numbers of illegal crossings along the border near Deming, but if it works, it could become a widespread operation.

Additional agents and the arrival of National Guard troops are already making significant marks on border security. But for the parts of Luna County, it's not enough. "We're averaging approximately a hundred apprehensions of illegal migrants in that zone currently and of course those numbers have dropped fairly dramatically just over the last 3 to 4 weeks," says Doug Mosier with U.S. Border Patrols El Paso Sector.

That's where the Border Patrol is launching Operation Lightning Strike. Instead of allowing migrants to voluntarily return to Mexico they will be completely processed and formally removed.

Which means if they're caught again, it's a felony and they will do time in prison. "Well in the past, you know we didn't have the capability to be able to detain and remove large numbers of illegal migrants and today we do."

The Border Patrol believes this new operation will reduce border crossings but there is one organization who thinks it's going to cause more problems. "This isn't going to solve immigration problems, it's further militarization of the border, it's going to drive people further back into the shadows cause more fear to the communities," says The Border network for Human Right Emily Carey. She believes the true immigration problems lie elsewhere, "we continually look at immigration as something that's criminal and really what's happening with immigration debate and reform is that it's and administration problem." She fears this Operation will destroy instead of help many families living here along the border, "the majority of people are families, they're folks looking to make a living, they're people who are economy depends on and to be treating them as criminals simply cause they lack documentation is just a really big concern."