Immigrants being coached to use "key phrases"

Posted: 08/08/2013
Last Updated: 17 hours ago
Cristin Severance
10news.com

SAN DIEGO - Team 10 learned of a loophole allowing hundreds of immigrants into the country from Mexico.

Sources said immigrants are being taught to use "key words and phrases" to be allowed to enter and stay in the country.

Border agents said 199 people came through the Otay crossing Monday claiming a "credible fear" of the drug cartels in Mexico.

"They are being told if they come across, when they come up to the border and they say certain words, they will be allowed into the country," said a border agent who wanted to remain anonymous.

Sources said there were so many people doing this on Monday that they had to close down the Otay processing center and the overflow was shipped by vans to the San Ysidro station.

"We are being overwhelmed," said the agent.

Former U.S. Attorney and immigration expert Pete Nunez said this appears to be a new way people are getting to stay in the country.

"This appears to be a well-orchestrated attempt by whoever that makes our system even more ridiculous than it has been in the past," said Nunez.

Team 10 sources said the immigrants tell the port enforcement team or PET that the cartels are ripping their state apart.

They tell the officers that they come from the interior of Mexico, including the states of Sinaloa and Michochan.

With this "credible fear" hanging over their heads, the immigrants get special treatment.

Families as large as 30 people have been arriving at the border and making the claim.

"There are no detention facilities for families so the family would have to be split up. We don't want to split families up, so we end up releasing people out into the community on bond, on bail," said Nunez.

Agents told Team 10 the immigrants get a court date and are supposed to return to prove that their "credible fear" claim is legitimate. The problem, according to two sources, is that they never come back and end up disappearing into the United States.

"It's a huge loophole. If the government doesn't figure out some way to combat it, they are going to be deluged," said Nunez.

Sources told Team 10 there is also a video for sale in Mexico for $300 that teaches immigrants exactly what to say and how to act in order to be let into the United States.

Sources said there are also one-on-one instructional sessions teaching people how to beat the system -- for a price.

"There has to be a policy change, something implemented, an emergency implication that will stop this, or otherwise we will have thousands coming in, into the United States," said the agent.

Nunez said one way to stop this is to not allow immigrants in the country while they wait for the court date to prove their "credible fear" claim.

Team 10 sources said that top management officials are aware of the problem.

Team 10 is still waiting on a statement from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.

http://www.10news.com/news/sources-l...untry-08072013