http://www.americanchronicle.com/articl ... cleID=3231

CALIF GOP DELEGATION WANTS MEETING WITH ATTY GENERAL TO DISCUSS CRIMINAL ALIEN PROSECUTION POLICIES

By California Political Desk
October 26, 2005
Washington, DC - The nineteen members of the California Republican Congressional delegation have requested a meeting with U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to discuss, "our frustration with the current policies within the Administration related to the prosecution of criminal aliens."


The letter of request follows the apprehension two weeks ago by the U.S. Border Patrol of illegal alien Alfredo Gonzales Garcia, who has been twice convicted of drug offenses in Orange County and served 3 ½ years in prison, near the border with Mexico.


Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), upon learning that the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California had declined to prosecute Garcia and that he would have to be deported and released in Mexico, immediately wrote U.S. Attorney Carol Lam to express outrage at the decision not to prosecute Garcia. "Your office has established an appalling record of refusal to prosecute even the worst criminal alien offenders," wrote Issa. "Your handling of Mr. Garcia is hardly different than the treatment of Antonio Amparo-Lopez, another criminal illegal alien who your office failed to prosecute. Every time one of these criminals is released, our communities become more dangerous."


In January 2004, blatant problems with the prosecution and penalties for 'coyotes' and other aliens with serious criminal records were brought to the attention of Congressman Issa. In November 2003, a coyote named Antonio Amparo-Lopez was apprehended in the act of alien smuggling and later released by border patrol agents after the Department of Justice decided not to prosecute the case. Amparo-Lopez, whose age ranges from 24 to 30, depending on which of 21 aliases he uses, has been arrested more than 20 times and deported.


Late last year, the U.S. Attorney's office in San Diego announced that they would scale back prosecutions of alien smugglers. "Our resources are limited and we have numerous and competing enforcement priorities to consider and meet," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Peak.


The U.S. Attorney's office had stated prior to this policy that it had neither the manpower nor funding to prosecute any but the most egregious cases of smuggling.


"The Administration is talking about new measures to strengthen border security but they're not even making the most basic efforts to prosecute known criminals who are trying to enter our country," said Rep. Issa. "They say they don't have the resources for these prosecutions but they never ask Congress for help or even tell us what they would need to pursue these cases. It's a very frustrating situation and I'm hoping that Attorney General Gonzales can tell us what resources he needs prosecute these criminal aliens."