Illegal immigrants land in Juno Beach

By Dwayne Robinson

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Twenty illegal immigrants, including an 8-month-old infant and a pregnant woman, beached a 28-foot boat near Seminole Golf course in Juno Beach before taking off on foot shortly after 4 a.m. Monday, the U.S. Border Patrol said.

Some of the immigrants believed to have arrived on the vessel were found in Juno Beach, Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens. None resisted arrest, said Juno Beach police Assistant Chief David Gregg, whose agency was one of five assisting in the capture.

Two immigrants are Jamaican and the rest are Haitian, said Border Patrol spokesman Michael McClarnon. The group included 10 men, one male teenager, eight women and the infant, who was with his mother. The Border Patrol said all aboard the vessel, which likely came via the Bahamas, were captured.

Juno Beach officers, responding to a 4:30 a.m. call at 12800 U.S. Highway 1, first spotted the immigrants, catching three of them. Another officer later found a woman in the late stages of pregnancy who was brought to St. Mary's Medical Center after requesting medical treatment.

If "the baby would be born here, (the infant) might be considered a U.S. citizen," McClarnon said. He said he could not comment on whether the mother would be allowed to remain in the country.

The woman's health condition was unavailable late Monday.

After the initial spotting in Juno Beach, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deployed a helicopter, and as many as six immigrants were discovered in other cities, Gregg said.

After daybreak, five more believed to be passengers on the Wellcraft Cabin Cruiser, registered in Plantation, emerged from a wooded area north of the Seminole Golf course, he said. Border Patrol or police apprehended all 20 by 7 a.m.

McClarnon said the immigrants will be taken to a Department of Homeland Security facility for processing and hearings.

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