Thread: Immigrants face checks on way back to Mexico

Published: Aug. 12, 2011 Updated: 9:08 a.m.

Immigrants face checks on way back to Mexico

Groups on both side of the illegal immigration issue are critical of the increased checks.

BY CINDY CARCAMO / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Mexicans often face scrutiny while attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. However, it's usually while entering the United States – not leaving it.

A New York Times story reports that U.S. immigration agents are increasingly performing checks on immigrants before they depart.

Efforts by the Obama administration to cut the flow of weapons and drug money heading from the U.S. to Mexico have made leaving the country – not entering it – more complicated than before, the newspaper reports.

While immigration officials question people leaving the country about illegal contraband, agents frequently find migrants who are not smuggling contraband but do not have permission to be in the U.S, the Times reports.

Some with no criminal backgrounds are let go while other immigrants aren't allowed to go on their way until after they're fingerprinted and photographed for illegal entry, according to the newspaper report. The data is then put into a government database and the people could face strict penalties if they're found to be in the country again.

Activists on both sides of the illegal immigration debate are opposing the checks. Groups that sympathize with those in the country illegally say it's foolish to spend resources on checking people who are leaving anyway. Anti-illegal immigration advocates say outbound checks could dissuade illegal immigrants from leaving the country.

William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, last year called for the Obama administration to relax its southbound immigration checks, according to the report.

"This is about the only situation we would ever advocate that our immigration laws be waived," Gheen said in a statement, according to the story. "We want to encourage the illegals to leave America on their own, and thus we ask Obama to provide them safe passage out of America."

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http://www.ocregister.com/news/immigrat ... untry.html

A New York Times story reports that U.S. immigration agents are increasingly performing checks on immigrants before they depart.

This one: http://www.alipac.us/article-6475--0-0.html