Officials Report Sharp Increase In Illegal Immigrant Arrests
http://www.theiowachannel.com/news/4621409/detail.html
Most Recent Arrests Happened Along I-80
POSTED: 9:44 am CDT June 17, 2005
UPDATED: 10:22 am CDT June 17, 2005
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Illegal immigrants are being caught on Iowa highways at record levels.
Immigration officials say so far this fiscal year, more than 100 additional illegal immigrants have been arrested compared to last year.
From October to June, 329 illegal immigrants have been caught, up from 216 last year.
Most illegal immigrants are found in overloaded vehicles stopped by police. Tim Counts, of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said smugglers focus on money, not safety.
The most recent arrests in Iowa happened on Monday when 16 people in a van were caught in eastern Iowa on Interstate 80.
They were traveling from Phoenix to Chicago.
Previous Stories:
* May 9, 2005: Number Of Illegal Immigrants Passing Through Iowa Is Up
* May 6, 2005: Two Charged With Smuggling Illegal Immigrants
Copyright 2005 by TheIowaChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
