Thread: Operation Scheduled Departure Fails to Entice Illegal Immigr

Operation Scheduled Departure Fails to Entice Illegal Immigrants
Latest Department of Homeland Security Program a Dismal Failure

By saul relative, published Aug 14, 2008

Lou Dobbs reported on CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight" that the new federal program promoting voluntary deportation is in its 9th day and has produced an unprecedented number of six volunteers.

That is correct: Six.

Dobbs, who regularly reports on the illegal immigrant issue, could barely contain himself, reporting the total number of volunteers with mock seriousness.

For those unfamiliar with the voluntary deportation program, or "Operation Scheduled Departure," the United States government targeted ethnic media outlets to appeal to the nearly 500,000 illegal immigrants who have been court ordered to leave the country. The program is designed to help illegal immigrants gain quicker egress from the country without encountering further legal problems. The program began on August 4 and is scheduled to run until August 22.

According to the Associated Press, to be eligible for voluntary deportation, the prospective volunteer must have been ordered out of the country by a judge but have no criminal history. The eligible individual will then have 90 days (and perhaps longer) to get their affairs in order before being deported. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is supervising the program and will provide airfare to eligible volunteers from countries than Mexico. Mexican nationals may get a free bus ticket to the border.

The ad tells the prospective volunteer that: ''It is a way for you to plan your return home.''

One illegal immigrant, Angel Martinez, told the Associated Press, ''You would have to be crazy -- who would want to turn themselves in?'' Martinez has spent 15 years in the United States as an illegal alien. ''We risked everything to get here for a reason.''

According to Department of Homeland Security statistics, over 272,000 illegal immigrants were compulsorily removed (confirmed) from the United States in 2006. The numbers have risen steadily since 1993, when there were less than 43,000.
http://tinyurl.com/6mzo2e

I'm kind of glad that so few took up the offer. Now we need to really step up enforcement and when they whine and cry about being separated from their gravy trains .. I mean anchor babies, we can say "well, you could have gone willingly, with our blessings -- now face the consequences of your decisions yet again."

Time to line up the buses and do a large sweep

One illegal immigrant, Angel Martinez, told the Associated Press, ''You would have to be crazy -- who would want to turn themselves in?'' Martinez has spent 15 years in the United States as an illegal alien. ''We risked everything to get here for a reason.''

Not to worry Angel, we tried it. Enforcement will continue.

Of course, no one will self-deport after the presidential candidates have swamped the media with speeches about comprehensive immigration reform (read amnesty) as the only "humane" solution to solving this problem.

The Feds (ICE) should use this as a heavy handed raid initiative. "Well, we gave the illegal alien absconders a chance to avoid arrest and incarceration. Now, thats exactly whats going to happen to them IN ADDITION to deportation.