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Ranchers, Mexican agent disagree on immigrant numbers
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The Associated Press
October 1, 2005

LAS CHEPAS, Mexico -- A Mexican agent charged with helping migrants along the border says the number of immigrants trying to cross has declined since mid-August.

But two New Mexican ranchers across the border say the number of immigrants crossing onto their property has increased in recent weeks, The Albuquerque Tribune reported Friday.

Carlos Sanchez, a 12-year veteran of the Mexican federal government's Grupos Beta, said he thinks the number of migrants has been cut in half since Gov. Bill Richardson announced a state of emergency along the border Aug. 12. Three days later, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano followed suit.

But Joe Johnson, whose ranch sits along the Mexican-N.M. border, said he believes there's been as much as a 40 percent increase in the number of immigrants crossing onto his property.

Johnson said about 500 immigrants crossed his 102,000-acre ranch each day earlier this summer.

Despite increased Border Patrol vehicles in the area, immigrants "are still trampling over the top of us," Johnson said. "I just hope we keep getting more agents or military."

Johnson said he supports Richardson's emergency declaration, but said the area needs more help.

U.S. Border Patrol statistics show a slight drop in the number of arrests from July to September, but not the 50 percent decrease Sanchez described.

In July, agents apprehended 11,569 immigrants in the El Paso sector, which includes two west Texas counties and New Mexico. In August, 12,104 were apprehended. As of Tuesday, 9,212 were caught for this month with only three days remaining.

Another New Mexico rancher, Steve Allen, said he thinks the number of immigrants are increasing on his property because word got out about an expected influx of Border Patrol agents to the area.

"It's like they said, 'If we're going to cross, we better do it now,"' Allen said.

In the Deming and Lordsburg areas, 105 new agents started work this week, doubling the number of agents assigned to the Deming station.

In Las Chepas, a staging area for migrants before they cross into the United States, 31 abandoned buildings were bulldozed last week.

Ignacio Juarez, who owns a grocery store in Las Chepas, said he still helps would-be immigrants.

But he said he thinks Richardson's state of emergency has discouraged some from crossing the border.