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Friday, June 30, 2006
Last modified Thursday, June 29, 2006 4:04 PM PDT

Repatriation plan is up in air as U.S. and Mexico continue talks

By Julia Bishop

Details about a program that will deliver illegal immigrants to the cities from which they originate rather then simply releasing them across the border are still unclear, although a Border Patrol spokesperson said that program is tentatively set to begin in Nogales on July 7.

Twice before

Lu Majeda, Border Patrol public information officer, said the Interior Repatriation Program had been implemented twice in the Tucson Sector, on a limited time basis, and that it was operated by the U.S. Border Patrol.

However, this year the program is being implemented by Border Patrol, but "executed" by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). When contacted by the Nogales International on Wednesday and asked about details of the program, Washington, D.C., ICE spokesperson Dean Boyd had little to say.

"This program is under negotiation with the Mexican government and those negotiations continue," said Boyd. When asked how those negotiations were progressing, Boyd responded, "I don't have a crystal ball, I find it not wise to predict the future."

Previously, the use of this program had been presented to undocumented immigrants on a voluntary basis. Boyd described the program as involving "the removal of Mexican aliens to the interior of Mexico via aircraft." When he was asked if the program would be presented as a voluntary option to the undocumented, he responded "they are removed."

The Mexican Consulate in Nogales declined to comment because of ongoing negotiations with U.S. government officials, but a representative said a statement was expected to be available within the next few days.

Homeland security

A press release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security dated June 8, 2005, describes the program and last year's effort to implement it, but does not answer if the prior efforts have been successful, how much has been spent in transporting illegal crossers, what the program's budget is for this year, how long the program will operate or any other details of the program's current implementation.

The press release describes the IRP as a collaborative effort with the government of Mexico to save migrant lives and stop the dangerous cycle of alien smuggling and human trafficking. It says that under the IRP, illegal aliens will return to Mexico City on a voluntary basis.

It also says illegal aliens from Mexico may volunteer for the program, returning home via charter aircraft from Tucson to Mexico City. Upon arrival in Mexico, bus transportation will be provided to a location near their final destination.

It says that in keeping with the mutually agreed-upon principles, the program is designed to remove up to 300 aliens per day and is only made available to Mexican nationals. Illegal aliens with felony convictions will not be eligible for the program.

Candidates will not be separated from their family members. If the entire family does not wish to participate then no one in the family will be eligible. Unaccompanied minors will not be allowed to participate in the program.

Whether or not these stipulations for the program will continue in 2006 is unclear.