Tancredo Says Denver is a Sanctuary City
Below is a transcript from the November 23rd Lou Dobbs show:
Another investigation captured stunning pictures of illegal alien smugglers at work in this country. A Denver television station recorded the coyotes transporting van loads of illegal aliens in broad daylight and in clear view of police. Brian Maass of KCNC has the report.
BRIAN MAASS, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER (voice-over): They cross the U.S./Mexico border any way they can. If they aren't caught by U.S. authority, illegal immigrants disappear onto the streets of America.
But thanks to this man, we have a much better idea where in the U.S. illegals end up and how they get there. Pepe calls himself a coyote, a human smuggler. Over the course of four months a CBS 4 undercover investigation penetrated Pepe's smuggling operation as it openly moved through Denver, what he indicated were illegal immigrants. His business is robust on a regular basis we watched as Pepe stopped with van loads of people at this restaurant at Federal and I- 70. After lunch at a stopover of several hours, they would continue east on I-70.
An undercover CBS 4 producer made contact with Pepe telling him she had a brother she wanted to smuggle into the U.S.
No problem, said Pepe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE(through translator): Don't worry, he's in good hands, do you understand me?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So I don't give you the money first?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, you'll give it to me when he's in California. There you send me the cash. Until he's in California, I'll say I have your brother here, then is when you pay me the cash.
MAASS: His talk was backed up with action, we repeatedly watched as he watched vans packed with women and men and children move through Denver. Through multiple conversations, he detailed how it works, how he and his ring transport illegals in Denver and across the U.S. day after day.
He tells our operative her brother needs to get to a staging area in Tijuana, Mexico, just south of the border. From there, Pepe says, our operatives brother with be picked up. It will cost $1800 to make what Pepe refers to as the jump, the illegal trip from Mexico to Los Angeles.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Should he bring clothes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): He can bring a little suitcase. That stays at the jump. When people come carrying nothing, the immigration messes with them.
MAASS: Then, says Pepe, another $400 to transfer her brother from Los Angeles to Denver. But he says the illegals he transports can be taken on to New York or Florida, all for a price.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And here, where will you leave him for me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I bring him here, here is where you pay me for the ride.
MAASS: Pepe was unconcerned about law enforcement. On one occasion, a Denver police officer stops by, checks out Pepe's van and talks to him and leaves.
JEFF COPP, IMMIGRATION & CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT: I would think they are moving quite a few people through here. MAASS: Immigration officials say what Pepe is doing is part of a huge business.
COPP: I would say people are in this for the money, and they care nothing about the cargo they're carrying. A group of Republican state legislators examined our tapes and say this has to stop for many reasons.
DAVE SCHULTHEIS, (R) COLORADO STATE HOUSE: I don't like the fact that Denver is one of the key part this was country where they're moved to and distributed from. I don't like that.
JIM WELKER (R), COLORADO STATE HOUSE: How many of these could be terrorists to? We have a war on terror going on.
MAASS: Pepe may not be alone on his route or methods. On many days we watched as virtually identical white vans with out of state plates and blacked out windows stopped at restaurant. Latino passengers stop for lunch and reboard for the trip east.
Immigration authorities have long suspected Denver was a key location for the smuggling of illegals. A 1997 government report suggested 20 percent of illegals arrested on Colorado highways were headed for Denver. The other 80 percent headed to cities farther east.
What we found Pepe doing out in the open day after day, maybe the clearest indication that the business of trafficking illegals to and through Denver is booming.
ROMANS: Joining me now is the reporter behind this four month long undercover investigation. Brian Maass of KCNC joins us from Denver. Thank you for joining us, very nice work on a very comprehensive piece here.
What really is shocking to me is it looks as though this is happening under the nose of law enforcement.
MAASS: It was happening regularly. It seemed to be pretty well known. The story began with a tip from law enforcement to me. Somebody said this is going on every day and nobody is doing anything about it; maybe if you shed some light on it, something will happen.
Obviously you saw on the story, a Denver police officer stopping and talking to the coyote and they seemed to be familiar with one another, and a Denver police officer gets in the car and leaves, and that got a lot of people's attention.
ROMANS: Brian, this looks organized, clever, almost easy and routine. How routine is it? And how much of a hub is Denver in the transporting and trafficking of illegal aliens?
MAASS: Denver has always been known as major transit point for the smuggling of undocumented immigrants into the U.S. It is happening in the open, it's happening regularly. Sometimes in that particular restaurant parking lot there would virtually be a traffic jam of all of these very similar vans with very similar cargo. Some days there would be four or five in the restaurant parking lot, and it was going on very regularly and several days a week, sometimes.
ROMANS: It's clever, the vans, you say, are rented, so if -- for whatever reason, it doesn't look there is much risk they get stopped -- if they get stopped they lose the van, they don't lose an investment there.
You point out somebody gets three tries if they want to come in to this country. Which is why when people get deported or get caught, they don't ever squeal on their smuggler.
MAASS: The people from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement told us that after they looked at this tape. We asked why it was so hard to make case against the coyotes. And they said part of the problem is the people who are being smuggled in the vans are really reluctant to say anything or rat out drivers.
If they're caught, arrested and deported back to Mexico. ICE, the immigration people, say that typically they get several more tries at coming back across the border. In other words, the transporters say, if you get caught, if we get arrested, don't worry about it, we'll give you a couple more tries for your 1800 or $2,000.
So because of that it's very hard to get cargo, the passengers, to roll over on the coyotes.
ROMANS: Brian Maass, KCNC DENVER, an excellent report. Thank you for bringing that report to us.
Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado is calling for a complete investigation into the KCNC report and he calls the Denver police department's response to the report shameful.
Congressman Tancredo is Chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus, he has also been leading the fight on Capitol Hill to beef up border security and stop the flow of illegal aliens into this country. Welcome to the program.
REP. TOM TANCREDO, (R) COLORADO: Thank you, pleasure to be here.
ROMANS: We heard from the Denver mayor's office as well that they do routinely turn over leads on trafficking to Immigration Custom's Enforcement. They point out there are resource problems and they can't go after everybody. What kind of country is this?
What kind of state is Denver that you have people routinely being smuggled into this country and fed into the rest of the country with virtually no risk of being caught?
TANCREDO: Let me tell but what happened. At very site that was identified in the Brian Maass report. At that restaurant, a policeman had been watching it for a long time. It was sort of on his beat. We heard about this probably three months ago. I wrote, at the same time, I wrote both I.C.E. and Denver about this. This policeman observed this going on -- these vans pulling up, people going in, getting the lunches, coming back out, taking off.
He reported this to I.C.E. He got so frustrated with it. He reported it himself to I.C.E. Okay? Guess what happened to him? He got reprimanded by his superiors in the Denver Police Department. So don't let Denver give you this bunk about them working with I.C.E., cooperating with I.C.E. That is just what I said it is: bunk.
Denver has a sanctuary city policy. It keeps saying it doesn't, but the words in the regulations are clear. The mayor supports it. If the mayor really did not want to support this kind of activity, he would do an executive order, repealing that sanctuary policy.
ROMANS: Let me explain quickly, Congressman, what sanctuary policy means. It goes on all kinds of cities around the country. And that is where, if a police officer apprehends somebody for anything, domestic abuse, drunk driving, robbery, breaking and entering, if the police officer thinks that person is in this country illegally, they do not ask them the question and they don't report it to anybody.
That's what sanctuary laws are and you're right, Denver says that they don't. They don't have sanctuary laws, but we've seen time and time...
TANCREDO: ... I guarantee you they do.
ROMANS: Well let's talk a little bit about the trafficking overall. This is clearly the feeding point or a big feeding point for illegal aliens, illegal workers into this country. Women and children also in these vans, I can't expect that many of these coyotes are looking for the best interests of the people, clearly out to make a buck. How concerned are you about this?
TANCREDO: Well, you should see what happens down along the border especially. Many times these people are mistreated. Many times the women are raped. Many times the group itself is robbed by the coyotes and then shoved into the desert. So in fact, we've got a lot of problems that are endemic to this whole situation.
ROMANS: Congressman, let me ask you, the president is slated to speak again, maybe Monday, I think on border security. We've heard some tougher talk from the White House and from the administration. How much of this is a real dedication, do you think, from the leaders in your party to border security, how much is photo-ops and just talk?
TANCREDO: A lot of it is sizzle. There's not much steak that I can see. I want to see some real, honest to god, movement. I just don't want to see words, I want to see movement.
