Thread: TX:Illegal Immigrants Putting You at Risk

Illegal Immigrants Putting You at Risk

Posted: Dec 3, 2008 07:16 PM

Updated: Dec 3, 2008 09:09 PM
Video Gallery

Illegal Immigrants Putting You at Risk
2:45
Agent Robert Green, Amarillo Border Patrol
Agent Robert Green, Amarillo Border Patrol

Your safety is being threatened in ways you may not have thought of by illegal immigrants crossing the country on Interstate 40.

In the 2008 fiscal year... More than 700 thousand illegal immigrants were picked up..

And five thousand of those came from the sector Amarillo is in.

Which makes you wonder how many got past authorities... And are putting you at danger.

Agents in our area work daily to stop terrorism and those looking to bring weapons of war over the border.

Agent Robert Green, with the Amarillo Border Patrol office says, "Our major concern, at this point, is primarily to identify these people so we know who they are, we know who is coming into the country, and if somebody attempts to come into the country who wants to do harm to us, we can try to prevent that."

Your safety isn't the only thing being possibly threatened.. Transportation is dangerous and many people die in the process.

"We also have safety considerations, the vehicle these people are being transported in by the smugglers are usually not the best vehicles, smugglers also have a tendency or propensity to overload these vehicles, so they are being transported in a very unsafe manner." Green says.

These vehicles are not always driven by the most experienced either... And agent green says he has seen them crash and cause fatalities.

The risk of losing control only increases in the winter with slick roads... And your family could be innocent victims.

One other thing... The countries these illegals come from are not up to date with the latest vaccines or medical services..

And they could bring diseases like tuberculosis, polio, or other serious illnesses back into the country.

While they are picking up dozens at times..

Local border patrol agents don't have the resources of those farther down south.

Something that may allow them to catch more people.

"We could definitely use more resources here of course it's up to our management level officers to decide how they want to disperse agents." Green says.

How did we get here? Why is there such a large illegal immigration problem, and what is being done to fix it.

A U.S. Congressman will answer those questions tomorrow for us... And you will have a chance to hear from illegals themselves.
http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp?S=9455409

Edited by Dixie so search could find the second article.

Congressman and Illegals Discuss Problems with Immigration Process

Posted: Dec 4, 2008 04:14 PM

Updated: Dec 4, 2008 05:07 PM
Video Gallery
<1>
Congressman and Illegals Discuss Problems with Immigration Process
1:13

Illegal immigrants simply looking for the American dream claim the process to come to the United States legally is so cumbersome their only recourse is to sneak across the border.

Following 9-11 America's melting pot has had a pretty tight lid for some..

And illegals NewsChannel 10 spoke with say it is the difficult process that caused them to take a chance.

One illegal told us, "I traveled so I could help my family, it wasn't very easy for me to go through the embassy in Guatemala. So it cost me a little bit less to travel this way."

There are limitations on how many people can come from a country... And in some cases it causes those looking for the American dream to wait years..

Something a U.S. Congressman from our area says needs to be revisited by legislators.

Congressman Mac Thornberry says, "I think it makes perfect sense to continually look at the number of people and the different categories we have for people to come here legally, but we also need to make sure that anyone who comes here legally, there is a faster efficient process to go through so they don't have this endless, years some times of waiting."

The process is also expensive.. But getting across the border on your own isn't cheap either.

Another illegal says, "I paid 2,000 quetzales to get form Guatemala to Phoenix. And in Phoenix I paid 39,000 quetzales or 6 thousand dollars."

Wednesday we showed you how illegals threaten your safety through crime, traffic accidents, and disease.

Thornberry says that has to stop as part of immigration reform.

"Our country must be able to control who and what comes across it's borders. Part of the answer or the solution to immigration is to control our borders, part of the answer is to improve the processes that people go through to come here legally, and I think you have got to do those two things before you reach even some of the harder decisions about what do you do with the folks who are already here illegally."

Both of the women we spoke with were trying to get into the country for the first time.

They were headed to New York and New Jersey.

The country has made major improvements on the border, and border patrol agents say the organization as a whole is picking up more repeat offenders... Proving most of these people don't give up after one try.
http://www.newschannel10.com/global/story.asp?s=9461470