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Border Agent Crackdown

October 25, 2007

U.S. border agents plan to expand to a second portion of the Texas border a program to criminally prosecute and incarcerate all illegal immigrants as authorities look to expand the program borderwide. “This is the chief’s view of the future. We’re talking national,” said Ramon Rivera, Border Patrol spokesman. “It sends a strong message the we’re not letting illegal border crossers have a free ride.”

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In late 2005, U.S. Customs and Border Protection began sending nearly all illegal immigrants caught in its Del Rio sector, a 210-mile stretch covering the middle of Texas’ southern border, for federal prosecution. Charged with illegal entry, they can be sentenced for 2 weeks to 6 months in jail.

The program expanded late last year to western Arizona and will start in Laredo on Wednesday, Rivera said.

Future expansion will be based on where border officials believe immigrant traffic is moving in response to new crackdowns, he said, but the agent who oversees most of the Arizona border indicated to a congressional subcommittee this week that he hopes to add the program to the remainder of that state’s border.

Before the so-called “zero tolerance zones,” illegal immigrants from Mexico without criminal histories or too many previous crossing attempts were processed and quickly returned to Mexico voluntarily. Those from other countries could be held to face deportation but were often simply told to show up for a court date, which they rarely made.

Written by Ernie · Filed Under Immigration 

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