Charges To Be Filed Against Anyone Caught Crossing U.S.-Mexico Border

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: AHN

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - There are less attempts by Mexicans to cross the U.S.-Mexico borders for fear of lawsuits. Under Operation Streamline, a lawsuit would be filed against anyone caught cross the border.

Previously, Mexicans caught used to be fingerprinted only and sent back to Mexico without criminal charges. Because of its success in guarding the nation's borders against illegal immigrants, the program will be expanded beyond Texas and Arixona to other parts of the US where it shares a boundary with Mexico.

Apprehensions in the U.S.-Mexico border declined by 20 percent in 2007 to 895,000 incidents only. The Homeland Security Department seeks to further bring the figure down by 15 percent this year. A minimum of misdemeanor charge is filed against those apprehended. If convicted, the erring Mexican would be deported and could put in peril future legal applications to enter the U.S.

Despite the mounting success of the program, criticisms has been aired, particularly its penalizing border crossers, but not U.S. employers who hire illegal immigrants. TJ Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, told the Washington Post, "This strategy pretty much has it backwards... It's going after desperate people who are crossing the border in search of a better way of life, instead of going after employers who are hiring people who have no right to work in this country."



Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7011137932

[Triana]

1. I agree with Bonner. The employers who hire them ought to be punished...

..it's an employer problem.

[liberal N proud]

2. Second that

[lonestarnot]

31. 3rd that

[michreject]

45. 4th, 5th and 6th that nt

[AlphaCentauri]

4. "It's going after desperate people who are crossing the border"

40% of the undocumented people enter with a visa, this tactic only prosecute Mexicans.

[mac2]

11. We in a "Sanctuary County" . We lots of Visa and non-Visa

immigrants from all over the world. They are Chinese (churches bring them in as "workers"), Indians, Polish, Irish, Russians, etc. Who knows their purpose or if they are criminals, sick, etc.

Sanctuary City politicans should be fined and jailed. The voters had no choice but they did it after the elections.

[mac2]

9. Employers should also be fined or jailed.

Both should be punished since they break our laws. A illegal can be self employed with fake documents, etc.

[cstanleytech]

13. A large part of it is, yes but also if I recall correctly

if someone is caught crossing into our country illegally they are usually just deported correct? If so thats a slap on the wrist really or atleast it is in my opinion, until we treat people who break our laws who enter the country illegally as criminals and the people who knowingly hire illegals as criminals it will continue to happen.

[Kali]

16. "slap on the wrist " - you spend a large sum of money

to get escorted on foot across 20 miles or more of rugged desert, risking injury, robbery, heat (or cold) exposure, and death only to get caught and hauled back so you have to do it all over again. Real slap on the wrist for a MISDEMEANOR charge. Yes that is all crossing sans documents is.

edit for spelling

[cstanleytech]

18. Hey its still breaking the "law", you dont like the law requiring people

to enter legally with the required paperwork then abolish it until then it needs to be enforced.

[Kali]

19. you think we need to enforce every rule on the books until somebody gets around to removing them?

way more important things on my priority list than the enforcement or lack thereof of Mexican workers not having a piece of paper. People are dying.

[cstanleytech]

24. So what? Sorry, I know it sounds callous of me but

people have been dying for a hell of a long time, we are not immortal.
If people want to gamble with their lives to enter here illegally then thats their mistake, I admit though that the ability to enter legally should be made easier for temporary workers but thats as far as I am willing to go seeing as its their own stupid fault at trying to come here without proper papers when they know its illegal.
Edit: Just to add, I am not though one of those people in favor of the border fence as its a stupid waste of money which wont solve the issue nor do I favor mine fields or shooting them as they enter like I have seen some people suggest on other forums.

[Kali]

26. well yes some of them are dying too, but I meant there are some wars on and

some major natural disasters that are of more concern to me than documents for Mexican workers.

[cstanleytech]

30. Well, like i said

if it does not bother you then work to change the laws to open our borders and allow anyone to come in without papers, until thats changed we should not encourage people to break the law because we disagree with it.
There are legal remedies after all like the courts and the legislature, might take you awhile though because there are alot of potential issues it can raise including risks to our national security but then again, you know what they say, nothing worth doing is easy.

[psychopomp]

35. As a DU'er who has been an expatriate for more than ten years

I know how important it is to have one's papers in order. Visa overstayers are punished somewhat harshly here; they are deported, but can spend months in confinement awaiting deportation in meager conditions.

I do not understand how illegal immigration can be seen as anything other than a violation of the laws of the United States. For twenty years I felt differently, but I believe that it is time to exercise control over the illegal immigration problem in the United States today.

I am not for building a wall but I believe that undocumented workers and the people that employ them should have an amnesty period and then those who continue to reside illegally should be deported and those that employ them should be prosecuted.

[primavera]

37. But the immigrants are just the pawns

South of the border, the Mexican government encourages illegal immigration to the US as a salve to their unemployment problems and a way of getting infusions of cash into their economy through remissions sent home by undocumented workers working in the US. North of the border, you've got US companies like Tysons who will not only hire undocumented workers, but will actually retain the services of coyotes to smuggle undocumented workers across the border illegally. Often, border crossers are met just this side of the border by vans from US companies, welcoming them to the US and offering them jobs and housing. So, on one side, the immigrant has their own country telling them to go; on the other side they're hearing our companies tell them to come, and the villian in this story is supposed to be the immigrant? I don't think so.

[Kali]

15. it's also a consumer/purchaser/user of services problem

Ready to pay "full" price for goods and services? Ready to convince your friends and neighbors to do the same?

[cstanleytech]

25. It's partly that yes but in my opinion its more of an

employer problem, they know they can make more money by paying people illegally under the table and or by paying them below what a legal worker here might want to do the job.
Until they really crack down on the employers I suspect the problem wont be resolved any time soon.

[primavera]

38. I wouldn't underestimate price pressures

If McDonalds is given the opportunity to buy the ground rat for their burgers at 40 cents a pound instead of 50 cents a pound, do you seriously think they're going to ask any questions about how that lower price is achieved? Hell no, they're going to take the bargain and run, just like all Americans do, it's the American way. Meat packing plants know this only too well, and know that, if they can't offer ground rat at 40 cents a pound, McDonalds is going to take their business elsewhere. SO how are they going to cut their price? Cutting labor costs is the easiest way of reducing price. So they send out a van to the border and pick themselves up some undocumented workers. The same holds true for an ever-growing percentage of our economy. Agricultural growers know that, if they can't offer tomatoes at $1.99 a pound, consumers will buy instead the cheaper imported tomatoes from Chile. Textile manufacturers know that, if they can't produce a pair of jeans for $10, American consumers will be only too happy to go down the street to MalWart, where they can buy jeans made by slave workers in Sri Lanka being paid 18 cents an hour.

Face it, the American consumer almost never stops to wonder how a good is being offered for a low price, they just call it a bargain and are happy. And how can it be otherwise? In our unregulated free market, 80% of the nation's wealth rests in the hands of the richest 10% of the population. Naturally, Americans are going to grab onto any bargain they can find, they can't afford not to.

[damntexdem]

23. No, punish the anti-immigrant knownothings.

Only punish employers who pay less than minimum wage, or otherwise superexploit undocumented workers.

Give medals to those who give them good jobs.

Just don't buy into anti-immigrant racism.

[Bo]

46. illegales in Ga. paid 245million in Taxes last year......btw

[Tippy]

3. What about the border guards....

This will mean fewer will be trying to cross...that will really cut into their profits....

[AlphaCentauri]

6. private prison will benefit from this

they will get many non violence prisoners

[mac2]

10. Prisons for profit are a very dangerous thing.

[cstanleytech]

14. Agreed.

Really not a fan of those at all, the government should run the prisons and put them to work.
Any such work program though needs to be monitored carefully so it takes into consideration the crime commited as well as the prisoners health and then assign them to whatever job needs to be done, personally I kinda favor putting them to work repairing alot of the roads and sewers in this country as they are breaking done and the state and local governments seem unable to keep up with them fully.

[VP505]

5. Bonner has that right,

no way in hell should they be going after the workers while ignoring the employers.

[Turbineguy]

7. Bonner's got it.

But with prices rising already because of fuel those screaming loudest about illegal immigration would get hit in the pocket book. Ironic in a way.

[winggirle]

8. Really, Really...

I don't see how going after the employer or the employee will change the situation...Mexicans this is their land and Americans don't want to do the jobs that these people or nationals are doing...why can't they cross over and work? i don't see the harm in them being in America because it's just as their land as it is ours...
it's not a idiotic statement it's the truth that many people don't want to admit. Many people are despising Mexicans because they are buying up the housing markets within California and dropping out of it...
Orange County is one of those rich area where European Americans are trying to limit Mexicans from buying the houses...if Americans can't afford the houses than who else will buy them...banks are losing money and Realtors are losing money...you don't want them in our country but it is their country...
I agree with the person who said..."our markets are going to suffer the most"

t-money

[mac2]

12. What land?

You want to go back to the Mexican War and the Spanish being in California? We won that "Mexican war". Spain was paid for the California land.

The native people owned that land before the French, Spanish, or the Mexicans. They joined the union of states. Read your history.

The Spanish or Mexican land owners (and residents of the area at the time) in the border states were given citizenship when their states joined the union. They were not driven out.

Does Chicago, New York City, or Iowa belong to Mexico also?

You know very well whether you are a citizen or immigrant.

We did very well in the past. Americans are the most productive in the world. I see lazy people in all races, cultures, and social groups.
That includes Mexicans. They aren't saints and our jails are full of them.

[AlphaCentauri]

29. the Mexican war and the war in Iraq have many things in common

:hide:

[BearSquirrel2]

22. Illegals suppress wages so no one wants to do those jobs ...

The presence of illegal aliens suppresses wages. As a result, no one wants to then do those jobs.

You want to see a dirty nasty job, collect trash. It would seem like an ideal illegal immigrant job as it requires no skills. However, trash collectors have a strong union and those jobs are typically difficult to get and pay quite well.

This is all an issue of wages. If agriculture paid their field hands more, there would be no need for illegal immigrants.

[Kali]

27. except ag (and construction and to some extent "service" work, like hotel/restaurant)

also requires the "customer" to pay more. Trash collection costs are more "hidden" in tas structure, usually. Don't blame the workers.

[BearSquirrel2]

33. Poor white/black folks used to do all of these

Poor white/black folks used to do these jobs. It doesn't seem to me that there are any shortage of such people now. The reason they shifted to illegals is the suppression of the wage structure. If you have to pay more to pay someone a decent wage ... well, than that is the cost.

Very often the price of the good and service is set by a threshold that people are willing to pay. In the case of agriculture, it's a commodity. So hiring cut rate labor rarely costs for the consumer. It increases the bottom line for the producer. You can see the case most plainly in China outsourcing where labor are slashed by giant margins which only accompany small price discounts. The bosses pocket the rest.

[pingzing58]

17. The answer to this problem is the H1B visa and its availability.

The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa in the United States under the Immigration & Nationality Act, section 101(a)(15)(H). It allows U.S. employers to employ foreign guest workers skilled in specialty occupations if a U.S. citizen or resident is not available. While there are no longer quotas for the various nationalities entering the U.S. the quota system still exists under the guise of this visa. If more were made available for people from Mexico then "the guest worker program" would satisfy the needs of both the employers and the laborers.


"The Act halted "undesirable" immigration by quotas. The Act barred specific origins from the Asia-Pacific Triangle, which included Japan, China, the Philippines, Laos, Siam (Thailand), Cambodia, Singapore (then a British colony), Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Burma (Myanmar), India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Turkey, and Malaysia.<4> Based on the Naturalization Act of 1790, these immigrants, being non-white, were not eligible for naturalization, and the Act forbade further immigration of any persons ineligible to be naturalized.

In the ten years following 1900, about 200,000 Italians immigrated annually. With the imposition of the 1924 quota, 4,000 per year were allowed. At the same time, the annual quota for Germany was over 57,000. 86% of the 165,000 permitted entries were from Northern European countries, with Germany, Britain, and Ireland with the highest quotas.

The Act set no limits on immigration from Latin America. The quotas remained in place with minor alterations until the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965."

Wikipedia "Immigration Act of 1924"

[cosmik debris]

20. What incredibly bad journalism!

"There are less attempts by Mexicans to cross the U.S.-Mexico borders for fear of lawsuits. Under Operation Streamline, a lawsuit would be filed against anyone caught cross the border."

First, that should be "fewer attempts" not "less attempts".

Second, this idiot is confusing lawsuits, which are civil actions, and criminal charges which are state actions.

The person who wrote this story should not be allowed to practice journalism in public.

[AlphaCentauri]

28. That does not change the fact that poor people are being jailed for a dream

[cstanleytech]

34. No, the only thing they are being arrested, jailed and then deported for

is breaking the law.
Now let me ask you, how much in taxes does the government lose every year because someone here illegally does not pay taxes and how much does the federal and state government end up spending on our school systems as well as our welfare and medical facities to cover those people?

[AlphaCentauri]

39. here are some numbers and facts

http://www.immigrationforum.org/documents/TheJourney/MythsandFacts.pdf

[cstanleytech]

41. I am asking about illegal immigrants, not legal immigrants or legal migrant workers.

[AlphaCentauri]

42. not enougth 50 billions a year in contributions, want more?

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/05immigration.html

[cstanleytech]

43. Now thats interesting to read, whats the current data saying though?

[AlphaCentauri]

47. Don't expect many changes in 2 years

[cstanleytech]

48. Hmm why not, we had a dramatic change in gas prices in that time

so whats to say we cant have a dramatic change in other areas.

[AlphaCentauri]

49. we haven't see any changes in the laws that prevent government from collecting taxes

you can sell gas but not taxes

[cstanleytech]

52. No, no new laws but allegedly the government was supposed

to be cracking down on people who are here illegally and the people who knowingly hire them so you would think that would have an impact of course this is the Bush administration you are talking about so then again their claims of anything are always suspect *grin*

[Vattel]

21. Justice first.

Territorial rights are utterly arbitrary. No one really has a moral right to any territory. And many Mexicans cross the border to fulfill their obligations to provide for their families. They are therefore not acting wrongly and so they do not deserve punishment. It is an injustice to punish those who do not deserve it. Democrats should be against injustice.

[lonestarnot]

32. And we are.

[HatoriHanzo88]

36. Looks like America has come a long way...

... from being the land of freedom, liberty and opportunity; to a land where people are prosecuted for going there in search for a better life.

lol, god bless America.

[AlphaCentauri]

40. Work is a crime now

[kestrel91316]

44. A lawsuit is CIVIL. Misdemeanor charges are CRIMINAL.

Lawsuits do NOT equal charges.

Either someone is very confused, or can't write, or whatever..........

[superconnected]

50. how does a new article mispell Arizona..?

some paper.

[treestar]

51. Because this is SUCH of BIG PROBLEM

Like the most important thing that ever happens. :sarcasm:

Iraq, gas prices, the economy. Nothing matter so long as those damn Mexicans not come here illegally!!!!! :sarcasm:

This is Hugh!!!! i'M SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111