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BORDER NEWS
Apprehensions of illegal immigrants at two Southern California interior border crossing points have dwindled so much in the last few years that Congressman Ron Packard (R-Oceanside), whose district includes both checkpoints, has called for considering closing the checkpoints all together. 
Apprehensions at the checkpoint in San Diego County, south of San Clemente, have dropped 80% in the last six years. The drop in Temecula has been 84%. 
Many blame the drops on a tremendous increase in vehicle traffic at the border. Backups can last as long as 45 minutes. To cut down on the traffic congestion, the Border Patrol often stops inspections on weekends and holidays as well as in bad whether. 
Packard believes the money spent operating the checkpoints would better be spent along the actual US-Mexico border.  INS officials, however, insist that the checkpoints remain an important part of the agency’s enforcement strategy. 
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The INS is cracking down on alien smuggling at Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport. The Las Vegas office of the Immigration and Naturalization Service as recently doubled its enforcement staff to 18 officers so that 24-hour surveillance can take place at the airport. 80 other enforcement agents have been hired in the INS district and many of those will be posted to Phoenix, Arizona’s Sky Harbor International Airport. While Las Vegas has not had major problems with alien smuggling at its airport, officials are worried that the tightening of enforcement at the more problem-prone Phoenix airport will divert smugglers to McCarran. The INS is focusing nationally on trying to curb alien smuggling. The agency cites numerous instances of violent crimes by smugglers against the aliens they are moving as the main reason for the crackdown. Critics of “Operation Denial” have questioned whether it will result in the same kind of racial profiling that has been the subject of criticism for many police forces around the country. Critics also question whether it will be effective or if smugglers will simply find ways around it. 
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More than 50 police officers and federal agents raided a bar in Des Moines, Iowa and several dozen alleged illegal aliens were detained. The raid, supervised by the Immigration and Naturalization Service office in Des Moines, resulted in the arrest of at least 15 people, though it is not clear how many were taken in for immigration violations. Police reports did indicate that an employee of the bar was cited for allowing five minors in the establishment. 
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A US Border Patrol agent shot a suspected illegal border crosser in the Tijuana River Valley who was throwing rocks at the agent. The wounded man was airlifted to a hospital in San Diego. According to reports, the agents came upon a group illegally crossing in to the US. When the agents took one of the men into custody, the others in the group began pelting the agents with rocks. One of the officers fired a single round and hit a man in the group. 
 
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