 BORDER NEWS
A California man who was in the process of suing an immigration consultant who he blamed for bringing him to the attention of the INS, which placed him in deportation proceedings, has abided by an order of voluntary departure and returned to Mexico. His departure means that he will likely have to abandon his lawsuit. Juan Munoz was one of the few people to sue an immigration consultant, some of whom routinely commit fraud and cause their clients to be deported.
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Authorities have identified the body of a man found dead in the undercarriage of a Greyhound bus on its way from Toronto to Buffalo. According to investigators, Andrew Mazanembi, a native of Zimbabwe, had hidden himself in a compartment of the bus, and at a stop, fearing that he would be discovered, retreated farther into it. He retreated so far that he became entangled in engine parts, and was killed when the bus began to move again. INS officials are investigating whether he was assisted by smugglers. The INS had previously denied him entry, just a few days before his death.
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Spokespeople for the INS’ Asia Desk said recently that a growing number of Chinese nationals are seeking asylum in the US by claiming to be members of Falun Gong, a spiritual group that has been banned in China. During a news conference the dangers of making a false asylum claim, including being barred from entering the US for life, were outlined. Human rights groups have reported increasing persecution of Falun Gong practitioners since it was banned.
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The INS recently arrested two men for their role in transporting seven Russian women to perform at a strip club in Anchorage, Alaska. After hearing an ad promoting the performances as a cultural event, INS agents decided to check into the matter. They discovered that four of the seven women involved only had tourist visas that did not allow them to work. The women are being allowed to remain in the US, at least through the end of the criminal proceedings. There is some concern that the women may have been the victims of trafficking.
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After several weeks of bad weather, recent good weather has led to a sharp increase in the number of Cuban migrants attempting to enter the US. According to the US Coast Guard, this is typical for the winter, when during the few periods of good weather there is an influx in the number of migrants. Last weekend dozens of Cubans landed in the Florida Keys in a number of groups, with a total of 50 arriving in the first eight days of 2001.
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The driver of a van that crashed last month in Kansas has been indicted on six counts of transporting undocumented immigrants. One of the passengers was also indicted. The crash occurred on an interstate highway, and one of the 11 passengers was killed. If convicted, the two men face up to 30 years in prison, five years for each count.
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A group of 14 migrants was robbed as they entered the US in Arizona. According to the victims, shortly after their entry they were approached by three armed men who robbed them, forcing them to strip to ensure that no valuables were missed. The robbers then ordered them to continue into the US, telling them they would be killed if they returned to Mexico.
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