 BORDER NEWS
Last week one hundred Border Patrol agents usually stationed on the southwest border were sent to the Canadian border for 30 days. Authorities said it is possible that the agents could remain on the new assignment indefinitely. They will be stationed primarily at ports of entry, in contrast to the patrols they perform in the Southwest.
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With substantial delays to enter the US, health concerns are becoming a problem at the southern border. With delays of four hours at some ports of entry, many people stuck waiting in traffic jams are suffering from heat exhaustion and nausea. Responding to the problem, both Ciudad Juarez and El Paso are stationing ambulances at the ports. Recently, two children died of carbon monoxide poisoning, and a number of elderly people have collapsed.
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Two died and 19 were injured in a wreck when a truck carrying undocumented immigrants tried to escape Border Patrol agents. Three of those injured were small girls, one of whom was in serious condition. The two who died have not been identified. According to the agent involved in the chase, when he turned on his siren, the truck sped away, reaching speeds of 70 miles per hour. The driver swerved to avoid a spike strip and lost control, causing the truck to roll several times. All the passengers were ejected, some thrown as far as 300 feet.
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Upset by the Bush Administration’s decision to not use any of the billion in emergency funding for border security, particularly in light of the recent passage of a law tripling the number of Border Patrol and Customs agents on the border, Senators from states that border Canada called upon President Bush to immediately provide funding for security on the northern border. Of particular concern are continuing delays to enter the US from Canada, delays that are beginning to effect trade.
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Some believe that a major cause of the delays to enter the US, at least at the southwestern border, is the failure of the INS to issue new biometric border crossing cards to Mexican citizens. Old versions of the cards, which allow a person to enter the US to areas within 25 miles of the border and remain for 72 hours, expired on September 30. In addition to not issuing the cards to millions of people, many ports of entry remain without the equipment needed to read the new cards. Some worry, however, that even if all ports were fully equipped, it would not make any difference these days. Heightened security at the border has meant not only verification of a person’s identity, but also vehicle searches, a time consuming process.
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This week INS agents at the Otay Mesa port of entry near San Diego apprehended two groups of Sri Lankans attempting to enter the US with fraudulent documents. The 21 people told officials they had paid between ,000 and ,000 to be smuggled from their island home to the US, first traveling to Jordan, then crossing the Atlantic Ocean by boat. They were then taken to Tijuana and told to cross into the US.
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