BORDER NEWS

For years now, immigration officials and environmentalists have been arguing over the impact a proposed border fence in San Diego County will have.  A new INS review says the fence will create only minor environmental damage, and would not impact any of the endangered bird species that live in the area.  Environmentalists oppose the fence, which would cut through a state park.  According to the INS review, the fence would actually help the environment by cutting down on the number of unauthorized border crossers in the area.  Area officials are also concerned that the fence, which is planned to cut through a picnic area, could hurt tourism in the park.

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In recent months there have been a number of calls by border state officials to have National Guard troops stationed at ports of entry to help ease congestion, and a few weeks ago it was announced that some troops would be provided.  Now, however, the Pentagon is saying that because border issues are a matter of federal concern, and there are questions about under whose authority the Guard troops would be acting, the placement of the troops is being delayed.  In most cases, Guard troops are under the control of authorities in the state in which they are enlisted, but when they are stationed out of that state or out of the country, the federal government controls them.  When under federal control, Guard troops cannot do law enforcement work, which would decrease their effectiveness.   

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Tom Ridge, the Director of Homeland Security, recently announced that despite increased resources along US borders, they remain vulnerable, and suggested that disputes between the various government agencies involved with border security are to blame.  According to Ridge, as long as there is no “direct line of accountability,” US borders will continue to be porous and a danger to national security.  Since assuming his post last October, Ridge has called for consolidation of border responsibilities, a move that has been resisted by the agencies involved. 

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Since September 11th, with significantly longer waits to cross the US border, a growing number of commuters have applied for SENTRI passes.  These passes allow the entrant to get virtually instant entry through special lanes.  Cars are fitted with electronic transponders that convey information about the driver to an inspector in the lane.  To obtain a SENTRI pass, the applicant must undergo an extensive background check.

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Last week two men pled guilty to charges of conspiring to smuggle immigrants from Cuba to the US.  Six of the immigrants died during a smuggling trip last August.  The two men, both Cuban nationals, face up to life in prison when they are sentenced this May.  Because of the guilty pleas, the men avoided possible death sentences. 

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A recent directive from INS officials to agents at the Los Angeles International Airport has angered a number of immigration inspectors.  The memo instructs agents to focus almost exclusively on inspecting arriving international air passengers, and “not to respond” to concerns about undocumented immigrants reported elsewhere in the airport.  INS agents say such a move could pose serious security problems.  While primarily related to increased waits for inspection since September 11^th, documents show that since 2000, INS officials at LAX have been consistently cutting down on resources devoted to dealing with immigrants who have not arrived on international flights. 

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Last week immigration inspectors prevented a man accused of participating in Nazi atrocities from entering the US.  Joseph Kisielaitis, a native of Lithuania, initially came to the attention of the Justice Department Office of Special Investigations in 1984, and he was placed in deportation proceedings.  However, before he was deported, he moved to Canada and his name was placed on a watch list.  It was this list that led INS officials at the Montreal airport to deny him entry. 

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This week an Arizona jury found a former Border Patrol agent guilty of kidnapping an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador and raping her.  The defendant, Dennis M. Johnson, claimed to have had consensual sex with the victim, but the jury did not believe him, finding the fact that he handcuffed and stripped her before making her perform oral sex showed that the act was not consensual. 

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A group of Texas ranchers calling itself Ranch Rescue has started “Operation Falcon,” which invites people to come to Cochise County, Arizona this spring to help stop undocumented immigration.  In the invitation, the group claims that members of terrorist organizations may have entered the US through Mexico, although there is no evidence of this.  This marks the second time Ranch Rescue has attempted to patrol the Mexican border. 

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A United Nations representative is traveling to posts along the US-Mexico border next week to investigate allegations that migrants’ rights are being abused.  Gabriela Rodriguez Pizarro, the UN special rapporteur on migrants’ rights, was invited by the governments of both the US and Mexico, and will meet with immigration officials from both countries.  One purpose of her three-week trip will be to create recommendations to help prevent violations of migrants’ rights and to ensure that international laws are effectively applied.  Her report will be presented at the next session of the UN Human Rights Commission, which will begin next month.