The San Francisco Chronicle reported last week that a Zimbabwean refugee has filed a federal lawsuit alleging she was refused the right to apply for asylum in 2002 when she arrived at San Francisco International Airport and was told by an immigration official to “go back to the jungle.”
The plaintiff in the case said she was then wrongfully jailed, strip-searched and deported. She is currently living in South Africa and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights is handling her case. There was no comment from Border and Customs Patrol.
*****
Although the Arizona Border Control Initiative, which included the addition of 260 agents, four helicopters, two unmanned aerial drones and expanded detention space to hold undocumented immigrants, was supposed to get started last week, plans have changed. According to The Arizona Republic, because more than half of the agents have not arrived, officials have decided against expanding the detention areas and the drones are still on the ground.
Asa Hutchinson, Homeland Security Undersecretary, has acknowledged that the project is over budget and behind schedule. He also said that although this project is not living up to expectations, there has been some improvement along the Arizona-Mexico border and arrests have increased significantly since March.
The problems in the progress of the initiative have been attributed to manpower limitations as well as technical and training issues relating to the unmanned drones. Officials have delayed the first patrol of the drones until June 30.