Large Numbers of Cubans Flee to US in June

In June, 160 Cubans fled to the US.  That brings the total number for 1998 to 442 compared to 406 for all of 1997.  US authorities cite good weather and calm seas for the surge of Cubans fleeing the island nation. 

Illegal Immigrants Led Through Military Artillery Range

Smugglers have been leading groups of illegal immigrants through a military artillery range in the California desert.  They have chosen this route because the risk of getting caught near San Diego is too high since the number of Border Patrol agents there has about tripled in the last four years.  Immigrants have been found dying of thirst in the 100-degree heat.

US and Mexico Aim to Lower Number of Border Deaths

Through offers of rewards for tips on alien smugglers, heightened air patrols and posted warnings of hazardous terrain, the US and Mexico hope to lower the number of aliens who die while trying to cross the border illegally.  In addition, information about missing persons will be centralized and a toll-free number will be set up so relatives of illegal immigrants can obtain information on those who have died.

Group of Haitians Repatriated

At the end of June, the US Coast Guard repatriated 105 Haitians who had arrived in US waters on a jam-packed, 30-foot sailboat.  According to the Coast Guard, about 200 Haitians attempt to flee the island country in dangerous rafts and boats each month.

Three Men Charged With Alien Smuggling

After finding 36 Mexican men and boys being held prisoner in a house in Watts, Los Angeles Police arrested three men for alien smuggling. Authorities said that the men and boys had been given little food or water during their captivity, which may have lasted for one week or longer.

Albanian Soldiers Try to Defect

Eleven Albanian soldiers in North Carolina for NATO training exercises were caught trying to defect to the US.  Three others are still missing. Three of the 11 were found at a bus stop in North Carolina.  Three more were found in Philadelphia.  Five others were found walking along a highway.

Cubans Begin Visa Lottery

In 1994, Cuba and the US established a visa lottery system in an attempt to decrease the number of Cubans coming to the US on boats and rafts.  In return for granting at least 20,000 visas a year, the US agreed to repatriate any Cubans intercepted on the high seas.  This year's lottery began at the end of June when hundreds of Cubans packed post offices to mail their entries.  More than 436,000 applications were received during the last lottery in 1996.

Illegal Immigrants Caught Trying to Enter White House Grounds

Immigration officials arrested two Mexican nationals who presented fake documents while trying to enter the grounds of the White House.  It appears that the two, employees of HDO Productions, were attempting to enter the White House to do unauthorized work.  The two will be prosecuted for possession of fraudulent documents.

Detainees Charged in March Riot

A federal grand jury charged 12 detainees with assaulting federal officers during a March 9 riot in a detention center near San Diego.  Three were also charged with using a dangerous weapon.  The riot was the second in as many months.  Those charged were from Mexico, El Salvador, Somalia, Guatemala and Cambodia.

Australian Votes Illegally in Ohio Elections

When Michael Hull, a lawful permanent resident from Australia, registered his truck with the Ohio Bureau of motor Vehicles in 1996, he mistakenly signed a voter registration form confirming that he was a US citizen. Since then he voted in two elections, but was caught when he contested his selection for jury duty.  Now Hull, who came to the US in 1994, is on probation for the next three years and is concerned that his conviction will get him deported or cost him an opportunity to gain US citizenship. 

California Group Must Repay Misused Funds

State education officials ordered the well known Hermandad Mexicana Nacional immigrant rights group to repay $4.3 million in misused funds. The group is the oldest immigrant rights group in California and has been having financial difficulties for some time.  Four other groups were also ordered to repay funds. 

"Immigration Consultant" Convicted of Grand Theft

Carlos Quintanilla, an El Salvadoran national, was convicted of grand theft in a Los Angeles court on June 30.  Prosecutors argued that he targeted low-income immigrants with promises of green cards, employment authorization and visas for loved ones left abroad.  Former customers also alleged that Quintanilla also held himself out as an attorney and an INS officer.  Under a plea agreement, Quintanilla faces up to a year in jail and three year's probation when he is sentenced in July.

INS Establishes the Civil Air Patrol

In June, the INS began its association with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), in which private pilots volunteer to help Border Patrol agents spot illegal immigrants who have crossed the US-Mexico border in remote areas.  In general, CAP is a national volunteer organization that aids federal, state and local officials in a number of activities relating to emergency situations.  The INS use of CAP will take place primarily in the border areas in California, Texas and Arizona.  The ACLU and other immigrant rights organizations have expressed concern that the use of civilians in such a situation might lead to vigilantism, but other immigrant rights groups see the CAP as a welcome way to ensure that fewer people die while trying to cross the border.

Cuban Swimmers Seek Asylum

Three Cuban swimmers are seeking political asylum in the US.  They deserted the Cuban swim team in Puerto Rico while training for the Goodwill Games.  The swimmers are Liudmila Montes de Oca, Nubis Rosales and Daimara Munoz.  They all entered the US legally, so they do not face imprisonment while their asylum cases are pending.

Man Charged with Smuggling Chinese

US officials have announced that Nam Jick Cho has been charged with conspiring to smuggle immigrants in a May 1998 attempt in which the boat Oops II ran aground in New Jersey.  Cho, a Korean national living in Queens, New York, is the first person to be charged in connection with this incident.  Four other men currently in Miami will return to New Jersey to be charged in mid-July.

INS Agents Volunteer to go to the Border

INS agents from all over the US have volunteered to go to the US-Mexico border for 30- to 60-day intervals.  The reinforcements are stationed in the Harlingen district, which stretches from Brownsville to Falcon Dam in Zapata County, Texas.  INS officials are confident that the shifting of personnel for these short intervals will not have an adverse effect on the temporarily short-staffed offices.

Detainees on Hunger Strike in San Diego

At the El Centro detention center, inmates are conducting their second hunger strike in one month.  About 250 prisoners refused to eat breakfast on July 7 in protest of their high bonds or ineligibility for bonds.