Rural sectors on the US-Mexican border are reporting sharp increases in illegal immigrant crossings as a result of INS border crackdowns in more populous sections of the border. The INS has stated that it will respond by extending Operation Gatekeeper east to California’s Imperial Valley in the area south of San Diego. 133 immigration officers will be deployed in the Imperial Valley to fight an estimate 20 alien smuggling rings that have shifted their operations to the area. The INS is also expanding westward Operation Rio Grande from its starting point in Brownsville, Texas. The operations are eventually supposed to link up.
The Mexican government has criticized the efforts charging that the number of fatalities along the border will increase. On the other side of the argument, Rep. Lamar Smith has complained that the INS has fallen short in hiring the number of Border Patrol agents required by Congress.
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