- Beginning two to three days after President Bush proposed
a plan that would allow illegal aliens to stay in the United States on
renewable three-year work visas -- a plan that critics describe as an amnesty
in disguise -- the number of illegal aliens caught trying to cross the
U.S.-Mexico border jumped dramatically, says a spokesman for the union
representing Border Patrolmen.
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- In the San Diego sector of the border "we have two
to three times the number we had a few weeks ago," Senior Border Patrol
Agent Shawn Moran told HUMAN EVENTS. Moran is spokesman for the local San
Diego chapter of the National Border Patrol Council, the patrolmen's union.
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- "In one place, we have eight times," said Moran.
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- Asked if this could just be a seasonal increase, Moran
replied, "We usually get something of an increase at this time of
year, but nothing like this." The trend showed no signs of abating,
he said.
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- Moran says he is certain Bush's plan is motivating the
illegal aliens who have caused the spike in illegal border crossings. "Because
95% of the people we're catching say that's why," Moran said. "They
say they're coming for the amnesty. A lot of these people have not been
caught before. They have no immigration histories."
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- Moran also said the Bush proposal has caused a change
in the urgency and demography of illegal border crossers. "We're catching
them repeatedly throughout the week," Moran said. "They're desperate
to get this amnesty even though we told them it's only a proposal. . .
. We're catching more women and children than we have since 1999."
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- Moran said that he and his fellow agents oppose Bush's
immigration proposal. "I have yet to find a single Border Patrol agent
that thinks it's a good idea," said Moran. He noted that many illegal
aliens transformed into guest workers are likely to have children while
working in the United States. Those children, he said, would be American
citizens, meaning their parents would almost certainly never be deported
but would instead stay here for life.
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- He said that illegal immigration could be brought under
control if the federal government wished to do so. "What's lacking
is the political will to do it," he said.
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- Moran said the Border Patrol union is preparing a lobbying
effort to stop the proposal.
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- Copyright © 2003 HUMAN EVENTS. All Rights Reserved.
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- http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?print=yes&id=2920
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