azcentral.com
The Immigration and Naturalization Service routinely declines to pick up illegal immigrants in the Valley, a practice officials warn will become more common with the agency's emphasis on homeland security.
Police agencies often encounter groups of immigrants during traffic stops and investigations and call the INS to pick them up for deportation. Phoenix police dealt with at least three such cases last week when the INS said it could not respond. Police had no choice but to let the immigrants go.
The inaction by the INS has frustrated some in law enforcement circles, who say it can jeopardize cases and lead to impunity by some immigrant smugglers and kidnappers.
Russell Ahr, spokesman for INS' Phoenix district, said the agency charged with protecting America's border is stretched thin with the national security "orange" alert.
"We've had to become a seven-days-a-week/24-hours-a-day operation, and we're having to reassess our ability to respond to assistance calls," Ahr said. "The higher threat level means now there may be times when we won't be able to respond."
"Russell Ahr, spokesman for INS' Phoenix district, said the agency charged with protecting America's border is stretched thin with the national security "orange" alert."
If this wasn't so dangerous it would be funny. This was rountine practice by INS even before the terrorist attacks of 9-11.
INS, now known as the new Department of Homeland Security appears to think that it now has a legitimate excuse for the incompetence and inaction that allowed our borders to be left wide open so terrorist were able to infiltrate America and murder over 3000 innocent lives.
All those politicians in Washington and many at the local level prefer commerce before the safety of America and they sure don't want to offend our hostile neighbor to the south. They need all the illegal alien votes they can get.
Posted by Suzanne at February 16, 2003