Protesters in Murrieta turn buses carrying detained immigrants away

[Lion Heart 15,041]

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that unaccompanied minors who crossed the border illegally in a massive influx over recent months "should be sent back" to their native countries, but also that they should be reunited with their families -- which sometimes requires them to stay in the United States.

 

"They should be sent back as soon as it can be determined who responsible adults in their families are, because there are concerns about whether all of them should be sent back," the potential 2016 presidential candidate said in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour. "But I think all of them who can be should be reunited with their families."

 

Clinton's answer mirrored the Obama administration's tough position on how to deal with unaccompanied minors, who are entering the country through the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas at rates some have called a "humanitarian crisis." Those minors are put into deportation proceedings by the Department of Homeland Security, but then are transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services. That department looks for family members in the United States who can care for the children, although that does not mean they won't be deported later.

 

But faced with reports of misperceptions in Central America that minors have a free pass to stay if they make it to the United States, the administration is playing damage control, repeatedly urging parents not to send their children. Clinton made the same point.

 

"We have to send a clear message, just because your child gets across the border, that doesn't mean the child gets to stay," she said. "So, we don't want to send a message that is contrary to our laws or we'll encourage more children to make that dangerous journey."

 

Clinton said the main reason minors are coming is to escape violence in their home countries, predominantly Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Amanpour asked if that meant they should be able to remain in the United States, since it is safer. "Well -- it may be safer but that's not the answer," Clinton replied.

 

Instead, Clinton said the United States should do more to deal with violence in the region, including by providing more border security in southern Mexico.

 

Clinton also spoke on CNN about immigration reform, which she supports, and about President Barack Obama's immigration record. She said Obama is in a difficult position "because there are laws that impose certain obligations on him" to enforce immigration law, and that those laws should change. "I would be very open to trying to figure out ways to change the law, even if we don't get to comprehensive immigration reform to provide more leeway and more discretion for the executive branch," she said.

 

After her remarks, the advocacy group United We Dream criticized Clinton for failing to provide a clear answer on her stance on deportations.

 

"Who does Hilary stand with: our families or the Deporter-in-Chief?" Cristina Jimenez, managing director for United We Dream, said in a statement. "If separating children from families is not who we are as Americans, then Hillary Clinton should join other Democratic leaders in calling on President Obama to take executive action to provide relief and reform for families still under the threat of deportation."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/18/hillary-clinton-immigration_n_5507630.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

 

Here's some more info. regarding this issue:

 

...

 

However, some conservative lawmakers think that U.S. policy is to blame for the surge in unaccompanied minors, as the U.S. allows the children to be released to an adult relative living in the United States while they await their court hearing. The only exception are Mexican minors, who are returned to Mexico due to an agreement between the U.S. and Mexico.

Another growing trend is that more children do not try to sneak into the country undetected; many minors wait out in the open to be arrested by Border Patrol agents. The unaccompanied minors arrive with a paper that contains information from their home country and the name of their U.S. contact.

Chris Cabrera, a McAllen-based Border Patrol agent and vice president of the local chapter of the National Border Patrol Council, said that immigrant minors are allowing authorities to decide their future. "We're seeing record numbers of children coming across. We're dealing with so many of them turning themselves in that it makes it hard for our agents to focus on anything else," he told USA Today.

The rising number of unaccompanied youth is a strain on immigration facilities. In South Texas, which sees the highest number of minors crossing the border, more than 1,600 youths have taken up all of the spots in 13 shelters. Federal agents have been forced to open temporary facilities in California and Oklahoma to house the children.

The minors stay an average of 33 days at shelters before they are reunited with a relative in the U.S. However, many are not released so readily, and some children struggle to prove that they are fleeing gang violence in their home country and have a parent or guardian waiting for them in the United States.

Stacie Blake, the Director of Government and Community Relations for the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, told The Latin Post that most children fear returning to unstable, dangerous environments that are plagued by d--g cartel activity and gang violence.

"Unaccompanied immigrant children have always come to the U.S. What has changed is a dramatic increase in the number of children from these particular countries," Blake said. "Children tell us they are literally running for their lives. They are trying to escape violence."

Blake said that children are turning themselves in to authorities in order to receive protection.

"Many have barely survived a treacherous journey from their country on foot, on La Bestia and at the mercy of strangers or worse, traffickers," she said.

While the children are in need of protection, Cabrera says the children are exploiting the U.S. immigration system. "It's a loophole they've found in the system," Cabrera said. "And, frankly, they're exploiting it well."

Lawmakers in Washington are unsure about how to handle the burgeoning crisis.

Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Guatemala Friday to meet with Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina Friday, along with Salvadoran and Honduran officials, to discuss the issue and consider potential solutions.

http://www.latinpost.com/articles/15124/20140618/immigration-reform-2014-hillary-clinton-says-unaccompanied-migrant-children-should-be-sent-back-to-reunite-with-families.htm

[BillieGOAT 5,272]

So now we're sending back the legal immigrants and keeping the illegal ones.. fun!  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)

[Lion Heart 15,041]

I came running because it's Bill O'Reilly and he's basically the male Ann Coulter without the flawless hair. I'm watching it later and hopefully he either gets dragged or proved his point by making himself look like a bigger fool than Ms. Powers. Gotta love Fox News for its sub-par entertainment!

Hmm... I don't really agree with that statement. 

 

 

I don't think Kristen Powers really delivered a strong argument in this case. O'Reilly was trying to say that in the long term, we will not be able to support these children due to all of our economic crisis and limited resources-among other things, but Kristen argues that we can and should take care of children escaping violence and oppression in their home countries. Even though 60,000 children or so are expected this year, by next year the number could go up to more than 100,000 if something doesn't get done quickly. I think one point she made was when she told O'Reilly that she never heard him say that "we can't afford to invade Iraq."

[Lion Heart 15,041]

So now we're sending back the legal immigrants

Nowhere does it say that.

[OrphanBlack 0]

Hmm... I don't really agree with that statement. 

 

 

I don't think Kristen Powers really delivered a strong argument in this case. O'Reilly was trying to say that in the long term, we will not be able to support these children due to all of our economic crisis and limited resources-among other things, but Kristen argues that we can and should take care of children escaping violence and oppression in their home countries. Even though 60,000 children or so are expected this year, by next year the number could go up to more than 100,000 if something doesn't get done quickly. I think one point she made was when she told O'Reilly that she never heard him say that "we can't afford to invade Iraq."

Sorry about that statement. It was really ignorant of me to say so. However, I said that because I feel that O'Reilly says certain things for the sake of ratings just like Ann Coulter does so she can get press or sell her books because he/she knows that her opinion is controversial and unpopular with the majority and therefore it will get them the headline that they want.

As far as the video, you're right Kristin didn't have a strong argument, but neither did O'Reilly. As a liberal myself I personally think it's impossible to have a good argument about this issue that is equally logical and humane. We want to help all these children but we can't afford it, but no one (in their right mind) would ever turn down a refugee child if they were to arrive on their doorstep (or in this case the governments doorstep if you catch my meaning) in need of food and shelter. It's hard to balance what we should do and what we can do. I personally think that immigrants are the future of this country as they have been since 1776. Supporting children, along with affirmative action, is the only way to ensure that these children have the best opportunities to succeed and prosper in this country. But even this is based in theory. There issues of race and how race economically separates groups, as well as social issues such as aversive and subversive racism. It's a lot that goes into it. And I haven even touched in the political aspects of this argument.

[Lion Heart 15,041]

Sorry about that statement. It was really ignorant of me to say so. However, I said that because I feel that O'Reilly says certain things for the sake of ratings just like Ann Coulter does so she can get press or sell her books because he/she knows that her opinion is controversial and unpopular with the majority and therefore it will get them the headline that they want.

As far as the video, you're right Kristin didn't have a strong argument, but neither did O'Reilly. As a liberal myself I personally think it's impossible to have a good argument about this issue that is equally logical and humane. We want to help all these children but we can't afford it, but no one (in their right mind) would ever turn down a refugee child if they were to arrive on their doorstep (or in this case the governments doorstep if you catch my meaning) in need of food and shelter. It's hard to balance what we should do and what we can do. I personally think that immigrants are the future of this country as they have been since 1776. Supporting children, along with affirmative action, is the only way to ensure that these children have the best opportunities to succeed and prosper in this country. But even this is based in theory. There issues of race and how race economically separates groups, as well as social issues such as aversive and subversive racism. It's a lot that goes into it. And I haven even touched in the political aspects of this argument.

Agreed. 

 

 

As much as it pains me to know that gang culture and cartel violence have taken over countries like El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras and are affecting everyone's' lives down there, the sad reality is that we cannot afford to take care of everybody coming here in the long term. 

 

We'll see what the administration does in the coming weeks/ months.

[MahoganySnitch 67]

So now we're sending back the legal immigrants and keeping the illegal ones.. fun!  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)

Says who? 

[Essence 244]

So now we're sending back the legal immigrants and keeping the illegal ones.. fun!  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)

Did you even read the OP? 

[Lion Heart 15,041]

Texas Approves Border Security Surge

UPDATE: Texas Governor Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, and Speaker Joe Straus today directed the Texas Dept. of Public Safety (DPS) to immediately begin law enforcement surge operations on the Texas/Mexico border. The DPS will attempt to combat the flood of illegal immigration into the state in the absence of adequate federal resources to secure the border. State leaders have authorized approximately $1.3 million per week to fund border security operations.
 
HOUSTON, Texasâ€â€State Representative Debbie Riddle (R-Tomball) told Breitbart Texas she spoke with Governor Rick Perry’s (R-TX) Office and they confirmed the surge to deal with the Texas border crisis is about to begin. Details are not available at this time, but Riddle said, “It is going to happen.â€

Riddle spoke with Governor Perry’s office about the issue and was assured it “is going to be coming soon.†She said Governor Perry’s office is working very closely with Lt. Governor David Dewhurst’s office along with the office of House Speaker Joe Straus.
“They are gathering together everything they need to begin this right away,†Riddle said. She told Breitbart Texas that she could not divulge any information about exactly when, how long, and where the surge would be for reasons of operational security. She also could not disclose what the operational objectives would be at this time.
 
Riddle said, “We are going to feel this particularly here in the Houston area because of Houston’s role as a command and control center for the cartels--for both their d--g and human trafficking operations.†She added that Texas Department of Public Safety Director (DPS) Steve McCraw told her last week that Houston is still the hub for these operations.
Riddle said, “Governor Perry is very angry that the feds are doing nothing about this problem.†She went on to say, “I didn’t expect the feds to do anything." Breitbart Texas reported on June 17 that Governor Perry expressed his frustration with the Obama Administration on Fox New’s Fox and Friends Show.

Riddle reiterated several times that “this is going to happen very soon.†She said that with the cooperation of the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Speaker this can come together without the need for the special session being called for by several legislators and grassroots activists.
 
Press Release Document: http://www.scribd.com/doc/230344824/Perry-Press-Release-Texas-Border-Surge

[SlayedForTheGod 665]

I don't think I've posted in here before but I have been reading and some users in this thread have made me extremely upset. Let me tell you the reality I live in. I am hispanic as in somewhere up the line, beyond my grandmother,someone came here from Mexico. My family are LEGAL citizens. Do you want to know what I see on a daily basis? These immigrants are out working in fields for less than minimum wage. They are are getting paid by the buckets of berries they pick sometimes or the bales of pine needles they collect. You want to know what I don't see? I don't see AMERICANS out there, black or white, working in the fields or the other excruciatingly hard physical labors. I DON'T see these immigrants abusing our food stamps or unemployment programs. You know who I see abusing them on the daily? AMERICANS. I DON'T see these immigrants abusing public housing services while they still have enough money to be buying year model cars and fancy rims. Don't give me crap about how they don't pay taxes. They may not pay SOME but as consumers they pay sales taxes just like the rest of us. You know what would be a good solution to this issue? Instead of America talking to the Mexican politicians, why don't they use the tax money being used to fund these boarders to set up programs that will help these immigrants become citizens? Teach them english. Teach them how to read english. Teach them how to become a fully proficient American citizen. Then they will pay all taxes like the rest of us. How dare some of you say "Oh they need to go back and their country needs to get their stuff together." That statement disgusts me. You want them to stay in a country where there is a daily chance you could be murdered or your child could be kidnapped and be forced to be a s-x slave? Do you know how hard it is to be a "middle class" citizen in Mexico? The fact that they would rather risk their life crossing an INTERNATIONAL boarder should answer that for you. It's so easy for some of you to say the thing's you say cause you could NEVER imagine the things those PEOPLE are going through.

[Lion Heart 15,041]

From October 1, 2013 to June 11, 2014, 378 unaccompanied children ages two-years old and younger have reportedly been detained by US Border patrol Agents for crossing the southern border illegally.

According to Fusion, they obtained their information from the office of a high-ranking Democratic senator. They stated, moreover, that 95 of the children apprehended were infants under 1 year old.

Neither the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol or the Department of Homeland Security would respond specifically to the situation but instead referred Fusion to a previous released statement regarding the data on unaccompanied alien children. Significantly, the statistics show a 99% increase from 26,206 in 2013 to 52,193 in Southwest Border unaccompanied children apprehensions for fiscal year 2014. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Human Services, who are charged with taking care of the illegal immigrant children, chose to remain silent regarding the toddler apprehensions.

Emily Butera, a senior program officer at the Women's Refugee Commission, claims that she had witnessed “babies and toddlers†in previous years being escorted by siblings or paid smugglers across the border, but now the situation has deteriorated.

President Obama, responding to criticism such as House Speaker John Boehner’s remark on Thursday that "the wheels are coming off his presidency," is looking to mitigate the border mayhem and is seeking alternatives to housing the immigrants in huge detention centers on the border, which he has classified as an “urgent humanitarian crisis.â€

One alternative to warehousing the illegal aliens has been suggested by the office of Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL). “There are alternatives to detention like ankle bracelets and supervision to manage the backlog in processing that are much more humane and cost-effective than taxpayer-funded public or for-profit detention centers,†a spokesman said.

 

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/06/21/378-Toddlers-Cross-Border-Monitoring-Bracelets-to-Replaces-Warehousing-Detainees

[Lion Heart 15,041]

McALLEN, Texas (AP)  The U.S. government plans to turn an empty 55,000-square foot warehouse in South Texas into a processing facility for unaccompanied children who have entered the country illegally, according to construction permits obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request Monday.

The permits reveal plans for four fence-enclosed pods inside a corrugated steel warehouse in McAllen that could eventually accommodate about 1,000 children. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

More than 52,000 unaccompanied minors have been arrested since October after entering the United States illegally, a 99 percent increase over the same period a year earlier. About three-quarters of those children have been arrested in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas.

U.S. law requires that the children be processed and transferred to custody of the Health and Human Services Department within 72 hours of their arrest. The wave of children has overwhelmed Border Patrol stations in South Texas that are ill-equipped to house children for an extended period of time, so Homeland Security has been flying planeloads of children to Arizona for processing at a facility in Nogales before sending them to shelters around the country.
The new processing facility would be less than a mile from the Rio Grande Valley's busiest Border Patrol station. Floor plans show rows of cells with unsecured doors on either side of open "interaction/play" areas. Boys and girls would be separated and portable toilets would be installed.

"Minors will be staged here until processing is completed and then they (will be) moved to a different location," according to a fire protection engineering a--lysis submitted by the U.S. General Services Administration.
That agency, which provides buildings for government operations, signed a one-year lease for the property.
The documents do not indicate when renovations would be complete. City attorney Kevin Pagan said McAllen had expedited the permitting process.

Most of the children are from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Many are fleeing widespread gang violence, and some are looking to reunite with parents already in the United States.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson wrote an open letter to Central American parents warning them of the dangers of such a journey and emphasizing that the children could be deported. "The criminal smuggling networks that you pay to deliver your child to the United States have no regard for his or her safety and well-being - to them, your child is a commodity to be exchanged for a payment," the letter said.

 

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/06/24/Texas-warehouse

[Lion Heart 15,041]

 

A crowd of 200 to 300 people in downtown Murrieta surrounded three buses carrying immigrant detainees Tuesday afternoon, causing the buses to turn around before they reached a Border Patrol station in the Riverside County city.

Waving Americans flags and protest signs, the crowd refused to give way when the buses arrived with some 140 detainees from Texas, which has seen a flood of Central American immigrants cross the border in recent weeks without legal permission.

------------

FOR THE RECORD

July 2, 8:07 a.m.: An earlier version of this post included a photo gallery that referred to "residents opposed to immigration." The reference should have been to "residents opposed to illegal immigration."

------------

A small number of Murrieta police officers stood between the protesters and the buses but could not keep the crowd from blocking the buses' path.

The face-off came one day after Mayor Alan Long urged residents to protest the federal government’s decision to move the recent immigrants who had arrived in the country illegally -- and have overwhelmed Texas border facilities -- to the Border Patrol station here.

“Murrieta expects our government to enforce our laws, including the deportation of illegal immigrants caught crossing our borders, not disperse them into our local communities,†Long said Monday at a news conference. The city had defeated two previous attempts to send migrants to the facility, he said.

Unable to drop off their passengers safely in Murrieta, buses instead headed for a Border Patrol facility in San Diego County, arriving late Tuesday afternoon.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials met with city officials in Murrieta and Temecula before the protests, said Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for the agency, adding that ICE is aware of concerns in the region.

“We’re sensitive to those issues and we’re seeking to address them,†she said.

An initial 140 migrants had been expected to arrive in Murrieta on Tuesday afternoon, Long said, followed by  arrivals every 72 hours for several weeks. The detainees are primarily children accompanied by mothers or fathers. They were to be processed at the Murrieta facility before being placed under the supervision of ICE agents who would ensure that they were united with family throughout the country, Long said.

This year, Border Patrol agents across the Southwest have detained more than 52,000 unaccompanied minors, with a particular concentration along the Rio Grande border in Texas, according to federal records.

Murrieta expects our government to enforce our laws, including the deportation of illegal immigrants caught crossing our borders, not disperse them into our local communities.

 

Because of this influx, officials are sending migrants to Border Patrol facilities in less heavily trafficked areas, such as Southern California, for processing and supervised release by ICE agents.

By sending migrants to the Murrieta facility, the federal government is not properly enforcing immigration laws that require immediate deportation of undocumented immigrants, Long said.

But, according to the mayor, public safety officials were fully prepared for the arrival and have established an information hotline that residents can use for updates on the transfer.

“I can say, without equivocation, Murrieta will remain safe,†Long said.

Murrieta is one of several cities whose facilities will receive migrants as the government seeks to lessen the burden on the Texas border. Migrants will also be sent to a border patrol facility in El Centro, in neighboring Imperial County, as well as a center in New Mexico, which has also caused lawmakers there to protest.

“Murrieta expects our government to enforce our laws, including the deportation of illegal immigrants caught crossing our borders, not disperse them into our local communities,†Long said Monday at a news conference." That's what most of us want.

In his comments Monday, Long emphasized the temporary nature of the new arrivals.

“There is not, and never has been, any intention to release these immigrants locally out the front door of the Border Patrol office,†he said.

Protester Roger Cotton, 49, drove up from San Diego to wave a flag outside the Murrieta Border Patrol Station.

"I wanted to say that I as an American citizen do not approve of this human disaster that the government has created," Cotton said. He said he believes the migrants who were supposed to be dropped off at the station would be a burden on an already strained system.

"Who’s going to pay for them?" he asked. "What kind of criminality will happen?"

Cotton, who works as a 3D animator, said he blames Democrats for not doing more to secure the border.

"The Democrats are making it easy for them to come here so they can produce more Democratic voters," he said.

Cotton arrived shortly after the bus was blocked and turned around. He said he decided to come to Murrieta on his own accord and was surprised to find other protesters there.

He stood with a group of them on the side of the road, chanting "USA" and sparring with a group of counter-protesters who had come to support the immigrants.

Lupillo Rivera, 42, was one of them.

A well-known Mexican banda singer who came to the United States at age 4, Rivera said he was driving by when he happened upon the protest at the Border Patrol station. He said somebody shouted that he was an illegal immigrant and should go home. Rivera, who is a U.S. citizen, went home and returned with several of his friends and bandmates to confront the protesters.

"Our people cook your food," he shouted at them. "We didn't ask for them to come here," one protester shot back.

Rivera, brother of the late Mexican singer Jenni Rivera, said anybody who would turn away a busload of children was "not human."

"It doesn’t matter where a child is from," he said. "He deserves respect and help because he’s a child.

"How can a 5-year-old defend himself?" asked Rivera, who lives in Temecula. "I don’t think we should push a child out of our country."

As light faded over Murrieta, protesters continued their verbal sparring.

Protesters supporting immigrant rights waved Mexican flags and shouted slogans, while across the street, a smaller group of protesters opposed to the immigrants’ arrival waved American flags. Murrieta police patrolled Madison Avenue, which was closed to any further vehicle traffic.

At an evening City Council meeting, officials praised protesters for the lack of violence but assailed the federal government for what they say was a pattern of poor communication and inaction.

“We need to fix this permanently,†said Long, who had issued a call Monday for citizens to contact their elected officials to protest the move. “Today was a Band-Aid. The only people with the power to fix this are in the federal government.â€

Other city officials expressed concern over how Murrieta, with a population of just more than 100,000, would house several groups of immigrants during processing.

City Councilman Rick Gibbs, who toured the Border Patrol facility where the immigrants were to be held, had reservations about the space. “This is a jailhouse,†he said. “This is not a hotel. It is a spartan facility.â€

Gibbs also doubted whether all the detainees would comply with the government requirement that they report back to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office within 15 days of their initial release.

“We're going to dump a bunch of people at a bus station, hope they get somewhere in the United States of America, and somehow in 15 days, they are going to respond and come back?†he said. “Everybody knows that 95% of them are never going to return.â€

Councilman Harry Ramos agreed.

“You would get fined if you dumped off a dog in the street here in Murrieta, but that's what they are doing to people here,†he said.

[theMonster5 74]

If we allow the 60K kids to stay here and go to school which cost $10K/per kid, that would cost American taxpayers another $600 million per year! That figure would double to $1.2 Billion/year if we include housing, food and healthcare. We need to deport them all back now! Just load them all up into the planes and fly them back! Pronto!

 

Here's a simple solution for the Latin American problem: use birth control, like wearing a condom, and don't produce kids you can't afford to take care of.