Border Patrol travel agentsA popular prime-time soap opera in Brazil titled "America" depicts a character who is smuggled across the U.S./Mexican border who finds a job in Miami as an exotic dancer. Because of some rather curious decisions by the U.S. Government, there now exists a enormous loophole in illegal immigration enforcement at the nation's borders. The Brazilian "telenova" is becoming a mirror of fact rather than fiction.
There is space for about 19,450 people in the immigration detention system; this is far less than the number required. U.S. immigration officials are faced with the dilemma of detaining a migrant who has criminal record or detaining one who doesn't. Mexican detainees are returned to Mexico; however, since international law does not allow sending non-Mexican detainees to Mexico, they are issued a court summons, a "notice to appear." When a detainee is given the summons it allows them to remain in the U.S. pending an immigration hearing.
In the first eight months of this federal fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, more than 85,000 migrants were apprehended. Nearly all are no-shows at their court hearings (comprehensive federal figures are not available). In essence, the summons allows the migrants to continue their journey to anywhere they want to go.
For a more detailed description of this travel service provided free of charge by the U.S. Border Patrol, see URL:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/tijuana/20050604-9999-1n4texas.html
