in this New York Times article, U.S. to Give Border Patrol Agents the Power to Deport Illegal Aliens (registration required, see bugmenot.com for a list of usernames/passwords), they report on implementation of laws that were passed in 1996 regarding immediate deportation of illegal immigrants found within 100 miles of the Mexico or Canada border.

The Illegal Immigration and Reform Responsibility Act of 1996 authorized the agency to deport certain groups of illegal immigrants without judicial oversight, but until now it had permitted only officials at airports and seaports to do so.

Good to see they're allowing the border patrol to actually use laws already on the books.

Some of the stupid parts of the new implementation are things like this:

Officials said the border agents would not focus on deporting Mexicans and Canadians, who will still, for the most part, have their cases heard in immigration court. The agents will concentrate instead on immigrants from other countries.

What's the difference I ask? either way they are breaking the law whether they are Mexican, Canadian or Brazilian. If they are breaing the law and are caught they should be booted immediately.

Then of course the asshats who want our country flooded with mooching leechers on our society come out of the woodwork with assine excuses as to why this is bad.

... it prompted a flurry of criticism from advocates for immigrants who feared that the new system lacked adequate safeguards to ensure that people fleeing persecution, Americans lacking paperwork or other travelers with legitimate grounds to be in the United States would not be improperly deported.

...

Advocates for immigrants said they feared mistakes would be made when hastily trained border agents decide who should be deported and who should not.

I don't know about you, but if I'm leaving the US I'm damn sure making sure I have all of my documentation done. Only a complete dumbass would leave the country without first making sure everything is in order to re-enter the US. As for deportation of asylum seekers, that is completely out of the scope of putting this law in action as someone seeking asylum would be afforded an immigration hearing. The main difference is some mexican sneaking accross who asked for asylum would then have to prove a good reason. They would then be well documented before they are sent back.

Here is a quote on the current way it works, which is ridiculous.

Domestic security officials described the deportation process in immigration courts - which hear asylum claims and other appeals to remain in the country - as sluggish and cumbersome, saying illegal immigrants often wait for more than a year before being deported while straining the capacity of detention centers and draining critical resources. Under the new system, immigrants will typically be deported within eight days of their apprehension, officials said.

I really don't see how someone without a real decent reason, such as their life being at risk by their government, can be held for so long after being caught coming into the country illegally. I suppose that's what the court hearing is for, but the reality is the majority of them do not request asylum and freely admit they are sneaking in. In those cases I see absolutley no reason why we should be spending money on housing an admittedly guilty individual.

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