Immigration crackdown begins: First-time offenders now face jail time

Immigration crackdown begins

First-time offenders now face jail time
June 9, 2008 - 10:52PM

By JAZMINE ULLOA, The Brownsville Herald
Undocumented immigrants caught in the Rio Grande Valley sector will face prosecution and up to 180 days in jail under an expansion of the Border Patrol's "Operation Streamline," officials announced Monday.

According to a news release from the U.S. Border Patrol, implementation of the law enforcement initiative began Monday in the Valley area and is focused on curbing illegal crossings in high-traffic areas by developing a "zero tolerance prosecution initiative." Law enforcement officials are now prosecuting immigration law violators in hopes that a tougher policy will keep them from coming back.

Before the initiative, immigrants caught crossing illegally were detained briefly before being sent back. Now even first-time offenders face possible jail time. Unauthorized immigrants with a criminal history will be "prosecuted under existing prosecutorial guidelines," the release states.

Operation Streamline was first implemented in 2005 in the Del Rio sector and drew national attention when it was said to strain an already struggling court system.

The Border Patrol's Rio Grande Valley Sector has arrested 44,754 people attempting to illegally enter the United States since Oct. 1, 2007, according to the news release.

"We are committed to a seamless partnership with federal, state and local entities to ensure there are consequences for those who violate our nation's laws," Don DeGabrielle, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said in the news release. "We will prioritize our resources to ensure those who enter illegally are removed expeditiously."

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/officials_87524___article.html/streamline_border.html