DATE=2/17/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42635
TITLE=U-S MEXICO BORDER DEATHS
BYLINE=MIKE O'SULLIVAN
DATELINE=SAN DIEGO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: TWO CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS SAY A CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL
IMMIGRATION FROM MEXICO NEAR THE U-S COASTAL CITY OF SAN DIEGO
HAS FORCED MIGRANTS INLAND -- WHERE THEY MUST CROSS THROUGH
DEADLY TERRAIN. V-O-A'S MIKE O'SULLIVAN REPORTS U-S BORDER
PATROL OFFICIALS HOPE TO DISCOURAGE ILLEGAL MIGRANTS FROM MAKING
THE TREACHEROUS JOURNEY.
TEXT: THE CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS SAY 360 PEOPLE HAVE DIED SINCE
1994, WHEN "OPERATION GATEKEEPER" WENT INTO EFFECT. THAT U-S
GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION HAS DRAMATICALLY
REDUCED ILLEGAL CROSSINGS BETWEEN TIJUANA, MEXICO, AND SAN DIEGO,
CALIFORNIA. BUT A 50-PAGE PETITION, FILED THIS MONTH WITH THE
INTER-AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IN WASHINGTON, SAYS THE
POLICY FORCES MIGRANTS INTO THE TREACHEROUS MOUNTAIN AND DESERT
REGIONS EAST OF SAN DIEGO.
JORDAN BUDD IS MANAGING ATTORNEY OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES
UNION OF SAN DIEGO, ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT FILED THE
PETITION.
/// BUDD ACT ///
THE MOST TROUBLING IMPLICATION OF OPERATION GATEKEEPER IS THE
SKYROCKETING DEATHS OF MIGRANTS. DEATHS ALONG THE
CALIFORNIA/MEXICO BORDER HAVE INCREASED 600 PERCENT SINCE
GATEKEEPER WENT INTO EFFECT. IN 1994, THERE WERE 24 DEATHS
DOCUMENTED ALONG THE BORDER. LAST YEAR THERE WERE 145. ALMOST
ALL OF THOSE DEATHS WERE THE RESULT OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS:
HEAT STROKE, HYPOTHERMIA, EXPOSURE, AND DROWNING ( IN THE
ALL-AMERICAN CANAL -- WHICH RUNS ALONG THE BORDER IN IMPERIAL
COUNTY, CALIFORNIA).
/// END ACT ///
U-S IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND SAY THEY
ARE TACKLING IT. SPANISH-LANGUAGE SIGNS ARE NOW POSTED AT THE
BORDER AT POPULAR STAGING AREAS. THEY WARN POTENTIAL MIGRANTS OF
THE EXTREMES OF HEAT AND COLD WHICH MAY AWAIT THEM ON THE LONG
JOURNEY.
IN ADDITION, U-S BORDER PATROL AGENTS CARRY RESCUE EQUIPMENT, TO
OFFER HELP TO ILLEGAL MIGRANTS THEY APPREHEND. BORDER PATROL
SPOKESMAN MARIO VILLARREAL ('VEE-YAH-RAY-'AHL) SAYS MIGRANTS ARE
BREAKING U-S LAW AND MUST ACCEPT THE RISKS OF ILLEGAL ENTRY. BUT
HE SAYS THE BORDER PATROL IS DOING ITS BEST TO DISCOURAGE THEM
FROM COMING, AND TO HELP THOSE WHO MAKE THE TRIP AND ENCOUNTER
TROUBLE.
/// VILLARREAL ACT ///
ONE MIGRANT DEATH IS ONE TOO MANY. BUT IF SOMEBODY IS IN NEED
OR IN SOME SORT OF DISTRESS OUT IN OUR AREA, WE HAVE SOME TOOLS
TO COUNTER THAT, WITH THE COLD AND HOT WEATHER SURVIVAL KITS, OR
OUR AGENTS CARRYING EXTRA WATER IN TRANSPORT VANS, ADDED AIR
OPERATIONS IN THOSE AREAS.
/// END ACT ///
MR. VILLARREAL EXPLAINS, MORE THAN 100 BORDER AGENTS IN THE SAN
DIEGO SECTOR ARE CERTIFIED AS EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS. BUT
JORDAN BUDD OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION SAYS THE
EMERGENCY AID PROGRAM OFFERS TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE. IT WENT INTO
EFFECT IN 1998, FOUR YEARS AFTER OPERATION GATEKEEPER STARTED.
/// BUDD ACT ///
AND SINCE IT'S GONE INTO EFFECT, ALMOST 100 PEOPLE DIED,
BASICALLY ONE-QUARTER OF THE ENTIRE DEATH TOLL OF GATEKEEPER,
WHICH INDICATES QUITE CLEARLY THAT THESE KINDS OF BELATED AND
LIMITED SAFETY RESPONSES ARE NOT GOING TO ADDRESS THE FUNDAMENTAL
PROBLEM. // OPT // AND WITH RESPECT TO THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM
THAT IS DRIVING MIGRATION OUT INTO THE DESERT WHERE THESE
INDIVIDUALS FACE THE DEATH PENALTY FOR SEEKING A JOB, THE
GOVERNMENT HAS REITERATED TIME AND AGAIN ITS COMMITMENT, AND HAS
MADE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR THAT IT HAS NO INTENTION OF REVISING THAT
BASIC STRATEGY. // END OPT //
/// END ACT ///
THE U-S BORDER PATROL BELIEVES THE STRATEGY IS WORKING, CITING A
DRAMATIC DROP IN APPREHENSIONS OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS IN SAN DIEGO.
BUT CRITICS USE GOVERNMENT FIGURES TO ARGUE THE PROGRAM IS NOT
EFFECTIVE. APPREHENSIONS ALONG THE ENTIRE U-S-MEXICO BORDER WERE
DOWN ONLY SLIGHTLY FROM 1994 -- TO 475-THOUSAND APPREHENSIONS
OVERALL FOR 1998.
BORDER PATROL SPOKESMAN MARIO VILLARREAL SAYS TOUGH ENFORCEMENT
WILL CONTINUE. SO WILL SOME MIGRANT DEATHS, WHICH HE BLAMES ON
IMMIGRANT SMUGGLERS, WHO LEAD THEIR CHARGES INTO ROUGH TERRAIN
AND SOMETIMES ABANDON THEM.
/// VILLARREAL ACT ///
I THINK THE PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO GET THIS MESSAGE OUT TO ARE
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THINKING OF COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES
ILLEGALLY: THAT THE ALIEN SMUGGLER IS VERY CALLOUS AND HE DOES
NOT TRULY FEEL FOR THE HUMAN LIFE THAT HE'S ABOUT TO TAKE INTO
HIS HANDS. THE TERRAIN IS VERY, VERY RUGGED AND MOUNTAINOUS, AND
I THINK THAT THEY TRULY NEED TO BE WARNED.
/// END ACT ///
THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL WITH WHOM THE PETITION WAS FILED --
THE INTER-AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION -- HAS NO LEGISLATIVE
JURISDICTION WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR MEXICO. BUT THE CIVIL
RIGHTS GROUPS HOPE A FINDING IN THEIR FAVOR WILL PERSUADE U-S
OFFICIALS TO CURTAIL TOUGH BORDER ENFORCEMENT IN SAN DIEGO. THEY
SAY A BETTER WAY TO DISCOURAGE ILLEGAL MIGRANTS IS TO INCREASE
PENALTIES FOR EMPLOYERS WHO ILLEGALLY HIRE THEM. (SIGNED)
NEB/MOS/WDC/JO
17-Feb-99 4:31 PM EST (2131 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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