Immigration sweep yields 761 arrests

[Ghelp]

SANTA ANA, Calif. - Federal officials said Tuesday they arrested more than 750 illegal immigrants over the past week in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in what they described as one of the biggest such sweeps in U.S. history.






The weeklong series of raids in the five-county region targeted illegal immigrants who had previously been deported for crimes or had ignored final deportation orders.

The raids netted 338 illegal immigrants who were arrested at their homes and apartments and 423 who were identified in area jails since Jan. 17. Those already jailed will be transferred to federal custody when they finish serving their state sentences, said Virginia Kice, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The sweep netted illegal immigrants from 14 countries in all, including Mexico, Honduras, Ukraine, India, Japan, Poland and Trinidad.
Of the 761 people arrested, more than 450 have already been deported, Kice said.

The raids were a major push within Operation Return to Sender, a crackdown that has resulted in 13,000 arrests nationwide since June. Immigration officials have also identified 3,000 inmates in state and local jails who will be deported.
The operation targets those illegal immigrants who go into hiding after skipping their deportation proceedings and criminals who have re-entered the United States after being previously deported for crimes committed in this country.

Officials estimate 600,000 illegal immigrants who have ignored deportation orders are still at large, Kice said.
The Associated Press rode along for the first day of sweeps in Orange County last week. Immigration officers gathered at 4 a.m. in a chilly parking lot for a pep talk, then fanned out to houses in Anaheim and Santa Ana.

At the first stop, an apartment complex, a half-dozen agents arrested a 29-year-old illegal immigrant wanted for a driving-under-the-influence conviction. Kice said that man is now helping them find his brother, a registered *** offender.

At the second stop, the agents were looking for a convicted rapist and immigration fugitive. Instead, they arrested six men who could not provide legal papers — and later learned that all six were illegal and four had criminal records.
The rapist they sought had moved out the week before, Kice said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070123/ap_on_re_us/immigration_raids

[xMarsx]

Only 11,999,250 to go. Get cracking!

[waterdog]

Too little, and damn near too late.

waterdog

[ronrod71]

Wow, like trying to empty the ocean using a teaspoon.

[Tyler Durden 95]

Still better than nothing.

[ronrod71]

Still better than nothing.
So true. It's sad that this trivial discussion has to occur over a serious maater involving this nations security. Our door is wide open to whoever and the arrest of 700 CRIMINALS makes the front pages.

[Zoomie]

Whhooppee, they only arrested over 300, so what? More needs to be done.

[Ghelp]

The immigrants that where arrested where criminals and in jails.They received orders by Judges to leave the country but some didin't.They bring a bad name to the hard working immigrant families.

[Tyler Durden 95]

So true. It's sad that this trivial discussion has to occur over a serious maater involving this nations security. Our door is wide open to whoever and the arrest of 700 CRIMINALS makes the front pages.

Dubya claims to have deported ten of thousands since 2001.

But it seems the INS is more worried about the illegal immigrants that commits crime than the illegal immigrants that come here just to work and not look for trouble.

Both are still criminal, to the law.

[Ghelp]

US is the land of the immigrants.One big melting pot.The same thing happend to the Irish and Italian immigrants when they would come off the boat.They would be stoned and slurred at by other Americans that wanted them out.I guess it's other peoples turn.

[WARPIG]

Dubya claims to have deported ten of thousands since 2001.

But it seems the INS is more worried about the illegal immigrants that commits crime than the illegal immigrants that come here just to work and not look for trouble.

Both are still criminal, to the law.

So are the rest of us then.

Not having legal status here and jaywalking are on the same level. Your personal bias is the only difference.

This is just another highprofile show for political purposes. I have several friends and contacts within the INS, US Border Patrol, and Federal Correction Facilities. Most are just waiting for the next politician pushed surge in activity. Border Patrol is told on month to capture as many people as possible and the next asked to simply turn them back. Depending on the politics involved, they are either allowed to do their jobs or have their hands tied. People that are turnd back from crossing the border are not catalogued and therefore no one tracks the number of attempted crossings. This makes it seem as if there isn't many people crossing. Then when border patrols are asked to capture illegals, the number seems to have surged. Political manipulation plain and simple. The problem isn't with the people crossing, it is with the employers and government that take advantage of them. Most people with any common sense understand that our country was founded by immigrants and is influenced economically by the immigrants today. The vast majority of immigrants pay income tax but gain nothing in return. They contibute to a Federal retirement fund they will never see. They either pay cash for medical treatment or pay for insurance out of pocket. A savings for employers at any rate. The illegal immigration "crisis" right now is simply politics playing on fear and bigotry.

If any good will come from it is if the INS system is overhauled and the red tape associated with immigration is culled. There is a great deal of benefit in terms of money and diversity that can be gained by managing immigration correctly.


My big beef with the current immigration is that criminals with illegal status in the US get stuck in our corrections facilities. We need a better program to push these criminals back to their country. Unfortunately, most countries aren't interested in extradition laws that put serious criminals back on their soil. So, our corrections facilities stay true to form and provide 3 hots and a cot, cable TV and free education to criminals they can't get rid of. The less serious criminals get a free ride home until they can find their way back. This is the population that needs to be focused on and stopped.

[sferrin]

LOL! over 50% of them were in jail yet some continue to maintain that illegals are beneficial.

[GIJOEJK]

So I guess all the United States needs to do is;

http://annexmexico.org/
http://saberpoint.blogspot.com/2006/03/annex-mexico-now.html

Then all of us will be one happy family :)

Sounds good to me!

[sferrin]

Yeah and the next day you'd see the world's longest line of people standing outside the door to sign up for welfare.

[GIJOEJK]

Yeah and the next day you'd see the world's longest line of people standing outside the door to sign up for welfare.

Like we don't already have that now??? At least we get ALL of Mexico’s natural recourses...

[Ghelp]

So I guess all the United States needs to do is;

http://annexmexico.org/
http://saberpoint.blogspot.com/2006/03/annex-mexico-now.html

Then all of us will be one happy family :)

Sounds good to me!

How do you know they where even Mexicans.They could have been Central American or Chinese even.Those two sites are a waste of space on the internet.

[WARPIG]

LOL! over 50% of them were in jail yet some continue to maintain that illegals are beneficial.

You're not paying attention.

Sort of an easy operation when you know were to find illegals. Most illegals don't simply cluster together in some illegal alien hide out. INS going to the corectional facilities and cleaning house is usually business as usual. The hype that is focused on this bust is just political posturing.

By the way.. immigrants aren't just beneficial, they are why we exist as a country. Not just historically, but today. Illegal or legal is just a matter of which side of the red tape you are on. Granted, a large majority of illegals on the Mexican border pretty much tresspass onto US soil. Many immigrants travel by legal means and wish to stay. This is the demographic that should be given a chance. Although their status is not legal, it isn't criminal.
I do understand the very large problem that the unsecured border represents, but it isn't an immigration problem. It is a security problem. Our REAL immigration problem rests with our INS system, politics, and bigotry.

[GIJOEJK]

How do you know they where even Mexicans.They could have been Central American or Chinese even.Those two sites are a waste of space on the internet.

I have no idea, I just found those sites with a two minute web search.

Say what you want, with more and more Mexicans coming over here, it only makes since to me that we (USA) should just annex Mexico. It’s inevitable; sooner or later we will take possession of Mexico, in a peaceful way of course. And it will be to the good of all Mexicans, except maybe to the drug lords and corrupt politicians and police?




Besides we will be needing ALL of Mexico's natural recourses soon...

[WARPIG]

I have no idea, I just found those sites with a two minute web search.

Say what you want, with more and more Mexicans coming over here, it only makes since to me that we (USA) should just annex Mexico. It’s inevitable; sooner or later we will take possession of Mexico, in a peaceful way of course. And it will be to the good of all Mexicans, except maybe to the drug lords and corrupt politicians and police?




Besides we will be needing ALL of Mexico's natural recourses soon...



Pipe dream. If it were say Cuba or a smaller country, I could see it. But, Mexico is just too big to be a territory of the US.

That would help solve a lot of issues however. Extradition of criminals and a more comprehensive immigration law would have to be worked out if Mexico was a territory.

Anyone curious about a North American Union? Economically speaking it would really make the US, Mexico, and Canada a pretty formidible powerhouse. Too bad National egos aren't going to allow it. That would also force some pretty comprehensive immigration laws.

[GIJOEJK]

Pipe dream. If it were say Cuba or a smaller country, I could see it. But, Mexico is just too big to be a territory of the US.

That would help solve a lot of issues however. Extradition of criminals and a more comprehensive immigration law would have to be worked out if Mexico was a territory.

Anyone curious about a North American Union? Economically speaking it would really make the US, Mexico, and Canada a pretty formidible powerhouse. Too bad National egos aren't going to allow it. That would also force some pretty comprehensive immigration laws.

Mark my words, Mexico Will be annexed by USA, sooner or later...

The North American Union, I have heard and read, would only work if Mexico, Canada and the USA had economies that were similar. Unfortunately, Mexico and Canada are far too below ours (currently at least) for this union to work. IMO, the strongest economy ALWAYS swallows up the weaker ones...

[WARPIG]

Mark my words, Mexico Will be annexed by USA, sooner or later...

Haha.. I'll take that bet. Case of Modelo or Dos XX maybe?

[shocker1]

Pipe dream. If it were say Cuba or a smaller country, I could see it. But, Mexico is just too big to be a territory of the US.

That would help solve a lot of issues however. Extradition of criminals and a more comprehensive immigration law would have to be worked out if Mexico was a territory.

Anyone curious about a North American Union? Economically speaking it would really make the US, Mexico, and Canada a pretty formidible powerhouse. Too bad National egos aren't going to allow it. That would also force some pretty comprehensive immigration laws.
I have always thought some type of mutual agreement is in order. National intrests kept in mind but I think it is the only way to help Mexico really tackle her problems and ours. The border is a security issue and must be solved now not later. I see good things in Mexico, they are a large part of the American heritage.

We need to find a way to keep hard working people here, I can understand why some would break our laws to avoid returing home. Give them a chance and at the same time help Mexico become what she should be so the ones who want to work here part time and go home can. Someday we may find they want to stay there and work, that would end up making wages higher for everyone. Then we will be asking them to come fill our unfullfilled jobs with a higher pay than the peanuts some are making now.

We will have to have a long debate about Canada being part of this.p-)

[Ghelp]

I don't see Mexico being annexed by any one.Let alone the US.If you need natural resources you can just buy the companies and land with business ventures.

[non]

I have no idea, I just found those sites with a two minute web search.

Say what you want, with more and more Mexicans coming over here, it only makes since to me that we (USA) should just annex Mexico. It’s inevitable; sooner or later we will take possession of Mexico, in a peaceful way of course. And it will be to the good of all Mexicans, except maybe to the drug lords and corrupt politicians and police?




Besides we will be needing ALL of Mexico's natural recourses soon...


That's ridiculous. Mexico has been an independent nation for almost 200 hundred years. When in history has any nation simply folded it's independence. I'm a Gringo. So, I really don't care, but your opinion of Mexican people must be lower than low. Nobody's that spineless. (Okay the Vichy... but the French not withstanding...)

[WARPIG]

That's ridiculous. Mexico has been an independent nation for almost 200 hundred years. When in history has any nation simply folded it's independence. I'm a Gringo. So, I really don't care, but your opinion of Mexican people must be lower than low. Nobody's that spineless. (Okay the Vichy... but the French not withstanding...)

It was a tongue-in-cheek comment. Reel in the argumentative bait... it's only bound to catch more arguement.

[Mastermind]

Six blocks from my house...the nursery. On any given Saturday morning, you can easily nab fifty of 'em. The Gas stations on my way to work, another hundred at least by 07:00 on any given work day. They are there for the picking...NO! I'm not apologizing for the pun...live with it. :-)MM

[WARPIG]

Six blocks from my house...the nursery. On any given Saturday morning, you can easily nab fifty of 'em. The Gas stations on my way to work, another hundred at least by 07:00 on any given work day. They are there for the picking...NO! I'm not apologizing for the pun...live with it. :-)MM

What are you talking about? Bags of mulch?

[Ghelp]

What are you talking about? Bags of mulch?

Warpig your killing me man.My ribs are in pain rofl

[exarmyguard]

TO ANYONE WHO CARES.....tell your representatives that you are happy with the arrests and look forward to more. Tell the DHS to keep doing their f*cking job.

[WARPIG]

TO ANYONE WHO CARES.....tell your representatives that you are happy with the arrests and look forward to more. Tell the DHS to keep doing their f*cking job.

Yeah.. I got 'em both on speed dial wait..

OK they said ROGER THAT and to tell exarmguard "sup."

Just razzing you. I have to say, rather than adding to the hype of this superficial sting.. ask for more more sweeping changes. Let your reps know that the gerrymandering is pissing you off and they need to come up with a real solution.

[GIJOEJK]

Yeah.. I got 'em both on speed dial wait..

OK they said ROGER THAT and to tell exarmguard "sup."

Just razzing you. I have to say, rather than adding to the hype of this superficial sting.. ask for more more sweeping changes. Let your reps know that the gerrymandering is pissing you off and they need to come up with a real solution.

YEA, Annex Mexico. LOL!

[waterdog]

INVASION USA
How open borders turn
Americans into roadkill
Illegals drive up highway deaths as U.S. hits
new highs for unlicensed, uninsured motorists
Posted: August 25, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern


© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com


Vitalina Bautista Vargas bids farewell to husband in court (courtesy Chattanooga Times Free Press)
WASHINGTON – Marcos Ramos Medina was driving his 1997 Chevrolet Lumina erratically, according to witnesses, swerving several times across the center line, causing a tractor-trailer rig to jackknife in Yakima, Wash., Aug. 4, 2005.

That was before his car plowed into the 2000 Lexus driven by Peggy Keller, 53, dean of distance education at Yakima Valley College, who was killed in the head-on crash.

Prosecutors in his vehicular homicide trial contended Medina was coming down from a methamphetamine high. When Russell T. "Todd" Sharpe, a six-year Washington State Patrol officer, testified that Medina fought against his restraints while being taken to the hospital for a blood alcohol test and refused to answer questions, the case against the Mexican national with a criminal record who had twice been deported was declared a mistrial because his constitutional right to remain silent had been violated.

"It pains me greatly, but in this case I must exercise an abundance of caution," explained Judge James P. Hutton.

Little caution, critics say, is being exercised when it comes to preventing mayhem on America's highways as the country witnesses record high numbers of unlicensed, unregistered, uninsured drivers – millions of whom are illegal aliens like Medina.

While no one – in or out of government – tracks traffic accidents caused by illegal aliens, the statistical and anecdotal evidence suggests many of last year's 42,636 road deaths involved illegal aliens.

A report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Study found 20 percent of fatal accidents involve at least one driver who lacks a valid license. In California, another study showed that those who have never held a valid license are about five times more likely to be involved in a fatal road accident than licensed drivers.

Statistically, that makes them an even greater danger on the road than drivers whose licenses have been suspended or revoked – and nearly as dangerous as drunk drivers.

While police do not routinely ask drivers about their immigration status, New York's Rockland County District Attorney Michael Bongiorno – who has prosecuted more than 20 felony cases this year involving people accused of both unlicensed driving and drunken driving – estimated that two-thirds of about 70 drivers charged in Spring Valley with misdemeanor counts of driving while intoxicated and unlicensed driving were illegal immigrants.

"Unfortunately, the undocumented drivers here do that (drive unlicensed) more than the natives,'' said California Highway Patrol Officer Wendy Hahn. "If they've been involved in an incident, they flee because they don't want to deal with immigration.''

Federal immigration officials typically do not get involved when an undocumented person is charged with drunken driving or driving without a license, said Bongiorno and police officials around the country.

While the Census Bureau estimates there are 9 million illegal aliens living in the U.S., other sources put the figure closer to 20 million. Running parallel to those estimates are the best guesses on the number of unlicensed motorists – 17 million.

In addition, the states with the most illegal aliens also have the most unlicensed drivers. Those states are also in the lead for the most hit-and-run accidents, according to reports issued by the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the Pew Hispanic Center. California ranks at the top with 24.1 percent of the known 11.1 million illegal aliens.

The proportion of unlicensed drivers varies widely state-by-state, with 6 percent in Maine and 23 percent in New Mexico.

Many of those advocating allowing illegal aliens to get driver's licenses make the case by suggesting most unlicensed drivers are so because they cannot get a license.

In California, for instance, the Legislature is considering several proposals that would help illegal immigrants drive. One of them is a bill that would prevent police from seizing vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers. Senate Bill 626 by Sen. Nell Soto, D-Ontario, would apply to all drivers who have never obtained a California license. Opponents point out those favoring the bill are the same people promoting licenses for illegals.

'Under current state law, police can seize vehicles for up to 30 days if the driver is unlicensed. Under the new bill, if the driver never had a license, the vehicle could be seized for only 24 hours; those who had licenses suspended or revoked would still have the vehicles impounded for up to 30 days.

Who are the people who have never had a license? Disproportionately, critics of the bill say, they are illegal immigrants.

In the Maryland Legislature, Delegate Luiz R.S. Simmons, D-Montgomery, is drafting legislation that would stiffen penalties for unlicensed drivers. His bill requires them to appear before a judge and would make them subject to up to 90 days in jail for a first offense and as much as a year for a second offense. In addition, cars belonging to unlicensed drivers could be impounded for up to a month or forfeited if they were involved in an accident that caused an injury.

Though there is absolutely no government data on the identity of Maryland's unlicensed drivers – or those in any other state – Simmons's bill has been attacked by immigrant rights' activists, who say it targets Latinos.

Whether they are mostly illegal aliens or not, one thing is certain – there are more unlicensed drivers on the road than ever before. So prevalent is the trend that many police departments have cut back on sobriety checkpoints in favor of checkpoints to check the documentation of drivers.

A WND statistical study of police reports of dozens of such checkpoints around the country show that close to 10 percent of drivers stopped are either unlicensed or have suspended licenses. Even at sobriety checkpoints, far more drivers are found to be unlicensed than intoxicated.

While some say the answer to the illegal alien-unlicensed driver crisis is permitting illegals to get licensed, others say the solution is decreasing the number of illegal immigrants living in the United States.

Rules determining who is eligible for a driver's license vary by state. Eleven states do not require legal immigration status to obtain a license. The rest do require proof of legal status, either by state law or the documents required to apply. The eleven states are: Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. Tennessee and Utah have introduced a separate "certificate for driving" for state residents who cannot prove they are lawfully present in the United States. But Tennessee stopped issuing the certificates in February after reports that undocumented immigrants were coming from out of state and using false documents to apply.

The Real ID act, scheduled to take effect in 2008, will prohibit all states from issuing licenses to illegal aliens or the licenses will not be accepted as identification for federal purposes.

In addition to being unlicensed, most illegal alien drivers are uninsured – making the accidents they cause even more injurious. Statewide, more than one-third of California drivers are without insurance, according to the California Department of Insurance. In some low-income and minority neighborhoods, the rate is over 50 percent. In San Jose, for instance, 55 percent of all drivers on the road have no auto insurance. In some parts of Los Angeles, Imperial, San Diego and Alameda counties, the rate reaches as high as 90 percent.

The situation isn't much better in other states with high populations of illegals. In Texas, 27 percent of drivers are uninsured. In Florida, the estimates are between 15 and 25 percent. In Colorado, 32 percent.

Even though citizens and legal residents are victimized by the high percentage of uninsured drivers, illegal aliens themselves are often immune to the pain.

Take the case of Victor Manuel Caballero. Even though he entered the country illegally from Mexico five years ago, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that he could collect damages for being hurt in an auto accident from a special state fund set up to benefit those hurt in accidents with uninsured drivers.

Caballero would hitch a ride to his computer job with a co-worker, 19-year-old Ricardo Martinez. One morning, Martinez fell asleep at the wheel, veered off the road and struck a parked tractor trailer. Martinez walked away from the accident, but Caballero was badly hurt.

Surgeons repaired injuries to his abdomen and intestines over a week in the hospital at a cost of $38,300 in medical bills and $1,482 in lost wages. He had no medical insurance. The driver, Martinez was not only unregistered, he had no auto insurance. It turns out he was illegal, too.

The $38,300 in hospital bills was paid by a special hospital charity fund. And because of his successful lawsuit that went all the way to the state Supreme Court, Caballero was eligible for up to $15,000 for "pain and suffering."

There are no official statistics about highway carnage and illegal aliens. But there is an increasing awareness among law enforcement officials – and victims of traffic accidents – that illegal aliens are playing a disproportionate role in the road mayhem.

Earlier this month, a court in Chattanooga, Tenn., heard the case of an illegal alien convicted of running her car into a house and killing a 91-year-old woman. A judge ordered Vitalina Bautista Vargas deported. Amazingly, the family of the victim remained compassionate and merciful.

"They wanted one of the conditions to be that she learn how to drive," prosecutor Jay Wood said.

Prosecutor Wood said federal officials insisted that she be deported. He said as a convicted felon, she will not be allowed to apply to re-enter the country for at least 10 years.

Louella Winton, the victim, was asleep in her bed when the car crashed into her house. The vehicle knocked the victim through the bedroom wall and threw her against the wall of the house next door.

According to surveys conducted by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Hispanics believe it takes 6-8 drinks to affect driving, while Americans, indoctrinated for years against drunk driving, believe it takes just 2-4 drinks.

In 2001, MADD reported 44.1 percent of California's drunk driving arrests were of Hispanics, while, officially, they made up just 31.3 percent of the population.

If you w

[Mastermind]

all that report above details just about everything that is totally wrong with allowing illegals to remain in this country...but, all I hear from the gvt, from Bush on down to local street cops, "Lets just do nothing about it."

What is it going to take? The Minutemen now are being declared a 'terrorist organization' by some mebers of congress...I write letters to my congress and senate people about this issue...and now, I don't even get a response...both Republican and Democrat.

The arrogance of big gvt is overwhelming. MM

[Durandal]

they arrested more than 750 illegal immigrants

To bad that many came across a 2-mile section of the Mexican/U.S. border last night.

Think of the amount of money, wasted, trying to round of those 750 illegals, then the cost to house them to they are actually tried, then the cost of deporting them back to their home countries (its not like we take EVERYONE back to Mexico).

[WARPIG]

INVASION USA
How open borders turn
Americans into roadkill
Illegals drive up highway deaths as U.S. hits
new highs for unlicensed, uninsured motorists
Posted: August 25, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern


© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com


Vitalina Bautista Vargas bids farewell to husband in court (courtesy Chattanooga Times Free Press)
WASHINGTON – Marcos Ramos Medina was driving his 1997 Chevrolet Lumina erratically, according to witnesses, swerving several times across the center line, causing a tractor-trailer rig to jackknife in Yakima, Wash., Aug. 4, 2005.

That was before his car plowed into the 2000 Lexus driven by Peggy Keller, 53, dean of distance education at Yakima Valley College, who was killed in the head-on crash.

Prosecutors in his vehicular homicide trial contended Medina was coming down from a methamphetamine high. When Russell T. "Todd" Sharpe, a six-year Washington State Patrol officer, testified that Medina fought against his restraints while being taken to the hospital for a blood alcohol test and refused to answer questions, the case against the Mexican national with a criminal record who had twice been deported was declared a mistrial because his constitutional right to remain silent had been violated.

"It pains me greatly, but in this case I must exercise an abundance of caution," explained Judge James P. Hutton.

Little caution, critics say, is being exercised when it comes to preventing mayhem on America's highways as the country witnesses record high numbers of unlicensed, unregistered, uninsured drivers – millions of whom are illegal aliens like Medina.

While no one – in or out of government – tracks traffic accidents caused by illegal aliens, the statistical and anecdotal evidence suggests many of last year's 42,636 road deaths involved illegal aliens.

A report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Study found 20 percent of fatal accidents involve at least one driver who lacks a valid license. In California, another study showed that those who have never held a valid license are about five times more likely to be involved in a fatal road accident than licensed drivers.

Statistically, that makes them an even greater danger on the road than drivers whose licenses have been suspended or revoked – and nearly as dangerous as drunk drivers.

While police do not routinely ask drivers about their immigration status, New York's Rockland County District Attorney Michael Bongiorno – who has prosecuted more than 20 felony cases this year involving people accused of both unlicensed driving and drunken driving – estimated that two-thirds of about 70 drivers charged in Spring Valley with misdemeanor counts of driving while intoxicated and unlicensed driving were illegal immigrants.

"Unfortunately, the undocumented drivers here do that (drive unlicensed) more than the natives,'' said California Highway Patrol Officer Wendy Hahn. "If they've been involved in an incident, they flee because they don't want to deal with immigration.''

Federal immigration officials typically do not get involved when an undocumented person is charged with drunken driving or driving without a license, said Bongiorno and police officials around the country.

While the Census Bureau estimates there are 9 million illegal aliens living in the U.S., other sources put the figure closer to 20 million. Running parallel to those estimates are the best guesses on the number of unlicensed motorists – 17 million.

In addition, the states with the most illegal aliens also have the most unlicensed drivers. Those states are also in the lead for the most hit-and-run accidents, according to reports issued by the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the Pew Hispanic Center. California ranks at the top with 24.1 percent of the known 11.1 million illegal aliens.

The proportion of unlicensed drivers varies widely state-by-state, with 6 percent in Maine and 23 percent in New Mexico.

Many of those advocating allowing illegal aliens to get driver's licenses make the case by suggesting most unlicensed drivers are so because they cannot get a license.

In California, for instance, the Legislature is considering several proposals that would help illegal immigrants drive. One of them is a bill that would prevent police from seizing vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers. Senate Bill 626 by Sen. Nell Soto, D-Ontario, would apply to all drivers who have never obtained a California license. Opponents point out those favoring the bill are the same people promoting licenses for illegals.

'Under current state law, police can seize vehicles for up to 30 days if the driver is unlicensed. Under the new bill, if the driver never had a license, the vehicle could be seized for only 24 hours; those who had licenses suspended or revoked would still have the vehicles impounded for up to 30 days.

Who are the people who have never had a license? Disproportionately, critics of the bill say, they are illegal immigrants.

In the Maryland Legislature, Delegate Luiz R.S. Simmons, D-Montgomery, is drafting legislation that would stiffen penalties for unlicensed drivers. His bill requires them to appear before a judge and would make them subject to up to 90 days in jail for a first offense and as much as a year for a second offense. In addition, cars belonging to unlicensed drivers could be impounded for up to a month or forfeited if they were involved in an accident that caused an injury.

Though there is absolutely no government data on the identity of Maryland's unlicensed drivers – or those in any other state – Simmons's bill has been attacked by immigrant rights' activists, who say it targets Latinos.

Whether they are mostly illegal aliens or not, one thing is certain – there are more unlicensed drivers on the road than ever before. So prevalent is the trend that many police departments have cut back on sobriety checkpoints in favor of checkpoints to check the documentation of drivers.

A WND statistical study of police reports of dozens of such checkpoints around the country show that close to 10 percent of drivers stopped are either unlicensed or have suspended licenses. Even at sobriety checkpoints, far more drivers are found to be unlicensed than intoxicated.

While some say the answer to the illegal alien-unlicensed driver crisis is permitting illegals to get licensed, others say the solution is decreasing the number of illegal immigrants living in the United States.

Rules determining who is eligible for a driver's license vary by state. Eleven states do not require legal immigration status to obtain a license. The rest do require proof of legal status, either by state law or the documents required to apply. The eleven states are: Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. Tennessee and Utah have introduced a separate "certificate for driving" for state residents who cannot prove they are lawfully present in the United States. But Tennessee stopped issuing the certificates in February after reports that undocumented immigrants were coming from out of state and using false documents to apply.

The Real ID act, scheduled to take effect in 2008, will prohibit all states from issuing licenses to illegal aliens or the licenses will not be accepted as identification for federal purposes.

In addition to being unlicensed, most illegal alien drivers are uninsured – making the accidents they cause even more injurious. Statewide, more than one-third of California drivers are without insurance, according to the California Department of Insurance. In some low-income and minority neighborhoods, the rate is over 50 percent. In San Jose, for instance, 55 percent of all drivers on the road have no auto insurance. In some parts of Los Angeles, Imperial, San Diego and Alameda counties, the rate reaches as high as 90 percent.

The situation isn't much better in other states with high populations of illegals. In Texas, 27 percent of drivers are uninsured. In Florida, the estimates are between 15 and 25 percent. In Colorado, 32 percent.

Even though citizens and legal residents are victimized by the high percentage of uninsured drivers, illegal aliens themselves are often immune to the pain.

Take the case of Victor Manuel Caballero. Even though he entered the country illegally from Mexico five years ago, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that he could collect damages for being hurt in an auto accident from a special state fund set up to benefit those hurt in accidents with uninsured drivers.

Caballero would hitch a ride to his computer job with a co-worker, 19-year-old Ricardo Martinez. One morning, Martinez fell asleep at the wheel, veered off the road and struck a parked tractor trailer. Martinez walked away from the accident, but Caballero was badly hurt.

Surgeons repaired injuries to his abdomen and intestines over a week in the hospital at a cost of $38,300 in medical bills and $1,482 in lost wages. He had no medical insurance. The driver, Martinez was not only unregistered, he had no auto insurance. It turns out he was illegal, too.

The $38,300 in hospital bills was paid by a special hospital charity fund. And because of his successful lawsuit that went all the way to the state Supreme Court, Caballero was eligible for up to $15,000 for "pain and suffering."

There are no official statistics about highway carnage and illegal aliens. But there is an increasing awareness among law enforcement officials – and victims of traffic accidents – that illegal aliens are playing a disproportionate role in the road mayhem.

Earlier this month, a court in Chattanooga, Tenn., heard the case of an illegal alien convicted of running her car into a house and killing a 91-year-old woman. A judge ordered Vitalina Bautista Vargas deported. Amazingly, the family of the victim remained compassionate and merciful.

"They wanted one of the conditions to be that she learn how to drive," prosecutor Jay Wood said.

Prosecutor Wood said federal officials insisted that she be deported. He said as a convicted felon, she will not be allowed to apply to re-enter the country for at least 10 years.

Louella Winton, the victim, was asleep in her bed when the car crashed into her house. The vehicle knocked the victim through the bedroom wall and threw her against the wall of the house next door.

According to surveys conducted by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Hispanics believe it takes 6-8 drinks to affect driving, while Americans, indoctrinated for years against drunk driving, believe it takes just 2-4 drinks.

In 2001, MADD reported 44.1 percent of California's drunk driving arrests were of Hispanics, while, officially, they made up just 31.3 percent of the population.

If you w

I can drum up just as much on how illegal aliens are contributing to their community. Thing is.. it doesn't make a point. Just like the minutia you posted above. The same sort of closed minded bigotry went on with every immigrant that has come across our borders.
Politicians are playing on the fear and bigotry of the ignorant to drum up hype.
The problem doesn't lie with the immigrants, but our piss poor system. Cracking down on people with illegal status won't solve the problem. Giving them amnesty or even a legal way to obtain legal status won't solve the problem either. A very broad sweeping answer just won't cut it. There are a lot of steps that need to be taken but instead.. we focus on those bad illegals. They aren't going anywhere. The only things we can and should be trying to fix is our immigration system and our borders. We can't completely cut off the border, but we can give the Border Patrol the tools and lattitude to make border crossing very tough. We can create a realstic avenue for immigrants to enter and work, live, or become citizens in our country. Make the legal way to get here easier to obtain while making the illegal way harder. Give immigrants the ability to drive legally as well as obtain insurance. Illegal status shouldn't automatically result in deportation. Fines and penalties should come first. There are many things that can and should be done to make sense of and control our immigration issues. Our government currently seems incapable of any of them.

[Mastermind]

What WP said^!!! MM

[mudbunny]

I've been hard on ICE, and rightfully so, but good on 'em for this sweep which happened in the heart of an illegal "nest". Hopefully they'll keep up the good work.

[Big D]

I can drum up just as much on how illegal aliens are contributing to their community. Thing is.. it doesn't make a point. Just like the minutia you posted above. The same sort of closed minded bigotry went on with every immigrant that has come across our borders.
Politicians are playing on the fear and bigotry of the ignorant to drum up hype.
The problem doesn't lie with the immigrants, but our piss poor system. Cracking down on people with illegal status won't solve the problem. Giving them amnesty or even a legal way to obtain legal status won't solve the problem either. A very broad sweeping answer just won't cut it. There are a lot of steps that need to be taken but instead.. we focus on those bad illegals. They aren't going anywhere. The only things we can and should be trying to fix is our immigration system and our borders. We can't completely cut off the border, but we can give the Border Patrol the tools and lattitude to make border crossing very tough. We can create a realstic avenue for immigrants to enter and work, live, or become citizens in our country. Make the legal way to get here easier to obtain while making the illegal way harder. Give immigrants the ability to drive legally as well as obtain insurance. Illegal status shouldn't automatically result in deportation. Fines and penalties should come first. There are many things that can and should be done to make sense of and control our immigration issues. Our government currently seems incapable of any of them.

Very good post.

Also, on a side note, INS was overhauled a while back. A division of Department of Homeland Security is now "doing the job." I don't know if this actually makes a difference, however. Seems like it's the same ****, with a broken system, but under a different name.