Proposal to Put Marines Along Border Assailed

A coalition of community groups charged Wednesday that the proposal by Sheriff John Duffy and U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson to station Marines along the U.S.-Mexico border to stem the flow of illegal immigration are contributing to a mood of “anti-alien hysteria” in the county.

Several speakers from the Coalition for Law and Justice who met with reporters in Barrio Logan complained bitterly that the idea was unrealistic and stemmed from a “political agenda” that is attempting to portray illegal aliens as criminals. The coalition is made up of 30 community groups, said the speakers.

Sociologist Leo Chavez said there is “a rising tide of racism and anti-alien hysteria” in San Diego County and that the proposal by Duffy and Wilson will only make the problem worse.

“This wasn’t even a serious proposal. It was a political statement to fan the flames of hysteria on the border,” said Chavez.

Wilson, who toured the border this weekend to learn about drug-trafficking, said that he supported the idea of having Marines at the border if Congress does not pass immigration reform legislation. Wilson argued that the only way the United States can stem illegal immigration is through sanctions on employers who hire undocumented aliens.

He stressed that he is not calling for the Marines to be stationed at the border now, but only in the event that Congress fails to pass an immigration reform bill.

Duffy, however, said he’s for posting Marines at the border now.

“The Marines perform the same function of security at our embassies all over the world, where they prevent people from coming over the wall,” said Duffy. “ . . . Until somebody comes along with a better idea, the Marines ought to be used.”

Duffy denied he is fanning hysteria with his proposal; he said the “hysteria already exists.” However, he admitted that his proposal is not likely to be well-received.

“I’ll probably die of old age before I see Marines on the border,” he said.

Other speakers criticized the Border Patrol for “legalizing violence” along the border. They pointed to recent incidents where several aliens have been run over by Border Patrol vehicles and to last year’s shooting of a Mexican youth by a Border Patrol agent.

On March 30, three men were injured when they were run over by a Border Patrol van as they slept in high grass near the border. Later in the day agents found the body of another man who police say was killed by a hit and run driver. The body was found on the U.S. side about 500 yards from the spot where the three men were injured.

On March 2, an alien was killed in Otay Mesa when he was run over by a Border Patrol vehicle as he slept in the grass. In August, a 13-year-old girl and her 23-year-old brother were run over by a Border Patrol vehicle as they hid in the grass. The agents in the vehicle had been chasing the pair and two other aliens in the dark.

Roberto Martinez said his group has talked with Border Patrol officials about the “rundowns” but said that the Border Patrol “basically gives us the runaround.”

“We tell them about our concerns, but then they bring out that their agents are getting shot at the border, and nothing is accomplished,” said Martinez.