Would a Luxury ‘Facility’ at Checkpoint Really Help the INS Catch More Aliens?
It appears that the Border Patrol is trying its darnedest to convince us that to do their job more effectively, they really need a luxurious new landmark headquarters “facility” and resort on the finest stretch of Southern California Riviera coastline.
Who is the Immigration and Naturalization Service trying to kid?
Even if they did intensive checkpoint activity at the San Clemente Border Patrol checkpoint every day of the year, they would nab only 350,000 illegals if last Sunday’s effort represents a true picture.
But that effort was paid for dearly by all U.S. citizens who just wanted to spend their weekend in the Southland, not be detained for hours backed up for more than five miles while the Border Patrol played “catch the illegals” 60 miles away from where they could be 10 times more effective.
Every person detained for more than a few moments had his constitutional rights violated. When are the citizens going to wake up and see that the checkpoint is a burdensome, absurd, Border Patrol boondoggle that is really very ineffective at halting illegal aliens from entering our nation? Imagine a $30-million resort “facility” dedicated to this folly!
As it stands, Interstate 5 offers four northbound lanes. The Border Patrol normally shuts down one or two lanes of traffic, funneling cars to a standstill at the checkpoint.
Not only did they create a massive traffic jam, they needed helicopters and men roaming the territory from the beach to inland Camp Pendleton.
If they applied that kind of manpower along the real border, they could probably catch 10 times as many illegals in half the time.
ANTHONY DALY
San Clemente
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