BORDER PATROL TO TARGET HURRICANE EVACUATIONS

Not too much surprises me when it comes to immigration enforcement these days, but this story made me do a double take. Apparently, Border Patrol agents will be questioning people boarding evacuation buses when a hurricane approaches the Rio Grande region in Texas. The Border Patrol claims illegally present immigrants will be "looked after" and taken to a safe detention facility and presumably deported when the storm is over. Of course, a large percentage of people will not take the chance of being deported and will risk being killed. And when we have another Katrina with a massive death toll, we'll at least know who to blame.

Comments

[BeeDee]

The UN definition of a refugee includes:

"A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country"

Now, if this policy goes into force, then the people who are unwilling to be evacuated in the face of a hurricane would meet this definition. Would Mexico or other countries as UN members call upon the UNHCR to get involved in protecting their citizens inside the US?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_Relating_to_the_Status_of_Refugees

[BeeDee]

"India for instance is divided into different ethnic states and unless you are born in a state and speak that state's language you are a foreigner."

India is organized linguistically (i.e. by language) not by ethnicity. Moving from one state to another and assimilating into the local population requires little more than learning the state's local language.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_Reorganisation_Act

[George Chell]

"This is kind of scary. Anti-immigrant violence in South Africa"

All Africans are equal (for whites), but some Africans are more equal than others (for Africans). India for instance is divided into different ethnic states and unless you are born in a state and speak that state's language you are a foreigner.

As far as the Border Patrol is concerned, they are enforcing the law. Blame the congress and the President for not fixing the problem. It wont be fixed until at least the middle of next year.

[limbo]

This is kind of scary. Anti-immigrant violence in South Africa,

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hGl3JLc1BDhNqHQeULKfLOClT_qA