Danger of the seas not deterring immigrants from Mexico

TIJUANA — The risk, the danger, or the fear doesn’t stop them from believing in the “American dream.” It is the story of thousands of people who every year attempt to cross the U.S. border looking for a better future. Most of them have to pay a very high price for it, and sometimes without succeeding.

But for Mexican authorities, it doesn’t seem to be a big problem. This year, the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (PGR in Spanish) has had no investigations into any cases of human smugglers in the entire Baja California territory.

For those who work with immigrants, however, the truth is different.

“Every day, we receive between 400 and 500 immigrants that are deported [back to Mexico through the San Ysidro crossing],” said Maria Galvan, a social worker for the Centro Madre Assunta, an immigrant shelter for women and children in Tijuana.

Galvan said that unfortunately Mexican detectives work based on complaints, but immigrants are reluctant to come forward. Though the immigrants have been victimized, they are inclined to keep quiet, lest they bring on further troubles.

“The immigrants never come forward [to authorities], because they don’t have the time, and they are afraid of the smugglers,” she said.

Last month, a group of immigrants was rescued by a private vessel while floating in Mexican waters, about two miles off the coast of the southern end of Tijuana.

Eight people — seven men and one pregnant woman — were found after their small boat capsized. The eight were suffering from apparent dehydration and possible hypothermia, and one of them had a laceration on his arm.

The group was turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers who determined that the they were Mexican nationals and not lawfully able to enter the United States.

During interviews with CBP officers, the immigrants stated that they were intending to attempt to cross by boat illegally into the United States. The immigrants stated to the U.S. authorities that they paid $3,500-$4,500 each to be smuggled into the United States.

They described how they were directed to board a small vessel, which appeared to be built to hold four to five people. However, about twice that many were put onboard, and no one was provided with life preservers or other flotation devices, they added. After embarking, the outboard motor on the overloaded boat stalled. In the ocean swell, the small boat began taking on water.

One of the men from the group was arrested for investigation under suspicion of human smuggling and deported to Mexico to face prosecution. He would be the first smuggler to be prosecuted by Mexican authorities this year.

A route by the sea
With the implementation of the Operation Gatekeeper program in 1994, additional U.S. border security measures over the past decade, and more recently, the construction of the new border fence, illegal procedures for immigrants to enter the country have become more expensive and dangerous.

“Every nation has the right to enhance security, but not by risking the life of others,” said Galvan, who said that since Operation Gatekeeper was implemented, 5,100 immigrants have died trying to get into the U.S. “Immigrants will never disappear. They will risk everything to make true their dream. By mountains, in the desert, on a boat or even in the ports of entry, they are going to try it.”

Testimonials from most immigrants, who said they tried to enter the U.S. by sea, allege that the boats leave from Popotla, a fishing village located five miles south of Rosarito.

This assertion has been denied by Mexican authorities, however.

The illegal operations take place at night. Fishermen in the area said that in the cold Pacific waters, a big wave can turn over a small vessel. They also said that the smugglers work with organized crime members, and that besides providing passage for illegal immigrants, the boats are used to transport drugs.

This information matches with reports from the CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agencies that state that in the past two years, more boats with illegal immigrants have been found off the coast of Imperial Beach, Coronado, San Diego, Del Mar, Encinitas and Carlsbad.

For ICE, in that time, the number of detentions has almost doubled. Agency spokesperson Lauren Mack said that during the fiscal year 2009, marine agents have arrested 430 suspected undocumented immigrants, alien and drug smugglers. This compares to 230 detentions during the same period in 2008.

Enrique Morones, president of Border Angels, an immigrant rights activist group, believes that the only solution is immigration reform.

“There are more and more people risking all by crossing a dangerous sea,” he said. “We will never know how many because the ocean will take them, just like the Africans crossing into Spain, and the Cubans and Haitians (trying to enter the U.S.) in the Caribbean.”

Morones is sure that the immigration reform would be more powerful than any additional border security equipment.

“We don’t need more dead. We need reform immediately,” he said.

CBP officials urge those attempting to cross into the United States illegally by boat to put their safety first and not place their lives in the hands of smugglers.

“For smugglers, money is paramount; it has more value than human life or safety,” said Paul Morris, director of field operations for CBP in San Diego, in a written statement. “People should not risk their lives by attempting a dangerous, illegal crossing.”

Tania Navarro is an SDNN contributing writer who reports from Tijuana.

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Tags: immigration, Mexico, Mexico Border, Popotla, SDNN

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