csua.org/u/cpu -> today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2005-07-12T223235Z_01_N12596384_RTRIDST_0_USREPORT-SECURITY-IMMIGRATION-DC.XML
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of people from countries other than Mex ico arrested trying to cross the US southern border has almost doubled this year, the head of the US border patrol told the US Congress on Tuesday. David Aguilar told the House of Representatives appropriations subcommitt ee on homeland security the United States was continuing to experience a rising influx of what he termed OTMs -- other than Mexicans -- trying t o enter the country illegally. "Apprehensions are running at a rate of 175 percent for fiscal year 2005 over FY 2004's record number of OTM apprehensions on the southwest borde r," Aguilar said. In all, the border patrol has detained 919,000 illegal immigrants so far this year, of whom 119,000 were non-Mexicans. The largest single number -- over 12,000 -- came from Brazil. US officials believe the increase stems from non-Mexican illegal immigr ants knowing they will be released even if they are caught crossing the border. Mexicans caught by US border patrols trying to enter the country illega lly are usually immediately returned to their native land. Many simply w ait a day and then try to sneak into the country again. But Mexico accepts only Mexicans, so any non-Mexicans are checked against government watch lists as a potential security or criminal threat. If their names do not appear, they are normally released on their own rec ognizance and told to appear at a deportation hearing often months in th e future. Some 85 percent fail to show up for the hearing and are never seen again. Lawmakers are increasingly concerned that terrorists could slip across th e Mexican border, particularly since US authorities have vastly tighte ned visa scrutiny and airport checks in the past four years, especially for people seeking to enter the United States from the Middle East. Aguilar said that last year the border patrol detained 644 people from "c ountries of concern" and had stopped some 500 this year. They were subje cted to intense interrogation and investigation. Subcommittee chairman Hal Rogers, a Republican from Kentucky, said the fi gures were striking and alarming. "We should be greatly concerned because OTMs do not register (with the au thorities), their travel documents are suspect and they have no biometri c records that can be checked to verify identity," he said.
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