Pubdate: Tue, 01 Aug 2006 Source: Dallas Morning News (TX) Copyright: 2006 The Dallas Morning News Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117 Author: Diane Jennings, The Dallas Morning News U.S. ADDS HELP FOR BORDER PROSECUTION The federal government announced plans Monday to beef up prosecution offices in border states to handle immigration-related offenses and drug trafficking. "As a nation of laws, it is important that those who cross our borders illegally or smuggle drugs are prosecuted swiftly and fairly," Attorney General Al Gonzales said in prepared statement. Twenty assistant U.S. attorneys will be divided among five federal law enforcement districts, including the Southern and Western districts of Texas. Those attorneys will focus solely on immigration-related offenses, such as human trafficking, illegal re-entry and illegal employment of immigrants. Five more assistant U.S. attorneys, one in each district, will be added to prosecute drug trafficking. "We welcome the additional resources," said Nancy G. Herrera of the U.S. attorney's office in Houston. "Particularly given the increase of law enforcement presence along the border. There is a need for additional assets in the United States attorney's offices to handle cases generated by that law enforcement effort." But Crystal Williams, deputy director of programs for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, which represents defense attorneys, was puzzled by the announcement. "They're not adding trial attorneys who will go into the immigration courts," she said. "They're adding prosecutors who will prosecute immigration matters as a criminal offense rather than as a civil offense. ... They are not going to be able to deport a single person more than they are able to deport right now. What they will be doing is piling on punishments." Ms. Williams said the announcement "signals [a] change in policy because previously, the general take was why would we tie up the federal district courts, the ranks of the prosecutors, the jail space, for a violation that can be handled by just deporting a person?" If the additional attorneys help prosecute smugglers, that "could be very helpful," she said. But, she added, "it would seem strikingly coincidental that while Congress is looking at further criminalizing immigration violations, that the Department of Homeland Security is seeming to try to do the same." - --- MAP posted-by: Steve Heath