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On Thursday, in answer to a 911 call, border patrol agents found two men dead. The East Valley Tribune reported on Saturday, “The events that led to the discovery of the two men from Mexico began on Wednesday when a man called 911 in Phoenix to report that two of his family members had called from their cell phone reporting they were lost and in need of help in the desert near Ajo, said Mike Scioli, Border Patrol Tucson Sector spokesman.” The Tribune further reported, “With the help of a National Guard helicopter, agents searched through the night. They found the group on Thursday southwest of Gila Bend, about 10 miles west of State Route 85, Scioli said. Two of the six people had already died. Borstar agents gave the four survivors first aid and called for life flight helicopters to take them to a hospital. The father and son who called their family member in Phoenix were among the survivors. After receiving treatment, they were set up for return to Mexico.” I do not know the dollar amount of this rescue, but I’m willing to bet it was not cheap and it is the taxpayer who must foot the bill.
In Arizona we have a law that passed back in 1995; it is the Stupid Motorist Law. This statute states that any motorist who becomes stranded, after ignoring and driving around barricades to enter a flooded stretch of roadway, may be charged for the cost of his/her rescue and face a fine of up to $2,000.
Could not similar legislation be enacted when dealing with those who enter Arizona illegally and get lost or become ill in the desert? Those requiring rescue, medical attention, life flight helicopters and possible hospitalization, not to mention transportation back to their home country? According to the Tribune article, “Borstar agents have been sent out 270 times between Oct. 1 and July 13 and nearly 45 percent of the calls came through 911, Agundez said. That percentage has been increasing for several years as more illegal border crossers carry cell phones.”
When anyone, regardless of who they are or their circumstances is lost, ill or injured in the desert, their rescue should be handled as an urgent priority. No one wants to see avoidable and unnecessary deaths. But like The Arizonan, who chose to ignore warnings about dangerous road conditions, must pay, should not the same be expected for those who knowingly take great risk to enter Arizona illegally and wind up needing costly state services?
More on illegal immigration:
DHS set to place new restrictions on immigration law enforcement
Phoenix police inconsistent in checking illegal immigrant status
Bill would allow Arizona schools to ask about immigration status
Illegal immigrant bill HB2280, how did your representative vote?
Comments
You bet they should pay the bill. They have taken a tremendous risk to themselves and their passengers. They should be made to pay for the expensive services they require to be saved.
Why should the taxpayer be left with the bill? We didn't want them to come in the first place, why make us bear the cost again and again for every stupid decision these folks make?
Save their lives, charge them with illegal entry, fingerprint, photograph, enter their records into the database for future reference.Then send them home and fine them for the services they require for their illegal acts of foolishness.
Then if it happens again, the fines get higher for the second + offense. Why should they be treated with kid gloves for breaking the laws and getting themselves in trouble?
good comment amen.
It would be nice to fine them but how would you collect???? The bottom line is we need to secure our borders. Stop All of the liberals and ACLU,ACORN,OBAHMA and oh yeah the lady thats up his but our lovely Janet Napalatano from turning OUR country over all of the illigals. RECLAIM OUR COUNTRY. NO AMNESSTY & NO BIRTHRIGHT BABIES!!!!!
Illegal Aliens are paying human smugglers. Of course they must be required to pay for their own rescue. I live near the border and for sure tax payers have no idea how many illegal aliens are picked up by Border Patrol that need rescue. Most of those illegal aliens that fall ill are transported to the hospital. I know for a fact this past weekend 911 was called by an illegal from his cell phone begging for help. BP was searching a 10 mile stretch of road for him. No report in our local news paper. One illegal died on a country road after the smuggler vehicle driver dumped him out of the vehicle, because he did not want him to die in the vehicle.
Rescues go on every day, charge them every cent of the cost, of course!
Then charge the illegals with trespass and anything else we can come up with. It is 12:35 AM, dogs are barking in my rural border neighborhood, they are barking at illegal aliens.
see
www.borderinvasionpics.com hidden cameras reveal film of the illegals hiking trails
Count your coins tax payers, more injured illegal aliens cost big money after get-away van crash.
www.svherald.com/articles/2009/07/21/news/doc4a64d9aba42b5796317967.txt
A vehicle carrying more than two dozen suspected illegal immigrants rolled as it entered onto Highway 92 from Miller Canyon Road south of Sierra Vista, injuring at least 11, a local fire official said.
Ten people were taken to Sierra Vista Regional Health Center and another was airlifted to University Medical Center in Tucson for injuries that were not life-threatening, said Bill Miller, fire chief for the Fry Fire District.
"Most were minor injuries, cuts and abrasions, some possible fractures," Miller said.
After the wreck on Sunday, a number of the passengers fled the scene toward Hereford Road, where they were later found and treated for injuries, he said.
The Sierra Vista Fire Department, the Cochise County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Border Patrol also responded to the scene, Miller said.
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