Tucson, Arizona Tuesday, 29 April 2003
http://www.azstarnet.com/star/Tue/30429ExitEntryProgram.html
By Michael Marizco
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
NOGALES, Ariz. - Some Mexican nationals say they are suspicious of a new U.S. security plan that will eventually track all foreign visitors as they enter and leave the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security's National Security Entry-Exit Registration System will be implemented by next year at the 50 largest land ports of entry in the United States, including Nogales, Ariz., and Douglas.
Its ultimate goal is to allow the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to track - through a registration system - the arrival and departure of every foreign visitor. Once implemented, the system will allow the government to keep out foreign nationals it considers a risk for terrorism and to track how long all visitors stay.
The system, which was originally introduced in 2000, has gained momentum after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
However, some Mexican residents who cross frequently into the Arizona to shop, visit or work are concerned about how the government will use the tracking data. Others wonder how the new plan will affect the time it takes to cross back into Mexico. Crossing into the United States, they say, already can take a long time.
"They're doing this for concerns of terrorism; I understand that, but it's not our fault," said Luis Garcia Manzo of Nogales, Sonora. As a delivery driver, he crosses into Arizona two to three times a day to buy gasoline that is cheaper and of higher quality than what is sold in Mexico.
The concerns range from invasion of privacy as crossing habits are monitored to what people are supposed to do when confronted by federal officials. "One day they're going to ask: 'Why are you crossing? What's your intent here?' " said Roberto Felix of Nogales, Sonora, who crosses into the United States to buy his groceries.
Mexicans who cross frequently using border crossing cards are not checked by U.S. officials at the border when they return to Mexico.
"We're not coming here to commit any crimes. We're coming here to shop," said Amelia Acuña of Nogales, Sonora, as she carried three bags of clothing she had just purchased.
If shopping in the United States means her comings and goings will be tracked and recorded, "it's better not to come," she said.
It's comments like Acuña's that make Arizona border city officials cringe as they contemplate what the new tracking system might do to their cities' economic security in the name of homeland defense.
Cities such as Nogales, Ariz., and Douglas are major points of entry, with a combined 75,000 people crossing daily from Mexico into the United States. Many of those people cross to shop in border towns, as well as Tucson and Phoenix.
Mexican shoppers contribute 60 percent to 65 percent of Nogales, Ariz., revenue, estimated city spokesman Juan Pablo Guzman. That is equal to about $248 million annually.
In Douglas, Mexican shoppers account for about 40 percent of the retail sales, or $60 million annually, said Douglas Economic Development Director Art Macias.
But those points currently lack the infrastructure that would be required to check people returning to Mexico, officials said.
For example, Douglas has six traffic lanes coming into the United States and only two for leaving.
"People will be waiting one hour to come into the U.S. and another hour to leave. That's another hour to buy a gallon of milk," Macias said.
The new security program will track only people crossing into the United States legally, Guzman said. "People who are wanting to come and stay illegally are just going to continue crossing the desert and jumping the fence," he said.
Seeking to allay some of those concerns, the Border Trade Alliance, which is part of the exit system task force advising the Department of Homeland Security, has been meeting with border officials to help establish a plan for efficient crossing back into Mexico.
While the problem is a challenge logistically, small cities like Douglas have a chance to sway federal policy and get funding to help pay for the changes, alliance member Luis Ramírez Thomas said at a meeting Monday with the Douglas Chamber of Commerce.
This is an opportunity for small towns to implement the same type of technology used by larger border cities such as El Paso and San Diego, he said. Those cities use a concept called the "SENTRI lane," for Secure Electronic Network for Travelers' Rapid Inspection. It is an inspection system that speeds the passage of frequent crossers who submit to background checks.
"It can encourage people to cross into the U.S. from Mexico to shop if we qualify for the speed lanes," said Douglas restaurant owner Eddie Rivera. But if Douglas is overlooked for the speed lane technology because of its size, the city will lose its Mexican customers, he said.
"It's going to be bad for the economy," said survey company owner Frank Ambriz. "People are going to get tired of the lines."
* Contact reporter Michael Marizco at 573-4213 or mmarizco@azstarnet.com.