Immigration Reformer Links Spike in Gang Activity to Earlier Amnesty
by Chad Groening
February 16, 2004
(AgapePress) - An immigration reform organization is concerned about recent reports that illegal alien gang activity is on the upswing. Immigration activists believe an amnesty 18 years ago is contributing to the problem.The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has released statistics showing that between 60 and 70 percent of all cocaine that is trafficked in the United States is controlled by Mexican drug cartels. In addition, the New York Times reported that illegal aliens are being recruited by the cartels to be low-level drug dealers.
Jim Staudenraus of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) says many of these illegal immigrants were given amnesty in the 1980s.
"All of the children who got amnesty 18 years ago are now moving into the prime crime years," he explains. "Most of the violent crime in this country is [committed by] young men between the ages of 16 and 25. We are predicting a surge in violent crime -- and we're very concerned on the illegal immigrant front [about] the increase in gang activity, particularly around drug dealing."
According to the FAIR spokesman, young illegal immigrants are being recruited into gangs by the Mexican drug cartels. "Gang activity is way up across the country," he says, saying that the DEA report combined with the NYT story is "not a pretty scenario."
Staudenraus says the gang problem is another reason why President Bush should not now be proposing his "guest worker" program -- because in his opinion, that amounts to just another amnesty program.
