Cross the U.S./Mexico border illegally by land, and you’ll be told to sign a voluntary departure form and sent back to your country. Cross into the U.S. illegally by sea and you’ll soon face tougher consequences.
Undocumented immigrants who try to land in the U.S. along San Diego’s coastline will face formal deportation procedures, according to our media partners the North County Times.
The 400-square-mile coastline from Tijuana, Mexico, to suburban Los Angeles is a new frontier for illegal immigrants entering the United States.
In growing numbers, migrants are gambling their lives at sea as land crossings become even more arduous and likely to end in arrest. Sea interdictions and arrests have spiked year-over-year for three years, as enforcement efforts ramp up to meet the challenge.
Often, immigrants use boats called pangas to make it to shore during the night.
U.S. agents arrested 753 suspected illegal immigrants on Southern California shores and seas between October and Aug. 24, up from 400 the previous 12 months and 230 the year before. They spotted 85 watercraft since October, up from 49 during the previous 12 months and 33 the year before.
Scott Simon, a spokesman for the U.S. Border Patrol in San Diego, told the NCTimes, "The option of signing a voluntary departure form will no longer be available to them."
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If they are caught coming into the U.S. illegally a second time, they will face felony charges that could land them in prison for two to 20 years. They may also face a fine of up to $250,000.
Read more in the full article in the North County Times.
