U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE

February 2002

Volume 24, Number 2 www.ins.usdoj.gov

INS’ effective liaison, cooperation, and

coordination contribute to the seamless

security at the 2002 Winter Olympics in

Salt Lake City

See page 8

AGENCY DELIVERS

GOLD-MEDAL SERVICE

Health Services administrator describes ‘surreal’

N.Y. ground zero experience See page 6

Black History Month celebration highlights

preservation of racial justice See page 4
INS

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2

EVEN in the face of terrorist attacks, the

United States must be steadfast in welcoming

people from around the world in search of

hope and freedom, Commissioner James W.

Ziglar said Feb. 1 at the National Immigration

Forum conference. 

“The events of Sept. 11 were caused by

evil, not immigration,” Ziglar told the proimmigrant group based in Washington, D.C.

“We cannot judge immigrants by the actions

of terrorists.”

The commissioner said demands for swift,

dramatic action are understandable, but the

INS’ response must be guided by a commitment

to do what is right and effective, not by “what

makes us feel better at the moment.” He

pointed to building productive partnerships

with organizations that share INS values as

key to preventing terrorists and other

criminals from exploiting U.S. freedoms.

New ways to partner

As such, he said the INS is working closely

with the Coast Guard; Customs; the FBI; the

Departments of Defense, Education, State,

and Treasury; and Office of Homeland

Security to make the nation more secure. In

addition, he said the INS is pursuing new ways

to partner, such as the January U.S. Border

Patrol-Native American Border Security

Conference, the first of its kind, which

brought Native American leaders to

Washington, D.C., to discuss ways to

strengthen security at the Northern and

Southwest borders.

“Out of tragedy comes opportunity, and

this opportunity is quite unique. I’m proud of

it,” he said of the conference with, he termed,

“the only real Americans.”

Ziglar emphasized that the agency will

work to encourage legal immigration but will

maintain a hard line against those who break

immigration laws.

“Our message is loud and clear. Flouting of

U.S. immigration laws must and will stop,” he

said, noting “we’ll be tough in enforcing laws

but tender in dealing with people.” 

No shadowing

He said the INS is working with the

Departments of State and Education and a

half dozen other federal agencies to carry out

the Presidential Directive on student visa

abuse issued in November. But he said when

the foreign student tracking system is in place

next summer, no student who comes to the

United States legitimately to study will have

anything to fear.

“These people are not going to be

shadowed,” Ziglar said. “They just need to live

up to the terms of the visa. If they do, they

won’t have a problem. If they don’t, they will

have a problem.”

The commissioner also spoke of his

decision to suspend international adoptions

from Cambodia. He said he understands how

painful it is for prospective parents to find out

they can’t bring a child to the United States,

but the INS must put the best interests of the

child ahead of those of U.S. citizens who want

to adopt. 

“It is a difficult, emotionally wrenching

issue, and it’s one we have to deal with, and

we have to do it with compassion but in a way

that reflects our values,” he said. The INS

must be able to determine whether children

from Cambodia are truly orphans before

adoptions there can be permitted, he

explained. 

A moral imperative

“I hope everyone in the country agrees

that, that is a moral imperative, “ he said. “I

make no apology for the INS’ strong stance on

questionable adoptions. We are not going to

aid and abet child trafficking.”

Ziglar speaks about immigration policy,

INS’ expanded role following Sept. 11

Commissioner Ziglar addressing the National

Immigration Forum conference.

The INS is pursuing several productive

partnerships to prevent terrorists and other

criminals from exploiting U.S. freedoms,

Commissioner James W. Ziglar said in a Feb.

1 speech before the National Immigration

Forum. He cited the following examples: 

z Pursuing thousands of leads related to

Sept. 11 with the FBI and other members

of the Joint Terrorism Task Forces.

z Working with the Department of the

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control

to identify and freeze the assets of terrorist

organizations and their various front

groups and to pursue removal

proceedings, when possible, against

principals and directors of those

organizations and fronts.

z Expanding ongoing data sharing with the

Department of State to ensure immigration

inspectors at all U.S. ports of entry have

access to the Consolidated Consular

Database, which includes visa information

and photos of visa holders. INS inspectors

have been trained to use the system to

detect and prevent fraud.

z Working with the Departments of State

and Justice on new criteria for scrutinizing

visa applicants. Additionally, INS agreed to

accelerate a planned reassessment of six

countries participating in the Visa Waiver

Program.

z Hosting the first U.S. Border Patrol-Native

American Border Security Conference,

which brought Native American leaders to

Washington, D.C., to discuss ways to

strengthen security at the Northern and

Southwest borders.

z Working with Homeland Security Director

Thomas J. Ridge to develop bilateral

border policies with Canada and Mexico.

z Working with the Coast Guard, Customs,

Department of Energy, and the Department

of Defense to improve container inspection

and tracking as well as develop devices to

detect chemical, biological, radiological

and other nuclear weapons.

Examples of partnerships 

making U.S. more secure 

Continued on page 11
5

6

14

3, 7

7

8

9

10

11

15

3, 15

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The INS Communiqué is published by INS Headquarters under a contract

with Casals & Associates of Alexandria, Virginia. The publication is

committed to informing the employees of the Immigration and

Naturalization Service about official and unofficial activities. Readers are

encouraged to submit articles, photographs, and letters to the editor. Write

to Communiqué c/o Casals & Associates / 1199 North Fairfax Street, Third

Floor / Alexandria, VA 22314 / attention: INS Communiqué Editor.

Submissions in electronic format may be sent to << ins@casals.com >>.

COMMUNIQUÉ

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3

James W. Ziglar

Commissioner

Monica Jerbi

Editor

Wendy Wirth

Assistant Editor

Joseph Karpinski

Director of the Office of Congressional Relations

and Public Affairs

Don Abalos

Graphic Design

HEADQUARTERS NEWS

Ziglar speaks about INS' expanded role after Sept. 11.................

INS creates partnerships to make U.S. more secure ....................

Celebration honors African-American heritage.............................

Commissioner suspends Cambodian adoptions..........................

Data Management Improvement Act Taskforce meets ..................

INS NEWS OF NOTE

President requests $10.7 billion for border security ...................

'Surreal' N.Y. ground zero experience described ..........................

Federal Financial Management System rolls out..........................

INS NEWS FROM THE FIELD

Commissioner visits San Juan District ........................................

Grand jury hands down marriage fraud indictment ......................

Border Patrol agents assist with Olympics security .....................

Letter praises Operation Gold Medal's success ...........................

INS officer helps deliver Olympic flame to Atlanta .......................

Alaska inspectors answer call of duty in the cold.........................

Security officer training restructured after Sept. 11......................

Ziglar makes first official visit to Southwest border .....................

Laredo recruitment float receives standing ovation ......................

INSide

2

2

4

12

13

For the full stories on the commissioner’s visits to Puerto Rico and the

Southwestern border, please see pages 7 and 15, respectively.

Commissioner Ziglar receives

an aerial tour of southern New

Mexico from El Paso Sector Deputy

Chief Jerry L. Armstrong (across from

Ziglar), and Assistant Chief Patrol Agent

David B. Ham (far right). 

Border Patrol Agent Aaron Tovar from the

Santa Teresa, N.M., Border Patrol Station

meets with Commissioner Ziglar.

Pictured during the commissioner’s visit

to San Juan are (left to right) Assistant

District Counsel Jorge Ramos; SDAO

Francisco Soto; SSA Agnes Piñeiro; AOIC

St. Croix, Keith Williams, APD St.

Thomas, Ronnie Smith, Assistant Chief

Bert Gomez, Commissioner Ziglar,

District Director Myrna O. Péré and

Deputy District Director, Roberto Ramos.

Pictured with the commissioner

(second from right) in San Juan

are Border Patrol Agent Edwin

Rodriguez (left), Assistant Chief

Bert Gomez, and Ramey Sector

Acting Chief Carlos Marrero (right).

San Juan District Director Myrna O.

Péré and Ramey Sector Assistant Chief

Carlos Marrero meet with the

commissioner during his visit to San

Juan Feb. 6. 

Photo by Greg Leyva Photo by Greg Leyva

............................................................................... 16










INS

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4

ASSISTANT U.S. Attorney General for Civil Rights Ralph F.

Boyd Jr. brought the dream alive at the INS’ Black History Month

celebration Feb. 13, honoring African-American heritage and the

preservation of racial justice in America.

“Our mission as a nation is to bring about and preserve as

much justice, as much fairness, and as much opportunity for as

many people as we are able,” he said.

Boyd, the keynote speaker at the Headquarters event, delivered

an inspiring address with the theme, “Heritage and Horizons: The

African-American Legacy and the Challenges of the 21st

Century.” It highlighted the challenges we face from century to

century and how we succeed by coming together as a nation.

Boyd used Sept. 11 as an example of the nation pulling

together with a “renewed sense of purpose and service” for

positive collective action. 

“It’s impossible to speak meaningfully about the challenges that

lie ahead of us without talking about Sept. 11,” he said, urging the

audience to welcome these post-Sept. 11 challenges as a nation

and as a people.

“Look for, and embrace the challenges that face us,” he said.

“The challenges in these trying times is to treat all people with

dignity and respect.”

Boyd pointed to INS people as at the center of the “renewed

sense of purpose and service. “Many heroes are here in this room

steadfastly pursuing a job that is now front and center for

America’s mission,” he said.

Remembering where we come from 

Touching on the event’s heritage and horizons theme, Boyd

spoke about the importance of remembering the past.

“To carry out our mission in 2002, it is important to remember

where we come from and what it took us to get here,” he said.

Boyd went on to say that even though the nation started on an

“often rocky road to justice,” we must recognize and appreciate

what we’ve achieved. “Just look around the room and take in and

appreciate the diversity reflected in this gathering,” he said. 

He also spoke about the importance of a better America for

every American. “We must promote steadfastness in our goal in

making certain that no person in America is needlessly left

behind,” he said.

Promoting quality education for all 

Using education as a primary example of an area that needs

improvement in the United States, Boyd emphasized that like Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr., we must ask hard questions that get to the

heart of problems and get to the bottom of things. “We must do

that as well if we are to continue to make America a better

America.”

Despite the progress that we have made, he noted that

significant gaps in education and income levels still persist in the

United States along racial and ethnic lines.

“We still have a lot more work to do before we can say with

some real measure of confidence backed up by some statistics that

race is no longer the fault line for dramatic disparities in

education,” he said.

Honoring history and heritage 

Boyd said the Black History Month gathering created

camaraderie and offered an opportunity to remember the past in

such a way to “inspire us to further constructive action, action

that we take as individuals and collectively as a people and as 

a nation.” 

In welcoming remarks, Assistant Deputy Commissioner

Michael Becraft noted that it is not only important to recognize

the great heroes of African-American history, but it is also

necessary to keep heritage in mind.

“It is important to America and America’s legacy, and it is

important to our children,” he said. 

With that, Boyd gave the audience this to think about: “We’re

not finished. There is still much to be done.”

Black History Month celebration honors 

heritage, preservation of racial justice

Boyd speaks about the challenge of treating all people with dignity and respect.
COMMUNIQUÉ

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5

THE president’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 budget

proposal requests $10.7 billion for a new border

security initiative aimed at keeping pace with

expanding trade while safeguarding against terrorist

attacks and illegal immigration.

“My budget provides the resources to combat

terrorism at home, to protect our people, and

preserve our constitutional freedoms,” President

Bush said in his budget message. 

The $10.7 billion for border security, a $2 billion

increase, includes funding for the INS to develop a

new entry/exit visa database and tracking system;

increase the number of Border Patrol agents and

inspectors, particularly on the Northern border; and,

in total, add more than 2,200 new positions. 

The White House sent its $2.1 trillion budget

proposal to Congress Feb. 4. The budget proposal

increases INS’ total budget to $6.3 billion, 23

percent more than the budget enacted in FY 2002,

and the Department of Justice as a whole to $30.2

billion, almost 21 percent over the prior two years.

“Defending our nation and defending the citizens

of America against terrorist attacks is the first and

overriding priority of the Department of Justice,”

Attorney General John D. Ashcroft said. “The

president’s budget supports the department’s

reorganization to refocus law enforcement efforts to

fight the war on terrorism.”

A key element of the proposed budget’s border

security initiative is the entry/exit visa database,

funded at $362 million. The comprehensive land,

sea, and air system will speed entry of routine,

legitimate traffic and dramatically improve the INS’

ability to deny access to those that should not enter.

In addition, it will match arrival records against

departure records and will improve the agency’s

ability to detect foreign nationals who overstay their

visas.

In a Jan. 25 speech about his budget proposal,

President Bush noted the INS estimates that 40

percent of the people in the United States illegally

simply overstayed their visas.

“Forty percent of the people who are here

illegally came because of the generosity of America,

were given a period of time in which they could stay,

and then they didn’t leave,” he said. “And one of

the things we want to make sure of is we find the 40

percent to make sure they’re not part of some al

Qaeda network that wants to hit the United States.”

The president’s FY 2003 budget proposal also asks

Congress to increase INS’ enforcement budget to

$5.3 billion, an increase of $1.2 billion primarily

targeted at building greater homeland security and

combating terrorism. It provides $711.7 million and

1,790 positions for INS border enforcement

operations. 

This includes increasing the number of U.S.

Border Patrol agents by 570 to a record level of more

than 11,000 agents, more than double the level in

FY 1993. Of these new agents, 285 will be deployed

to the Northern border. It also includes 1,160 new

immigration inspectors. Of these, 460 will be

deployed to land border ports, 615 to airports, and

85 to seaports. 

In addition, the budget proposal asks for $19.7

million and 137 new positions to enhance

cooperation with other federal law enforcement

agencies and the intelligence community in an effort

to advance national security

and homeland defense against

possible terrorist cells in the

United States. In the wake of

Sept. 11, the White House

discovered that information

on the hijackers’ activities was

available through a variety of

databases at the federal, state,

and local government levels as

well as within the private

sector. Overall, the budget

proposal requests $700 million

to improve intelligencegathering and informationsharing between agencies and

throughout all levels of

government. 

Other highlights include:

z $50.5 million to improve existing

detention facilities and expand

alternatives to traditional detention

operations.

z $40 million to support the

restructuring of the INS.

z $143.5 million and 286 new

positions to support several

initiatives aimed at providing improved administrative support

for INS enforcement and service operations.

z $100 million for backlog elimination efforts aimed at achieving

a six-month processing time standard for all immigration

benefit applications. These funds represent the second

installment of the president’s five-year, $500-million initiative

to improve customer service and achieve and maintain a

universal six-month processing time standard for all

immigration benefit applications. 

Bush requests $10.7 billion from Congress

for ‘Smart Borders for the 21st Century’

“Defending our

nation and

defending the

citizens of America

against terrorist

attacks is the first

and overriding

priority of the

Department of

Justice.” 

—Attorney General Ashcroft 

Continued on page 13
This article is the second in a series of first-person accounts by INS

people and partners detailing their contributions to the search, rescue,

and relief efforts following Sept. 11. This article is about the experience

of an administrator in Immigration Health Services in Elizabeth, N.J.,

who was among the some 60 medical and support personnel from the

Washington, D.C., Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) sent

to the World Trade Center ground zero between Sept. 20 and Oct. 2.

“SURREAL” is how Richard Lawson

describes his first shift in the World Trade

Center ground zero, six square blocks of

twisted rubble surrounding “the pile”—a 75-

foot-high mound of wreckage from the

center’s 110 imploded floors. 

“As we walk around the ‘pile,’ building

after building are destroyed. Some are total

rubble; others are burnt hulks of twisted steel

and concrete, total destruction,” he

remembers. “It is hard to wrap my mind

around what I am seeing. Inches of dust still covers everything,

and smoke rises from the pile from the fires that burn beneath.”

Then he noticed the firefighters, he said, several thousand, like

ants crawling over the pile, in bucket brigades of a hundred or

more in a line. 

“They were bringing out remains in buckets. They were only

finding pieces of them,” he said.

Lawson remembers watching a bucket brigade of firefighters

find remains of their own. At ground zero, there was a constant

roar of equipment, except after the discovery of the remains of a

firefighter or police officer amid the rubble. Then everything came

to a stop, and there would be silence while the body was placed in

a body bag and covered with an American flag. 

“The first time you see that it’s touching,” he said. “After the

50th time you’re seeing it, it just gets to be very painful.”

Lawson and the other health professionals staffing INS

detention facilities work for the Department of Health and

Human Services’ Division of Immigration Health Services

(DIHS). Through a long-standing agreement, DIHS medical staff,

Public Health Service (PHS) commissioned officers, civil

servants, and contract employees are assigned to 11 INS facilities

nationwide.

A commissioned public health officer and pharmacist, Lawson

volunteers for both the Commissioned Corps Readiness Force

(CCRF) and the Washington, D.C. Public Health Center DMAT.

After New York Gov. George Pataki declared a state of emergency

in Manhattan following Sept. 11, the president, through the

Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Public Health

Service, ordered DMAT teams in.

Lawson was assigned to a clinic setup in the American Express

Building, and much of the health care his team provided was for

minor injuries ranging from objects in the eye to blisters on hands

and feet. Since the clinic was so close to the pile (in the first days

of Lawson’s deployment, it literally came up to the door), they

also were given the task of distributing clean underwear and socks

and providing energy drinks and juice. Mostly, they provided a

listening ear. 

“You’re part of the human race. It doesn’t take much to sit

down and listen, just listen,” he said, noting many of the

firefighters he spoke with had lost dozens of colleagues and

friends. “It got inside of me. I was glad to go home.”

One of Lawson’s most vivid memories is the night he ate

dinner at a cafeteria on Church Street and his walk home. 

“Windows are still falling out of the buildings closest to the

pile, so we walk two blocks away. The fire escapes of the building

we pass are filled with two to three feet of debris and all the

windows are broken,” he remembers. “We pass the Morton’s steak

house and are overcome with the stench of rotting beef. As we

turn a corner in the road just off the site, a field of teddy bears are

lying in a small park area.”

About 500 teddy bears were there, he said, from family

members of those still missing. Some of the bears had notes

written on their bellies, and others had notes, pictures or flowers

pinned to them. 

“We take a minute to read a few—children telling their

daddies they love them and will see them in heaven, a newlywed

saying goodbye to his wife, a mother telling her son how proud

she has always been of him,” he said. “After a few, I couldn’t read

anymore.”

“Tears are never far from my eyes,” he said of his experience. “I

doubt my heart will ever recover.”

INS

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6

Immigration Health Services administrator

cares for rescue workers at ground zero

Two different shots of “the pile” at the World Trade

Center ground zero.
7 COMMUNIQUÉ

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Sacramento benefits and enforcement

work together on marriage fraud case

WHEN a woman has four husbands, and

two of them show up at INS with

applications to adjust their immigration

status in the same week, that’s bad timing.

When both wind up at the window of the

same immigration information officer,

that’s bad luck. But when it does happen,

it can mean a 13-count marriage fraud

indictment like the one handed down by a

Sacramento grand jury Feb. 27, as a result

of Operation Live Oak. 

When the Sacramento immigration

information officer noticed the photo of

the petitioning wife and recognized it as

one she’d seen earlier that week, the

spooked husband grabbed the paperwork

and left the INS information room in a

rush. Alerted to the possible fraud,

Supervisory District Adjudications Officer

Sheryl Souza had her information office

crew search through the whole week’s

worth of filings. Eventually, they found the

other photo, and learned that the

petitioner was a familiar immigration

preparer from Yuba City, about 50 miles

north of Sacramento. 

“She’d changed her hair color and

make-up, but her look couldn’t be

disguised,” Souza said. 

Information officers were alerted to be

on the lookout for her photo and her

distinctive handwriting. So when, a few

weeks later and close to the deadline for

billing 245(I) applications, the husband

reappeared with his adjustment package, it

was accepted as if nothing were wrong,

then referred to Special Agents Carol

Webster and Luz Dunn of Investigations. 

The district adjudications officers of the

Adjustments of Status Unit went on alert

too, finding dozens of adjustment packages

that showed alterations in important

documents. 

“Everyone who found application

packets that showed alterations, sent the

paperwork down, and we’d call the

applicants in for interviews,” said Webster.

“Lots of leads came from those interviews.

So many people were on the ball—we in

investigations thank them.” 

Endless and tedious scanning of the

Buffalo Examinations Tracking System for

Yuba City addresses brought the rest of the

cases to light. Webster checked similar

sequences of A numbers. She ran the files

on Choice Point to find out with whom

the people were living and then checked

their status.

By the time it was over, a grand jury

handed down fraud indictments for

marriage fraud and making false statements

against Cindy Lee Garcia, 40, and Linda

Mae Padilla, 39. Between the two of them,

they’d wed seven men who were seeking

permanent resident status. Garcia, the

woman whose photo was recognized by the

officer, was separately charged with seven

counts of immigration fraud and 11 more

counts of making a false statement to the

INS. All of the men were charged with a

single count of marriage fraud—a widereaching case by any measure. 

Garcia’s charges also included altering

birth certificates, a divorce decree, tax

returns, W-2s, and fabricating letters from

employers. Webster arrested her just after

she completed her sentence for violating

her probation on an earlier fraud

conviction. 

“We’re pleased that the U.S. Attorney’s

accepted our case,” Webster said. “These

are complex cases, and defendants don’t

get very long sentences. Prosecutors

measure their success by the amount of

time defendants get in sentences. With

nine defendants—each with his or her own

attorney for a prosecutor to work with—

this case is labor-intensive.” 

“We’re grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s

Office for accepting this case,” said Officerin-Charge Susan Curda. “It’s our firm

belief that the only way to maintain

integrity in our legal immigration system is

to prosecute fraud and illegal immigration

schemes.”

THE San Juan District and U.S. Border Patrol Ramey Sector hosted INS Commissioner James

W. Ziglar and his wife, Linda, Feb. 6 during their second visit to the San Juan District.

Upon Ziglar’s arrival, Director Myrna Péré briefed him on operations and challenges the

district faces due to its geographical location and area of responsibility. Border Patrol Acting

Chief Carlos Marrero followed Director Péré with a briefing of Border Patrol initiatives in the

western part of Puerto Rico and the sector’s success stories.

A highlight of the visit was a luncheon the commissioner and his wife had with the heads of

most federal agencies in Puerto Rico. During the luncheon Ziglar expressed his appreciation for

their support of the San Juan District Office.

Commissioner visits

San Juan District

Meeting with Commissioner Ziglar (second

from left) are Assistant Chief Bert Gomez (left),

District Director Myrna O. Péré, and Acting

Chief Carlos Marreo (right).

By Sharon Rummery


INS

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8

WHEN it comes to preventing terrorist

attacks, there’s only a gold medal—no

bronze or silver for almost saving lives. 

And that’s exactly what Operation Gold

Medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter

Olympics turned out to be—a gold-medal

effort, “history in the making” representing

the highest measure of security ever taken

at the Olympic games. 

“Any time you participate in this type of

special operation and have no major

incidents and everyone involved returns

safely home, you have to consider it a

success,” said Charlie Whitmire,

commander of the Border Patrol Tactical

Unit (BORTAC). 

Part of Operation Gold Medal, beefed up

in response to Sept. 11, involved calling up

250 Border Patrol agents from the

Southwest border region and Puerto Rico,

to assist the U.S. Secret Service with

security. Another 90 INS employees—from

Detention and Removal, management,

investigations, examinations, etc.—also

were called up from around the nation to

support standard INS operations.

A monumental task

With 70,000 visitors a day, 3,500 athletes

from 80 nations, and 12,000 media

representatives, Operation Gold Medal’s

objective was a monumental task: ensuring

the only remarkable events would be those

involving the spectacular performances of

the athletes in their events. The Border

Patrol agents assigned to this security detail,

under the direct field command of the

Secret Service, provided security at two

separate venues: Park City and Deer Valley,

Utah. 

As part of their duties, Border Patrol

agents maintained security 24-hours a day,

enduring temperatures from below 5 to 30

degrees. Because of the cold conditions,

agents were provided with boots, jackets,

pants, gloves, hats, and other thermal

clothing, all provided by the Secret Service.

They also worked extended hours, generally

12-hour shifts.

“Each individual made sacrifices in being

part of this successful operation which

included being separated from families,

celebrating birthdays and anniversaries away

from home, and working extended hours,”

said Steven Branch, officer in charge at the

Salt Lake City Sub-Office.

General public appreciative

As a consequence of the agents’

dedication to their duties, the general

public welcomed them. Business owners,

competitors, and local law enforcement

agents were extremely appreciative of the

added law enforcement presence and

commended the Border Patrol for their

professionalism and willingness to assist. 

“The employees detailed as part of this

operation did nothing but further enhance

the reputation of the INS as a proud,

professional agency that rises to the

challenge as evidenced by the numerous

commendations received,” Branch said.

Whitmire said the integration of

BORSTAR, Sector Special Response Teams

(SRT), and BORTAC personnel in one

focused mission showed that Border Patrol

Border Patrol agents assist Secret Service

with gold-medal security at Winter Olympics

By Nina Pruneda-Muniz

Senior Agent Robert Garcia (top left) and Agent

Robert A. Booth (front center) attend a briefing.

Border Patrol agents filing out paperwork

before they get their assignment. Utah’s mountain beauty.

The Olympic torch above Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The Denver District Enforc

to right) Stuart Hoff, Dave 

Claude Arnold, Bill Simmo

David Senko, (front row ho

Gary Aston, Ritchie Sauce

The University of Utah Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Maintaining security.

Continued on page 10

Photo by Nina Pruneda-Muniz

Photo by Nina Pruneda-Muniz

Photo by Nina Pruneda-Muniz

Photo by Nina Pruneda-Muniz

Photo by Nina Pruneda-Muniz
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Thanks to all who helped make

Operation Gold Medal a success

THE INS has a long history of involvement with international events occurring

within our borders. This includes both summer and winter Olympic Games. Each

event has presented new challenges and opportunities for the agency. The Salt

Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic Games were no different.

The Denver District began planning for the games in

1997. The planning goals were to: 

z Identify the core mission (i.e., Salt Lake City Sub-Office

responsibilities during the games)

z Identify the resources necessary to support the core

mission

z Ensure coordination with and support of other INS

responsibilities during the games

z Support other law enforcement agencies in ensuring the safety of the games

z Develop an operational plan and after-action report to assist INS in planning for

future events 

The plan for Operation Gold Medal was completed in collaboration with

Central Region and Headquarters managers and staff. As can be imagined, the

planning for the games was affected by the events of Sept. 11.

The metropolitan Salt Lake City community is actively engaged in both

benefits and enforcement issues involving foreign nationals. In relating

specifically to the games, the community’s concerns ranged from being unable

to pursue applications for benefits to enforcement actions targeted to the

removal of large numbers of illegal foreign nationals during this period. In the

years before the games, the community was continuously assured that the SubOffice would maintain the pre-games levels of benefits and enforcement

involvement and service during February 2002. 

This became the core mission of Operation Gold Medal. To ease community

concerns and fears, the District and Sub-Office leaders, public affairs specialist,

and community relations officer met frequently with community leaders and

advocates, Congressional staff, law enforcement leaders, and media

representatives. This investment in the community reaped huge rewards during

the games and will continue in the future. INS officers were continuously and

unanimously complimented by all for the professional manner in which they

carried out their respective duties and responsibilities. 

The success of Operation Gold Medal can be credited to the caliber of the

on-site leadership as well as officers and support personnel detailed to Salt Lake

City. All activity was managed from the Olympic Support Center (OSC), located

in the Sub-Office. Throughout the games, the local staff and detailees worked

together as a cohesive team. The watch commanders and deputies provided

critical foresight and decision-making to ensure the appropriate response to all

situations. This complemented the professionalism and enthusiasm of all

involved in this endeavor, resulting in efficient and effective action by the entire

staff. From the INS’ perspective, the games went on without incident.

Effective liaison, cooperation, and coordination were also imperative to

Operation Gold Medal’s success. To carry out the core mission, INS was

engaged not only at the OSC, but also in the Olympic Intelligence Center (OIC)

and the Olympic Coordination Center (OCC). The OIC, under the aegis of the

Federal Bureau of Investigation, was responsible for all intelligence activities

A letter from the Denver District Acting Director

This is the first time agents have

been utilized in this capacity.

—Whitmire, BORTAC commander

Michael M. Comfort

A building near Medals Plaza with Olympics decorations.

An Immigration inspector checking in

Olympiads at the airport.

cement Team: (back row left

Johnson, Mike Wheeler,

ons, Wayne Richardson,

olding flag left to right)

da, and Albert Sosa. Continued on page 11

“

“

Detention Enforcement Officers

Javier Esquivel (left) and John

Gaitan of Harlingen with Supervisory

Detention Enforcement Officer

Wayne Richarson looking on.

Photo by Nina Pruneda-Muniz

Photo by Nina Pruneda-Muniz
10

INS

www.ins.doj.gov

AFTER years of planning, the 2002 Salt Lake City

Winter Olympic Games took place in a blink of an

eye, said Steven Branch, officer in charge at the Salt

Lake City Sub-Office, who was chosen for a once in

a lifetime opportunity.

“I was selected to accompany the

delegation having the pleasure of

traveling to Athens to bring the

Olympic flame from Greece to the

United States,” he said. “I am grateful to

have been part of such a great

experience.”

The entire trip, conducted in 48

hours, is a memory he said he will

treasure for the rest of his life. 

Memorable 48 hours

“Within those memorable 48 hours I traveled

almost halfway around the world, visited the ancient

Acropolis, attended the Olympic flame ceremony at

the Athens Olympic Stadium, attended a reception

hosted by the U.S. Ambassador, conducted an

inspection of the passengers en route back to the

United States, and delivered the flame to the

Olympic torch run kickoff ceremony in Atlanta,”

Branch said.

“It was only after I arrived back in Salt Lake City

later that afternoon that I took time to catch my

breath and allow these truly memorable recent

events to sink in,” he said. 

Headquarters chose Branch for the assignment,

and he was the only person from the INS selected.

The only other federal agency represented in the

delegation was the U.S. Customs Service; the rest of

them were from local and state agencies in Utah.

Branch, who has been with the Denver District’s

Salt Lake City Sub-Office for just over three years,

said he remembers the years of planning, the

numerous meetings and teleconference calls, and

countless revisions to Operation Gold Medal’s

operations plan. 

Proud of INS employees

“It was evident from the beginning that to have a

successful operation, it would take a team effort

involving the Salt Lake City Sub-Office, the Denver

District, Central Regional Office, Headquarters, and

other districts and sectors. The dynamic team that

was assembled meshed together remarkably,” he said.

“I was proud to see how all the employees worked

together as an INS family, all the programs unified

as an INS team with a clear vision of the INS

mission.”

He offered his thanks and appreciation to all the

employees who were partners with him and the SubOffice staff dedicated to ensure a successful

operation. 

Over in a blink of an eye

“What an honor to be a part of the Olympic

Games, representing the INS as an integral part of a

designated national security event working hand in

hand with numerous federal, state, and local

enforcement agencies,” he said. “The Olympic

Games took forever to arrive. But when they did, it

all happened in the blink of an eye!”

Officer in charge chosen to accompany

Olympic flame from Athens to Atlanta

Olympics

Continued from page 8

agents could pull together in one

unit to accomplish any task. 

“A lot has to be said about the

participation of Border Patrol agents

at an event of this magnitude,” he

said. “This is the first time agents

have been utilized in this capacity.”

Gold-medal fun

Even though the majority of the

time was spent working, some agents

were able to take advantage of some

of the Olympic environment by

participating in activities, such as

skiing, snowboarding, and attending

some of the events when tickets

were purchased. As a measure of

their appreciation, local

establishments also made certain

that agents were provided with all

the necessary amenities.

“The agents didn’t expect to

come out here and snowboard, but

they enjoyed the snow and being

out there learning another hobby,”

said Agent Peter Hermansen. “Their

top-notch, gold-medal service

definitely earned them some welldeserved, off-duty, gold-medal fun...

and memories that will last a

lifetime.”

The Watch Commander’s Office: El Paso

District Director Luis Garcia (sitting on

desk) briefs Denver District Assistant

District Director for Investigations John

Torres (middle) and San Antonio District

Director Ken Pasquarrell.

Salt Lake City Sub-Office

Officer in Charge Officer

Steven Branch (left) at the

Olympic flame ceremony in

Athens Olympic Stadium.
COMMUNIQUÉ

www.ins.usdoj.gov

11

Also on the subject of children, Ziglar said a

newly created Office of Juvenile Affairs will work to

better serve the roughly 5,000 juvenile immigrants

who enter the country each year unaccompanied by

adults.

“We need to do better protecting unaccompanied

minors,” he said. “This is a long overdue project.”

The office will develop new guidelines for shelter,

care and treatment, including finding ways to

minimize detention times and improve living

conditions. The office also will coordinate services

provided to juveniles by field offices; develop

effective case management systems; and ensure

children are returned to their families, as

appropriate, with the “utmost compassion and

dignity.”

“Having the Office of Juvenile Affairs report

directly to me will guarantee consistency,

accountability and integrity in the agency’s

treatment of juveniles,” he said.

The new office is part of the INS restructuring

plan announced by Attorney General John D.

Ashcroft in November. The plan calls for separating

the agency’s enforcement and service functions. The

goal is to make the agency more accountable,

improve customer service, and foster cooperation

with law enforcement agencies. 

“I know people think the INS doesn’t like

change. We like change,” Ziglar said. “The folks at

the INS want to be perceived differently. They want

to be perceived the way they are, not the way people

think they are.”

Ziglar

Continued from page 2

Gold medal

Continued from page 9

Answering the call of duty ... in the cold

Daniel Quarrell, an Immigration Inspector stationed at

the Dalton’s Cache, Alaska, Port of Entry, standing in

the 23 feet of snow that had fallen as of Feb. 25. 

The back of the Dalton’s Cache Point of Entry, situated along the

Klehini River on Haines Highway, 40 miles north of Haines, Alaska,

and 800 miles south of Anchorage. 

prior to and during the games. The INS manager and staff

at the OIC were at once full partners with all other intelligence

agencies. As the games progressed, the INS took the lead

on several issues and was key to their resolution. 

Because of the leadership displayed and competence of

the officers, the INS was one of only two other agencies

among the many agencies involved in the OIC requested to

brief FBI Director Robert Mueller during the games. Also

important was the role played by INS managers assigned to

the OCC played. They provided invaluable guidance and

direction to the various law enforcement and other support

agencies regarding immigration matters during the games.

Finally, the OSC administered support to the Entry

Response Team at Salt Lake City International Airport and

Border Patrol Agents assigned to security details at the

games’ venues.

My heartfelt appreciation is extended to all the men and

women of the INS who contributed to the overwhelming

success of Operation Gold Medal.

Michael M. Comfort

Denver District Acting Director 
INS

www.ins.doj.gov

12

COMMISSIONER James W. Ziglar suspended

adoptions of Cambodian babies recently after the

Department of State and the INS found evidence of

baby stealing and selling.

“I understand the overwhelming heartbreak

prospective parents feel when they discover that

they can’t bring a child to the United States, a

discovery that usually comes after great financial and

emotional expense,” Ziglar said at a recent

immigration forum.

He said he supports immediate implementation of

the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption

and the companion Intercountry Adoption Act of

2000. The United States is a signatory to this

Convention, which awaits formal implementation. It

ensures that children are not taken from birth

parents through fraud, force, or sale and requires that

children be “pre-approved” as adoptable and eligible

to immigrate before a family meets and adopts them.

“I intend to fashion a system that accomplishes

that goal now,” he said. 

Examination of existing procedures

The commissioner has instructed the INS to reexamine existing adoption procedures to determine

how they can be modified to prevent, if not

eliminate, what he termed “heart-wrenching

circumstances” where families discover that they

can’t bring a child to the United States, often at

great financial and emotional expense.

“It is imperative that we establish a child’s true

legal status and identity and that we protect

American families from being defrauded or

unknowingly participating in an adoption where the

child is not a true orphan,” he said. 

The suspension did not affect the 32 families that

the Department of State had scheduled for visa

appointments in January in Cambodia. A dozen

other families with orphan adoption petitions in

dispute were given the opportunity to bring their

prospective adoptive children to the United States

under certain conditions, including returning them

if they were proven to not be orphans.

The suspension stemmed from reports the INS

received in September 2001 of two Cambodian

children, one four days old and the other six months

old, who were abducted from their birth mothers.

The birth mothers contacted a Cambodian

nongovernmental organization for assistance to

locate their babies.

Discovery of falsified documentation

INS officers quickly discovered that one of the

children had been matched for adoption in the

United States. Although the Cambodian

government already gave permission for the child to

be adopted, the supporting documentation—birth

certificate, certificate of abandonment, certificate of

orphan status, and biography of the child—had been

falsified. Both children were returned to their birth

mothers. 

The U.S. Embassy in Cambodia also identified

other orphan petitions requiring further

investigation, including reports of children being

sold for food. The resulting INS review found

Cambodian orphanages lacked a systematic approach

to record keeping which, in turn, raised questions

about the adoption system’s reliability in verifying

orphan status.

Since the suspension, Ziglar said the INS has

been working with the Department of State and

Cambodian government officials to establish a

comprehensive adoption system—one with integrity,

accountability, and transparency—where children

will be properly identified and the circumstances of

their adoptions investigated up front.

“If we had not done that,” Ziglar said in reference

to the suspension, “the Cambodians would never

have taken the actions they have been taking now.”

Letter to prospective parents

On Feb. 7, Ziglar issued a letter to prospective

U.S. parents seeking to adopt in Cambodia. In the

letter the commissioner explained why the

suspension decision was made and how the INS has

dedicated additional resources to resolve the issue

quickly.

“All of us at INS, both here in the United States

and overseas, are working literally day and night to

bring this situation to an honorable and joyful

conclusion,” his letter said.

Cambodian adoptions suspended until system 

is set up to verify children are really orphans
COMMUNIQUÉ

www.ins.usdoj.gov

13

Ziglar addresses first Data Management 

Improvement Act Task Force meeting

COMMISSIONER James W. Ziglar addressed the

first INS Data Management Improvement Act

(DMIA) of 2000 Task Force meeting Feb. 20 at

Headquarters, stressing his willingness to work with

the committee in devising methods of facilitating

travel and commerce while enhancing security at

our nation’s borders. 

The proposed electronic entry/exit data system,

the first item the new committee is examining, was

a key part of Ziglar’s address. 

“An effective and efficient entry/exit system is

extremely important to the INS and to this

administration,” he said. “Since Sept. 11 there’s

been no question in anyone’s mind that the level of

security at our borders has gone up and will continue

to be up and will have to be looked at constantly as

we go forward in the future.” 

He went on to say that he is personally very

interested in the issue: “I came out of the private

sector and have a great sensitivity to economic

impacts of most anything. The last thing I think

that we want to do is create an entry/exit system

that unnecessarily impedes the flow of commerce

and people across our borders. It’s the lifeblood of

our economy, and we are very, very concerned that

this system work to both ensure security and keep

our economies healthy and growing.”

The principal purpose of the first meeting was to

introduce the members to each other and to discuss

future activities. There also was an overview of

DMIA requirements, a brief overview of the current

status of the entry/exit system, comments from each

task force member, and an open period for public

comment.

The task force consists of Assistant

Commissioner for Inspections Michael D. Cronin,

serving as chairperson on behalf of the attorney

general; seven officials from federal, state, and local

governmental groups; and nine representatives from

private industry trade and travel organizations. 

Mr. Cronin, a career immigration officer, serves

as the principal point-of-contact between INS and a

wide variety of trade, travel, and transportation

interests; other government agencies active at portsof-entry; and numerous foreign governments, which

wish to coordinate with or learn from INS border

control activities. Task Force Executive Director

Dominica Gutierrez is a career

immigration officer with expertise in

a wide range of immigration areas

and international issues that affect

travel and migration to the United

States. 

Under the DMIA Act of 2000

and the Patriot Act of 2001, the

attorney general established the task

force in consultation with the

secretaries of State, Commerce, and

Treasury as well as the Office of

Homeland Security. After focusing

initially on the entry/exit system, it

will address such issues as improving

traffic flow; enhancing systems for

data collection/sharing; optimizing

technology, resources, and

personnel; and increasing

cooperation between public and

private sectors, federal and state and

local agencies, and affected foreign

governments. Annual reports with task force

findings, conclusions, and recommendations are

made to Congress, with the first report due Dec. 31.

“There’s a tremendous interest these days in the

issue of entry/exit, and that’s one of the key areas

that the task force needs to focus on, but it is not

the only area,” Gutierrez said. “The task force has a

much broader mandate in terms of looking at portsof-entry, the flow of traffic, and how we can address

the commercial facilitation needs on one hand in

conjunction with increased security concerns on 

the other.”

z $3.7 million for a training program designed to promote

awareness, recognition, and identification of women and

children who are victimized by organizations that violate the

criminal provisions of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence

Protection Act of 2000. 

z $120.5 million to improve operational infrastructure on the

Northern and Southwestern borders, including construction,

alteration and leasing of station buildings; construction of

border roads, fence, and vehicle barrier systems and border

lighting systems; and emergency maintenance and repairs to

existing infrastructure. 

z $50.5 million to process and adjudicate immigration benefits

applications. 

Budget

Continued from page 5

“An effective

and efficient

entry/exit system

is extremely

important to the

INS and to this

administration,”

—Commissioner Ziglar
INS

www.ins.doj.gov

14

INS is taking the next major step in improving its financial

management operations by expanding the use of the agency’s

Federal Financial Management System (FFMS). The Office of

Financial Management (OFM) is rolling out FFMS to INS

Headquarters and field offices across the United States for all

obligations and payments processing. 

The rollout of FFMS provides INS staff with FFMS Desktop,

which provides real-time access to obligation and payment data

from INS desktop PCs. In a sense, FFMS Desktop will be the

program office’s checkbook. With FFMS Desktop, INS users will

have the ability to:

z Conduct on-line, real-time queries to determine status of funds and payments

z Process obligations using electronic forms and electronic approvals

z Generate reports

Today, INS managers and staff responsible for managing the

agency’s dollars depend on several outdated, stand-alone financial

systems and numerous printed financial reports to track program

funding and expenses. FFMS Desktop will replace three legacy

financial systems resulting in:

z Reduction of duplicate data entry-with a single system, users will only need to

enter financial information once

z Reduction of data entry errors and improved reliability-built-in real-time error

checking will identify problems as they occur and improve financial data

integrity and accuracy 

The OFM staff at Headquarters, the Dallas Finance Center,

and the Debt Management Center have been using selected

FFMS core accounting functions for several years to record field

overhead and other financial transactions to a Standard General

Ledger, track debt collection, and compile financial reports.

However, FFMS screens used in OFM are set up for accountants.

FFMS Desktop provides a windows-based, user friendly “frontend” built specifically for all system users. 

Deployment Schedule

The Office of Financial Management and the Office of Budget

will start using FFMS Desktop April 1. Using their experience

with the system, they are refining the agency’s financial processes

and are in the process of rolling out FFMS to the remaining

Headquarters offices.

Training Opportunities

OFM is scheduling a series of training courses to prepare INS

personnel to transition to FFMS. Each office will receive e-mail

notifications of the planned training dates and available slots for

users based on the particular office’s scheduled cutover date.

Because FFMS Desktop training is instructor-led and provided

“just in time,” OFM is working with the Office of Information

Resources Management (OIRM) to establish additional classroom

facilities at Headquarters to accommodate training for all

Headquarters users. For INS field offices, OFM and OIRM are

establishing a portable classroom to deliver training in areas where

INS training facilities may not be available. In addition to the

instructor-led training courses, OFM is developing a series of

videos that will be broadcast on INS TV and sent out to offices to

provide an overview of the system and its use at the INS.

Judy Harrison, assistant commissioner for financial

management, said OFM is looking forward to hearing from users

of the system as they move to the new way of doing business. 

“FFMS Desktop is an exciting and significant change for INS.

It represents a major step toward creating a seamless financial

management system," she said. "For the first time, managers and

staff will use a single financial accounting system to pay bills,

track obligations, and create financial statements.”

On line ‘checkbook’ next step in

improving financial management

By Soraya Correa

Director of Financial Systems Development and Maintenance Donna Jarosz and Director of

Financial Systems Modernization Soraya Correa observe Jennifer Bianco using the Federal

Financial Management System (FFMS).

Photo by Bruce Cohen
COMMUNIQUÉ

www.ins.usdoj.gov

15

IN the aftermath of Sept.

11, the Office of Security

in the Burlington, Vt.,

Administrative Center

restructured the former

week-long Security

Officer Training and

incorporated an additional

week of hands-on physical

security training. 

The training, which took place the weeks of Jan.

7 and 17, included conducting a site survey,

compiling critical information for report writing,

hands-on communication security training, and a

combination lock-changing drill.

Attendees included security representatives from

Baltimore, Miami, New Orleans, Batavia, Portland

Sub-Office, Vermont Service Center, Miami Border

Patrol, New York Asylum, and Arlington Asylum

Office. The Office of Security staff provided the

attendees with training, covering all disciplines of

security, including personnel/contract security,

information security, physical security,

communication security, and operation security.

Each employee received a certificate of

completion for participating in the training and

credit was provided for the two-week session. The

Office of Security worked in conjunction with the

Burlington Administrative Center Human Resource

and Development Office, and credited hours were

entered into the OnTrack system.

The Office of Security has been conducting

security officer training since 1999, with sessions

held twice a year, or upon request. Full-time and

collateral duty security officers are encouraged to

attend, as well as employees responsible for securityrelated duties. 

Security Officer Training 

restructured Post-Sept. 11

Mike O’Brien of the Batavia

Detention Facility performs a

combination lock-changing drill.

IN his first official visit to the Southwest border,

Commissioner James W. Ziglar and an entourage

from Washington visited El Paso and Tucson over a

four-day span in February to become familiar with

operations and to greet Border Patrol agents and

INS inspectors. 

“We are pleased to have had the opportunity to

host the INS commissioner in his first visit to this

area,” El Paso Sector Chief Luis Barker said. “His

convictions and strong sense of dedication made an

impression on the men and women of this sector,

which will help all of us be the best we can possibly

be in the challenging days that will follow.”

Among those accompanying the commissioner

on the visit was his Chief of Staff Victor Cerda,

Executive Associate Commissioner for Field

Operations Mike Pearson, and Associate Border

Patrol Chief Robert Harris. Central Regional

Director Robert Wallis and Assistant Regional

Director Frank Chavarria also joined the entourage

in El Paso. 

Ziglar met the first day with El Paso Sector

Deputy Chief Jerry L. Armstrong and agents of the

Lordsburg Station and was briefed on increasing

activity in the “boot-heel” of New Mexico. After

lunch, the entourage got an aerial view of southern

New Mexico en route to the second busiest traffic

checkpoint in the nation, I-10, west of

Las Cruces. 

His other activities that day included a

briefing by Las Cruces Station Patrol

Agent in Charge Steven A. Higgs; a tour

of the National Canine Facility; a

viewing of the infrared cameras on

Monument 3 mesa, a tabletop mountain

overlooking the three states of Texas,

New Mexico, and Chihuahua, Mexico;

and visits to the Border Patrol Processing Center

and the dedicated commuter lane.

At the Bridge of the Americas the next morning

Ziglar announced plans to add 70 Border Patrol

agents and 50 INS inspectors for El Paso in 2002.

Afterwards, Acting Chief Patrol Agent in El Paso

Jerry Armstrong provided the commissioner with an

operational briefing at El Paso Sector Headquarters.

Deputy Chief Armstrong then walked the entourage

over to El Paso Station for a meeting with agents

before they were given a tour of the El Paso

Intelligence Center; an aerial tour of the Fabens,

Texas, area; and a line tour of one of the sector’s

busiest narcotic corridors.

Throughout his visit, the commissioner found

time to meet and take photos with several agents,

and address their concerns.

Commissioner Ziglar visits Southwest border

By Robert Cordero

Assistant Chief Patrol Agent

of the El Paso Sector Paul

Beeson greets the

commissioner at the

Lordsburg, N.M., airport.

Photos by Greg Leyva 
MAKING children and Border Patrol

recruitment the focus of the Laredo

Sector’s float in the 105th George

Washington Birthday Parade in Laredo,

Texas, this year not only earned the Border

Patrol a standing ovation, but also second

place in the “Commercial Float” category. 

“Everyone stood at attention and

saluted the judges as we passed the judges

and grand stands,” said Ramiro Garcia,

Laredo Sector recruitment coordinator,

whose group was tasked this year for the

first time with creating the float. “The

judges and everyone seated at the

grandstands stood up and applauded us.”

The 105th George Washington

Birthday Parade is part of a two-week

festivity of events drawing thousands of

people from all over the state of Texas and

Mexico. The events allow spectators to get

a look at how participants demonstrate

their involvement in the community. 

“We have had a float in the parade

since I can remember as a young child,”

Garcia said. “In all the years I have

attended the parades, this is the first year

that the Border Patrol was so well received

and acknowledged by the community.” 

This year’s parade theme was “Stars and

Stripes Forever” in honor of the fallen

heroes of Sept. 11. Chad Wamsley, a

Border Patrol agent in Laredo, came up

with the concept of merging that theme

with a recruitment theme: “The Future

Generation of the United States Border

Patrol.” 

A semi-tractor pulled the float built on

a lowboy 35-foot trailer. Children of

Border Patrol agents between the ages of 8

to 10 volunteered to ride on the float.

They dressed in their parents’ rough duty

short sleeve shirts to signify that they are

the future generation of homeland

protection—as they grow into their shirts.

“We had the United States flag along

with the U.S. Border Patrol flag and a

seasoned agent in full uniform handing

over the banner to a

child representing the

turning over of the reins

to the new generation,”

Garcia said.

The float also

displayed many Border

Patrol items and

replicas, such as a model

helicopter, a jet ski, a

bicycle, and a real K-9

basset hound puppy. The entourage

included the sector’s color guard bagpipe

and drum section, two explorers carrying a

recruitment banner, two patrol agents in

full dress uniform on horseback, two

pickup trucks with agents and their

children, and a PT Cruiser playing hip hop

and patriotic music. In total, the entry

included a dozen agents and their spouses,

20 Border Patrol Explorers, and 18 children.

“The kids and parents involved were so

full of joy and honored,” Garcia said,

noting it was the first time the children

participated in the parade. “The children

were so happy to be alongside their

parents, and the agents were happy to have

them.” 

Creating the float was no small task. It

took a maintenance service crew and the

two recruitment coordinators, Danielle

Hernandez and Garcia, 30 hours of work to

accomplish their mission in designing a

float that would make the agency proud. 

“We are very proud of the Laredo

Sector’s staff for the unlimited support of

this project and to all the participants,”

Hernandez said. “This project was a huge

success and hit.” 

Garcia said he was honored to be tasked

with such an important event that also

turned out to be a great morale booster. 

“I feel that this small

contribution/participation will go a long

way to promote the service and

recruitment,” he said. “We have received

many compliments from the community

for a job well done and our commitment to

securing our great nation.”

INS

www.ins.doj.gov

16

Kidnapped man 

rescued in El Paso

Alert Border Patrol agents in El Paso

recently rescued a 20-year-old man locked

in the trunk of his own vehicle. The victim

had been kidnapped at gunpoint near Little

Rock, Ark., by three felons who left him in

the trunk for more than 18 hours.

Agents located the man after the subjects

attempted to “roll through” the inspection

lane unchecked. Suspicious mannerisms,

and the cold nose of a Border Patrol canine,

alerted agents to the presence of a

disoriented and scared man, who later told

his horrible tale.

Inspector enforces law 

in private capacity

Special Operations Immigration

Inspector J.D. Jackson recently assisted the

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RDMP), in

a private capacity, during a theft in progress

at Vancouver International Airport. 

Jackson noticed a suspect trying to

evade a couple of Air China travel

representatives as he attempted to get away

with somebody else’s luggage. The Air

China representatives shouted for help, and

Jackson, who was closer to the thief than

the RCMP officer, prevented the thief from

escaping until the RCMP officer could take

him into custody.

To get an blurb published in

Communiqué’s “INSide” column, e-mail it

to ins@casals.com or mail it to

Communiqué, 1199 North Fairfax Street,

Third Floor, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.

Laredo Sector recruitment float earns

standing ovation, second place prize

The float in the 105th George

Washington Birthday Parade in

Laredo, Texas. At right, Amanda

Villarreal and other children of

Border Patrol agents depicting

“The Future Generation of the

United States Border Patrol.”