'Obama policies fail to protect pristine lands'
Report cites 7,000 abandoned vehicles, tons of garbage from illegal aliens
By Bob Unruh
The World Net Daily News, July 17, 2009
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=104158
A new video report from the Center for Immigration Studies is warning that under President Obama's policies, illegal aliens are endangering both rare wildlife and plant species as well as the pristine lands of the southwestern United States with the thousands of vehicles and tons of garbage they abandon.
'President Obama's immigration and environmental platforms for rule of law on our borders and a greener America remain unreconciled when it comes to the effect of the huge numbers of illegal immigrants being caught on hidden cameras trekking through public lands the federal government is responsible for controlling,' the CIS said of its report.
'These alien crossings are not legal, and they make clear that our borders are far from secure. In fact, the numbers of illegals on these trails is rising. In June 2009, 575 illegal aliens were picked up on just 14 of the hidden cameras featured in this video along 12 trials. Hundreds of these trails exist, and new ones are being cut illegally every day.'
The report notes the native species, including deer, bear and mountain lion, that inhabit the area.
'And while these animals call these mountains home now, how long will these beautiful lands remain unspoiled if the border is not secured? And who is protecting this nation from those illegally trekking through them?' the organization asks.
The report, posted on YouTube, says the problem is not being addressed or even assessed by any organized study.
Written and narrated by Janice Kephart, 'Hidden Cameras on the Arizona Border' tells of a region threatened by increased illegal immigration, the Huachuca Mountains and Coronado National Forest in the southeast quadrant of Arizona.
Using video documentation from an independent website that films illegal aliens making their way through the pristine lands into the United States, the report cites the increasing activity of drug dealers and alien smugglers in the area.
The video shows mountain lions, deer, wild pigs and turkeys facing the threat of destruction because of the growing human trafficking.
'While environmental groups put out study after study detailing potential negative effects of a border fence on the environment, the story of the negative effects of not stopping illegal immigration across the Mexican border is a story that has remained untold, until now,' the CIS said.
'Abandoned vehicles, drug drops, illegal groups trekking and camping, along with the predictable human waste and immense litter left behind, have destroyed fragile Arizona ecosystems,' the report states.
It cites 7,000 vehicles abandoned by drug smugglers and others and literally tons of drugs that have been recovered, besides the additional tons of garbage, including piles of toilet paper, left behind.
Producer/editor Bryan Griffith told WND one of the significant problems is that the impact on the protected federal lands haven't been quantified yet.
Some of the trails are monitored by hidden cameras run by Border Invasion Pics, a private organization that is self-funded.
The video reports on garbage dumps the size of football fields as well as indications of other criminal activity, such as 'rape trees,' where human smugglers hang the underwear of clients they have attacked and assaulted.
Kephart told WND there appears to be an absence of any concerted effort to address the problem. He points to evidence the Department of Homeland Security has blocked its employees from viewing video on the Border Invasion Pics site.
'We need congressional digging to make [investigations] happen,' she said.
The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent research institute that examines the impact of immigration on the U.S.
EDITORS NOTE: The CIS video, Hidden Cameras on the Arizona Border: Coyotes, Bears and Trails, is available online at: http://cis.org/Videos/HiddenCameras-IllegalImmigration
