arminius
2005-05-23 00:23:47 UTC
On Sands Ranch in Whetstone, illegal immigrants leave their trace in
garbage, photos, open gates
http://svherald.com/articles/2005/05/22/local_news/news3.txt
May 22, 2005
Illegal immigrants are creating havoc for ranchers all along the
U.S.-Mexico border.
The problem is especially prevalent in remote regions of southern
Arizona, where illegal border crossers surge through Cochise County
every year by the thousands, leaving a trail of garbage and damaged
property as they make their way through the desert.
For Sands Ranch, located more than 40 miles north of the border in
Whetstone, illegal immigration traffic has been an overwhelming
problem.
"Almost on a daily basis, we're picking up garbage, closing gates that
have been left open, relocating cattle that have strayed into areas
where they're not supposed to be, and repairing fences and water
systems that have been damaged," said Les Shannon, who has managed the
ranch for 10 years.
It's a problem that costs the ranch thousands of dollars a year, he
said.
A lifelong rancher who has spent the majority of his career in Cochise
County, Shannon said he's seen the illegal immigration problem in the
county escalate dramatically in recent years, and he believes it's
getting worse.
Sands Ranch, which was founded in 1917 by the Sands family, covers
about 64,000 acres. The ranch house is nestled at the eastern base of
the Whetstone Mountains and can be seen off in the distance by those
traveling up and down Highway 90.
Primarily a cow and calf operation, the ranch supports 800 head of
cattle and extends into three counties - Cochise, Pima and Santa Cruz.
It literally straddles the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway
90, where it stretches along the east and west sides of the road.
"People driving down the highway have no clue what's going on just a
half mile off the main road," Shannon said as he turns off Highway 90
just north of the checkpoint area and heads east down a bumpy dirt
road toward an inviting stand of mesquite trees. In the distance, the
Dragoon Mountains make a striking backdrop against rugged country
dotted with trees, ravines and desert shrubs.
As the truck lurches further down the road, debris starts to appear.
Water bottles, clothing, plastic bags and paper products are strewn
carelessly about the desert landscape.
"Believe it or not, I was just through here last week picking up
garbage, and you can't even tell," Shannon said. "We haul truckloads
out of here. It's ugly to look at and it's dangerous for our cattle.
If they eat some of that plastic, it could kill them."
He approaches a group of mesquite trees. Beneath sprawling branches,
the area is literally covered with hundreds of backpacks, water
bottles, clothing, toothbrushes and empty tuna cans. Discarded paper
products contribute to the clutter, as well as dirty baby diapers,
socks, underwear and empty electrolyte bottles. Plastic bags caught by
the wind are entangled in trees almost as far as the eye can see.
With a disgusted snort and frustrated wave of his arms, Shannon said,
"We believe this is a pick-up point for coyotes (those who smuggle
people into this country from Mexico). It's just one of many they use
to skirt around the Border Patrol's checkpoint on the highway. Anyway,
I'll clean this up, and this is what I come back to days later."
Shannon speculates there are two primary points used by immigrants on
his ranch. This one on the east side of Highway 90 and the other is on
the opposite side of the road, toward French Joe Canyon and the
Whetstone Mountains. That's where he's going next, wanting to point
out the tough terrain and grim conditions people endure as they make
the dangerous trek on foot. Most are hoping to reach Phoenix or Los
Angeles, Shannon said.
Before leaving, he walks down into a low area and closes a gate that
was left open.
"We can't get around fast enough to keep our gates closed," he said.
"It's almost impossible for us to keep our grazing rotation system in
effect because of this problem."
As he crosses the highway and heads west, evidence of campfires, along
with more tell-tale garbage, serve as reminders of more illegal
traffic. Another gate - the fourth one that day - must be closed.
Standing before a deep ravine that he calls Dry Canyon, Shannon points
to a deeply entrenched trail that cuts through the steep-sided gulch,
down one side and up the other.
"My guess is this ravine is more than 100 feet deep," Shannon said.
"Most of these people travel through here at night. I can't even
imagine tackling that steep trail and 100-foot drop during the day,
much less at night when you can't even see where you're going. These
are desperate, desperate people."
Near a small corral that houses a water tank, there is more garbage
under the seclusion of mesquite trees. Discarded gloves, toothbrushes,
water bottles and empty tubes of toothpaste have been flung into the
dirt.
Fluttering in the breeze are official-looking documents, perhaps birth
certificates, written in Spanish. A photograph of three children
holding hands and dressed in festive finery is spied among the debris.
Gazing at the documents and photo, a quiet lull hangs in the air. What
happened here? Why were these things left behind? Who are these
children?
Even Shannon softens.
"I find photos like this all the time," he says quietly. "I think it's
sad. It makes you wonder what kind of life these people have. What is
the driving force that makes them so desperate they'll place their
lives into the hands of these coyotes and risk everything to come
here?"
Shannon, who speaks some Spanish, said he asks illegal immigrants
questions when he runs across them. He gives them water and calls the
Border Patrol to let agents know their location.
"The coyotes lie to these people," he said angrily. "They take their
money, sometimes it's everything these people have, and they abandon
them. They even leave women and children without water."
Coyotes have told some of the people that Los Angeles is just on the
other side of the Whetstone Mountains, Shannon said.
"Some of them believe they have a two hour hike and they'll be in
Phoenix," he added. "Others are told if they get to the big gas
station at the end of the highway (Gas City) they can catch a quick
cab ride to Phoenix."
Shannon has seen grown men double over and sob when he tells them that
Phoenix is almost 200 miles away, and Los Angeles is far beyond the
Whetstone Mountain range, hundreds of miles away.
While most of the immigrants are from Mexico, Shannon has talked to
some from different countries in South and Central America.
"I've talked to people from Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador,
all over South and Central America," he said. "I know this for a fact
because I've asked them. They use Mexico as a corridor to get into
Arizona and then into other parts of the country. I see this as a
national threat. It makes me wonder how many other countries are
getting through our border and escaping into the interior of the
United States."
Border Patrol agents, Shannon said, are completely outnumbered. He
said they're always responsive and appreciative when he notifies them
about immigrants he finds on the ranch.
"I don't blame the Border Patrol for the breakdown in this system. The
blame lies with our federal government," Shannon said. "Our government
needs to come up with a way to tighten up our borders. I hope with all
the new agents we keep hearing that the government is hiring, we'll
see a difference."
There have been no deaths in his years on the ranch dealing with the
illegal immigrant problem.
"We're thankful for that," he said.
-------------------------------------
Fed up with illegal immigration?
_____
http://idexer.com
http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/listarticles.cgi?117
http://www.saveourstate.org
http://www.newswithviews.com/Wooldridge/frostyA.htm
http://www.americanpatrol.com/LINKS/LINKS.html
http://www.vdare.com/links.htm
http://www.stoptheinvasion.com/links/
http://fairus.org/
http://numbersusa.com/index
_____
"Cosmic upheaval is not so moving as a little child pondering the death
of a sparrow in the corner of a barn." -Anouk Aimee, French Actor
_____
"Death is better, a milder fate than tyranny", Aeschylus (525BC-456BC),
Agamemnon
_____
"I wear no Burka." - Mother Nature
----------
To send mail: remove hutch
Perhaps the Sierra Club who does nothing about illegal immigration would atgarbage, photos, open gates
http://svherald.com/articles/2005/05/22/local_news/news3.txt
May 22, 2005
Illegal immigrants are creating havoc for ranchers all along the
U.S.-Mexico border.
The problem is especially prevalent in remote regions of southern
Arizona, where illegal border crossers surge through Cochise County
every year by the thousands, leaving a trail of garbage and damaged
property as they make their way through the desert.
For Sands Ranch, located more than 40 miles north of the border in
Whetstone, illegal immigration traffic has been an overwhelming
problem.
"Almost on a daily basis, we're picking up garbage, closing gates that
have been left open, relocating cattle that have strayed into areas
where they're not supposed to be, and repairing fences and water
systems that have been damaged," said Les Shannon, who has managed the
ranch for 10 years.
It's a problem that costs the ranch thousands of dollars a year, he
said.
A lifelong rancher who has spent the majority of his career in Cochise
County, Shannon said he's seen the illegal immigration problem in the
county escalate dramatically in recent years, and he believes it's
getting worse.
Sands Ranch, which was founded in 1917 by the Sands family, covers
about 64,000 acres. The ranch house is nestled at the eastern base of
the Whetstone Mountains and can be seen off in the distance by those
traveling up and down Highway 90.
Primarily a cow and calf operation, the ranch supports 800 head of
cattle and extends into three counties - Cochise, Pima and Santa Cruz.
It literally straddles the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway
90, where it stretches along the east and west sides of the road.
"People driving down the highway have no clue what's going on just a
half mile off the main road," Shannon said as he turns off Highway 90
just north of the checkpoint area and heads east down a bumpy dirt
road toward an inviting stand of mesquite trees. In the distance, the
Dragoon Mountains make a striking backdrop against rugged country
dotted with trees, ravines and desert shrubs.
As the truck lurches further down the road, debris starts to appear.
Water bottles, clothing, plastic bags and paper products are strewn
carelessly about the desert landscape.
"Believe it or not, I was just through here last week picking up
garbage, and you can't even tell," Shannon said. "We haul truckloads
out of here. It's ugly to look at and it's dangerous for our cattle.
If they eat some of that plastic, it could kill them."
He approaches a group of mesquite trees. Beneath sprawling branches,
the area is literally covered with hundreds of backpacks, water
bottles, clothing, toothbrushes and empty tuna cans. Discarded paper
products contribute to the clutter, as well as dirty baby diapers,
socks, underwear and empty electrolyte bottles. Plastic bags caught by
the wind are entangled in trees almost as far as the eye can see.
With a disgusted snort and frustrated wave of his arms, Shannon said,
"We believe this is a pick-up point for coyotes (those who smuggle
people into this country from Mexico). It's just one of many they use
to skirt around the Border Patrol's checkpoint on the highway. Anyway,
I'll clean this up, and this is what I come back to days later."
Shannon speculates there are two primary points used by immigrants on
his ranch. This one on the east side of Highway 90 and the other is on
the opposite side of the road, toward French Joe Canyon and the
Whetstone Mountains. That's where he's going next, wanting to point
out the tough terrain and grim conditions people endure as they make
the dangerous trek on foot. Most are hoping to reach Phoenix or Los
Angeles, Shannon said.
Before leaving, he walks down into a low area and closes a gate that
was left open.
"We can't get around fast enough to keep our gates closed," he said.
"It's almost impossible for us to keep our grazing rotation system in
effect because of this problem."
As he crosses the highway and heads west, evidence of campfires, along
with more tell-tale garbage, serve as reminders of more illegal
traffic. Another gate - the fourth one that day - must be closed.
Standing before a deep ravine that he calls Dry Canyon, Shannon points
to a deeply entrenched trail that cuts through the steep-sided gulch,
down one side and up the other.
"My guess is this ravine is more than 100 feet deep," Shannon said.
"Most of these people travel through here at night. I can't even
imagine tackling that steep trail and 100-foot drop during the day,
much less at night when you can't even see where you're going. These
are desperate, desperate people."
Near a small corral that houses a water tank, there is more garbage
under the seclusion of mesquite trees. Discarded gloves, toothbrushes,
water bottles and empty tubes of toothpaste have been flung into the
dirt.
Fluttering in the breeze are official-looking documents, perhaps birth
certificates, written in Spanish. A photograph of three children
holding hands and dressed in festive finery is spied among the debris.
Gazing at the documents and photo, a quiet lull hangs in the air. What
happened here? Why were these things left behind? Who are these
children?
Even Shannon softens.
"I find photos like this all the time," he says quietly. "I think it's
sad. It makes you wonder what kind of life these people have. What is
the driving force that makes them so desperate they'll place their
lives into the hands of these coyotes and risk everything to come
here?"
Shannon, who speaks some Spanish, said he asks illegal immigrants
questions when he runs across them. He gives them water and calls the
Border Patrol to let agents know their location.
"The coyotes lie to these people," he said angrily. "They take their
money, sometimes it's everything these people have, and they abandon
them. They even leave women and children without water."
Coyotes have told some of the people that Los Angeles is just on the
other side of the Whetstone Mountains, Shannon said.
"Some of them believe they have a two hour hike and they'll be in
Phoenix," he added. "Others are told if they get to the big gas
station at the end of the highway (Gas City) they can catch a quick
cab ride to Phoenix."
Shannon has seen grown men double over and sob when he tells them that
Phoenix is almost 200 miles away, and Los Angeles is far beyond the
Whetstone Mountain range, hundreds of miles away.
While most of the immigrants are from Mexico, Shannon has talked to
some from different countries in South and Central America.
"I've talked to people from Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador,
all over South and Central America," he said. "I know this for a fact
because I've asked them. They use Mexico as a corridor to get into
Arizona and then into other parts of the country. I see this as a
national threat. It makes me wonder how many other countries are
getting through our border and escaping into the interior of the
United States."
Border Patrol agents, Shannon said, are completely outnumbered. He
said they're always responsive and appreciative when he notifies them
about immigrants he finds on the ranch.
"I don't blame the Border Patrol for the breakdown in this system. The
blame lies with our federal government," Shannon said. "Our government
needs to come up with a way to tighten up our borders. I hope with all
the new agents we keep hearing that the government is hiring, we'll
see a difference."
There have been no deaths in his years on the ranch dealing with the
illegal immigrant problem.
"We're thankful for that," he said.
-------------------------------------
Fed up with illegal immigration?
_____
http://idexer.com
http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/listarticles.cgi?117
http://www.saveourstate.org
http://www.newswithviews.com/Wooldridge/frostyA.htm
http://www.americanpatrol.com/LINKS/LINKS.html
http://www.vdare.com/links.htm
http://www.stoptheinvasion.com/links/
http://fairus.org/
http://numbersusa.com/index
_____
"Cosmic upheaval is not so moving as a little child pondering the death
of a sparrow in the corner of a barn." -Anouk Aimee, French Actor
_____
"Death is better, a milder fate than tyranny", Aeschylus (525BC-456BC),
Agamemnon
_____
"I wear no Burka." - Mother Nature
----------
To send mail: remove hutch
least help clean up the mess.
Hank