Good deed turns sour at border
http://www.sbsun.com/Stories/0,1413,208~12588~2572839,00.htm...
By BRAD A. GREENBERG Staff Writer
Luci Wilson's sport utility vehicle wasn't stolen, but the Rancho Cucamonga woman feels robbed.
Driving back from Tijuana after a weekend of missionary work, Wilson's vehicle was impounded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection because a Latino
church member in her back seat had illegally immigrated to California years before.
Wilson said she told customs officials she was unaware of Juan Garcia's immigration status. Her vehicle has been stored at an undisclosed site since
the Sept. 25 incident.
Now Wilson, a personnel secretary in the Rialto Unified School District, is terrified the daily storage fees will be so exorbitant she won't be able
to recover the 2001 Ford Expedition for which she originally paid $40,000. In that case, she said she was told it would become the possession of the
U.S. government and would be sold at a public auction.
"This is legalized carjacking,' the 43-year-old woman said.
The customs officer handling Wilson's case said he was not allowed to speak publicly and referred questions to Vince Bond, a spokesman for the federal
agency, which is under the Department of Homeland Security.
"I don't know this case, so I don't know the specifics,' Bond said, saying he was too busy to look into it.
The speed of bureaucracy has slowed Wilson down. She didn't receive until late October the paperwork needed to appeal her case. She had her first
hearing Tuesday with customs officials in San Diego.
In smuggling cases, drivers are subject to civil and criminal prosecution, Bond said. In a case where the driver didn't know he was carrying an
illegal immigrant, he would still likely face civil sanctions, Bond said.
Wilson likely must prove ignorance regarding Garcia's status before she will get her vehicle back. Customs now has 60 days to respond to her argument.
"It is very unfair,' said Joanne Petronella, pastor of Christ in You Hope of Glory International Ministries in Brea, the group Wilson and Garcia
traveled with in Mexico. "She had absolutely no idea that the guy didn't have his Green Card. She should not be penalized for what he did.'
Garcia, Petronella said, has been released and remains in Mexico. He had been part of her ministry for the past six years. He owned a home in Chino
and operated a home-painting business, Petronella said.
Wilson had seen him almost every time she went to Tijuana since she joined the group two years ago. Christ in You visits the border city monthly to
deliver clothes, food and messages from the Bible. Garcia rode with her once before.
"Even though we belong to the same ministry, I have never spoken with him about his personal life,' she said. "I don't know anything about him.'
On that trip in September, Garcia traveled to the city with a married couple who left early after spending Saturday morning and afternoon working in a
poor Tijuana neighborhood.
So, Garcia hitched a ride with Wilson, her 15-year-old daughter and two others. They headed for the California-Mexico border, but, once there, an
officer tested their American citizenships.
Garcia failed.
For birthplace, he answered, "Coachella,' then said he had been naturalized, then failed to produce proof. The five were taken into custody. Another
driver in the caravan saw this and waited 3 hours at a nearby gas station to taxi them home.
Bond, the customs spokesman, said it is not unusual to confiscate a vehicle if someone is suspected of transporting an undocumented immigrant. He
would not comment on what kind of bill Wilson would have to pay.
A vehicle impound often brings a one-time tow fee of more than $100 and at least $25 per night, said Rocky Deblasis, owner of Rock Bottom Towing in
Colton.
Wilson's Expedition was impounded 66 days ago. At the low end, storage likely has already surpassed $1,500.
Bond said his department does what the American government tells it to.
"After 9-11, (customs) has been charged with keeping people who are not allowed entry into the United States from getting in and keeping dangerous
substances such as narcotics and weapons of mass destruction out of the country,' Bond said.
"The smuggling of undocumented immigrants ... is a significant problem,' he said.
Every day, Bond said, 20 to 30 immigrants sneak into the United States by stowing in American cars. An estimated 10million illegal immigrants live in
the U.S.
The numbers crossing in San Diego have been dropping since Operation Gatekeeper was launched a decade ago. The U.S. Border Patrol now catches the most
immigrants in the Arizona desert. The Border Patrol nabbed about 100,000 in San Diego in 2003.
"This person who has been here six years and owns a house doesn't sound like any type of security threat,' said Randolph Hall, co-director of a
terrorism research center at USC. "But he did break the law.'
Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the conservative Federation for American Immigration Reform, said that it is important to have laws that "inconvenience'
professional smugglers, and that people like Wilson will get caught, even if they didn't know they were breaking the law.
"Obviously, it shouldn't be treated as severe as a smuggler,' Mehlman said. "But if you make a mistake on your tax return, you may end up paying a
penalty.'
Wilson was ready for trouble as soon as Juan Garcia revealed he wasn't permitted to enter the United States.
"But I did not think it would be to this extent,' she said.
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