In Texas, the Del Rio sector has embraced a common-sense approach: if you break U.S. law, you go to jail. While this may seem straightforward, it’s a significant shift in how criminal aliens crossing the border are treated. Thanks to coverage from Glenn Beck, this 2006 success story in deporting illegal immigrants has resurfaced.
The process in Del Rio stands apart from other border sectors by implementing a zero-tolerance policy. Illegal immigrants, like Salvadoran Walter Oscar Portillo-Machado, who was caught in the region, no longer get a simple ride back home. Instead, they are arrested, prosecuted, and, in many cases, serve time in prison before being deported.
Federal agents in the Del Rio area didn’t wait for new laws to be written—they simply enforced existing ones. “There’s nothing we’re doing that wasn’t already on the books,” said Hilario Leal Jr., a supervisory Border Patrol agent. What’s changed is that they found jail space, assigned federal agents to help prosecute cases, and began running illegal immigrants through court at an astonishing rate—sometimes handling one case per minute.
The Del Rio sector has also eliminated the notorious “catch-and-release” policy that allowed non-Mexican immigrants to walk away with a notice to appear in federal court later, a summons most ignored. In Del Rio, illegal immigrants, regardless of nationality, face criminal prosecution, serve their sentence, and are then deported.
The results have been remarkable. Before the zero-tolerance initiative, agents averaged 500 arrests daily. Now, fewer than 100 arrests are made each day, with the stricter enforcement credited for reducing overall arrests by about 29%.
In court, Portillo-Machado, shackled and handcuffed, stood with more than 30 other defendants facing the same charge. The judge handled about one guilty plea per minute, sentencing Portillo-Machado to 120 days in jail after he pled guilty.
The takeaway from Del Rio’s approach is clear: enforcing the law has led to fewer criminals. It raises a vital question—how would offering amnesty, which rewards illegal behavior, solve the problem? Pro-illegal groups often argue that jobs draw immigrants, so doesn’t it stand to reason that offering citizenship would only increase the temptation?
