Lorain/Elyria, OH
Sandusky Border Patrol removes passengers from Elyria bus
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ELYRIA — Two suspected illegal aliens were taken off a Chicago-bound Greyhound bus at the bus stop on Third Street in Elyria.
Although one of those arrested eventually was released after a paperwork review determined she was in the country legally, the other was a Mexican national who said he had been in the country for three years and was living in Richmond, Va.
The check of every passenger on the bus was the first of its kind in Elyria by U.S. Border Patrol agents stationed at an office in Sandusky that opened in February, said Chris Grogan, public information officer for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“We’re just trying to get a tighter grip on border security,” Grogan said.
Random checks like the one in Elyria are part of how the agents will be enforcing immigration and other laws. Buses are one way illegal immigrants move around and have drawn closer scrutiny in recent years, Grogan said.
“You don’t see too much up here, but you never know,” he said.
Agents checking the bus Friday declined to comment, but the Mexican, who said his name was Hugo Leon, said he had been arrested once before for sneaking into the country illegally.
The woman who was released said she came to the United States from the African nation of Benin about eight years ago.
She said she was returning to her Chicago home from a shopping trip in New York but didn’t have her green card with her.
Lorain County Sheriff’s Capt. Dennis Cavanaugh, who commands the county’s Drug Task Force and Terrorism Task Force, said local law enforcement welcomed the addition of the Border Patrol office in Sandusky.
“It certainly helps. There’s a lot of open area and a lot of shared intel, which is vital,” he said.
Already the Border Patrol has worked closely with local officers on operations, including the Northern Border Initiative, Cavanaugh said.
Crogan said the Detroit border district that supervises the Sandusky office is the largest in the United States and covers 863 miles of international border and 3,000 miles of shoreline that run from the tip of Lake Superior into Lake Erie.
Contact Brad Dicken at 329-7147 or bdicken@chroniclet.com.
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Hooray for our border guards! May they remain productive and stop illegal immigrants from sneaking in to America and skirting our health and employment laws! Keep up the great work Immigration and Naturalization Service! If you want to come to America, do it legally and respectfully.
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The check of every passenger on the bus was the first of its kind in Elyria by U.S. Border Patrol agents stationed at an office in Sandusky that opened in February ??? What have they been doing since last febuary ? Geez, If they really wanted to do something, I would say they should run checks on the landscaping companies that are working in Avon and North Ridgeville where 98% of the crews can’t speak one word of english and are stealing jobs from our young.Come ON PEOPLE !! WAKE UP !!! I think putting money in our teens pockets would be a great step in helping the economy. But NO, There are thousands of Mexicans running lawn mowers and rakes sending most of their money back home.
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Does anyone of importance read these comments left by citizens ?
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nope there all sleepin on our time
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Good! Round ‘em up and ship ‘em all back home.
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Jesse217
“Does anyone of importance read these comments left by citizens ?”
Are you serious! You want people of importance sitting around reading blogs all day? Is that what you just said? How stupid and wasteful is that?
How about you pick up your phone and call and tell them what you know? Or, is that a stupid idea?
Unbelievable!
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LOL., Chris, Who’s in your wallet ? Better than looking at what they do on most days ! I had a little time to type on this week end and now you want me to do their job ? Do they not drive anywhere and see the same things that most (working) tax payers see ? And hey SILVER SPOON I’ll bet you have teen agers that some how had jobs with the city this summer ?
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Jesse217,
“Does anyone of importance read these comments left by citizens ?”
Yes they do, except for the one’s who are so out of touch that they still don’t know what the internet is.
Jeez Sito, lighten-up.
You’re an important guy & you live for these blogs.
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