How They Thanked Us

 

How They Thanked Us


In the Buffalo Sector in the early 90s we were catching large groups of Somalians coming in from Canada by walking the old railroad bridge from Fort Erie, Ontario. I particularly remember a group of 21 Somalians we caught at about 2am on a January night with the temperature hovering around 10 degrees and the wind howling. It was a family group with all the adults carrying 2 pieces of luggage and herding a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds between them to keep them away from the sides. There were no railings on that bridge. Of course there was nothing but water below the open ties either, and one of the kids could have easily fallen through. We should have had them charged with child abuse. The Buffalo Police would have been happy to oblige. (well, maybe the NYSP or the ECSD)

I can't remember if Canada was refusing to take back these claimed refugees at that time, as they were just happy to have them gone. I know we processed them (I-210 probably) and ended up turning them over to one of the well meaning, church run, refugee houses that were thriving in the area back then. I also remember that most all the Somalians we were catching back then seemed to be destined to Minneapolis. I could never figure that one out. How had they heard about the Vikings or the Twins in Mogadishu, and didn't they know it was a little colder there than Somalia? UNOIMSAYIN?

In any event, these are probably some of the same folks who are now heading back over there to fight for ISIS. We made a lot of mistakes in our enforcement policies back then and we're paying for them now. Que lastima 

 

Dick Mauer