"And they didn't come here to lay in the front yard and look at traffic," said Don Radcliffe, district director of the U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service office.
"The vast majority of them simply want to work, and they are taking jobs away from people who need it the most."
Immigration inspectors arrested a 36-year-old Indonesian two weeks ago at Honolulu Airport and seized records from his luggage that indicate he was a "high-level member of an alien-smuggling organization."
Suprijanto, whose detention hearing was to be held today, is charged with trying to smuggle an alien into the United States.
Suprijanto was carrying a business card that identifies him as director of Indo Marine Product & Co. His name, written in Chinese on the card, translates to "Zu Quiang" or "Zu Cian," ac cording to documents filed in court. Inspectors also seized records from Suprijanto's luggage that link him to an organization that smuggles people from China to the United States and Japan through Indonesia.
The records list 59 names with the sex of the individual, country of origin, birthdate, middlemen involved, passport number, total payment to be made, amounts paid and balance due.
Also found were three counterfeit Indonesian passport identity pages and photographs of Chinese citizens "taken in a manner consistent with official Indonesian passport photographs."
"If he had 59 customers, it would be one of the larger operations we've come across," Radcliffe said.
Stopping the flow of illegal aliens is difficult, but he is encouraged by steps taken by Congress to add people to the Border Patrol and support staff on the mainland over the next three years.
"People are entering through Canada and Mexico and flying to Hawaii," he said, "so that will help."
The trend here is for a smuggler to accompany two or three illegal aliens, who then spread out over inspection lines at Honolulu Airport, Radcliffe said.
He said 649 illegal aliens were caught trying to enter Hawaii illegally last year.