Florida woman's fight with UPS touches nerve over security level

[DeclinetoState]

By JOHN LANTIGUA

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

MIAMI — A UPS envelope destined for South Florida is sitting in a warehouse in Louisville, Ky., instead threatening to set off an international dispute that touches on both immigration and national security.

Cristina Bustos, 33, of Bonita Springs said relatives in Monterrey, Mexico, shipped her the envelope in late March. It contains the birth certificates of two relatives living in Florida who want to apply for their Mexican passports at the consulate in South Miami, she said.

The envelope never arrived. Bustos said she received a voice-mail message from a UPS employee in Louisville telling her that it was being detained there. The reason: It contains official identification documents from another country, and she needs to identify herself further before receiving them.

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the U.S. government has been concerned about counterfeit documents being used for fraudulent purposes.

"She said the only way I could get it was to send her proof that I am a legal resident here," said Bustos, who works at a McDonald's in Fort Myers. "She wanted me to e-mail her a copy of my green card."
More (http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/local_news/epaper/2008/05/07/m1a_ups_0507.html)

All UPS wanted was an e-mail copy of a green card? While I'm not sure it's legal to photocopy green cards, that doesn't seem to be the issue. E-mailing a copy of an ID card is not that difficult. It looks like this woman is trying to make a scene.

[BuckeyeMike]

What's her friggin' prollem.......she wants spayshul service 'cause she's Hispanic? Just go identify yourself to the UPS folks and if everything is hunky dory, you'll get the geedee envelope. THat Mexican Consulate is a real piece of work too, advocating that she and all like her disregard the rules....rules that even a "private company" has to abide by. I wouldn't give her the damned envelope either. EFF her and the Mex Consulate.
Waitin' for the ACLU to jump in on this.

[LivingDeadGirl]

GEEZ woman!!! Give them a copy of the damn green card!! I've had to present my driver's license to get things that have been sent from overseas and I'm a flippin whiter than casper red-head with an Irish last name!! Her nationality has nothing to do with, however Federal Customs Laws do!

[Timberwolf]

My question is do they stop stuff coming from England with a Tom Smith sort of name?" he said. "Do they stop stuff coming to French people who are now legal residents of the U.S.? Or is this lady being targeted because of her Hispanic surname?
Considering the VAST majority of illegal immigrants ARE from MEXICO, yes...WTF is your problem? Check into what YOUR country does concerning this matter you farking hypocrite.

"On top of which, private companies should not be enforcing immigration law. What's next? McDonald's asking proof of citizenship before they serve a hamburger? This is a dangerous precedent."
Actually that's EXACTLY what Mickey D's oughta be doing. If you're not here legally, you starve.

"The Mexican government is encouraging Mexicans wherever they live to get passports," DeLeon said. "They can't get them without these documents."
Then, they can go to MEXICO and apply THERE.

[DeclinetoState]

"Do they stop stuff coming to French people who are now legal residents of the U.S.?"Yeah, like the French even have the balls to commit an act of terrorism.

[Rhino]

"On top of which, private companies should not be enforcing immigration law. What's next? McDonald's asking proof of citizenship before they serve a hamburger? This is a dangerous precedent."Sensationalist bullcrap. UPS did not detain the package. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detained it. UPS is simply notifying her of that fact, and telling her what she needs to do.