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Immigration See other Immigration Articles Title: Break-ins by migrants seeking food, rest a fact of life on border PHOENIX - When burglars broke into U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe's house in late July, they ignored most of his valuables. "The biggest thing that caught my attention was an antique rifle that was just laying around," said Tom Schenek, an officer with the Patagonia Marshal's Office who responded to the break-in. "I don't think the congressman would have left it laying around where it was." However, the rifle was left in the house. Instead, it appeared that whoever broke into the congressman's cabin in Sonoita, Ariz., less than 30 miles from the Mexican border, ate some food, used the shower, took some of Kolbe's clothes and left. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office attributed the break-in to illegal immigrants. Sheriff Tony Estrada regularly hears about migrants burglarizing homes near the border as they cross the Arizona desert, the nation's busiest corridor for illegal entries. Immigrants usually aren't after valuables, Estrada said Thursday. Instead, they generally look for food, water, a place to rest, and perhaps a change of clothes. "It happens. And it probably happens more than we get reports on," Estrada said. "It stands to reason. We have a lot of people going through Santa Cruz County and all the border counties." Two or three such burglaries are reported in the county each month, whereas people complain about trespassers every day. Kat Rodriguez, coordinating organizer for the human rights group Derechos Humanos, said residents in southern Arizona have come to expect occasional stories of migrants who need food or a place to rest breaking into homes. "It's frustrating for them and no one likes it, but they know it's desperation," Rodriguez said. While Rodriguez said she has never heard of an immigrant stealing jewelry or other valuables, burglaries do contribute to homeowners' negative feelings toward migrants. "They feel violated and there's no way around it," she said. Kolbe, R-Ariz., had no comment on the break-in at his cabin, said his spokeswoman, Kristen Hellmer. The Rev. Robin Hoover, president of the humanitarian group Humane Borders, said the burglary at the congressman's home was ironic but not unusual. "Congressman Kolbe has very attentively tried to do things about the border and enforcement and now you have this big irony of someone breaking into his house," Hoover said. But when put in perspective, Hoover said burglaries weren't a huge border issue. "Considering there's 1.2 million attempts (to cross the border) made every year, it's a relatively minor problem," he said.
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