Syrian man caught at southern border illegally sneaking into US

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/04/syrian-man-caught-at-southern-border-illegally-sneaking-into-us/

U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended a Syrian native attempting to illegally enter the country from Mexico last week.

The 46-year-old Syrian man had snuck onto a train car before he was detected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorities in Calexico, Calif., on Friday, according to a CBP statement.

The train crossed the border in the early morning hours when the port’s imaging technology noticed something unusual in one of the cars. Upon further investigation, officers found the Syrian man hidden inside the railcar’s small external compartment.

“This apprehension highlights the fact that none of our inspections are routine, especially when people purposely attempt to avoid the process,” Calexico Area Port Director David Salazar said in the statement. “CBP puts a lot of effort in identifying, vetting and prosecuting people who just don’t want to abide by the legal process of entering our country.”

Officers detained the man for an interview and collection of fingerprints. They later discovered he had no documents permitting his U.S. entry, and was instead a Syrian citizen.

Officers then charged the man with illegal entry and placed an immigration hold on him to pursue deportation after criminal prosecution has concluded.

“CBP officers at the Calexico port of entry have apprehended 12 percent more illegal aliens in fiscal year 2019 compared to the same timeframe in fiscal year 2018 attempting to enter the country hidden in trains; many come from the Northern Triangle region of South America with varied criminal backgrounds such as burglary, battery, and drug charges,” the CBP statement said.

The Department of Homeland Security has estimated that approximately one million illegal immigrants will be apprehended by border patrol agents by the end of the year in what is a growing migration crisis in the U.S.

“In February, we saw a 30-percent jump over the previous month, with agents apprehending or encountering nearly 75,000 aliens,” DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said last month. “This is an 80-percent increase over the same time last year. And I can report today that CBP is forecasting the problem will get even worse this spring as the weather warms up.”

Nielsen and President Donald Trump have been in frequent communication as Trump considers closing the southern border to address the immigration crisis.

During a briefing call with the President, a DHS official said, “The system is on wire … We now face what we call a systemwide meltdown.”

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DHS has already had to reallocate border patrol agents from ports of entry to working on asylum applications. The move has created significant delays at ports of entry and is expected to have a continued impact on those crossing through.

The Border Is a Hot Mess. What’s Trump to Do? Here Are His Options.

Apr 4th, 2019 3 min read

COMMENTARY BY

James Jay Carafano

@JJCarafano

Vice President, Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute

James Jay Carafano is a leading expert in national security and foreign policy challenges.

https://www.heritage.org/immigration/commentary/the-border-hot-mess-whats-trump-do-here-are-his-options

Put yourself in the president’s shoes. He saw the border crisis building. He warned Congress. They did nothing. Now he has to do something.

Months ago, the administration alerted lawmakers that the number of people entering the country illegally and making unqualified asylum claims was skyrocketing. The only options were to stop them from crossing or let them in and release them while their bogus claims were being processed. The latter option, Congress was warned, could add another one million to the illegal population before the year was out.

It was, by any reasonable definition, a crisis.

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The White House asked for resources to address it, but Congress didn’t deliver. This led to a government shutdown. Still, lawmakers refused to negotiate, insisting there was no crisis.

That assertion is no longer tenable. This week, even Obama’s former secretary of homeland security, Jeh Johnson, acknowledged “it’s a crisis.”

Leaders on both sides of the aisle should be in the Oval Office, working into the night until they hammer out a solution. That is not happening. Instead, the House leadership is considering a vote to criticize the administration.

With Congress whistling past the graveyard, what is the president to do? He must look for ways to address the overwhelming challenge with the tools at his disposal. He is already trying to build the wall, despite congressional obstructionism. But what else is possible, and how effective would those measures be?

Trump has floated four options.

Close the border. It would be a dramatic action, but it would not stop the flood of illegal immigrants. They aren’t crossing at the border crossings. And even if the border is officially closed, once they enter the country, their asylum claims will have to be processed all the same.

On the other hand, the threat to close the border sends an unmistakable message to Mexico. Sure, it would be economically disruptive, but so is another one million illegal immigrants. While closing the border would hurt the U.S. economically, it would hurt Mexico a lot more. The closure threat clearly translates in Mexico City as “do more.”

Trump has gotten Mexico to step up its cooperation in the past, and that may be part of the impetus for talking up closure now. Without knowing exactly what the administration would do and for how long, it might be best to reserve judgment. Everyone, including the president, knows that closing the border is not the final answer. For now, let’s just let the president play poker with Mexico.

>>6044723

Cut aid to Central America. As my colleague Ana Quintana wrote, “Foreign aid should never amount to philanthropic handouts or aimless feel-good programs.” Washington shouldn’t be funding anything that’s not working.

Some experts claim that cutting aid would cut the programs that help stem illegal immigration. Well, if that’s their purpose, these programs are clearly failing. The number of people coming out of Central America is growing not shrinking.

That said, it does not appear that the administration has made a final decision on what it will do. Here is the best advice. We must improve cooperation with our Central American partners. And we must make sure that 1) all foreign assistance is strategically allocated to support U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives and 2) it is efficacious. Foreign assistance programs that are not working should be cut. And if new programs are needed, we should start them.

Appoint a Border Czar. Normally, I don’t like czars. Barack Obama appointed a border czar (Alan Bersin), and it solved nothing. For this administration, however, it might make sense. The next two years in Washington are shaping up to be a continuous running battle between the president and his congressional opposition. Having a general to manage the political fight while government officials focus on the day job of securing the border and enforcing the law might just work.

Enforce the Law. White House officials have hinted that they are getting ready to unleash a raft of measures to go after illegal immigrants. Without knowing what they are, it is hard to say if they are the right ones. In principle, however, this makes perfect sense.

The administration ought to be doing everything possible to lawfully reduce the illegal population. Further, enforcement with teeth adds to the effective deterrent against future illegal immigration.

Let’s face it, our southern border is a hot mess. At least the administration is trying to do something about. The alternative is amnesty and open borders. The better option is to keep doing what can be done until Congress comes to it senses and properly funds the border security, closes the loopholes in the immigration system, and supports the administration in enforcing the law.

POTUS_Schedule

‏ @45_Schedule

Daily Public Schedule for April 4, 2019:

11:30AM POTUS participates in the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council Meeting.

12:15PM POTUS receives his intelligence briefing.

4:30PM POTUS meets with the Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China.

Paul Sperry

‏ @paulsperry_

9m9 minutes ago

BREAKING: GOP Sen. Burr delays releasing Senate Intelligence Committee’s Russia investigation report clearing Trump of collusion until end of summer

What's pt of continuing Senate probe if Mueller exonerated Trump? It's clear Warner, Dems really run SSCI

The Hill

‏Verified account @thehill

25s25 seconds ago

House Oversight committee to be briefed on Mar-A-Lago security after woman carrying malware gained access http://hill.cm/3VlokdC

Border Dems introduce resolution condemning Trump's closure threats

By Tal Axelrod - 04/04/19 11:02 AM EDT

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/437349-border-dems-introduce-house-resolution-condemning-trump-threats-to-shutterhttps://thehill.com/homenews/house/437349-border-dems-introduce-house-resolution-condemning-trump-threats-to-shutter

Two House Democrats representing districts in southern Texas introduced a resolution on Thursday condemning President Trump’s recent threats to shut down the U.S.-Mexico border.

Reps. Henry Cuellar and Veronica Escobar introduced the legislation after weeks of threats from the White House as Democrats seek to gain ground in the messaging war over immigration.

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“This resolution sends a clear message that we strongly oppose closing the U.S.-Mexico border. Shutting down the entire border would not only severely disrupt the flow of goods, but it would also hamper tourism and create economic chaos for both economies. We will continue to fight any executive action that stands to harm our economy and trade relations,” Cuellar said in a statement circulated by Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) office.

“President Trump’s reckless behavior is a true national crisis. Shutting down the border will absolutely devastate our economy,” Escobar added. “This resolution demonstrates that the American people and the U.S. House of Representatives will strongly stand against any attempts to close our southern border, sabotage our efforts to address the root causes of migration, and strip away due process and humane treatment for those seeking a better life.”

The resolution also condemns Trump’s recent announcement that he is cutting aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

Trump has doubled down in recent weeks on his hardline immigration stances, resurfacing his threats to shutter the border amid an increase in illegal crossings. The president has lashed out at Mexico for what he says is inadequate action in preventing migrants from entering the U.S. and at Democrats for pushing what he calls “weak” immigration laws.”

“The DEMOCRATS have given us the weakest immigration laws anywhere in the World. Mexico has the strongest, & they make more than $100 Billion a year on the U.S. Therefore, CONGRESS MUST CHANGE OUR WEAK IMMIGRATION LAWS NOW, & Mexico must stop illegals from entering the U.S.,” Trump tweeted last week.

The threats to shut down the border have faced bipartisan backlash in recent weeks, with politicians highlighting the economic consequences both the U.S. and Mexico would face.

"The economic disaster to the country would be huge, and my guess is that cooler heads will prevail upon the president not to do it. It would be a disaster for him and a disaster for the country," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters Tuesday.

"Closing the border to legal commerce would be devastating to Texas. Millions of jobs, in Texas and across the country, depend upon trade with Mexico, and the federal government shouldn’t do anything to jeopardize those jobs," Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) added in a statement Wednesday.

Trump has shifted his stance in recent days, telling reporters Tuesday that he would only shutter the border if he cannot reach a deal with Congress to pass stricter immigration laws.

“I haven’t made that intention known. And I’m ready to close it if I have to close it,” he said when asked if he intends to close the border.

However, he signaled that he was not overly concerned about the economic impacts of a border closure, saying illegal immigration posed a grave security risk to the country.

“Security is more important to me than trade,” he said. “So we’re going to have a strong border, or we’re going to have a closed border.”

Armed civilians living off the grid to catch migrants illegally crossing the border

The group doesn’t consider themselves vigilantes or a militia, and says their mission is simply “to document the crisis on the border.”

http://www.wtol.com/2019/04/04/armed-civilians-living-off-grid-catch-migrants-illegally-crossing-border/

April 4, 2019 at 7:49 AM EDT - Updated April 4 at 7:49 AM

Author: Oscar Margain

Published: 11:00 PM CDT April 3, 2019

Updated: 11:04 PM CDT April 3, 2019

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. — A group of armed civilians are taking matters into their own hands and vowing to protect the country from an influx of migrants crossing through the rugged terrain of the Chihuahuan Desert.

The United Constitutional Patriots have set up camp in Sunland Park, New Mexico, a town tucked in the southeast corner bordering El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.

The KENS 5 Border Team drove down a dirt road along the border fence to meet members of UCP, who have lived off-grid for the past 47 days.

Jim Benvie and a man nicknamed “Viper” were on watch Wednesday afternoon. They said they are volunteering to help U.S. Border Patrol agents with extra sets of eyes and ears.

“Last night at 4 a.m. we caught five people,” Benvie said.

The 43-year-old said most of the people in their donation-dependent group have law enforcement backgrounds and are non-violent. They also don’t like to be called vigilantes or a militia and have an undisclosed number of members.

“We’re simply here to do one thing (and) that is to document the crisis on the border,” he said.

Benvie documents illegal border crossings on Facebook Live after informing Border Patrol of a spotted group. They also scout for perceived weaknesses in border security, be it smuggling routes, drainage tunnels or fence gaps.

“That’s where all the coyotes come,” said Benvie, pointing to what he called a staging area on the Mexican side of the border where there’s a museum and boundary markers, but no barriers.

Benvie shared a Facebook video with the KENS 5 Border Team taken Saturday at the same location. The video showed a group of presumed asylum seekers walking passed the boundary, ignoring a Border Patrol agent’s command to not cross.

A Ciudad Juarez cop stationed there denied having seen any migrants Wednesday.

Border Patrol said they don’t condone the actions of the UCP, but the group said it has helped the agency capture hundreds of border-crossers.

Benvie vowed to continue the efforts until Congress takes meaningful action to reform immigration.

“America has always defended its borders,” he said. "But now what they’re doing is they’re letting America be invaded using loopholes that they know are there. And nobody is doing anything about it.”