The Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement introduced H.R. 3808, the Scott Gardner Act, that would automatically deport illegal immigrants who are convicted of drunk driving.
Each year thousands of Americans are killed in alcohol-related accidents. In fact, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) estimates that drunk drivers get behind the wheel more than 80 times before they are arrested. They also contend someone dies every 50 minutes in drinking-related accidents.
As a result, H.R. 3808 was introduced by Rep. Sue Myrick (R- NC) that mandates illegal immigrants who drink and drive are detained and processed by ICE. The Democratic-led Senate also has a bill circulating, however, the Senate would only consider three-time DUI offenders eligible for felony charges. (A felony conviction usually means illegal immigrants are subject to deportation).
The proposed legislation contains the following measures:
• Requires the detention of illegal immigrants who are apprehended for drunken driving after they are released from custody by local law enforcement,
• Instructs the Department of Homeland Security to prioritize the deportation of an illegal immigrant who is convicted of drunken driving,
• Requires a state or local law enforcement officer to verify with federal databases the immigration status of a person who the officer has apprehended for drunken driving and has reasonable grounds to believe is an illegal immigrant,
• Gives local law enforcement the authority to issue a federal detainer to keep an illegal immigrant arrested for drunken driving in custody until he or she is convicted or transferred to a federal facility.
Each year high profile drunk driving cases make headlines. Recently, Carlos Martinelly-Montano proved he is a serial drunk driver. His first DUI crash cost one life and severely injuring two others. Authorities said, Montano has been arrested for drunk driving twice and reckless driving. Despite a conviction, Montano’s immigration status was never checked.
“Even when he was placed in ICE 'custody' after his second DUI arrest, he was released into the streets with a GPS device,” according to Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA). “However, GPS monitoring doesn’t prevent a released criminal from driving drunk. And we know that drunken drivers involved in fatal crashes are eight times more likely to have a prior drunken driving conviction than other drivers.”
Lax enforcement of immigration and drunk driving laws allowed Montano to continue his drinking and driving ways. Montano was finally put away after he killed a Catholic nun in 2010. “Montano got behind the wheel of his vehicle yet again after he had been drinking heavily. This time, tragically, he plowed into a car with three Catholic nuns inside, killing one and severely injuring the two others. Montano was subsequently convicted of felony murder, and involuntary manslaughter,” Gallegly said.
The Congressman said an anonymous conversation with an ICE official confirmed the federal agency doesn’t consider two drunken driving incidents are worthy of detention. “There is absolutely no reason for the administration’s outrageous policy,” Gallegly said.
Case after case clearly demonstrates drunk drivers habitually drive under the influence and increase their chances of causing a traffic accident.
“There are numerous documented cases of illegal immigrants who receive convictions for drunken driving and then are not deported. Although these illegal immigrants have no right to be in our country, they remain in the United States. They are simply released and often go on to drink and drive again. This problem can’t continue to be ignored,” Gallegly finished.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2012 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com New bill seeks to deport illegal immigrants guilty of drunk driving - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/new-bill-seeks-to-deport-illegal-immigrants-guilty-of-drunk-driving#ixzz1owizCh7e
Showing posts with label DHS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DHS. Show all posts
Monday, March 12, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
DHS promises US-VISIT biometric data program will slow illegal entry
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the implementation of US-VISIT, a biometric program that will monitor entry/exit patterns for international travelers. The program will keep tabs on foreign visitors and curtail visa over-stayers.
US-VISIT's use of biometrics streamlines the U.S. entry process and DHS officials say it virtually eliminates fraud. The biometrics program collects unique physical characteristics, such as fingerprints, that provide port-of-entry agents with automated recognition. This tamper-proof identification service is reliable, convenient and virtually impossible to forge.
“US-VISIT supports the Department of Homeland Security's mission to protect our nation by providing biometric identification services to federal, state and local government decision makers to help them accurately identify the people they encounter and determine whether those people pose a risk to the United States,” a DHS statement said. “US-VISIT's most visible service is the collection of biometrics—digital fingerprints and a photograph—from international travelers at U.S. visa-issuing posts and ports of entry. Collecting this information helps immigration officers determine whether a person is eligible to receive a visa or enter the United States. The biometric collection process is simple, convenient and secure.”
The new program provides port-of-entry decision makers with the reliable information they need to prevent identity fraud. The innovative use of biometrics also deprives criminals and immigration violators’ access to the United States. DHS also claims they will be able to track international travelers who remain in the country beyond their period of admission using this biometric data.
“Since 911 we’ve gotten better at the check-in counter, but have not had a reliable method of knowing who is checking-out,” said Bob Dane, Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).“The new plan for a biometric system of tracking exits is long overdue and will reduce the incidence of people overstaying their visas, the risk of terrorism and illegal immigration overall.”
However, secure border activists’ groups argue that ports of entry may provide a higher level of scrutiny, but much of the U.S./Mexico border remains unfenced. Border Patrol agents are charged with protecting the nation’s rural border, however, slower response times due to rugged terrain, limit the number of illegal immigrants, terrorists and drug smuggler apprehensions. Also this new program will do nothing to the country's porious border. Even when Border Patrol responds to an incursion, agents face danger. Last year an illegal drug smuggler inside American borders murdered Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.
How Biometrics Assure Identity
Biometrics collected by US-VISIT and linked to specific biographic information enable a person's identity to be established, then verified, by the U.S. government. With each encounter, from applying for a visa to seeking immigration benefits to entering the United States, US-VISIT:
Checks a person’s biometrics against a watch list of known or suspected terrorists, criminals and immigration violators
Checks against the entire database of all of the fingerprints the Department of Homeland Security has collected since US-VISIT began to determine if a person is using an alias and attempting to use fraudulent identification.
Checks a person’s biometrics against those associated with the identification document presented to ensure that the document belongs to the person presenting it and not someone else.
These services help prevent identity fraud and deprive criminals and immigration violators of the ability to cross U.S. borders. Based on biometrics alone, US-VISIT has helped stop thousands of people who were ineligible to enter the United States.
To view the step-by-step video that explains the process click here; http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/editorial_0525.shtm
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2012 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
US-VISIT's use of biometrics streamlines the U.S. entry process and DHS officials say it virtually eliminates fraud. The biometrics program collects unique physical characteristics, such as fingerprints, that provide port-of-entry agents with automated recognition. This tamper-proof identification service is reliable, convenient and virtually impossible to forge.
“US-VISIT supports the Department of Homeland Security's mission to protect our nation by providing biometric identification services to federal, state and local government decision makers to help them accurately identify the people they encounter and determine whether those people pose a risk to the United States,” a DHS statement said. “US-VISIT's most visible service is the collection of biometrics—digital fingerprints and a photograph—from international travelers at U.S. visa-issuing posts and ports of entry. Collecting this information helps immigration officers determine whether a person is eligible to receive a visa or enter the United States. The biometric collection process is simple, convenient and secure.”
The new program provides port-of-entry decision makers with the reliable information they need to prevent identity fraud. The innovative use of biometrics also deprives criminals and immigration violators’ access to the United States. DHS also claims they will be able to track international travelers who remain in the country beyond their period of admission using this biometric data.
“Since 911 we’ve gotten better at the check-in counter, but have not had a reliable method of knowing who is checking-out,” said Bob Dane, Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).“The new plan for a biometric system of tracking exits is long overdue and will reduce the incidence of people overstaying their visas, the risk of terrorism and illegal immigration overall.”
However, secure border activists’ groups argue that ports of entry may provide a higher level of scrutiny, but much of the U.S./Mexico border remains unfenced. Border Patrol agents are charged with protecting the nation’s rural border, however, slower response times due to rugged terrain, limit the number of illegal immigrants, terrorists and drug smuggler apprehensions. Also this new program will do nothing to the country's porious border. Even when Border Patrol responds to an incursion, agents face danger. Last year an illegal drug smuggler inside American borders murdered Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.
How Biometrics Assure Identity
Biometrics collected by US-VISIT and linked to specific biographic information enable a person's identity to be established, then verified, by the U.S. government. With each encounter, from applying for a visa to seeking immigration benefits to entering the United States, US-VISIT:
Checks a person’s biometrics against a watch list of known or suspected terrorists, criminals and immigration violators
Checks against the entire database of all of the fingerprints the Department of Homeland Security has collected since US-VISIT began to determine if a person is using an alias and attempting to use fraudulent identification.
Checks a person’s biometrics against those associated with the identification document presented to ensure that the document belongs to the person presenting it and not someone else.
These services help prevent identity fraud and deprive criminals and immigration violators of the ability to cross U.S. borders. Based on biometrics alone, US-VISIT has helped stop thousands of people who were ineligible to enter the United States.
To view the step-by-step video that explains the process click here; http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/editorial_0525.shtm
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2012 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Monday, March 5, 2012
ICE Detention facilities provide luxuries for those awaiting deportation
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is charged with implementing the nation’s immigration laws and part of that responsibility includes detaining and deporting those who break the law. However, the Obama Administration, ICE Director, John Morton, and DHS Secretary, Janet Napolitano made changes to the process and will provide a litany of “special perks” for those who break the law.
The 355-page detainee manual includes benefits like special meals, female hormone treatment for transgender detainees, abortions, undisclosed medical treatment, “ethnically appropriate” meals, unfettered access to interpreters and legal services, access to preferred-religious materials, and mental health services. The extensive manual provides many perks that American citizen prisoners do not receive, according to Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX).
The detention facilities must also provide illegal immigrants with a wide variety of recreation and exercise options. Lawbreakers can choose from soccer, basketball, volleyball and an exercise gym. If they want to relax they can choose to read a book in their native language, watch television, play games or entertain visitors.
Rep. Smith likened the new requirements to a “hospitality guideline for illegal immigrants.” He also laments the new detainment standards as unnecessary and “far and beyond” U.S. law requirements.
“The administration goes beyond common sense to accommodate illegal immigrants and treats them better than citizens in federal custody,” Rep. Smith said in a February 2012 statement. “The new detention manual contains extensive and customized details for each illegal immigrant’s stay, regulating everything from the salad bar to recreational activities to medical care. This new manual is not a surprise – it’s just part of a broader pattern made by the Obama administration to reward lawbreakers. This administration has already granted backdoor amnesty to potentially millions of illegal immigrants and has appointed a taxpayer-funded advocate to lobby for them.”
Rep. Smith contends the Obama administration “puts illegal immigrants ahead of the interests of American citizens and taxpayers.”
There is an Immigration Subcommittee oversight hearing scheduled for later this month.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2012 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com ICE Detention facilities provide luxuries for those awaiting deportation - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/ice-detention-facilities-provide-luxuries-for-those-awaiting-deportation#ixzz1oHJbFWjN
The 355-page detainee manual includes benefits like special meals, female hormone treatment for transgender detainees, abortions, undisclosed medical treatment, “ethnically appropriate” meals, unfettered access to interpreters and legal services, access to preferred-religious materials, and mental health services. The extensive manual provides many perks that American citizen prisoners do not receive, according to Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX).
The detention facilities must also provide illegal immigrants with a wide variety of recreation and exercise options. Lawbreakers can choose from soccer, basketball, volleyball and an exercise gym. If they want to relax they can choose to read a book in their native language, watch television, play games or entertain visitors.
Rep. Smith likened the new requirements to a “hospitality guideline for illegal immigrants.” He also laments the new detainment standards as unnecessary and “far and beyond” U.S. law requirements.
“The administration goes beyond common sense to accommodate illegal immigrants and treats them better than citizens in federal custody,” Rep. Smith said in a February 2012 statement. “The new detention manual contains extensive and customized details for each illegal immigrant’s stay, regulating everything from the salad bar to recreational activities to medical care. This new manual is not a surprise – it’s just part of a broader pattern made by the Obama administration to reward lawbreakers. This administration has already granted backdoor amnesty to potentially millions of illegal immigrants and has appointed a taxpayer-funded advocate to lobby for them.”
Rep. Smith contends the Obama administration “puts illegal immigrants ahead of the interests of American citizens and taxpayers.”
There is an Immigration Subcommittee oversight hearing scheduled for later this month.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2012 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com ICE Detention facilities provide luxuries for those awaiting deportation - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/ice-detention-facilities-provide-luxuries-for-those-awaiting-deportation#ixzz1oHJbFWjN
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Real ID - secure driver's licenses edging closer to reality new study shows
Despite the Obama Administration’s lagging demeanor, the implementation of the REAL ID Act of 2005 is gaining momentum. The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) just released its second comprehensive assessment for securing driver's license standards and ensuring REAL ID becomes a reality in all 50 states.
The report concludes, by January 2013, at least 36 states will be in full compliance of REAL ID. So far, the remaining states have not announced when they would be in compliance with REAL ID.
"While the Department of Homeland Security lets REAL ID languish with a looming compliance deadline of Jan. 15, 2013, the states are pushing on with securing driver license issuance standards not because the feds or Congress seems to give a hoot, but because they realize that the DMV counter can be a defense against identity theft and fraud, the kind that terrorists, illegal aliens and criminals use to switch their identities to that of an unsuspecting American,” said Janice Kephart, a former 9/11 Commission counsel and National Security Policy Director at CIS.
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“REAL ID is becoming a success because of the benefits it provides to protecting identity, catching fraud, improving customer service and supporting law enforcement. The law, despite the browbeating it has taken for years, is becoming a reality. But without DHS stepping up to the plate to support the states, and Congress ignoring next year's deadline, the states will only feel a greater divide between themselves and Washington as political campaigns heat up this year-- an issue already exacerbated by an administration willing to sue any state whose policies or laws it disagrees with,” she said.
The data compiled in this report notes that states see a real value in pursuing REAL ID standards because the improvements reduce identity theft and fraud, increase efficiencies, improve customer service, and support law enforcement. As a result, CIS found states are moving forward and paying for the improvements with their state tax dollars.
Specifics contained in this report include; overall compliance, 53 states and territories are embracing REAL ID or the technical tenets of REAL ID; 5 states have submitted REAL ID compliance packages to DHS with a total of 36 materially or substantially materially compliant now or likely will be by the REAL ID deadline of January 15, 2013.
At least 43 jurisdictions are issuing tamper-resistant cards; 51 are checking Social Security numbers and the remaining five are currently getting online; 47 are registered with DHS to check legal presence through the SAVE database.
Kephart also pointed out that the states contacted for the CIS study said they no longer have guidance or support from DHS when it comes to implementing REAL ID Act.
However, a recent trip to the border by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano highlighted the positive trends undertaken by DHS to shore up national security along the nation's borders.
“The men and women of CBP work hard every day to keep our borders safe while facilitating the trade and travel that are so essential to the economy of the Southwest region and the United States,” she said. “This administration has deployed unprecedented resources along the Southwest border and we continue to work closely with our partners at all levels—including other federal agencies, state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement, the private sector, and the government of Mexico—to secure our border.”
With the political climate heating up for the 2012 elections, the REAL ID legislation will certainly find a place on the national landscape.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2012 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserve
Continue reading on Examiner.com Real ID - secure driver's licenses edging closer to reality new study shows - National Homeland Security | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/real-id-secure-driver-s-licenses-edging-closer-to-reality-new-study-shows#ixzz1nD1wKuZA
The report concludes, by January 2013, at least 36 states will be in full compliance of REAL ID. So far, the remaining states have not announced when they would be in compliance with REAL ID.
"While the Department of Homeland Security lets REAL ID languish with a looming compliance deadline of Jan. 15, 2013, the states are pushing on with securing driver license issuance standards not because the feds or Congress seems to give a hoot, but because they realize that the DMV counter can be a defense against identity theft and fraud, the kind that terrorists, illegal aliens and criminals use to switch their identities to that of an unsuspecting American,” said Janice Kephart, a former 9/11 Commission counsel and National Security Policy Director at CIS.
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“REAL ID is becoming a success because of the benefits it provides to protecting identity, catching fraud, improving customer service and supporting law enforcement. The law, despite the browbeating it has taken for years, is becoming a reality. But without DHS stepping up to the plate to support the states, and Congress ignoring next year's deadline, the states will only feel a greater divide between themselves and Washington as political campaigns heat up this year-- an issue already exacerbated by an administration willing to sue any state whose policies or laws it disagrees with,” she said.
The data compiled in this report notes that states see a real value in pursuing REAL ID standards because the improvements reduce identity theft and fraud, increase efficiencies, improve customer service, and support law enforcement. As a result, CIS found states are moving forward and paying for the improvements with their state tax dollars.
Specifics contained in this report include; overall compliance, 53 states and territories are embracing REAL ID or the technical tenets of REAL ID; 5 states have submitted REAL ID compliance packages to DHS with a total of 36 materially or substantially materially compliant now or likely will be by the REAL ID deadline of January 15, 2013.
At least 43 jurisdictions are issuing tamper-resistant cards; 51 are checking Social Security numbers and the remaining five are currently getting online; 47 are registered with DHS to check legal presence through the SAVE database.
Kephart also pointed out that the states contacted for the CIS study said they no longer have guidance or support from DHS when it comes to implementing REAL ID Act.
However, a recent trip to the border by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano highlighted the positive trends undertaken by DHS to shore up national security along the nation's borders.
“The men and women of CBP work hard every day to keep our borders safe while facilitating the trade and travel that are so essential to the economy of the Southwest region and the United States,” she said. “This administration has deployed unprecedented resources along the Southwest border and we continue to work closely with our partners at all levels—including other federal agencies, state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement, the private sector, and the government of Mexico—to secure our border.”
With the political climate heating up for the 2012 elections, the REAL ID legislation will certainly find a place on the national landscape.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2012 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserve
Continue reading on Examiner.com Real ID - secure driver's licenses edging closer to reality new study shows - National Homeland Security | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/real-id-secure-driver-s-licenses-edging-closer-to-reality-new-study-shows#ixzz1nD1wKuZA
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Illegal alien released from custody rapes 13-year-old girl
A Virginia Congressman asked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide local law enforcement agencies with access to digital fingerprints for all criminal, illegal aliens. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) announced that funding to digitize the fingerprints of all criminal, illegal immigrants be included in the DHS 2012 spending bill.
Wolf is asking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to improve its Secure Communities database after a criminal illegal alien was arrested for public drunkenness, but later released when his fingerprints were not identified by law enforcement computers.
Salvador Portillo-Saravia, a known MS-13 gang member, was rearrested just four weeks later for raping an 8-year-old girl in Virginia. Last October, Portillo-Saravia pled guilty on two felony charges of rape of a victim under 13, as well as sodomy. Courts will sentence Portillo-Saravia next month.
“This tragic incident identified a critical shortcoming in the Secure Communities program: immigration fingerprints taken on paper prior to 2005 were often not included in the database,” Wolf said in a statement. “Unfortunately, many local law enforcement agencies were unaware of this gap in the system and that manual searches were still necessary.”
The House Appropriations Committee promptly responded to Rep. Wolf’s request to ensure criminal illegal aliens fingerprints are properly digitized and added the necessary funding to update the database.
“The Secure Communities database is an important resource for state and local law enforcement,” Wolf said. “I will continue to work to ensure this system is operating as it was intended (in order) to help protect our communities.”
The following is the illegal alien digitized fingerprint language included in the FY 2012 bill;
Improving Immigration Enforcement Activities
A total of $12,000,000 above the request is provided to improve immigration enforcement
activities, of which $5,000,000 is included in Secure Communities for digitization of paper fingerprint cards from legacy immigration files. Both the House and Senate reports outlined areas for focus (such as) developing a comprehensive strategy to address the visa overstay problem, modernizing the Alien Criminal Response Information Management System (ACRIMe) to support the identification of criminal aliens and individuals attempting to overstay a visa, enhancing ICE capabilities for law enforcement support for immigration- related inquiries from State and local law enforcement, and digitizing old fingerprint records. ICE is directed to brief the Committees, with US-VISIT and other DHS components as appropriate, on its plan for utilization of these funds, no later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act. ICE is also directed, in conjunction with US-VISIT and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), to report to the Committees no later than 120 days e ate of enactment of this Act on the methodology of prioritizing files for the digitization effort as well as the overall projected cost of the project to ensure electronic availability of appropriate biometrics in IDENT.
Digitization Efforts
USCIS, ICE, and the Executive Office of Immigration Review are directed to brief the Committees on use of digitized records, as required in the House report, no later than March I, 2012. USCIS is also directed to provide no less than $29,000,000 to continue conversion of immigration records to digital format.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2012 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Wolf is asking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to improve its Secure Communities database after a criminal illegal alien was arrested for public drunkenness, but later released when his fingerprints were not identified by law enforcement computers.
Salvador Portillo-Saravia, a known MS-13 gang member, was rearrested just four weeks later for raping an 8-year-old girl in Virginia. Last October, Portillo-Saravia pled guilty on two felony charges of rape of a victim under 13, as well as sodomy. Courts will sentence Portillo-Saravia next month.
“This tragic incident identified a critical shortcoming in the Secure Communities program: immigration fingerprints taken on paper prior to 2005 were often not included in the database,” Wolf said in a statement. “Unfortunately, many local law enforcement agencies were unaware of this gap in the system and that manual searches were still necessary.”
The House Appropriations Committee promptly responded to Rep. Wolf’s request to ensure criminal illegal aliens fingerprints are properly digitized and added the necessary funding to update the database.
“The Secure Communities database is an important resource for state and local law enforcement,” Wolf said. “I will continue to work to ensure this system is operating as it was intended (in order) to help protect our communities.”
The following is the illegal alien digitized fingerprint language included in the FY 2012 bill;
Improving Immigration Enforcement Activities
A total of $12,000,000 above the request is provided to improve immigration enforcement
activities, of which $5,000,000 is included in Secure Communities for digitization of paper fingerprint cards from legacy immigration files. Both the House and Senate reports outlined areas for focus (such as) developing a comprehensive strategy to address the visa overstay problem, modernizing the Alien Criminal Response Information Management System (ACRIMe) to support the identification of criminal aliens and individuals attempting to overstay a visa, enhancing ICE capabilities for law enforcement support for immigration- related inquiries from State and local law enforcement, and digitizing old fingerprint records. ICE is directed to brief the Committees, with US-VISIT and other DHS components as appropriate, on its plan for utilization of these funds, no later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act. ICE is also directed, in conjunction with US-VISIT and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), to report to the Committees no later than 120 days e ate of enactment of this Act on the methodology of prioritizing files for the digitization effort as well as the overall projected cost of the project to ensure electronic availability of appropriate biometrics in IDENT.
Digitization Efforts
USCIS, ICE, and the Executive Office of Immigration Review are directed to brief the Committees on use of digitized records, as required in the House report, no later than March I, 2012. USCIS is also directed to provide no less than $29,000,000 to continue conversion of immigration records to digital format.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2012 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
DHS set to employ 50,000 returning military veterans by 2012
The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) new mission, according to Secretary Janet Napolitano, is to have 50,000 veterans employed at the agency by the end of 2012.
Secretary Napolitano announced that “DHS spent more than $1.4 billion with veteran owned small businesses, and surpassed the Small Business Administration's target of spending 3 percent of all contracting dollars with service disabled veteran owned businesses.”
The agency says they recognize the numerous sacrifices veterans make for America, and have developed three strategic objectives to connect with veterans in fulfilling DHS missions: Increasing veteran employment opportunities; expanding contracting opportunities for veteran-owned businesses, and enhancing veteran engagement within the Department of Homeland Security.
Veterans currently comprise 25 percent of all DHS civilian employees, as well as 49,000 active duty and reserve members of the U.S. Coast Guard.
These veterans reportedly serve in support of a full range of mission areas, like Transportation Security Officers, Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Federal Protective Service officers, and inside headquarters.
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The agency also participates in several veteran programs, including Operation Warfighter and the Wounded Warrior Program. These veteran-specific programs are structured to recruit and hire veterans, as well as assist disabled veterans expand skills and transition to the civilian workforce.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Secretary Napolitano announced that “DHS spent more than $1.4 billion with veteran owned small businesses, and surpassed the Small Business Administration's target of spending 3 percent of all contracting dollars with service disabled veteran owned businesses.”
The agency says they recognize the numerous sacrifices veterans make for America, and have developed three strategic objectives to connect with veterans in fulfilling DHS missions: Increasing veteran employment opportunities; expanding contracting opportunities for veteran-owned businesses, and enhancing veteran engagement within the Department of Homeland Security.
Veterans currently comprise 25 percent of all DHS civilian employees, as well as 49,000 active duty and reserve members of the U.S. Coast Guard.
These veterans reportedly serve in support of a full range of mission areas, like Transportation Security Officers, Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Federal Protective Service officers, and inside headquarters.
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The agency also participates in several veteran programs, including Operation Warfighter and the Wounded Warrior Program. These veteran-specific programs are structured to recruit and hire veterans, as well as assist disabled veterans expand skills and transition to the civilian workforce.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Armas Cruzadas- DHS Sec. Napolitano’s own Mexican gun-trafficking operation
While Operation Fast and Furious remains a thorn in U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s side, it looks like Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano may soon begin sharing the pain.
Sec. Napolitano recently informed the House Judiciary Committee she had no knowledge of Fast and Furious, but omitted to mention her own department was running Operation Armas Cruzadas.
Operation Armas Cruzadas highlights another crucial factor – that the Mexican government had more of a role in the cartel arms trafficking business than just playing the victim.
This new information dovetails with complaints by Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agents in the Phoenix office that complained Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from Team VII regularly called “dibs” on gun trafficking cases in order to “get credit” for splashy narco-related investigations. One agent explained that the atmosphere seemed more focused on press conferences and ego rather than commonsense.
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The DHS memorandum reveals that ICE ran Operation Armas Cruzadas with the full knowledge of Arturo Chávez Chávez,Mexican Attorney General in an effort to ostensibly prosecute cartels in Mexico using U.S. intelligence and agents. This is a departure from Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) Operation Fast and Furious where the Mexican government claimed it knew nothing about the gun-walking program.
The Mexican Attorney General agreed it was beneficial for both “…governments to work in a coordinated fashion to prevent, discourage and process arms traffickers,” the documents disclosed.
These documents demonstrate ICE remains more involved in the gun trafficking business than anybody knew or Sec. Napolitano was willing to admit to Congress.
However, Operation Armas Cruzadas doesn’t seem to include any input by ATF agents and this arms trafficking investigation has escaped scrutiny by the media. Perhaps, a bloated-bureaucratic DHS crossed its fingers hoping Operation Armas Cruzadas would not be discovered by the media?
Also, intelligence gathering in a post 9/11 world has accomplished a couple of things; first, it makes it easier for agencies to conduct investigations with little oversight under the guise of national security. And second, the infamous new age of electronic intelligence gathering provides law enforcement agencies with plausible deniability.
This is the first report concerning Operation Armas Cruzadas and a series of stories will provide more information on this gun-trafficking program in the coming days.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
To reach Kimberly Dvorak email; kimberly.dvorak@hotmail.com
Sec. Napolitano recently informed the House Judiciary Committee she had no knowledge of Fast and Furious, but omitted to mention her own department was running Operation Armas Cruzadas.
Operation Armas Cruzadas highlights another crucial factor – that the Mexican government had more of a role in the cartel arms trafficking business than just playing the victim.
This new information dovetails with complaints by Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agents in the Phoenix office that complained Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from Team VII regularly called “dibs” on gun trafficking cases in order to “get credit” for splashy narco-related investigations. One agent explained that the atmosphere seemed more focused on press conferences and ego rather than commonsense.
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The DHS memorandum reveals that ICE ran Operation Armas Cruzadas with the full knowledge of Arturo Chávez Chávez,Mexican Attorney General in an effort to ostensibly prosecute cartels in Mexico using U.S. intelligence and agents. This is a departure from Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) Operation Fast and Furious where the Mexican government claimed it knew nothing about the gun-walking program.
The Mexican Attorney General agreed it was beneficial for both “…governments to work in a coordinated fashion to prevent, discourage and process arms traffickers,” the documents disclosed.
These documents demonstrate ICE remains more involved in the gun trafficking business than anybody knew or Sec. Napolitano was willing to admit to Congress.
However, Operation Armas Cruzadas doesn’t seem to include any input by ATF agents and this arms trafficking investigation has escaped scrutiny by the media. Perhaps, a bloated-bureaucratic DHS crossed its fingers hoping Operation Armas Cruzadas would not be discovered by the media?
Also, intelligence gathering in a post 9/11 world has accomplished a couple of things; first, it makes it easier for agencies to conduct investigations with little oversight under the guise of national security. And second, the infamous new age of electronic intelligence gathering provides law enforcement agencies with plausible deniability.
This is the first report concerning Operation Armas Cruzadas and a series of stories will provide more information on this gun-trafficking program in the coming days.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
To reach Kimberly Dvorak email; kimberly.dvorak@hotmail.com
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Los Angeles City Council votes to make August “Immigrant Pride Month”
All council members present decided the city’s 1.6 million immigrants that make up 40 percent of the population deserved to be recognized.
The resolution deems Los Angeles a “global city” that represents many cultures and languages. In the past, the city has also voiced its disapproval of Arizona’s adoption of SB1070 as well as other copycat illegal immigration laws springing up in many other states.
“Anti-immigrant legislation like SB 1070 in Arizona and other ‘copy-cat’ measures now circulating across the nation inherently cause racial profiling and discrimination against certain ethno-racial groups that 'look and sound' like immigrant populations,” the resolution reads.
Los Angeles Council members have recognized several pro-immigrant advocates in California who are actively engaged to repeal Arizona's anti-immigrant laws, as well as prevent anti-immigrant legislation from passing in other states as a reason to adopt the resolution.
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The council clearly indicated they supported the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act even though it failed at the federal level last year during the lame-duck session in Congress.
“In 2011 important efforts are unfolding in California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and other states to enact pro-immigrant policies, as well as withdraw from ineffective and/or heavy-handed federal enforcement polices like Secure Communities.”
However, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) just announced they are rescinding the Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) on Secure Communities with states like California, Illinois, New York and Massachusetts that want to withdraw from the program. DHS maintains that the Secure Communities program is mandated by federal law and said it will implement the program nationwide by 2013.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Los Angeles City Council votes to make August “Immigrant Pride Month” - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/los-angeles-city-council-votes-to-make-august-immigrant-pride-month#ixzz1Uey6EKF5
The resolution deems Los Angeles a “global city” that represents many cultures and languages. In the past, the city has also voiced its disapproval of Arizona’s adoption of SB1070 as well as other copycat illegal immigration laws springing up in many other states.
“Anti-immigrant legislation like SB 1070 in Arizona and other ‘copy-cat’ measures now circulating across the nation inherently cause racial profiling and discrimination against certain ethno-racial groups that 'look and sound' like immigrant populations,” the resolution reads.
Los Angeles Council members have recognized several pro-immigrant advocates in California who are actively engaged to repeal Arizona's anti-immigrant laws, as well as prevent anti-immigrant legislation from passing in other states as a reason to adopt the resolution.
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Click here to find out more!
The council clearly indicated they supported the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act even though it failed at the federal level last year during the lame-duck session in Congress.
“In 2011 important efforts are unfolding in California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and other states to enact pro-immigrant policies, as well as withdraw from ineffective and/or heavy-handed federal enforcement polices like Secure Communities.”
However, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) just announced they are rescinding the Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) on Secure Communities with states like California, Illinois, New York and Massachusetts that want to withdraw from the program. DHS maintains that the Secure Communities program is mandated by federal law and said it will implement the program nationwide by 2013.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Los Angeles City Council votes to make August “Immigrant Pride Month” - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/los-angeles-city-council-votes-to-make-august-immigrant-pride-month#ixzz1Uey6EKF5
Friday, July 22, 2011
DHS complies with some 9/11 Commission Report recommendations
The 9/11 Commission released its report seven years ago, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the agency will carry out several security measures to protect America.
The report highlights changes DHS implemented after the 9/11 commission strived to ensure the country is stronger, safer and more resilient. As the country prepares for the 10th anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks, the new DHS report details advancements homeland security made to better defend the evolving terrorist threats.
“Ten years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, America is stronger and more resilient than ever before, but threats from terrorism persist and challenges remain,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Over the past decade, we have made great strides to secure our nation against a large attack or disaster, to protect critical infrastructure and cyber networks, and to engage a broader range of Americans in the shared responsibility for security.”
One part stressed by DHS is the expanding information sharing program. The United States strengthened homeland security that improves information sharing with both the public and private sector. “If You See Something Say Something™” campaign is one example of a program that relies on public imput to ensure U.S. security.” This program didn’t exist on 9/11. The “National Suspicious Activities Reporting Initiative,” which trains state and local law enforcement to recognize behaviors and signals related to terrorism, crime and other threats is another new program.
Another program implemented is the “Airline Passenger Pre-screening and Targeting Terrorist Travel,” program. “Ten years ago, screening of passengers coming to the United States was limited to the visa process and inspection of a person by an immigration officer at the port of entry.” Now DHS requires all airlines flying to the U.S. to provide an “Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Records” list before departure. This list checks all passengers flying to, from, or within the United States against government watch-lists.
Protecting Cyber Networks and Critical Physical Infrastructure is one of the most difficult tasks for DHS. The National Cyber security Protection System uses the EINSTEIN cyber intrusion detection system and is a key component in protecting the country from cyber attacks. DHS also opened the “National Cyber Security and Communications Integration Center,” that will serve as the nation's hub for responding to cyber attacks.
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A 2010 landmark memo between DHS and the Department of Defense also improves America's abilities to protect against cyber threats to military computer programs and networks, according to the report.
Napolitano contends that America needs to bolster the security of U.S. borders and identification documents needs to be a top priority. “Protecting the nation's borders—land, air, and sea—from the illegal entry of people, weapons, drugs, and contraband is vital to homeland security, as well as the nation's economic prosperity.” However, the recent ATF “Project Gunrunner” and continuation of cartel violence show the Obama administration’s lack of control. This contentious border security issue has created a new firestorm- one the Democrats have yet to solve.
This last program Napolitano touts gives new meaning to “robust” and “civil liberty.”
DHS tries to feel its way through TSA by “ensuring a robust privacy, civil rights and civil liberties safeguards.” However, TSA continues to draw fire from angry passengers who say the "friskers" and too "friskee."
While the DHS report lays the groundwork for a more secure U.S., the government continues to put off finishing the border fence- something most Americans want.
To view the Department of Homeland Security's full report and related materials, please visit www.dhs.gov/9-11-progress-report.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com DHS complies with some 9/11 Commission Report recommendations - National Homeland Security | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/dhs-complies-with-some-9-11-commission-report-recommendations#ixzz1Sr3gwnFR
The report highlights changes DHS implemented after the 9/11 commission strived to ensure the country is stronger, safer and more resilient. As the country prepares for the 10th anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks, the new DHS report details advancements homeland security made to better defend the evolving terrorist threats.
“Ten years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, America is stronger and more resilient than ever before, but threats from terrorism persist and challenges remain,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Over the past decade, we have made great strides to secure our nation against a large attack or disaster, to protect critical infrastructure and cyber networks, and to engage a broader range of Americans in the shared responsibility for security.”
One part stressed by DHS is the expanding information sharing program. The United States strengthened homeland security that improves information sharing with both the public and private sector. “If You See Something Say Something™” campaign is one example of a program that relies on public imput to ensure U.S. security.” This program didn’t exist on 9/11. The “National Suspicious Activities Reporting Initiative,” which trains state and local law enforcement to recognize behaviors and signals related to terrorism, crime and other threats is another new program.
Another program implemented is the “Airline Passenger Pre-screening and Targeting Terrorist Travel,” program. “Ten years ago, screening of passengers coming to the United States was limited to the visa process and inspection of a person by an immigration officer at the port of entry.” Now DHS requires all airlines flying to the U.S. to provide an “Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Records” list before departure. This list checks all passengers flying to, from, or within the United States against government watch-lists.
Protecting Cyber Networks and Critical Physical Infrastructure is one of the most difficult tasks for DHS. The National Cyber security Protection System uses the EINSTEIN cyber intrusion detection system and is a key component in protecting the country from cyber attacks. DHS also opened the “National Cyber Security and Communications Integration Center,” that will serve as the nation's hub for responding to cyber attacks.
Advertisement
A 2010 landmark memo between DHS and the Department of Defense also improves America's abilities to protect against cyber threats to military computer programs and networks, according to the report.
Napolitano contends that America needs to bolster the security of U.S. borders and identification documents needs to be a top priority. “Protecting the nation's borders—land, air, and sea—from the illegal entry of people, weapons, drugs, and contraband is vital to homeland security, as well as the nation's economic prosperity.” However, the recent ATF “Project Gunrunner” and continuation of cartel violence show the Obama administration’s lack of control. This contentious border security issue has created a new firestorm- one the Democrats have yet to solve.
This last program Napolitano touts gives new meaning to “robust” and “civil liberty.”
DHS tries to feel its way through TSA by “ensuring a robust privacy, civil rights and civil liberties safeguards.” However, TSA continues to draw fire from angry passengers who say the "friskers" and too "friskee."
While the DHS report lays the groundwork for a more secure U.S., the government continues to put off finishing the border fence- something most Americans want.
To view the Department of Homeland Security's full report and related materials, please visit www.dhs.gov/9-11-progress-report.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com DHS complies with some 9/11 Commission Report recommendations - National Homeland Security | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/dhs-complies-with-some-9-11-commission-report-recommendations#ixzz1Sr3gwnFR
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
D.C. lawmakers move to implement E-Verify for some government contracts
In an effort to protect American jobs, the U.S. Congress adopted an amendment to the FY 2012 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill that mandates the government hold contractors accountable by using the E-Verify program.
The Amendment was successfully introduced by Congressman Alan Nunnelee (R-Miss). “This is a common-sense amendment that simply uses the appropriations process to enforce the E-Verify system that is currently in place. While nearly 14 million Americans are looking for work, research estimates that more than 7 million illegal aliens hold jobs in the U.S. workforce.”
Rep. Nunnlee says the Amendment will help eliminate illegal employment that is costing U.S citizens jobs and money.
“Illegal employment is one of the driving forces of illegal immigration and a contributing factor to our nation’s current debt problem. Illegal immigrants use our medical services, draw on state and federal assistance and take advantage of our educational system for their children – all at the cost of hardworking taxpayers,” Nunnlee said. “As a member of the Immigration Reform Caucus, I am committed to identifying legislative solutions that address the issue of illegal immigration. Similar E-Verify language has been included in the Homeland Security bill, and this amendment is a step in the right direction.”
E-Verify is an Internet-based system that allows an employer, using information reported on an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to determine the eligibility of that employee to work in the United States, according to DHS's website.
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The easy to use, web-based, E-Verify program is a free verification service offered by DHS and the Social Security Administration. While the program is voluntary for most employers, those seeking certain government contracts must enroll their future employees. The process is straightforward and takes less than a minute per identification and is 96.9 percent accurate.
To date more than 238,000 employers are enrolled in E-Verify, with more than 16 million queries run through the system in 2010. So far this year there have been more than three million cases run through the system.
The Amendment to Energy and Water Appropriations Bill offered by Congressman Alan Nunnelee read; “None of the funds made available under this Act may be expended for any new hire by any Federal agency funded in this Act that is not verified through the E-Verify Program established under section 403(a) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1324a note).”
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
Continue reading on Examiner.com D.C. lawmakers move to implement E-Verify for some government contracts - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/d-c-lawmakers-move-to-implement-e-verify-for-some-government-contracts#ixzz1POZs9rJW
The Amendment was successfully introduced by Congressman Alan Nunnelee (R-Miss). “This is a common-sense amendment that simply uses the appropriations process to enforce the E-Verify system that is currently in place. While nearly 14 million Americans are looking for work, research estimates that more than 7 million illegal aliens hold jobs in the U.S. workforce.”
Rep. Nunnlee says the Amendment will help eliminate illegal employment that is costing U.S citizens jobs and money.
“Illegal employment is one of the driving forces of illegal immigration and a contributing factor to our nation’s current debt problem. Illegal immigrants use our medical services, draw on state and federal assistance and take advantage of our educational system for their children – all at the cost of hardworking taxpayers,” Nunnlee said. “As a member of the Immigration Reform Caucus, I am committed to identifying legislative solutions that address the issue of illegal immigration. Similar E-Verify language has been included in the Homeland Security bill, and this amendment is a step in the right direction.”
E-Verify is an Internet-based system that allows an employer, using information reported on an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to determine the eligibility of that employee to work in the United States, according to DHS's website.
Advertisement
The easy to use, web-based, E-Verify program is a free verification service offered by DHS and the Social Security Administration. While the program is voluntary for most employers, those seeking certain government contracts must enroll their future employees. The process is straightforward and takes less than a minute per identification and is 96.9 percent accurate.
To date more than 238,000 employers are enrolled in E-Verify, with more than 16 million queries run through the system in 2010. So far this year there have been more than three million cases run through the system.
The Amendment to Energy and Water Appropriations Bill offered by Congressman Alan Nunnelee read; “None of the funds made available under this Act may be expended for any new hire by any Federal agency funded in this Act that is not verified through the E-Verify Program established under section 403(a) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1324a note).”
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
Continue reading on Examiner.com D.C. lawmakers move to implement E-Verify for some government contracts - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/d-c-lawmakers-move-to-implement-e-verify-for-some-government-contracts#ixzz1POZs9rJW
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Los Angeles to opt out of Secure Communities arrested illegals won’t be reported
The Los Angeles City Council voted 11-1 yesterday to support state legislation allowing the city to opt out of Department of Homeland Security’s “Secure Communities'” program that requires law enforcement officers to submit fingerprints of arrested people to immigration officials.
In an effort to crackdown on illegal immigration and comply with federal deportation orders, DHS created the program in 2008 in order to cross-check fingerprints of arrestees with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Former Los Angeles police chief, Bernard Parks who is now a LA City Councilman, introduced the motion supporting the state legislation. Parks said the program targeted illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes but the federal law has gone astray from its original purpose.
“One of the most significant issues of ‘Secure Communities’ is that it impedes victims (from) making crime reports,” Parks said. “That is a 40-year journey in the city of Los Angeles for the LAPD ... finding ways through language skills and also breaking down barriers to allow victims to come in, unimpeded to report crimes.”
Parks went on to say that anti-immigration activists will accuse the city of being a sanctuary city that harbors criminals, “but the large issue for me is that this is a home-rule issue. The city of Los Angeles should set policies as it regards how they conduct business with the community in which they serve.”
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LAPD Assistant Chief Michel Moore explained that Los Angeles’ Special Order 40, which prevents police officers from considering immigration status when initiating a police action, has kept the city safe since it was established in 1979 under former LA Police Chief Daryl Gates.
“The perception alone undermines our ability to maintain and build upon trust with these (immigrant) communities, trust that’s vital to our ability to maintain the safety for those communities and all Angelenos,” Moore said.
Other states across the country have already suspended the enforcement of the ‘Secure Communities” program. Some of these states include New York, Massachusetts and Illinois.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Los Angeles to opt out of Secure Communities arrested illegals won’t be reported - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/los-angeles-to-opt-out-of-secure-communities-arrested-illegals-won-t-be-reported#ixzz1OiXmyvlh
In an effort to crackdown on illegal immigration and comply with federal deportation orders, DHS created the program in 2008 in order to cross-check fingerprints of arrestees with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Former Los Angeles police chief, Bernard Parks who is now a LA City Councilman, introduced the motion supporting the state legislation. Parks said the program targeted illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes but the federal law has gone astray from its original purpose.
“One of the most significant issues of ‘Secure Communities’ is that it impedes victims (from) making crime reports,” Parks said. “That is a 40-year journey in the city of Los Angeles for the LAPD ... finding ways through language skills and also breaking down barriers to allow victims to come in, unimpeded to report crimes.”
Parks went on to say that anti-immigration activists will accuse the city of being a sanctuary city that harbors criminals, “but the large issue for me is that this is a home-rule issue. The city of Los Angeles should set policies as it regards how they conduct business with the community in which they serve.”
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LAPD Assistant Chief Michel Moore explained that Los Angeles’ Special Order 40, which prevents police officers from considering immigration status when initiating a police action, has kept the city safe since it was established in 1979 under former LA Police Chief Daryl Gates.
“The perception alone undermines our ability to maintain and build upon trust with these (immigrant) communities, trust that’s vital to our ability to maintain the safety for those communities and all Angelenos,” Moore said.
Other states across the country have already suspended the enforcement of the ‘Secure Communities” program. Some of these states include New York, Massachusetts and Illinois.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Los Angeles to opt out of Secure Communities arrested illegals won’t be reported - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/los-angeles-to-opt-out-of-secure-communities-arrested-illegals-won-t-be-reported#ixzz1OiXmyvlh
Monday, April 25, 2011
U.S. federal land provides a safe haven for drug and alien smuggling
Last week former Border Patrol Agent, George Taylor, testified before a Congressional Committee hearing regarding America’s growing border security issues. After 43 years law enforcement experience Taylor calls it like he sees it and this former BP Agent points to the National Parks and designated Wilderness Land along the southern border as the main culprit in the uptick of cartel smuggling activities.
“The root problem remains, Federal Wildlife Refuges, Wilderness and Designated Wildernesses of various varieties that serve to keep Border Patrol Agents from effectively and safely securing the border on these federal lands,” Taylor explained.
Retired Border Patrol Agent Taylor, who testified on behalf of an organization he co-founded, National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers (NAFPBO), a non-political group committed to securing the nation’s borders, gave Congressional members a frank assessment of the unrelenting violence along the border region.
The designation of millions of acres in Wilderness Parks means one thing- keeping Border Patrol out. The result is much more ominous- drug cartels can now operate without law enforcement distraction.
“The violence continues to escalate. Thousands of pounds of illegal drugs and thousands of illegal aliens from all over the world are traversing the area,” Taylor contends. With this new right-of-way, the smugglers are now free to commit atrocities like rape, murder and robbery as well as considerable environmental damage.
This vast federal land set the stage for the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in December of last year.
On that fateful day, Terry’s Border Patrol team was responding to reports that “rip crews” (those who rob/rape illegal aliens making their way into the U.S.) were operating in the area. It is well-known to Border Patrol Agents that “rip crews” are heavily armed and very dangerous.
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“As the violence becomes more common it begins to spread out and become more prevalent. Wounded, robbed, raped and murder humans have begun showing up in the periphery, on streets, in yards and at homes,” Taylor says.
So what’s the solution? Taylor educated the Congressional panel that Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) has put a bill forward that would tackle the Border Patrol’s inability to monitor these Wilderness areas.
“This legislation takes the necessary and responsible steps to address the unacceptable restrictions that prevent Border Security experts from doing their jobs,” Bishop said.
Currently there are more than 20 million acres of federal land along America’s southern border most of which is off limits to Border Patrol Agents.
“Allowing public land managers and restrictive environmental policies, not Border Security experts, to dictate how we secure our nation’s borders and keep our country safe is counterintuitive, and as a result, has jeopardized the safety and security of all Americans,” Bishop said.
Bishop also contends that these “protected lands” inadvertently creates a safe haven for criminals to operate. “The same environmental policies that are supposed to be protecting the lands are actually allowing them to be destroyed.”
As for the solution, Taylor says it is imperative that Border Patrol Agents have unencumbered access to every inch of land along the southern border. “Also they must be willing to give Border Patrol Agents on the ground all the tools necessary to secure the border.”
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: U.S. federal land provides a safe haven for drug and alien smuggling - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/u-s-federal-land-provides-a-safe-haven-for-drug-and-alien-smuggling#ixzz1KZBWb16N
“The root problem remains, Federal Wildlife Refuges, Wilderness and Designated Wildernesses of various varieties that serve to keep Border Patrol Agents from effectively and safely securing the border on these federal lands,” Taylor explained.
Retired Border Patrol Agent Taylor, who testified on behalf of an organization he co-founded, National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers (NAFPBO), a non-political group committed to securing the nation’s borders, gave Congressional members a frank assessment of the unrelenting violence along the border region.
The designation of millions of acres in Wilderness Parks means one thing- keeping Border Patrol out. The result is much more ominous- drug cartels can now operate without law enforcement distraction.
“The violence continues to escalate. Thousands of pounds of illegal drugs and thousands of illegal aliens from all over the world are traversing the area,” Taylor contends. With this new right-of-way, the smugglers are now free to commit atrocities like rape, murder and robbery as well as considerable environmental damage.
This vast federal land set the stage for the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in December of last year.
On that fateful day, Terry’s Border Patrol team was responding to reports that “rip crews” (those who rob/rape illegal aliens making their way into the U.S.) were operating in the area. It is well-known to Border Patrol Agents that “rip crews” are heavily armed and very dangerous.
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“As the violence becomes more common it begins to spread out and become more prevalent. Wounded, robbed, raped and murder humans have begun showing up in the periphery, on streets, in yards and at homes,” Taylor says.
So what’s the solution? Taylor educated the Congressional panel that Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) has put a bill forward that would tackle the Border Patrol’s inability to monitor these Wilderness areas.
“This legislation takes the necessary and responsible steps to address the unacceptable restrictions that prevent Border Security experts from doing their jobs,” Bishop said.
Currently there are more than 20 million acres of federal land along America’s southern border most of which is off limits to Border Patrol Agents.
“Allowing public land managers and restrictive environmental policies, not Border Security experts, to dictate how we secure our nation’s borders and keep our country safe is counterintuitive, and as a result, has jeopardized the safety and security of all Americans,” Bishop said.
Bishop also contends that these “protected lands” inadvertently creates a safe haven for criminals to operate. “The same environmental policies that are supposed to be protecting the lands are actually allowing them to be destroyed.”
As for the solution, Taylor says it is imperative that Border Patrol Agents have unencumbered access to every inch of land along the southern border. “Also they must be willing to give Border Patrol Agents on the ground all the tools necessary to secure the border.”
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: U.S. federal land provides a safe haven for drug and alien smuggling - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/u-s-federal-land-provides-a-safe-haven-for-drug-and-alien-smuggling#ixzz1KZBWb16N
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Clone Border Patrol vehicle
The drug cartels are stepping up their smuggling tactics by customizing vehicles to look just like Border Patrol trucks as a way to smuggle illicit drugs into America. This time the cloned vehicle was detected in Texas and it was loaded with more than 1,500 pounds of marijuana.
Just a few weeks ago a white van with a dozen illegals were arrested at a San Diego Border Patrol checkpoint for falsely impersonating U.S. Marines and using a boosted van with tampered license plates.
It was Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that observed a suspicious BP truck “conducting surveillance at the Del Rio, Texas Port of Entry (PoE),” according to court papers.
The driver of the “fake BP truck” was Felipe Esparza-Cruz, 28, and he is scheduled to appear in court on April 14.
The government case contends that Esparza-Cruz entered the “United States without inspection through the City of Del Rio southbound tollbooth lanes.”
Once the truck entered the country ICE Agents ordered “mobile surveillance in order to verify the authenticity of the vehicle.”
Esparza-Cruz allegedly imitated a process used by Border Patrol when they deport illegal aliens back to Mexico using Border Patrol trucks. Luckily ICE agents observed the BP truck and were able to make the arrest.
“They’d just drive through without presenting themselves for inspection because no one questioned a Border Patrol vehicle,” officials explained.
Like the U.S. Marine imposter van impounded in San Diego, the fake Border Patrol truck’s phony license plates did the drug trafficker in.
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“Cloned vehicles, whether Border Patrol or some other frequently seen vehicle, are in my opinion, a serious threat,” says G. Alan Ferguson leader of the National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers and author of the M3 Report.
He also explained that “for years since 9/11, there have been alerts for terrorists using cloned or stolen vehicles such as ambulances and other cloned vehicles add one more factor in realizing how vulnerable we are.”
While the borders may be more secure than years past, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a long way to go when it comes to protecting the southern boundaries from human and drug smugglers. The increased border fence coupled with more Border Patrol Agents are now responsible for the Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) to spend more money to get their products into America.
Despite the illegality of human a drug trafficking, these “cartel” businesses in Mexico earn billions of tax-free dollars per year and the Mexican government has yet to stop the cartel’s barbaric violence that has taken more than 35,000 lives in the past four years.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Just a few weeks ago a white van with a dozen illegals were arrested at a San Diego Border Patrol checkpoint for falsely impersonating U.S. Marines and using a boosted van with tampered license plates.
It was Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that observed a suspicious BP truck “conducting surveillance at the Del Rio, Texas Port of Entry (PoE),” according to court papers.
The driver of the “fake BP truck” was Felipe Esparza-Cruz, 28, and he is scheduled to appear in court on April 14.
The government case contends that Esparza-Cruz entered the “United States without inspection through the City of Del Rio southbound tollbooth lanes.”
Once the truck entered the country ICE Agents ordered “mobile surveillance in order to verify the authenticity of the vehicle.”
Esparza-Cruz allegedly imitated a process used by Border Patrol when they deport illegal aliens back to Mexico using Border Patrol trucks. Luckily ICE agents observed the BP truck and were able to make the arrest.
“They’d just drive through without presenting themselves for inspection because no one questioned a Border Patrol vehicle,” officials explained.
Like the U.S. Marine imposter van impounded in San Diego, the fake Border Patrol truck’s phony license plates did the drug trafficker in.
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“Cloned vehicles, whether Border Patrol or some other frequently seen vehicle, are in my opinion, a serious threat,” says G. Alan Ferguson leader of the National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers and author of the M3 Report.
He also explained that “for years since 9/11, there have been alerts for terrorists using cloned or stolen vehicles such as ambulances and other cloned vehicles add one more factor in realizing how vulnerable we are.”
While the borders may be more secure than years past, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a long way to go when it comes to protecting the southern boundaries from human and drug smugglers. The increased border fence coupled with more Border Patrol Agents are now responsible for the Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) to spend more money to get their products into America.
Despite the illegality of human a drug trafficking, these “cartel” businesses in Mexico earn billions of tax-free dollars per year and the Mexican government has yet to stop the cartel’s barbaric violence that has taken more than 35,000 lives in the past four years.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
DHS & DOJ and ICE crack down on child pornography websites
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the execution of seizure warrants against 10 websites that engaged in the advertisement and distribution of child pornography.
The new program is part of a new attempt by DHS, DOJ and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to limit child pornography on the Internet. The new joint task force program is called Operation Protect Our Children.
“Each year, far too many children fall prey to sexual predators and all too often, these heinous acts are recorded in photos and on video and released on the Internet,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. “DHS is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to shut down websites that promote child pornography to protect these children from further victimization.”
The Internet has been lauded as a great invention that has brought folks together around the globe, but the World Wide Web dark-side has also given birth to numerous child pornography outlets- making it easier for perverts to explore their vial urges.
“For all its positive impact, the Internet has also unfortunately created a new way for child predators to commit their inexcusable crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division. “The production and distribution of child pornography wreak havoc on innocent lives. With these domain seizures, we are taking our fight against child pornography to websites that facilitate the exchange of these abusive images.”
The joint task force was spearheaded by ICE’s Cyber Crimes Center (C3). The nationwide ICE initiative sets out to identify, investigate and arrest those who prey on children. Those attempting to access the seized websites will find a banner telling them the website has been seized by federal authorities.
“Operation Protect Our Children” leverages the resources of ICE Homeland Security Investigations, DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and the DOJ Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section to investigate and prepare seizure warrants against websites who post any kind of child pornography.
ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and suspicious activity on its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children crimes may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit their website at http://www.cybertipline.com
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: DHS & DOJ and ICE crack down on child pornography websites - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/dhs-doj-and-ice-crack-down-on-child-pornography-websites#ixzz1E4ZsXsNw
The new program is part of a new attempt by DHS, DOJ and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to limit child pornography on the Internet. The new joint task force program is called Operation Protect Our Children.
“Each year, far too many children fall prey to sexual predators and all too often, these heinous acts are recorded in photos and on video and released on the Internet,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. “DHS is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to shut down websites that promote child pornography to protect these children from further victimization.”
The Internet has been lauded as a great invention that has brought folks together around the globe, but the World Wide Web dark-side has also given birth to numerous child pornography outlets- making it easier for perverts to explore their vial urges.
“For all its positive impact, the Internet has also unfortunately created a new way for child predators to commit their inexcusable crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division. “The production and distribution of child pornography wreak havoc on innocent lives. With these domain seizures, we are taking our fight against child pornography to websites that facilitate the exchange of these abusive images.”
The joint task force was spearheaded by ICE’s Cyber Crimes Center (C3). The nationwide ICE initiative sets out to identify, investigate and arrest those who prey on children. Those attempting to access the seized websites will find a banner telling them the website has been seized by federal authorities.
“Operation Protect Our Children” leverages the resources of ICE Homeland Security Investigations, DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and the DOJ Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section to investigate and prepare seizure warrants against websites who post any kind of child pornography.
ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and suspicious activity on its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children crimes may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit their website at http://www.cybertipline.com
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: DHS & DOJ and ICE crack down on child pornography websites - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/dhs-doj-and-ice-crack-down-on-child-pornography-websites#ixzz1E4ZsXsNw
Thursday, December 23, 2010
DHS cover-up begins for Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry’s murder
Life in the field for Border Patrol Agents is often lonely work, as police officers most agents patrol alone in their vehicles as they travel remote territory off the beaten path. Agent Brian Terry was different; he served as a Marine in the Middle East during wartime, loved law enforcement and was selected for the elite BORTAC (the SWAT of the) U.S. Border Patrol.
Arguably, Terry had a lot of experience under his three-year Border Patrol belt. He knew combat. He knew how to stay alive. Yet it would be a fateful night in the December desert that took his life – not a terrorist in a warzone, but a cartel smuggler/bandit in Arizona.
The 40-year old agent was planning his new life out, marriage, and perhaps one day a family of his own, but in the blink of an eye it was snatched from Terry. A week has passed since the assassination and few details are being released. No trigger man, no justice.
What there has been is plenty of Border Patrol management scrambling to cover the fact Agent Terry was armed with a weapon that shot bean bag rounds- something that was a contributing factor to his untimely murder.
Department of Homeland Security is busy covering their tracks, while Janet Napolitano, DHS secretary, levels inaccurate statements like; “the border has never been more secure and there is not an increase of drug trafficking across the border,” – and agents continue to patrol undermanned and under-armed.
Perhaps, Terry got Napolitano’s memo and decided the less lethal way to arm oneself was the best way since the coast was clear. That statement is not made in jest, someone handed out those memos and if anyone (Border Patrol Agents) on the job talks to media they will be fired.
Looking into the rearview mirror there are still no answers, waning press coverage and a funeral. And since the press isn’t getting any information from Washington D.C. or Tucson/Nogales sector stations, information must be leaked by those who are flat out angry and tired of the company line.
The following is testimony from those who are speaking out in frustration, all have Border Patrol experience and out of respect for their privacy- all will remain anonymous.
Up Front and seeing red…
“As a combat-trained Marine, Brian would very doubtfully have even considered non-lethal. He knew what the (BORTAC) team likely might be facing, as that was exactly the reason BORTAC was being used in the area. As we all know, the patrol has its own covert network for communications, as any law enforcement agency does. Word I am getting from agents is they were told what the bosses are saying, but to me, it seems few really believe it. They are fearful to say much as they know if they do and it is found out, they'll be harassed right off the job by DHS management. That’s my two cents.”
A need to understand
Another retired agent wanted to interject some perspective on Terry’s murder and he hope the clarification would give outsiders a better idea of what may have happened.
"We are all saddened and angry concerning what we know or have heard concerning Agent Terry's death. We can only imagine the level of cover-your-ass jockeying that is going on in CBP/DHS at all levels.
Consider the possibility that we will never know what really happened by the time all the pressure and structured debriefs take place. Perhaps, what we have heard to date is more accurate than what the official line may one day prove to be.
From what I am hearing, this is a massive screw up of epic and unprecedented proportions. So, please consider the following facts.
We in federal law enforcement work know from experience that Commissioner Alan Bersin's office is a fertile source of denial, mis-and-disinformation, especially concerning the effects of wilderness along the border on B.P. operations.
Agent Terry's death is related to wilderness on the border and we have been harping on the dangers to B.P. Agents operating in these proposed areas for years. Does anyone believe Secretary Napolitano's assertion that the border is safer now than it has ever been?
Go to Google Earth and type in (Peck Well Santa Cruz County Arizona) this is the reported location of Terry’s shooting on December 14. It is in the center of the proposed Tumacacori Highlands Wilderness Area planned by Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) in HR-3287. This area is accessed through the Pajarita Wilderness from Mexico and is contiguous wilderness or proposed wilderness for 24 miles north of the border.
While in Google Earth look up Toruno Tank Santa Cruz County Arizona; on some quads it is listed as Paja Verde Tank, this is the reported location of another B.P. Agent shooting on December 29, 2009. That agent has recovered and returned to duty.
Look between Peck Well and the end of the Coronado National Forest on the East Side in Peck Canyon and you will see terrain where at least one dead body, two wounded and several other non- injury shootings took place since April 2010. All this is reported only 8-12 miles north of the Mexican border.
Immediately West of Peck Well is the Bear Grass Tank area where game and fish officials were shot at and two archers were held up and stripped at gun point, the list goes on and on.
Now, ask yourself this question, “Who in their right mind would voluntarily take bean bag rounds into that environment unless pressured or directed to do so?”
And from another…
"I am a retired Border Patrol Agent. I was interviewed by TV news earlier this year about the Arizona border situation.
I wanted to send a message and tell you how upset I am about the news coverage regarding the shooting death of Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry. The 15 seconds of TV news coverage you are airing is concerning.
Agent Terry's death is very typical of the liberal stance your station always takes. There was no helicopter coverage or on site reporters asking about what happened.
If this had been a Border Patrol Agent shooting a Mexican national, your station would have sent every resource available to cover the story of a poor migrant trying to get a better his life. Your station would have camped on the door step of the Border Patrol station in Nogales demanding to get answers as to what happened. Your station would have contacted the Mexican Consulate and would have provided assistance to them to find the truth.
I am so sick and tired of liberal stations running story after story about the "DREAM Act" and the negative impact of "SB 1070" on the poor criminal illegal aliens in Arizona.
I use the words criminal illegal aliens because listed below are just some of the crimes they commit every minute in this country.
They cross the border illegally violating Federal Law. We do nothing to them.
They enter into a conspiracy to pay a smuggler $1,500 to $2,000 to smuggle them across the border illegally, which is a felony. We do nothing to them; upon arrival at their destination, they buy counterfeit documents to get a job (social security card, legal resident alien card), thus committing identity theft. We do nothing to them; they use the counterfeit documents to receive welfare. We do nothing to them; they use the counterfeit documents at hospitals to give birth to their children for free. We do nothing to them; they use the counterfeit documents to get a driver’s license. We do nothing to them; they then enter into another felony to smuggle their spouse and 3.5 children into the United States. We do nothing to them.
If you remember, more than 60 percent of the people in Arizona supported SB1070 and want an end to the illegal alien crisis that has hit this State. Access to WIC, Medicare, free medical care, etc. etc. to criminal illegal aliens is ruining the State of Arizona. Why not do some research and find out how much money the State of Arizona provides to criminal illegal aliens every year?
Concerning the ‘DREAM Act; These people violated federal law when they crossed the border illegally when their parents brought them here. That was their parent's choice, not mine. I owe these people nothing and I mean nothing."
Back to the real world
Department of Homeland Security’s latest statement reads, “To secure and manage our borders, DHS has continued to deploy historic levels of personnel, technology, and resources to the Southwest border, including Predator Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) coverage along the entire Southwest border for the first time—from the El Centro Sector in California to the Gulf of Mexico in Texas—and new agreements with international partners to increase information sharing and bolster cooperative efforts to crack down on transnational threats while facilitating travel and trade.”
Does Border Patrol Agent Terry’s family feel safer?
The violence along the U.S./Mexico border does not end in Santa Cruz County. The other Arizona counties deal with the violence on a daily basis, yet are met with DHS’s party line of “there’s no problem here, we have made things more secure than ever.”
Pinal County Sheriff and Border Sheriffs Honorary Co-Chair Paul Babeu said in a statement on Terry’s murder, “This tragic death underscores the dangers we all face in protecting the public and securing the border. Our prayers are with his family and our prayers are with his extended family at the Border Patrol.”
Cochise County Sheriff and Border Sheriffs Honorary Co-Chair Larry Dever said, “Agent Terry’s murder is a grim reminder of the risks involved in patrolling the southern border. Those of us who keep the peace in this part of the state have learned to live with this risk. Tragically, that risk has claimed the life of Agent Terry.”
The BorderSheriffs.com was formed to give law enforcement a voice on the issue of border security. The tragic death of Agent Terry reminds us of the human cost involved in protecting those who live near the southern border, something Arizona rancher, Robert Krentz found out when he was murdered by an illegal alien on his own property.
Looking to the future on immigration reform, border security must be the number one priority. The agents who bravely put on the green uniform and patrol alone deserve to have all the tools in the tool box when it comes to detection and protection. The nonlethal weapons may come in handy at Disneyland, but for those protecting our borders they deserve a chance to win and go home after work.
There is no doubt that an investigation is being conducted internally, but what really needs to happen are Congressional hearings, where management has to testify under oath and for the record.
May Agent Brian Terry rest in peace and may God protect all those who serve the country.
For NAFBPO's Comprehensive Proposal for Immigration Enforcement & Reform Found at: http://www.nafbpo.org/editorial-cier.pdf
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2010 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Arguably, Terry had a lot of experience under his three-year Border Patrol belt. He knew combat. He knew how to stay alive. Yet it would be a fateful night in the December desert that took his life – not a terrorist in a warzone, but a cartel smuggler/bandit in Arizona.
The 40-year old agent was planning his new life out, marriage, and perhaps one day a family of his own, but in the blink of an eye it was snatched from Terry. A week has passed since the assassination and few details are being released. No trigger man, no justice.
What there has been is plenty of Border Patrol management scrambling to cover the fact Agent Terry was armed with a weapon that shot bean bag rounds- something that was a contributing factor to his untimely murder.
Department of Homeland Security is busy covering their tracks, while Janet Napolitano, DHS secretary, levels inaccurate statements like; “the border has never been more secure and there is not an increase of drug trafficking across the border,” – and agents continue to patrol undermanned and under-armed.
Perhaps, Terry got Napolitano’s memo and decided the less lethal way to arm oneself was the best way since the coast was clear. That statement is not made in jest, someone handed out those memos and if anyone (Border Patrol Agents) on the job talks to media they will be fired.
Looking into the rearview mirror there are still no answers, waning press coverage and a funeral. And since the press isn’t getting any information from Washington D.C. or Tucson/Nogales sector stations, information must be leaked by those who are flat out angry and tired of the company line.
The following is testimony from those who are speaking out in frustration, all have Border Patrol experience and out of respect for their privacy- all will remain anonymous.
Up Front and seeing red…
“As a combat-trained Marine, Brian would very doubtfully have even considered non-lethal. He knew what the (BORTAC) team likely might be facing, as that was exactly the reason BORTAC was being used in the area. As we all know, the patrol has its own covert network for communications, as any law enforcement agency does. Word I am getting from agents is they were told what the bosses are saying, but to me, it seems few really believe it. They are fearful to say much as they know if they do and it is found out, they'll be harassed right off the job by DHS management. That’s my two cents.”
A need to understand
Another retired agent wanted to interject some perspective on Terry’s murder and he hope the clarification would give outsiders a better idea of what may have happened.
"We are all saddened and angry concerning what we know or have heard concerning Agent Terry's death. We can only imagine the level of cover-your-ass jockeying that is going on in CBP/DHS at all levels.
Consider the possibility that we will never know what really happened by the time all the pressure and structured debriefs take place. Perhaps, what we have heard to date is more accurate than what the official line may one day prove to be.
From what I am hearing, this is a massive screw up of epic and unprecedented proportions. So, please consider the following facts.
We in federal law enforcement work know from experience that Commissioner Alan Bersin's office is a fertile source of denial, mis-and-disinformation, especially concerning the effects of wilderness along the border on B.P. operations.
Agent Terry's death is related to wilderness on the border and we have been harping on the dangers to B.P. Agents operating in these proposed areas for years. Does anyone believe Secretary Napolitano's assertion that the border is safer now than it has ever been?
Go to Google Earth and type in (Peck Well Santa Cruz County Arizona) this is the reported location of Terry’s shooting on December 14. It is in the center of the proposed Tumacacori Highlands Wilderness Area planned by Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) in HR-3287. This area is accessed through the Pajarita Wilderness from Mexico and is contiguous wilderness or proposed wilderness for 24 miles north of the border.
While in Google Earth look up Toruno Tank Santa Cruz County Arizona; on some quads it is listed as Paja Verde Tank, this is the reported location of another B.P. Agent shooting on December 29, 2009. That agent has recovered and returned to duty.
Look between Peck Well and the end of the Coronado National Forest on the East Side in Peck Canyon and you will see terrain where at least one dead body, two wounded and several other non- injury shootings took place since April 2010. All this is reported only 8-12 miles north of the Mexican border.
Immediately West of Peck Well is the Bear Grass Tank area where game and fish officials were shot at and two archers were held up and stripped at gun point, the list goes on and on.
Now, ask yourself this question, “Who in their right mind would voluntarily take bean bag rounds into that environment unless pressured or directed to do so?”
And from another…
"I am a retired Border Patrol Agent. I was interviewed by TV news earlier this year about the Arizona border situation.
I wanted to send a message and tell you how upset I am about the news coverage regarding the shooting death of Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry. The 15 seconds of TV news coverage you are airing is concerning.
Agent Terry's death is very typical of the liberal stance your station always takes. There was no helicopter coverage or on site reporters asking about what happened.
If this had been a Border Patrol Agent shooting a Mexican national, your station would have sent every resource available to cover the story of a poor migrant trying to get a better his life. Your station would have camped on the door step of the Border Patrol station in Nogales demanding to get answers as to what happened. Your station would have contacted the Mexican Consulate and would have provided assistance to them to find the truth.
I am so sick and tired of liberal stations running story after story about the "DREAM Act" and the negative impact of "SB 1070" on the poor criminal illegal aliens in Arizona.
I use the words criminal illegal aliens because listed below are just some of the crimes they commit every minute in this country.
They cross the border illegally violating Federal Law. We do nothing to them.
They enter into a conspiracy to pay a smuggler $1,500 to $2,000 to smuggle them across the border illegally, which is a felony. We do nothing to them; upon arrival at their destination, they buy counterfeit documents to get a job (social security card, legal resident alien card), thus committing identity theft. We do nothing to them; they use the counterfeit documents to receive welfare. We do nothing to them; they use the counterfeit documents at hospitals to give birth to their children for free. We do nothing to them; they use the counterfeit documents to get a driver’s license. We do nothing to them; they then enter into another felony to smuggle their spouse and 3.5 children into the United States. We do nothing to them.
If you remember, more than 60 percent of the people in Arizona supported SB1070 and want an end to the illegal alien crisis that has hit this State. Access to WIC, Medicare, free medical care, etc. etc. to criminal illegal aliens is ruining the State of Arizona. Why not do some research and find out how much money the State of Arizona provides to criminal illegal aliens every year?
Concerning the ‘DREAM Act; These people violated federal law when they crossed the border illegally when their parents brought them here. That was their parent's choice, not mine. I owe these people nothing and I mean nothing."
Back to the real world
Department of Homeland Security’s latest statement reads, “To secure and manage our borders, DHS has continued to deploy historic levels of personnel, technology, and resources to the Southwest border, including Predator Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) coverage along the entire Southwest border for the first time—from the El Centro Sector in California to the Gulf of Mexico in Texas—and new agreements with international partners to increase information sharing and bolster cooperative efforts to crack down on transnational threats while facilitating travel and trade.”
Does Border Patrol Agent Terry’s family feel safer?
The violence along the U.S./Mexico border does not end in Santa Cruz County. The other Arizona counties deal with the violence on a daily basis, yet are met with DHS’s party line of “there’s no problem here, we have made things more secure than ever.”
Pinal County Sheriff and Border Sheriffs Honorary Co-Chair Paul Babeu said in a statement on Terry’s murder, “This tragic death underscores the dangers we all face in protecting the public and securing the border. Our prayers are with his family and our prayers are with his extended family at the Border Patrol.”
Cochise County Sheriff and Border Sheriffs Honorary Co-Chair Larry Dever said, “Agent Terry’s murder is a grim reminder of the risks involved in patrolling the southern border. Those of us who keep the peace in this part of the state have learned to live with this risk. Tragically, that risk has claimed the life of Agent Terry.”
The BorderSheriffs.com was formed to give law enforcement a voice on the issue of border security. The tragic death of Agent Terry reminds us of the human cost involved in protecting those who live near the southern border, something Arizona rancher, Robert Krentz found out when he was murdered by an illegal alien on his own property.
Looking to the future on immigration reform, border security must be the number one priority. The agents who bravely put on the green uniform and patrol alone deserve to have all the tools in the tool box when it comes to detection and protection. The nonlethal weapons may come in handy at Disneyland, but for those protecting our borders they deserve a chance to win and go home after work.
There is no doubt that an investigation is being conducted internally, but what really needs to happen are Congressional hearings, where management has to testify under oath and for the record.
May Agent Brian Terry rest in peace and may God protect all those who serve the country.
For NAFBPO's Comprehensive Proposal for Immigration Enforcement & Reform Found at: http://www.nafbpo.org/editorial-cier.pdf
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2010 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Despite cartel violence, DHS moves to increase travel between countries
Looking to strengthen the Obama Administration’s ongoing commitment with Mexico, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano traveled to Mexico City to meet with her counterpart and reaffirm the U.S. commitment to fighting terrorism and other transnational crimes.
Among the business conducted by Napolitano was the “signing an agreement to facilitate secure, legitimate travel as part the United States' and Mexico's continued efforts to enhance the security of both nations.”
A statement released by DHS explained that “In the face of ever-evolving, multinational threats, the United States is committed to working with our international partners to enhance information-sharing and our mutual security.”
Secretary Napolitano described her confidence in the relationship between the two countries. “We look forward to our continued partnership with the Mexican government as we forge an unprecedented international security framework that facilitates legitimate trade and travel while protecting our citizens.”
The Mexico City meeting included the signing of an accord expressing both countries intent to develop a Global Entry International Trusted Traveler program pilot. Secretary Napolitano and Mexico Ministry of the Interior Secretary José Francisco Blake Mora shored up plans for a Global Entry “to facilitate secure, legitimate travel between the two nations.”
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) describes the Global Entry as a program that would allow pre-approved members, who undergo a vigorous background check as well as provide biometrics in order to expedite U.S. customs processing.
This new program could reduce average border crossing times and permit law enforcement to focus on other serious security threats at America’s busy points of entry.
The anticipated program would provide Global Entry kiosks at America’s ports of entry that require members to insert their passport or lawful permanent resident card (LPR) into a document reader, provide their digital fingerprints for comparison with fingerprints on file, answer customs declaration questions and finally spit out a transaction receipt for the traveler to give to a CBP officer in order to leave the inspection area.
Disqualifiers for potential applicants include providing false or incomplete information on the SENTRI application; a criminal conviction or pending criminal charges; violations of any immigration laws; subject of an ongoing investigation by any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency; the inability to satisfy CBP of their low risk status.
Other business conducted by Secretary Napolitano, Minister Blake Mora and Mexican Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Julian Ventura was a signed “Letter of Intent” between DHS, Mexico's Secretariat of Governance and Secretariat of Foreign Affairs affirming their shared commitment to collaborate on a plan to expeditiously and humanly repatriate Mexican nationals to interior parts of Mexico once they’ve been processed and deported.
“The Letter of Intent builds on the framework of 30 Local Arrangements for the Repatriation of Mexican Nationals between consular and immigration authorities of both nations established by Secretary Napolitano and Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa on April 3, 2009–formalizing the operational coordination between governments to guarantee a safe, orderly and humane repatriation process,” the statement concludes.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2010Kimberly Dvorak all rights reserved
Among the business conducted by Napolitano was the “signing an agreement to facilitate secure, legitimate travel as part the United States' and Mexico's continued efforts to enhance the security of both nations.”
A statement released by DHS explained that “In the face of ever-evolving, multinational threats, the United States is committed to working with our international partners to enhance information-sharing and our mutual security.”
Secretary Napolitano described her confidence in the relationship between the two countries. “We look forward to our continued partnership with the Mexican government as we forge an unprecedented international security framework that facilitates legitimate trade and travel while protecting our citizens.”
The Mexico City meeting included the signing of an accord expressing both countries intent to develop a Global Entry International Trusted Traveler program pilot. Secretary Napolitano and Mexico Ministry of the Interior Secretary José Francisco Blake Mora shored up plans for a Global Entry “to facilitate secure, legitimate travel between the two nations.”
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) describes the Global Entry as a program that would allow pre-approved members, who undergo a vigorous background check as well as provide biometrics in order to expedite U.S. customs processing.
This new program could reduce average border crossing times and permit law enforcement to focus on other serious security threats at America’s busy points of entry.
The anticipated program would provide Global Entry kiosks at America’s ports of entry that require members to insert their passport or lawful permanent resident card (LPR) into a document reader, provide their digital fingerprints for comparison with fingerprints on file, answer customs declaration questions and finally spit out a transaction receipt for the traveler to give to a CBP officer in order to leave the inspection area.
Disqualifiers for potential applicants include providing false or incomplete information on the SENTRI application; a criminal conviction or pending criminal charges; violations of any immigration laws; subject of an ongoing investigation by any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency; the inability to satisfy CBP of their low risk status.
Other business conducted by Secretary Napolitano, Minister Blake Mora and Mexican Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Julian Ventura was a signed “Letter of Intent” between DHS, Mexico's Secretariat of Governance and Secretariat of Foreign Affairs affirming their shared commitment to collaborate on a plan to expeditiously and humanly repatriate Mexican nationals to interior parts of Mexico once they’ve been processed and deported.
“The Letter of Intent builds on the framework of 30 Local Arrangements for the Repatriation of Mexican Nationals between consular and immigration authorities of both nations established by Secretary Napolitano and Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa on April 3, 2009–formalizing the operational coordination between governments to guarantee a safe, orderly and humane repatriation process,” the statement concludes.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2010Kimberly Dvorak all rights reserved
Monday, November 22, 2010
DHS admits not all airline cargo checked while TSA gropes passengers
As Americans head into the busiest holiday travel season of the year, they can take comfort in the fact that TSA, CBP and DHS are assuring their fellow passengers are sufficiently groped, poked and prodded. Meanwhile unbeknownst to them hundreds of FedEx/UPS type cargo packages are placed in the belly of airplanes with little-to-no security scrutiny.
Yes, shipping companies routinely use commercial flights to get their packages from point A to B and according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources they rarely look at the suspect cargo, many of which are inbound to America via the Middle East.
One CBP agent who spoke on anonymity for fear of workplace retaliation said, “I’ve seen hundreds of suspicious packages from the Middle East come into the country with little information or any recourse to find the original sender. They can ship any type of contraband they want with little chance of getting caught.”
The agent goes on to explain shipping on commercial planes is big business for the airlines and companies like FedEx and UPS are privileged customers. Oftentimes when cargo inspectors request an examination of a suspect package, they are told express delivery personnel have already taken the parcels in order to ensure an on-time delivery.
The conformation that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) doesn’t screen all air cargo comes from Janet Napolitano who oversees America’s security.
“Ordering 100 percent screening for air cargo is an easy thing to say, but it's probably not the best way to go," Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. “Cargo is infinitely more complicated and comes in infinitely more shapes and sizes than passengers.” http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-19/u-s-screening-all-airline-cargo-not-feasible-napolitano-says.html
Napolitano also contends that extending laws to cover all cargo would “require some hundreds of treaties to be negotiated so that foreign governments would allow the screening. We (currently) have one consistent security regime in the aviation environment for the United States,” she told Bloomberg.
It would appear that “regime” is the correct word choice as airline passengers have been groped, fondled and even arrested for refusing to complete the intrusive security process that has expanded to every major airport in the nation.
Both TSA and DHS refused to answer any questions regarding the airplane cargo red herring.
Recent arrestee, Sam Wolanyk of San Diego, was arrested when he refused a TSA pat down and opted to remove his pants and shirt to show TSA he wasn’t hiding any illegal contraband. “While I was arrested for refusing to be groped by TSA, a terrorist can spend 20 bucks and ship a bomb using FedEx without proper screening. It’s ludicrous,” he said.
Indeed the logic behind TSA’s excessive body searches seems overly aggressive if the cargo aboard planes can go unchecked.
CBP agents see the security risks everyday; however they are thwarted by managers and told its business as usual.
“I tried to target FedEx packages for inspection but they would be delivered before I could get field officers to see what was in them. The majority of parcels just fly out of the ports of entry upon arrival. There is so much security and intel lost, but money talks and Political Action Committees (PACs) call Congressmen, Congressmen call DHS Managers and packages are released without scrutiny, it's all about money,” a CBP Agent explained.
The reason for this increased physical intrusion of passengers stems from the recent printer cartridges that were discovered on board commercial airliners bound for the United States as well as the Christmas Day underwear bomber.
A Yemen-based al Qaeda network has now reported their new strategy regarding their quest to eliminate Americans is to force them to go broke.
The strategy involves several smaller attacks in an effort to hurt the U.S. economy and to create a security phobia that blankets the entire country. Al Qaeda dubbed the new mission “Operation Hemorrhage” and hoped to weaken America’s economy by adding security costs to the country’s budget.
According to the CBP agent there's no proactive operations to detect future events, it’s just a media “dog and pony show” and more “knee jerk reactions.”
“DHS Officials look like a ‘deer in the headlights’ whenever I see them on TV after another attempted terror attack. The real problem will start when these terror plots become administered by talented radicals hell bent on hurting the U.S. - at the moment we have inept emotionally disturbed losers trying to attack America.”
Another area law enforcement agencies will need to explore is the “practice makes perfect” terrorist who will continue to skirt homeland security in search of weak regulations.
“When we have more terrorists surviving they are more likely to strike again. It's when these non- suicide missions start that we are going to start paying a heavy, heavy price. Meanwhile, federal officers like myself working out in the field are forced to clam up, or lose our jobs and our ability to provide for our families, while federal bureaucrats who run DHS and CBP continue to mismanage our national security,” he finished.
Customs and Border Protection’s explanation
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website an “officer’s border search authority is derived from federal statutes and regulations, including 19 C.F.R. 162.6, which states that, ‘All persons, baggage and merchandise arriving in the Customs territory of the United States from places outside thereof are liable to inspection by a CBP officer.’ Unless exempt by diplomatic status, all persons entering the United States, including U.S. citizens, are subject to examination and search by CBP officers.”
DHS ensures that CBP inspection procedures are designed to facilitate the entry of U.S. citizens and aliens who can readily establish their admissibility. Unfortunately, this process may inconvenience law-abiding citizens in order to detect those involved in illicit activities. “We are especially aware of how inconvenient and stressful the inspection process may be to those selected for inspection. In such cases we rely heavily on the patience, understanding, and cooperation of the traveler,” the CBP website stated.
Meanwhile, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) announced more stringent security standards for global air cargo last week, including "more extensive screening of cargo, mail and other goods prior to placing them onboard an aircraft."
The Middle East connection
In an attempt to work with the United States after the most recent thwarted terrorist attempts, countries like Yemen have opted to cooperate with developed nations to improve security measures in their country.
“We are working closely with international partners – including the U.S. – on the incident,” Mohammed Albasha told the Christan Science Monitor (CSM), adding that no UPS cargo planes land or take off from Yemeni airports. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/1029/Suspicious-UPS-FedEx-packages-raise-new-concerns-about-Al-Qaeda-in-Yemen
However CSM reported that an airport employee in Sanaa, Yemen, who remained anonymous, established that there are private airline flights from Sanaa to the United Kingdom that may leave a gapping hole in international security.
“The UPS store in Sanaa was staffed with one employee and one guard Friday evening and the employee refused to talk to the media,” CSM reported.
Border Security expert Andy Ramirez has testified to Congress on a number of occasions and admits the cargo issue has been around forever. “I was told unless the host government gives permission to search cargo, nothing can be checked. We have the technology and equipment overseas but if hosts nix it, it’s purely worthless and I hear many countries do refuse permission. My sources are customs cargo inspectors and I have information addressing this very issue on my website, AndyRamirez.com. In my report "Unjustifiable & Impeachable,” which outlines a live ordinance (missiles) with launchers as well as bombs that were never inspected when they entered the U.S. The cargo was later traced and found in Arkansas even though it should have been inspected in Houston, which was the reported final destination,” Ramirez said.
Expect the security to continue
Airport security hoopla shows no signs of waning as Napolitano and the TSA Administrator John S. Pistole have released statements, ensuring the aggressive security tactics will remain in place through the holiday season.
“We welcome feedback and comments on the screening procedures from the traveling public, and we will work to make them as minimally invasive as possible while still providing the security that the American people want and deserve. We are constantly evaluating and adapting our security measures, and as we have said from the beginning, we are seeking to strike the right balance between privacy and security. In all such security programs, especially those that are applied nation-wide, there is a continual process of refinement and adjustment to ensure that best practices are applied and that feedback and comment from the traveling public is taken into account. This has always been viewed as an evolving program that will be adapted as conditions warrant, and we greatly appreciate the cooperation and understanding of the American people,” TSA’s statement read.
The Sunday news shows also reported on the heavy handedness of the TSA and said the stepped-up security is a direct result of the Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, or the Christmas Day bomber. While America may have had an efficient system, television commentators concluded the U.S. now has an inefficient system despite all the money and technology available to the country.
Cargo Security Clearances
“Pre-shipment inspections (PSI) are required when mandated by the government of the importing country. Governments assert that pre-shipment inspections ensure that the price charged by the exporter reflects the true value of the goods, prevent substandard goods from entering their country, and mitigate attempts to avoid the payment of customs duties,” according to export.gov.
Even the wealthy country of Dubai sees the need to ramp-up security for all aspects of air travel. They have setup hi-tech equipment to clear cargo quickly and effectively. Salma Hareb, Chief Executive Officer, Economic Zones World, and Chairman of the Board, Dubai Logistics Corridor said their ambitious program creates the regions largest and best logistics hub in the Middle East.
At a FedEx hub, international shipments are sorted, scanned and loaded onto international flights. However, most foreign countries do not have access to a FedEx hub.
Nevertheless at FedEx overseas hubs “vital shipment information is keyed into a worldwide manifest database that is linked to computer systems operated by brokers and Customs officials in many countries. Even before the plane has taken off, or while it is in the air, Customs agents and brokers at the destination airport of entry can begin examining shipping manifests, query air waybill data if they need more details, assess duties and taxes, and select which shipments they wish to examine. By the time the plane arrives at its destination, many packages have already been cleared by Customs,” according to the FedEx website.
New legislation could offer a solution
The printer cartridge terror attempts lead a Democrat Congressman to push for more thorough screening of all cargo entering the United States.
“Al Qaeda continues to put aviation at the top of its terrorist target list, and our nation must close the cargo loophole that continues to put lives and our economy at risk. While we now require screening of 100 percent of air cargo transported on passenger planes, the thwarted Yemen bombing plot demonstrates that Al Qaeda is turning its attention to less protected all-cargo aircraft. Accordingly, we must respond through strengthened security measures,” Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) said.
“On September 11, 2001, al Qaeda used box cutters; today, they are using boxes on all-cargo planes. We ignore this warning at our great peril,” Markey concluded.
In conclusion
While there may be many ways to address the cargo and passenger-related security process, for now it appears that the terrorists have won. Americans are furious when they witness, young children, senior citizens and seemingly innocent nuns being aggressively searched and DHS basically says “deal with it.”
A seasoned Border Patrol Agent just returned from a trip to Africa and explained the rest of the Westernized countries are not over reacting.
“I just returned from Africa via Amsterdam and didn't experience any extensive pat down or x-ray screening. The folks from the ‘duty free’ shop have the run of the concourse gates. They deliver the stuff and I saw no x-ray being done of the packages. They deliver the duty free items fully wrapped, enclosed in duty free logo bags. They are delivered to the bursar at the jet-way ramp. I sure didn't observe any x-ray capability along the jet way and I sure looked for it,” said the 30 year Border Patrol veteran.
Airline passengers can expect big delays at the airline terminals this week as well as read about TSA agents overstepping their boundaries on unsuspecting travelers, but will the flights really be as safe as they could be?
If TSA and DHS refuse to screen all the cargo placed in the belly of commercial airliners, then all the aggressive passenger searches will be for naught, as a ticking explosion from the planes underbelly will render TSA security checks moot.
To help Sam with his legal defense; samwolanyk.com
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/tsa-airport-screeners-gone-wild-san-diego-again
Yes, shipping companies routinely use commercial flights to get their packages from point A to B and according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources they rarely look at the suspect cargo, many of which are inbound to America via the Middle East.
One CBP agent who spoke on anonymity for fear of workplace retaliation said, “I’ve seen hundreds of suspicious packages from the Middle East come into the country with little information or any recourse to find the original sender. They can ship any type of contraband they want with little chance of getting caught.”
The agent goes on to explain shipping on commercial planes is big business for the airlines and companies like FedEx and UPS are privileged customers. Oftentimes when cargo inspectors request an examination of a suspect package, they are told express delivery personnel have already taken the parcels in order to ensure an on-time delivery.
The conformation that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) doesn’t screen all air cargo comes from Janet Napolitano who oversees America’s security.
“Ordering 100 percent screening for air cargo is an easy thing to say, but it's probably not the best way to go," Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. “Cargo is infinitely more complicated and comes in infinitely more shapes and sizes than passengers.” http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-19/u-s-screening-all-airline-cargo-not-feasible-napolitano-says.html
Napolitano also contends that extending laws to cover all cargo would “require some hundreds of treaties to be negotiated so that foreign governments would allow the screening. We (currently) have one consistent security regime in the aviation environment for the United States,” she told Bloomberg.
It would appear that “regime” is the correct word choice as airline passengers have been groped, fondled and even arrested for refusing to complete the intrusive security process that has expanded to every major airport in the nation.
Both TSA and DHS refused to answer any questions regarding the airplane cargo red herring.
Recent arrestee, Sam Wolanyk of San Diego, was arrested when he refused a TSA pat down and opted to remove his pants and shirt to show TSA he wasn’t hiding any illegal contraband. “While I was arrested for refusing to be groped by TSA, a terrorist can spend 20 bucks and ship a bomb using FedEx without proper screening. It’s ludicrous,” he said.
Indeed the logic behind TSA’s excessive body searches seems overly aggressive if the cargo aboard planes can go unchecked.
CBP agents see the security risks everyday; however they are thwarted by managers and told its business as usual.
“I tried to target FedEx packages for inspection but they would be delivered before I could get field officers to see what was in them. The majority of parcels just fly out of the ports of entry upon arrival. There is so much security and intel lost, but money talks and Political Action Committees (PACs) call Congressmen, Congressmen call DHS Managers and packages are released without scrutiny, it's all about money,” a CBP Agent explained.
The reason for this increased physical intrusion of passengers stems from the recent printer cartridges that were discovered on board commercial airliners bound for the United States as well as the Christmas Day underwear bomber.
A Yemen-based al Qaeda network has now reported their new strategy regarding their quest to eliminate Americans is to force them to go broke.
The strategy involves several smaller attacks in an effort to hurt the U.S. economy and to create a security phobia that blankets the entire country. Al Qaeda dubbed the new mission “Operation Hemorrhage” and hoped to weaken America’s economy by adding security costs to the country’s budget.
According to the CBP agent there's no proactive operations to detect future events, it’s just a media “dog and pony show” and more “knee jerk reactions.”
“DHS Officials look like a ‘deer in the headlights’ whenever I see them on TV after another attempted terror attack. The real problem will start when these terror plots become administered by talented radicals hell bent on hurting the U.S. - at the moment we have inept emotionally disturbed losers trying to attack America.”
Another area law enforcement agencies will need to explore is the “practice makes perfect” terrorist who will continue to skirt homeland security in search of weak regulations.
“When we have more terrorists surviving they are more likely to strike again. It's when these non- suicide missions start that we are going to start paying a heavy, heavy price. Meanwhile, federal officers like myself working out in the field are forced to clam up, or lose our jobs and our ability to provide for our families, while federal bureaucrats who run DHS and CBP continue to mismanage our national security,” he finished.
Customs and Border Protection’s explanation
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website an “officer’s border search authority is derived from federal statutes and regulations, including 19 C.F.R. 162.6, which states that, ‘All persons, baggage and merchandise arriving in the Customs territory of the United States from places outside thereof are liable to inspection by a CBP officer.’ Unless exempt by diplomatic status, all persons entering the United States, including U.S. citizens, are subject to examination and search by CBP officers.”
DHS ensures that CBP inspection procedures are designed to facilitate the entry of U.S. citizens and aliens who can readily establish their admissibility. Unfortunately, this process may inconvenience law-abiding citizens in order to detect those involved in illicit activities. “We are especially aware of how inconvenient and stressful the inspection process may be to those selected for inspection. In such cases we rely heavily on the patience, understanding, and cooperation of the traveler,” the CBP website stated.
Meanwhile, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) announced more stringent security standards for global air cargo last week, including "more extensive screening of cargo, mail and other goods prior to placing them onboard an aircraft."
The Middle East connection
In an attempt to work with the United States after the most recent thwarted terrorist attempts, countries like Yemen have opted to cooperate with developed nations to improve security measures in their country.
“We are working closely with international partners – including the U.S. – on the incident,” Mohammed Albasha told the Christan Science Monitor (CSM), adding that no UPS cargo planes land or take off from Yemeni airports. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/1029/Suspicious-UPS-FedEx-packages-raise-new-concerns-about-Al-Qaeda-in-Yemen
However CSM reported that an airport employee in Sanaa, Yemen, who remained anonymous, established that there are private airline flights from Sanaa to the United Kingdom that may leave a gapping hole in international security.
“The UPS store in Sanaa was staffed with one employee and one guard Friday evening and the employee refused to talk to the media,” CSM reported.
Border Security expert Andy Ramirez has testified to Congress on a number of occasions and admits the cargo issue has been around forever. “I was told unless the host government gives permission to search cargo, nothing can be checked. We have the technology and equipment overseas but if hosts nix it, it’s purely worthless and I hear many countries do refuse permission. My sources are customs cargo inspectors and I have information addressing this very issue on my website, AndyRamirez.com. In my report "Unjustifiable & Impeachable,” which outlines a live ordinance (missiles) with launchers as well as bombs that were never inspected when they entered the U.S. The cargo was later traced and found in Arkansas even though it should have been inspected in Houston, which was the reported final destination,” Ramirez said.
Expect the security to continue
Airport security hoopla shows no signs of waning as Napolitano and the TSA Administrator John S. Pistole have released statements, ensuring the aggressive security tactics will remain in place through the holiday season.
“We welcome feedback and comments on the screening procedures from the traveling public, and we will work to make them as minimally invasive as possible while still providing the security that the American people want and deserve. We are constantly evaluating and adapting our security measures, and as we have said from the beginning, we are seeking to strike the right balance between privacy and security. In all such security programs, especially those that are applied nation-wide, there is a continual process of refinement and adjustment to ensure that best practices are applied and that feedback and comment from the traveling public is taken into account. This has always been viewed as an evolving program that will be adapted as conditions warrant, and we greatly appreciate the cooperation and understanding of the American people,” TSA’s statement read.
The Sunday news shows also reported on the heavy handedness of the TSA and said the stepped-up security is a direct result of the Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, or the Christmas Day bomber. While America may have had an efficient system, television commentators concluded the U.S. now has an inefficient system despite all the money and technology available to the country.
Cargo Security Clearances
“Pre-shipment inspections (PSI) are required when mandated by the government of the importing country. Governments assert that pre-shipment inspections ensure that the price charged by the exporter reflects the true value of the goods, prevent substandard goods from entering their country, and mitigate attempts to avoid the payment of customs duties,” according to export.gov.
Even the wealthy country of Dubai sees the need to ramp-up security for all aspects of air travel. They have setup hi-tech equipment to clear cargo quickly and effectively. Salma Hareb, Chief Executive Officer, Economic Zones World, and Chairman of the Board, Dubai Logistics Corridor said their ambitious program creates the regions largest and best logistics hub in the Middle East.
At a FedEx hub, international shipments are sorted, scanned and loaded onto international flights. However, most foreign countries do not have access to a FedEx hub.
Nevertheless at FedEx overseas hubs “vital shipment information is keyed into a worldwide manifest database that is linked to computer systems operated by brokers and Customs officials in many countries. Even before the plane has taken off, or while it is in the air, Customs agents and brokers at the destination airport of entry can begin examining shipping manifests, query air waybill data if they need more details, assess duties and taxes, and select which shipments they wish to examine. By the time the plane arrives at its destination, many packages have already been cleared by Customs,” according to the FedEx website.
New legislation could offer a solution
The printer cartridge terror attempts lead a Democrat Congressman to push for more thorough screening of all cargo entering the United States.
“Al Qaeda continues to put aviation at the top of its terrorist target list, and our nation must close the cargo loophole that continues to put lives and our economy at risk. While we now require screening of 100 percent of air cargo transported on passenger planes, the thwarted Yemen bombing plot demonstrates that Al Qaeda is turning its attention to less protected all-cargo aircraft. Accordingly, we must respond through strengthened security measures,” Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) said.
“On September 11, 2001, al Qaeda used box cutters; today, they are using boxes on all-cargo planes. We ignore this warning at our great peril,” Markey concluded.
In conclusion
While there may be many ways to address the cargo and passenger-related security process, for now it appears that the terrorists have won. Americans are furious when they witness, young children, senior citizens and seemingly innocent nuns being aggressively searched and DHS basically says “deal with it.”
A seasoned Border Patrol Agent just returned from a trip to Africa and explained the rest of the Westernized countries are not over reacting.
“I just returned from Africa via Amsterdam and didn't experience any extensive pat down or x-ray screening. The folks from the ‘duty free’ shop have the run of the concourse gates. They deliver the stuff and I saw no x-ray being done of the packages. They deliver the duty free items fully wrapped, enclosed in duty free logo bags. They are delivered to the bursar at the jet-way ramp. I sure didn't observe any x-ray capability along the jet way and I sure looked for it,” said the 30 year Border Patrol veteran.
Airline passengers can expect big delays at the airline terminals this week as well as read about TSA agents overstepping their boundaries on unsuspecting travelers, but will the flights really be as safe as they could be?
If TSA and DHS refuse to screen all the cargo placed in the belly of commercial airliners, then all the aggressive passenger searches will be for naught, as a ticking explosion from the planes underbelly will render TSA security checks moot.
To help Sam with his legal defense; samwolanyk.com
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/tsa-airport-screeners-gone-wild-san-diego-again
Monday, November 8, 2010
Illegal immigration and the new terrorism threat collide
Late last week Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) demanded the Department of Homeland Security cough up the immigration and naturalization records of Washington D.C. Metrorail suspected terrorist bomber Farooque Ahmed.
In an effort to determine the best method to protect Americans from illegal aliens who have nefarious intentions toward U.S. citizens, Grassley sought the immigration process used by Ahmed from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), but he was refused the records and told he needed a privacy release form from the suspected terrorist.
Grassley’s letter highlighted a clear conflict provided by USCIS and showed that the language contained in the Privacy Act details an exemption for members of Congress. Grassley said it, “is unacceptable as a matter of accountability,” for the American people.
Senator Grassley outlined his concern in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security. “It’s about the suspected terrorist from media reports, including accounts that the would-be bomber hoped to harm as many Americans as possible on the metro system.” In addition to seeking the suspected terrorist’s immigration history, Grassley also asked for the legal background for the excuse the USCIS used to disregard a provision of law designed to ensure checks and balances by giving Congress access to this kind of information.”
The senator pointed out several media reports that concerned him regarding the process used by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and other agencies to arrest Ahmed.
“According to news reports, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted an undercover sting operation, and exposed Mr. Ahmed of plotting terrorist attacks against Americans,” he said in a letter to Janet Napolitano, Secretary of DHS. “Some reports indicate that earlier this year, Mr. Ahmed ‘conducted surveillance and reconnaissance and suggested ways to generate the most causality’s on the DC metro. He reportedly wanted to battle U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Pakistan and trained himself in martial arts, use of firearms, and knife and gun tactics. Mr. Ahmed informed those whom he believed to be his co-conspirators that he also planned to wage jihad overseas.”
Various news reports cite that Ahmed obtained a degree in Computer Science from the College of Staten Island, which is a part of the City University of New York. Later Ahmed work in the telecommunications industry in Northern Virginia. It is also alleged that in order to keep his legal status, Ahmed began pursuing an online graduate degree in risk management and data security from Aspen University.
Senator Grassley’s concerns about Ahmed’s visa status draws attention to the process by which potential immigrants enter the country and what kind of background checks are required to ensure the legitimacy of prospective students who seek higher education in the U.S.
“I would like to know how Mr. Ahmed entered the United States and through which immigration channels he was able to remain here,” said Grassley who is also a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security. “I therefore request that you provide me with copies of all documents and reports relating to the issuance of student visa(s), any adjustment of status and subsequent visas, and naturalization for Mr. Ahmed including, but not limited to the following:
a. All immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications filed by Mr. Ahmed;
b. All certificates of eligibility for immigrant and non-immigrant visas provided by Mr. Ahmed in support of his application(s) for legal status in the United States;
c. All law enforcement reports that contained information on Mr. Ahmed’s associations with al-Qaeda and which were available to homeland security official(s) who approved his visa application(s) and naturalization application.
e. Any records on Mr. Ahmed included in the student tracking system, SEVIS, including but not limited to his degree program and classes taken at City University of New York and Aspen University.
f. All documents related to the naturalization process for Mr. Ahmed.
While these documents are a start for Senator Grassley’s office, others are now questioning the effectiveness the H-1B visas and the need to update the provisions to better fight terrorism in a post 9/11 world.
The main pathway for H-1B Visa holders is to obtain a degree from a U.S. college or university on a F-1 Visa, and perhaps extend it with OPT (Optional Professional Training) for up to 29 months and then obtain a H-1B Visa for employment of 6 or more years.
One factor of particular concern for Americans is the easy process for foreigners to obtain an H-1B visa. “These visas are discouraging young Americans from entering technology fields,” according to Gene Nelson, Ph.D. who is an expert in immigration policy. “Why should American students complete the expensive and challenging training to become a scientist or engineer if prospective employers will hire essentially unlimited numbers of (inexpensive) technical professionals from India or Communist China to quickly displace the young Americans from technology fields?”
Nelson believes the second effect of this immigration visa is just as significant, but more difficult to quantify.
“The lack of vetting of imported technical professionals under work visa programs such as H-1B is causing national security harms. I have discussed this problem in testimony delivered in the U.S. House of Representatives and the National Academy of Sciences since 1996,” Nelson explains. “The long-term negative externalities of such immigrant avidity include the prospect of large-scale nuclear terrorism or bioterrorism in the U.S., likely in cities such as Washington, DC or New York City.”
The H-1B Visa holder is a de-facto indentured servant, according to Nelson. He also points out their visa is conditioned on being continuously employed and employers are able to hold out the "carrot" of the eventual green card sponsorship.
Ferreting information about students can be as easy as looking to social networking sites. For example, Ahmed’s LinkedIn profile showed that he was enrolled in a master's computer engineering program at CUNY's College of Staten Island. It went on to explain that he did not get his degree because of a "political issue between computer science and engineering department."
Nelson explains that an employer-sponsored H-1B visa requires practically no vetting of applicants and allows foreign students to remain in the U.S. for at least six years. Plus, foreign students or employees are often granted automatic extensions while they are waiting for a green card. Once a green card is in hand, foreigners are well on their way to completing the U.S. naturalization process.
As far as employers ensuring that no one in America is qualified for the high-tech job, U.S. employers are required to make a “good faith” attempt to hire an American first before they grant an H-1B visa to a foreigner. However, experts contend that few employers do this because they know foreigners are willing to work for less money and longer hours.
According to the Labor Department's 2006-2011 Strategic Plan notes; "H-1B workers may be hired even when a qualified U.S. worker wants the job, and a U.S. worker can be displaced from the job in favor of the foreign worker."
This should be very concerning to Americans. Many of the H-1B visa jobs involve national security inside the telecommunication industry.
In Ahmed’s case he worked for three telecommunication companies since 2000 and according to the Labor Department each of these companies applied for hundreds of H-1B visas; Ericsson which has applied for 446 H-1B visas, Glotel who has applied for 143 H-1B visas and Sprint who has applied for a staggering 857 H-1B visas.
Once Nelson navigated through the Sprint VA H-1B visa spreadsheet he found some disturbing details. He pointed to an incorrect work city shown for Sprint "network" positions that begin in July, 2006, which matched his LinkedIn profile. “Also there is only one Sprint LCA for the state of Illinois, but it is not for Ahmed’s job title. This suggests to me that Sprint failed to follow the (loophole-laden) rules, as a LCA is for a specific job title in a specific city and state,” Nelson points out. (Here is the link to Sprint info; http://www.flcdatacenter.com/CaseH1B.aspx)
One thing is certain, a rash of terror plots continues to be uncovered across the country and there seems to be no end to the profound hatred these terrorists have towards America. The underlying terror threats will require the country’s national security agencies to continually evolve and grow if they are to be successful in preventing the next 9/11 attack.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
In an effort to determine the best method to protect Americans from illegal aliens who have nefarious intentions toward U.S. citizens, Grassley sought the immigration process used by Ahmed from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), but he was refused the records and told he needed a privacy release form from the suspected terrorist.
Grassley’s letter highlighted a clear conflict provided by USCIS and showed that the language contained in the Privacy Act details an exemption for members of Congress. Grassley said it, “is unacceptable as a matter of accountability,” for the American people.
Senator Grassley outlined his concern in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security. “It’s about the suspected terrorist from media reports, including accounts that the would-be bomber hoped to harm as many Americans as possible on the metro system.” In addition to seeking the suspected terrorist’s immigration history, Grassley also asked for the legal background for the excuse the USCIS used to disregard a provision of law designed to ensure checks and balances by giving Congress access to this kind of information.”
The senator pointed out several media reports that concerned him regarding the process used by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and other agencies to arrest Ahmed.
“According to news reports, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted an undercover sting operation, and exposed Mr. Ahmed of plotting terrorist attacks against Americans,” he said in a letter to Janet Napolitano, Secretary of DHS. “Some reports indicate that earlier this year, Mr. Ahmed ‘conducted surveillance and reconnaissance and suggested ways to generate the most causality’s on the DC metro. He reportedly wanted to battle U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Pakistan and trained himself in martial arts, use of firearms, and knife and gun tactics. Mr. Ahmed informed those whom he believed to be his co-conspirators that he also planned to wage jihad overseas.”
Various news reports cite that Ahmed obtained a degree in Computer Science from the College of Staten Island, which is a part of the City University of New York. Later Ahmed work in the telecommunications industry in Northern Virginia. It is also alleged that in order to keep his legal status, Ahmed began pursuing an online graduate degree in risk management and data security from Aspen University.
Senator Grassley’s concerns about Ahmed’s visa status draws attention to the process by which potential immigrants enter the country and what kind of background checks are required to ensure the legitimacy of prospective students who seek higher education in the U.S.
“I would like to know how Mr. Ahmed entered the United States and through which immigration channels he was able to remain here,” said Grassley who is also a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security. “I therefore request that you provide me with copies of all documents and reports relating to the issuance of student visa(s), any adjustment of status and subsequent visas, and naturalization for Mr. Ahmed including, but not limited to the following:
a. All immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications filed by Mr. Ahmed;
b. All certificates of eligibility for immigrant and non-immigrant visas provided by Mr. Ahmed in support of his application(s) for legal status in the United States;
c. All law enforcement reports that contained information on Mr. Ahmed’s associations with al-Qaeda and which were available to homeland security official(s) who approved his visa application(s) and naturalization application.
e. Any records on Mr. Ahmed included in the student tracking system, SEVIS, including but not limited to his degree program and classes taken at City University of New York and Aspen University.
f. All documents related to the naturalization process for Mr. Ahmed.
While these documents are a start for Senator Grassley’s office, others are now questioning the effectiveness the H-1B visas and the need to update the provisions to better fight terrorism in a post 9/11 world.
The main pathway for H-1B Visa holders is to obtain a degree from a U.S. college or university on a F-1 Visa, and perhaps extend it with OPT (Optional Professional Training) for up to 29 months and then obtain a H-1B Visa for employment of 6 or more years.
One factor of particular concern for Americans is the easy process for foreigners to obtain an H-1B visa. “These visas are discouraging young Americans from entering technology fields,” according to Gene Nelson, Ph.D. who is an expert in immigration policy. “Why should American students complete the expensive and challenging training to become a scientist or engineer if prospective employers will hire essentially unlimited numbers of (inexpensive) technical professionals from India or Communist China to quickly displace the young Americans from technology fields?”
Nelson believes the second effect of this immigration visa is just as significant, but more difficult to quantify.
“The lack of vetting of imported technical professionals under work visa programs such as H-1B is causing national security harms. I have discussed this problem in testimony delivered in the U.S. House of Representatives and the National Academy of Sciences since 1996,” Nelson explains. “The long-term negative externalities of such immigrant avidity include the prospect of large-scale nuclear terrorism or bioterrorism in the U.S., likely in cities such as Washington, DC or New York City.”
The H-1B Visa holder is a de-facto indentured servant, according to Nelson. He also points out their visa is conditioned on being continuously employed and employers are able to hold out the "carrot" of the eventual green card sponsorship.
Ferreting information about students can be as easy as looking to social networking sites. For example, Ahmed’s LinkedIn profile showed that he was enrolled in a master's computer engineering program at CUNY's College of Staten Island. It went on to explain that he did not get his degree because of a "political issue between computer science and engineering department."
Nelson explains that an employer-sponsored H-1B visa requires practically no vetting of applicants and allows foreign students to remain in the U.S. for at least six years. Plus, foreign students or employees are often granted automatic extensions while they are waiting for a green card. Once a green card is in hand, foreigners are well on their way to completing the U.S. naturalization process.
As far as employers ensuring that no one in America is qualified for the high-tech job, U.S. employers are required to make a “good faith” attempt to hire an American first before they grant an H-1B visa to a foreigner. However, experts contend that few employers do this because they know foreigners are willing to work for less money and longer hours.
According to the Labor Department's 2006-2011 Strategic Plan notes; "H-1B workers may be hired even when a qualified U.S. worker wants the job, and a U.S. worker can be displaced from the job in favor of the foreign worker."
This should be very concerning to Americans. Many of the H-1B visa jobs involve national security inside the telecommunication industry.
In Ahmed’s case he worked for three telecommunication companies since 2000 and according to the Labor Department each of these companies applied for hundreds of H-1B visas; Ericsson which has applied for 446 H-1B visas, Glotel who has applied for 143 H-1B visas and Sprint who has applied for a staggering 857 H-1B visas.
Once Nelson navigated through the Sprint VA H-1B visa spreadsheet he found some disturbing details. He pointed to an incorrect work city shown for Sprint "network" positions that begin in July, 2006, which matched his LinkedIn profile. “Also there is only one Sprint LCA for the state of Illinois, but it is not for Ahmed’s job title. This suggests to me that Sprint failed to follow the (loophole-laden) rules, as a LCA is for a specific job title in a specific city and state,” Nelson points out. (Here is the link to Sprint info; http://www.flcdatacenter.com/CaseH1B.aspx)
One thing is certain, a rash of terror plots continues to be uncovered across the country and there seems to be no end to the profound hatred these terrorists have towards America. The underlying terror threats will require the country’s national security agencies to continually evolve and grow if they are to be successful in preventing the next 9/11 attack.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
Monday, October 25, 2010
Mexican agents graduate from ICE’s first immigration training program
In an effort to assist Mexico in its immigration and customs law enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security graduated the first ICE 10-week training class meant to sharpen Mexican authority’s ability to secure their homeland that has been ravaged by drug cartels.
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton joined Mexican Secretary of Finance Ernesto Cordero Arroyo and Tax Administration Service and Customs Director Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortiz-Mena at the first-ever graduation of Mexican customs officials from an ICE-led federal investigator training course in North Charleston, S.C.
"Our efforts to crack down on criminal organizations and others who threaten the safety of our citizens and our economy require close cooperation between the United States and Mexico," said Napolitano. "Today's historic graduation of Mexican customs officials from this U.S.-led investigator training course reflects the unprecedented collaboration between our two nations to better combat transnational crime while facilitating legitimate travel and trade."
While Napolitano may see this as progress, others say it is a wolf in sheep’s clothes situation and Americans will never learn that giving away the nation’s secrets or train the potential mercenaries usually comes back to haunt America. (The Los Zetas drug cartel strongmen were originally trained by the U.S. military in North Carolina in counter-terrorism techniques for the Mexican military.)
"Are you %^&*$#* kidding me?" Let's train Mexican immigration officers on our laws and procedures and how to enforce immigration laws, thereby giving them valuable information on how to defeat what little protections we have left in place? And how many of these agents are in the employ of the Cartels? If not now, how soon after they get back home with a newly marketable skill will they approach the cartels and offer their services, for a price? That's tantamount to putting the fox in the henhouse,” says a veteran ICE agent John Sakelarides.
Working in coordination with Mexico, DHS continues with its quest to increase trans-border trade while trying to thwart border violence that undermines Mexico’s ability to speed up trade between the two countries.
"A well-functioning border is an opportunity for growth—it opens doors to commercial exchange, peace, progress and human development," said Mexican Secretary Cordero.
There were 24 men and women from Mexico's Tax Administration Service and Customs who participated in the inaugural law enforcement customs investigator training course conducted by ICE agents.
The federal course included rules in both Mexican and U.S. customs law, as well as training in numerous investigative techniques like, officer safety tactics and ethics to assist graduates to provide the agents with the tools and knowledge necessary to combat cross-border crime. Primary topics included money laundering, customs offenses and weapons and drug trafficking, the Mexican students worked in close coordination with ICE special agents and other U.S. law enforcement officials to master immigration law.
DHS reaffirmed the Obama administration’s commitment to sharing border security responsibility with Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón and their ability to secure the Southwest border and ensure the security of both nations through programs like the Mérida Initiative which former President George W. Bush sought as the cornerstone for U.S./Mexico security cooperation.
The brand new Mexican customs investigator training course is part of the Department of State-led initiative that is designed to provide assistance to Mexico and Central American countries in the form of building, training and providing equipment to better equip law enforcement agencies to complete their border security missions. The United States has set aside $1.4 billion in aid for Mexico through this initiative.
Secretary Napolitano and her Mexican counterparts have engaged in an unprecedented level of cooperation the past year. Their accomplishments included securing a number of bilateral agreements and declarations to bolster cooperation in the areas of enforcement, information and intelligence sharing, joint operations and trade facilitation along the Southwest border.
Under Napolitano, DHS has doubled the number of law enforcement personnel assigned to their Border Enforcement Security Task Forces (BEST), multi-agency teams that collaborate to identify, disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations which pose significant threats to border security and coordinate intelligence sharing on both sides of the border.
As Southwest border violence continues to escalate, American lives are lost, U.S. law enforcement lives are in daily peril and cartels continue to demonstrate their ability to operate freely, DHS is hoping this new partnership with Mexico will alleviate the stranglehold the Mexican Mafia currently operates under in both countries.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton joined Mexican Secretary of Finance Ernesto Cordero Arroyo and Tax Administration Service and Customs Director Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortiz-Mena at the first-ever graduation of Mexican customs officials from an ICE-led federal investigator training course in North Charleston, S.C.
"Our efforts to crack down on criminal organizations and others who threaten the safety of our citizens and our economy require close cooperation between the United States and Mexico," said Napolitano. "Today's historic graduation of Mexican customs officials from this U.S.-led investigator training course reflects the unprecedented collaboration between our two nations to better combat transnational crime while facilitating legitimate travel and trade."
While Napolitano may see this as progress, others say it is a wolf in sheep’s clothes situation and Americans will never learn that giving away the nation’s secrets or train the potential mercenaries usually comes back to haunt America. (The Los Zetas drug cartel strongmen were originally trained by the U.S. military in North Carolina in counter-terrorism techniques for the Mexican military.)
"Are you %^&*$#* kidding me?" Let's train Mexican immigration officers on our laws and procedures and how to enforce immigration laws, thereby giving them valuable information on how to defeat what little protections we have left in place? And how many of these agents are in the employ of the Cartels? If not now, how soon after they get back home with a newly marketable skill will they approach the cartels and offer their services, for a price? That's tantamount to putting the fox in the henhouse,” says a veteran ICE agent John Sakelarides.
Working in coordination with Mexico, DHS continues with its quest to increase trans-border trade while trying to thwart border violence that undermines Mexico’s ability to speed up trade between the two countries.
"A well-functioning border is an opportunity for growth—it opens doors to commercial exchange, peace, progress and human development," said Mexican Secretary Cordero.
There were 24 men and women from Mexico's Tax Administration Service and Customs who participated in the inaugural law enforcement customs investigator training course conducted by ICE agents.
The federal course included rules in both Mexican and U.S. customs law, as well as training in numerous investigative techniques like, officer safety tactics and ethics to assist graduates to provide the agents with the tools and knowledge necessary to combat cross-border crime. Primary topics included money laundering, customs offenses and weapons and drug trafficking, the Mexican students worked in close coordination with ICE special agents and other U.S. law enforcement officials to master immigration law.
DHS reaffirmed the Obama administration’s commitment to sharing border security responsibility with Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón and their ability to secure the Southwest border and ensure the security of both nations through programs like the Mérida Initiative which former President George W. Bush sought as the cornerstone for U.S./Mexico security cooperation.
The brand new Mexican customs investigator training course is part of the Department of State-led initiative that is designed to provide assistance to Mexico and Central American countries in the form of building, training and providing equipment to better equip law enforcement agencies to complete their border security missions. The United States has set aside $1.4 billion in aid for Mexico through this initiative.
Secretary Napolitano and her Mexican counterparts have engaged in an unprecedented level of cooperation the past year. Their accomplishments included securing a number of bilateral agreements and declarations to bolster cooperation in the areas of enforcement, information and intelligence sharing, joint operations and trade facilitation along the Southwest border.
Under Napolitano, DHS has doubled the number of law enforcement personnel assigned to their Border Enforcement Security Task Forces (BEST), multi-agency teams that collaborate to identify, disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations which pose significant threats to border security and coordinate intelligence sharing on both sides of the border.
As Southwest border violence continues to escalate, American lives are lost, U.S. law enforcement lives are in daily peril and cartels continue to demonstrate their ability to operate freely, DHS is hoping this new partnership with Mexico will alleviate the stranglehold the Mexican Mafia currently operates under in both countries.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Open borders and amnesty on the way with DHS-CBP's Napolitano and Bersin
It looks like an immigration “paradigm shift” is on the horizon for Americans according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin. He wants citizens to rethink their views regarding the U.S.-Mexico border by adding a new twist on border security.
Bersin said during a speech at the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., that he expects Congress to include a “road to citizenship” for illegal immigrants and the best way to secure the border is to open up the job market to all Mexicans. This would create “a legitimate labor market between the United States and Mexico,” Bersin explained.
That statement created so much heat for Bersin his office back tracked the “jobs for all Mexicans in the U.S.” remark and said he meant to say a “temporary worker program.”
Not many Americans agree with the CBP Commissioners theory about offering jobs to lawbreakers, especially when double-digit unemployment plagues the country.
Bersin was appointed by President Barack Obama to takeover U.S. border security. Much like the president, Bersin is a career scholar with little to no business experience who was the secretary of education for the state of California and was chairman of the San Diego Regional Airport Authority before he was the border Czar.
During the speech Bersin referred to the meeting between President Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon earlier this year which “articulated the vision for this new era—the creation of a 21st Century border, one that enhances our security and mutual economic competitiveness in an increasingly globalized world.”
“Underlying this new vision is a paradigm shift—a change in how people view the border,” the CBP Commissioner explained. “Historically, governments have approached border management as, essentially, ‘holding the line.’ But the border isn’t an isolated place disconnected from the interiors of the United States and Mexico. What we do at the border has effects that are felt far away from the jurisdictional line—especially in an era of international trade and global supply chains. Although policing the line will remain a key element of any border management approach, we must shift our thinking and take a more holistic view of border management, one that is based on securing the flows of trade and travel.”
Bersin, asked and answered is own question regarding the necessity for open borders employment as a way to secure the U.S. and said he did not consider this pathway a “mass amnesty” or “mass deportations.” In essence he called for a “long road to citizenship” for illegal immigrants as well as repeated the mantra of jobs for all.
The speech included a possible method for those in America illegally to follow if they decide to be Americans. “There is a responsibility from those who are here illegally, so that they can register, admit to having broken the law, pay a fine, pay back taxes, get right with the law, and learn English before they can get on that long road toward citizenship if they chose to pursue it,” Bersin explained.
The bottom line for the Obama administration is amnesty and this is where the majority of Americans part company with the president and those inside Department of Homeland Security. But Bersin continues to push.
“Absent comprehensive immigration reform people will attempt to enter this country illegally, drawn by the job market,” he said. “It is our job to stop them, and we will do our best to do that. We are doing better than ever before. But this is not about real estate; it’s about flows of people and securing the border by deterring and preventing illegal immigration. The best way to do that is to have a legitimate labor market between the United States and Mexico.”
Looking at that statement Americans may be confused because most believe deterrence of illegal immigration and border security means preventing aliens from crossing illegally into the country. The way Bersin sees it, the open borders will quell illegal border crossings because once they are here they will be able to legally procure employment (under DHS’s ideal world) and contribute to American society. Really, why have borders?
As if to follow-up Bersin’s speech with details sure to strike the hearts of liberals was DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano. At her stump speech in San Diego the secretary was armed with all sorts of facts.
“We have devoted unprecedented amounts of manpower, infrastructure and technology to the Southwest border under this administration,” said Napolitano. “Over the past two years, our seizures of illegal drugs, currency and weapons have increased significantly—helping to make the southwest border more secure than ever before.”
DHS reported that fiscal years 2009 and 2010, the CBP seized more than $104 million in southbound illegal currency—an increase of approximately $28 million compared to 2007-2008 (Another fact to keep in mind is the drug cartels are raking in billions of dollars in illicit trade profit per year).
CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also seized more than $282 million in illegal currency, more than 7 million pounds of drugs, and more than 6,800 weapons in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 along the southwest border—increases of more than $73 million, more than 1 million pounds of drugs and more than 1,500 weapons compared to 2007-2008.
Secretary Napolitano also highlighted the 36 percent decrease in Border Patrol apprehensions from nearly 724,000 in fiscal year 2008 to approximately 463,000 in fiscal year 2010. However, many factors can be attributed to the downturn in apprehensions, the sour economy, fewer people are getting caught or agents are simply not arresting as many illegal aliens.
Napolitano also made time to speak with the editorial board of The San Diego Union Tribune to discuss the immigration hot-button issue. “The former Arizona governor and state attorney general said strengthening immigration rules also could lead to more high-tech resources that authorities would use to make sure visitors to the United States don't overstay their visas,” Napolitano told the Union Tribune. “There are areas in terms of visas and visa overstays, again, that should be addressed legally through an immigration reform bill. We need a new legislative framework from which to act. It’s the 21st century. We need a bill that builds for that.”
While she did not provide specific details how a comprehensive immigration bill would be tailored, the DHS secretary has been a long time supporter of amnesty setting up her agency for battle with the voters when the comprehensive immigration reform discussion finally makes it way to Congress.
For more stories;
http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
Bersin said during a speech at the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., that he expects Congress to include a “road to citizenship” for illegal immigrants and the best way to secure the border is to open up the job market to all Mexicans. This would create “a legitimate labor market between the United States and Mexico,” Bersin explained.
That statement created so much heat for Bersin his office back tracked the “jobs for all Mexicans in the U.S.” remark and said he meant to say a “temporary worker program.”
Not many Americans agree with the CBP Commissioners theory about offering jobs to lawbreakers, especially when double-digit unemployment plagues the country.
Bersin was appointed by President Barack Obama to takeover U.S. border security. Much like the president, Bersin is a career scholar with little to no business experience who was the secretary of education for the state of California and was chairman of the San Diego Regional Airport Authority before he was the border Czar.
During the speech Bersin referred to the meeting between President Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon earlier this year which “articulated the vision for this new era—the creation of a 21st Century border, one that enhances our security and mutual economic competitiveness in an increasingly globalized world.”
“Underlying this new vision is a paradigm shift—a change in how people view the border,” the CBP Commissioner explained. “Historically, governments have approached border management as, essentially, ‘holding the line.’ But the border isn’t an isolated place disconnected from the interiors of the United States and Mexico. What we do at the border has effects that are felt far away from the jurisdictional line—especially in an era of international trade and global supply chains. Although policing the line will remain a key element of any border management approach, we must shift our thinking and take a more holistic view of border management, one that is based on securing the flows of trade and travel.”
Bersin, asked and answered is own question regarding the necessity for open borders employment as a way to secure the U.S. and said he did not consider this pathway a “mass amnesty” or “mass deportations.” In essence he called for a “long road to citizenship” for illegal immigrants as well as repeated the mantra of jobs for all.
The speech included a possible method for those in America illegally to follow if they decide to be Americans. “There is a responsibility from those who are here illegally, so that they can register, admit to having broken the law, pay a fine, pay back taxes, get right with the law, and learn English before they can get on that long road toward citizenship if they chose to pursue it,” Bersin explained.
The bottom line for the Obama administration is amnesty and this is where the majority of Americans part company with the president and those inside Department of Homeland Security. But Bersin continues to push.
“Absent comprehensive immigration reform people will attempt to enter this country illegally, drawn by the job market,” he said. “It is our job to stop them, and we will do our best to do that. We are doing better than ever before. But this is not about real estate; it’s about flows of people and securing the border by deterring and preventing illegal immigration. The best way to do that is to have a legitimate labor market between the United States and Mexico.”
Looking at that statement Americans may be confused because most believe deterrence of illegal immigration and border security means preventing aliens from crossing illegally into the country. The way Bersin sees it, the open borders will quell illegal border crossings because once they are here they will be able to legally procure employment (under DHS’s ideal world) and contribute to American society. Really, why have borders?
As if to follow-up Bersin’s speech with details sure to strike the hearts of liberals was DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano. At her stump speech in San Diego the secretary was armed with all sorts of facts.
“We have devoted unprecedented amounts of manpower, infrastructure and technology to the Southwest border under this administration,” said Napolitano. “Over the past two years, our seizures of illegal drugs, currency and weapons have increased significantly—helping to make the southwest border more secure than ever before.”
DHS reported that fiscal years 2009 and 2010, the CBP seized more than $104 million in southbound illegal currency—an increase of approximately $28 million compared to 2007-2008 (Another fact to keep in mind is the drug cartels are raking in billions of dollars in illicit trade profit per year).
CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also seized more than $282 million in illegal currency, more than 7 million pounds of drugs, and more than 6,800 weapons in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 along the southwest border—increases of more than $73 million, more than 1 million pounds of drugs and more than 1,500 weapons compared to 2007-2008.
Secretary Napolitano also highlighted the 36 percent decrease in Border Patrol apprehensions from nearly 724,000 in fiscal year 2008 to approximately 463,000 in fiscal year 2010. However, many factors can be attributed to the downturn in apprehensions, the sour economy, fewer people are getting caught or agents are simply not arresting as many illegal aliens.
Napolitano also made time to speak with the editorial board of The San Diego Union Tribune to discuss the immigration hot-button issue. “The former Arizona governor and state attorney general said strengthening immigration rules also could lead to more high-tech resources that authorities would use to make sure visitors to the United States don't overstay their visas,” Napolitano told the Union Tribune. “There are areas in terms of visas and visa overstays, again, that should be addressed legally through an immigration reform bill. We need a new legislative framework from which to act. It’s the 21st century. We need a bill that builds for that.”
While she did not provide specific details how a comprehensive immigration bill would be tailored, the DHS secretary has been a long time supporter of amnesty setting up her agency for battle with the voters when the comprehensive immigration reform discussion finally makes it way to Congress.
For more stories;
http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
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