KIRSTJEN NIELSEN: DHS WARNS OF MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS' ROLE IN MIGRANT CARAVANHomeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen warned Sunday that the illegal immigrant caravan heading toward the U.S. could be exploited by cartels that control most of the illegal flow of people through Latin America.
Ms. Nielsen also praised the efforts of Mexico and Central American governments she said are working with the U.S. to try to contain the caravan, rather than enable it.
While some among the once-5,000 member caravan have given up and returned to Honduras, local reports say about 2,000 people have barged into Mexico and vow to press on to the U.S., defying the will of the Mexican and American governments.
Warnings of a get-tough policy from U.S. officials have done little to deter the migrants, who for years have seen relatives and neighbors easily jump the border to enter the U.S. with little consequence. The ease of entering is a selling point for the cartels, who control the drug and human smuggling routes into the U.S. and require payment of a “mafia fee” just to cross the U.S.-Mexico boundary line.
Court records show that fee typically runs from $1,000 to $2,000. That doesn’t include thousands of dollars in other fees that cover foot guides, drivers, stash houses and the rest of the illegal journey.
“While we closely monitor the caravan crisis, we must remain mindful of the transnational criminal organizations and other criminals that prey on the vulnerabilities of those undertaking the irregular migration journey,” [DHS secretary] Nielsen said in a statement Sunday.
She also repeated U.S. backing for the governments who have tried, under threats from President Trump, to stem the flow.
“We fully support the efforts of Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, as they seek to address this critical situation and ensure a safer and more secure region,” the secretary said.
Mr. Trump has said he would pull U.S. foreign assistance from Central American countries and would “seal” the border, including nixing the free trade agreement he’s finalizing with Mexico, unless those nations find ways to halt the caravan.
He has also said he will deploy the U.S. military — a step beyond the National Guard troops he previously asked be sent to the border.
Mexican authorities had attempted to keep the caravan in Guatemala, processing people individually to enter either to claim asylum or to get a visitor visa. But thousands of migrants decided not to wait and burst through fencing or paid to be ferried across the river into Mexico, circumventing the border guards.
The caravan began a week ago in Honduras. The Associated Press reported that Guatemalan officials calculate some 5,400 people had entered their country from Honduras since the caravan began. Perhaps 2,000 have returned home.
Two other contributing factors:
1) The governments in Honduras, Guatamala and El Salvador
love illegal immigration to the United States from their countries, because once in the U.S., they send money to relatives in their native countries, that injects billions into their economy. Trump needs to create a deterrant to this.
2) In addition to Soros/Leftist international support, these caravans are also organized by Leftist groups within nations like Guatamala and Honduras. One of their goals is to stoke anger of the United States so we will cut off foreign aid, which will cripple the internal economy of these countries, and in rough economic times the radical left in these countries have a better chance of being elected and consolidating power over these nations.
Some things Trump could do is intervene to improve the economies in these countries, to disincentivize them from leaving and coming to the U.S.
While simultaneously cracking down hard and deporting illegal immigration. I'd like to see an order that no more illegals willbe accepted at the border until further notice. We already have a backlog of 750,000 illegas in the couyntry awaiting their trial dates for asylum/refugee status. Trump could simply say until that backlog is processed, we will accept and consider no more.
Another option I thought of is U.S. military and border security could cross the border and intercept illegals 1 to 10 miles into the Mexican side of the border (as the U.S. has done on several other occasions). If Mexican law enforcement cannot/will not stop them, the U.S. has every right to go in and do the job ourselves.
U.S. focrces could just hit the mob of 7,000 with several square miles of tear gas to immobilize them, handcuff or bind them all, and take them back by plane or helicopter and drop them on the beach of their native countries. If they do not make it to the U.S. border, they are not entitled to asylum consideration, and can just be shipped right back to Central America. And fatigue from the long trip, combined with being tear-gassed, would be a disincentive to them ever trying again.
I also would like each of them captured, bound, fingerprinted and given unfavorable status if they ever try to enter the country by legal means later, with their passport/I.D. and fingerprints in the U.S. ICE/Border Guard database system. Anyone who would smash border gates, beat up Mexican police, and try to break into our country illegally should
never be considered as a potential immigrant to the U.S., given their violence and disregard for our laws.
