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FAIR Take | May2023

Once upon a time Democrats believed in, or at least paid lip service to, secure borders and ending illegalimmigration.

In his 1995 State of the Union Address, President Bill Clinton asserted, All Americans, not only in states most heavily affected, but every place else in this country, are rightly disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country. And yes, he said illegal aliens, not undocumented or irregular, or some other euphemism. That portion of his speech drew a round of applause from both sides of the aisle. As recently as last September, the former president told CNN that there is a limit to how many migrants the country can absorb and that lots of economic migrants are gaming our political asylumsystem.

In 2005, then-Senator Barack Obama (and presidential hopeful) was similarly blunt. We simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States undetected, undocumented, unchecked, and circumventing the line of people who are waiting patiently, diligently, and lawfully to become immigrants in this country, he said.

Their records may not have matched their rhetoric particularly with respect to Obama when it came to stopping illegal immigration, but they acknowledged the harm it causes and the legitimate concerns of the American people. In recent years, however, even the assertion that illegal immigration is harmful and should be halted has become taboo for Democratic politicians. The Biden administration has presided over the systematic dismantling of immigration and border enforcement, while Democratic-run states and localities continue to dream up new ways to protect and bestow benefits on illegalaliens.

It may seem as though the concept of immigration enforcement is dead in the Democratic Party. But is it? Enter Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-shot candidate who is challenging a reeling Joe Biden for the 2024 presidential nomination. In one of his opening salvos, Kennedy seemed to invoke the more sober reasoning of Democrats-past. America should be a haven of freedom and prosperity, open to law-abiding migrants who will contribute to our society. However, immigration must proceed in an orderly, lawful manner. Right now we have chaos at the border. Human trafficking, criminality, intolerable stress on border states like Texas. It is a humanitarian nightmare, he tweeted.

Kennedys statements were precipitated by the mass murder of a family in Cleveland, Texas, whose alleged killer is an illegal alien who had been deported multiple times in the past. It is not anti-immigrant bigotry to demand an immigration system that keeps out criminals. In fact, letting them in stokes bigotry. As President, I will enforce a secure border, and I will expand the kind of LEGAL immigration that made our country great, hecontinued.

Barely three weeks into his campaign, more than one in five Democrats favor Kennedy as their partys 2024 nominee. Sure, it helps that your name is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and that 51 percent of registered Democrats (and 70 percent of voters overall) dont even think Joe Biden should be running again. Immigration is one of the issues that is dragging down the presidents approval ratings. A scant 37 percent of voters approve of his handling of immigration policy, compared with 56 percent who disapprove. Those numbers could turn considerably worse if the situation at the border further deteriorates when Biden ends Title 42 nextweek.

While there will likely remain significant differences between the two parties on immigration (and many other issues), it is reasonable to believe that there is a broad bipartisan constituency for ending chaos at our border and the trafficking, exploitation and crippling burdens that come with it. It will be interesting to observe whether a challenger from within his own party can finally force the president to at least moderate the radical and unpopular immigration policies he pursued since takingoffice.

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RFK, Jr. Ignites the Question: Is There Still a Democratic ... - Federation for American Immigration Reform

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Rishi Sunak will urge world leaders to tackle illegal migration as he embarks on a round of international diplomacy this week.

Days after the Archbishop of Canterbury condemned his plan to deport anyone who arrives on a small boat across the Channel to Rwanda, the prime minister will use meetings at the Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik to discuss the importance of strengthening the blocs borders, Downing Street has announced.

He will stress collective efforts are necessary to tackle illegal migration as well as the threat posed by Russia in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

Many of the challenges we are dealing with, from inflation to migration, must be solved by working closely with our international partners, he said.

The visit will come days before Mr Sunak heads to Japan for a bilateral meeting in Tokyo and a G7 gathering in Hiroshima.

Mr Sunaks appeal for international cooperation on illegal migration comes as he faces increasing pressure domestically over his attempts to stop people coming to the UK on small boats.

Senior figures, including Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and the former head of the British army Lord Dannatt, have backed The Independents campaign against the threatened deportation to Rwanda of an Afghan war veteran who arrived in the UK on a small boat.

The pilot, who worked alongside British Forces in Afghanistan, has said he was forced to flee in this way because there were no other safe and legal routes to come here.

Earlier this week, Archbishop Welby denounced Mr Sunaks plan to tackle illegal immigration, which would see even children and victims of modern slavery deported to Rwanda if they arrive here illegally, as morally unacceptable and politically impractical.

His comments came as the House of Lords began debating the governments small boats bill, as ministers expect to face a battle to prevent peers from trying to water down key measures of the plan.

Economic growth is also set to feature in the prime ministers discussions at the summit, as he promised to drive global action on our most pressing priorities.

His next stop will be Tokyo, where he is expected to announce a new UK-Japan collaboration on defence and technology.

Mr Sunak said: Many of the challenges we are dealing with, from inflation to migration, must be solved by working closely with our international partners.

I look forward to visiting Japan, a vital economic and defence partner for the UK in the Indo-Pacific.

This years G7 Summit in Hiroshima comes at a pivotal moment, as Ukraine doubles down in its fight for survival and we deal with complex threats to global peace and prosperity.

Mr Sunak will become the first British prime minister to visit Hiroshima when he attends the G7 summit, where is he also expected to hold a number of bilateral meetings with other world leaders.

The trip to Japan comes months after Mr Sunak hosted Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida in London in January, when the two countries signed a significant defence agreement.

The rest is here:
Sunak to press EU leaders on migration after small boats bill backlash - The Independent

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Immigration data obtained by 13 Investigates reveals the number of undocumented immigrants with ties to criminal activity is dropping exponentially in Colorado. The drastic drop comes as the number of illegal crossings at the U.S. southern border has risen by more than 80 percent since 2020.

According to numbers from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), over 2.3 million undocumented immigrants crossed the U.S. southern border illegally in 2022. In that same period, the number of undocumented immigrants arrested in Colorado and Wyoming, the enforcement region of ICE in Denver, dropped by 75 percent.

It's important to note numerous studies have found there is no link between undocumented immigrants and increased crimes.

In 2022,Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agentsarrested 430 suspected undocumented immigrants who've been convicted or are currently being prosecuted for crimes in Colorado and Wyoming. That number includes 45 suspected gang members, according to ICE.

However, the overall numbers show a steep decline in these federal arrests compared to previous years. In 2019, Colorado ICE agents arrested 2,408 undocumented immigrants, and it dipped again in 2020 with 1,433 illegal immigrants arrested with direct ties to crime in Colorado.

In early February, 13 Investigates witnessed a federal immigration arrest in El Paso County. ICE agents confronted Ruben Niz-Hernandez, 34, as he was on his way to work. According to ICE, Niz-Hernandez, a Guatemalan national, was previously deported three times in 2008, 2010,and 2011 before entering the United States illegally without detection.

ICE said he was previously convicted of aggravated incest on a child in 2021 in El Paso County. He received a sentence of 20 years to life on Colorado's Sex Offender Intensive Supervision Program. Niz-Hernandez was also convicted of DUI on Sept. 16, 2021, and was sentenced to two years of probation.

However, on the morning of his apprehension, ICE told 13 Investigates the need to place him under their custody was urgent because they had evidence he was still living with the victim he was convicted of sexually assaulting.

"He'll be taken to an immigration office and processed," ICE Deputy Field Office Director, Robert Cultrip said. "They'll explain what his rights are. They will also provide him information for pro-bono legal services, consular notification information, allow him to contact his family, things of that nature."

Without his prior criminal history, Cultrip said Niz-Hernandez would not be eligible for federal criminal prosecution for solely entering the United States illegally. Due to this, a federal immigration judge ordered him removed on March 29, 2023. ICE said he has since been removed from Mexico.

13 Investigates uncovered that The El Paso County Sheriff's Office arrested three undocumented immigrants, Ector Sarabia-Cabrera, Isidrio Sarabia-Gonzalez, and Braulio Barron-Rubio on murder charges. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by13 Investigates, the three men and a woman - identified as Yessica Cortes-Barcenas - took Manuel Hernandez-Uribe from his home at gunpoint. They're accused of driving him to Cheyenne Mountain, shooting him, killing him, and then dumping his body along Old Stage Rd. in unincorporated El Paso County in June of 2022.

Federal immigration sources told13 Investigatesthe three male suspects entered the U.S. without detection from immigration authorities sometime in the last 20 years.

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Ector Sarabia-Cabrera entered the U.S. without inspection by an immigration official on an unknown date. His criminal history includes a conviction in Arapahoe County, Colorado, in March 2022 for marijuana cultivation.

He was also convictedin January 2022, in Denver County for possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute as well as vehicle theft. A warrant for his arrest was issued from Denver County for failure to comply with the terms of his probation stemming from a conviction on drug charges.

On Jan. 19, 2016, ICE reports Isidrio Sarabia-Gonzalez entered the U.S. through Sasabe, Arizona, wherehe was apprehended. Sarabia-Gonzalez was given an Expedited Removal and ultimately removed through Nogales, Arizona, the same day.

However, he returned without inspection by an immigration official on an unknown date. On Jan. 3, 2020, he was back in Colorado at the Arapahoe County Jail where he was held for various misdemeanor charges that are still pending.

According to ICE, Barron-Rubio was arrested on Sept. 20, 2006, at then-Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora during an enforcement action looking at several companies contracted to provide construction labor. He admitted to enteringthe U.S. on Oct. 8, 2006, by wading across the Rio Grande River, about five miles west of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso, Texas.He was granted a voluntary return to Mexico and left that day.

On Oct. 11, 2006, he reentered the U.S. and was found in anSUV taking suspected undocumented non-citizens near the Fabens (Texas) Port of Entry. He was granted another voluntary return to Mexico.

On Aug. 4, 2022, he was arrested in Jefferson County on misdemeanor charges and contempt of court. He was arrested again on Oct. 13, 2022, for vehicle theft in Denver County.

If convicted on their current murder charges, these three men would join the 528 undocumented immigrants already serving time in Colorado prisons.

13 investigates learnedICE has filed federal deportation arrest papers for all three men, meaning once they go through the court system here, an immigration judge may remove them from the country.

"In our enforcement activity, our immigration officers focus on the most egregious threats to public safety and national security," Kelei Walker, Deputy Field Office Director for ICE in Denver, said.

Despite arguments to the contrary, the National Institute of Justice found there is no link between undocumented immigration in the U.S. and increases in crime rates.

In a report created in June 2021, the NIJ stated the following:

"The relationship between immigration and crime has been the subject of much debate and great concern for public officials. Although there are arguments that stringent immigration enforcement policies are needed to combat increased risk of crime by undocumented immigrants, recent research suggests that those who immigrate (legally or illegally) are not more likely, and may even be less likely to commit crime in the US."

Several Colorado lawmakers echo the NIJ's findings.

However, not everyone believes those findings.

Take Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell. He's the only sheriff in Colorado to have an agreement with ICE that allows him to hold undocumented immigrants in the Teller County Jail at the request of immigration agents. He blames state law for allegedly keeping criminals on the streets.

"You as taxpayers have to pay even moreforthese people that shouldn't be here in the first place committing crimes and why do we want these people that come here to commit crimes, still committing crimes," Mikesell questioned when he sat down exclusively with 13 Investigates. "It doesn't make sense that taxpayers have to bear that burden."

Mikesell believes the substantial drop in undocumented immigrants with ties to criminal activity being arrested in Colorado is because of a 2019 Colorado law "Protect Colorado Residents From Federal Government Overreach."

That law prevents local law enforcement from placing people in their county jails on 48 holds at the request of federal immigration authorities. Mikesell said it also prohibits local law enforcement from alerting ICE when an undocumented immigrant, accused of a crime, enters any county jail in the state.

"They were attempting to stop any involvement ICE had with local agencies," Mikesell said. "They were really trying to prevent my agreement with ICE, a 287(G) agreement, from existing."

13 Investigatesspoke with Adrienne Benavidez, a former House member from Denver. She was a prime sponsor of the legislation.

"If you've been arrested and you're being held on some charge and you're in custody of the sheriff's office in jail, you're not being held on immigration matters under an arrest," Rep. Benavidez said. "The requests that were coming from ICE, werejust simply requests. They were not signed by a judge or anyone else. That was a real distinction. We don't do this for civil law, and that's not our role."

Before the law, the 48-hour holds, or "ICE holds," were used when an undocumented immigrant could bond out of jail on state charges or be released once they served their time or their case was dismissed.

This allowed ICE to detain undocumented immigrants and place them in the custody of the federal government and house them in ICE facilities until appearing before an immigration judge.

Mikesell's agreement with ICE could be squashed by a 2023 House bill that is currently awaiting Governor Jared Polis' signature.

That bill, HB23-1100, aims to ban ICE facilities and forbids sheriffs from using their jail for immigration arrests.

"We are hearing left and right that our local law enforcement doesn't have enough resources to provide the local law enforcement services that our communities deserve," State Rep. Lorena Garcia said. "Local law enforcement, state law enforcement should be focused on local and state law enforcement and not on federal policy."

Sheriff Mikesell is vehemently against this bill becoming law. He expressed countless reasons why this legislation is bad for Colorado, claiming it further handcuffs ICE from doing their jobs.

"The thing for ICE is that they're working hard to do it, but now it's going to be twice as much time to try to find these offenders because nobody's going to work with them, so you're releasing criminals back into the population too," Mikesell said.

Governor Polis's Office would not tell 13 Investigates if he planned to sign this bill into law. A spokesperson said they are still reviewing the bill in its "final form."

Nonetheless, Mikesell said he will continue to hold undocumented immigrants who wish to commit crimes in Teller County "accountable for their actions."

"So don't come in this county and think you're going to commit crime, get away with it, and walk away with it just on state charges," Mikesell said.

Do you have a tip you want 13 investigates to look into? Email us at 13investigates@krdo.com

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ICE agents arresting far fewer undocumented immigrants with ... - KRDO

EL PASO, Texas As changing policies, rampant misinformation and exasperated, fearful crowds converge in this desert city, faith leaders are striving to provide shelter and uplift.

Along with prayers, they are counseling migrants about the daunting challenges that await them on U.S. soil, with enormous backlogs in asylum hearings and the Biden administrations newly announced measures that many consider stricter than the existing ones known asTitle 42.

During Thursday morning Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, a few blocks from the border with Mexico, the Rev. Daniel Mora prayed for goodwill in welcoming the crowds of migrants expected to arrive in the city and at the churchs gym-turned-shelter whenpandemic-era restrictions on asylum-seeking liftedovernight.

May the asylum promises of this country be renewed, Mora noted in the Mass intentions. In an office next to the historic sanctuary, one of his fellow Jesuits prepared to visit a shelter at a different El Paso parish to counsel migrants who already had crossed illegally and were detained.

One knows that that this is but one part, that were halfway on our way, said Tatiana Gamez, a Colombian mother who was released by immigration authorities to a small shelter run by the Catholic parish of St. Francis Xavier, just across from one of El Pasos three international bridges.

We dont know whats going to happen with asylum. But already to be here safe, its a relief, she added. She had been listening intently to one of the several daily legal talks that the Rev. Mike Gallagher, whos also an attorney with Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, gives newly released migrants.

Gamez and more than half a dozen family members, including a pregnant niece and the nieces 2-year-old daughter, decided to flee Colombia after being threatened over a piece of land they owned there.

They crossed illegally through a hole in the concertina wire that Texas National Guard soldiers laid out for 17 miles along the dusty Rio Grande riverbanks to prevent mass crossings whenTitle 42 was originally expected to be liftedin December.

We wanted to do things well, Gamez added in tears. But they saw more than 1,000 migrants lined up under the merciless sun and strong winds for a chance to be let in by U.S. officials, as has been happening for months.

Hearing that some migrants had slept out there for days under the constant threat of being kidnapped for ransom by Mexican cartels, and fearing a wave of rapid deportations starting Friday, they decided to slip through the hole and spent six days in detention before being released to the shelter.

Faith leaders said one reason for the big surge of migrants earlier this week was the widespread belief that the end of Title 42 restrictions would usher in more deportations of illegal migrants, who will now face a potential five-year ban from coming back to the U.S.

Trying to get in is their main priority, said Maria Sajquim de Torres, the domestic program director for Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, which also provides counselors in shelters so that migrants can begin to processthe traumas from rape to extortion most faced en route.

More than 1,000 migrants gathered outside the Sacred Heart shelter alone earlier this week. Authorities closed off the street in front of it last Sunday, fearing another deadly incident like the one wheremigrants were run over in Brownsville, Texas, Mora said.

Just a few milled about on Thursday, and the shelter whose maximum capacity is 140 and often has to turn away everyone except women with small children only hosted 89 migrants the previous night, Gallagher said.

He visits multiple shelters to explain to migrants who have been apprehended for crossing illegally the conditions of their release including the notice to appear in front of migration authorities and later before a judge to make their asylum case.

Some migrants have dates scheduled within a month of arrival in the cities where theyre hoping to go. Others have court appearances not scheduled until 2026 or beyond, since the asylum system is straining under historic backlogs.

Wearing a rosary like a necklace, Juaniela Castillo, a Venezuelan, listened intently as Gallagher deciphered her court date in June 2025 in Orlando, Florida, where she hopes to reach a family member.

She will need to find legal help to file an asylum application well before then within a year or shell lose this temporary relief shes been granted from deportation, Gallagher told her.

With her three children, ages 8, 7 and 3, she traveled through the notoriously dangerous Darien jungle in Panama. After two months on the road, she also passed through a gap in the wall near El Paso and was detained for six days before being released to the St. Francis Xavier shelter.

I still dont believe it, she said as her children smiled at the pigeons cooing in the shelters small, shaded patio. I never lost the faith, never, but one is like adrift, dependent on God.

In a hall set up with cots and tables, Susie Roman, a volunteer at shelter, said she noticed how confused migrants have been by changing policies, and feared the consequences of the latest switch.

Im scared theyre all going to be out there, and we cant help them, she said.

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El Paso pastors provide migrants with shelter and counsel - Spectrum News

Border Patrol agents, equipped with sophisticated technology, attempt to apprehend migrants illegally crossing into the United States. But securing the border has become more difficult as agents are taken off the line to process unprecedented numbers of illegal migrants turning themselves in, instead of preventing smuggling, drug and human trafficking, and identifying national security threats. The end of Title 42 will push the numbers of migrants and got-aways even higher.

Todd Bensman, the Centers senior national security fellow, joins agents in New Mexico for a nighttime search for illegal migrants and warns of the got-away trends. Got-aways are unlawful border-crossers who are directly or indirectly observed making an unlawful entry into the United States, but who are not apprehended. Since the inauguration of President Biden, more than 1.5 million illegal migrants have been detected entering the country illegally, but have successfully evaded agents. And the monthly numbers continue to grow.

This population has a reason for not turning themselves in to Border Patrol it includes criminals, ineligible prior deportees, contraband smugglers, or people from terror-harboring nations who would naturally want to evade Border Patrol.

This creates public safety and national security concerns; these concerns were a key part of yesterdays debate in the U.S. House of Representatives and contributed to the passage of the Secure Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2).

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VIDEO: An Overwhelmed Border Patrol Is Missing an Epidemic of ... - Immigration Blog