Mediaboss Marketing

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

Nearly four dozen migrants were found dead in an overheated tractor trailer on an industrial road in south San Antonio Monday. Many of them had been sprinkled with steak seasoning in a possible attempt by smugglers to ward off authorities, law enforcement officials said.

The sheer scale and disturbing details, including migrants who apparently tried to escape the suffocating triple-digit temperatures inside the truck by jumping to their deaths along several city blocks, were horrific.

Large numbers of fatalities along the most heavily trafficked northbound path from Mexico and Central America, for decades the route of those seeking the American dream, are not unusual or unprecedented. Still, the staggering amount Monday, more than any in recent memory, stunned law enforcement and migrant advocates alike.

The magnitude may reflect more migrants seeking increasingly dangerous pathways to come here as enforcement policies along the border both by the Biden administration and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have strengthened. Biden has kept in place a pandemic-era regulation from the Trump administration that expels many migrants immediately without asylum hearings.

Immigration officials have recorded a record number of apprehensions at the southwest border under the Biden administration, with most single men and some families sent back to Mexico. People caught crossing repeatedly have also peaked under the administrations policies, which effectively curtail many asylum-seekers.

As the prospect of being able to stay in the U.S. and seek that protection has become more difficult, deaths have risen. At least 650 migrants died crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in 2021, more than in any other year since the International Organization for Migration, a part of the United Nations, began tracking the data in 2014.

The border is more closed down now than almost any time in history, said Allison Norris, a supervising attorney for immigration legal services for the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington. This has led folks to increasingly seek out smugglers and engage in more dangerous ways of getting across the border.

She said most of her clients would prefer to turn themselves into official ports of entry at the border and seek asylum rather than crossing illegally, which is usually much more dangerous and involves risky journeys through thick Texas brush or deserts and ruthless smugglers.

But under the Trump and Biden administrations policies of expelling migrants or keeping them in Mexico to wait for their asylum hearing, that was more difficult, she said.

Before Monday, the worst smuggling-related mass fatality in recent Texas history came in 2003, when 19 people died after being trapped in an unrefrigerated dairy truck for hundreds of miles.

Authorities later estimated that the temperature rose above 170 degrees as the desperate migrants inside tried to claw their way out of the insulated trailer. The Houston-bound truck stopped in Victoria, where the driver unhitched the trailer and drove off.

Seventeen people were found dead in the trailer, and two later died. The driver was ultimately tried on federal charges and sentenced to 34 years in prison.

San Antonio was the scene of another mass tragedy in 2017, when 39 people were found in a truck trailer in a Walmart parking lot. Eight died in the truck, and two later at a hospital. The driver of the vehicle was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

In 1987, 19 men died after being left locked in a boxcar on a railroad siding near Sierra Blanca in far West Texas in what a Border Patrol official at the time called a tragic series of errors and misjudgments.

The men had crossed into the United States near El Paso, and were herded by a smuggler into a heavily insulated boxcar with massive thick floors and walls. The Dallas-bound car sat on a siding for hours as the temperature inside soared.

The men tried to escape, but the floors were too thick, a lone survivor later told authorities.

The use of commercial vehicles to smuggle people into the United States from Mexico, or move undocumented individuals already in the country, is a decades-long problem. There is little evidence the problem has lessened with the enhanced presence of National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers along the Texas-Mexico border this past year as part of Abbotts controversial border security program, Operation Lone Star.

Earlier this month in Corpus Christi, a 24-year-old Mission resident pleaded guilty to federal smuggling charges for trying to transport 73 people in a tractor-trailer. He was arrested at the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias after a search of his vehicle found dozens of people inside from Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Mexico and El Salvador.

Last January, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper found 28 migrants hidden inside a tractor-trailers sleeping cab. The driver has been charged with 28 counts of human smuggling and evading arrest.

DPS through the governors Operation Lone Star efforts has tried to highlight how its efforts are working to stop illegal immigration, even as the number of migrants crossing the border into Texas have surged nearly every month.

On the agencys Facebook site, videos show arrests including one from March in Carrizo Springs, where 76 migrants were discovered inside a commercial truck.

Not all commercial vehicles used are large 18-wheelers. In April 2016, a Michigan man was arrested trying to illegally transport 10 undocumented individuals inside a padlocked Penske rental truck. The defendant told Border Patrol agents that he had picked up the truck in Laredo and was driving it to Corpus Christi. The driver had no key to the trucks rear cargo area and temperatures were already in the 90s. An X-ray of the truck revealed the truck drivers human cargo

In recent years, Mexico has stepped up its own policing of smuggling under pressure from the United States. In 2019, more than 200 migrants were discovered hidden in secret compartments in various trucks by an X-ray scanner used by Mexico border officials.

U.S. transportation officials have long waged a public relations campaign against human smuggling via commercial ground vehicles. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration offers training on how to spot smugglers.

The more than a dozen migrants, including children, who remain hospitalized from Mondays tragedy in San Antonio might qualify for a visa providing legal residency in the United States for migrants who are crime victims or cooperating witnesses, said Norris, the attorney with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington.

But some qualifying migrants could have a harder time tapping this immigration benefit because of Title 42, the pandemic health order the Trump and Biden administrations have used more than 2 million times since March 2020 to immediately expel a majority of recent border crossers, including asylum-seekers.

Taylor Levy, an immigration attorney in California, said its likely that the surviving migrants could be held in federal custody during the investigation and ultimately kicked out of the country.

Unfortunately, we have seen in the past that being victimized by ones smugglers is oftentimes insufficient to protect from being deported, Levy said.

Terri Langford contributed to this report.

Disclosure: Facebook has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Join us at The Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 22-24 in downtown Austin, and hear from 300+ speakers shaping the future of Texas including Joe Straus, Jen Psaki, Joaquin Castro, Mayra Flores and many others. See all speakers announced to date and buy tickets.

Follow this link:
Death is a constant risk for undocumented migrants entering Texas - The Texas Tribune

WASHINGTON Ed Gonzalez, President Bidens nominee to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said on Monday that he was withdrawing from consideration after a long-troubled nomination.

In a letter to the president, Mr. Gonzalez, the sheriff of Harris County, Texas, which includes Houston, and a fierce critic of hard-line policies at the agency he was tapped to lead, said he had withdrawn in the best interest of the nation. He noted that he was nominated 14 months ago, and said he needed to focus his full, undivided attention on his duties as sheriff.

With the bitter political divide over immigration swirling around his nomination, Sheriff Gonzalez had faced a difficult path from the start. But his confirmation process was further weighed down and delayed for months after Senator James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, released a police affidavit that accused Sheriff Gonzalez of domestic abuse of his wife, Melissa.

Both Sheriff Gonzalez and his wife had denied the allegations. The police officer who wrote the affidavit later told a Senate committee in a deposition that corroborating evidence he mentioned in the affidavit did not exist, according to a summary of the committees findings. An aide for the committee added that its investigators could not find any evidence to corroborate the allegations.

The withdrawal was yet another blow both to ICE, which has not had a permanent director since the Obama administration, and to the Biden administration, which has seen immigration become a political liability as it has struggled to contain surges of migrants at the border and replace many of the hard-line policies it inherited. It came on a day that the bodies of at least 46 people believed to be migrants were found dead in and around a tractor-trailer on the outskirts of San Antonio.

Sheriff Gonzalez would have been a great leader of ICE, the White House said in a statement. We thank Sheriff Gonzalez for his willingness to serve in the face of baseless allegations against his family.

The nomination of Sheriff Gonzalez, who had sharply criticized the Trump administrations deportation policies, represented a major departure from the hard-line immigration chiefs who had served under President Donald J. Trump. As sheriff, he had ended a partnership with ICE because, he said, the program encouraged illegal racial profiling.

That repudiation of Mr. Trump, as well as ICE, drew criticism from Senate Republicans. But for Mr. Biden, the nomination had been a step toward fulfilling his promise of more humane immigration policies under his administration.

America has shown the world that its not only possible to survive, but thrive, as a nation that welcomes those seeking a new home and a better life through hard, honest work, Sheriff Gonzalez said during his confirmation hearing last year.

Sheriff Gonzalezs withdrawal was the latest in a series of setbacks for that pledge, for efforts to fill vacant leadership positions at the Homeland Security Department and for Mr. Bidens immigration agenda as a whole. A long-planned attempt to lift a major pandemic-era immigration restriction was blocked by a federal judge last month. Another federal judge on Saturday suspended a Biden administration policy that prioritized the arrest of undocumented immigrants who are considered a threat, rendering millions of people vulnerable to deportation.

Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, has also faced withering criticism by Republican lawmakers as a momentous surge in migration across the southwestern border has overwhelmed immigration agencies. And deportations of Haitian emigrants have spiked even as the Biden administration faces criticism from progressive groups and lawmakers over how it treats Black migrants.

Sheriff Gonzalez said he would now devote his energy to leading his department and addressing the rising crime and overcrowded jails in his county.

I am grateful to President Biden for the honor of nominating me, he said on Twitter on Monday. And I wish this administration well as it strives to overcome the paralyzing political gridlock that threatens far more than our nations border. Frankly, the dysfunction threatens Americas heart and soul.

Read the original:
Ed Gonzalez, Bidens Long-Stalled Nominee to Lead ICE, Withdraws - The New York Times

Dear Editor:

So glad to see the Hudson Reporter is covering the issue of Carepoint hospitals becoming non-profit from for-profit. Most people would be delighted since for-profit hospitals, stabilize patients in emergencies but do not treat them if they lack insurance.

But here are my concerns, during the early 2000s, the New York Times had many letters to the editor from CEOs of non-profit hospitals complaining about treating illegal immigrants and not being reimbursed by the state. Immigrants who lacked insurance used the emergency rooms of hospitals for their typical healthcare. Joe Biden is now placing thousands of people who crossed the borders in places like New York and New Jersey, so are we facing the same problem?

I was absolutely shocked St. Vincent Hospital went belly-up for this reason, that hospital has been around since the Civil War and treated many patients, especially AIDS patients but could not survive the bills piling up due to illegal immigration.

A number of hospitals have also closed in Hudson County while our population continues to grow. I hope this newspaper follows up on this issue. Who pays the bills of immigrants crossing the border and will our hospitals survive if those bills are not paid?

Yvonne Balcer

Read the rest here:
Will hospitals survive? - The Hudson Reporter

Approximately eighteen months ago there was significant public commentary and proposed solutions by the current government and their self-proclaimed sheriff to stopping illegal migration and human trafficking, particularly the infamous sloops.

As I write this article, a press release has been issued stating that an illegal vessel has been intercepted with 137 persons onboard. Ironically, this has become the status quo with this administration, send a release and keep talking tough. Transitioning to present day, the self-proclaimed sheriff seems not to be able to proverbially speaking, shoot straight with an effective strategy or policy.

However, I must make mention of the increase in penalties for human smuggling and other immigration offences amendments was an encouraging approach, with support from the opposition in the House of Parliament, otherwise the current government has not established an effective national strategy to this vexing problem.

As Turks and Caicos Islanders, we all know of the negative externalities of human smuggling and the illegal entry of sloops to our shores, such as gun smuggling, narcotics smuggling and the public health and security risk to our communities nationwide. By extension, the illegal migration tentacles dont stop at our borders. They reach deep into our scarce natural resources, with the development of unsafe housing and squatter villages, which can be a breeding ground for criminality and unsavory behaviors.

This occurs while our very own Turks and Caicos Islander cannot get access to their own land to build the life they desire in their own country. This is one primary reason to act with haste in developing a national strategy with a focus on curbing this trade.

During this government's tenure thus far, the Turks and Caicos Islands has been inundated with illegal sloops breaching our borders. To be more precise, in 2021 there were 15 sloops intercepted, carrying over 1,400 persons and 8 confirmed landings of illegal vessels that were not intercepted with an unknown number of persons that the government is aware of, as shared in public releases and forums.

I commend the law enforcement agencies associated with the interceptions. In 2022, thus far 8 sloops carrying approximately 860 illegal migrants have been intercepted and approximately 9 landed with an unknown number of persons and cargo. More boats landed in this country this year than were intercepted.

To be plain speaking, this is overwhelming on our immigration personnel, marine branch, our tax dollars and a serious threat to our national security. If we do a simple conservative estimated calculation of $250.00 per illegal migrant, excluding detention cost, security and food, the numbers add up. So what will the Sheriff do?

Many would ask what did the previous administration do to combat this national security concern? Well, here is a summary of what they accomplished during their governance as it relates to illegal migration and national security. The question will also be asked, was it enough?

Comparatively they may have a superior case.

Implemented an MOU with The Bahamas to Patrol TCI waters. Allocated financing for additional Coastal Radar Coverage Established the first Permanent Secretary of National Security Office Established the National Security strategy to implement strategy on illegal Migration, Security and Crime Advance Passenger Information Systems New marine police vessels Establishment of the TCI Regiment. (Lets compare and contrast the above with what this current administration has accomplished as it related to illegal migration and national security, roughly halfway through their term); Increased penalties for illegal migration Increased personnel for the Task Force (ongoing) Outside of the above-mentioned accomplishments, that I am aware of, the sheriff has been proverbially shooting blanks to combat illegal migration and human smuggling operations into the Turks and Caicos Islands, and I state this from an open and objective prospective.

In the area of national security, the people of these islands want an effective approach to curbing this illicit trade, not just tough talk, but tough action and transformative ideas. To transform the ways in which we combat the vexing illegal trade, we must give our best and brightest law enforcement minds an opportunity to brainstorm and contribute to this national security threat.

Having worked in the field for over twenty years, I know that the best ideas does not always originate at the top. Speaking of transformation, I will share several suggestions that the sheriff may want to consider.

Procure two cutters to patrol our territorial waters on 24hr basis. This will allow for a return at sea process, heighten our enforcement and patrol capabilities. Construct a modern detention center for migrant processing and detention to improve health, safety, and security of our officers. Establish an immigration court to swiftly deal with immigration matters, persons charged with immigration offences remain in the TCI on bail too long and continue to be a national security threat. Reduce the pull factors by not processing work permit applications for persons who enter the TCI illegally. Cease issuing work permits to persons seeking employment through TC Islanders who themselves dont have gainful employment, introduce a means test process for TC Islanders applying for work permits. Increase radar coverage for the entire Turks and Caicos Islands archipelago. Train and arm the Immigration Task Force to combat the threats they encounter and enhance intelligence gathering capabilities.

Whilst these recommendations may not be a cure all, we must change our current land and sea strategies on this issue. The cost of heightening our national security is worth ever expense, or we can continue with the antiquated methods we are currently using, which we have seen the negative results. The choice is clear; act or be outnumbered in our own country. Therefore, the overarching question is, can the sheriff and his deputies stop the sloops, or not?

Read the original:
What will the Sheriff do about The Sloops? - Turks and Caicos Sun

LARUT: A total of 243,297 illegal immigrants have been repatriated under the recalibration programme which has been extended until the end of this month, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin (pic).

He said that as of Thursday (June 23), 282,561 illegal immigrants had registered for the programme, which allows them to be sent home voluntarily.

"The process will end at the end of this month and as usual, we will take firm action against anyone (undocumented migrants) who refused to take up this offer.

"These migrants comprise those staying here without documents, without valid documents or verification made by the immigration.

"Employers who hire them will also be taken to court,' he told reporters when met at a gathering in Kampung Anak Kurau here on Saturday (June 25).

Hamzah, who is MP for Larut, said undocumented migrants could register to be sent home under the programme or apply to work legally in the country through the Manpower Recalibration Programme.

"Initially, we expected only about 200,000 people but now the number of immigrants who want to go back and those wishing to work again has reached 400,000," he said.

He said the government had received almost RM1bil in levies, including from this programme, so far this year.

Among the conditions for joining the recalibration programme for going home were that the applicants must have valid travel documents approved by their own embassies and possess flight or ferry tickets to return to their home countries.

Meanwhile, Hamzah said controls at the Malaysian-Thai border would be tightened following Thailands move to legalise medical cannabis, which would make the substance more easily available in that country.

"Our recent visit to Turkiye shows that certain aspects of its border controls can be adopted for our country to tighten security," he added. - Bernama

Read more:
More than 200000 illegal immigrants repatriated under recalibration programme - The Star Online