Archive for the ‘Illegal Immigration’ Category

Exclusive, ‘It Was An Invasion’: How Hungary Managed To Erase Illegal Immigration In Just A Few Months – The Daily Caller

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BUDAPEST, Hungary When other countries welcomed refugees with open arms, Hungary decided it was time to eradicate illegal immigration at any cost.

The country succeeded, but that successdamaged relations with the European Union in the process.

Hungarys second border fence has just been completed in the southern town of Asotthalom. The 96-mile long, 14 ft. tall double-line of defense doesnt look too intimidating from a distance. Go a little closer and youll notice several layers of razor-wire capable of delivering electric shocks, cameras, heat sensors and loud speakers ready to tell migrants theyre about to break Hungarian law if they as much as touch the fence.

Add a few hundred military officers and border hunters and its virtually impossible to break.

Close to every police officer in the country is part of a rotation to make sure the grounds are covered at all times.Temporary military bases have been set up by the border to house them while they do their rotation.

More than 1,000volunteers will receive generous salary and benefit packages when they deploy as border hunters after extensive training. The area surrounding the fence is closed off for the public. Visitors need to apply for access in advance andphotos of guards and the Serbian side are strictly prohibited for security purposes.

If a migrant is lucky enough to make it across, local guards patrol the surrounding area around the clock. The ones who are caught are arrested and dropped off on the Serbian side. They dont even get a chance to apply for asylum unless they do so at a transit zone where they are held in housing containers while their cases get processed.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban wantsto make it impossible for uninvited guests to make it across the border, no matter the numbers they arrive in, and it appears as though he has succeeded.

They dont even try, a local border guard tells The Daily Caller News Foundation. We havent had a Syrian in six months.

Rewind back to September 2015 and theresa completely different picture. Thousands of migrants streamed across the border every day as they made their way north to Austria, Germany and Scandinavia.

It was an invasion, Laszlo Toroczkai, the mayor of Asotthalom, told TheDCNF. Illegal immigration is a crime in a normal country. Its not a normal thing to break into a country.

Toroczkaidecided to start a war on illegal immigration. He wanted a fence, and the government agreed.

The real public mood was: hang on this is not good, you should do something, Zoltan Kovacs, a spokesman for the Hungarian government, told TheDCNF. You should at least have the ability to handle whats going on.

While Hungary is far from the final destination for most migrants, its location along the so-called Balkan route made it a natural pit stop for hundreds of thousands of people pursuing a life in western Europe.

By the mid-year it was well beyond 100,000 people who care across us, Kovacs said. In the beginning of September there were days when 10,000 came.

The Orban administration looked at a number of measures beforedeciding on the fence.

The results were staggering. The influxwent down from 6,353 one day to 870 the next.Illegal border crossings were steadily below 40 per day throughout the rest of the month.

Illegal border crossings in Hungary in October, 2015. (Hungarian Police/The Daily Caller News Foundation)

It was not unknown what the most effective way to handle illegal border crossings is. Like it or not, and thats the point we always make, there is no more effective way [to stop] illegal border crossings than building a physical barrier, Kovacs told TheDCNF. You might not like it, its not a nice thing, but the only way to stop illegal border crossings is [to] first build a fence, man it, equip it, and also, in parallel, build up your capabilities in terms of legal confines, legal circumstances to be able to handle what is coming.

Kovacs describes the fence as an act of solidarity toward the rest of the EU. By stopping migrants from entering the country, Hungary argues it keeps immigrants out of the entire 28-nation bloc. The government expected other countries to offer assistance, but the help never came.

Instead weve received only political barrage and charges that we are inhumane and stuff like that, Kovacs said.

The measures have cost around 700 million euros ($763 million), according to Kovacs rough estimates. He believes the bill would have been a lot more if the country didnt take action, as the costs of hosting and deporting migrants quickly add up.

The real price it had to pay was, instead, of a diplomatic nature.

Just before the fence went up in 2015, EU voted in favor of imposing migrant quotas for each member. The idea was to ease the pressure on the frontline states particularly Greece and Italy. Hungary was slated to host 1,294 migrants as part of deal, but the government refused. It instead joined Slovakia to take legal action against the EU.

We would like to retain the elements of sovereignty, which are there by law, and we are against a stealth way of taking away elements of your sovereignty, Kovacs said.

Hungary argues the four freedoms of the EU project the free movement of goods, capital, services and people can only be ensured if the outer borders are protected.

You can not defend the achievements of Schengen from within. It has be done at the borders, Kovacs said.

While the international reaction to Orbans immigration policies has been anything but good, the people of Hungary have shown great support.

Orbanannounced a referendum on the quotas in February 2016, saying he would openly campaign for a no vote. The referendum had no legal implications for the EU, but a successful result for the Orban administration would still send a strong message to liberal allies.

Hungarians almost unanimously backed Orban, with 98.4 percent voting no. The voter turnout of just above 44 percent made the results invalid, but the crushing support for Orbans agenda solidified Hungarys image as a rebel within the EU.

Its common sense, Kovacs said of the results. Many say that what we have [in Hungary] is something like xenophobia, but its certainly not true.

While the government was unable to use the results for legislative action, it continued to impose immigration measures.

The Hungarian parliament passed legislation in March to put all asylum seekers in container housingalong the border, to await legal processing. The move caused outcry among international aidorganizations, with Amnesty International calling it aflagrant violation of international law.

Rounding up all men, women and children seeking asylum and detaining them months on end in container camps is a new low in Hungarys race to the bottom on asylum seekers and refugees,Gauri van Gulik, Amnestys deputy director for Europe, said in a statement.

The government, on the other hand,calls the detention label misleading since the asylum seekers have the option to leave and return to their home countries at any point.

Its misleading, its not detention, most definitely not in respect to the penalty element of it, Kovacs said.

A number of countries are allegedly prepared to issue an ultimatum for Hungary and Poland this fallto either accept more refugees or leave the union.

The feud with the EU has escalated in other areas as well. EU has threatened to file a lawsuit against the country after it moved to regulate foreign-funded universities particularly one established by Hungarian billionaire George Soros.

Despite the tense situation, the Orban administration remains positive toward the European projects original purpose.

We believe that thedestination that the founding fathers have given to the European Union at that time was good, Kovacs said. Now, when you bump into problems and a crisis, you should go back to the founding fathers. Thats what the U.S. usually does and it works.

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Exclusive, 'It Was An Invasion': How Hungary Managed To Erase Illegal Immigration In Just A Few Months - The Daily Caller

LA Immigration Activists’ Illegal Immigrant Mother To Be Deported – Breitbart News

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Following a massive drug raid by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency at an apartment complex, Teresa Vidal-Jaime, an illegal immigrant, was detained and now is facing deportation, according to the L.A. Times.

Vidal-Jaime has been living in the U.S. since 2001 and her husband, Hugo Rueda, was arrested for drug possession by officials in the raid, where Ruedas car allegedly had 33 pounds of cocaine in it, and the couples apartment had $600,000 cash inside, along with an ounce of crystal methamphetamine.

Federal officials believe Rueda is involved with the cross-border U.S.-Mexico drug trade.

Vidal-Jaime is the mother of Los Angeles immigration activist Claudia Rueda, who claims her mother was detained by authorities illegally, despite her mothers illegal immigrant status.

A small open-borders rally was held at the Border Patrol station in San Ysidro near San Diego, with Free Teresa now chants from protesters.

An organizer of the protest told the L.A. Times that not only should Vidal-Jaime not have been detained, but she also claimed federal authorities arrested the woman because her daughter is an activist against immigration enforcement.

We think it is retaliation against her mother for her daughters activism, Marcela Hernandez said.

In a statement to the L.A. Times, Claudia Rueda said authorities should let her mother out of federal custody.

Despite being told she would not be detained as long she cooperated, my mother was apprehended during an illegally conducted raid at my apartment, Rueda said.

I know my mother is innocent, and both [the Sheriffs Department and Border Patrol] know that, which is why they were supposed to let her go, Rueda continued.

Vidal-Jaime is awaiting a deportation hearing before an immigration judge and is expected to be deported.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at@JxhnBinder.

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LA Immigration Activists' Illegal Immigrant Mother To Be Deported - Breitbart News

Trump: ‘Illegal Immigration Down by Unprecedented 73%’ – Breitbart News

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Following his assurance that a wall would be constructed along theMexican border, President Trump spoke over chants of build that wall, saying we have done so well at the border, a lot of people are saying, wow, maybe the president doesnt need the wall. He continued, we need the wall to stop the drugs and human trafficking. We need the wall. In just 100 days, we have taken historic steps to secure our border, imposed needed immigration control like you have never seen before said President Trump.

He continued, [We have] properly screened and vetted those seeking admission into our country. They are going to come in because they love our country. We are not taking them otherwise. We are operating on a very simple principle that our immigration system should put the needs of American workers, American families, American companies, and American citizens first. The crowd cheered as Trump continued, I have appointeda great military general, John Kelly, to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

President Trump then outlined one of his many achievements sincehis election, since my election, we have already achieved an unprecedented 73 percent reduction in illegal crossing on our southern border. The greatest reduction in the history of our country, and we just started. The world is getting the message, if you try to illegally enter the United States, you will be caught, detained, deported, or put in prison, and it will happen.

Trumps comments on the decline in illegal immigration were corroborated by Politifact earlier this month, his statements on the issue receiving a True rating. The website states, Trump said illegal immigration on the U.S.-Mexico border is the lowest in 17 years. Border Patrol data support Trumps claim. In March, Border Patrol recorded 12,193 apprehensions at the Southwest border, the lowest in at least 17 years.

As I campaigned across the nation, said Trump, continuing his speech, I met with the grieving mothers and fathers of children who had been killed, viciously killed, violently killed by illegal immigrants, and I made them a promise. We will protect American lives. Your family member will not have died in vain. The crowd erupted into applause and were quieted by Trump, last week, we opened an office to support the victims of immigration crime called VOICE to make sure that no American victim is ever again ignored. Its not going to happen.

The event has since ended, but a full live stream can be seen below:

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Trump: 'Illegal Immigration Down by Unprecedented 73%' - Breitbart News

Illegal immigrant MS-13 Gang Member Pleads Guilty For Plan To Traffic Cocaine – Breitbart News

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Efrain Yanes-Vasquez, a 35-year-old El Salvadoran national living in the U.S. illegally, pleaded guilty to the RICO conspiracy charges, as well as conspiracy to distribute cocaine after a three-year investigation by federal authorities.

Yanes-Vasquez is a member of MS-13s Eastside Loco Salvatrucha clique in the metro area of Boston. With other members of the gangs Boston clique, Yanes-Vasquez plotted to traffic kilogram-sized quantities of cocaine in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, according to a news release.

Yanes-Vasquez was arrested in September 2016, when federal authorities took him into custody while also finding and seizing a loaded, illegal firearm from the home he was living in at the time.

The illegal immigrant gang member faces no more than 20 years, supervision for three years following his prison sentence and a $250,000 fine for the RICO conspiracy charged. For trafficking cocaine, Yanes-Vasquez could see another 20 years in prison, at the most, three years of supervision and a $1 million fine.

Upon his release from prison, Yanes-Vasquez will be deported by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

The investigation into the MS-13 gangs activities in the Boston area saw an indictment of 62 gang members, including Yanes-Vasquez, and leaders of the crime syndicate.

MS-13 is a violent gang that originated in El Salvador and has since crossed into the U.S. Its members are mostly illegal immigrants who are directed to commit acts of violence, including murder, against rival gang members and associates.

Most recently, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and President Donald Trump have called out the MS-13 gang as an example of years of amassed illegal immigration into the U.S. with lax enforcement efforts.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at@JxhnBinder.

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Illegal immigrant MS-13 Gang Member Pleads Guilty For Plan To Traffic Cocaine - Breitbart News

The other side of the illegal immigration debate – Chicago Tribune

President Donald Trump has decided that America will remain within the NAFTA trade partnership with Canada and Mexico for now, but he wants to renegotiate the terms of the partnership so as to further benefit American trade interests. As we consider trade relations among the NAFTA trade partners, it is appropriate to explore the connection between our trade relations with Mexico and the raging debate about illegal Mexican immigration.

For many years, there has been extensive debate about illegal immigration from Mexico and how American authorities should deal with it. There has also been extensive debate about the economic value and costs that Mexican immigrants here illegally pose to American businesses, labor markets and social institutions.

Yet, there has been little to no public discussion about the economic factors that have led the people of Mexico to flee their homeland to illegally enter the United States in the first place. As the president of the richest nation in the world seeks further trade benefits from its poorest NAFTA trade partner, I would like to better understand why Mexico is in its current economic situation, and what American and Mexican leaders can do about it.

Many Americans have voiced strong opposition to the illegal migration of Mexicans into America, and I bet that many Mexicans, if given the choice, would probably prefer to live, work and prosper in their own country. In this regard, there would be a mutual benefit to both Mexicans and many Americans if we would expand the public discussion from curbing illegal immigration to enacting beneficial policies that allow Mexican citizens to thrive in their homeland and throughout the NAFTA trade region. I dont know the answer to this issue, but I do have the following questions:

1. What kind of trade agreement do we have with Mexico, where thousands of Mexican men, women and children are motivated to risk their lives to illegally enter the United States for low-skilled, low-paying jobs, only to be treated like second-class citizens when they arrive?

2. Why does Mexico, which is the biggest trade partner to the most powerful nation in the world, not have the industrial capacity to employ many of its citizens?

3. What are American and Mexican leaders doing to improve economic conditions in Mexico, so that Mexican people dont feel the need to come to the United States illegally?

4. As the United States continues to espouse the virtues of capitalism and free trade, why are skilled Mexican professionals not allowed to work in their fields in America and throughout the NAFTA trade zone? The public perception is that Mexican immigrants here illegally have little education and few skills. Yet, there are highly trained Mexican professionals doctors, educators, lawyers, etc. who are working in America as low-skilled laborers because there are limited work opportunities in Mexico for professionals to earn decent wages, and because the governing bodies of American and Canadian trade groups, such as the American Medical Association or the American Bar Association, do not have parity agreements with Mexico. As a result, Mexican professionals are unable to legally practice their professions in America or throughout the NAFTA trade zone without redundant training.

Rather than remaining in the doldrums of narrow-minded and protectionist rhetoric, expanding the public policy dialogue on Mexico could lead to trade policies that mutually benefit the United States, while helping Mexico to prosper. At the very least, for those Americans who deride Mexican illegal immigration, Ive heard that a strong Mexican economy and job market is a great way to curb such behavior.

James Harris, Oak Park

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The other side of the illegal immigration debate - Chicago Tribune