Inspector finds Customs and Border Protection failed to plan for CBP One app
A new report from the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General (IG) found Customs and Border Protection (CBP) did not properly plan to use the CBP One app for immigrant parole applications. The inspector general found CBP not only failed to make sure the app was ready but also neglected to implement improvements that could have better identified fraud.
In January 2023, CBP started allowing noncitizens to use the app to apply, submit biographic information and schedule appointments for President Biden’s immigrant parole program. Customs officers could use the information to vet the immigrants before they arrived and flag national security concerns.
The inspector general stated CBP “did not formally assess and mitigate the technological risks involved with expanding the application to allow undocumented noncitizens (noncitizens) to schedule appointments to present themselves for processing at Southwest Border Ports of Entry.”
First, CBP did not ensure the app’s “Genuine Presence functionality” was properly designed for the expansion. That is an anti-fraud security measure that requires applicants to submit a picture of themselves to ensure they are a real person. CBP also failed to implement adequate infrastructure for the app to support the increase in traffic. Both of those issues led to crashes and error messages.
CBP ran tests and discovered the app would slow down at 360,000 transactions per hour and experience major issues at 480,000 transactions per hour. At 9 a.m. the day the app was first introduced for applications, 450,000 users were already on it. That led to many users getting error messages. CBP increased the bandwidth in January and March to help solve the problem.
In addition, CBP did not provide proper language translations and “equity of appointment distribution,” which, according to the report, created language barriers and caused some applicants to not receive an equal opportunity to get an appointment.
The report also found that CBP failed to use the information submitted by immigrants to identify suspicious trends. For instance, the inspector general’s office discovered 208,996 noncitizens who used the same address as another applicant despite appearing to be unrelated.
But according to the report, CBP never communicated much of that data to ports of entry to consider for the applicant’s eligibility. In one example, 358 people used the same single-family home as their address.
“CBP does not have a mechanism to routinely analyze CBP One™ advance information for suspicious trends across the eight Southwest Border POEs as part of its pre-arrival vetting procedures,” the report said.
The inspector general’s office said it made three recommendations to fix these issues and CBP is currently working to get them done.
Abbott vows buses will keep rolling in face of fewer border crossings
On Wednesday, July 18, at the Republican National Convention, Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, made a vow to keep buses transporting migrants to Democratic cities “rolling.” However, the buses have not been rolling into other cities consistently because the flow of migrants at the U.S. southern border has fallen dramatically, according to a report on Wednesday, Aug. 14.
Migrant crossings went from a record-high of around 300,000 in December to around 84,000 in June — the lowest month total under President Joe Biden since he took office in 2021. Smaller numbers of migrants crossing the border mean that fewer buses are needed to transport them out of the state of Texas under Abbott’s busing program.
Some cities report that they have not seen a single bus from the Lonestar State since January. Meanwhile, Chicago, the city where the Democratic National Convention (DNC) is set to take place, said that it had a bus from Texas arrive in a Chicago Suburb in June. However, city officials said that a migrant bus has not stopped within the city since Christmas.
Meanwhile, the White House credits the drop in illegal border crossings to its enhanced security measures at the border. In June, President Biden issued an executive order that limited asylum until illegal crossings dropped below a certain threshold.
Abbott’s office admitted that there are fewer buses rolling out of Texas. However, a spokesperson for the governor attributes the fall in numbers to the Abbott’s border security efforts, particularly, Operation Lone Star.
The spokesperson attributed the governor’s actions to have led to “a decrease in illegal crossing by 85%.”
Operation Lone Star is an $11 billion initiative and has faced legal challenges. For instance, the United States Supreme Court allowed the Biden administration to cut and remove state-installed razor wire along the Rio Grande in January.
Furthermore, immigration advocates claim that the operation falsely conflates immigration with serious crimes. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas said that most arrests involving migrants include minor offenses and few have led to drugs or weapons charges.
Violent Venezuelan gang is here, now US law enforcement says it’s spreading
United States law enforcement is becoming increasingly concerned about the violent Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua (TDA). Members of TDA have established operations in major cities across the United States as reported on Sunday, Aug. 4.
Federal authorities believe that members of the gang are hiding among thousands of Venezuelans fleeing the regime of Nicolas Maduro amid ongoing unrest in the country.
Federal law enforcement warned the Denver Police Department about an enhanced threat from the criminal organization. The warning from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security came after the agency was tipped off that Tren de Aragua had given the “green light” for its members to attack Denver Police officers. The Denver Police Department said it is taking the warning seriously in regard to any interactions its members’ may have with the gang.
In July, the U.S. government designated Tren de Aragua as a “transnational criminal organization.” The designation frees up resources for law enforcement to stop the spread of the gang in the U.S. This makes it easier to freeze assets and restrict travel for suspected gang members.
The U.S. State and Justice Departments are also offering millions of dollars in combined rewards for information leading to the arrest of top TDA leaders.
As federal authorities look to take down the gang, the TDA’s threat appears to be growing. The Daily Mail exclusively reported that the gang has moved its headquarters from South America to the Mexican side of the U.S. southern border, which is near the outskirts of El Paso.
El Paso officials told the Daily Mail that they fear gang violence will spillover into the city as a result. Meanwhile, Rep. Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, who represents El Paso, called Tren de Aragua the “epitome of evil.” According to the Daily Mail, border agents are on high alert and have been warned to check migrants for tattoos associated with TDA.
Tren de Aragua became infamous after taking over and then operating out of a South American prison. The criminal organization is linked to murders, sex trafficking, kidnappings and extortion.
DHS pauses migrant flights from Central America after fraud claims
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) paused President Joe Biden’s migrant flight program after a report found sponsors were being improperly vetted. The program allowed 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to come into the United States with the support of a financial sponsor. Those allowed in could live and work here for two years.
DHS announced application approvals are temporarily paused for a couple reasons.
The organization Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR, obtained an internal investigation that found U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services identified thousands of applications with fraudulent information.
The investigation found false Social Security numbers, phone numbers and addresses on the I-34A forms filled out by sponsors. It was discovered that 100 addresses were used on 19,000 forms. Those addresses included warehouses, storage units and a mobile park home.
Investigators also found applications using the same exact answers to questions. One copied answer was used more than 10,000 times.
“Not only has the administration made a mockery of the law, DHS’s internal investigation proves that USCIS ignored blatant fraud and confirmed applications despite fictitious information,” FAIR President Dan Stein said in a statement.
DHS said there were no problems with vettingmigrants, just sponsors.
DHS told The Associated Press in a statement that the beneficiaries “are thoroughly screened and vetted prior to their arrival to the United States.” The department also said it would “restart application processing as quickly as possible, with appropriate safeguards.”
Since the program was fully introduced in January 2023, approximately 494,000 people have been let into the country.
Chicago prepares for Texas to send thousands of migrants ahead of DNC
Chicago city officials are bracing for the possibility of thousands of migrants being bused to their city before the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in August. In the last two years, officials estimate 45,000 migrants have either been bused or flown to Chicago, courtesy of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R.
At the Republican National Convention (RNC), Abbott said he will continue sending migrants that cross the U.S. southern border to sanctuary cities.
“When Joe Biden and Kamala Harris refused to even come to Texas and to see the border crisis that they created, I took the border to them,” Abbott said during his RNC speech. “I’ve been busing illegal immigrants to Washington, D.C., and we’ve continued busing migrants to sanctuary cities across the entire country, and those buses will continue to roll until we finally secure our border.”
Chicago’s deputy mayor for immigration, Beatriz Ponce de León, told Axios that the city is bracing for another 20,000-25,000 migrants to arrive before the DNC. The convention is taking place at the United Center from Aug. 19-22.
Recently, there’s been a slowdown of migrant crossings at the U.S. southern border because of President Joe Biden’s executive order, which was signed in June. The order limits the number of migrants who can cross the border and claim asylum. It is currently tied up in the courts and a judge could strike it down, meaning the country could go back to seeing thousands of migrants crossing the border each day.
Ponce de León said she’s not sure how many migrants Abbott would be able to drop off in Chicago but said the city is keeping 5,000 beds open and available in case the number surges. Ponce de León said city leaders are prepared and have a plan in place.
Chicago officials said there are less than 6,000 migrants currently staying in city-run shelters. At the height of migrant busing, Chicago had about 15,000 migrants in 28 shelters across the city. Migrants complained about the facilities overcrowding, unsanitary conditions and a lack of food. There was also a measles outbreak that infected more than 50 migrants staying at Chicago’s Pilsen shelter earlier in 2024.
Migrant deportations increased in 2024 after immigration becomes top issue
In the last two months, the United States increased its deportations of migrants in the country illegally. The move marks an uptick in enforcement actions under the Biden administration months before the November election. Immigration emerged as a top concern for voters earlier this year.
According to recent figures released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), officials removed a total of 742,000 migrants from the U.S. since July 2023. This marks an increase from the 142,000 individuals deported in fiscal year 2023. Despite the notable rise in deportations, this number represents only a fraction of the more than 2.3 million migrant encounters reported at the southwest border over the same period.
Since assuming office, President Biden oversaw the removal of over 1 million migrants, a response to persistent challenges posed by illegal border crossings. On average, approximately 2 million people crossed the border illegally each year since Biden took office.
In an effort to address the situation, the Biden administration recently took executive action aimed at ramping up deportation efforts. There have been 120 flights to 20 countries across South and Central America. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted its first deportation flight of Chinese nationals back to China earlier this month.
Since Biden’s executive order, arrests at the border declined. ICE detained 83,000 migrants last month, down from 118,000 in May and significantly lower than December’s peak of 250,000 arrests. The San Diego Border Patrol sector emerged as the busiest by number of arrests, reflecting a broader trend that saw the area become the primary hotspot for illegal crossings for the first time in two decades earlier this year.
However, the increased enforcement activities have not been without challenges. Reports indicate that holding facilities, particularly in San Diego, are straining at 150% capacity.
Capacity issues prompted the Biden administration to transfer hundreds of migrants by plane from California to Texas to alleviate overcrowding, according to the New York Post.
Panama installs barbed wire at Darién Gap amid migrant surge
Panama installed barbed wire along the Darién Gap to strengthen border security amid a surge of migrants heading to the U.S. The move follows an agreement with the U.S. to manage migration through the jungle corridor. Newly inaugurated President José Raúl Mulino is committed to closing this major pathway for migrants.
Despite the new barriers, many migrants continued on the journey. Recent videos and reports from smugglers indicate that traditional routes are still being used, with migrants finding ways to bypass the barriers, including crawling through tunnels under the fences.
The Panamanian government maintained one official crossing point where migrants must show identification. The Ministry of Public Security, which oversees the barriers, stated that these measures are part of a broader effort to manage migration flows and combat organized crime.
Los alambres de púas en la selva somo traerán ahogados en el mar.
La migración se frena quitando bloqueos económicos y mejorando la economía del sur https://t.co/1EFya16cn0
Critics, including Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, argue that the new measures do not address the root causes of migration, like economic challenges. Petro warned that the barriers might lead migrants to take even more dangerous routes, increasing the risk of injury or death. He emphasized that true solutions require removing economic blockades and improving the economies of southern nations.
According to Panama’s latest figures, more than 174,000 migrants crossed the Darién Gap in the first six months of 2024.
Trump reference to ‘Black jobs’ sparks new debate about immigration
In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, a notable trend has emerged among minority voters, which have traditionally been a stronghold for Democratic candidates. Recent polls show a departure from historical voting patterns, with a significant portion of Black and Hispanic voters expressing support for former President Donald Trump.
According to a recent New York Times poll, while 59% of Black voters are reportedly backing President Joe Biden, the remaining 30% have thrown their support behind Trump. This represents a stark increase from Trump’s 5% support among Black voters in similar polling conducted ahead of the 2020 election. The former president highlighted this shift during the debate on Thursday, June 27.
However, Trump’s comments during the debate have stirred controversy, particularly those that linked immigration to job competition among minority communities. His statement suggesting that immigrants are taking jobs traditionally held by Black and Hispanic Americans drew criticism from civil rights organizations and lawmakers alike.
The NAACP quickly responded, questioning the notion of “Black and Hispanic jobs,” emphasizing that job opportunities should be accessible to all American regardless of race or ethnicity.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., also voiced confusion over Trump’s debate remarks, calling for clarity on what he meant to convey.
The debate over the impact of immigration on minority employment has been extensively studied. Advocates from the Center for Immigration Studies argue that illegal immigration can negatively affect U.S.-born workers, particularly those with lower levels of education who are often employed in service and construction sectors. Conversely, research from the Immigration Policy Center suggests that Latino immigration contributes positively to local economies by bolstering population and tax bases, potentially offsetting job losses in some sectors.
In urban centers like Chicago, where immigration policies have become a focal point, opinions among Black residents vary widely. While some express concerns over the allocation of resources to immigrant populations, others argue that such policies can benefit local economies and community vitality.
As the 2024 election approaches, both major political parties are keenly aware of the pivotal role minority voters will play. Efforts to court these voters are expected to ramp up on the campaign trail, reflecting the growing influence of Black and Hispanic voters in shaping electoral outcomes.
Biden administration plans $1 billion weapons deal with Israel
The U.S. is preparing to send $1 billion in new weapons to Israel. And there are new details about the deadly crash in Florida that killed eight migrant farmworkers. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
Biden administration plans $1 billion weapons deal with Israel
The Biden administration intends to send over $1 billion in new weapons to Israel, notifying Congress committees of the planned deal on Tuesday, May 14. This decision follows last week’s announcement that the administration paused a shipment of bombs to Israel due to concerns about a major operation in the Gaza border city of Rafah.
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U.S. officials indicated that the proposed package includes approximately $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million for tactical vehicles and $60 million for mortar rounds.
While the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committees have been alerted about this potential arms transfer, Congress still awaits official notification.
Despite the pause in sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, the administration emphasizes its commitment to supporting Israel’s right to defend itself against threats in the region. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan conveyed this message during a press briefing on Monday, May 13.
“The United States has sent a massive amount of military assistance to Israel to defend itself against all threats, including Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran and its other proxies,” Sullivan said. “We are continuing to send military assistance, and we will ensure that Israel receives the full amount provided in the supplemental. We have paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs because we do not believe they should be dropped in densely populated cities. We are talking to the Israeli government about this.”
Sullivan added that the president’s commitment to Israel is ironclad, noting that “ironclad” doesn’t imply an absence of disagreements.
Trump’s legal team begins cross-examination of Michael Cohen
Former President Donald Trump’s legal team began its cross-examination of Michael Cohen during day 17 of the former president’s criminal trial in New York on Tuesday. The defense suggested that Cohen has profited from Trump’s name after releasing two books, earning him at least $3.4 million.
Trump’s one-time lawyer was asked if he was “obsessed” with the former president. Cohen responded, “I don’t know that I would characterize it as obsessed. I admired him tremendously.”
“At the time, I was knee-deep into the cult of Donald Trump,” he replied.
Trump’s lawyer asked Cohen if he wants to see Trump convicted in this case. Cohen answered, “Sure.”
Prosecutors have indicated that Cohen is their last witness as they seek to prove that Trump falsified business records. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Trump’s legal team plans to conclude the cross-examination on Thursday when the trial resumes.
TikTok users sue federal government over law that could ban app
The eight users, collectively boasting millions of followers, argue that the law signed by President Biden violates their First Amendment rights. They contend that it stifles a communication medium integral to American life, hindering their content creation and viewing experiences.
TikTok and parent company ByteDance have also submitted their own petition, claiming that the law infringes on First Amendment rights.
Part of a foreign aid package, the law mandates that ByteDance divest its TikTok stake within 270 days. Noncompliance would sever TikTok’s access to mobile app stores and web-hosting providers, impacting its estimated 170 million U.S. users.
National security concerns and Chinese government influence prompted this legislation.
Driver charged in DUI crash that killed 8 migrant farmworkers
Approximately 40 others sustained injuries, with eight individuals listed in critical condition. Howard himself was also injured in the collision.
The workers were reportedly from Mexico and held permits to work in Florida. The bus was enroute to a watermelon farm in the area.
Boeing faces potential prosecution over 737 Max crashes
The U.S. Justice Department has found that Boeing violated a settlement that allowed the company to avoid criminal prosecution following two deadly crashes involving its 737 MAX aircraft in 2018 and 2019.
Boeing failed to implement changes to prevent violations of federal anti-fraud laws, a condition of the 2021 settlement. This determination means that Boeing could face prosecution for any federal criminal violation known to the United States, including the fraud charge it sought to avoid through the $2.5 billion settlement in 2021.
Miniature poodle wins Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
There’s a new top dog in town as a miniature poodle took home Best in Show at the 148th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York on Tuesday, May 14. Sage emerged victorious, surpassing a field of over 2,500 dogs. The competition narrowed down to seven group champions vying for the coveted title.
This marks the 11th time that a poodle has claimed the top prize. Notably, in 2002, another Miniature Poodle named Spice — Sage’s great-grandmother — also secured the Best in Show honor.
San Diego official warns city is ‘new epicenter’ of immigration crisis
A San Diego city official has labeled the city as the “new epicenter” for the border crisis, citing a surge in illegal crossings and migrants’ arrivals by boat. San Diego District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond criticized California’s policies, saying that the states actions have contributed to the crisis.
San Diego is the new epicenter for migrants and illegal immigration.
Yesterday alone, Border Patrol apprehended 2,000 illegal border crossers within the San Diego sector, including 206 Chinese nationals. This surge in illegal crossings has propelled San Diego to the unfortunate…
“San Diego is the new epicenter for migrants and illegal immigration,” Desmond said on X, formerly Twitter.
He highlighted a significant increase in illegal crossings, causing San Diego to lead all nine southern border sectors in April — a situation reportedly not seen since the 1990s.
According to Desmond, San Diego Border Patrol agents apprehended 2,000 people illegally crossing the border on Wednesday, April 24, including 206 Chinese nationals. Since October, Desmond said Border Patrol told him that there have been 214,855 apprehensions from 75 different countries.
The supervisor expressed concerns over migrants arriving by boat, contending that there is a lack of a vetting process compared to those who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border on foot.
Desmond criticized California’s policies, stating the state provides health care, legal advice and even funding for attorneys for deported migrants. Additionally, he claimed that local law enforcement is not allowed to enforce immigration law.
The San Diego Border Patrol has yet to confirm Desmond’s statistics or further comment on the matter as of the publishing of this article.