As Caravan Nears, Grassley, Lee Call on State, DHS to Explore Asylum Agreement with Mexico
Obama-era DHS memo noted ‘trends in migration’ of potential security threats
WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) called on the Trump Administration to seek an agreement with Mexico to assist in accommodating a steady stream of migrants traveling through Mexico seeking asylum. The senators noted acknowledgements by Obama Administration officials that potential security threats are exploiting immigration vulnerabilities to enter the United States.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the senators urged the Trump Administration to adopt a safe third country agreement with Mexico similar to an existing agreement between the United States and Canada. Safe third country agreements require migrants seeking asylum to make their claim in the first country of arrival rather than passing through to another country. Such an agreement would serve American interests by helping to prevent expanded asylum claim backlogs and promoting national security by further disrupting migration of Special Interest Aliens, whom the Obama Administration noted are seeking entry into the United States.
“We know now that this caravan, as it stands currently, is not entirely comprised of Central American asylum seekers. As then-President Obama’s own Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh Johnson, noted in an agency memorandum, titled Cross-Border Movement of Special Interest Aliens: ‘we must continually evaluate our border and port of entry security posture to ensure our resources are appropriately aligned to address trends in the migration of SIAs,’” the senators wrote.
“For over a decade now, United States sovereignty has been tested and too often disregarded. Under President Trump’s Administration, and due in large part to both of your efforts, the United States is finally in a position to secure our border and reinstitute law and order. We strongly urge you – on the eve of a new Mexican presidential administration – to set the tone for American sovereignty in the twenty-first century. Entering into a safe third country agreement with Mexico would send a message to our partners across Central America that they too must share the burden of unsanctioned mass migration.”
Grassley has previously raised concern about reports that migrants with ties to terrorism or from countries known to be a high risk for anti-American terrorism are joining smuggling rings in Central America in order to enter the United States via the Southern border.
Grassley’s and Lee’s letter to Nielsen and Pompeo follows:
October 23, 2018
The Honorable Kirstjen Nielsen
Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528
The Honorable Mike Pompeo
Secretary
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Secretary Nielsen and Secretary Pompeo:
As over 7,000 Hondurans travel through Mexico toward the United States border, we urge you to execute a safe third country agreement with the Mexican government that requires asylum seekers to make their claims in their first country of arrival. We believe this would be an appropriate next step because such an agreement is rooted in precedent, addresses our national security concerns, and serves the best interests of American citizens.
A safe third country agreement is not unprecedented. In 2002, the United States entered into an agreement with Canada for cooperation in the examination of refugee status claims from nationals of third countries. The 2002 Safe Third Country Agreement with Canada required those seeking refugee status to make their claim in the first country of arrival. Given our shared land borders with both Canada and Mexico, and the decade-long surge of illegal immigration across our southern border, such an agreement is both appropriate and just. Further, there is international precedent. The Dublin Regulation[1] required asylum seekers arriving in the European Union to register their claims in the first country of arrival, and the EU-Turkey 2016 Agreement required Syrian migrants to file their claims in Turkey if they arrived in Greece via the Mediterranean Sea.[2] The United States, which is by far the most generous nation in the world, should also take appropriate steps to legally defend our own sovereignty.
A safe third country agreement with Mexico would also address national security concerns inherent in a large group of unidentified individuals moving unabated toward the United States. We know now that this caravan, as it stands currently, is not entirely comprised of Central American asylum seekers. As then-President Obama’s own Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh Johnson, noted in an agency memorandum, titled Cross-Border Movement of Special Interest Aliens: “we must continually evaluate our border and port of entry security posture to ensure our resources are appropriately aligned to address trends in the migration of SIAs.”[3] As you know, Special Interest Aliens or “SIAs” are individuals who are considered national security threats to our homeland, who attempt – often successfully – to enter the interior of the United States illegally. We need only look back to a 2017 investigative report from POLITICO that showed Hezbollah and their affiliated networks have trafficked narcotics, weapons and persons from Venezuela and other parts of Latin America, to the United States.[4] Of particular concern is Guatemala’s recent announcement that it apprehended 100 ISIS terrorists in country, raising new security concerns about whether similar high risk individuals may have joined the caravan.[5] Due to the likelihood that such national security threats could mask themselves within this large caravan population, at a minimum, our federal government must prioritize the security of American citizens over anything else.
A safe third country agreement also permits the federal government to address overdue fixes we need here at home, within our immigration laws and border security apparatus. Our border and immigration enforcement authorities are long overdue for aggressive increases in resources, technology, and infrastructure support. Further, our country’s legal system that would be tasked with processing the thousands of migrants’ claims for asylum is already in a dire state, and likely cannot withstand the incoming pressure. According to the FY 2019 Proposed Refugee Admissions Report, the number of pending affirmative asylum cases stands at about 320,000 (approximately 492,000 individuals).[6] This is in addition to the immigration asylum backlog, which stands at about 348,000 individuals.[7] Accepting this current caravan would add thousands of cases to our existing backlog, and send a message to future populations that the United States has open borders, all funded off the backs of American taxpayers and legal immigrants.
For over a decade now, United States sovereignty has been tested and too often disregarded. Under President Trump’s Administration, and due in large part to both of your efforts, the United States is finally in a position to secure our border and reinstitute law and order. We strongly urge you – on the eve of a new Mexican presidential administration – to set the tone for American sovereignty in the twenty-first century. Entering into a safe third country agreement with Mexico would send a message to our partners across Central America that they too must share the burden of unsanctioned mass migration.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) Mike S. Lee (R-Utah)
Chairman U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary
U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary
=================================================
Deer opener good in some areas, slow in others
Rifle deer hunt runs through Oct. 28
A little snow likely made a big difference during the opening weekend of Utah’s general rifle buck deer hunt. In some areas, snow and colder temperatures pushed deer out of the high country and towards their lower elevation wintering areas.
The hunt, which started Oct. 20, runs until Oct. 28.
Northeastern Utah
Randall Thacker, assistant wildlife manager in the Division of Wildlife Resources’ Northeastern Region, said snow storms in northeastern Utah pushed deer out of the high country and into areas where hunters had an easier time getting to them.
“We’ve had a really good hunt,” Thacker said on the morning of Oct. 23. “Hunters were seeing deer and getting shots.”
The number of deer brought through a voluntary DWR check station off U.S. Highway 40 near Strawberry Reservoir was almost identical to last year. Only 30% of the deer checked were yearlings. The rest—70%—were mature deer, many of them more than 3½ years old. “We saw some big, healthy bucks,” Thacker said.
The number of deer that came through the two remaining check stations in northeastern Utah was even more impressive. DWR biologist Amy Vande Voort had her hands full at the check station near Manila: the number of deer brought through the station doubled from last year. At the Steinaker check station north of Vernal, DWR biologist Clint Sampson saw a 20% increase in the number of deer brought through his station.
“Most of the deer that came through the two stations were younger animals,” Thacker says, “but it was impressive to see an increase in the number of deer checked.”
Northern and North-central Utah
A hot, dry summer left many biologists thinking success might be lower during the rifle hunt this fall. DWR Central Region Wildlife Manager Riley Peck said snow and colder temperatures before the hunt might have saved the day in north-central Utah.
“It’s been a pretty normal hunt,” Peck says. “I think snow in the high country has helped push deer around a bit, and hunters are finding decent success.”
Peck says the number of deer checked at DWR check stations in the region was almost identical to 2017. For example, at the agency’s busiest check station in Spanish Fork Canyon, a total of 178 deer were checked from Saturday through Monday. In 2017, a total of 171 deer were checked over the same three-day period.
Randy Wood, wildlife manager in the Northern Region, saw a similar situation in northern Utah. He says 121 deer were checked at four stations on Saturday and Sunday. In 2017, a total of 167 deer were checked. He said check stations were set up in a different part of the region last fall, though, so an exact comparison between 2017 and 2018 is hard to make.
“Overall,” Wood said, “I think the opener was good.” He said a mix of ages—31% yearling, 26% 2 years old and 43% 3½ years of age and older—were checked at stations in northern Utah.
A difference Wood noticed was less hunter crowding. About 20% of the permits in the region were set aside for an early rifle hunt held Oct. 10 – 14 on four units in the region.
“The hunters and the DWR conservation officers I visited with said the same thing: it seemed to be less crowded out there,” Wood said.
Southern Utah
The toughest hunting was in southern Utah. On Saturday, DWR biologists set a station up to check hunters coming off the LaSal and Abajo mountains in southeastern Utah. Guy Wallace, wildlife manager in the Southeastern Region, said the number of deer brought through the station from Saturday through Monday was down 50% from 2017.
“I think snow in the high country got the deer moving and scattered them a bit,” he said. “It might take a few days for hunters to find them.”
Wallace also said the number of fawns was down in 2017, and he expects hunters to take fewer 1½-year-old bucks this fall. “It’ll be interesting to see how the overall hunt turns out,” he said.
In south-central and southwestern Utah, Southern Region Wildlife Manager Teresa Griffin reported similar results: the number of deer brought through check stations in the region was down an average of 50% from what it’s been over the past few years.
“Most of the deer look healthy,” she said, “but, because of the drought, their antlers weren’t quite as big as they’d normally be.”
As part of a research project, several deer on the Pine Valley unit have been fitted with radio collars. On Monday, about 60% of the deer were on their winter range, while 30% were in transitional zones and 10% were still hanging out in their summer range.
“The deer migration seems to be spread out right now,” Griffin said, “and that might have contributed to lower success rates over the weekend.”
Griffin said an abundance of acorns, and water from recent rain storms, is likely the reason deer are spread across so many different areas. “Snow that fell two weeks ago likely got the deer moving, but it warmed back up, and the deer might have paused a little to take advantage of the warmth,” she said. “In some areas, there was almost a little green up after the storm that came through on Oct. 6 and 7.”
Additionally, an early rifle hunt was held Oct. 10 – 14 on several units in the region. The early hunt reduced the number of hunters in the field during the regular hunt.
“Fewer hunters afield might have also contributed to fewer deer coming through the check stations over the weekend,” she said.
###
Contact: Mark Hadley, DWR Relations with the Public Specialist, 801-538-4737
Deer opener good in some areas, slow in others
Rifle deer hunt runs through Oct. 28
A little snow likely made a big difference during the opening weekend of Utah’s general rifle buck deer hunt. In some areas, snow and colder temperatures pushed deer out of the high country and towards their lower elevation wintering areas.
The hunt, which started Oct. 20, runs until Oct. 28.
Northeastern Utah
Randall Thacker, assistant wildlife manager in the Division of Wildlife Resources’ Northeastern Region, said snow storms in northeastern Utah pushed deer out of the high country and into areas where hunters had an easier time getting to them.
“We’ve had a really good hunt,” Thacker said on the morning of Oct. 23. “Hunters were seeing deer and getting shots.”
The number of deer brought through a voluntary DWR check station off U.S. Highway 40 near Strawberry Reservoir was almost identical to last year. Only 30% of the deer checked were yearlings. The rest—70%—were mature deer, many of them more than 3½ years old. “We saw some big, healthy bucks,” Thacker said.
The number of deer that came through the two remaining check stations in northeastern Utah was even more impressive. DWR biologist Amy Vande Voort had her hands full at the check station near Manila: the number of deer brought through the station doubled from last year. At the Steinaker check station north of Vernal, DWR biologist Clint Sampson saw a 20% increase in the number of deer brought through his station.
“Most of the deer that came through the two stations were younger animals,” Thacker says, “but it was impressive to see an increase in the number of deer checked.”
Northern and North-central Utah
A hot, dry summer left many biologists thinking success might be lower during the rifle hunt this fall. DWR Central Region Wildlife Manager Riley Peck said snow and colder temperatures before the hunt might have saved the day in north-central Utah.
“It’s been a pretty normal hunt,” Peck says. “I think snow in the high country has helped push deer around a bit, and hunters are finding decent success.”
Peck says the number of deer checked at DWR check stations in the region was almost identical to 2017. For example, at the agency’s busiest check station in Spanish Fork Canyon, a total of 178 deer were checked from Saturday through Monday. In 2017, a total of 171 deer were checked over the same three-day period.
Randy Wood, wildlife manager in the Northern Region, saw a similar situation in northern Utah. He says 121 deer were checked at four stations on Saturday and Sunday. In 2017, a total of 167 deer were checked. He said check stations were set up in a different part of the region last fall, though, so an exact comparison between 2017 and 2018 is hard to make.
“Overall,” Wood said, “I think the opener was good.” He said a mix of ages—31% yearling, 26% 2 years old and 43% 3½ years of age and older—were checked at stations in northern Utah.
A difference Wood noticed was less hunter crowding. About 20% of the permits in the region were set aside for an early rifle hunt held Oct. 10 – 14 on four units in the region.
“The hunters and the DWR conservation officers I visited with said the same thing: it seemed to be less crowded out there,” Wood said.
Southern Utah
The toughest hunting was in southern Utah. On Saturday, DWR biologists set a station up to check hunters coming off the LaSal and Abajo mountains in southeastern Utah. Guy Wallace, wildlife manager in the Southeastern Region, said the number of deer brought through the station from Saturday through Monday was down 50% from 2017.
“I think snow in the high country got the deer moving and scattered them a bit,” he said. “It might take a few days for hunters to find them.”
Wallace also said the number of fawns was down in 2017, and he expects hunters to take fewer 1½-year-old bucks this fall. “It’ll be interesting to see how the overall hunt turns out,” he said.
In south-central and southwestern Utah, Southern Region Wildlife Manager Teresa Griffin reported similar results: the number of deer brought through check stations in the region was down an average of 50% from what it’s been over the past few years.
“Most of the deer look healthy,” she said, “but, because of the drought, their antlers weren’t quite as big as they’d normally be.”
As part of a research project, several deer on the Pine Valley unit have been fitted with radio collars. On Monday, about 60% of the deer were on their winter range, while 30% were in transitional zones and 10% were still hanging out in their summer range.
“The deer migration seems to be spread out right now,” Griffin said, “and that might have contributed to lower success rates over the weekend.”
Griffin said an abundance of acorns, and water from recent rain storms, is likely the reason deer are spread across so many different areas. “Snow that fell two weeks ago likely got the deer moving, but it warmed back up, and the deer might have paused a little to take advantage of the warmth,” she said. “In some areas, there was almost a little green up after the storm that came through on Oct. 6 and 7.”
Additionally, an early rifle hunt was held Oct. 10 – 14 on several units in the region. The early hunt reduced the number of hunters in the field during the regular hunt.
“Fewer hunters afield might have also contributed to fewer deer coming through the check stations over the weekend,” she said.
###
