AFRICAN MIGRANTS ENROUTE TO THE U.S. BORDER

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 07:56 AM PDT

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FORMER BORDER PATROL OFFICERS
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Foreign News Report

The National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers (NAFBPO) extracts and condenses the material that follows from Mexican and Central and South American on-line media sources on a daily basis. You are free to disseminate this information, but we request that you credit NAFBPO as being the provider.To subscribe, click on link above

La Hora (Guatemala) 6-21-10

Growing emigration from Africa into Mexico

Tuxtla Gutierrez, (Chiapas, Mexico) – Mexico has noticed a rising number of Africans from the Horn of Africa coming across its borders headed to the United States.

The exodus of Africans has expanded while the economic situation in the U.S. has slowed the number of Central Americans migrating to the United States, according to Jorge Humberto Yzar, of the Instituto Nacional de Migracion, in the Mexican State of Chiapas on the border of Guatemala.

In the first trimester of this year, Mexico detected 400 migrants originally from the Horn of Africa entering into Mexico destined to the United States. The Horn of Africa is one of the poorest regions of the world. “One hundred and eighty –four of the Africans were from Eritrea, 47 from Ethiopia, and 165 were from Somalia”, says Yzar.

The official didn’t disclose figures detailing the entries of Africans during the second trimester. African migrants from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia cannot be repatriated to their countries due to the conditions of poverty and insecurity in those countries, according to a humanitarian treaty signed by Mexico with the United Nations High Commission on Refugees.

“Under that International Treaty, we have to offer immigrants from those countries an opportunity to immigrate legally into this country or to offer safe passage for a period of 30 days, a period in which they may continue travel to the border of the United States,” confirmed Yzar.

The huge presence of African migrants has caught the attention of the whole border city of Tapachula, Chiapas, although the migrants have not affected the peace and security of the city.

Around 500.000 migrants, the major portion of which are Central Americans, cross into Mexico annually to cross into the United States, estimates the Mexican Human Rights Commission.

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Prensa Libre (Guatemala City) 6-22-10

(Translator’s Note: The main feature and the lead story in today’s issue of Prensa Libre is the following story. This is indicative of the extreme importance that Guatemala puts upon the status of its citizens in the USA.)

The city of Fremont, Nebraska approves anti-immigrant law

The residents of Fremont, Nebraska, gave the green light in the ballot box to a law similar to Arizona’s law that punishes migrants.

The law calls for the verification of legal status of anyone who works or lives in the city. It was approved by 57% of the vote. Only 45% of the registered voters participated.

The ordinance prohibits the lodging, renting or leasing residences to undocumented persons.

Before knowing the results last night, the Mayor, Donald “Skip” Edwards (who proposed a similar measure in 2008) guaranteed the will of the people.

Councilman Scott Getzschman, one of the principal backers of the measure, said the measure proves that “The people are tired of illegal immigration.”

According to Census figures, 25,500 people live in Fremont, 4.3 % of which are Hispanic and 30% of those were born in the United States.

The Pew Hispanic Research Center says that less than 1% of the residents of Fremont are undocumented.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) promised judicial action to prevent the implementation of the ordinance.

“This ordinance in not only against the Federal law but goes against the United States Values of justice and equality,” declared Laurel Marsh, Executive Director of the ACLU in Nebraska.

Councilman Gary Bolton said that he feels concerned about the tremendous expenses that will be incurred defending this ordinance because it contradicts Federal Law.

Councilman Getzschman said “The people are tired because the Federal Government is not addressing the problem. It is the responsibility of the Federal Government, but the Federal Government is not doing anything so the people have to do something”. He said that this is a grass roots effort similar to initiatives in other cities in Nebraska.

Kristin Ostrom, Director of an organization in Fremont named “Nebraska is Home,” (an immigrant help group) coordinated a campaign against the ordinance and said that the debate over immigration in Fremont has gone on for two years and was initiated by outside groups.

Ostrom blamed Attorney Kris Kobach of Kansas who wrote SB-1070 for Arizona who also wrote the ordinance approved in the Fremont election.

The services of Kobach were paid by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, (FAIR) a national organization known for its anti-immigrant stance. FAIR contributed $5,000 to the campaign to pass the ordinance in Fremont.

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La Jornada (Mexico City) 6-22-10

Mexico joins suit in federal court against Arizona law

Mexico, D.F. – Mexico filed an Amicus brief in Federal Court in Arizona against SB-1070. The Secretary of Foreign Relations filed a “Friend of the Court” brief in the case of Friendly House, et. al. Vs Michael B. Whiting, et.al.

By filing the brief, Mexico aligned itself with The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in order to overturn Arizona’s recently passed SB-1070.

In its Friend of the Court Brief, Mexico asks the Federal Court to declare the law unconstitutional, to block its enforcement and declares that it is fundamental and imperative that its citizens (U.S. Citizens) observe human and civil rights when encountering citizens of Mexico wherever they may be present in the United States.

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-end of report-