Migrant Caravan Approaching US Mexico Border

[CharlesHarris]

Update from Homeland Security - https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/11/01/myth...ct-caravan
Release Date: November 1, 2018

Below are the facts surrounding the “caravans” en route to the U.S. Southwest border.

Q: Do we know who is in the caravan?
A: We continue to be concerned about individuals along the caravan route. In fact, over 270 individuals along the caravan route have criminal histories, including known gang membership. Those include a number of violent criminals – examples include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, sexual assault on a child, and assault on a female. Mexican officials have also publicly stated that criminal groups have infiltrated the caravan. We also continue to see individuals from over 20 countries in this flow from countries such as Somalia, India, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. There is a large segment of this population that we know nothing about and we must be prepared to defend our border and enforce our laws to protect the citizens of our country.

Q: Are there criminals in the caravan?
A: Yes – so far, there are over 270 individuals along the caravan route that have criminal histories, including known gang membership.

On October 29, the Mexican ambassador to the U.S. described some of the caravan members as “very violent:” “Unfortunately, some of the people in the caravan have been very violent against authority, even though they have offered the possibility of entering in compliance with immigration law and refugee status.”

On October 30, Mexico’s Interior Minister Navarrete Prida speaking on Radio Enfoque (Focus) 100.1 FM, confirmed that some criminal groups have infiltrated the caravan: “I have videos from Guatemala that show men dressed in identical clothing, sporting the same haircuts, handing out money to women to persuade them to move to the front of the caravan…We know, for a fact, that some members of the caravan threatened [Mexican] Migration Institute personnel and we have images showing many of them preparing Molotov cocktails.”

Q: Is the caravan only women and children?
A: No, reports on the ground from our foreign partners suggest that approximately 50 percent are single adults. However, the Guatemalan Intel Minister said that the caravan is employing tactics to push women and children to the front to act as human shields as the caravan pushes against its military forces.

Q: How many troops will be deployed to the Southwest border?
A: By November 2, there will be approximately 5,200 deployed to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Southwest border as part of Operation Faithful Patriot. This is in addition to the 2,000 National Guardsmen currently deployed for Operation Guardian Support.

Q: When do you expect the caravan to arrive at the border?
A: Current estimates indicate that the caravan could arrive between four days and two weeks (from October 31) depending on the mode of transportation and whether they make any prolonged stops.

Q: Why do you need to deploy the armed forces to the border?
A: The potential for large groups – who have already showed a propensity to using violence to achieve its objective – presents a unique safety threat to our nation and Border Patrol personnel as well as to the security of the American people. We have already witnessed these groups forcibly encroach upon foreign borders and have engaged in violence when confronted by those governments.

Q: Why are we seeing caravans heading towards our Southwest border?
A: Our nation is experiencing an unprecedented crisis on our Southern Border that is the result of loopholes that prevent the detention and repatriation of illegal alien minors and family units. FY18 is the highest number of family unit apprehensions on record – it is more than 40% higher than any previous year on record. As a result of these loopholes, when illegal alien minors or adults traveling with minors unlawfully enter the United States, rather than being detained and removed, they are released into American communities. Once released, those who have no legal right to stay are almost never removed. Knowledge of these loopholes has led to a dramatic transformation in the population of those seeking to enter our country illegally.

Q: Will you allow the caravan to enter the United States?
A: We will not allow a large group of illegal migrants attempt to enter into the United States if they have no lawful right to gain entry.

Q: Will the caravan be allowed to seek asylum?
A: Our goal is to provide protection to those individuals who qualify for asylum under our laws. Individuals who want jobs or want to reunify with family members in the U.S. aren’t eligible to qualify for asylum.

Topics: Border Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Keywords: Border Security, southwest border
Last Published Date: November 2, 2018

[Pete Grey]

Do you actually trust the department of homeland security ?

Where do they get the figure of over 270 known criminals and gang members from ?

I am always dubious of official figures from any government department.

[Mortblanc]

I would estimate that the numbers a way low.

At the end of October the size of the group had dwindled to 7,200 due to Mexico beginning to enforce their own strong immigration laws. This group is from south of the Mexican border and does not consist of Mexicans.

If you consider that this group is made up of the ethnic group that represents a large percentage of the population that is jailed for violent crime each year that 250+- number is absurdly low.

Remember that when these people cross the Mexican border from Guatemala they have already committed a felony in Mexico so legally they are all criminals before they get to the U.S. border.

They are still 1500 miles away and sitting in southern Mexico demanding that the Mexican government give them buses to ride to the northern border.

[CharlesHarris]

I am told that Active Denial system will be made available, if needed:

https://jnlwp.defense.gov/About/Frequent...stem-FAQs/

The Active Denial System will support a full spectrum of operations ranging from non-lethal methods of crowd control, crowd dispersal, convoy and patrol protection, checkpoint security, perimeter security, area denial, and port protection, as well as other defensive and offensive operations from both fixed-site or mobile platforms. The Active Denial System is an advanced, long-range non-lethal, directed energy, counter-personnel capability that projects a man-sized (1.5 m) beam of millimeter waves (not microwaves) at a range up to 1,000 meters. It will have the same compelling non-lethal effect on all human targets, regardless of size, age and gender.

Numerous valid scientific studies have shown no link between energy in this region of the electromagnetic spectrum and adverse health effects. Human effects studies related to exposure to the technology associated with the Active Denial System include the following:

Chalfin, S., D’Andrea, J.A., Comeau, P.D., Belt, M.E., and Hatcher, D.J. Millimeter wave absorption in the nonhuman primate eye at 35 GHz and 94 GHz. Health Physics, 83(1): 83-90, 2002.

Foster, K.R., D’Andrea, J.A., Chalfin, S., and Hatcher, D.J. Thermal modeling of millimeter wave damage to the primate cornea at 35 GHz and 94 GHz. Health Physics, 84(6): 764-769, 2003.

Jauchem, J.R. A Literature Review of Medical Side Effects from Radiofrequency Energy in the Human Environment. Journal of Microwave Power and Electromagnetic Energy, 32 (2): 103-124, 2003.

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Nelson, D.A., Nelson, M.T., Walters, T.J., and Mason, P.A. Skin heating effects of millimeter wave irradiation: Thermal modeling results. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 48:2111-2120, 2000.

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Walters, T.J., Ryan, K.L., Nelson, D.A., Blick, D.W., and Mason, P.A., Effects of blood flow on skin heating induced by millimeter wave irradiation in humans. Health Phys. 86(2): 115- 120, 2004.

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