By many measures, the Mexican deployment of National Guard to roadblocks throughout the country's south has worked something like a miracle. But officials on the ground admit smugglers are figuring out ways around them. Indigenous Tzetzol natives called "polleros" are helping up to 40,000 migrants a month make it to the U.S. southern border. By Todd Bensman as originally published January 31, … [Read more...] about Why 40,000 Migrants a Month Still Reach the U.S. Border: ‘Polleros’ Bypassing Mexican National Guard
Securing America's Borders
Video Report: Immigration Disconnect: U.S. Woos Middle Easterners and “Extra-Continental” Migrants While Mexico Blocks Them
By Todd Bensman as published January 29, 2020 by the Center for Immigration Studies Officials high and low say that extra-continental migrants from the Middle East and everywhere else are exempt from the stew of new policies President Donald Trump has implemented mainly to deter Central Americans. Senior and lower-ranking DHS officials confirm that President Trump’s much-credited “Wait in … [Read more...] about Video Report: Immigration Disconnect: U.S. Woos Middle Easterners and “Extra-Continental” Migrants While Mexico Blocks Them
Video: Why the 2020 Caravans Threaten the Fragile Success of Trump’s Border Policies
Should even one of these testing, probing caravans be allowed to find and exploit a breach in the Mexican defense, or should President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) falter for a moment, many more will no doubt rise follow their predecessors through the breach. That's why the outcome of these battles between migrants and Mexican police and troops matter greatly to immediate future border … [Read more...] about Video: Why the 2020 Caravans Threaten the Fragile Success of Trump’s Border Policies
The Trump-Defeat-Gamble: U.S.-Bound Migrants in Mexico Calculating a Trump Electoral Defeat
Dozens of politically woke migrants say their decisions to stay in Mexico are predicated on a Trump-defeat calculus. As Mexico has recently required of them, migrants will apply for Mexican asylum and wait for a long process of approval, then live for awhile in that country, in a gambit that Trump will be defeated in the November 2020 national U.S. election. Then, the calculus goes, the Democrats … [Read more...] about The Trump-Defeat-Gamble: U.S.-Bound Migrants in Mexico Calculating a Trump Electoral Defeat
Big Media Miss: CBP Chief Says ‘Extra-Continental’ Migration a 2020 Priority
"What we are seeing, though, is a change in the demographics... (The cartels) are shifting toward supporting additional migration from extra-continental countries, as well as Mexican nationals. I mean Indians, Africans, Haitians, Brazilians. I mean, the list goes on and on and on. That's what we refer to as extra-continental, other than Northern Triangle countries." By Todd … [Read more...] about Big Media Miss: CBP Chief Says ‘Extra-Continental’ Migration a 2020 Priority
Six-Month AP Investigation of Migrant-Smuggling Business in Mexico Reveals Potency of Trump Policies
A newly published Associated Press story about illegal immigration to the U.S. southern border seems to delight in reminding readers that cartel-linked smugglers are still making money despite President Trump's "crackdown." But instead, the AP unintentionally lauds "new Trump administration policies" and the resulting "dramatic policy changes on both sides of the border" for having "reduced the … [Read more...] about Six-Month AP Investigation of Migrant-Smuggling Business in Mexico Reveals Potency of Trump Policies
Bill Would Designate Mexican Cartels as Something Other Than Terrorists
Nine Republican senators have introduced the Significant Transnational Criminal Organization Designation Act, which leaves America's counterterrorism enterprise alone, but still brings to bear the very same powerful government authorities for which proponents of FTO designation were hoping. By Todd Bensman as published by the Center for Immigration Studies on December 13, 2019 In precious few … [Read more...] about Bill Would Designate Mexican Cartels as Something Other Than Terrorists
Why Those Tunnels Under Hungary’s Fence Are Inconsequential
The broader achievement of this border fortification stands fast despite two tunnels discovered under Hungary's rather infamous fence. It instantly halted wave after wave of mass migration and continues in that blocking capacity despite any comparatively fractional seepage enabled by ladders and tunnels. By Todd Bensman as originally published by the Center for Immigration Studies on … [Read more...] about Why Those Tunnels Under Hungary’s Fence Are Inconsequential
Why Trump Should Hit Pause On Designating Mexican Cartels As Terrorists
President Trump says he's moving forward with plans to designate the Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, the same as ISIS. The designation is not official yet. That’s good, because someone needs to hit the pause button on this. Here's why. By Todd Bensman as originally published December 3, 2019 by The Federalist President Trump’s surprise revelation last week to talk show … [Read more...] about Why Trump Should Hit Pause On Designating Mexican Cartels As Terrorists
Hold Off! Designating Mexican Cartels as Terrorists Could Dilute War on Jihadists
The national security justifications that proponents of FTO designation pose are unpersuasive, and there's no evidence that they or anyone in government have done the serious analysis or planning — or any deep thinking at all, frankly — to assess the impacts of adding tens of thousands of Mexican "terrorists" to America's counterterrorism efforts against Islamic jihadist organizations. … [Read more...] about Hold Off! Designating Mexican Cartels as Terrorists Could Dilute War on Jihadists