Latest news with #CustomsandBorderPatrol
Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Miami Herald
How an electronic visa waiver can help Miami travelers — but there's a warning
Traveling to Miami and across the United States with an electronic permit is a simple process for those eligible under the Visa Waiver Program. But the U.S. Customs and Border Protection warns of strict rules and 'limitations,' now under increased scrutiny due to new immigration and security policies by Trump administration. 'Foreign nationals seeking to enter the U.S must use legal pathways,' said Carlos C. Martel, director of Customs and Border Patrol field operations in Miami and Tampa. Criteria to consider The Customs official reminded travelers that there are two primary legal avenues for tourists seeking to enter the United States: the B-1/B-2 visitor visa and the Visa Waiver Program. 'Each has strict eligibility criteria and limitations,' Martel warned. His post includes an announcement addressed to citizens of the 42 participating countries of the Visa Waiver Program. Both the B-1/B-2 visas and the Visa Waiver Program allow travelers to enter the U.S. for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 days. In the case of the VWP, beneficiaries must apply online for what is known as the ESTA, or Electronic System for Travel Authorization, before entering U.S. territory. Those who are not eligible for the Visa Waiver Program must apply for a B-1/B-2 visa, according to Customs and Border Patrol. Increased monitoring of travelers The Customs announcement follows strong statements from the Trump administration about tightening the monitoring of foreign travelers entering and staying in the U.S. In particular, the U.S. government announced measures against those who remain in U.S. territory after their visas expire, following the terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, for which Egyptian Mohamed Sabry Soliman was accused. This week, Customs also launched the new CBP Link mobile app, described as a 'user-friendly tool' aimed at reducing data requirements and streamlining the entry process. The app includes features for travelers entering under the Visa Waiver Program to complete certain airport procedures. Meanwhile, Customs limited the use of its CBP Home platform, which allows migrants to initiate self-deportation.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
‘Trusted travelers' can get a faster way to enter the US. It involves a selfie
Amid changing Trump administration policies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is offering international travelers a quicker way to legally enter the country. Since 2023, a mobile app has been available to streamline entry into the United States as long as the requirements are met. The steps are simple, and the federal agency says they allow travelers to 'complete their arrival processing instead of waiting in line to use a kiosk.' What is Global Entry and who are 'trusted travelers'? Customs promotes the use of the Global Entry mobile app on social media as available for 'trusted travelers' enrolled in the program. About 20 countries participate in the Global Entry program. The Trump administration included El Salvador in April, in recognition of President Nayib Bukele's support for mass deportation operations. In addition to El Salvador, the U.S. offers Global Entry to other Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama. The program allows international travelers considered 'low-risk' to fast-track customs and immigration procedures when arriving in the United States. Global Entry is one of the four trusted traveler programs offered by Customs and Border Patrol and benefits millions of people each year with expedited entry. The Global Entry mobile app can be used in various U.S. airports, including Miami. Under the Department of Homeland Security, the program is also applied at U.S. seaports. Requirements for applying to the Global Entry program in the U.S. ▪ All applicants must undergo rigorous and recurring background checks and a personal interview before their initial enrollment, according to Customs and Border Protection. ▪ Global Entry members can maintain their low-risk traveler status as long as they do not violate the program's terms and conditions. ▪ Violations can result in enforcement actions and the cancellation of the traveler's membership privileges. How the Global Entry app and the rapid entry process work Photo: With the new mobile app, a traveler needs to take a 'selfie,' which will be compared against an image gallery to verify identity using facial recognition. Inspection: Once the photo is sent via the app, a traveler will receive a receipt that allows them to proceed directly to Customs officers at the inspection area to expedite entry into the United States. TSA: The program also allows options like TSA PreCheck for members who meet the requirements for domestic flights, quickening security screening at participating U.S. airports. Cost: At a cost of $120, the program offers an option for frequent international travelers, particularly those with more than four trips a year. The application is completed online, and membership is valid for five years. Note that the program does not exempt participating countries from visa requirements.
New York Post
06-06-2025
- New York Post
Chinese researcher in alleged plot to smuggle crop-killing fungus into US will remain in custody while seeking private counsel
The Chinese researcher accused of helping smuggle a potentially devastating crop-killing fungus into the US will remain in custody until she retains private counsel, according to reports. Yunqing Jian, 33, appeared in a Detroit courtroom for a detention hearing Thursday afternoon, where a public defender assigned to her case asked the court to reconvene once Jian can hire her own lawyer. The judge consented and scheduled a new detention hearing for June 13. Jian, a Chinese national and researcher at the University of Michigan, will remain in custody until then, CBS News reported. Yunqing Jian, 33, is seeking private counsel after being assigned a public defender. Sanilac County Jail She was arrested on June 3, nearly a year after her boyfriend — 34-year-old Zunyong Liu — was stopped by Customs and Border Patrol after arriving at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a plane from Shanghai last July. Liu was found to be carrying samples of Fusarium graminearum, a fungus with the potential to wreak havoc on American crops and farming if successfully manipulated to resist treatment. The danger could be so great that one Trump administration official characterized it as 'an attack on the American food supply' while speaking with The Post. Jian was working as a lab researcher at the University of Michigan through funding provided by the Chinese government last summer when her beau — himself a researcher at a Chinese university — was caught trying to enter the country with the samples on the way to visit her. Liu initially tried to hide the samples and then denied they were his, but eventually fessed up and told officials that he wanted to study them at the University of Michigan lab where his girlfriend did similar work. Jiang was arrested on June 3, nearly a year after her husband was barred from the US On his phone, agents found a PDF article about 'Plant-Pathogen Warfare' that described Fusarium graminearum as 'an example of a destructive disease and pathogen for crops' that is 'responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year.' He was barred from entering the country and put on a plane back to China. Jian was interviewed by the FBI about the incident at a University of Michigan lab in February, and told investigators that she first learned about her boyfriend's plan when he was stopped at the airport. But searches into her communications with Liu showed the pair had discussed sneaking samples of fungus and seeds past US Customs since at least 2022 — and that in 2024 Jian signed a document pledging 'support the leadership of the Communist Party of China' and to uphold 'Mao Zedong thought and Marxism-Leninism' in January 2024 before her boyfriend's encounter in Detroit. Both were charged with conspiring to smuggle a potentially dangerous fungal pathogen into the US, while Liu remains at large with a warrant out for his arrest. Fusarium graminearum already exists in the US, and while it's responsible for an estimated loss of $200-400 million worth of US agriculture per year, Rutgers University molecular biologist Dr. Richard Ebright told The Post it could pose a critical risk to US food supplies if it were modified for resistance or virulence.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump news at a glance: Hegseth warns of ‘imminent' China threat, urging Asia to upgrade militaries
Pete Hegseth has called on Asian countries to increase their military spending to increase regional deterrence against China which was 'rehearsing for the real deal' of taking over Taiwan. The US defense secretary, addressing the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, reiterated pledges to increase the US presence in the Indo-Pacific and outlined a range of new joint projects. 'It has to be clear to all that Beijing is credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific,' Hegseth said. 'There's no reason to sugar coat it. The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent.' Hesgeth said Donald Trump's administration had pushed European countries to boost their defensive spending, taking on a greater 'burden' of responding to conflicts in their region, and it was time for Asian nations to do the same. The defense secretary, who in March was revealed to have told a Signal group chat that Europe was 'pathetic' and 'freeloading' on US security support in the region, told the Singapore conference it was 'hard to believe' he was now saying this but Asian countries should 'look to allies in Europe as a newfound example'. 'Deterrence doesn't come on the cheap … time is of the essence.' Read the full story If you want a bellwether to measure the broad impact of Donald Trump's tariffs on the economy, look to the state of Georgia. So far, it's a mixed bag. The hospitality industry is facing an existential crisis and wine merchants wonder if they will survive the year. But others, like those in industrial manufacturing, carefully argue that well-positioned businesses will profit. Read the full story Australia's trade minister, Don Farrell, has described Donald Trump's trade tariffs as 'unjustified and not the act of a friend' after the US president announced he would double import duties on steel and aluminium to 50%. 'They are an act of economic self-harm that will only hurt consumers and businesses who rely on free and fair trade,' Farrell said. Read the full story US immigration authorities are collecting and uploading the DNA information of migrants, including children, to a national criminal database, according to government documents released earlier this month. The database includes the DNA of people who were either arrested or convicted of a crime, which law enforcement uses when seeking a match for DNA collected at a crime scene. But most of the people whose DNA has been collected by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), the agency that published the documents, were not listed as having been accused of any felonies. Read the full story Workers at the US Department of Energy say cuts and deregulations are undermining the ability for the department to function and will result in significant energy cost hikes for consumers. Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' will raise energy costs for American households by as much as 7% in 2035 due to the repeal of energy tax credits and could put significant investment and energy innovation at risk, according to a report by the Rhodium Group. Read the full story As the first Pride month under Donald Trump's second presidency approaches, LGBTQ+ businesses are stepping up, evolving quickly to meet the community's growing concerns. The Guardian spoke with four queer business owners, and one message was clear: queer businesses are here to support the community now more than ever and spread joy as resistance. Read the full story Tensions among Bruce Springsteen's fanbase have spread to his home state of New Jersey because of what the rock icon has said about Donald Trump. Springsteen has long been a balladeer of the state's blue-collar workers. But last year many of those same workers voted for the president. Now their split loyalties are being put to the test. Read the full story An undocumented man who was accused by the Department of Homeland Security secretary last week of threatening to assassinate Donald Trump may have been framed by someone accused of previously attacking the man, according to news reports. As the Trump administration continues to exploit antisemitism to arrest protesters and curb academic freedoms, more American Jews are saying 'not in my name'. Catching up? Here's what happened on 30 May 2025.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tom Homan applauds ‘big beautiful bill', says legislation would ‘solidify the success' at the border
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Trump border czar Tom Homan outlined the progress that has been made at the border, and detailed how the president's "big beautiful bill" could solidify items that have improved border security. "All those accessories on the border, we can lock it in to make it permanent," Homan explained. "So we're going to put more border walls up. We'll put more water buoys in. That's going to save lives, right, because people see the water buoys, you can't get over them, which many people won't attempt to go into that river, which means we save lives." According to data from the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), apprehensions at the border are down 93% from April 2024 to April 2025 under the Trump administration. Fulfilling the president's campaign promise to reign in the heightened flow of illegal immigrants has been one of the administration's top priorities, and Homan told Fox the "big beautiful bill" will "solidify the success" the numbers are already Czar Tom Homan Says Democrat Lamonica Mciver 'Broke The Law,' Should Be Charged For Ice Clash "[The bill] is going to save lives," Homan said. "It's going to add technology to the existing new border wall that the Biden administration didn't put into the wall. So, it's a smart wall, but Biden stopped the tech equipment from getting embedded in the wall to let us know when someone approaches that wall, climbs the wall, digs under that wall." Trump's border czar also pointed out an important element of the legislation, which provides funding for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to purchase beds for illegal migrants who are detained. "Right now we've got 50,000 people in custody. We're only funded for $34,000. ICE is already in a hole at $500 million. We need 100,000 beds. This bill does that." Read On The Fox News App Inside Trump's Urgent Meeting With House Gop To Pass The 'Big, Beautiful Bill' The president's "big beautiful bill" contains many components of Trump's agenda, including border security, tax policy, debt limit, and defense spending. It has had issues making it through the legislative process as some House Republicans have advocated for provisions such as state and local tax (SALT) deduction caps and spending cuts. President Trump spoke out strongly against any cuts to Medicaid or SALT deduction caps during his visit to Capitol Hill to rally support for the bill on Tuesday. As for the border, GOP members whose districts line the southern border spoke out in support of the legislation. "It may be a big and beautiful bill, but it has the muscle and backbone of historic border security and the ability to deport the millions of criminal illegals Joe Biden let walk into our country," Congressman Darrell Issa, R-California, told Fox News Digital. Acting Ice Director Demands Tim Walz Apologize For Calling Agents 'Modern-day Gestapo' Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonalzes, who represents the largest border district in Congress, also highlighted border elements of the legislation. "These are exactly the priorities I have fought tooth and nail for during the last four years, and I'm proud to see we're finally getting it done," Gonzales told Fox News Digital. "My communities along the border will be much better off, and I'm proud to have played a key part in making that happen." Despite some GOP enthusiasm, sources on Capitol Hill say there is still a long way to go before the piece of legislation reaches the president's article source: Tom Homan applauds 'big beautiful bill', says legislation would 'solidify the success' at the border
