Latest news with #USCustomsandBorderProtection
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
French lawmaker says he was denied entry into US
He was set to meet with progressive lawmakers, he said, including Senator Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, and Representative Maxine Dexter, an Oregon Democrat. But, he said, on Tuesday he was told that his visa application had been rejected. Advertisement 'The door was shut in a rather abrupt and unexpected manner,' Amirshahi said in a telephone interview. 'This is a decision that we consider to be both hostile and unfriendly.' A member of his team said later Thursday that the embassy was 'reconsidering the reasons for the refusal.' A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Paris declined to comment and referred the matter to US Customs and Border Protection, which did not respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Increasing numbers of travelers to the United States have reported being denied entry and being subjected to tougher scrutiny, or 'enhanced vetting.' The Trump administration says it is enforcing immigration laws and protecting Americans. Critics argue that officials are targeting foreigners who have criticized President Trump's policies. In March, the French government accused the United States of denying entry to a French scientist after the scientist expressed opposition to Trump. The Department for Homeland Security said it was because the academic had confidential information from a US laboratory on his phone. Amirshahi said he applied for a visa on May 19 after his request for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization form, which foreign travelers to the United States are required to obtain before visiting the United States, was denied. The US Embassy in Paris asked for the reason for his trip and a referral letter from the French Foreign Ministry, which was supplied on June 4. Almost two weeks later, his application was denied. Amirshahi said he hoped the administration would reverse its decision in the coming days. He had initially planned to travel to the United States on June 11. 'We are primarily concerned with promoting parliamentary diplomacy, and the right of lawmakers to travel abroad, in order to be better informed in their actions,' he said in the news conference. 'We do not live in a vacuum today; interconnection is a reality.' Amirshahi, who was born in Iran in 1972 and whose family fled to France in 1976, said he did not believe his background was the cause of the refusal. Advertisement He became a French citizen in 1996, he said, and has publicly opposed the Iranian regime. 'My relationship with this theocratic regime is quite tenuous, since I hate them,' he said. 'I have fought them and will continue to fight them.' This article originally appeared in
Morocco World
2 days ago
- Business
- Morocco World
Morocco, US Sign New Container Security Initiative Agreement
Marrakech – Morocco and the United States took a further step forward in their customs cooperation with the signing of a new bilateral Container Security Initiative (CSI) arrangement in Rabat on Tuesday. The agreement aims to enhance cargo security and facilitate the high volume of trade between the two countries. 'Today's signing marks not just the expansion of the CSI program, but the strengthening of a partnership rooted in trust, innovation, and a shared responsibility to protect our global community,' said Donald Conroy, Executive Director of the Office of Field Operations International Operations and Advisory Directorate at US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during the event. The CSI arrangement will expand law enforcement efforts between Washington and Rabat, enhancing targeting and information sharing to identify and counter customs violations and other threats in the cargo environment. The agreement covers the vital ports of Casablanca and Tanger Med, with Casablanca being a crucial commercial hub and Tanger Med being the largest port in Africa and the Mediterranean Sea. The signing ceremony was also attended by Abdellatif Amrani, General Director of the Customs and Excise Administration in Morocco and Aimee Cutrona, US Chargé d'Affaires in Rabat. Senior officials from Morocco Customs (ADII), CBP, and the US Embassy were also present. Amrani stressed Morocco's commitment to balancing security and trade facilitation, stating, 'With this accession, we reaffirm our commitment to harmonizing security with the seamless flow of trade, thereby consolidating Tanger Med's standing as a secure, world-class maritime hub.' The CSI program, launched in 2002 following the 9/11 attacks, is a proactive and strategic security initiative that aims to identify and inspect high-risk maritime cargo containers at foreign ports before they are shipped to the United States. The program partners with foreign customs administrations and other agencies to pre-screen, evaluate, and target potential threats using advanced technology, intelligence, and shared protocols. The new accord is based on the 2013 Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement between the two sides of the Atlantic, which provides the legal framework for the exchange of information and evidence to assist in the enforcement, prevention, detection, and investigation of customs offenses. With this new agreement, Tanger Med joins a network of CSI-certified Mediterranean ports, including Algeciras (Spain), Marseille (France), and Gioia Tauro (Italy). Chargé d'Affaires Cutrona shed light on the significance of the agreement, stating, 'Today's signing of the new Container Security Initiative arrangement between the United States and the Kingdom of Morocco marks a significant milestone in our enduring partnership.' 'This agreement not only strengthens our collaborative efforts to secure global supply chains but also underscores our shared commitment to innovation, security, and economic prosperity,' she added. With the extension of the CSI network, the Moroccan and US customs administrations are reinforcing their efforts in targeting and predictive analysis of high-risk cargo before shipment, contributing to the effective fight against threats and ensuring the protection of consumers and citizens of both nations. Read also: Morocco's El Jadida to Host First International Port Ecosystem Salon in 2026 Tags: cargo handling MoroccoMorocco US Relations
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Border Patrol agents shut down massive drug smuggling tunnel between Tijuana and San Diego
US Border Patrol agents recently discovered and disabled a nearly 3,000-foot-long narcotics smuggling tunnel sitting beneath the US-Mexico border. Agents found the tunnel — which linked Tijuana and San Diego — in early April while it was actively under construction. Advertisement The underground passageway ran under part of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and had a projected exit point near or inside a commercial warehouse space in San Diego, according to an announcement from US Customs and Border Protection. Upon entering the 'highly sophisticated' tunnel, authorities were met with barricades seemingly placed to prevent law enforcement from finding its entrance, the announcement noted. The tunnel — which reached depths of around 50 feet underground at its deepest point — measured 2,918 feet long, 42 inches tall and 28 inches wide It was equipped with lighting, electrical wiring, ventilation systems and a track system for transporting large amounts of contraband. Advertisement 5 Agents found the tunnel — which linked Tijuana and San Diego — in early April while it was actively under construction. U.S. Customs and Border Protection 5 The tunnel — which reached depths of around 50 feet underground at its deepest point — measured 2,918 feet long, 42 inches tall and 28 inches wide U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents — working alongside Homeland Security Investigations and Government of Mexico authorities — found the entrance point to the tunnel on Monday inside a house in the Nueva Tijuana neighborhood in Tijuana. The entrance had recently been covered up with freshly laid tile, according to the announcement. Advertisement Thousands of gallons of concrete will soon be poured into the tunnel to prevent it from being used by Foreign Terrorist Organizations, US Customs and Border Protection noted. 'As we continue to strengthen the nation's air and maritime border security, it's not surprising that foreign terrorist organizations would resort to underground routes,' Jeffrey D. Stalnaker, acting chief patrol agent of the San Diego Sector, said in a statement. 'Disruption of narcotics smuggling tunnels is critical to protecting American lives.' 5 Border Patrol Agents look out at the construction of an elevated highway being built in Tijuana, Mexico, across from the US border on June 10, 2025. AP 5 American military officials install concertina wire on top of the border wall running along the US-Mexico border between San Diego and Tijuana on April 23, 2025. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement 5 San Diego, USA and Tijuana, Mexico is separated by the border wall on May 8, 2025. Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images More than 95 tunnels have been decommissioned in the San Diego area since 1993. US Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Immigration raids add to absence crisis for schools
Last week, the administration deployed troops to Los Angeles in response to protests against deportations. Absences went up, even though the district tried to reassure families that schools were safe. Advertisement The new paper looked at attendance data from five school districts in the southern part of the Central Valley, serving a total of over 100,000 children. Public schools do not track immigration status. But a majority of students in the region are Latino, many that arechildren of farm workers with uncertain legal status. Those workers help produce about a quarter of the nation's food — fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Dee examined three years of attendance data. He found an unusual spike in absences in January and February following 'Operation Return to Sender,' a series of immigration sweeps conducted by US Customs and Border Protection. Dozens of day laborers and field workers were arrested at a Home Depot, in parking lots, and at gas stations. Advertisement The operation took place in the final days of President Joe Biden's term. But it was seen as a sign of the immigration enforcement agency's enthusiasm for Trump's agenda. Since then, immigration sweeps in California and across the country have been sporadic, though highly publicized. And on Friday, immigration officials paused raids targeting farmworkers, among others, after the president acknowledged earlier in the week that the raids were hurting the agricultural industry. In the Central Valley, immigrant parents said that after the January raids, they feared being arrested while their children were at school and being deported without them. Rather than risk separation, some parents kept children home. The spike in absences is equivalent to the average student missing about 15 days of school each year, up from 12 days, according to Dee's paper. He called the findings 'a canary in the coal mine' for public education. If absences continue to be elevated, they could threaten student learning and children's mental health. Funding is also at risk, since schools in California are paid according to student attendance. Teachers may have to adjust the curriculum to meet the needs of students who have fallen behind after missing class. School counselors and social workers are already devoting more of their hours to tracking down missing children and to treating their anxiety about deportation, according to educators in the region. The new paper echoes past research that found that under Trump, Biden, and President Barack Obama, immigration raids led to decreases in student attendance at nearby schools. Many immigrants in the Central Valley said that while fears of deportation had always hung over them, anxiety has never been higher. It is fueled by Trump's aggressive agenda and rhetoric, and by stories of family separation and children placed in foster care, often shared via social media. Advertisement One Mexican father of two schoolchildren in Fresno, ages 14 and 6, said that deportation alongside his wife and children would mean losing possessions, wealth, and his work as a mechanic. In California, he and his wife, a farmworker, had carefully built a life. But while losing that life would be difficult, deportation without their children, he said, was simply unthinkable. Like other migrant parents, the man asked to remain unnamed because of his uncertain legal status. He has cut out many of his family's nonessential trips outside their home but has continued to send his children to school. Many others have not. A Fresno mother, also from Mexico, was so fearful of being deported if she left her home that she paid someone else to drive her daughter to school. She also asked that her name not be used. She eventually resumed drop-offs, which is when she noticed a change at the school's doors. There were fewer children waiting in line to file into the building. Half a dozen families she used to see at drop-off were no longer there. In a written statement responding to the research findings, Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, said, 'Illegal immigration is incredibly disruptive to all Americans, including families, students, and teachers. The Trump administration won't apologize for enforcing the law and restoring order to American communities.' This article originally appeared in Advertisement
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Club World Cup: ICE agents presence adds unease to USA's litmus test ahead of 2026 WC, 2028 Olympics
On Thursday, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authority consented to removing a social media post from their handles across platforms. The purported reason? It seemed to be spooking football fans who are expected to flock to stadiums to watch the inaugural edition of the revamped Club World Cup, which kicks off in Miami early on Sunday. The CBP's post noted that they will be 'suited and booted ready to provide security for the first round of games'. It was also confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will also be at the games; the stated presence of these agencies being mostly for reasons of security. But some noted a coded messaging behind that vague reasoning, given the Donald Trump-led American administration's massive recent anti-immigrant push. As Thomas Kennedy, member of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, told NBC News: 'It's sort of alluding that people should have their paperwork in order to attend the games. It creates an environment where people are less likely to come watch the games because of sheer intimidation.' Why this assumes greater significance is that the upcoming Club World Cup will act as a litmus test for the two biggest sporting events in the world that will be hosted in the US during the ongoing term of the incumbent administration: the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Global sport is increasingly veering towards the commercial viability of American eyeballs – the third edition of the Major League Cricket franchise T20 tournament kicked off there on Thursday, after part of the T20 World Cup was also held in the US last year. In no market in the world does live sport make more money than in the US. And football is no different in attempting to cash in on that. Despite the guarantees that both FIFA and the IOC have publicly stated they have been provided in this matter, though, there will be some unease regarding US decisions that have made them less open to people from all over the world. A travel ban in the form of a new policy, issued by President Trump himself, came into effect there on Sunday. It places total restrictions on entry into American borders for residents of 12 countries, and partial restrictions on those of seven other countries. Included are countries like Afghanistan, Iran and Venezuela. The order contains an exemption for both the World Cup and the Olympics, but the US will get to decide which members of a team and support staff are deemed 'necessary' to be given entry into their country. The order also makes no mention of fans who wish to travel to watch those events. The exemption may ease fears held on paper but it does little for the uncertainty that will be felt on global events of such a massive scale, and in Kennedy's words, the environment of 'sheer intimidation,' may not make for the most welcoming tournaments. In the short term, regarding the Club World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was seen meeting President Trump at the White House in March, has dismissed these concerns, even as he stakes his reputation on the smooth functioning of the tournament that he has personally pushed through. According to Infantino, the tournament, essentially his brainchild, will do wonders for the global game by addressing its current Eurocentrism and giving global teams broader visibility. 32 teams will play – 12 from Europe, six from South America, four each from Asia and Africa, one from Oceania, and five from North America. According to his critics, it will serve none of those purposes, instead being a vanity project to portray Infantino in a good light, making lots of money for FIFA's 211 member nations and strengthening his grip on the global game. But buzz for the event has been low, a far cry from the international football tournaments that traditionally take place in the summer. Players have complained about the bloated calendar putting stress on their bodies. As a result, clubs are likely to rotate squads and not play their best team, reducing the quality of the football to a glorified pre-season tournament. Sponsors haven't expressed a lot of interest. Ticket sales were a concern: according to The Athletic, local Miami college students have been offered as many as five tickets for the price of one at $21. So were broadcast rights. When a lucrative deal was not struck, the rights were sold to streaming platform DAZN for $1 billion. The Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund PIF then bought 10% of the company for $1 billion. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. When Lionel Messi's Inter Miami kick the tournament off at home on Sunday against Egyptian side Al Ahly, football will take the centre stage. Realpolitik will have to go behind the curtains, where it belongs. But the result of the tournament will be instructive of a few things: how successful football is in tapping the American market, and a glimpse of how the US manage hosting major global sporting events in today's uncertain, frayed times.
