Page 12 - ATD 17OCT,2015

A12

WORLD NEWSSaturday 17 October 2015

US, Mexico announce cargo pre-inspection pilot program

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, left, and Mexican Treasury Secretary Luis by customs officials from expanded to two facilities
both nations. Officials say in Mexico: Mesa de Otay
Videgaray, sign bilateral agreements press conference in Mexico City, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015. it has the potential to ease in Baja California, near San
shipping congestion by re- Diego, and San Jeronimo,
The United States and Mexico launched a pilot air cargo pre-inspection program this week that ducing wait times up to 80 which is in Chihuahua state
percent and lower storage near the border cities of El
aims to facilitate trade between the two nations. Johnson said that the program “represents a costs and other expenses. Paso and Ciudad Juarez.
U.S. Homeland Security “In essence it means that
remarkable evolution” of the bilateral relationship. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Secretary Jeh Johnson said instead of having two bu-
at a news conference in reaucratic hurdles ... now,
PETER ORSI launched a pilot cargo two nations. Mexico City that the pro- thanks to joint cooperation
Associated Press pre-inspection program Under the program, cargo gram “represents a re- and trust, we are going to
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The this week that aims to fa- will be inspected just once markable evolution” of the have just one inspection,”
United States and Mexico cilitate trade between the in the exporting country bilateral relationship. Videgaray said. “What are
“The pre-inspection pilot we aiming for?” he added.
program which this memo- “To generalize this way of
randum will enshrine opens working, based on efficien-
the door for a 21st century cy and trust to achieve
approach to trade facili- security and competitive-
tation between our two ness.” Johnson said more
countries,” Johnson said. than $1.45 billion in trade
Mexican Treasury Secre- moves between Mexico
tary Luis Videgaray said and the U.S. each day,
the program began Thurs- totaling over $530 billion
day at the airport in Lar- a year. In the last two de-
edo, Texas, with the first cades, he said, Mexican
inspections carried out by imports of U.S. goods have
officials from both sides risen from $41.6 billion to
of the border, including $240 billion. Over the same
armed Mexican agents. period, U.S. imports of Mex-
In the coming days and ican goods went from $40
weeks the program will be billion to $295 billion.q

2 Hondurans face US deportation in possible profiling case

CAIN BURDEAU In a Sept. 21 email inad- charged with a crime. cacy group for immigrants ment to act as immigration
Associated Press vertently sent to the men’s Mack said profiling is “not a that has assisted an influx enforcement.”
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Two immigration lawyers, DHS legitimate” police practice of Latin Americans who The group released Mack’s
Honduran men face de- attorney Megan H. Mack unless there are extraordi- arrived after Hurricane Ka- emails on Thursday and
portation even though a recommended releasing nary circumstances or a trina eager to work in the held a protest outside an
U.S. Department of Home- the men from custody be- threat. rebuilding of the devas- Immigration and Customs
land Security staff lawyer cause they appeared to After being arrested, the tated region. The number Enforcement building in
recommended that the be arrested “solely for an New Llano police called in of people of Hispanic ori- New Orleans on Friday.
migrant workers be re- immigration status check.” Border Patrol agents who gin in Louisiana has nearly Barahona and Fugan had
leased because they were The arrest was improper ran immigration checks on doubled since 2000, from not been deported as of
improperly arrested by because the New Llano the men, the email said. about 2.4 percent of the Friday, said Bryan Cox, a
Louisiana police in a case police appeared to tar- Barahona and Fugan have population to about 4.8 DHS spokesman in New Or-
of alleged ethnic profiling. get them “based on their been in custody ever since. percent in 2014, Census leans.
Gustavo Barahona, 29, ethnicity and the way they The three other men were figures show. But he added that the men
and Jose Adan Fugan, were awaiting pickup for released. “This is really descriptive of had been deported be-
36, were arrested along a job,” said Mack, the DHS Both migrant workers were how immigration does its fore and therefore would
with three other men by officer of civil rights and living in New Orleans be- enforcement,” said Jolene not benefit from a change
New Llano police on May civil liberties in Washington. fore they were arrested Elberth, an immigration or- in enforcement policy insti-
29 outside a motel in the She reviewed the case and their cases have been ganizer with the New Or- tuted last November giving
western Louisiana town as after the men’s lawyers championed by the New leans Workers’ Center for DHS officers more discre-
they waited to go to work brought it to her attention, Orleans Workers’ Center Racial Justice. “They’re re- tion in who they remove
early that morning. noting they were never for Racial Justice, an advo- lying on local law enforce- from the country. q