Page 5 - aruba-today-20190509

A5
U.S. NEWS Thursday 9 May 2019
U.S. will train dozens of border agents

to screen for asylum

By AMY TAXIN the number of families with
Associated Press children arriving on the bor-
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (AP) der. Border arrests are down
— Immigration officials will compared with decades
train dozens of U.S. bor- ago, but the number of
der patrol agents to start children and families seek-
screening immigrants arriv- ing asylum, many of them
ing on the southwest bor- from Central America, has
der for asylum amid a surge risen in recent years.
in the number of families The number of immigrants
seeking the protection, a apprehended on the bor-
government official said der topped 100,000 for the
Wednesday. second month in a row in
L. Francis Cissna, director April, the highest number
of U.S. Citizenship and Im- recorded since 2007.
migration Services, said Asylum officers conduct ini-
his agency will train about tial interviews of immigrants
60 border agents over the arriving on the border to L. Francis Cissna, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
next few months to join in determine whether they Services, sits for a photo in Laguna Niguel, Calif., Wednesday,
conducting the screenings have a credible fear of re- May 8, 2019.
on the U.S.-Mexico border. turning to their countries or Associated Press
The first group of 10 agents should be sent back. Those
will start receiving training who pass the interviews are ten intimidate immigrants U.S. Customs and Border
in Los Angeles next week. allowed to seek asylum be- when initially asking if they Protection seeking com-
"These agents are going fore an immigration judge, fear returning to their coun- ment. Cissna said he was
to be receiving weeks of but their cases may take tries. confident agents could
training. They're going to years to wind through the "What we see over and conduct the interviews and
be here at least a month," backlogged immigration over again is Border Patrol would be fully trained.
Cissna said in an interview courts. just has a culture of dis- In addition to the border
with The Associated Press Immigrant advocates have believing asylum seekers," patrol agents, two dozen
on a visit to immigration voiced concerns about she said. "It's really hard employees at the immigra-
offices in Laguna Niguel, border patrol agents con- to imagine these agents tion services agency who
California. "And so too will ducting the screenings, being able to create the have worked on asylum in
all the subsequent cadres which are mean to be openness and trust and lis- the past are helping con-
of border patrol agents." interviews, not interroga- tening that's really required duct the screenings, and a
The move comes as the tions. Clara Long, senior re- for a credible fear inter- few dozen more have vol-
Trump administration is searcher for Human Rights view." unteered to do so, Cissna
grappling with a surge in Watch, said agents of- A message was sent to said.q
Florida governor signs bill allowing

more armed teachers

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — contentious of the legis- guing against the bill, say- teacher could panic and
More Florida teachers will lative session that ended ing it could lead to acci- fire during a confrontation
be eligible to carry guns in Saturday. It expands the dental shootings, or that a with students. q
the classroom under a bill “guardian” program that
Republican Gov. Ron De- allows school districts to
Santis signed Wednesday approve school employees
that immediately imple- and teachers with a role
ments recommendations outside the classroom, such
from a commission formed as a coach, to carry guns.
after the Parkland high School districts have to ap-
school mass shooting. prove and teachers have
DeSantis signed the bill in to volunteer. They then go
private and didn’t issue a through police-like training
statement afterward. But with a sheriff’s office and
he made it clear he sup- undergo a psychiatric eval-
ports the changes made uation and a background
to the law enacted after a check.
rifle-toting former student The new law expands
walked into Marjory Stone- the program to make all
man Douglas High School teachers eligible regard-
and killed 17 people in Feb- less of whether they have a
ruary 2018. non-classroom role.
The bill was one of the most Democrats spent hours ar-