Thread: Sen. Ron Johnson travels to Central America on border security trip

By Mary Spicuzza of the Journal Sentinel Oct. 31, 2015 9:08 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson traveled to Central America this weekend to get a closer look at the area's ongoing immigration crisis and the factors pushing migrants to try to cross the border.

Johnson's trip came as he is preparing to release a new report on U.S. border security. The report is the result of a dozen hearings and other meetings conducted by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which Johnson chairs.

"The most vexing problem is the lack of opportunity," Johnson said Saturday night in an interview from Honduras.

He said the lack of economic opportunities in Central America fuel problems such as cartels, drug trafficking and human trafficking, which further disrupt the "rule of law" and create more instability that in turn pushes people to flee.

Johnson added that while in Guatemala he visited a shelter for "little girls who were victims of sex trafficking." One was only 11.

"The degradation is sick," he said.

Immigration has played a dominant role in the 2016 presidential election, especially after controversial statements from real estate mogul Donald Trump that Mexico was sending rapists and criminals across the border. Johnson said he wanted to shift the debate to solutions.

The first-term Republican senator from Oshkosh is in the middle of his own political battle as he faces a re-election challenge from Russ Feingold, the longtime Democratic senator he ousted from office nearly five years ago. It's expected to be one of the hardest-fought Senate races in the country next year.

Johnson said his visit to Guatemala and Honduras is intended to help him examine the factors driving people from Central America to come to the United States.

The Obama administration has been trying to stop the flow of immigrant families, especially from Central America, through efforts including launching public service campaigns in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala to highlight the risks of the trying to make the journey.

The administration has also said it wants to invest $1 billion in Central America to address the underlying problems that push families and children out of the region.

"I'm highly skeptical," Johnson said of the $1 billion investment. "It could land in the hands of corrupt individuals."

The senator's trip, and his border security report, also focused on issues linked to border security, such as drug smuggling, cartels, human trafficking and unaccompanied children crossing the borders.

"I want to see the conditions on the ground," Johnson said. "I want to kick the tires down there."

Johnson shared a draft copy of the border report, which is still being finalized.

"America's borders are not secure," the draft reads. "For a host of reasons — national security, public health and safety, and a functioning legal immigration system — this current state of affairs is clearly unacceptable."

But a Feingold campaign spokesman accused Johnson of being focused on partisan bickering instead of solutions.

"Senator Johnson has always been more interested in fighting partisan battles than actually reforming our immigration policies," said Tom Russell, campaign manager for Russ for Wisconsin. "He's just another out of touch politician that consistently puts Washington partisanship ahead of getting real reform."

Russell specifically criticized Johnson for voting against legislation to overhaul the nation's immigration system, which passed the Senate with bipartisan support but never passed the House.

At the time, Johnson said he had hoped to be able to support the bill but didn't believe it would solve the problem.

"It would have caused greater problems," Johnson said Saturday. "I don't regret that vote. It was a really bad bill."

Johnson said last week that there was no "silver bullet solution" to border security problems. He said things like a guest worker program, which would allow foreign workers to temporarily live and work in the country, as well as a better fence at the southern border, would help.

"Fencing does work," he said. "But I'm not suggesting a fence the entire way."

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepo...339141731.html

Keeping Johnson in that post is critical, I think. It takes time to learn the ropes of national security (he chairs the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs) and the subset of border security. There are so many voices that can detract from the right policy, and obviously Feingold is trying to seize upon pro-immigration voters to unseat Johnson.

The US already offers many programs to other countries, including Spanish speaking ones. We need to remind Chairman Johnson that we are funding programs to curb gangs and if there is additional US aid it should go to these programs directly.

Plus I would also say that, given the cost of being smuggled into the United States, families ought to take more security initiatives (like a firearm) if that is what they need. Americans have to do that themselves in high crime area. Just shifting the burden of gang problems into the US is not going to help.

PLEASE
Send comments (and encouragement) to Sen. Johnson via the HSGAC contact form:
https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/contact/committee
or-----you can call the Committee!!
U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs

340 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC, 20510
(202) 224-4751


Now, on to the article:
""The most vexing problem is the lack of opportunity," Johnson said Saturday night in an interview from Honduras.

He said the lack of economic opportunities in Central America fuel problems such as cartels, drug trafficking and human trafficking, which further disrupt the "rule of law" and create more instability that in turn pushes people to flee."

And of course the Obama administration or a succeeding Clinton administration would still encourage people to leave Central America and also for the US to dump more money in. There are some alternative solutions though:

The US Dept. of Justice and some other agencies like ICE offer training to police forces from other countries. The US DOJ offers anti gang training in particular and makes it available to Central American countries, This includes community development projects. Assuming that gang violence is the chief reason for people leaving, anti gang training would be the most direct and efficient investment. The US DOJ has the National Gang Center---https://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/

And there have been Congressionally authorized studies and initiatives focusing on Central American gangs: http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/201513.pdf

Gangs in Central America



U.S. Policy
In the mid-2000s, Administration officials and Members of Congress expressed serious concerns
about gangs and violence in Central America and their spillover effects on the United States.
More recently, concerns about gang-related violence have become subsumed by broader concerns
about drug trafficking and organized crime in Central America, particularly since Mexico’s
aggressive anticrime efforts have pushed Mexican DTOs deeper into the sub-region.
Nevertheless, in September 2009 congressional testimony, FBI Director Robert Mueller stated

that “criminal gangs ... are of increasing concern for domestic and international law enforcement
... [and that] the MS-13 [in particular] continues to expand its influence in the United States.”
62
On October 11, 2012, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S.
Cohen said that “MS-13 is an extremely violent and dangerous gang responsible for a multitude
of crimes that directly threaten ... U.S. citizens, as well as countries throughout Central
America.”
63
U.S. officials are striving to coordinate anti-gang initiatives on both the domestic and
international fronts, taking into account their likely impact on domestic security, on the one hand,
and on foreign relations with the countries of Central America and Mexico, on the other.
Congressional Interest and A
ppropriations for Anti-Gang and
Related Security Effort
s in Central America
Congress has expressed concern about the problem of transnational gangs and interest in the
effectiveness of U.S. international anti-gang efforts. Since the 110
th
Congress, interest in the topic
of gangs and violence in Central America has included concerns about the domestic and
international criminal activities of the gangs, as well as the relationship between gangs and drug
trafficking organizations. Members of Congress have also expressed interest in the effects of U.S.
deportation policy and
mano dura
approaches in the region on Central American gangs. As
Congress has appropriated significant funding for an
ti-gang efforts, there has also been oversight
of the efficacy of U.S. programs that affect Central American gangs.
Since the enactment of the FY2008 Consolidated
Appropriations Act, P.L. 110-161, Congress has
appropriated global International Narcotics C
ontrol and Law Enforcement (INCLE) funding for
anti-gang programs in Central America that are led by the Bureau of International Narcotics and
Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
64
Between FY2008 and FY2012, Congress provided $27 million
through that mechanism, although the funds requested have been trending downward.
65
As
subsequently discussed, a Regional Gang Advisor based in El Salvador coordinates the anti-gang
funds in support of the 2007
U.S. Strategy to Combat the Threat of Criminal Gangs from Central
America and Mexico
.
In order to address broader security concerns in Central America, Congress has appropriated
$496.5 million for the countries of Central America since FY2008 under what was formerly
known as the Mérida Initiative-Central America and is now known as the Central American
Regional Security Initiative (CARSI).
66
Of that total, Congress has provided $146 million to the
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for rule of law efforts and crime and
violence prevention programs and to the State Department for cultural programs and small grants.
The Administration requested an additional $107.5 million for CARSI for FY2013. In the absence
of a final FY2013 foreign appropriations measure, Congress passed a continuing resolution,

H.J.Res. 117, to fund most foreign aid programs—iincluding CARSI—at FY2012 levels plus 0.6% through March 27, 2013.