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Yemen warring parties commit to ceasefire, UN-led peace process, says envoy

Yemen warring parties commit to ceasefire, UN-led peace process, says envoy

Rival groups commit to new ceasefire and engage in UN-led peace process to end the nine-year war, says UN special envoy for Yemen. The warring sides in the long-running conflict in Yemen have committed to steps towards a ceasefire and engage in a United Nations-led peace process, according to the UN special envoy for Yemen. The announcement by Hans Grundberg on Saturday marks the latest step to end a nine-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Following a series of meetings between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Iran-aligned Houthis in Saudi Arabia and Oman, a statement by Grundberg’s office said he “welcomes the parties’ commitment to a set of measures to implement a nationwide ceasefire, improve living conditions in Yemen, and engage in preparations for the resumption of an inclusive political process”. The envoy “will now engage with the parties to establish a roadmap under UN auspices that includes these commitments and supports their implementation”, the statement said. The plan, along with a ceasefire, will also include the two sides’ commitment to resume oil exports, pay all public sector salaries, open roads in Taiz and other parts of Yemen, and “further ease restrictions on Sanaa Airport and the Hodeidah port”, it added. Yemen has been gripped with conflict since the Houthis took control of capital Sanaa in 2014, triggering a Saudi-led military intervention in support of the government forces the following year. A UN-brokered ceasefire that took effect in April 2022 brought a sharp reduction in hostilities in the country of 30 million people. The truce expired in October last year, though fighting largely remains on hold. In September, Houthi officials visited Riyadh for the first time since the war broke out. That followed a first round of Omani-mediated consultations between Riyadh and Sanaa. The peace initiatives gained momentum after regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish ties in a deal brokered by China. The UN envoy’s announcement also came amid a flurry of Houthi attacks on key shipping lanes in the Red Sea in solidarity with the Palestinians under attack in the Gaza Strip for more than two months. Adblock test (Why?)

ICE nabs more than two dozen illegal immigrant sex predators, some with child sex offenses, in LA

ICE nabs more than two dozen illegal immigrant sex predators, some with child sex offenses, in LA

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this week arrested 26 illegal immigrant sex offenders in a two-day operation in California, while the U.S. continues to face an escalating migrant crisis, which has diverted resources to the border. The more than two dozen foreign nationals were arrested between Monday and Wednesday, and the operation focused on those identified as having criminal convictions for sex offenses. Those arrested included child sex predators, including a 40-year-old Mexican who had been convicted in California for felony lewd acts with a child, and continuous sexual abuse. ICE RAMPS UP STAFFING AT SOUTHERN BORDER TO AID CBP WITH NEW MIGRANT SURGE Agents also took into custody a 35-year-old Guatemalan convicted of felony child molestation and a 19-year-old Salvadoran convicted of felony sexual forcible oral copulation of a minor over 14 and battery by restraint. The operation was conducted by the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Los Angeles. “The outcome of this operation exemplifies the professionalism, dedication and commitment of ERO Los Angeles officers to public safety,” Field Office Director Thomas Giles said in a statement. “Removing these individuals and the threats they represent from our communities is our mission, and we will continue to safely and effectively enforce the immigration laws of our nation.” The agency pointed to 46,496 illegal immigrants arrested by ERO in FY 22 with criminal convictions, including 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses. Numbers for FY 23 have not yet been released. The Biden administration has drastically narrowed ICE enforcement, with agents now tasked with only going after illegal immigrants if they pose a risk to public safety or national security or if they are recent border crossers. MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT BORDER SOAR PAST THE 200K MARK IN DECEMBER  The administration says it is narrowing priorities so that it can focus on the biggest threats to national security and public safety with its limited resources. However, there has also been a sharp drop in deportations under the administration, including of criminal illegal aliens. ICE agents are often blocked from doing their jobs by “sanctuary” jurisdictions, which often limit or outright bar local law enforcement cooperation with ICE. Meanwhile, Fox reported this week that ICE is sending resources, including ERO personnel to the border, to aid Customs and Border Protection (CBP) deal with the historic crisis at the southern border. Fox News Digital reported that ERO will provide 141 personnel to assist CBP with border operations. BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SENDING SURGE OF ICE SPECIAL AGENTS TO BORDER AMID INCREASE IN MIGRANT NUMBERS Those duties will include responding to questions regarding medical and transport issues, enrolling illegal immigrants into alternatives to detention (ATD) electronic monitoring and coordinating removals and the necessary travel documents. Meanwhile, the agency currently has 132 ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents at the border, and that number will increase to 197. As part of a memo of understanding, the special agents will be assigned to duties that include hospital watch, transportation, law enforcement searches, security and welfare checks. ICE is a smaller agency than CBP, so moving significant numbers of staff to the border has the potential to impact ongoing operations.

Border Patrol encountered 17 people on terror watch list at southern border in November

Border Patrol encountered 17 people on terror watch list at southern border in November

There were 17 encounters of people between ports of entry at the southern border on the FBI’s terror watch list in November, according to data released Friday by Customs and Border Protection (CBP)  It brings the total of people encountered by the Border Patrol between ports of entry on the watch list to 30 for FY 24, which began in October. The watch list, now officially called the Terrorist Screening Dataset, is the U.S. database that contains information on terrorist identities and includes not only known or suspected terrorists but also affiliates of watch-listed individuals. MIGRANT CRISIS INCREASING STRAIN ON BORDER OFFICIALS, IMMIGRATION COURTS WITH MASSIVE NUMBERS FY 23 saw a record 169 terror watchlist encounters by Border Patrol between the ports of entry at the southern border, a number that exceeded not only fiscal year 2022’s record-setting total (98) but the last six fiscal years combined. The numbers at the ports themselves are significantly higher. There have been 49 encounters at ports at the north and southern borders so far this fiscal year, compared to 564 last year. “Encounters of watchlisted individuals at our borders are very uncommon, underscoring the critical work CBP Agents and Officers carry out every day on the frontlines,” the CBP website says. But the numbers between the ports raise concerns given that those who have dangerous criminal histories or ties may seek to enter the U.S. either as part of a group of migrants or evade Border Patrol as “gotaways.” NOVEMBER SAW NEARLY QUARTER OF A MILLION MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AMID NEW BORDER SURGE The number of terror watchlist encounters drew more attention in the wake of the Hamas terror attack on Israel, with lawmakers expressing concern that terrorist fighters may seek to cross into the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security’s threat assessment, published in October, noted that agents have encountered a growing number on the watch list and warned that “terrorists and criminal actors may exploit the elevated flow and increasingly complex security environment to enter the United States.” “Individuals with terrorism connections are interested in using established travel routes and permissive environments to facilitate access to the United States,” the assessment also said. The numbers are only a small part of the 242,000+ migrants encountered at the southern border in November, which marked the highest November on record and the third-highest month on record. It comes as the Border Patrol has been dealing with increased numbers after a FY 23 that broke the record for encounters in a single fiscal year. Agents have been overwhelmed by a surge of migrants from across the globe in places like Lukeville, Arizona, and Eagle Pass, Texas. Monday saw a record 12,600 encounters, the highest recorded in a single day. Sources told Fox that December has already exceeded 200,000 encounters and could easily eclipse November’s numbers, given that agents are encountering 10,000+ a day. MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT BORDER SOAR PAST THE 200K MARK IN DECEMBER, WITH OVER A WEEK STILL TO GO Meanwhile, sources told Fox News this week that the Border Patrol has released more than 386,000 illegal immigrants into the U.S. with notices to appear. That does not include those released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and does not include migrants paroled into the U.S. via the CBP One app at ports of entry. Meanwhile, border security measures and asylum limits are being debated in Washington as lawmakers seek to find agreement on the White House’s supplemental funding request, which includes $14 billion for border funding. Republicans have demanded greater limits on asylum and limits on the use of humanitarian parole. While lawmakers have expressed optimism on a potential agreement, it is not expected before January at the earliest. Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.