International
Texas Governor criticizes the new restrictions on Biden’s asylum: “They don’t change anything”
The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, criticized the new restrictions on asylum at the border announced by the Administration of President Joe Biden, assuring that they will do nothing to reduce irregular crossings.
The measures, which came into effect this Wednesday morning, “do not change anything with respect to the chaos that Biden created on the border,” the Republican said in an interview with Fox News.
As of today, most people subject to detention crossing irregularly to the United States will be considered “unfit” to seek asylum, except in some exceptional cases or that meet stricter standards to apply to other types of protections.
The restrictions, harshly criticized by human rights groups, will only be lifted when irregular crossings drop from more than 2,500 to an average of 1,500 a day, a figure that has not been recorded since 2020.
Abbott, a close ally of former President Donald Trump and a pioneer in anti-immigrant measures in the United States, assured that what the restrictions will do is increase the number of people crossing without being detected by the authorities.
“It will attract more people to come to our country illegally; there are people who cross every day who do not want to ask for asylum, who are criminals, rapists, murderers,” he said in the interview.
To apply for asylum in the United States, the law stipulates that a person must already be in U.S. territory.
In 2023, the Biden government imposed a dating system, through a mobile application called CBP One, which limits the number of people who can show up each day at the ports of entry to ask for this protection. Throughout the border, which spans more than 3,139 kilometers, there are only 1,450 daily appointments available.
Desperate and in the face of the dangers of staying in Mexico, where they are subject to the violence of cartels and insecurity, many migrants decide to cross irregularly into the United States to surrender to the US authorities.
The new restrictions seek to prevent most of these people from seeking asylum and being quickly deported to their countries of origin or to Mexico if they are Mexican, Venezuelan, Cuban, Haitian or Nicaraguan.
However, it remains to be seen how the Government manages to enforce the new orders, since it has a limited capacity both to keep people in detention centers for migrants and to carry out deportation flights.
Hundreds of thousands of people have arrived so far this year at the southern border of the United States, the world’s first economy, in search of better opportunities and fleeing deep social and political crises in countries such as Venezuela, Nicaragua or Haiti.
The entire American continent is registering high numbers of people movement, with more than 21 million currently displaced, according to data from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
International
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
The Chinese government emphasized on Monday the importance of “creating the conditions to return to the proper path of dialogue” between Iran and Israel, which have exchanged attacks in recent days resulting in more than 20 Israeli and over 220 Iranian deaths.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed deep concern at a press conference over the Israeli attacks on Iran and the “sudden escalation” of the military conflict.
Guo called on all parties to “take immediate measures to ease tensions and prevent the region from descending into further turmoil,” stating that “force cannot bring lasting peace.”
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify or even expand, the countries of the Middle East will be the first to suffer the consequences,” he added, while noting that China “will continue to maintain communication with the relevant parties, promoting peace and dialogue.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke last Saturday with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to condemn the Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory, which he described as a “violation of international law” with the potential to trigger “disastrous” consequences.
In both calls, Wang reiterated China’s rejection of the use of force, defended diplomacy as the only solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute, and offered China’s mediation to prevent further destabilization in the Middle East.
International
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Sunday the arrest of Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the main suspect in the killing of Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in a Brooklyn Park suburb on Friday night.
Boelter, who also reportedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday morning, was apprehended in Sibley County following an intensive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers.
In a public statement, Governor Walz condemned Boelter’s “unthinkable actions,” which resulted in the death of a woman who “shaped the core of who we are as a state.”
“We cannot become numb to this. We are a deeply divided nation,” Walz said in a statement posted on his X account.
“We move forward not with hatred or violence, but with humility, grace, and civility,” he added.
Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, Walz said the entire state of Minnesota is in mourning. He also thanked law enforcement for their bravery and professionalism: “They have saved lives,” he emphasized.
“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” Walz concluded. “We must honor Melissa by moving forward with understanding, service, and above all, humanity.”
Throughout Sunday, police and sheriff units searched a rural area in Minnesota for Vance Luther Boelter, a security company director and preacher who, according to Governor Walz, acted out of politically motivated violence.
International
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Approximately 40,000 tourists are stranded in Israel following the closure of the country’s airspace amid escalating hostilities with Iran, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism reported on Monday.
The ministry has set up a virtual office to provide information via email (virtual@goisrael.gov.il) and phone (+972-53-583-5808), as well as a Facebook page called Israel Virtual Tourist Office.
Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz is in contact with hotels and accommodations across the country to offer support to tourists in need, the ministry added.
Many stranded travelers are considering crossing overland into Jordan or Egypt to seek flights from those countries. The Israel Airports Authority reminded the public that land border crossings remain open.
Three German tourists stranded in Jerusalem told EFE today that they have not received any assistance from their country’s embassy in Israel, and their primary option currently is to cross into Jordan to catch a flight from there.
Since early Friday morning, Israel launched operations against Iran, targeting military personnel and infrastructure, including energy and nuclear facilities, as well as numerous residential areas in Tehran.
In response, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have struck various locations across the country, leaving at least 24 dead so far, according to Israeli authorities.
Iranian health officials report at least 224 deaths, mostly civilians, including at least 17 senior military officials—nine from the Revolutionary Guard—and more than a dozen nuclear scientists.
The Israeli military has warned that many more “targets” remain, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared on Monday that it will continue missile attacks against Israel until its “destruction.”
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Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
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