GOES SEEKS EMBASSY SUPPORT WITH DHS ON DEPORTATION

UNCLAS SAN SALVADOR 001615

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CEN
DHS FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY JMYERS
NSC FOR DFISK

SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ES
SUBJECT: GOES SEEKS EMBASSY SUPPORT WITH DHS ON DEPORTATION
PROCESSING ISSUES

REFS: A) Barclay-Myers telecom, 6/16/06; B) Myers-Barclay e-mail,
6/16/06


1. (SBU) Summary: Senior GOES officials appealed to Ambassador on
June 14 for help with El Salvador's deportations-related agenda with
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Ambassador spoke with DHS
Assistant Secretary Julie Myers to discuss the issue of DHS financial
support for document processing. Progress on this issue and others
will be essential to maintaining the financially hard-strapped GOES'
focus on DHS needs. End Summary.


2. (SBU) On June 14, Ambassador met with Salvadoran Minister of
Interior (Gobernacion) Rene Figueroa, Director of Migration Jorge
Santibanez Huete, Commissioner for Deportations Jaime Vigil and
Salvadoran Ambassador to the United States Rene Leon at the
Minister's request. Figueroa expressed frustration over the lack of
progress from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on
deportation-related issues important to El Salvador and appealed to
the Ambassador personally to help move the agenda forward. El
Salvador "felt abandoned," he said. Figueroa also said that, given
the lack of responsiveness from DHS on a list of items important to
the GOES, his government was questioning the political value of
cooperating with the U.S. on deportations.


3. (SBU) Minister Figueroa told the Ambassador that the GOES had
made progress on measures asked of it by DHS - in particular, lifting
the cap on the number of deportees who could arrive on a single
flight and in a given week, and receiving various DHS delegations -
but issues important to El Salvador had gone unaddressed. Leon
shared with the Ambassador the draft text of a DHS/ICE press release
[relating to using videoconferences to expedite out-processing of
deportees] which, they said, would put the GOES in a very difficult
situation politically. Figueroa referred to strong criticism the
GOES had received domestically for lifting the cap. Leon commented
that it appeared DHS was interested only in removal of Salvadorans
from the United States and had not followed up on the comprehensive
plan. Leon brought to the meeting a copy of a June 9 letter he had
sent the Secretary, conveying a letter from Figueroa to Secretary
Chertoff. This letter listed 7 items on which the GOES awaited DHS
action. Leon stressed the importance of the USG coming forward even
with small things to help it manage the political issue. Figueroa
appealed to the Ambassador to help push El Salvador's agenda, naming
the $40 processing fee, videoconferencing, and the prisoner exchange
treaty.


4. (SBU) Ambassador expressed disappointment with progress to date,
especially with the processing fee which had been promised by senior
DHS officials during their visit to El Salvador in September.
Embassy officials also reviewed some areas in which the USG had
sought to carry through, citing the server to be provided by INL and
collaboration on sharing biometric information. Emboffs urged GOES
to approach the Department of Justice to advance the prisoner
exchange treaty, as DOJ had jurisdiction; Leon asked the Embassy to
help engage Justice. (Figueroa noted that they could discuss how to
move the treaty quickly at the multilateral level if that necessary.
He said that the GOES was almost ready to send ratification of the
prisoner exchange treaty to its legislature.) He also asked
Ambassador to convey GOES concerns through State Department channels.
Immigration Director Santibanez added that GOES officials had met
with INL Assistant Secretary Ann Patterson, who had indicated that
she had funds for biometrics. He asked Embassy to convey to her that
the GOES was on top of the issue.


5. (SBU) Ambassador spoke with DHS Assistant Secretary Julie Myers on
June 16 to review problems related to the processing fee. Myers
informed the Ambassador later that day that she had subsequently
spoken to Santibanez, and that she believed that the issue was on its
way to resolution.


6. (SBU) Comment: Ambassador had pressed hard to have the GOES meet
DHS goals, using the DHS processing fee as leverage in getting the
financially hard-pressed GOES to commit resources necessary for
expeditious reception of more deportees. The lengthy delay in
working out a mechanism for delivering the document processing fee
has undercut USG credibility. Several of the other issues raised in
the Figueroa letter are not directly related to the deportation
issue, but progress in other areas as appropriate would be helpful in
maintaining GOES focus on DHS' needs.