Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MEXICO909
2009-03-26 23:21:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Mexico
Cable title:
CONSULATES NOGALES AND HERMOSILLO'S CONSULATES
how-toVZCZCXRO1717 RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM DE RUEHME #0909/01 0852321 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 262321Z MAR 09 ZDS FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5862 INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RHMFIUU/HQ USNORTHCOM RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MEXICO 000909
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (PARA MARKINGS)
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SNAR KCRM MX
SUBJECT: CONSULATES NOGALES AND HERMOSILLO'S CONSULATES
NOGALES AND HERMOSILLO'S "MIGRANT TOUR"
MEXICO 00000909 001.4 OF 003
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MEXICO 000909
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (PARA MARKINGS)
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SNAR KCRM MX
SUBJECT: CONSULATES NOGALES AND HERMOSILLO'S CONSULATES
NOGALES AND HERMOSILLO'S "MIGRANT TOUR"
MEXICO 00000909 001.4 OF 003
1. (SBU) On February 24 and 25, Hermosillo and Nogales conoffs
toured a common staging area in northern Sonora, following
the well-worn route that &polleros,8 or migrant smugglers,
use to move people from southern Mexico through the desert
into the United States. Conoffs spoke with those who provide
information and services to border-crossers while visiting
shelters, flophouses and a returning migrant processing
center at the Mariposa Point of Entry (POE),as well as one
for minors in Nogales, Sonora. Border Patrol (USBP) in
Nogales led a night run, showing first-hand how agents locate
and apprehend fence-jumpers.
Altar and Sasabe
--------------
2. (SBU) The only industry to speak of in Altar is illegal
migration. The town's square is surrounded with kiosks
selling backpacks and clothing -- black and desert camouflage
the only colors. For its size, Altar has an impressive
number of low-end restaurants which offer a mixture of
southern Mexican and Central American cuisine, reflecting the
make-up of Altar's temporary residents.
3. (SBU) Altar's flophouses are overcrowded with as many as 18
beds in a 12,x15, room. Nightly rates for a wooden plank
that serves as a &bed8 start at 30 pesos ($2.18),with
guests given the option to pay extra for mattresses,
blankets, and pillows. Even in the cool 80 degrees of
February, unwashed travelers rendered the rooms warm and
fetid. Security in the temporary lodging facilities is a
concern and several people mentioned the need to keep track
of their valuables and apparel ) most notably shoes ) at
all times.
4. (SBU) Conditions were better at a no-charge Catholic-run
shelter which provides food, clothing and lodging, but is
reserved for those turned around at the border. Many of its
residents were in poor condition following their attempted
trips through the Sonoran Desert and had few reserves,
physical or financial, with which to survive. The shelter
also housed a "make shift" training center to teach
migrants how to identify desert vegetation that could aid (or
hinder) their journey and how to locate sources of water set
up by American NGOs north of the border.
5. (SBU) Once ready to depart Altar, migrants board one of the
fleet of vans in the town center arranged by their
"pollero" to begin the drive north to the desert just
outside Sasabe. Polleros curiously sell only round-trip
tickets for the Altar-Sasabe one-way journey at the cost of
USD 50
6. (SBU) New fencing stretches out a total of seven miles at the
Sasabe port of entry. Migrants have to make their way either
east or west from the tiny village, usually on foot, to a
point where they can cross the border unseen. At that point,
most migrants have only begun the most difficult part of
their journey, however, as they have yet to cross 100 miles
to the nearest population center north of the border.
Night Run with Border Patrol in Nogales
--------------
7. (SBU) Border Patrol agents in Nogales have put to use
significant additional resources, such as new vehicles,
armor, and weapons, new bollard, fencing and National
Guard technical support to greatly increase their ability to
detect and apprehend illegal crossers at the border.
Transported by fully-loaded Chevy Suburbans, conoffs came
face-to-face with three illegal entrants apprehended by BP
bike patrols on the patio of a private home. Minutes later,
BP reported another apprehension: one woman limping from a
twisted ankle and lacerated shin suffered during her jump
over the border fence; the agent had a man in the back of a
BP vehicle; and, another woman was quickly identified as the
third jumper., Initially, she presented her Nevada
driver's license and said she was an LPR that just "happened
to be in the area." However, she soon thereafter confessed
that she had been in the United States illegally before and
had just returned from a visit with her family in Mexico.
8. (SBU) On the outskirts of Nogales dark, rolling hills were
MEXICO 00000909 002.5 OF 003
visible to conoffs with the aid of BP,s night vision
goggles, and the tour ended with a visit to the Nogales BP
Station evidence room. The BP hosts said many individuals
would be caught three or four times before finally heading
back to their places of origin, explaining that the polleros
often provided their "clients" with multiple crossing
attempts included in their fee. According to the Border
patrol, it was not a lack of determination, the dangers of
crossing dessert, or the efforts of BP that ended an
immigrant's attempts to cross the border, but rather the lack
of funds to pay for another try.
Mariposa Migrant Center Visit
--------------
9. (SBU) The morning of February 25, the Hermosillo contingent and
one officer from Nogales were scheduled for a "quick tour"
of a center at the Mariposa POE, which provides food,
clothing, and medical attention to repatriated migrants. The
visit unexpectedly turned into a media event with over 100
U.S. and Mexican volunteers, NGOs and journalists in
attendance. One NGO, "No More Deaths," presented a report
for Secretary Clinton criticizing U.S. migration policy in
general and the Border Patrol's treatment of migrants more
specifically. Highlighting alternatives to illegal entry,
Hermosillo CG Breidenstine briefed the group on ways in which
Mexicans could work legally in the United States, outlining
the H2A and B visa program. While one NGO volunteer called
the comments naive, as they did not address the policy issue,
most participants welcomed more information about the H visa,
as they had never before heard of the program.
Nogales DIF Center for Repatriated Minors
--------------
10. (SBU) Conoffs visited the Nogales-based new, 80-bed, secure
DIF center for an intimate look at the processing of
unaccompanied minors repatriated via the Nogales POE. DIF
reported that it was working closely with U.S. Border Patrol
to ensure that the unaccompanied minors, repatriation took
place during the day to facilitate check-in at the shelter.
As a matter of course, BP turns the minors over to the
Mexican Consulate in Nogales, Arizona, which coordinates with
DIF to pick them up, create a file for each child and
photograph them. DIF then uploads the photos onto a website
(http://www.camino-a-casa.org/index2.html) under &Menores
Albergados8 to facilitate reuniting the children with their
families.
Conclusions
--------------
11. (SBU) Conditions for migrants are stark, and the ones in Altar
are the poorest of the poor. These trips prove to be
expensive, uncomfortable, unhygienic, extremely dangerous,
and sometimes even fatal. It is hard to comprehend why so
many people continue to throw their fate into the hands of
the polleros in hope that they will make it across the
Sonoran desert and into the United States alive.
Surprisingly, not one of the migrants, nor any of the NGO
volunteers we met, had ever heard about the H2A or H2B worker
visas. Clearly, more needs to be done to reach out and
educate both U.S. companies and the potential Mexican
laborers on both the H2A and H2B visa programs.
Next Steps
--------------
12. (SBU) ConGen Hermosillo has assigned an officer to lead the
outreach effort in its district, starting with the Hermosillo
airport, through which many Altar-bound migrants pass, and a
local shelter, where stowaways on the Nogales-bound train
from southern Mexico stop for a free meal, bed and medical
attention. A plan is also in place to look at ways to
educate those who provide services to returning migrants so
that they can encourage the migrants to consider legal
alternatives. Furthermore, ConGen Hermosillo is working on a
PowerPoint presentation to brief U.S. companies on the
petitioning process for the H2A, H2B and other worker visas.
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American
MEXICO 00000909 003.4 OF 003
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (PARA MARKINGS)
Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap /
BASSETT
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (PARA MARKINGS)
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SNAR KCRM MX
SUBJECT: CONSULATES NOGALES AND HERMOSILLO'S CONSULATES
NOGALES AND HERMOSILLO'S "MIGRANT TOUR"
MEXICO 00000909 001.4 OF 003
1. (SBU) On February 24 and 25, Hermosillo and Nogales conoffs
toured a common staging area in northern Sonora, following
the well-worn route that &polleros,8 or migrant smugglers,
use to move people from southern Mexico through the desert
into the United States. Conoffs spoke with those who provide
information and services to border-crossers while visiting
shelters, flophouses and a returning migrant processing
center at the Mariposa Point of Entry (POE),as well as one
for minors in Nogales, Sonora. Border Patrol (USBP) in
Nogales led a night run, showing first-hand how agents locate
and apprehend fence-jumpers.
Altar and Sasabe
--------------
2. (SBU) The only industry to speak of in Altar is illegal
migration. The town's square is surrounded with kiosks
selling backpacks and clothing -- black and desert camouflage
the only colors. For its size, Altar has an impressive
number of low-end restaurants which offer a mixture of
southern Mexican and Central American cuisine, reflecting the
make-up of Altar's temporary residents.
3. (SBU) Altar's flophouses are overcrowded with as many as 18
beds in a 12,x15, room. Nightly rates for a wooden plank
that serves as a &bed8 start at 30 pesos ($2.18),with
guests given the option to pay extra for mattresses,
blankets, and pillows. Even in the cool 80 degrees of
February, unwashed travelers rendered the rooms warm and
fetid. Security in the temporary lodging facilities is a
concern and several people mentioned the need to keep track
of their valuables and apparel ) most notably shoes ) at
all times.
4. (SBU) Conditions were better at a no-charge Catholic-run
shelter which provides food, clothing and lodging, but is
reserved for those turned around at the border. Many of its
residents were in poor condition following their attempted
trips through the Sonoran Desert and had few reserves,
physical or financial, with which to survive. The shelter
also housed a "make shift" training center to teach
migrants how to identify desert vegetation that could aid (or
hinder) their journey and how to locate sources of water set
up by American NGOs north of the border.
5. (SBU) Once ready to depart Altar, migrants board one of the
fleet of vans in the town center arranged by their
"pollero" to begin the drive north to the desert just
outside Sasabe. Polleros curiously sell only round-trip
tickets for the Altar-Sasabe one-way journey at the cost of
USD 50
6. (SBU) New fencing stretches out a total of seven miles at the
Sasabe port of entry. Migrants have to make their way either
east or west from the tiny village, usually on foot, to a
point where they can cross the border unseen. At that point,
most migrants have only begun the most difficult part of
their journey, however, as they have yet to cross 100 miles
to the nearest population center north of the border.
Night Run with Border Patrol in Nogales
--------------
7. (SBU) Border Patrol agents in Nogales have put to use
significant additional resources, such as new vehicles,
armor, and weapons, new bollard, fencing and National
Guard technical support to greatly increase their ability to
detect and apprehend illegal crossers at the border.
Transported by fully-loaded Chevy Suburbans, conoffs came
face-to-face with three illegal entrants apprehended by BP
bike patrols on the patio of a private home. Minutes later,
BP reported another apprehension: one woman limping from a
twisted ankle and lacerated shin suffered during her jump
over the border fence; the agent had a man in the back of a
BP vehicle; and, another woman was quickly identified as the
third jumper., Initially, she presented her Nevada
driver's license and said she was an LPR that just "happened
to be in the area." However, she soon thereafter confessed
that she had been in the United States illegally before and
had just returned from a visit with her family in Mexico.
8. (SBU) On the outskirts of Nogales dark, rolling hills were
MEXICO 00000909 002.5 OF 003
visible to conoffs with the aid of BP,s night vision
goggles, and the tour ended with a visit to the Nogales BP
Station evidence room. The BP hosts said many individuals
would be caught three or four times before finally heading
back to their places of origin, explaining that the polleros
often provided their "clients" with multiple crossing
attempts included in their fee. According to the Border
patrol, it was not a lack of determination, the dangers of
crossing dessert, or the efforts of BP that ended an
immigrant's attempts to cross the border, but rather the lack
of funds to pay for another try.
Mariposa Migrant Center Visit
--------------
9. (SBU) The morning of February 25, the Hermosillo contingent and
one officer from Nogales were scheduled for a "quick tour"
of a center at the Mariposa POE, which provides food,
clothing, and medical attention to repatriated migrants. The
visit unexpectedly turned into a media event with over 100
U.S. and Mexican volunteers, NGOs and journalists in
attendance. One NGO, "No More Deaths," presented a report
for Secretary Clinton criticizing U.S. migration policy in
general and the Border Patrol's treatment of migrants more
specifically. Highlighting alternatives to illegal entry,
Hermosillo CG Breidenstine briefed the group on ways in which
Mexicans could work legally in the United States, outlining
the H2A and B visa program. While one NGO volunteer called
the comments naive, as they did not address the policy issue,
most participants welcomed more information about the H visa,
as they had never before heard of the program.
Nogales DIF Center for Repatriated Minors
--------------
10. (SBU) Conoffs visited the Nogales-based new, 80-bed, secure
DIF center for an intimate look at the processing of
unaccompanied minors repatriated via the Nogales POE. DIF
reported that it was working closely with U.S. Border Patrol
to ensure that the unaccompanied minors, repatriation took
place during the day to facilitate check-in at the shelter.
As a matter of course, BP turns the minors over to the
Mexican Consulate in Nogales, Arizona, which coordinates with
DIF to pick them up, create a file for each child and
photograph them. DIF then uploads the photos onto a website
(http://www.camino-a-casa.org/index2.html) under &Menores
Albergados8 to facilitate reuniting the children with their
families.
Conclusions
--------------
11. (SBU) Conditions for migrants are stark, and the ones in Altar
are the poorest of the poor. These trips prove to be
expensive, uncomfortable, unhygienic, extremely dangerous,
and sometimes even fatal. It is hard to comprehend why so
many people continue to throw their fate into the hands of
the polleros in hope that they will make it across the
Sonoran desert and into the United States alive.
Surprisingly, not one of the migrants, nor any of the NGO
volunteers we met, had ever heard about the H2A or H2B worker
visas. Clearly, more needs to be done to reach out and
educate both U.S. companies and the potential Mexican
laborers on both the H2A and H2B visa programs.
Next Steps
--------------
12. (SBU) ConGen Hermosillo has assigned an officer to lead the
outreach effort in its district, starting with the Hermosillo
airport, through which many Altar-bound migrants pass, and a
local shelter, where stowaways on the Nogales-bound train
from southern Mexico stop for a free meal, bed and medical
attention. A plan is also in place to look at ways to
educate those who provide services to returning migrants so
that they can encourage the migrants to consider legal
alternatives. Furthermore, ConGen Hermosillo is working on a
PowerPoint presentation to brief U.S. companies on the
petitioning process for the H2A, H2B and other worker visas.
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American
MEXICO 00000909 003.4 OF 003
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (PARA MARKINGS)
Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap /
BASSETT