ACTING DHS U/S BEARDSWORTH MEETS WITH GOES GOVERNANCE MINISTER FIGUEROA

Id: 40038
Date: 9/7/2005 15:02
Refid: 05SANSALVADOR2475
Origin: Embassy San Salvador
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Destination:
Header:
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

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C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 002475

SIPDIS

DHS FOR ACTING U/S BEARDSWORTH

EMBASSY FOR DHS SOTOMAYOR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10 YEARS

TAGS: PINS, PREL, PTER, SOCI, KCRM, KJUS, ES

SUBJECT: ACTING DHS U/S BEARDSWORTH MEETS WITH GOES

GOVERNANCE MINISTER FIGUEROA

Classified By: CDA Michael A. Butler for reasons 1.4(b) & (d)

1. (C) Summary: On September 2, Acting DHS U/S Beardsworth
and Minister of Governance Rene Figueroa met to discuss
border and migration issues.  The meeting focused on violent
(mostly gang members) and non-violent (mostly immigration
violators) deportees.  GOES officials demanded more
background information on violent criminals deported from the
United States.  Beardsworth stated his willingness to work
with them on the issue.  He described the current backlog of
Salvadorans awaiting removal and expressed the need to
expedite the issuance of Salvadoran travel documents for
non-violent offenders.  Figueroa agreed to enter into
technical discussions on the issues raised by Beardsworth.
END SUMMARY.

2. (SBU) Acting U/S Beardsworth and GOES Governance Minister
Rene Figueroa met on September 2, to review border and
migration issues.  Also in attendance were Ambassador
Barclay, DCM Butler, GOES Vice Minister Rodrigo Avila and
GOES Vice Minister Silvia Aguilar.  GOES officials focused
their presentation on the deportation of Salvadorans who
entered the U.S. illegally, committed serious crimes, and are
deported to El Salvador at the conclusion of their prison
sentence. They stressed the difficulty the GOES faces in
assimilating these individuals due to the lack of information
regarding the names, gang affiliations, and criminal
histories of deportees.  They noted that Mexico has a
prisoner transfer treaty with the U.S., and that criminal
deportees who are returned to Mexico must complete their
original sentences.  GOES officials also objected to reducing
the sentences of violent offenders in order to deport them
quicker.  They expressed their willingness to explore how
criminals could serve their full sentences, either in the
U.S. or in El Salvador.
 

3. (C) Beardsworth agreed that information should be shared
between the two countries as U.S. and international
agreements permit.  He reminded GOES officials that they
could sign the OAS treaty on prisoner transfers to initiate a
prisoner transfer agreement.  He stated his willingness to
increase cooperation in criminal investigations and
information sharing. Beardsworth moved the discussion from
violent criminal detainees to the much larger population of
non-violent detainees.  He stated that approximately 100
Salvadorans are detained for illegal entry into the U.S. each
day, but that DHS can only remove 100 Salvadorans per week.
He emphasized that the failure to deport Salvadorans more
quickly is caused by the GOES inability to issue requisite
travel documents in a timely manner.  To assist the GOES in
the issuance of Salvadoran travel documents, Mr. Beardsworth
proposed that the USG centralize the location of Salvadoran
deportees, allowing a single consular officer to provide
travel document services.  He also stated that the U.S. might
be open to paying a small processing fee to expedite the
production of travel documents.  Beardsworth emphasized that
DHS is open to any suggestions or requests for assistance
that will expedite the issuance of Salvadoran travel
documents.
 

4. (SBU) Avila noted that the GOES had a positive
relationship with the USG and that the GOES was ready to
negotiate.  He stated that even if progress could be made
regarding non-violent returnees, the crime situation in El
Salvador required the prompt focus on returnees with criminal
records.  GOES officials agreed to technical discussions in
coming weeks of issues raised by Beardsworth.

 
5.  (U) This cable was not cleared by U/S Beardsworth prior
to his departure.

Butler
 

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