Latest news with #border security
Free Malaysia Today
an hour ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
National Integrated Immigration System to begin operating in October
The autogate system at KLIA will also incorporate AI for facial recognition, in order to address issues of integrity more effectively. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR : The immigration department is set to begin using the National Integrated Immigration System (NIISe) in October, a move aimed at enhancing border security through artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Immigration director-general Zakaria Shaaban said the entry control system would be used to screen visitors and tourists prior to their departure from their country of origin to Malaysia. 'Currently, we have separate systems that do not allow access to data from other agencies such as the police, but now, we will integrate all the data for more effective output before making any decisions. 'Through this system, tourists and visitors will be screened in their country of origin before departure. If they are found to be ineligible to enter (Malaysia), the airline will automatically prevent them from boarding,' he said as a guest on Bernama TV's Ruang Bicara last night. He said the application of NIISe was one of the department's initiatives to utilise AI technology, to enhance the efficiency and integrity of its service delivery. 'Through NIISe, we will also introduce a chatbot, allowing the public to ask questions directly through the system without needing to make phone calls or visit counters,' he said. Zakaria said the autogate system using QR code technology at KLIA would also incorporate AI for facial recognition, in order to address issues of integrity more effectively. 'This technology helps us reduce human involvement in decision-making. That is why we are moving towards the full use of autogates at our entry points,' he said. Zakaria said the department would also step up enforcement efforts against illegal immigrants this year to maintain public confidence in it. He said as of this year, 49,000 illegal immigrants had been detained for various immigration offences, while action had been taken against 1,064 employers for harbouring illegal immigrants in residential premises, rumah kongsi or shared residences and construction sites.
CBC
17 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Majority of people arrested in U.S. immigration raids have no criminal record, data shows
Social Sharing U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to deport "the worst of the worst," yet the majority of people currently detained by immigration agents have no criminal convictions, according to government data regarding ongoing detentions. As well, relatively few have been convicted of high-level crimes — a stark contrast to the chilling nightmare Trump describes to support his border security agenda. The latest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) statistics show that as of June 29, there were 57,861 people detained by ICE, 41,495 — 71.7 per cent — of whom had no criminal convictions. That includes 14,318 people with pending criminal charges and 27,177 who are subject to immigration enforcement, but have no known criminal convictions or pending criminal charges. "There's a deep disconnect between the rhetoric and the reality," said Ahilan Arulanantham, co-faculty director of the UCLA Law School's Center for Immigration Law and Policy. Each detainee is assigned a threat level by ICE on a scale of 1 to 3, with one being the highest. Those without a criminal record are classified as having "no ICE threat level." As of June 23, the latest data available, 84 per cent of people detained at 201 facilities nationwide were not given a threat level. Another 7 per cent had been graded as a level 1 threat, 4 per cent were level 2 and 5 per cent were level 3. Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, said the administration is intensely focused on rooting out unvetted criminals who are in the country illegally. "Just this week, the Administration conducted a successful operation rescuing children from labour exploitation at a marijuana facility in California, and continued arresting the worst of the worst — including murderers, pedophiles, gang members, and rapists," she wrote in an email. "Any suggestion that the Administration is not laser-focused on these dangerous criminals is flat out wrong." Trump advisor sets arrest quotas Nonpublic data obtained by the libertarian think-tank Cato Institute shows that as of June 14, 65 per cent of the more than 204,000 people processed into the system by ICE since the start of fiscal year 2025, which began Oct. 1, 2024, had no criminal convictions. Of those with convictions, only 6.9 per cent had committed a violent crime, while 53 per cent had committed nonviolent crimes that fell into three main categories — immigration, traffic or vice crimes. While most ICE detainees are not convicted criminals, there are detainees who have committed serious crimes. On Friday, the administration released information on five high-level offenders who had been arrested. During his campaign, Trump referred to migrants as "vermin," and highlighted several cases where immigrants in the country illegally were arrested for horrific crimes. In January, he signed into law the Laken Riley Act, which requires the detention of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes. The act is named after the 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was slain last year by a Venezuelan man in the U.S. illegally. Research has consistently found, however, that immigrants are not driving violent crime in the U.S. and that they actually commit fewer crimes than native-born Americans. A 2023 working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, for example, reported that immigrants for 150 years have had lower incarceration rates than those born in the U.S. In fact, the rates have declined since 1960 — according to the paper, immigrants were 60 per cent less likely to be incarcerated. "President Trump has justified this immigration agenda in part by making false claims that migrants are driving violent crime in the United States, and that's just simply not true," said Lauren-Brooke Eisen, senior director of the justice program at the Brennan Center for Justice. "There's no research and evidence that supports his claims." WATCH l Legal battles play out over Trump deployment of military: Trump can keep control of National Guard in L.A. for now, U.S. appeals court rules 1 month ago Duration 4:44 A U.S. appeals court has allowed President Donald Trump to maintain his deployment of California National Guard troops in Los Angeles, temporarily pausing a lower court's ruling that had ordered control of the troops should be returned to the state. Total ICE arrests shot up at the end of May after White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller gave the agency a quota of 3,000 arrests a day, up from 650 a day in the first five months of Trump's second term. ICE arrested nearly 30 per cent more people in May than in April, according to the Transactional Records Clearinghouse, or TRAC. That number rose again in June, by another 28 per cent. Experts say the false rhetoric coming out of the Trump administration creates real harm. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the recent wave of immigration enforcement has been driven by an "arbitrary arrest quota" and based on "broad stereotypes based on race or ethnicity." Farm raid turns deadly Immigrants and Latino communities across Southern California have been on edge for weeks since the Trump administration stepped up arrests at car washes, Home Depot parking lots, immigration courts and a range of businesses. Tens of thousands of people have participated in rallies in the region over the raids and the subsequent deployment of the National Guard and Marines to the Los Angeles area. A farmworker who fell from a greenhouse roof during a chaotic ICE raid this week at a California cannabis facility died Saturday of his injuries, becoming the first known person to die during one of the Trump administration's ongoing immigration enforcement operations. Yesenia Duran, the niece of Jaime Alanis, 57, confirmed Alanis's death to The Associated Press. The Department of Homeland Security said it executed criminal search warrants Thursday at Glass House Farms facilities in Camarillo and Carpinteria. Glass House is a licensed cannabis grower. The farm in Camarillo also grows tomatoes and cucumbers. Alanis called family to say he was hiding and possibly was fleeing agents before he fell about nine metres from the roof and broke his neck, according to information from family, hospital and government sources. Agents arrested some 200 people suspected of being in the country illegally, DHS said in a statement. Alanis was not among them, the agency said. During the raid crowds of people gathered outside the facility in Camarillo to seek information about their relatives and protest immigration enforcement. Authorities clad in military-style helmets and uniforms faced off with the demonstrators, and people ultimately retreated amid acrid green and white billowing smoke. Four U.S. citizens were arrested during the incident for allegedly "assaulting or resisting officers," according to DHS, and authorities were offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a person suspected of firing a gun at federal agents.
Zawya
a day ago
- Zawya
Saudi authorities arrest over 21,000 residency and labor violators in one week
RIYADH — The Ministry of Interior announced that more than 21,000 individuals were arrested in a nationwide crackdown on residency, labor, and border security violations during the past week. The arrests included over 12,500 violators of residency regulations, 5,500 individuals breaching border security laws, and approximately 3,000 for labor-related offenses. The campaign is part of ongoing efforts to maintain public order and enforce compliance with national regulations. Authorities also intercepted 2,072 individuals attempting to illegally cross into the Kingdom, with 47 percent identified as Yemeni nationals and 52 percent as Ethiopians. An additional 28 individuals were caught trying to exit Saudi Arabia unlawfully. Meanwhile, 37 people were apprehended for facilitating illegal entry, transportation, shelter, or employment of violators, including those covering up such offenses. Currently, 14,000 violators are undergoing legal procedures, with around 12,400 of them being men. The Ministry also reported that 6,200 violators have been referred to their respective diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents, 3,300 are finalizing travel arrangements, and 10,000 individuals have been deported. The Ministry of Interior reiterated its warning that anyone who assists violators — whether by providing transportation, shelter, or any form of support — faces penalties of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to SR1 million, and confiscation of any vehicles or properties used. Offenders will also be publicly named as part of the punishment. © Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Starmer to discuss ‘global problem' of illegal migration with German Chancellor
The Prime Minister is due to discuss border security with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz this week as Sir Keir Starmer called illegal migration 'a global problem'. Writing in the Sunday Express newspaper, Sir Keir said Mr Merz's visit to the UK will include talks on 'what more we can do together to prosecute criminal networks and prevent people smuggling to the UK'. 'The networks of these criminal gangs stretch across countless countries and legal systems, showing no respect for our borders,' he added. 'We'll go further to tackle this shared issue together.' According to the Home Office, 353 people crossed the English Channel by small boat on Friday, just a day after the Prime Minister signed a deal with French President Emmanuel Macron aimed at deterring migrants from making the perilous journey. This was down from the 573 people who crossed on Thursday, the first time any such journeys were made in a week. More crossings were witnessed on Saturday, but the full figures are yet to be published. Border force vessels and the RNLI were called out on both Thursday and Friday to reports of multiple boats crossing the channel, the Coastguard said. A statement from the Coastguard said: 'HM Coastguard has been co-ordinating a response to multiple incidents involving small boats in the Channel on 10 and 11 July. 'UK Border Force and RNLI vessels have been sent as part of this response.' Under the terms of the deal agreed by the Prime Minister and Mr Macron, the UK will be able to send migrants back to France for the first time in exchange for asylum seekers with links to Britain. The so-called one in, one out deal is due to begin in weeks on a pilot basis, but needs final legal verification from the EU. Downing Street has indicated ministers expect the EU to support the arrangement, amid concerns among some European governments that migrants who have travelled to Britain could end up back on their territory. No details have been given about how many people will be covered by the pilot, but French officials had indicated it could initially be limited to about 50 a week, a small fraction of the weekly average this year of 782. Sir Keir wrote: 'This is what serious, practical solutions to global problems look like. 'We will do our duty as a compassionate country, accepting genuine asylum seekers who respect our rules and our way of life. That is fair. 'But people who try to make the crossing illegally will soon find themselves back where they started. That is a real deterrent.' At least 21,000 people have already made the journey since January, putting 2025 on course to be a record year for crossings.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Starmer to discuss ‘global problem' of illegal migration with German Chancellor
The Prime Minister is due to discuss border security with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz this week as Sir Keir Starmer called illegal migration 'a global problem'. Writing in the Sunday Express newspaper, Sir Keir said Mr Merz's visit to the UK will include talks on 'what more we can do together to prosecute criminal networks and prevent people smuggling to the UK'. 'The networks of these criminal gangs stretch across countless countries and legal systems, showing no respect for our borders,' he added. 'We'll go further to tackle this shared issue together.' According to the Home Office, 353 people crossed the English Channel by small boat on Friday, just a day after the Prime Minister signed a deal with French President Emmanuel Macron aimed at deterring migrants from making the perilous journey. This was down from the 573 people who crossed on Thursday, the first time any such journeys were made in a week. More crossings were witnessed on Saturday, but the full figures are yet to be published. Border force vessels and the RNLI were called out on both Thursday and Friday to reports of multiple boats crossing the channel, the Coastguard said. A statement from the Coastguard said: 'HM Coastguard has been co-ordinating a response to multiple incidents involving small boats in the Channel on 10 and 11 July. 'UK Border Force and RNLI vessels have been sent as part of this response.' Under the terms of the deal agreed by the Prime Minister and Mr Macron, the UK will be able to send migrants back to France for the first time in exchange for asylum seekers with links to Britain. The so-called one in, one out deal is due to begin in weeks on a pilot basis, but needs final legal verification from the EU. Downing Street has indicated ministers expect the EU to support the arrangement, amid concerns among some European governments that migrants who have travelled to Britain could end up back on their territory. No details have been given about how many people will be covered by the pilot, but French officials had indicated it could initially be limited to about 50 a week, a small fraction of the weekly average this year of 782. Sir Keir wrote: 'This is what serious, practical solutions to global problems look like. 'We will do our duty as a compassionate country, accepting genuine asylum seekers who respect our rules and our way of life. That is fair. 'But people who try to make the crossing illegally will soon find themselves back where they started. That is a real deterrent.' At least 21,000 people have already made the journey since January, putting 2025 on course to be a record year for crossings.
