Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/346601
ByEricaWerner The Associated Press WASHINGTON Two Texas lawmakers announced leg- islation Monday to speed removals of tens of thou- sands of Central American kids from the U.S.-Mexico border, as Washington groped for a solution to the mounting crisis. Legislation brought for- ward by Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican, and Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Demo- crat, would allow U.S. Bor- der Patrol agents to turn many of the kids around quickly at the border. Un- der current law, the youths stay here while awaiting an eventual hearing in the backlogged immigration court system, something that can keep them in this country for years. Hugebacklog Of more than 57,000 unaccompanied minors who've arrived at the bor- der since October, only 1,254 had been returned home as of the end of June, according to a law enforce- ment official who spoke anonymously to discuss confidential data. "The border region in Texas has been over- whelmed over the past few months by a deluge of undocumented immi- grants from Central Amer- ica," Cuellar said in a state- ment. "Today's legislation strengthens current law protecting unaccompanied children and responds to the crisis." The bill comes as the White House is trying to get Congress to sign off on a $3.7 billion emergency spending request to deal with the situation at the border by adding more im- migration judges and de- tention facilities, among other steps. Republicans have made clear they won't agree to such spending without policy changes along the lines of what Cornyn and Cuellar are seeking, and the White House has in- dicated support for some such changes. But immi- grant advocacy groups and key Senate Democrats are opposed, making it unclear if a deal can be struck in the three weeks that re- main before Congress leaves Washington for its annual August recess. Sex trafficking aspect The Cornyn-Cuellar bill would amend a 2008 law passed to address victims of sex trafficking. That leg- islation guaranteed protec- tions to unaccompanied youths arriving here from "noncontiguous" countries — anywhere except Mexico or Canada. The existing law requires such youths to be turned over to the custody of the Health and Human Services Depart- ment within 72 hours, and from there they are gen- erally placed with family members or others while awaiting a long-distant court hearing they may never attend. The Cornyn-Cuellar bill would allow Central Amer- ican kids to be treated the same as those from Mex- ico, whose people can be sent back over the bor- der quickly unless they are able to persuade Bor- der Patrol agents that they have a fear of return, mer- iting further screening. White House and Obama administration of- ficials have said they sup- port this change, but in face of objections from al- lies in the immigrant advo- cacy community they have yet to propose it officially. Spokesman Josh Earnest said the White House wel- comes "constructive en- gagement from Republi- cans" but will wait to see the actual legislation. IMMIGRATION Bill in Congress would speed removals of Central American children By Robert Burns The Associated Press WASHINGTON The Army has given Sgt. Bowe Berg- dahl a desk job, ending the formal phase of his transi- tion from Taliban prisoner to not-quite-ordinary sol- dier, and setting the stage for Army investigators to question the Idaho native about his disappearance that led to five years in cap- tivity. In a brief statement Mon- day, the Army said Berg- dahl has been assigned to U.S. Army North at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston in Texas. Bergdahl has been decom- pressing and recuperating from the effects of captivity since his arrival there from a military base in Germany. Since he was handed over to U.S. special forces in Afghan- istan on May 31, he has been debriefed for any possible intelligence he might have gleaned in his time with the Taliban. Otherwise, he has been gently coaxed back into a normal routine and a nor- mal life, both physically and psychologically. Bergdahl's case is one of the most extraordinary of recent times — for the length of his captivity, for his apparent decision to abandon his unit during a combat deployment, and for the controversy triggered by the circumstances of his re- lease May 31. It's not clear when Berg- dahl will face investiga- tors on the disappearance probe, whose findings will help determine whether the 28-year-old is prose- cuted for desertion or faces any other disciplinary ac- tion. The probe is headed by Maj. Gen. Kenneth R. Dahl, deputy command- ing general of 1st Corps at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington state. Numerous other ques- tions are lingering, in- cluding whether Bergdahl will collect the estimated $300,000 in back pay he has accumulated over the past five years. Bergdahl walked away from his unit after express- ing misgivings about the U.S. military's role — as well as his own — in Af- ghanistan. He was cap- tured by Taliban members and held by members of the Haqqani network, an insur- gent group tied to the Tal- iban. He was released as part of a deal in which the U.S. gave up five top Tali- ban commanders impris- oned at the military pris- oner at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The terms of the deal sparked a political storm in Washington. Some former members of Bergdahl's former unit have labeled him a deserter, as- serting that he chose to walk away and saying some were wounded or killed looking for him. The Army has not ruled out disciplinary ac- tion against Bergdahl, who was promoted twice during captivity, from private first class to sergeant, as a mat- ter of standard procedure. Bergdahl's exact admin- istrative duties at U.S. Army North were not immedi- ately disclosed, but a Pen- tagon spokesman, Army Col. Steve Warren, said Bergdahl is not restricted in any way. The Army said that in his assignment to U.S. Army North he "can contribute to the mission," which is focused on home- land defense. "He is a normal soldier now," Warren said. At the time of his disap- pearance, Bergdahl was a member of 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, based at Fort Richardson, Alaska. An initial U.S. mil- itary investigation in 2009 concluded that Bergdahl deliberately walked away, based on evidence available at the time. Bergdahl, whose family lives in Hailey, Idaho, ar- rived at the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston on June 13 af- ter nearly two weeks recu- perating at a U.S. military hospital in Germany. War- ren said he did not believe Bergdahl has seen his par- ents since his return to the United States. Army offi- cials have refused to discuss the question of Bergdahl's contact with his parents, saying the family requested that it be kept private. CAPTIVE SOLDIER Be rg da hl r et ur ne d to regular Army duty VOICEOFJIHADWEBSITEVIAAPVIDEO—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS In this file image taken from video obtained from Voice Of Jihad Website, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, sits in a vehicle guarded by the Taliban in eastern Afghanistan. TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2014 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 3 B