US Demands ‘More Aggressive Stance’ from Brazil Against Illegal Immigration

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – An official of Donald Trump’s administration on Monday, January 27th, demanded that Bolsonaro’s government implement harsher measures to reduce the number of illegal immigrants from Brazil trying to enter the US.

In a conference call with journalists, Ken Cuccinelli, number two in the DHS (Department of Homeland Security), said that Washington would like Brazil to adopt a “more aggressive” stance on the issue.

“There are a large number of illegals [from Brazil] coming into the United States and we have to address this. And [Brazilian officials] need to start dealing with the issue more aggressively than in the past,” Cuccinelli said.

The number of Brazilians seized while attempting to cross the United States border illegally broke the record of 18,000 in 2019. Last year’s rate represents a 600 percent increase over the 2016 peak of 3,252 barred Brazilians.

Cuccinelli attended the conference on Monday to talk about measures adopted by Trump’s management to tackle illegal immigration on the country’s border with Mexico. According to the official, the actions of the US government have made people in Latin America realize that currently trying to enter US territory illegally has become a futile endeavor.

Despite the demands, the DHS deputy interim secretary stressed that the current Brazilian government has adopted positive measures to discourage illegal immigration.

He mentioned as an example the expedition of documents that ease the deportation procedures. Bolsonaro’s administration has reverted to a practice begun under Michel Temer’s government of granting citizenship certificates to immigrants who do not have a valid travel document in the return procedure.

As in Brazil there is a rule that only allows the issuance of travel identification upon the explicit request of the interested party, many Brazilians in the US preferred not to apply for the document, in the hope that this would delay deportation.

The Brazilian consulates then began to issue these certificates even in the absence of the applicant’s request.  The Undersecretary further stated that given the increase in the number of Brazilians seized at the border, Trump’s government is assessing additional measures besides deportations.

He mentioned that Washington is currently holding talks with the Mexican government about the MPP (Protocol for the Protection of Migrants), a program whereby detained immigrants attempting to enter the US illegally through Mexican territory are sent back to the Latin American country.

They then wait in Mexico for the US authorities to examine their asylum requests and are only allowed to enter the US if they are given the green light by an immigration court.

Commenting on talks with Mexico about the MPP, Cuccinelli said that Brazilians could now be granted the same conditions. Cuccinelli said that Americans are also concerned about cases of citizens from other continents who have used Brazil as a starting point to try to enter the US illegally.

“Brazil has been a kind of conduit for people from outside the Western Hemisphere who come to the United States,” he said. “We hope to see better policing and greater security as we talk about security measures for Central American nations,” he added, mentioning migration control policies taken by countries like El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, as well as Mexico itself.

“They’re policing their own borders, they’re seeking and better protecting their sovereignty. We would like to see Brazil doing more of this. In addition to expediting the return of their nationals who are coming illegally into our country. It’s an important part of being a good ally.”

On an official trip to India, President Jair Bolsonaro commented on the handling of Brazilians trying to enter the United States illegally. The president said he would never ask Trump, of whom he is an ally, to change the handling of deported Brazilians. “I would never ask it. Do you think I’ll ask him to do that, ask him to break his own law?”, he said.

Asked about the need to place handcuffs and shackles on the feet and hands of the deported Brazilian immigrants, Bolsonaro replied: “American law says that, just don’t go to the United States illegally”.

On yet another front to address the growing flow of immigrants to the US, Trump’s government formally asked Brasília for permission to charter more flights to deport Brazilians trying to enter the border unauthorized. Two such flights have been taking place since October 2019.

During the conference call on Monday, Cuccinelli said that the US would like Brazil to take responsibility for these flights – currently, the US government pays for hiring aircraft for this purpose.