NewzIntel.com

Category: Latin America

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Adjusting Imports of Steel into The United States

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
     
    A PROCLAMATION

    1. On January 11, 2018, the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) transmitted to me a report on the Secretary’s investigation into the effect of imports of steel mill articles (steel articles) on the national security of the United States under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862) (section 232).  The Secretary found and advised me of his opinion that steel articles are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States.
    2. In Proclamation 9705 of March 8, 2018 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States), I concurred in the Secretary’s finding that steel articles, as defined in clause 1 of Proclamation 9705 (as amended by clause 8 of Proclamation 9711 of March 22, 2018 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States)), are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States, and decided to adjust the imports of steel articles by imposing a 25 percent ad valorem tariff on such articles imported from most countries.  Proclamation 9705 further stated that any country with which the United States has a security relationship is welcome to discuss alternative ways to address the threatened impairment of the national security caused by imports from that country, and noted that, should the United States and that country arrive at a satisfactory alternative means to address the threat to the national security such that the President determines that imports from that country no longer threaten to impair the national security, I may remove or modify the restriction on steel articles imports from that country and, if necessary, adjust the tariff as it applies to other countries, as the national security interests of the United States require.
    3. In Proclamation 9705, I also directed the Secretary to monitor imports of steel articles and inform me of any circumstances that in the Secretary‘s opinion might indicate the need for further action under Section 232, as amended, with respect to such imports.  Pursuant to Proclamation 9705, the Secretary was authorized to provide relief from the additional duties, based on a request from a directly affected party located in the United States, for any steel article determined not to be produced in the United States in a sufficient and reasonably available amount or of a satisfactory quality, or based upon specific national security considerations.

    In subsequent proclamations, I noted the conclusion of discussions or the agreement on certain measures with the Argentine Republic (Argentina), Proclamation 9759 of May 31, 2018 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States); the Commonwealth of Australia (Australia), Proclamation 9759; the Federative Republic of Brazil (Brazil), Proclamation 9759; Proclamation 10064 of August 28, 2020 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States); Canada, Proclamation 9894 of May 19, 2019 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States; the United Mexican States (Mexico), Proclamation 9894; and the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Proclamation 9740 of April 30, 2018 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States).  President Biden noted the conclusion of discussions or the agreement on certain measures with the European Union (EU) on behalf of its member countries, Proclamation 10328 of December 27, 2021 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States); Proclamation 10691 of December 28, 2023 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States); Japan, Proclamation 10356 of March 31, 2022 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States); and the United Kingdom (UK), Proclamation 10406 of May 31, 2022 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States), on alternative ways to address the threat to the national security.  In addition, then-President Biden acknowledged the close relationship with Ukraine and exempted steel articles from Ukraine from the tariff. Proclamation 10403 of May 27, 2022 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States); Proclamation 10588 of May 31, 2023 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States); Proclamation 10771 of May 31, 2024 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States).  In Proclamation 10783 of July 10, 2024 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States), President Biden noted that imports of steel articles from Mexico had increased significantly as compared to their levels at the time of Proclamation 9894.  Accordingly, he implemented a melt and pour requirement for imports of steel articles that are products of Mexico and increased the section 232 duty rate for imports of steel articles and derivative steel articles that are products of Mexico that are melted and poured in a country other than Mexico, Canada, or the United States.

    • The Secretary has informed me that the initial 25 percent ad valorem tariff imposed by Proclamation 9705 has been an effective means of reducing imports, encouraging investment and expansion of production by domestic steel producers, and mitigating the threatened impairment of U.S. national security.  Following the initial imposition of 25 percent ad valorem tariffs, the U.S. steel capacity utilization rate increased to above 80 percent.
    • The Secretary has also informed me that, notwithstanding the impact of the tariff imposed by Proclamation 9705, imports of steel articles from certain countries exempted from the tariff or subject to alternative agreements have increased significantly, while excess capacity in the global steel industry has begun to increase again in recent years.  For example, imports from Canada increased 18 percent since Canada was excluded from the section 232 tariffs.  According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), global steel excess capacity is projected to reach approximately 630 million metric tons by 2026, more than total steel production in all OECD countries.  At the same time, exports of steel from the People’s Republic of China (China) have recently surged, exceeding 114 million metric tons through November 2024 while displacing production in other countries and forcing them to export greater volumes of steel articles and derivative steel articles to the United States. 
    • Total steel imports as a share of U.S. consumption increased significantly in 2024, reaching nearly 30 percent, similar to the import share of U.S. consumption at the time the Secretary issued his January 11, 2018, report.  Imports from countries with which the United States has reached alternative agreements have increased significantly as a share of total imports, from 74 percent in 2018 to 82 percent in 2024, while imports from countries subject to quantitative restrictions remain elevated regardless of changing U.S. demand conditions and the substantial investments made to expand the capabilities of the domestic industry.  Increasing and persistently high import volumes from countries exempted from the duties or subject to other alternative agreements like quotas and tariff-rate quotas have captured the benefit of U.S. demand at the domestic industry’s expense and transmitted harmful effects onto the domestic industry.  As steel import market share has increased, the domestic industry’s performance has been depressed, resulting in capacity utilization rates persistently lower than the 80 percent target level highlighted in the Secretary’s report. 
    • The Secretary has informed me that imports of steel articles from Canada and Mexico have increased significantly to levels that once again threaten to impair U.S. national security.  Volumes from both Canada and Mexico increased overall, from 7.77 million metric tons in 2020 to 9.14 million metric tons in 2024.  Imports have also surged in excess of historical norms of trade across numerous key product lines, such as long reinforcing bars, which have experienced import increases of 1,678 percent from Mexico and 564 percent from Canada.  These surges have occurred while authorities in those countries have supported otherwise uncompetitive producers with subsidies and other interventions that have exacerbated the global excess capacity crisis.  In addition, increasing import volumes and including Mexico’s imports from China, support a conclusion that there is transshipment or further processing of steel mill articles from countries that remain subject to the additional ad valorem tariff proclaimed in Proclamation 9705, or from countries seeking to evade quantitative restrictions.
    • The Secretary has also informed me that alternative agreements with trading partners including Australia, the members of the EU, Japan, and the United Kingdom have been less effective in eliminating the threatened impairment of U.S. national security than the additional ad valorem tariff proclaimed in Proclamation 9705.  As a result, imports of steel articles from these countries have increased as a share of total U.S. steel imports from 18.6 percent in 2020 to 20.7 percent in 2024.  In addition, from 2022 to 2024, imports from countries subject to quotas (Argentina, Brazil, and South Korea) increased by approximately 1.5 million metric tons, even as U.S. demand declined by more than 6.1 million tons during the period.  Argentina has continued to export steel to the United States at unsustainable quantities, especially a recent surge of semifinished products. Furthermore, Argentina’s lack of data transparency has continued to be of concern for the United States.  From official trade statistics released by Argentina, it is difficult to assess the levels of steel being imported from places like China and Russia, and other potential sources of excess capacity. Brazilian imports from countries with meaningful levels of overcapacity, specifically China have grown tremendously in recent years, more than tripling since the institution of this quota arrangement. 
    • At the same time, these alternative agreements have not resulted in sufficient action by these trading partners to address non-market excess capacity caused primarily by China, or sufficient cooperation by these trading partners on issues like trade remedies and customs matters or monitoring bilateral steel trade.  Some countries have also welcomed steel industry investments from non-market producers in countries like China seeking to exploit the agreements to obtain preferential access to the U.S. market.  The agreements have therefore been detrimental to U.S. steel production and national security.
    • The Secretary has informed me of similar problems with respect to the temporary exemption for imports of steel articles and derivative steel articles from Ukraine.  Rather than supporting the Ukrainian steel industry and alleviating the economic harm caused by the ongoing conflict, the benefits of this temporary exemption have accrued primarily to producers in EU member countries, which have significantly increased duty-free exports to the U.S. market of steel articles processed from Ukrainian semi-finished steel.  Since 2021, imports from Ukraine have remained steady at 0.5 percent of total U.S. imports, while imports from the European Union have increased 11.2 percent to 14.8 percent.  As a result of the temporary exemption, these imports enter the U.S. market subject to neither the ad valorem tariff proclaimed in Proclamation 9705, nor the tariff-rate-quota system applicable to other imports of steel articles from EU producers as proclaimed in Proclamation 10328.  This has facilitated evasion of both the section 232 measures and of antidumping duties that would be paid if the finished products were imported directly from Ukraine.
    • The Secretary has informed me that producers in countries that remain subject to the program have continued to evade the measures by processing covered steel articles into additional downstream steel derivative products that were not included in the additional ad valorem tariffs proclaimed in Proclamation 9705 and Proclamation 9980 of January 24, 2020 (Adjusting Imports of Derivative Aluminum Articles and Derivative Steel Articles Into the United States).  Imports of products such as fabricated structural steel, prestressed concrete strand, and others, have increased significantly since the issuance of Proclamation 9705 and Proclamation 9980, eroding the domestic industry’s customer base and resulting in depressed demand for steel articles produced in the United States.
    • The Secretary has also informed me of certain ongoing challenges with the product exclusion process authorized by Proclamation 9705, Proclamation 9777 of August 29, 2018 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States), and Proclamation 9980 and implemented by subsequent regulations.  This process has resulted in exclusions for a significant volume of imports, in a manner that undermines the purpose of the section 232 measures and threatens to impair national security.  Certain general approved exclusions remain in effect for entire tariff lines of steel articles, notwithstanding the domestic industry’s potential to produce many excluded products. 
    • I determine that these developments and modifications to the tariffs announced in Proclamation 9705 have undermined the program’s national security objectives by preventing the domestic steel industry from achieving sustained production capacity utilization of at least 80 percent, as determined necessary in the Secretary’s report of January 11, 2018.  I also determine that they have failed to achieve their articulated objectives.  As a result, I determine that they have resulted in significantly increasing imports of steel articles that threaten to impair the national security.    
    • In light of the Secretary’s findings regarding the alternative agreements with South Korea proclaimed in Proclamation 9740; Argentina, Australia, and Brazil proclaimed in Proclamation 9759; Canada and Mexico proclaimed in Proclamation 9894; EU countries proclaimed in Proclamation 10328; Japan proclaimed in Proclamation 10356; and the United Kingdom proclaimed in Proclamation 10406, I have revisited the determinations in these proclamations.  In my judgment, the arrangements with these countries have failed to provide effective, long-term alternative means to address these countries’ contribution to the threatened impairment to the national security by restraining steel articles exports to the United States from each of them, limiting transshipment and surges and distorted pricing, and discouraging excess steel capacity and excess steel production. Thus, I have determined that steel articles imports from these countries threaten to impair the national security, and I have decided that it is necessary to terminate these arrangements as of March 12, 2025.  As of that date, all imports of steel articles and derivative steel articles from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, EU countries, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Kingdom shall be subject to the additional ad valorem tariff proclaimed in Proclamation 9705 with respect to steel articles and Proclamation 9980 with respect to derivative steel articles.  In my judgment, these modifications are necessary to address the significantly increasing share of imports of steel articles and derivative steel articles from these sources, which threaten to impair U.S. national security.  Replacing the alternative agreements with the additional ad valorem tariffs will be a more robust and effective means of ensuring that the objectives articulated in the Secretary’s January 11, 2018, report and subsequent proclamations are achieved.
    • For the same reasons, I have also revisited the determinations in Proclamation 10403, Proclamation 10558, and Proclamation 10771.  In my judgment, the arrangement with Ukraine has failed to provide effective, long-term alternative means to address Ukraine’s contribution to the threatened impairment to our national security by restraining steel articles exports to the United States from Ukraine, limiting transshipment and surges, and discouraging excess steel capacity and excess steel production. Thus, I have determined that steel articles imports from Ukraine threaten to impair the national security and have determined that it is necessary to terminate the temporary exemption for imports of steel articles and derivative steel articles from Ukraine as proclaimed in Proclamation 10403, Proclamation 10558, and Proclamation 10771.  In my judgment, terminating this exemption will prevent abuses that have resulted in significantly increasing imports from sources other than Ukraine, will prevent evasion of antidumping duties, and will support the domestic steel industry without harming Ukraine’s economic recovery. 
    • In light of the information provided by the Secretary that significantly increasing imports of certain derivative steel articles have depressed demand for steel articles produced by domestic steel producers, I have determined that it is necessary and appropriate in light of U.S. national security interests to adjust the tariff proclaimed in Proclamation 9705 and Proclamation 9980 to apply to additional derivative steel articles.  As of March 12, 2025, the additional derivative steel articles covered by this proclamation, as set out in Annex I to this proclamation, shall be subject to the ad valorem duties proclaimed in Proclamation 9705 and Proclamation 9980, except for derivative steel articles processed in another country from steel articles that were melted and poured in the United States.  For any derivative steel article identified in Annex I that is not in Chapter 73 of the HTSUS, the additional ad valorem duty shall apply only to the steel content of the derivative steel article.  The Secretary shall publish a notice in the Federal Register to this effect, including Annex I to this proclamation. 
    • The Secretary has informed me that his findings with regard to the product exclusion process present circumstances that in the Secretary’s opinion indicate the need for further action by the President under section 232.  Accordingly, as of the date of this proclamation the Secretary is no longer authorized to provide relief from the additional duties set forth in clause 2 of Proclamation 9705 for any steel article determined not to be produced in the United States in a sufficient and reasonably available amount or a satisfactory quality or based on specific national security determinations, and the product exclusion process as authorized in clause 3 of Proclamation 9705, clause 1 of Proclamation 9777, and clause 2 of Proclamation 9980 is terminated, effective immediately.  I have determined that terminating product exclusions is necessary to ensure that overly broad exclusions do not allow high volumes of imports to undermine the objectives articulated in the Secretary’s January 11, 2018, report and relevant subsequent proclamations.  This change will also relieve the administrative burden that the process has created.  Following this proclamation, and subject to any restrictions set forth in or pursuant to other provisions of applicable law, imports of any steel article or derivative steel article from any source and in any quantity will be available to U.S. importers, provided that the additional ad valorem tariffs are paid upon entry or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption.
    • Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, authorizes the President to take action to adjust the imports of an article and its derivatives if the President concurs with the Secretary’s finding that the article is being imported into the United States in such quantities or under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security. 
    • Section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), authorizes the president to embody in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) the substance of statutes affecting import treatment, and actions thereunder, including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction.

    20.  The United States will monitor the implementation and effectiveness of these actions in addressing our national security needs, and I may revisit this determination, as appropriate.

         NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, and section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, do hereby proclaim as follows: 

    • The provisions of Proclamation 9740 with respect to imports of steel articles from South Korea; Proclamation 9759 with respect to imports of steel articles from Argentina, Australia, and Brazil; Proclamation 10064 with respect to imports of steel articles from Brazil; Proclamation 9894 with respect to imports of steel articles from Canada and Mexico; Proclamation 10783 with respect to imports of steel articles from Mexico; Proclamation 10328 and Proclamation 10691 with respect to imports of steel articles and derivative steel articles from the EU; Proclamation 10356 with respect to imports of steel articles and derivative steel articles from Japan; Proclamation 10406 with respect to imports of steel articles and derivative steel articles from the United Kingdom; and Proclamation 10403, Proclamation 10558, and Proclamation 10771 with respect to steel articles and derivative steel articles from Ukraine shall be ineffective as of 12:01 a.m. eastern time on March 12, 2025.  The provisions of clause 1 of Proclamation 9740 as applicable to imports of steel articles or derivative steel articles from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and EU member countries shall be ineffective as of 12:01 a.m. eastern time on March 12, 2025.  The provisions of clause 1 of Proclamation 9980 as applicable to imports of derivative steel articles from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Mexico, and South Korea shall be ineffective as of 12:01 a.m. eastern time on March 12, 2025.  As of 12:01 a.m. eastern time on March 12, 2025, all imports of steel articles and derivative steel articles from these countries shall be subject to the additional ad valorem tariffs proclaimed in Proclamation 9705 and Proclamation 9980.
    • Clause 2 of Proclamation 9705, as amended, is revised to read as follows:

    “(2)(a)  In order to establish certain modifications to the duty rate on imports of steel articles, subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS is modified as provided in the forthcoming annex to this proclamation set out in a subsequent Federal Register notice and any subsequent proclamations regarding such steel articles.

         (b)  Except as otherwise provided in this proclamation, or in notices published pursuant to clause 3 of this proclamation, all steel articles imports covered by heading 9903.80.01, in subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS, shall be subject to an additional 25 percent ad valorem rate of duty with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, as follows: (i) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on March 23, 2018, from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and the member countries of the European Union; (ii) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on June 1, 2018, from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and South Korea; (iii) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on August 13, 2018, from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, South Korea, and Turkey; (iv) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on May 20, 2019, from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, South Korea, and Turkey; (v) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on May 21, 2019, from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and South Korea; (vi) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on January 1, 2022, from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and South Korea, and except the member countries of the European Union through 11:59 p.m. eastern time on December 31, 2023, for steel articles covered by headings 9903.80.65 through 9903.81.19, inclusive; (vii) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on April 1, 2022, from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and South Korea, and except the member countries of the European Union through 11:59 p.m. eastern time on December 31, 2023, for steel articles covered by headings 9903.80.65 through 9903.81.19, inclusive, and from Japan, for steel articles covered by headings 9903.81.25 through 9903.81.80, inclusive; (viii) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on June 1, 2022, from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and Ukraine through 11:59 p.m. eastern time on June 1, 2023, and except the member countries of the European Union through 11:59 p.m. eastern time on December 31, 2023, for steel articles covered by headings 9903.80.65 through 9903.81.19, inclusive, and from Japan and the United Kingdom (UK), for steel articles covered by subheadings 9903.81.25 through 9903.81.78 and heading 9903.81.80, and from the member countries of the European Union, for steel articles covered by heading 9903.81.81; (ix) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on June 1, 2023, from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and Ukraine through 11:59 p.m. eastern time on June 1, 2024, and except the member countries of the European Union through 11:59 p.m. eastern time on December 31, 2023, for steel articles covered by headings 9903.80.65 through 9903.81.19, inclusive, and from Japan and the UK, for steel articles covered by subheadings 9903.81.25 through 9903.81.78 and heading 9903.81.80, and from the member countries of the European Union, for steel articles covered by heading 9903.81.81, and from the member countries of the European Union where the steel used in the manufacture of the steel article is melted and poured in Ukraine through 11:59 p.m. eastern time on June 1, 2024, (x) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on January 1, 2024, from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and South Korea, and except for Ukraine in accordance with the relevant proclamation as amended, and except the member countries of the European Union in accordance with the relevant proclamation as amended, for steel articles covered by headings 9903.80.65 through 9903.81.19, inclusive, and from Japan and the UK , in accordance the relevant proclamation as amended, for steel articles covered by subheadings 9903.81.25 through 9903.81.78 and heading 9903.81.80, and from the member countries of the European Union in accordance with the relevant proclamation as amended, for steel articles covered by heading 9903.81.81, and from the member countries of the European Union where the steel used in the manufacture of the steel article is melted and poured in Ukraine in accordance with the relevant proclamation as amended, and (xi) from all countries on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on March 12, 2025, unless suspended. Further, except as otherwise provided in notices published pursuant to clause 3 of this proclamation, all steel articles imports from Turkey covered by heading 9903.80.02, in subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS, shall be subject to a 50 percent ad valorem rate of duty with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on August 13, 2018, and prior to 12:01 a.m. eastern time on May 21, 2019.  These rates of duty, which are in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported steel articles, shall apply to imports of steel articles from each country as specified in the preceding three sentences.“

    • The first two sentences of clause 1 of Proclamation 9980 are revised to read as follows:

    “In order to establish increases in the duty rate on imports of certain derivative articles, subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS is modified as provided in Annex I and Annex II to this proclamation.  Except as otherwise provided in this proclamation, all imports of derivative aluminum articles specified in Annex I to this proclamation shall be subject to an additional 10 percent ad valorem rate of duty, and all imports of derivative steel articles specified in Annex II to this proclamation shall be subject to an additional 25 percent ad valorem rate of duty, with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, as follows: (i) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on February 8, 2020, these rates of duty, which are in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported derivative aluminum articles or steel articles, shall apply to imports of derivative aluminum articles described in Annex I to this proclamation from all countries except Argentina, the Commonwealth of Australia (Australia), Canada, and the United Mexican States (Mexico), and to imports of derivative steel articles described in Annex II to this proclamation from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and South Korea; (ii) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on January 1, 2022, these rates of duty, which are in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported derivative aluminum articles or steel articles, shall apply to imports of derivative aluminum articles described in Annex I to this proclamation from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Canada, the member countries of the European Union, and Mexico, and to imports of derivative steel articles described in Annex II to this proclamation from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the member countries of the European Union, Mexico, and South Korea; (iii) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on April 1, 2022, these rates of duty, which are in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported derivative aluminum articles or steel articles, shall apply to imports of derivative aluminum articles described in Annex I to this proclamation from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Canada, the member countries of the European Union, and Mexico, and to imports of derivative steel articles described in Annex II to this proclamation from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the member countries of the European Union, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea; (iv) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on June 1, 2022, these rates of duty, which are in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported derivative aluminum articles or steel articles, shall apply to imports of derivative aluminum articles described in Annex I to this proclamation from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Canada, the member countries of the European Union, Mexico, and the UK, and to imports of derivative steel articles described in Annex II to this proclamation from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the member countries of the European Union, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and the UK, and except from Ukraine through 11:59 p.m. eastern time on June 1, 2023; (v) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on March 10, 2023, these rates of duty, which are in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported derivative aluminum articles or steel articles, shall apply to imports of derivative aluminum articles described in Annex I to this proclamation from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Canada, the member countries of the European Union, Mexico, the UK, and Russia, and to imports of derivative steel articles described in Annex II to this proclamation from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the member countries of the European Union, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and the UK, and except from Ukraine through 11:59 p.m. eastern time on June 1, 2023; (vi) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on June 1, 2023, these rates of duty, which are in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported derivative aluminum articles or steel articles, shall apply to imports of derivative aluminum articles described in Annex I to this proclamation from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Canada, the member countries of the European Union, Mexico, the UK, and Russia, and to imports of derivative steel articles described in Annex II to this proclamation from all countries except Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the member countries of the European Union, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and the UK, and except from Ukraine om accordance with the relevant proclamation as amended; and (vii) on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on March 12, 2025, unless suspended, these rates of duty, which are in addition to any other duties, taxes, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported derivative steel articles, shall apply to imports of derivative steel articles described in Annex II to this proclamation from all countries.”

    • Except as otherwise provided in this proclamation, all imports of derivative steel articles specified in Annex I to this proclamation or in any subsequent annex to this proclamation, as set out in a subsequent notice in the Federal Register, shall be subject to an additional 25 percent ad valorem rate of duty, with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on the Commerce certification date in clause 8. These rates of duty, which are in addition to any other duties, taxes, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported derivative steel articles, shall apply to imports of derivative steel articles described in Annex I to this proclamation from all countries, but shall not apply to derivative steel articles processed in another country from steel articles that were melted and poured in the United States. The Secretary shall continue to monitor imports of the derivative articles described in Annex I to this proclamation, and shall, from time to time, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, review the status of such imports with respect to the national security of the United States.
    • For purposes of implementing the requirements in this proclamation, importers of steel derivative articles shall provide to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol within the Department of Homeland Security (CBP) any information necessary to identify the steel content used in the manufacture of steel derivative articles imports, covered by this Proclamation. CBP shall implement the information requirements as soon as practicable.
    • Within 90 days after the date of this proclamation, the Secretary shall establish a process for including additional derivative steel articles within the scope of the ad valorem duties proclaimed in Proclamation 9705, Proclamation 9980, and clause 4 of this proclamation.  In addition to inclusions made by the Secretary, this process shall provide for including additional derivative steel articles at the request of a producer of a steel article or derivative steel article, or an industry association representing one or more such producers, where the request establishes that imports of a derivative steel article have increased in a manner that threatens to impair the national security or otherwise undermine the objectives set forth in the Secretary’s January 11, 2018, report or any Proclamation issued pursuant thereto.  When the Secretary receives such a request from a domestic producer or industry association, the Secretary shall issue a determination regarding whether or not to include the derivative steel article or articles within 60 days of receiving the request. 
    • The provisions of clause 3 of Proclamation 9705, clause 1 of Proclamation 9777, clause 2 of Proclamation 9980, or any other provisions authorizing the Secretary to grant relief for certain products from the additional ad valorem duties or quantitative restrictions set forth in prior proclamations are hereby revoked.  As of 11:59 p.m. eastern time on the date of this proclamation, the Secretary shall not consider any product exclusion requests or renew any product exclusion requests in effect as of that date.  The Secretary shall take all necessary action to rescind the product exclusion process, including publication in the Federal Register.  Granted product exclusions shall remain effective until their expiration date or until excluded product volume is imported, whichever occurs first.  The Secretary shall terminate all existing general approved exclusions as of March 12, 2025.   
    • The modifications made by this proclamation in clause 4 shall be effective upon public notification by the Secretary of Commerce, that adequate systems are in place to fully, efficiently, and expediently process and collect tariff revenue for covered articles.
    • Any steel article or derivative article, except those eligible for admission under “domestic status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.43, that is subject to the duty imposed by this proclamation and that is admitted into a U.S. foreign trade zone on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on March 12, 2025, must be admitted as “privileged foreign status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.41, and will be subject upon entry for consumption to any ad valorem rates of duty related to the classification under the applicable HTSUS subheading.  Any steel article or derivative steel article, except those eligible for admission under “domestic status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.43, that is subject to the duty imposed by this proclamation, and that was admitted into a U.S. foreign trade zone under “privileged foreign status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.41, prior to 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on March 12, 2025 , will likewise be subject upon entry for consumption to any ad valorem rates of duty related to the classification under the applicable HTSUS subheading added by this proclamation.  Pursuant to clause 8, the duties on steel derivatives established by clause 4 of this Proclamation shall be suspended until public notification by the Secretary of Commerce that adequate systems are in place to fully, efficiently, and expediently process and collect tariff revenue applicable to covered articles.
    • Any product listed in Annex Ito this proclamation or any subsequent annex published in the Federal Register pursuant to this Proclamation, that is subject to the additional duties imposed by this proclamation, and that is admitted into a U.S. foreign trade zone, except any product that is eligible for admission under “domestic status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.43, may only be admitted as “privileged foreign status,” as defined in 19 CFR 146.41, effective as of the date that the additional duties are imposed.
    • The Secretary, in consultation with the Commissioner of CBP, Security, and the heads of other relevant executive departments and agencies, shall revise the HTSUS so that it conforms to the amendments and effective dates directed in this proclamation within ten days of March 12, 2025.  The Secretary is authorized and directed to publish any such modification and future modifications to the HTSUS in the Federal Register.
    • CBP shall prioritize reviews of the classification of imported steel articles and derivative steel articles and, in the event that it discovers misclassification resulting in non-payment of the ad valorem duties proclaimed herein, it shall assess monetary penalties in the maximum amount permitted by law and shall not consider any evidence of mitigating factors in its determination.  In addition, CBP shall promptly notify the Secretary regarding evidence of any efforts to evade payment of the ad valorem duties proclaimed herein through processing or alteration of steel articles or derivative steel articles prior to importation.  In such circumstances, the Secretary shall consider the processed or altered steel articles or derivative steel articles for inclusion as derivative steel articles pursuant to clause 5 of this proclamation.
    • No drawback shall be available with respect to the duties imposed pursuant to this proclamation.

    (14)  The Secretary may issue regulations and guidance consistent with this proclamation, including to address operational necessity.

    (15) Any provision of a previous proclamation or Executive Order that is inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation is superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this

    tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Europe vows to defend interests amid new US tariff threats

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Flags of the European Union fly outside the Berlaymont Building, the European Commission headquarters, in Brussels, Belgium, Jan. 29, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The European Commission on Monday rejected the rationale for new U.S. tariffs on European exports, vowing to protect businesses, workers, and consumers across the bloc.

    The statement came after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose 25-percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, reigniting fears of a transatlantic trade war.

    European Union (EU) leaders swiftly condemned the proposed tariffs, which are expected to be formally announced later on Monday. The Commission said there is “no justification” for the U.S. measures, calling them unlawful and economically harmful, particularly given the deeply integrated EU-U.S. supply and production chains.

    With European leaders signaling their readiness to retaliate, concerns are growing that the looming trade dispute could strain economic ties and disrupt global markets.

    Tariffs could backfire

    The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, strongly criticized the proposed tariffs, warning they would ultimately hurt U.S. businesses and consumers.

    “Tariffs are essentially taxes,” it said in a statement, emphasizing that the move would increase costs for American companies, drive inflation, heighten economic uncertainty, and disrupt global market integration. Given the deep interdependence between European and American industries, the EU warned that such measures would be counterproductive, effectively imposing taxes on U.S. citizens as well.

    European officials fear a repeat of 2018, when Trump’s previous steel and aluminum tariffs triggered swift EU retaliation. At the time, Brussels imposed countermeasures on U.S. goods such as whiskey, motorcycles, and orange juice.

    With the formal announcement of the new U.S. tariffs expected later on Monday, European leaders are bracing for another escalation in trade tensions.

    EU weighs retaliation

    France was among the first to respond to Trump’s tariff threat, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot warning on Monday that the EU would retaliate if the proposed tariffs take effect.

    “There is no hesitation when it comes to defending our interests,” Barrot told French television TF1, recalling how the EU countered similar tariffs in 2018 and vowing to take the same approach if necessary.

    Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is also preparing for action. A spokesperson for the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action stated that while the EU and Germany are working to prevent the tariffs, they stand ready to implement countermeasures if needed.

    During a televised debate on Sunday ahead of upcoming elections, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned that the EU could “act within an hour” if Trump proceeds with tariffs on European goods.

    Industry leaders are also pushing for a firm response. Gunnar Groebler, president of the German Steel Association, urged the EU to react in a “united, strategic, and swift manner” to counter the tariff threat. “The U.S. is the largest buyer of European steel, importing around 1 million tonnes of mostly special steels from Germany alone each year,” he noted.

    A lose-lose scenario

    French President Emmanuel Macron cautioned that tariffs on EU goods would not be in the interests of the United States.

    “If Washington imposes tariffs across multiple sectors, it will drive up the cost of goods and fuel inflation in the United States,” Macron said, pointing out that European savings play a crucial role in financing the U.S. economy.

    Economic experts share Macron’s concerns. Paul Johnson, director of the London-based Institute for Fiscal Studies, warned that Trump’s planned tariffs could push up interest rates worldwide, having ripple effects on global monetary policy.

    “It is going to create additional inflation, at the very least, in the United States, and that will have knock-on effects globally, particularly on interest rates,” Johnson explained.

    Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, a German automotive expert, argued that Trump is leveraging economic power to siphon off jobs and prosperity from other countries through his tariff policies. “He knows no friends or enemies. Even U.S. car manufacturers GM and Ford would suffer considerably from tariffs on cars from Canada and Mexico,” he said.

    Dudenhoeffer noted that U.S. net vehicle imports totaled 5.6 million units in 2024. “Trump might ask how many jobs could be created if all these vehicles were produced domestically,” he said.

    Despite the growing alarm, some analysts hold that the impact of Trump’s tariffs may be limited. Christian Helmenstein, chief economist of the Federation of Austrian Industries, described Trump’s plan as an “unfriendly pinprick” but not a severe blow.

    He told the Austrian newspaper Kurier that the U.S. imports about a quarter of its steel needs, with much of it coming from Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and South Korea rather than Europe.

    But Harald Oberhofer, an economist at the Austrian Institute of Economic Research, described Trump’s tariff plans as “an economically high-risk game.”

    He pointed out that the United States was Austria’s largest export growth market last year amid weak overall exports and a trade war could further weaken Austria’s already fragile economy, which is projected to grow by just 0.6 percent this year.

    As Trump moves closer to making his tariff announcement official, European leaders are making their stance clear: if the U.S. imposes new trade barriers, the EU stands ready to defend its economic interests with countermeasures.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Statement on Trump’s Latest Steel & Aluminum Tariffs: “He Wants to Double Down on Raising Costs for Americans Even More”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    02.10.25

    Cantwell Statement on Trump’s Latest Steel & Aluminum Tariffs: “He Wants to Double Down on Raising Costs for Americans Even More”

    In 2024, state imported $1.2B worth of steel & aluminum for aerospace, shipbuilding, electronics & more; Last week, Cantwell delivered a speech on Senate floor calling for increasing exports & voted against advancing Trump’s trade nominee

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and a senior member of the Senate Committee on Finance, issued the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports.

    “Many of Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum have been in place since 2018. Nothing was resolved and they added costs to cars, building materials, and energy projects. Now in 2025, he wants to double down raising costs for Americans even more,” Sen. Cantwell said.

    In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and trade-related industries. Combined, the state imported $1.21 billion worth of steel and aluminum last year – and the major industries and employers in Washington that rely on steel and aluminum include aerospace, shipbuilding, utilities, and electronics. When President Trump imposed steel tariffs in 2018, our trading partners immediately responded by imposing tariffs of their own on Washington products, especially agriculture, including cherries, apples, pears, and potatoes. Nationally, across all industries, the steel and aluminum tariffs resulted in a decrease in production worth about $3.4 billion per year, according to an ITC report.  The United States imports $58.81 billion in steel and aluminum every year.

    Last week, Sen. Cantwell also delivered a major speech on the Senate floor last week, arguing that the president’s arbitrary tariffs would threaten domestic job creation and economic growth in an Information Age. She outlined a strategy focused on building coalitions, growing exports, and establishing principles to support innovation in the Information Age.

    Sen. Cantwell also voted against advancing the nomination of Howard Lutnick, President Trump’s choice to be Secretary of the Department of Commerce, citing concerns with Lutnick’s support for Trump’s proposed tariffs. More information on how President Trump’s proposed tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China would affect consumers and businesses in the State of Washington can be found HERE.

    Sen. Cantwell has remained a steadfast supporter of free trade to grow the economy in the State of Washington and nationwide. Sen. Cantwell was the leading voice in negotiations to end India’s 20 percent retaliatory tariff on American apples, which was imposed in response to tariffs on steel and aluminum and devastated Washington state’s apple exports. India had once been the second-largest export market for American apples, but after then-President Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum in his first term, India imposed retaliatory tariffs in response and U.S. apple exports plummeted. The impact on Washington apple growers was severe:  apple exports from the state dropped from $120 million in 2017 to less than $1 million by 2023.  In September 2023, following several years of Sen. Cantwell’s advocacy, India ended its retaliatory tariffs on apples and pulse crops which was welcome news to the state’s more than 1,400 apple growers and the 68,000-plus workers they support.

    In May 2023, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter urging the Biden Administration to help U.S. potato growers finally get approval to sell fresh potatoes in Japan. In June 2023, Sen. Cantwell hosted U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), then-chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in Washington state for a forum with 30 local agricultural leaders in Wenatchee to discuss the Farm Bill.

    In 2022, Sen. Cantwell spearheaded passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, a law to crack down on skyrocketing international ocean shipping costs and ease supply chain backlogs that raise prices for consumers and make it harder for U.S. farmers and exporters to get their goods to the global market.

    In August 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue requesting aid funds be distributed to wheat growers. In December 2018, Sen. Cantwell celebrated the passage of the Farm Bill, which included $500 million of assistance for farmers, including those who grow wheat.

    In 2019, Sen. Cantwell helped secure a provision in the $16 billion USDA relief package, ensuring sweet cherry growers could access emergency funding to offset the impacts of tariffs and other market disruptions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s Spring Festival spending spree fuels global business growth

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    On a balmy afternoon on the first day of the Chinese Spring Festival, a queue of nearly 40 people, over half of them being Chinese tourists, snaked around the plain ice cream stall of “Uncle Chieng” on Orchard Road, Singapore.

    “Recently, more than half of the customers are Chinese tourists. Around the Spring Festival, I sell about 20 percent more ice cream each day compared to usual,” said Chieng Puay Chui, owner of the stall, which has become one of the must-visit spots for Chinese tourists.

    This scene is just a microcosm of the vibrant Spring Festival celebrations that have swept China and beyond, the first Lunar New Year festivities after the Spring Festival was added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.

    The festival, which falls on Jan. 29 this year, with week-long nationwide celebrations around the date, has not only ignited a surge in domestic consumption but also created vast opportunities for international businesses, as Chinese consumers embrace global goods and cultures.

    A girl participates in activities to celebrate the Chinese New Year in London, Britain, on Feb. 2, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Global goods, local celebrations

    The Spring Festival, a time for family reunion and feasting, has seen a growing appetite for “foreign New Year goods” among Chinese consumers. From French wine to Chilean cherries, global delicacies have become essential elements of the Chinese New Year shopping list.

    France’s Occitanie region, renowned for its wine, has been actively promoting its produce in China through platforms like the China International Import Expo and the “From French Farms to Chinese Tables” initiative. For French wine producers, the Spring Festival is one of the best opportunities to promote their products.

    “Ahead of the Chinese New Year, we organized various events to support wine producers from the Occitanie region and importers in distributing their products so that they would be available during the Spring Festival,” said Catherine Machabert, food and wine international director of the economic development agency of the Occitanie Region.

    “For the Year of the Snake, distributors have prepared a variety of gift boxes featuring snake-themed designs to promote the wines,” said Machabert, adding that Occitanie has always maintained strong ties with China and recognizes the importance of the Chinese market.

    Meanwhile, French confectionery giant Andros has capitalized on the festive season by launching special gift packs and organizing in-store tastings. “Our sales during this Spring Festival are expected to double compared to previous years, setting a new record,” said Maxence Zeng, general manager of Andros China.

    Chilean cherries, with their vibrant red hue and symbolic association with prosperity in the Chinese culture, have also become a favorite among Chinese consumers.

    China is a very important market for fresh Chilean cherries, not only because it receives more than 90 percent of total exports, “but also because of the friendly relationship that has been built between our cherries and the people of China,” said Claudia Soler, executive director of the Chilean Cherry Committee.

    A poster of the animated feature “Ne Zha 2” is pictured at a cinema in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, Feb. 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Two-way cultural exchanges

    The Spring Festival is not just about shopping and feasting; it’s also a time for travel and cultural exploration. With extended holidays and visa-free policies, Chinese tourists have been flocking to international destinations, while foreign visitors have been arriving in China to experience the festivities firsthand.

    On the pristine beaches of Zanzibar, Tanzania, Chinese tourists Li Chenguang and his wife, Zhao Xue, marveled at the natural beauty surrounding them. “We can witness the Great Migration in the Serengeti, the azure waters of the Indian Ocean and even the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro,” Zhao exclaimed with excitement.

    Meanwhile, in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur International Airport has been bustling as Chinese tourists head to Malaysia for tropical experiences and Malaysian travelers embark on winter adventures in China. “We’re planning to visit Harbin, hike up Changbai Mountain and savor traditional northeastern dishes like Guo Bao Rou (crispy sweet and sour pork),” said Zhou Jinglang, a tour guide of a Malaysian travel agency.

    According to the National Immigration Administration, China recorded 14.37 million cross-border trips during the Spring Festival holiday season, a 6.3 percent increase from a year earlier. About 1 million of these trips were made by foreign nationals, marking a 22.9 percent year-on-year rise.

    Meanwhile, the 2025 Spring Festival holiday has marked a new milestone for China’s thriving film industry, with box office revenue soaring to an unprecedented 9.51 billion yuan (approximately 1.33 billion U.S. dollars) between Jan. 28 and Feb. 4, according to the China Film Administration.

    A staggering 187 million moviegoers flocked to cinemas throughout the holiday week, setting new all-time highs in both box office earnings and audience turnout.

    Released on Jan. 29, the first day of Chinese New Year, Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” has shattered multiple box office records, becoming the first film to cross 1 billion dollars in a single market and the first non-Hollywood title to join the coveted billion-dollar club.

    Customers select newly arrived Chilean cherries at a supermarket in Tianjin, north China, Dec. 26, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Vast business opportunities

    The Spring Festival consumption boom has not only showcased the resilience and vitality of China’s economy but also highlighted the potential for international collaboration. From French dairy products to Chilean cherries, foreign businesses are eager to tap into the vast Chinese market and capitalize on emerging consumer trends.

    “Occitanie has always maintained strong ties with China and recognizes the importance of the Chinese market. With its Shanghai office, the regional agency will continue to support wine, agri-food, and cosmetics companies in entering or expanding in the Chinese market,” said Machabert, the trade official of the Occitanie Region.

    Meanwhile, Herve Lanoe, chief executive officer of French dairy company Fit Group, noted that Chinese consumers are increasingly prioritizing quality and health. “Butter with a protected designation of origin is highly appreciated by our Chinese client,” he said, adding that the company will try to take advantage of this opportunity.

    Over the years, Garces Fruit, Chile’s largest cherry exporter, has been actively expanding its presence in China. “The Chinese market is fundamental for the trade of Chilean cherries,” said Hernan Garces Gazmuri, the export manager of Garces Fruit.

    “It is a clear example of win-win,” said Garces Gazmuri, who settled in China in 2017 and opened an office in 2018. “It produces a lot of employment, from the harvests, the packaging, all this positive dynamic is generated thanks to the Chinese market. This industry does not exist without China.”

    “We want to continue to explore the market, developing e-commerce and boosting our Garces Fruit brand. I think there is a lot to do,” he said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Western Senators Raise Alarm on Trump’s Illegal Funding Cuts Targeting Wildfire Mitigation Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Schiff, Western Senators Raise Alarm on Trump’s Illegal Funding Cuts Targeting Wildfire Mitigation Efforts

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and 10 other Western Democratic Senators to sound the alarm over threats to the removal of hazardous fuels on U.S. public lands. The Bureau of Land Management recently issued stop work orders to small businesses and organizations across America carrying out critical hazardous fuel removal projects on high-risk federal lands. Delaying these treatments risks missing out on the right seasonal and weather conditions for safely treating hazardous fuels.

    The letter follows President Donald Trump’s illegal executive orders cutting federal funds needed to mitigate and fight wildfires, despite the devastating fires that ravaged Southern California communities last month. The Senators demanded that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Acting Agriculture Secretary Gary Washington rescind the order to stop work on essential hazardous fuels reduction efforts and any other wildland fire management and risk-reduction programs.

    “Catastrophic wildfires across the United States are an ongoing national crisis and responding to them must be a national priority. These stop work orders and funding freezes jeopardize communities that depend on a robust federal response to our wildfire crisis — and also jeopardize small businesses, often in frontier and rural communities, that are contracted to do the work on the ground to reduce hazardous fuels,” wrote the Senators.

    “As we’ve seen with the recent fires surrounding Los Angeles, wildfire does not distinguish between homes and trees. But we do have ways to mitigate the risk,” continued the Senators. “One of the most effective strategies to reduce that risk is to reduce the hazardous natural fuels that surround our communities. These fuels reduction projects save lives and property, reduce the danger to firefighters, and return our lands to a fire-adapted ecosystem that can better withstand the threat to human life, communities, infrastructure, and property.

    The hazardous fuel reduction projects are a core component of the Wildfire Crisis Strategy, to which Congress appropriated over $3 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. These investments in fuels reduction treatments for high-risk firesheds were recommended in the nonpartisan Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Report.

    In addition to Senators Padilla, Schiff, Merkley, and Heinrich, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    Senator Padilla has long been a leader in strengthening the federal and state response to wildfires. Last week, Padilla introduced bipartisan legislation to create a national Wildfire Intelligence Center to streamline federal response and create a whole-of-government approach to combat wildfires. He also announced a package of three bipartisan bills to bolster fire resilience and proactive mitigation efforts, including the Wildfire Emergency Act, the Fire-Safe Electrical Corridors Act, and the Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act, the last of which is co-led by Senator Schiff. Padilla’s legislation to strengthen FEMA’s wildfire preparedness and response efforts, the FIRE Act, became law in 2022.

    Padilla previously questioned Secretary Burgum on his support for wildfire aid, securing his commitment to responding to wildfires regardless of which state they impact with all necessary resources and support possible.

    Full text of the letter can be found here and below:

    Dear Secretary Burgum and Acting Secretary Washington, 

    We are writing with great concern about reports from our constituents that the Bureau of Land Management has issued stop work orders for hazardous fuels reduction projects. We are further concerned that fuels projects overseen by the U.S. Forest Service will be next. These projects are integral to increased safety and resiliency and any delay in implementation puts those communities at greater risk. We urge you to immediately rescind these stop work orders, halt any further stop work orders or funding freezes, and instead work with the tools and funds Congress has provided to better safeguard our communities from the serious risk of catastrophic wildfire.

    These projects are part of the Wildfire Crisis Strategy, funded by the Infrastructure and Investment in Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Investing in fuels reduction treatments is a primary recommendation in the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Report, a nonpartisan strategy document to tackle the myriad challenges associated with wildfire across the country. We also note with alarm that this report was removed from federal websites this week. 

    In 2022, the Forest Service identified high-risk firesheds across the country to be prioritized for hazardous fuels reduction work through the Wildlife Crisis Strategy and Implementation Plan. The Forest Service chose 10 high-priority landscapes with the enactment of IIJA and an additional 11 landscapes with the enactment of IRA – each of these landscapes require significant investment to reduce wildfire risk. These 21 landscapes were awarded a total of $1.73 billion to protect at-risk communities, critical infrastructure, public water sources, and adjacent Tribal lands in 10 Western states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, States, Tribes, local stakeholders, and small businesses have been working together over the last three years to implement fuels reduction on these landscapes. 

    Catastrophic wildfires across the United States are an ongoing national crisis and responding to them must be a national priority. These stop work orders and funding freezes jeopardize communities that depend on a robust federal response to our wildfire crisis – and also jeopardize small businesses, often in frontier and rural communities, that are contracted to do the work on the ground to reduce hazardous fuels.  

    In addition to endangering communities, the President’s Executive Orders freezing funding are flagrantly illegal. The Government Accountability Office, the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (including in an opinion written by future Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, William H. Rehnquist), and the Supreme Court of the United States have all disavowed the notion of some “inherent Presidential power to impound,” as some in the Administration, as well as pending Administration nominees, have tried to argue without legal or textual basis. 

    Not only does the Constitution vest the power of the purse with Congress and provide no power to the President to impound funds, but there have been several bedrock fiscal statutes enacted to protect Congress’ constitutional power of the purse and prevent unlawful executive overreach, including the Antideficiency Act and the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA). The ICA prohibits any action or inaction that precludes Federal funds from being obligated or spent, either temporarily or permanently, without following the strictly circumscribed requirements of that law, which have not been honored in this instance. 

    As we’ve seen with the recent fires surrounding Los Angeles, wildfire does not distinguish between homes and trees. But we do have ways to mitigate the risk. One of the most effective strategies to reduce that risk is to reduce the hazardous natural fuels that surround our communities. These fuels reduction projects save lives and property, reduce the danger to firefighters, and return our lands to a fire-adapted ecosystem that can better withstand the threat to human life, communities, infrastructure, and property.   

    By terminating or even pausing these projects, all of the progress made at protecting these communities is at risk. We are imploring you to rescind the order to stop work on these hazardous fuels reduction efforts, as well as any other wildland fire management programs that are working to reduce risk and safeguard communities from catastrophic wildfire. 

    We hope to work with you to combat the scourge of catastrophic wildfire. 

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Geopolitical, Environmental, Socioeconomic Crises Threatening Development Gains, Under-Secretary-General Tells Commission for Social Development

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Global solidarity is more essential than ever to address poverty, hunger, inequality and other pressing challenges facing humanity, speakers emphasized today at the opening of the 2025 annual session of the Commission for Social Development, calling for increased investment in social protection to meet these urgent needs.

    “We must step up our efforts and confront these challenges and development gaps, with determination and a collective resolve,” said Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.  He noted that geopolitical, environmental and socioeconomic crises — compounded by megatrends like digital transformation and aging populations — threaten hard-won development gains, jeopardizing solidarity, social inclusion and social cohesion.

    “We must reverse these trends,” urged Philémon Yang (Cameroon), President of the General Assembly, adding:  “When every $1 invested in social protection yields $3 of return, measured in improved health and productivity — we literally have everything to gain.  It offers our best shot to ensure we leave no one behind”.

    The Commission — established in 1946 by the Economic and Social Council as one of its functional organs — advises the United Nations on social development issues.  Its sixty-third session will run through 14 February under the priority theme:  “Strengthening solidarity, social inclusion and social cohesion to accelerate the delivery of the commitments of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development as well as the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

    In his introductory remarks, Bob Rae (Canada), President of the Economic and Social Council, stressed the importance of leaving no one behind and expressed deep concern about a high level of unemployment among young people:  “If young people can’t get their foot on the ladder, it creates a huge range of social problems.”  Developing an international legal instrument on the rights of older people could strengthen efforts to shift perceptions about old people and ageism and help understand what more can be done to allow them to become and remain active participants in their societies.  Moreover, he stressed the need to address the challenges faced by people with disabilities, which “we have not made anywhere near the progress that we need to make”.

    Liana Almony, Chair of the NGO (non-governmental organization) Committee for Social Development, demanded modifying certain sociocultural patterns and norms to eliminate stigma, prejudices and stereotypes.  “Vulnerable and marginalized individuals face social injustice, discrimination and exclusion in many, if not all, aspects of their everyday lives,” she said, adding:  “Legal recognition and identity play a critical role to ensure the global community upholds its promise of leaving no one behind.”

    Judy Kipkenda, Co-Chair of the UN Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, speaking on behalf of global youth constituents, put forward several recommendations to the Commission, including empowering youth-led organizations and providing funding, technical support, and platforms for youth-led initiatives that address social and economic challenges.  “By investing in youth, promoting equity and fostering social harmony, we can create a more just, equitable and sustainable future for all,” she said.

    “The year 2025 is a crucial year,” said Guy Rider, Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, noting that the second World Summit for Social Development [to be held in Doha in November 2025] must lay the foundation in fulfilling the commitments of the Copenhagen Declaration and accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.  “With only five years remaining until our SDG [Sustainable Development Goal] deadline, we simply must secure progress in the social dimension of sustainable development,” he said, adding:  “We must listen more attentively to people’s voices and ensure that they can shape their own futures.”

    Commission Chair Krzysztof Maria Szczerski (Poland) emphasized that the expected outcome of this session is actionable policy recommendations to support Member States and the Economic and Social Council in implementing the outcomes of the 2023 SDG Summit and the 2024 Summit of the Future, thereby accelerating the implementation of 2030 Agenda and preparing for the second World Summit for Social Development.

    The Commission also held a high-level panel discussion to take stock of the first World Summit in 1995 and the upcoming second conference.

    In his keynote speech, Danilo Türk, President of Club de Madrid, recalled that as a former President of Slovenia, he was personally involved in the preparation for the first Copenhagen Summit 30 years ago.  He pointed out that in the current global political climate, social development and social issues are often neglected or seen as not among the main priorities.  “That’s a big problem, a problem that affects the United Nations as an organization, as a community of nations,” he said.  So, the second Summit in Doha should, most importantly, reaffirm the existence of the UN social development mandate.

    He also highlighted the need to recognize that social challenges are increasingly multidimensional, requiring integrated, synergetic approaches to policymaking.  It is also essential to develop a practical methodology to systemically assess both policy proposals and the obstacles to their implementation, ensuring that ambitious goals are not set without clear mechanisms for action. He also called for creating a dedicated institutional space for UN agencies with strong social mandates to collaborate strategically, enhancing the Economic and Social Council’s role in fostering integrated solutions.  “The 1995 Copenhagen Summit was known as the ‘People’s Summit’, and we must reignite that spirit today,” he concluded.

    Valérie Berset Bircher, Deputy Head of the International Labour Affairs Division of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, said that advances have been made since Copenhagen.  “Extreme poverty has declined, life expectancy has increased, more children are in school and the world has witnessed economic growth,” she said.  The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has slowed progress.  “We need to have policies, measures and action that ensure that we are truly leaving no one behind,” she added.  Wealth inequality in the last several years has widened, leaving many unable to benefit from economic growth.  Women, young people and informal workers often lack access to stable jobs, fair wages and social protection.  As it prepares for the upcoming Summit in Doha, Switzerland will focus on policies that strengthen labour institutions and individual capacity to take advantage of the opportunities offered by today’s changing world, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable groups.

    Mario Nava, Director-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission, outlined efforts undertaken by the bloc.  Social rights are “at the centre of our action” with three headline targets that deal with employment, skill development and poverty eradication.  On the latter, the bloc will propose its first anti-poverty strategy in 2026 addressing the root causes of the scourge.  It will strengthen its child guarantee supported by the European Social Fund.  A new pact for European social dialogue has been agreed and will be signed at the beginning of March, he noted.  Looking forward, the views of social partners and civil society must be duly considered at the second Summit, where world leaders must renew the social contract, rebuild trust and embrace a comprehensive vision of human rights. International labour standards remain the basis for social development, he added.

    Anousheh Karvar, French Government representative to the International Labor Organization (ILO) and to the G-7 and G-20 for labour, employment and social protection, said that it is time to bring about social justice to as many people as possible.  There are many challenges that remain unresolved.  “As we speak, more than half of the world population does not have access to any social protections,” she stressed.  For 30 years, there has been a “certain fatigue”, she went on to say, urging the need to “breathe new life into the social agenda”.  The November 2025 Summit in Doha must not limit itself to “stock taking or goal setting”.  It must also call upon the world to come to an agreement on how to achieve development goals.  “We must fully implement the standards and norms set by the International Labour Organization (ILO) for more than 100 years,” she urged.

    Eleni Nikolaidou, Expert Minister Counsellor and Deputy Director General of Hellenic Aid at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, said that the second Summit must advocate for sustained, long-term investment in social protection and employment programmes, strengthening social protection systems.  The Summit must also ensure equitable access to quality education and universal access to healthcare.  It must promote policies that support active aging by ensuring the inclusion of older persons in social, economic and cultural life, and leverage technology and digital transformation.  The Summit must also strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities by implementing comprehensive policies that promote accessibility, social inclusion and equal opportunities.  “Finally, we need a clear road map for action beyond 2025 — the Summit should not only review past commitments but set out specific, time-bound goals for implementation, with monitoring mechanisms to track progress and accountability,” she said.

    Fabio Veras, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Applied Economic Research, and Head of the International Policy Center for Inclusive Development, said that the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few continues to hinder social mobility.  Climate change, armed conflicts and economic crises amplify existing vulnerabilities, undermining progress and hindering the achievements of the SDGs.  “The lack of adequate social coverage, particularly in low-income countries, further compromises progress on the SDGs,” he said.  “Billions of people remain unprotected against life’s inherent risks perpetuating cycles of poverty and vulnerability,” he went on to say.  Further, he urged the need for a fundamental review of the international financial system to ensure that developing countries have access to affordable, long-term financing.  “Expanding universal social protection is necessary for reducing poverty, eradicating hunger and reducing inequality,” he added.

    Charles Katoanga, Director of the Division for Inclusive Social Development at the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, introduced the following four reports of the Secretary-General:  “Strengthening social cohesion through social inclusion” (document E/CN.5/2025/3); Social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (document E/CN.5/2025/2); Policies and programmes involving youth (document E/CN.5/2025/4); and Modalities for the fifth review and appraisal of the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002 (document E/CN.5/2025/5).  He also introduced a note of the Secretary-General on “Social resilience and social development” (document E/CN.5/2025/7).

    In other business, the Commission elected, by acclamation, Joslyne Kwishaka (Burundi), AlMaha Mubarak Al-Thani (Qatar) and Oliver Gruenbacher (Austria) as Vice-Chairs, and designated Vice-Chair Paola Andrea Morris Garrido (Guatemala) to serve as Rapporteur.  The Commission also adopted the provisional agenda (document E/CN.5/2025/1).

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE operations between Feb. 1 and Feb. 6

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    February 10, 2025Washington, DC, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

    Two federal law enforcement officers coordinate with other officials on the ground during an enhanced immigration enforcement operation near Washington, D.C. Feb. 4.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a series of enhanced immigration enforcement operations across the nation between Feb. 1 and Feb. 7 in Baltimore, Maryland; Charleston, South Carolina; Hillsboro, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Washington, D.C. and several other cities across the nation. ICE’s routine daily operations continue, running in tandem with enhanced enforcement operations involving federal law enforcement partnerships with the FBI, the DEA, the ATF, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Marshals Service for a whole-of-government approach.

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrest an undocumented Guatemalan alien charged with trespassing and possessing a loaded handgun and ammunition in the Baltimore area Feb. 1. The arrest was part of a routine daily operation for Baltimore’s ICE officials, who arrested this alien after local officials declined to honor an immigration detainer.

    Federal law enforcement officials conduct a pre-operational briefing in a Washington, D.C.-area parking lot Feb. 4. This enhanced immigration enforcement operation involved cooperation between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its federal law enforcement partners with the Drug Enforcement Administration.

    Two federal law enforcement officers coordinate with other officials on the ground during an enhanced immigration enforcement operation near Washington, D.C. in the early morning hours of Feb. 4.

    ICE and DEA law enforcement officials conduct a pre-dawn briefing prior to an enhanced immigration enforcement operation in a Washington, D.C. suburb on the morning of Feb. 4.

    Federal law enforcement officials working with ICE and the DEA coordinate prior to beginning an enhanced immigration enforcement operation in the Washington, D.C. area before dawn Feb. 4.

    Federal law enforcement officials map out tactical plans before beginning an enhanced immigration enforcement operation near Washington, D.C. Feb. 4.

    ICE arrested Jesus Vazquez Daniel, a 58-year-old undocumented alien from Mexico, Feb. 2 near Hillsboro, Texas. Vazquez is wanted in Hidalgo, Mexico, for aggravated homicide for allegedly beating a homeowner to death during an attempted burglary.

    ICE and the DEA arrested Raul Buitron Vidal in Philadelphia Feb. 4. Buitron is Mexican national with a history of illegal reentry and several DUI arrests in Pennsylvania.

    ICE and the DEA arrested Raul Buitron Vidal in Philadelphia Feb. 4. Buitron is Mexican national with a history of illegal reentry and several DUI arrests in Pennsylvania.

    ICE arrested German Ronal Del Cid Carranza, 33, during routine daily operations in Silver Spring, Maryland, Feb. 4. Del Cid, a known MS-13 member, was convicted of a weapons crime and sentenced to two years in prison in 2023.

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Tim Lenzen and ICE acting Director Caleb Vitello reviewing plans for an enhanced immigration enforcement operation at the Operations Command Center in Denver Feb. 5.

    Federal law enforcement officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the ATF and the FBI run an enhanced immigration enforcement operation from the Operations Command Center in Denver Feb. 5.

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Field Office Director Matt Elliston and FBI Special Agent in Charge William Del Bagno coordinate ahead of an enhanced enforcement operation in Baltimore Feb. 5. The operation targeted MS-13 gang members in Maryland.

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Field Office Director Matt Elliston and a team of federal law enforcement officers from the FBI, the ATF and other agencies take an alleged MS-13 member into custody during an enhanced enforcement operation near Baltimore Feb. 5.

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Field Office Director Matt Elliston and a group of federal law enforcement officers take an alleged MS-13 member into custody during an enhanced enforcement operation near Baltimore Feb. 5.

    ICE officials arrest Tren de Aragua gang members in Charleston, South Carolina, Feb. 3 during a routine daily operation.

    An ICE official arrests a Tren de Aragua gang member in Charleston, South Carolina, Feb. 3 during a routine daily operation.

    An ICE official arrests a Tren de Aragua gang member in Charleston, South Carolina, Feb. 3 during a routine daily operation.

    Federal law enforcement officials talk to an MS-13 member after his arrest during an enhanced enforcement operation near Baltimore Feb. 6.

    Track quarterly ICE arrest, detention and removal statistics

    Call 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or fill out ICE’s online tip form to report crimes and suspicious activity.

    Access B-roll and images of ICE’s most current arrests and removals on ICE’s DVIDS page and ICE’s Flickr Photostream. Get breaking news, public safety information and more by following ICE on X at @ICEgov. You can also follow ICE on Facebook and follow ICE on Instagram for updates and more.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dominican National Sentenced for Role in Human Smuggling Event that Resulted in 11 Deaths

    Source: US State of California

    A Dominican national was sentenced today to nine years in prison for his involvement in a deadly human smuggling venture that resulted in the deaths of 11 smuggled aliens.

    According to court documents, on or about the evening of May 12, 2022, Fermin Montilla, 45, piloted a vessel carrying 48 individuals from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, with the intent of bringing those individuals to the United States illegally. At some point during the journey, the vessel took on water and capsized, and 11 people drowned.

    “The defendant attempted to illegally smuggle 48 migrants into the United States, leading to the tragic deaths of 11 people,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Human smugglers threaten our national security and exploit vulnerable people for profit with no regard for their safety. The Criminal Division is committed to eliminating these transnational criminal smuggling organizations and protecting the public and those who would fall victim to them.”

    “Human smuggling operations not only violate U.S. law and threaten our national security, but they also endanger the lives of the smuggled migrants and result in death as in this case,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to bring those who smuggle illegal aliens to justice and dismantle their criminal organizations.”

    “It is essential to send a strong message to individuals that take advantage of the vulnerable by endangering lives undermining the safety and security of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Gonzalez-Ramos of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan. “In this one incident we lost 11 lives, we need to protect individuals from this heinous crime. We will continue to use all resources to pursue and to bring to justice transnational criminal organizations that jeopardize the safety of others exploiting immigration laws. To those seeking to be smuggled into the United States, please remember that it’s extremely dangerous and is not worth your life, these individuals do not care.”

    On Sept. 13, 2024, Montilla pleaded guilty to one count of bringing aliens to the United States at a place other than a designated port of entry resulting in death.

    HSI San Juan investigated this case, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

    Trial Attorney Angela Buckner of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and U.S. Coast Guard Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Helena Daniel for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case.

    The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

    Last June, the Justice Department formally transmitted to Congress a new legislative proposal to increase the recommended penalties for the most prolific and dangerous human smugglers. The proposal, titled the “Deterring Human Smuggling and Harm to Victims Act of 2024,” would amend U.S. Sentencing Guideline 2L1.1, which governs human smuggling offenses, by creating steeper penalty tiers based on the number of people smuggled by the defendant; increasing penalties when the defendant’s conduct results in injury or death to more than one person; and ensuring defendants are subject to sentencing enhancements for sexual assault and other types of prohibited sexual conduct committed during the smuggling offense, even if that conduct occurred outside U.S. jurisdiction. The Department has been working with interested Members of Congress to advance the proposal so that the Sentencing Guidelines accurately account for the full scope of violence that can result from human smuggling.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dominican National Sentenced for Role in Human Smuggling Event that Resulted in 11 Deaths

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    A Dominican national was sentenced today to nine years in prison for his involvement in a deadly human smuggling venture that resulted in the deaths of 11 smuggled aliens.

    According to court documents, on or about the evening of May 12, 2022, Fermin Montilla, 45, piloted a vessel carrying 48 individuals from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, with the intent of bringing those individuals to the United States illegally. At some point during the journey, the vessel took on water and capsized, and 11 people drowned.

    “The defendant attempted to illegally smuggle 48 migrants into the United States, leading to the tragic deaths of 11 people,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Human smugglers threaten our national security and exploit vulnerable people for profit with no regard for their safety. The Criminal Division is committed to eliminating these transnational criminal smuggling organizations and protecting the public and those who would fall victim to them.”

    “Human smuggling operations not only violate U.S. law and threaten our national security, but they also endanger the lives of the smuggled migrants and result in death as in this case,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to bring those who smuggle illegal aliens to justice and dismantle their criminal organizations.”

    “It is essential to send a strong message to individuals that take advantage of the vulnerable by endangering lives undermining the safety and security of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Gonzalez-Ramos of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan. “In this one incident we lost 11 lives, we need to protect individuals from this heinous crime. We will continue to use all resources to pursue and to bring to justice transnational criminal organizations that jeopardize the safety of others exploiting immigration laws. To those seeking to be smuggled into the United States, please remember that it’s extremely dangerous and is not worth your life, these individuals do not care.”

    On Sept. 13, 2024, Montilla pleaded guilty to one count of bringing aliens to the United States at a place other than a designated port of entry resulting in death.

    HSI San Juan investigated this case, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

    Trial Attorney Angela Buckner of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and U.S. Coast Guard Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Helena Daniel for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case.

    The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

    Last June, the Justice Department formally transmitted to Congress a new legislative proposal to increase the recommended penalties for the most prolific and dangerous human smugglers. The proposal, titled the “Deterring Human Smuggling and Harm to Victims Act of 2024,” would amend U.S. Sentencing Guideline 2L1.1, which governs human smuggling offenses, by creating steeper penalty tiers based on the number of people smuggled by the defendant; increasing penalties when the defendant’s conduct results in injury or death to more than one person; and ensuring defendants are subject to sentencing enhancements for sexual assault and other types of prohibited sexual conduct committed during the smuggling offense, even if that conduct occurred outside U.S. jurisdiction. The Department has been working with interested Members of Congress to advance the proposal so that the Sentencing Guidelines accurately account for the full scope of violence that can result from human smuggling.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran National Sentenced To 12 Months In Federal Prison For Illegal Reentry Into The United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Mainor Danilo Alcerro (39, Honduras) to 12 months in federal prison for illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. Alcerro pled guilty on November 21, 2024.

    According to court documents, Alcerro is a citizen and national of Honduras. He was previously removed from the United States on three prior occasions: June 22, 2010, February 12, 2018, June 1, 2018. Afterward, he was found voluntarily back in the United States on September 22, 2024, when he was arrested by local law enforcement in Lake County, Florida. Alcerro has never applied for or received permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reenter the United States.

    This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced To 21 Months In Federal Prison For Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced Moises Moreno-Godinez (35, Mexico) to 21 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. Moreno-Godinez entered a guilty plea on October 31, 2024.

    According to court documents, Moreno-Godinez was convicted of aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on August 15, 2013, and deported from the United States to Mexico. Following his deportation, Moreno-Godinez illegally reentered the United States. 

    This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced To 18 Months In Federal Prison For Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced Miguel Gomez-Rosales (40, Mexico) to 18 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. Gomez-Rosales entered a guilty plea on November 13, 2024.

    According to court documents, Gomez-Rosales was convicted of lewd or lascivious battery on July 16, 2012, and deported from the United States to Mexico. Following his deportation, Gomez-Rosales illegally reentered the United States. 

    This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Noting Terrorist Groups’ Resilience, UN Counter-Terrorism Chief Tells Security Council Lasting Global Collaboration Key to Address Conditions Conducive to Lawlessness

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Speakers Discuss Risk ISIL/Da’esh, Their Affiliates Pose in Syria, Afghanistan, Across Africa

    The resilience of terrorist groups underscores the need for sustained international collaboration and comprehensive, long-term responses that address the conditions conducive to terrorism, the Security Council heard today during a briefing on the threat posed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh).

    Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, discussing the Secretary-General’s twentieth biannual strategic-level report on the topic, highlighted the volatile situation in Syria, and “the risk that stockpiles of advanced weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists”.  An estimated 42,500 individuals, some with alleged links to Da’esh, remain in detention camps in the north-east.  Member States must “facilitate the safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation of their nationals still stranded in those camps and facilities”, he said. 

    Providing details on the global terrorism landscape during the past six months, he said that, in Afghanistan, ISIL-Khorasan continued to pose a significant threat noting that its supporters plotted attacks in Europe and were actively seeking to recruit individuals from Central Asian States.  In West Africa and the Sahel, Da’esh affiliates and other terrorist groups intensified attacks, including against schools in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, while in Somalia, the organization successfully recruited foreign terrorist fighters. 

    Sub-Saharan Africa has become the epicenter of global terrorism, he said, noting that the United Nations has prioritized capacity-building support to the continent.  His office increased its delivery of technical assistance by 16 per cent, relying notably on the work of its Rabat Office.  Highlighting the Fusion Cells programme which delivered specialized training to 124 analysts from 21 African Member States, he stressed the need to further strengthen border security to counter movements of terrorists.  His office partnered with the Governments of Kuwait and Tajikistan to organize a conference on this.

    The Countering Terrorist Travel programme, he said, continued to expand with 63 beneficiary Member States who are increasingly relying on the goTRAVEL software to collect and process passenger data to detect and prevent terrorist movements.  Noting that the Pact for the Future renewed the international community’s commitment to a future free from terrorism, he urged Member States to translate these commitments into action, prioritizing inclusive, networked and sustainable responses.

    Approach Centered on Prevention, Respect for Human Rights Key to Countering Terrorist Threat

    Also briefing the Council was Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, who voiced concern over the humanitarian and security crisis in north-eastern Syria, with over 40,000 individuals confined in camps and detention facilities, under conditions marked by overcrowding, inadequate shelter and limited access to clean water and sanitation.  Beyond the Middle East, Da’esh remains agile, taking advantage of ongoing conflicts and regions experiencing growing instability, she continued.  The group now poses a threat to security and sustainable development across the African continent.

    Armed terrorist groups, such as Islamic State West Africa Province, are exploiting fragile conditions to recruit children, commit abductions and attack schools and hospitals.  In the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, Da’esh’s centralized operations continue to proliferate as regional cooperation declines, she said, adding that the role of the regional financial hubs used by the group and its affiliates has also expanded.

    “Addressing these threats requires an approach centered on prevention, grounded in respect for human rights, and with regional cooperation as the linchpin,” she stressed, noting the Committee’s visits to Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Malawi, Mauritania and the United Republic of Tanzania.  Assessments revealed gaps in border security and the need for stronger regional collaboration to counter the transnational nature of Da’esh’s activities.  For its part, the Executive Directorate has recently adopted the non-binding guiding principles on preventing, detecting and disrupting the use of new and emerging financial technologies for terrorist purposes — the so-called “Algeria Guiding Principles”, she said.

    Council Members Concerned Over Terrorists’ Adeptness at Expanding Operations, Attractomg New Recruits

    In the ensuing discussion, Council members expressed concern that, despite decades of counter-terrorism efforts, the phenomenon has transformed adeptly, taking advantage of new technology and financial innovations.  Sierra Leone’s delegate said that ISIL/Da’esh and their affiliates “continue to demonstrate resilience and adapt their modus operandi with extensive propaganda, as well as increased finances, fighters’ expertise and technology”.  14,000 fatalities were recorded on the African continent alone in 2024, he said, noting the impact on women and girls.  A security-centered approach alone is insufficient, he stressed.

    Along similar lines, Algeria’s delegate said that terrorist groups use the lack of development and marginalization to recruit and expand — therefore, security arrangements and development initiatives are equally necessary to combat this.  Highlighting the Sahel, he said that well-equipped armed groups are adopting advancing military strategies as well as using organized crime, narcotic trafficking, kidnapping and new technologies to finance such operations.

    France’s speaker noted that Da’esh, Al-Qaida and their affiliates are misappropriating new technology — such as drones — to carry out more targeted and lethal attacks. “These groups thrive on the soil where basic human rights are being violated, where women are marginalized,” she stated, adding that their use of sexual violence as a means of sowing terror has been documented.

    “Our work is far from complete,” said Somalia’s representative, spotlighting “patterns of expansion” across regions, with groups establishing networks that transcend national borders.  For its part, his Government has successfully conducted military operations with international partners to neutralize foreign Da’esh affiliates and implement joint security initiatives.

    The representative of the United States highlighted her Government’s “precision air strikes” against ISIS in Somalia on 1 February.  Her country “stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the United States and our allies,” she said.  She also urged Council members to list more ISIL and Al-Qaida affiliates in the 1267 Sanctions Committee list so that they will be subject to its worldwide assets travel ban and arms embargo.  While the Sahel has become “the global epicenter for fatalities from terrorist attacks”, ISIS-Khorasan is increasing its capabilities to conduct attacks and recruit in Afghanistan and Pakistan, she said.

    Counter-terrorism Policies Must Oppose Double Standards and Selectivity 

    Pakistan’s delegate drew attention to the need to address white supremacy and far-right extremism, as well.  Counter-terrorism policies have so far singled out only one religion — Islam — but they must address the negative impact of stigmatizing Muslims and fanning the flames of Islamophobia, he said.  His country is at the forefront of counter-terrorism efforts, fighting not only Da’esh, but also TTP [Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan] and Majid Brigade.  Further, “the international community has failed to address State terrorism, including the use of State power to suppress legitimate struggles for self-determination or to continue foreign occupation”, he said.

    It was the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) invasion into Libya and the invasion of Iraq which spawned ISIL, the Russian Federation’s delegate said.  Further, the United Nations’ counter-terrorism officials must “study the facts” on assistance to terrorists provided by Western countries, he said, adding that Ukraine, for instance, has become a logistic hub from which weapons disseminate across the world.  NATO troops who hastily left Afghanistan also abandoned vast quantities of weapons which fell into the hands of ISIL and affiliates, he said.

    The Council should oppose double standards and selectivity in counter-terrorism efforts, China’s representative, Council President for the month, speaking in his national capacity, underscored.  He also voiced concern over the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria, and called on Damascus to fulfil its counter-terrorism obligations and prevent any terrorist forces from using the Syrian territory to threaten the security of other countries.

    Calls to Ensure Terrorist Groups Do Not Take Advantage of Instability in Syria 

    Several speakers, including the delegates of Denmark and Slovenia, stressed the need to ensure that terrorist groups do not take advantage of the instability in Syria.  Greece’s delegate underlined the need for a political road map in that country that includes constitutional reform, free and fair elections and inclusive governance. “This is the only way towards the eradication not only of Da’esh, but terrorism in general,” he added.  The United Kingdom’s delegate spotlighted the Global Coalition’s efforts to reduce the risk Da’esh poses as Syria embarks on its historical political transition.  However, “we cannot fight terrorism with force alone”, he emphasized, calling for a whole-of-society approach — with the meaningful participation of women — to address the long-term drivers of terrorism.

    Terrorists’ Increased Use of Information and Communications Technology Draws Concern

    Delegates also considered how to tackle terrorist groups’ increased use of information and communications technology (ICT), with Guyana’s representative noting that gaming and social media platforms bolster resources and recruitment.  The Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team has reported extensively on the increased risk of online radicalization and recruitment targeting youth and minors and the increasing use of cryptocurrencies by Da’esh, she said.

    Also noting Da’esh’s use of cryptocurrencies, Panama’s delegate said:  “Terrorism thrives on secrecy and underground flows of money.”  His country is the only Latin American nation to participate in the Global Coalition against Da’esh and is committed to preventing terrorists from using the Panamanian banking system for their financing.

    The Republic of Korea’s speaker stressed that the international community must respond by leveraging artificial-intelligence-driven analytics to improve threat detection, disrupt terrorist narratives and bolster information integrity.  Seoul’s new “AI and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism” project, designed in collaboration with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, seeks to map out how terrorists exploit AI and build States’ capacity to counter these tactics by incorporating AI solutions, he said.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Margaret Dominguez Helps NASA Space Telescopes Open Their ‘Eyes’ to the Universe

    Source: NASA

    Name: Margaret Dominguez
    Formal Job Classification: Optical engineer
    Organization: Code 551, Optics Branch, Instrument Systems and Technology Division, Engineering Directorate

    What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission?
    I build space telescopes. I am currently working on building one of the components for the Wide Field Instrument for the Roman Space Telescope. The component is called “Grism.” A grism is a combination of a grating and a prism.
    What is unique about your childhood?
    I went to high school in Tecamachalco in Puebla, Mexico, which is inland and south of Mexico City. My father raised pigs, chickens, rabbits, and cows. I am the oldest of four girls and two still live on the farm.
    Why did you become a physicist?
    I was always curious and had a lot of questions and thought that physics helped me answer some of these questions. I was good at math and loved it. When I told my dad I wanted to study physics, he said that I would be able to answer any question in the universe. He thought it was very cool.
    What is your educational background? How an internship help you come to Goddard?
    I went to the Universidad de las Americas Puebla college in Puebla and got an undergraduate degree in physics. I was very active in extracurricular activities and helped organize a physics conference. We invited Dr. Johnathan Gardner, a Goddard astronomer, who came to speak at the conference. Afterwards I spoke with him and he asked me if I was interested in doing an internship at NASA. I said I had not considered it and would be interested in applying. I applied that same spring of 2008 and got a summer internship in the Optics Branch, where I am still working today.
    My branch head at Goddard was a University of Arizona alumnus. He suggested that I apply to the University of Arizona for their excellent optics program. I did, and the university gave me a full fellowship for a master’s and a Ph.D. in optical sciences.
    In 2014, I began working full time at Goddard while completing my Ph.D. I graduated in May 2019.
    What makes Goddard special?
    Goddard has a university campus feel. It’s a place where you can work and also just hang out and socialize. Goddard has many clubs, a gym, cafeterias, and a health clinic.
    People are really nice here. They are often excited and happy about working at Goddard. Most people are willing to put in the extra effort if needed. It makes work stimulating and exciting. Management really cares and the employees feel that too.
    What are some of the major projects you have worked on?
    Early on, I did a little bit of work on Hubble and later on, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Since 2014, I have exclusively been working on Roman. We are building the grism, a slitless spectrograph, which will measure galaxy redshifts to study dark energy.
    Presently we are building different grism prototypes. We work with outside vendors to build these prototypes. When we make a prototype, we test it for months. After, we use the results to build an improved prototype. We just finished making the third prototype. We are going to build a flight instrument of which the grism is a component.
    What is it like to work in the clean room?
    It’s exciting – it likely means I am working on flight hardware. However, because clean rooms must be kept at about 68 degrees Fahrenheit, it can feel chilly in there!
    Who are your mentors? What are the most important lessons they have taught you?
    Ray Ohl, the head of the Optics Branch, is a mentor to me. He is always encouraging me to get outside my comfort zone. He presents other opportunities to me so that I can grow and listens to my feedback.
    Cathy Marx, one of the Roman optical leads, is also a mentor to me. She created a support network for me and is a sounding board for troubleshooting any kind of work-related issues.
    What is your role a member of the Hispanic Advisory Committee (HACE)?
    I joined HACE in 2010 while I was an intern. It’s a great opportunity to network with other Hispanics and gives us a platform to celebrate specific events like Hispanic Heritage Month. I really enjoy participating in HACE’s events.
    What outreach do you do? Why is doing outreach so important to you?
    I do educational outreach to teach people about optics. I mainly collaborate with elementary and middle schools.
    I think we need more future engineers and scientists. I want to help recruit them. I specifically focus on recruiting minorities and Hispanics. I can make a special connection with women and Hispanics.
    Who is your science hero?
    It would probably be Marie Curie. She’s the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and she is the only woman to win two Nobel Prizes and she had to overcome a lot of challenges to achieve that.
    What is your “six-word memoir”? A six-word memoir describes something in just six words.
    Disciplined. Organized. Diligent. Passionate. Curious. Family-oriented.
    Is there something surprising about your hobbies outside of work that people do not generally know?
    I am a certified Jazzercise instructor – I normally teach two to three times a week. I can even teach virtually if need be. It is an hour-long exercise class combining strength training and cardio through choreographed dancing. We also use weights and mats.  
    I also enjoy going for walks with my husband, James Corsetti, who is also an engineer in the Optics Branch.
    By Elizabeth M. JarrellNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

    Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Melissa Gates: Keeping Goddard Running

    Source: NASA

    Name: Melissa Gates
    Title: Secretary III
    Organization: Mission Systems Engineering Branch, Engineering Technology Directorate (Code 599)

    What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission?
    As a branch secretary, I support my branch office by ordering supplies, managing the meeting calendars, onboarding new employees and otherwise supporting the managers. I help keep the office running.
    How did you come to work at Goddard?
    In 2005, I got a bachelor’s degree in communications from Fairleigh Dickinson University. In 2012, I got a master’s degree in communications from Regis University.
    For over 20 years, I managed our family business in New Jersey involving competitive pool. I helped run the competitions and the daily activities, but I never played pool.
    In 2016, I moved to Maryland to work in customer service at MGM National Harbor. In 2019, I started at Goddard through Melwood, a non-profit organization that helps disabled people find employment. 
    What are the most important skills for a good branch secretary?
    Listening. Being prompt. Being organized. Prioritizing tasks. Good people skills. I am a people person, and I can relate well to different personalities. I am very flexible. With teleworking, I am always available.
    Where do you see yourself in five years?
    I really want to work in communications, especially NASA TV, because I want to continue my first loves of writing and public relations. I enjoy working with the public and getting people’s stories out to others. I like learning about people and sharing what I have learned.
    How has having a disability impacted your job choices?
    I have had to make people comfortable with my disability. I use a cane and a scooter to get around. Melwood helped me find a job at Goddard, which fulfilled my 20-year dream.
    What are your goals as a member of the GSFC Equal Accessibility Employee Resource Group?
    As a member of the GSFC Equal Accessibility Employee Resource Group, my focus is to help promote the Ability One Program, a federal program that assists people with all levels of disability find federal jobs. I have my Melwood job through this program. I am very thankful to Melwood and Goddard for giving me a job that offers good benefits and security.
    I offer my life experience as a person with a disability now working at Goddard. I try to make management aware of accessibility needs such as bathrooms, removal of snow from sidewalks and parking lots, assistive technology for hearing and sight impaired people and other issues. Goddard is very responsive to our accessibility needs.
    What do you do for fun?
    I love to read, especially Terry McMillan’s rom-coms. I love bungee jumping, zip lining and roller coasters. I love adrenaline rushes and am a thrill seeker!
    I enjoy traveling and have been to Hawaii and Mexico. I would like to take the train across the country. That way I would not have to move around, the train would be moving and I could still see the country. I would enjoy talking to everyone on the train and have a good time.
    What is your “six-word memoir”? A six-word memoir describes something in just six words.
    Caring. Outgoing. Loves people. Adventurous. Joyful. Grateful. 
    By Elizabeth M. JarrellNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

    Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Newly Minted Ph.D. Studies Phytoplankton with NASA’s FjordPhyto Project

    Source: NASA

    FjordPhyto is a collective effort where travelers on tour expedition vessels in Antarctica help scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Universidad Nacional de La Plata study phytoplankton. Now project leader Dr. Allison Cusick has a Ph.D.! . Dr. Cusick studies how melting glaciers influence phytoplankton in the coastal regions. She wrote her doctoral dissertation based on the data collected by FjordPhyto volunteers.
    “Travelers adventure to the wild maritime climate of Antarctica and help collect samples from one of the most data-limited regions of the world,” said Cusick.  “While on vacation, they can volunteer to join a FjordPhyto science boat experience where they spend an hour collecting water measurements like salinity, temperature, chlorophyll-a, turbidity, as well as physical samples for molecular genetics work, microscopy identification, and carbon biomass estimates. It’s a full immersion into the ecosystem and the importance of polar research!”
    Cusick successfully defended her thesis on December 18, 2024, earning a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Hers is the second Ph.D.  based on data from the FjordPhyto project. Martina Mascioni from FjordPhyto team earned her Ph.D. from the National University of La Plata (Argentina) in 2018.
    The project is a hit with travelers, too.
    “It’s incredibly inspiring to be part of a program like this that’s open to non-specialist involvement,” said one volunteer, a retired biology teacher aboard the Viking Octantis ship, who continued to say, “Thank you for letting us be a part of the science and explaining so clearly why it matters to the bigger picture.”
    If you would like to get involved, go to www.fjordphyto.org and reach out to the team!

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025-20 AG NEWS RELEASE – ATTORNEY GENERAL LOPEZ SUES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR DEFUNDING MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH INNOVATION RESEARCH

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    2025-20 AG NEWS RELEASE – ATTORNEY GENERAL LOPEZ SUES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR DEFUNDING MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH INNOVATION RESEARCH

    Posted on Feb 10, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

    KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
     GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    ANNE LOPEZ

    ATTORNEY GENERAL

    LOIO KUHINA

     

    ATTORNEY GENERAL LOPEZ SUES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR DEFUNDING MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH INNOVATION RESEARCH

     

    News Release 2025-20

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       

    February 10, 2025

     

    HONOLULU – – Attorney General Anne Lopez and 21 other attorneys general today sued the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in an effort to bar them from unlawfully cutting funds that support cutting-edge medical and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country. 

     

    On Friday, February 7, the NIH announced it would abruptly slash indirect cost rates to an across-the-board 15% rate, which is significantly less than the cost required to perform cutting edge medical research. The NIH purported to make this cut effective today (February 10), giving universities and institutions no time to plan for the enormous budget gaps they are now facing. Without immediate relief, this action could result in the suspension of lifesaving and life-extending clinical trials, disruption of research programs, layoffs, and laboratory closures. 

     

    The coalition is challenging the Trump Administration’s attempt to unilaterally cut “indirect cost” reimbursements at every research institution throughout the country. These reimbursements cover expenses to facilitate biomedical research, like lab, faculty, infrastructure and utility costs. Without them, the lifesaving and life-changing medical research in which the United States has long been a leader, could be compromised.

     

    Indirect cost reimbursements are based on each institution’s unique needs, negotiated with the federal government through a carefully regulated process, and then memorialized in an executed agreement.

     

    “President Trump’s total lack of compassion for all Americans knows no bounds. In just three weeks, he has cut programs providing healthcare and education, resources for climate change and clean air, and policies promoting diversity and equity. Now, he is making massive cuts to lifesaving medical research. Here in Hawai‘i, the University of Hawai‘i is supported by 175 awards and subawards from the NIH with a current value of $211M. I joined this lawsuit with my fellow democratic attorneys general because we are the last line of defense to enforce the rule of law,” said Attorney General Lopez.

     

    The coalition also argues that this action to slash indirect costs violates the Administrative Procedure Act, including a directive Congress passed during President Trump’s first term to fend off his earlier proposal to drastically cut research reimbursements. That statutory language, still in effect, prohibits the NIH from requiring categorial and indiscriminate changes to indirect cost reimbursements.

     

    The NIH is the primary source of federal funding for medical research in the United States. Medical research funding by NIH grants have led to innumerable scientific breakthroughs, including the discovery of treatment for cancers of all types, the first sequencing of DNA and the development of the MRI. Additionally, dozens of NIH-supported scientists have earned Nobel Prizes for their groundbreaking scientific work.

     

    Attorney General Lopez is joined by a coalition of attorneys general from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

     

    The lawsuit was filed today in U.S. District Court for Massachusetts and can be found here.

     

     

    # # #

     

    Media contacts:

    Dave Day

    Special Assistant to the Attorney General

    Office: 808-586-1284                                                  

    Email: [email protected]        

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    Toni Schwartz
    Public Information Officer
     Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
    Office:     808-586-1252
    Cell: 808-379-9249
    Email:     [email protected] 

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NITI Aayog Releases Policy Report on ‘Expanding Quality Higher Education through States and State Public Universities’

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 8:15PM by PIB Delhi

    NITI Aayog today launched a policy report titled ‘Expanding Quality Higher Education through States and State Public Universities’. The report was released by Sh. Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog; Dr. Vinod Kumar Paul, Member (Education); NITI Aayog, Sh. BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog; Sh. Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education; and Dr. (Mrs.) Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

    The report is a first-of-its kind policy document in the higher education sector focused specifically on States and State Public Universities (SPUs). It provides detailed quantitative analysis on vital indicators of Quality, Funding and Financing, Governance and Employability over the last decade across the themes. It provides the distilled essence of the insights gained from extensive stakeholder consultations held with State Government Officers of Higher and Technical Education Departments from over 20 States and Union Territories, Vice Chancellors, and senior academicians of 50 SPUs, and Chairpersons of several State Higher Education Councils.

    Speaking on the occasion, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery said that in many global education systems, public universities set the benchmark for excellence, as seen in the U.S. and Brazil. While India has institutions like IITs, SPUs must also strive for high standards. He observed that as directed by the Hon. PM, NITI Aayog’s role is to create evidence through research, while implementation remains the Ministry’s responsibility. He hoped that the recommendations contained in the report would be enthusiastically taken forward by the Ministries in the Central and State Governments.

    NITI Aayog Member Dr. Vinod Kumar Paul positioned the report in the context of NEP implementation and India’s vision for Viksit Bharat 2047. He emphasized that with 80% of India’s higher education taking place in SPUs, reforming them is crucial for creating human capital and establishing India as a knowledge hub.

    NITI Aayog CEO Sh. BVR Subrahmanyam, highlighted that by 2035, the NEP 2020 target is to double enrolment in the higher education system to nearly 9 crore students. Nearly 7 crore of these will continue to study in SPUs. Hence, it is of utmost importance that these universities transition from focusing only on access to higher education to delivering world class higher education to create the high-quality human resource required to power the vision of becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047. He pitched the report as a milestone contribution of NITI Aayog that would complement the NEP 2020 in transforming India’s higher education landscape.

    Secretary DHE Sh. Vineet Joshi highlighted key initiatives that were announced in the recent budget including the selection of 10,000 PMRF research fellows, addition of 6,500 seats in second-generation IITs, and the Bharatiya Bhasha textbook scheme for regional language education. He highlighted PM-USHA’s allocation of INR13,000 crores for 2023-24 to 2025-26, with INR 100 crores per SPU for transitioning to become MERUs. He said that these would play a role in transforming SPUs.

    Dr. (Mrs.) Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, AIU detailed how the report involved extensive deliberations and stakeholder consultations. She highlighted that the report addresses three major constraints raised by vice-chancellors: funding limitations, governance issues, and the need for capacity building of VCs, teachers, and staff, and is a pioneering policy work on SPUs.

    The policy report provides a detailed policy roadmap including nearly 80 policy recommendations, short, medium, and long-term implementation strategies, actors responsible for implementing the recommendations and over 125 Performance Success Indicators. The recommendations assimilated from the consultation process are aimed at improving the quality of research, pedagogy and curriculum, augmenting institutional and systemic funding and financing capacity, upgrading and empowering institutional governance structures, and strengthening industry-academia interface to boost student employability.

    The full policy report can be accessed at:  https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-02/Expanding-Quality-Higher-Education-through-SPUs.pdf

    The full policy brief can be accessed at: https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-02/Policy_Brief_Education.pdf

     

    ***

    MJPS/SR

    (Release ID: 2101510) Visitor Counter : 41

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh exhorts global OEMs to use the opportunities offered by the Indian defence ecosystem to find solutions to today’s challenges

    Source: Government of India

    Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh exhorts global OEMs to use the opportunities offered by the Indian defence ecosystem to find solutions to today’s challenges

    Stresses on the need to adopt & improve solutions constantly amidst the fragile global security situation

    “Govt is taking all steps to equip the Armed Forces & make the nation ‘Aatmanirbhar’ in defence”

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 5:30PM by PIB Delhi

    Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has invited the global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to utilise the opportunities offered by the expanding Indian defence ecosystem and find targeted solutions & counter measures to the challenges emerging due to the volatile geopolitical landscape of today. He was addressing the CEOs Roundtable organised as part of Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru, Karnataka on February 10, 2025. Raksha Mantri stated that amidst the fragile global security situation, where rules-based order is being challenged and technologies are creating new opportunities & vulnerabilities, there is a need to adopt & improve solutions constantly.

    “Today, the nature of communication and data sharing in military operations is getting much more complex. The reliance on space-based navigation systems, communication and surveillance implies that such assets would have to be integrated in our operational plans. The use of drones in recent conflicts indicate that the future would depend on the integrated efforts of manned, unmanned and autonomous warfare systems. Hence, our defence manufacturing has to focus on creating counter measures for these emerging challenges,” said Shri Rajnath Singh.

    Citing great Indian strategist Kautilya, Raksha Mantri said: “We have the moral responsibility to protect our people and territory in a hostile atmosphere. To achieve this, we are taking all necessary steps to equip our Armed Forces and making the country self-reliant in defence manufacturing through the establishment of a strong, efficient, resilient and future-ready defence industrial ecosystem,” he said.

    Shri Rajnath Singh asserted that the Government of India, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has put in place transparent & industry-friendly regulations, processes and policies. He emphasised that the opportunities provided by the Indian defence ecosystem are driven by the policies of self-reliance in defence production, facilitated by a conducive policy regime.

    Raksha Mantri enumerated the transformative steps taken by the Government to make the domestic defence industry an important component of the national economy in order to facilitate India’s transition from a developing to a developed country by 2047. “We have allowed FDI upto 75% through the Automatic Route for companies seeking new defence license, while upto 100% is also allowed under Government approval route. A total of 46 Joint Ventures and Companies have been given foreign investment approval in the defence sector till date,” he said.

    Shri Rajnath Singh added that more than 250 MoUs have, so far, been signed for the establishment of industrial units in the Defence Industrial Corridors set-up in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. He mentioned about the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme introduced to provide financial assistance to the Aerospace and Defence sector for setting up 6-8 greenfield Testing and Certification facilities. The Defence Exim Portal has made the export authorisation process seamless. “As a testimony to the emergence of India as a defence export nucleus, India has seen 31 times growth in the export of products in the last 10 years as compared to Financial Year 2013-14,” he said.

    Raksha Mantri described the issuance of Positive Indigenisation Lists as a clear indicator to the Government’s intent to support the industry in its self-reliance pursuit. He added that for innovation projects in the defence sector, over 500 start-ups & MSMEs are presently working under the aegis of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX). “Our overall ease of doing business environment has improved tremendously. This is showing great results as India has the 3rd largest start-up ecosystem in the world today; this is expected to witness Year on Year growth of 10-12%. We possess a young generation of highly-skilled workforce, which constantly updates itself in the face of the fast-changing ecosystem of the world. You must not miss the opportunity to leverage the advantages of this ecosystem,” he told the over 100 CEOs, both domestic and foreign, present on the occasion.

    Shri Rajnath Singh described the CEOs Roundtable as a platform where the idea of making India self-reliant in defence production would take root, germinate and blossom into full scale reality. It reflects the serious intent of the Government to team with the best organisations around the world in the spirit of cooperation. The essence of this conclave is to explore how to join hands to make India a leading defence manufacturer and service provider at the global scale, he said.

    The theme of the Roundtable was ‘Enabling Defence Cooperation through Global Engagement (EDGE)’. OEMs from 19 countries (USA, France, Russia, South Korea, UK, Japan, Israel & Brazil etc), 35 Indian (Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Forge Ltd, Adani Defence & Aerospace, Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd, BrahMos Aerospace & Ashok Leyland Defence) and 16 Defence DPSUs attended the event.

    Major foreign OEMs including Airbus (France), Ultra Maritime (USA), GNT (South Korea), John Cockerill Defence (UK), Mitsubishi (Japan), Rafael Advanced Defense System (Israel), Safran (France) and Liebherr Aerospace (France) highlighted their future plans, Joint Ventures, collaborations, partnerships with Indian companies for production of spares parts, development of aero-engines, setting up of Maintenance, Repair and Operations facilities and establishment of R&D facilities.

    Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat were among those who attended the CEOs Roundtable.

    ****

    VK/SPS/Savvy

    (Release ID: 2101387) Visitor Counter : 55

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: International Co-Operation in Tourism Sector

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 5:19PM by PIB Delhi

    The Government of India works with other countries to promote tourism through bilateral and multilateral arrangements that encourage information sharing, ease of travel, and other areas of cooperation for the promotion and development of tourism. India is also a member of global tourism organizations like the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Group of Twenty (G20), Group of Seven (G7), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), etc. helping shape tourism policies and support sustainable travel. These efforts are to attract more tourists to India and also to strengthen cultural and economic ties with other nations, contributing to India’s vision of sustainable and inclusive tourism initiatives.

    India is promoted as a holistic tourism destination by showcasing its diverse offerings, including heritage, culture, spirituality, wellness, adventure and eco-tourism. To promote tourism, the Ministry undertakes several initiatives in international and domestic markets, including media campaigns, social media promotions, webinars and participation in promotional events. Additionally, Indian Missions abroad conduct various activities to attract global travelers to India’s diverse tourist destinations, contribute to strengthening India’s position as a preferred travel destination on the global map.

    This information was given by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

    ***

    Sunil Kumar Tiwari

    tourism4pib[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2101368) Visitor Counter : 68

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Agenda – Thursday, 13 February 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    42 Recent dismissals and arrests of mayors in Türkiye     – Motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Monday, 10 February 2025, 20:00     – Amendments to motions for resolutions; joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 13:00     – Amendments to joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 14:00 44 Repression by the Ortega-Murillo regime in Nicaragua, targeting human rights defenders, political opponents and religious communities in particular     – Motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Monday, 10 February 2025, 20:00     – Amendments to motions for resolutions; joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 13:00     – Amendments to joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 14:00 45 Continuing detention and risk of the death penalty for individuals in Nigeria charged with blasphemy, notably the case of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu     – Motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Monday, 10 February 2025, 20:00     – Amendments to motions for resolutions; joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 13:00     – Amendments to joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 14:00 27 Further deterioration of the political situation in Georgia     – Motions for resolutions Monday, 10 February 2025, 19:00     – Amendments to motions for resolutions; joint motions for resolutions Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 11:00     – Amendments to joint motions for resolutions Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 12:00     – Requests for “separate”, “split” and “roll-call” votes Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 19:00 50 Escalation of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo     – Motion for a resolution Monday, 10 February 2025, 19:00     – Amendments to motions for resolutions; joint motions for resolutions Tuesday, 11 February 2025, 19:00     – Amendments to joint motions for resolutions Tuesday, 11 February 2025, 20:00     – Requests for “separate”, “split” and “roll-call” votes Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 16:00 Separate votes – Split votes – Roll-call votes Texts put to the vote on Tuesday Friday, 7 February 2025, 12:00 Texts put to the vote on Wednesday Monday, 10 February 2025, 19:00 Texts put to the vote on Thursday Tuesday, 11 February 2025, 19:00 Motions for resolutions concerning debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (Rule 150) Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 19:00

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Agenda – Wednesday, 12 February 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    29 Objection pursuant to Rule 115(2) and (3): Genetically modified maize DP910521     – Amendments Wednesday, 5 February 2025, 13:00 28 Objection pursuant to Rule 115(2) and (3): Genetically modified maize MON 95275     – Amendments Wednesday, 5 February 2025, 13:00 42 Recent dismissals and arrests of mayors in Türkiye     – Motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Monday, 10 February 2025, 20:00     – Amendments to motions for resolutions; joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 13:00     – Amendments to joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 14:00 44 Repression by the Ortega-Murillo regime in Nicaragua, targeting human rights defenders, political opponents and religious communities in particular     – Motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Monday, 10 February 2025, 20:00     – Amendments to motions for resolutions; joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 13:00     – Amendments to joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 14:00 45 Continuing detention and risk of the death penalty for individuals in Nigeria charged with blasphemy, notably the case of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu     – Motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Monday, 10 February 2025, 20:00     – Amendments to motions for resolutions; joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 13:00     – Amendments to joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 14:00 Separate votes – Split votes – Roll-call votes Texts put to the vote on Tuesday Friday, 7 February 2025, 12:00 Texts put to the vote on Wednesday Monday, 10 February 2025, 19:00 Texts put to the vote on Thursday Tuesday, 11 February 2025, 19:00 Motions for resolutions concerning debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (Rule 150) Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 19:00

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Statement on New Portal for Whistleblowers to Bring Attention to Potential Lawlessness Under Trump Administration

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M) issued the following statement regarding the announcement that Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-MI) have created a new portal for federal employees who want to disclose information about wrongdoing, abuses of power, and threats to public safety:

    “In just three weeks, President Trump has shown New Mexicans that his administration is willing to disregard the rule of law, recklessly terminate civil servants, and disband government agencies that Americans depend on. Senate Democrats are committed to holding the Trump administration accountable and courageous whistleblowers will be invaluable to the mission of providing a check on the Executive Branch. I commend Leader Schumer and Senator Peters for leading this effort to bring attention to any wrongdoing, and I remain committed to protecting New Mexico values and exposing any lawlessness that occurs under this administration.”

    Today, in a public letter to federal civil service employees and public servants, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-MI) wrote that Senate Democrats have launched a new portal for individuals interested in reporting wrongdoing, abuses of power, and threats to public safety. In the first three weeks of his administration, President Trump has shown a blatant disregard for the rule of law and a callousness for New Mexicans and the American people. From the DOGE takeover of the Treasury Department to the federal funding freeze, this administration has wreaked havoc on programs that thousands of New Mexico families, seniors, students, veterans, and others have come to depend upon.

    The new portal for whistleblowers can be accessed here. 

    Leader Schumer and Senator Peters’ letter can be seen here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why so many Latino voters supported Donald Trump

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Julia Young, Associate Professor, History, Catholic University of America

    For many observers of the 2024 US presidential election, Donald Trump’s ability to harness so much of the Latino vote remains one of the more puzzling issues. Latino voters – men in particular – swung decisively towards Trump last November: increasing by 16 points from 2016 to 42% of the bloc in 2024.

    This despite Trump’s consistent history of antagonistic remarks about Latino immigrants. It also appears to fly in the face of the fact that his policies on tariffs, border militarisation and mass deportations will likely affect Mexico, Panama and several other Latin American countries.

    Clearly, Latinos swung towards Trump for the same reason many other voters did. Many were unhappy with the economy (particularly inflation). There was also widespread anxiety about a marked increase in immigration at the southern border.

    But there are more profound reasons driving the dramatic shift in the Latino vote. A closer look at some of the historical dynamics that have shaped the Latino electorate gives a clue for the reason behind this seeming paradox.

    The Latino vote comprises about 14.7% of all eligible US voters. Yet it is far from a monolith. It is a heterogeneous group of people who trace their roots to Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the rest of the 21 Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

    Each of these countries has a different political landscape. They are made up of vastly different people with a different background and distinct cultures. And these differences shape disparate Latino identities in the United States. The term “Latino” itself is a blanket term. It can include extremely different populations: Afro-Dominicans in the Bronx, white Cubans in Miami, indigenous Mexicans in Los Angeles, mestizo Salvadorans in Washington DC and a vast array of others.

    Even within these national groups, there are also significant divisions. Partly, this is based on a person’s time of arrival in the US. Mexican-Americans whose families immigrated to California from border cities like Chihuahua and Ciudad Juárez in the early 1940s as seasonal (and legal) agricultural workers will have different experiences and priorities than Mexicans who arrived more recently from the southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca and settled in New York City without any legal pathway to citizenship. Meanwhile, Nicaraguan-American families who arrived in Miami in the 1980s fleeing the Sandinista revolution will have a different economic outlook from those escaping Daniel Ortega’s current dictatorship.

    There’s no such thing as a generic “Latino” voter. The Latino population in the US needs to be understood as a heterogeneous one, made up of people with different experiences, priorities and preferences.

    Latino conservatism

    For many decades, Latinos were reliable Democratic voters – and many pundits predicted that they would stay that way, tipping the political scales decisively away from the Republican Party. But there has always been a strong strain of Latino conservatives voting Republican.

    Religion plays a key role here. The majority of people of Latino heritage are Catholic. But there is a growing population of Evangelicals and other Christian denominations, reflecting a growth of those groups in some Latin American countries.

    In El Salvador, for example, the rise of Evangelical religions has produced an increasingly culturally conservative population, who support the “mano dura” (strong hand) policies of Nayib Bukele. A similar trend can be found among Latino communities in the US, where Latino Evangelicals strongly supported Trump in 2024.

    The political history of many Latin American countries is a clue to the make-up for migrants to the US. Mexico’s Cristero War in the 1920s prompted thousands of Catholics to flee the country’s anti-clerical government by migrating northwards. Three decades later, the Cuban revolution of 1959 produced large refugee flows of conservative and anticommunist migrants. These exiled groups – most notably, Cubans in South Florida – would ally with Republicans based on their punitive policies towards Cuba. This has helped turn Florida into a Republican stronghold.

    More recently, 7 million Venezuelans fled the left-wing government of Nicolás Maduro. This has led to a more general antipathy among many Latino voters towards left-wing politics and politicians. Trump’s condemnation of Maduro and Venezuela has endeared him to politically conservative Latino voters of all national backgrounds.

    Race, class, and immigration

    Interestingly, it was also clear that some Latino voters are suspicious and resentful of newer waves of migrants, particularly recent asylum-seekers from Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba.

    This dynamic between earlier arrivals and new immigrants is nothing new in the US. Earlier waves of immigrants and their descendants, such as Irish or Italian immigrants, also adopted nativist attitudes towards newer arrivals. In some ways, each generation of immigrants has tried to “pull up the bridge” to the generation that comes after them.

    Yet these negative reactions also relate to racial and class hierarchies both within and between Latin American countries. Like the US, Latin American countries have a long history of racism and colour discrimination, as well as deep class divides and very high rates of income inequality.

    New immigrants who have arrived in recent years from places such as Venezuela, Honduras, Cuba and Nicaragua are poorer than earlier generations of immigrants – and often have darker skin. As a result, cultural divides may impede a strong sense of solidarity between earlier generations of Latino immigrants and recent arrivals.

    This is not to suggest that racism and classism are the dominant drivers behind Latino support for Trump. But it may help explain why Trump’s campaign comments about recent Latino immigrants were not a dealbreaker for every Latino voter.

    Ultimately, the Latino Trump supporter may not represent such a paradox after all. The so-called “Latino voter” is really a multiethnic, diverse bloc of people. While they share common linguistic and cultural features, Latinos are also motivated by a wide variety of religious, political and cultural factors that can be traced back to their own or their families’ experiences in Latin America.

    The Latino vote is complex. Politicians who want to win their support would do well to understand how these complicated identities inform their political decisions and allegiances. It appears at the moment the Republicans are doing this better than their Democratic rivals.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Why so many Latino voters supported Donald Trump – https://theconversation.com/why-so-many-latino-voters-supported-donald-trump-248806

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Florida Car Dealer Turned Carjacker Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – A federal judge has sentenced 59-year-old Erik Hadad to eight years in prison followed by three years of supervised release after a federal jury convicted him of carjacking a customer of the car dealership that Hadad operated with his sons.

    In October 2023, Hadad’s car dealership, Guru Auto Sales, sold a salvaged 2020 Honda Accord to a 24-year-old Haitian legal immigrant (the victim). The sale terms bound the victim to pay $30,000 over five years at annual 24.22% interest rate. When Guru Auto closed the deal, it sold the loan to a finance company for a lump sum payment of about $13,800. The sale, however, allowed the finance company to claw back its lump sum to Guru Auto if the car buyer was late on either of his first two payments.

    When the victim was late on payment one, the finance company enforced the claw-back provision, demanding that Guru Auto return roughly $13,000. The finance company also informed Guru Auto that it had no legal right to the 2020 Honda Accord and could not demand payment from the buyer or repossess the vehicle until Guru Auto paid the money back. 

    On Dec. 19, 2023, five days after Guru Auto received the finance company’s clawback demand and after the victim had caught up on his payments, Hadad staked out the victim’s home. When the victim left his home, he entered his 2020 Honda and began driving to Miami International Airport, where he works as a baggage loader and bathroom cleaner. Hadad followed the victim in a BMW, tailgating him down the highway. When the two cars exited the highway and reached a red light, Hadad got out of the BMW, approached the Honda, ripped off the car’s temporary paper tag, and yelled at the victim to get out of the car. The victim drove away; Hadad jumped back inside the BMW and followed. When they reached a train station, Hadad completed the carjacking: Hadad again approached the victim and demanded that he surrender the key to his Honda. This time, Hadad lifted his shirt and flashed a loaded Smith & Wesson pistol holstered in his waistband. The victim turned over his keys and later called police. Officers arrested the armed Hadad on-scene.

    United States District Judge K. Michael Moore imposed the sentence.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division made the announcement.

    ATF Miami investigated the case with assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Keller and Brianna Coakley prosecuted it.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20220.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Treasurer Steiner Issues Statement On Destabilizing Financial Impact Of Trump Administration Tariffs On Oregon Households

    Source: US State of Oregon

    regon State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner called on the Trump administration to take costly tariffs off the table and maintain the integrity of the federal payment system to preserve the financial stability of Oregonians and all Americans.

    In a statement Treasurer Steiner said:

    “Oregonians are doing better financially than most Americans, according to a new report just released by the Oregon State Treasury, but recent actions by the White House are threatening the financial stability and security of many Oregon households.

    The annual cost of the administration’s suddenly proposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China amount to an expense that nearly half of Oregon households are not prepared to absorb. According to new data compiled for the Oregon State Treasury by Oregon State University (OSU) researchers, nearly 1 in 2 Oregonians cannot afford an emergency expense of more than $500. Yet, the cost of the proposed Trump administration tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China would increase costs to the typical American consumer by amounts ranging from $800 to $1,200 per year, according to independent economists.

    At a time when the cost of living remains a major source of worry for Oregonians, this price hike is an unnecessary expense that many Oregon families cannot afford. While the administration has paused tariffs on Canada and Mexico, Oregon consumers should not have to worry about having to pay more for groceries, gas, clothes, cars and other items they use each day.

    In addition, I am deeply concerned about other actions the White House has taken in recent days that could also harm the financial well-being of Oregonians. Last week, the administration tried to freeze more than $40 billion in funding that the federal government contributes to Oregon’s state budget (and hundreds of millions more that flow directly to universities and non-profits serving Oregon communities). The administration also has sent repeated messages to Oregon’s 17,500 civilian federal employees – who care for veterans, provide Social Security payments, operate dams, provide air traffic control, manage public lands, and provide other vital services – urging them to resign. The White House has given unvetted temporary staff at the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) access to the federal Treasury’s payment system – potentially freezing trillions of dollars in federal funds and compromising the information privacy of Americans.

    I urge the White House to abandon its costly tariff plans, maintain the integrity of the federal payment system, and ensure the uninterrupted flow of funds to Oregon and other states. Oregonians cannot afford to bear the financial cost of these fiscally reckless actions.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE New York City arrests Ecuadorian alien convicted of sex abuse

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    NEW YORK — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended an undocumented Ecuadorian alien convicted of third-degree sex abuse: subject another person to sex contact without consent, when officers arrested Kail Sebastian Cardenas Aguirre, 27, Feb. 3.

    “ICE places a high priority on identifying, arresting and removing alien offenders who pose a threat to public safety and national security,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations New York City acting Field Office Director William P. Joyce.  

    Cardenas was admitted to the United States as a nonimmigrant May 15, 2021, at New York and violated the terms of his admission. The New York City Police Department arrested Cardenas March 9, 2023, and charged him with sex assault: carnal abuse. He was convicted of third-degree sex abuse: subject another person to sex contact without consent, Jan. 13, and sentenced to conditional discharge.

    Cardenas will remain in ICE custody pending removal.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-347-2423 or completing ICE’s online tip form.

    Learn more about ERO New York City’s mission to preserve public safety on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ERONewYork.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: February 10th, 2025 Heinrich Pushes USDA Nominee to Address Rising Cost of Eggs Driven by Avian Flu Outbreak

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) today pushed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary-designee Brooke Rollins to share her plan to address the rising cost of eggs driven by the ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI or H5N1) outbreak. Heinrich points to tools, such as HPAI vaccines, that the USDA could develop and deploy to help tackle the outbreak and lower food prices. Under the Trump administration, the avian flu outbreak is stressing poultry and egg producers’ ability to make a living and forcing working families to pay more at the grocery store for eggs and poultry products.

    “As a U.S. Senator and member of the Appropriations Committee, my constituents have asked me to hold President Trump accountable for his promise to lower food prices for all Americans. The USDA has many tools at its disposal to combat rising prices, including HPAI vaccines. Vaccinating all laying hens in the United States against HPAI will help lower egg prices for consumers, decrease production losses for farmers, and ultimately decrease the cost to taxpayers through reduced indemnity payments,” Heinrich wrote.

    “I request that you respond in writing within two weeks with your plan to lower egg and poultry prices for consumers through vaccination efforts, while preserving export markets for American farmers,” Heinrich continued.

    Heinrich requested that Rollins answer the following questions:

    1. Plan to Lower Prices: “Please share in detail your plan to lower egg and poultry prices through vaccination efforts and other means, including a complete vaccination strategy, use case, and plan to procure, stockpile, distribute, deploy, administer, and track the use of poultry H5N1 vaccines.”
    2. Deployment Considerations: “What considerations need to be weighed while deploying H5N1 vaccinations to all laying hens in domestic egg production? Please provide specifics about how you propose to prioritize certain flocks or regions based on risk and export profile to maximize reductions in cost paid by American consumers for poultry and egg products?”
    3. Better Trade Agreements for American Farmers: “Once you have reviewed our poultry trade agreements in consultation with the US Trade Representative (USTR), please provide a plan that describes the actions the Administration will take to renegotiate trade agreements to permit the export of poultry and poultry products derived from birds that have been vaccinated.  American farmers who want to keep their livelihoods intact and prices affordable for American families will look to you and the USTR to quickly renegotiate important trade agreements to maintain and expand foreign markets.”
    4. USDA Research Plan: “What is your plan for the USDA research that is needed to best match vaccines to the current strain of the virus and to expand production and deployment of effective vaccinations for poultry against all currently circulating variants of H5N1?”
    5. Vaccination Logistics: “How will you handle the logistics and costs associated with vaccination as well as enhanced surveillance and monitoring of flocks in a way that lowers prices for the American consumer?”
    6. Budget: “What budget will you assign to the USDA’s efforts to manage the HPAI outbreak and lower egg and poultry prices for families, including through vaccination and other means?”

    The text of the letter is here and below:

    Dear Secretary-designee Rollins:

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plays a critical role in maintaining a safe, affordable food system for American families and in supporting robust domestic and foreign markets for American farmers.  As you acknowledged at your confirmation hearing, one of your top priorities is to quickly and thoroughly assess and manage the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI or H5N1) outbreak.  The current HPAI outbreak is stressing poultry and egg producers’ ability to make a living, stretching the USDA’s budget through increasing indemnity payments to depopulate farms, and forcing working families to pay more at the grocery store.  It is clear that the American tax payer and the American consumer are now paying twice for the same problem.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average price for a dozen large grade A eggs jumped by 65 percent in 2024, from $2.52 to $4.15. As of February 2025, prices are around $7 per carton and the USDA Economic Research Service predicts that egg prices will continue to rise in 2025.

    As a U.S. Senator and member of the Appropriations Committee, my constituents have asked me to hold President Trump accountable for his promise to lower food prices for all Americans.  The USDA has many tools at its disposal to combat rising prices, including HPAI vaccines.  Vaccinating all laying hens in the United States against HPAI will help lower egg prices for consumers, decrease production losses for farmers, and ultimately decrease the cost to taxpayers through reduced indemnity payments.  While there are some technical, logistic, and trade related obstacles to the widespread vaccination of U.S. poultry flocks, there is an emerging consensus within the producer community that such action is necessary and you are seeking to join an Administration that prides itself on extracting concessions from trading partners.  I request that you respond in writing within two weeks with your plan to lower egg and poultry prices for consumers through vaccination efforts, while preserving export markets for American farmers. Specifically, I would like your answers to the following questions:

    • Your Plan to Lower Prices: Please share in detail your plan to lower egg and poultry prices through vaccination efforts and other means, including a complete vaccination strategy, use case, and plan to procure, stockpile, distribute, deploy, administer, and track the use of poultry H5N1 vaccines.
    • Deployment Considerations: What considerations need to be weighed while deploying H5N1 vaccinations to all laying hens in domestic egg production? Please provide specifics about how you propose to prioritize certain flocks or regions based on risk and export profile to maximize reductions in cost paid by American consumers for poultry and egg products?
    • Better Trade Agreements for American Farmers: Once you have reviewed our poultry trade agreements in consultation with the US Trade Representative (USTR), please provide a plan that describes the actions the Administration will take to renegotiate trade agreements to permit the export of poultry and poultry products derived from birds that have been vaccinated.  American farmers who want to keep their livelihoods intact and prices affordable for American families will look to you and the USTR to quickly renegotiate important trade agreements to maintain and expand foreign markets.
    • USDA Research Plan: What is your plan for the USDA research that is needed to best match vaccines to the current strain of the virus and to expand production and deployment of effective vaccinations for poultry against all currently circulating variants of H5N1?
    • Vaccination Logistics: How will you handle the logistics and costs associated with vaccination as well as enhanced surveillance and monitoring of flocks in a way that lowers prices for the American consumer?
    • Budget: What budget will you assign to the USDA’s efforts to manage the HPAI outbreak and lower egg and poultry prices for families, including through vaccination and other means?

    I welcome your urgent attention to these questions. I look forward to learning more about your plan to bring down food prices for American families, support domestic producers, maintain export markets, and tackle this highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration over Unlawful NIH Funding Cuts for Universities and Research Institutions

    Source: US State of California

    Coalition also seeks court order barring Trump Administration from implementing drastic funding cuts

    OAKLAND — As part of a coalition of 22 attorneys general, California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for unlawfully decimating funds that support cutting-edge medical and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country. Filed in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, the lawsuit challenges the Trump Administration’s attempt to unilaterally cut “indirect cost” reimbursements at every research institution throughout the country, including at the University of California (UC) and at the California State University (CSU). Indirect cost reimbursements are based on each institution’s unique needs, negotiated with the federal government through a carefully regulated process, and then memorialized in an executed agreement. In addition to filing today’s lawsuit, the coalition is seeking a temporary restraining order to bar the Trump Administration’s action from taking effect.

    “We are suing President Trump and his administration because they are once again violating the law. Let’s be clear about what they are seeking to do now: they want to eviscerate funding for medical research that helps develop new cures and treatments for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “The stakes are especially high here in California. Ours is a state known as a national and global leader in life-saving biomedical research, and I will not allow the Trump Administration to jeopardize the extraordinary work being done right now by scientists, scholars, medical professionals, and other workers.”

    “Like scores of institutions across the country, the University of California has relied on NIH grants to pursue life-saving research that benefits Americans nationwide,” said UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D. “Cuts of this magnitude would deal a devastating blow to our country’s research and innovation enterprise, undermine our global competitiveness, and, if allowed to go forward, will ultimately delay or derail progress toward treatment and cures for many of the most serious diseases that plague us today. We stand ready to fight to protect this critical investment in a healthier and more prosperous America.”

    “Federal grant funding is vital to the CSU’s teaching and research mission, which addresses some of society’s most urgent challenges in health care, agriculture, water, fire prevention and cybersecurity,” said CSU spokesperson Jason Maymon. “The NIH’s drastic reduction in reimbursement for previously agreed upon administrative costs will leave the CSU’s 23 universities with millions in unfunded expenses, jeopardizing critical research and support systems needed for program success. This decision threatens not only groundbreaking research but also the future of student innovation and scientific progress.”

    This past Friday, February 7, the NIH announced it would abruptly slash indirect cost rates to an across-the-board 15% rate, which is significantly less than the cost required to perform cutting edge medical research. The NIH purported to make this cut effective the very next business day, Monday, February 10, giving universities and institutions no time to plan for the enormous budget gaps they are now facing. The reimbursements at issue cover expenses to facilitate biomedical research, like lab, faculty, infrastructure, and utility costs. Without immediate relief, this action could result in the suspension of lifesaving and life-extending clinical trials, disruption of research programs, staffing cuts, and laboratory closures. 

    In today’s lawsuit, the attorneys general argue that the Trump Administration’s action violates the Administrative Procedure Act in multiple ways. For example, the attorneys general argue that the action is arbitrary and capricious and violates a directive Congress passed during President Trump’s first term to fend off his earlier proposal to drastically cut research reimbursements. That statutory language, still in effect, prohibits the NIH from requiring categorial and indiscriminate changes to indirect cost reimbursements.  

    Most NIH-funding research occurs outside of federal government institutions such as both public and private universities and colleges. In California, this includes: 

    • The University of California. The UC system has 21 health professional sciences schools, five NCI-designated cancer centers, and six academic medical centers widely recognized as among the best in the nation, and they are international leaders in the education of health professionals, in research that develops new cures and treatments, and in public service that provides healthcare for all Californians regardless of ability to pay. Federal funds are UC’s single most important source of support for its research, accounting for more than half of UC’s total research awards. In Fiscal Year 2023, UC received a total of over $2 billion in NIH contract and grant funding.
    • The California State University. The CSU system is the largest public university system in the United States and consists of 23 campuses. In the last audited year, CSU campuses received approximately $158 million in NIH funds.  

    The NIH is the primary source of federal funding for medical research in the United States. Medical research funding by NIH grants have led to innumerable scientific breakthroughs, including the discovery of treatment for cancers of all types, the first sequencing of DNA, and the development of the MRI. Additionally, dozens of NIH-supported scientists have earned Nobel Prizes for their groundbreaking scientific work. 

    In filing today’s lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of: Arizona, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

    A copy of the lawsuit can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Sues Trump Administration for Slashing Vital Medical and Scientific Research Funding   

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of 21 other attorneys general in suing the Trump administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for attempting to illegally slash grant funding to universities and research institutions across the country. Attorney General James and the coalition are challenging the NIH’s new policy that caps “indirect cost” reimbursements at 15% for every research institution in the country. These indirect cost reimbursements cover all expenses that facilitate biomedical research, including laboratory space, equipment, faculty, infrastructure, and utility costs. Limiting these reimbursements will threaten lifesaving medical research at institutions across the country and could lead to layoffs, disruptions to clinical trials, and even laboratory closures. With today’s lawsuit, Attorney General James and the coalition seek to prevent the policy from taking effect. 

    “This is yet another unlawful and reckless attempt by the Trump administration to undermine vital public institutions and harm the people who rely on them,” said Attorney General James. “The administration’s decision to cap NIH reimbursement rates could force scientists to shutter their lifesaving research on cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, addiction, infectious diseases, and more. My office will not stand idly by as this administration once again puts politics over science and endangers public health. We are suing to prevent this harmful policy from taking effect.”

    On February 7, NIH announced it would abruptly slash indirect cost rates for research grants to 15% across the board, significantly less than the cost required to perform cutting-edge medical research. The NIH also announced that cuts would go into effect the next business day, Monday, February 10, giving universities and institutions no time to plan for the enormous budget gaps they are now facing. Without immediate relief, this action could result in the suspension of life-saving and life-extending clinical trials, disruption of research programs, layoffs, and laboratory closures. 

    Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the rate change violates Congressional appropriations law, which has prohibited NIH from altering indirect cost rates without proper authorization since 2018. This directive was passed by Congress during the first Trump administration, following another proposal by the administration to drastically cut research reimbursements. In addition, the attorneys general argue that NIH exceeded its authority by making this cut retroactive to existing grants, and that the cut lacks any factual basis and was enacted without proper notice or any opportunity for comment. The attorneys general are seeking a court order barring the Trump administration and NIH from implementing the action. 

    The NIH is the primary source of federal funding for medical research in the United States. Medical research funding by NIH grants has led to innumerable scientific breakthroughs, including the discovery of treatment for cancers of all types, the first sequencing of DNA, and the development of the MRI. Additionally, dozens of NIH-supported scientists have earned Nobel Prizes for their groundbreaking scientific work. Most NIH-funded research occurs outside of federal government institutions such as public and private universities and colleges.

    In New York, there are currently $5 billion in open NIH grants to institutions throughout the state. If the proposed funding cap takes effect, approximately 250 institutions in New York would be impacted, encompassing most universities and medical schools in the state. New York institutions stand to lose approximately $850 million from this policy. For example, the State University of New York (SUNY) system alone stands to lose $78 million through the full life of its current grants and would have to abandon breakthrough research projects on cancer and Alzheimer’s disease if the cap is allowed to go forward. 

    Joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

    This matter is being handled for New York by Special Counsel Molly Thomas-Jensen and Special Counsel for Federal Initiatives Rabia Muqaddam of the Executive Division, under the supervision of First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

    MIL OSI USA News –