US embassy cable - 05SANSALVADOR2475

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 002475 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DHS FOR ACTING U/S BEARDSWORTH 
EMBASSY FOR DHS SOTOMAYOR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10 YEARS 
TAGS: PINS, PREL, PTER, SOCI, KCRM, KJUS, ES 
SUBJECT: ACTING DHS U/S BEARDSWORTH MEETS WITH GOES 
GOVERNANCE MINISTER FIGUEROA 
 
 
Classified By: CDA Michael A. Butler for reasons 1.4(b) & (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary: On September 2, Acting DHS U/S Beardsworth 
and Minister of Governance Rene Figueroa met to discuss 
border and migration issues.  The meeting focused on violent 
(mostly gang members) and non-violent (mostly immigration 
violators) deportees.  GOES officials demanded more 
background information on violent criminals deported from the 
United States.  Beardsworth stated his willingness to work 
with them on the issue.  He described the current backlog of 
Salvadorans awaiting removal and expressed the need to 
expedite the issuance of Salvadoran travel documents for 
non-violent offenders.  Figueroa agreed to enter into 
technical discussions on the issues raised by Beardsworth. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) Acting U/S Beardsworth and GOES Governance Minister 
Rene Figueroa met on September 2, to review border and 
migration issues.  Also in attendance were Ambassador 
Barclay, DCM Butler, GOES Vice Minister Rodrigo Avila and 
GOES Vice Minister Silvia Aguilar.  GOES officials focused 
their presentation on the deportation of Salvadorans who 
entered the U.S. illegally, committed serious crimes, and are 
deported to El Salvador at the conclusion of their prison 
sentence. They stressed the difficulty the GOES faces in 
assimilating these individuals due to the lack of information 
regarding the names, gang affiliations, and criminal 
histories of deportees.  They noted that Mexico has a 
prisoner transfer treaty with the U.S., and that criminal 
deportees who are returned to Mexico must complete their 
original sentences.  GOES officials also objected to reducing 
the sentences of violent offenders in order to deport them 
quicker.  They expressed their willingness to explore how 
criminals could serve their full sentences, either in the 
U.S. or in El Salvador. 
 
3. (C) Beardsworth agreed that information should be shared 
between the two countries as U.S. and international 
agreements permit.  He reminded GOES officials that they 
could sign the OAS treaty on prisoner transfers to initiate a 
prisoner transfer agreement.  He stated his willingness to 
increase cooperation in criminal investigations and 
information sharing. Beardsworth moved the discussion from 
violent criminal detainees to the much larger population of 
non-violent detainees.  He stated that approximately 100 
Salvadorans are detained for illegal entry into the U.S. each 
day, but that DHS can only remove 100 Salvadorans per week. 
He emphasized that the failure to deport Salvadorans more 
quickly is caused by the GOES inability to issue requisite 
travel documents in a timely manner.  To assist the GOES in 
the issuance of Salvadoran travel documents, Mr. Beardsworth 
proposed that the USG centralize the location of Salvadoran 
deportees, allowing a single consular officer to provide 
travel document services.  He also stated that the U.S. might 
be open to paying a small processing fee to expedite the 
production of travel documents.  Beardsworth emphasized that 
DHS is open to any suggestions or requests for assistance 
that will expedite the issuance of Salvadoran travel 
documents. 
 
4. (SBU) Avila noted that the GOES had a positive 
relationship with the USG and that the GOES was ready to 
negotiate.  He stated that even if progress could be made 
regarding non-violent returnees, the crime situation in El 
Salvador required the prompt focus on returnees with criminal 
records.  GOES officials agreed to technical discussions in 
coming weeks of issues raised by Beardsworth. 
 
5.  (U) This cable was not cleared by U/S Beardsworth prior 
to his departure. 
Butler