The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced plans last week with the Government of Honduras to facilitate the deportation process to that country with the use of video teleconferencing (VTC) by Honduran consular officers for travel document interviews with Honduran nationals detained in the U.S.

Honduras is the first foreign government to participate in the VTC process, which according to a DHS press release has a goal of decreasing detention time for Honduran nationals who qualify for Expedited Removal (ER) from the current average of 27 days to an average of 15 days.  The release stated that the ER process allows DHS the ability to speed the removal of undocumented aliens attempting to enter the U.S. by using fraudulent documents or by attempting to elude U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents.  When a CBP agent places an alien into expedited removal proceedings, the alien is transferred into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and then removed to his or her country of origin as soon as circumstances will allow.

Interviews by Honduran consular officers are a required part of the removal process and are typically a pre-requisite for the adjudication of travel documents.  Without official government issued travel documents, removals often cannot occur.

According to the release, it is anticipated that the VTC equipment and process would be initially set up in two Honduran consulates, Los Angeles and Houston, as a pilot program before expansion.  The VTC equipment is already in place at U.S. detention centers.

As of March 31, 2005, there were more than 1,750 Honduran nationals in ICE custody.  Honduran nationals are the second largest group by nationality in ICE custody, and represent nine percent of the total ICE detainee population.  During the 2004 Fiscal Year, ICE removed 7,911 Honduran nationals; 30 percent were criminal aliens.