US officials recently deported a Syrian born Canadian citizen to Canada. Maher Arar was detained by the INS at JFK International Airport in New York while trying to board a connecting flight to Canada. It is not clear why the INS detained him, but the agency suspects him of having ties to terrorist organizations. Muslim groups in Canada question why Arar was deported to Syria rather than Canada. Arar is also a citizen of Syria.
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One person remains missing after a Coast Guard chase of a suspected migrant smuggling speedboat. The 29 Cuban migrants on board the boat fell overboard when the boat hit land during the high-speed chase. Two people, believed to be smugglers, were also missing, but were later found.
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The bodies of 11 people believed to be undocumented immigrants were found in a rail car in rural Iowa this week. They were found when employees of the railroad were cleaning out the car in preparation for taking on a grain shipment. The dead are believed to be Mexican citizens because the train originated in Matamoras, Mexico in June. The bodies were badly decomposed, which will make identification difficult.
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Border Patrol agents in New York recently detained 15 people attempting to enter the US without authorization. All those detained, five men, three women and seven children, were from the Fujian Province of China. Authorities arrested and charged the five Chinese men with attempting to enter the US without authorization. One American, who was piloting the boat in which the entry effort was made, has been charged with smuggling. The women and children were not arrested, but have been placed in deportation proceedings.
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Two people believed to be undocumented border crossers were shot and killed this week in Pinal County, Arizona. Officials say that a group of about 12 people was gathered at a pond in a remote area when a vehicle approached and opened fire. They are searching for the other members of the group, concerned that they could be wounded and wandering in the desert.
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