New: China's Ministry of National Defense says the report is "not true" US official says Chinese military aircraft also being brought up to full readiness China temporarily put cruise missile-capable bombers “on high alert” this week as the United States sees evidence the Chinese military was preparing to respond to a potential situation in North Korea, a US defense official told CNN. The official said the United States has also seen an extraordinary number of Chinese military aircraft being brought up to full readiness as part of a military posture adjustment to increase its ability to respond. The alert status change was thought to be a temporary measure. These recent steps have been assessed as part of China’s effort to temporarily “reduce the time to react to a North Korea contingency,” the official said. Such a contingency could include the risk of an armed conflict breaking out as tensions on the Korean Peninsula have increased in the wake of North Korean missile tests. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lu Kang said Friday he was “aware of the relevant reports” of a heightened alert in the Chinese air force but said he has “no information to give.” But China’s Ministry of National Defense said the US official’s assertions were “not true.” “The Chinese military at the China-North Korea border is maintaining a normal level of combat readiness and training,” the ministry said in a statement. Washington and Pyongyang have ratcheted up the rhetoric, with the latter’s state media warning Thursday that the United States and South Korea could be “completely destroyed in an instant” if North Korea launched a pre-emptive strike. Beijing has long been concerned about potential instability in North Korea should the regime in Pyongyang collapse, fearing both an influx of refugees and the potential of reunification under a South Korean government closely allied to the United States. China is also opposed to the US military’s presence in South Korea, protesting the recent decision to begin deploying elements of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missile defense system. Given the close economic ties between North Korea and China, US military officials have said Beijing is critical to solving the situation, with President Donald Trump recently commending Chinese President Xi Jinping for efforts to curb Pyongyang’s activities. Senior administration officials told CNN on Thursday that China is the focus of the Trump administration’s North Korea strategy. “Nobody thinks the Chinese are going to press North Korea militarily or bring the regime to its knees, but the strategy looks to China to find a political solution more than anything else,” one senior administration official said. The officials said Trump’s approach is based on a careful review of past US efforts to deal with North Korea, noting that during the analysis of failed negotiating efforts with the long-reigning Kim family, one thing became abundantly clear: “China has never exerted maximum leverage on the Kim regime.” But one senior administration official cautioned that the China-centric strategy was still at an early stage, and that “there are many more stages to go.” Lu, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said Beijing was “gravely concerned” about North Korea’s recent nuclear and missile activities but praised Washington’s approach to the issue. “American officials did make some positive and constructive remarks … such as using whatever peaceful means possible to resolve the (Korean) Peninsula nuclear issue,” Lu said. “This represents a general direction that we believe is correct and should be adhered to.”


Editor’s Note: Frida Ghitis is a world affairs columnist for The Miami Herald and World Politics Review and a former CNN producer and correspondent. Follow her @FridaGhitis. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. Frida Ghitis: Timing of ISIS Paris attack likely boosted chance of climate conference success as nations feel solidarity to save the world She says Obama casts COP21 as act of defiance; even big polluter China, now targeted by ISIS, enters conference in spirit of unity ISIS planners were probably not thinking about climate change when they chose the date for their terrorist attacks in Paris earlier this month. It’s highly unlikely that they looked at the calendar and considered the implications of striking the French capital just two weeks before the world’s most important gathering on climate change. And yet, by attacking Paris just before the U.N. Climate Change Conference, COP21, they inadvertently gave a boost to the chances that the conference will succeed. The blood drawn by ISIS christened Paris as a central stage in a momentous global drama. And then, by an accident of timing, the climate conference became a new act in this historic play. Savage violence juxtaposed against saving the planet has turned the conference into a show of resistance against terrorism. When French President Francois Hollande met with President Barack Obama at the White House shortly after the attacks, seeking to enlist the United States in a new push against ISIS, Obama officially branded the COP21 conference part of the war against ISIS. “What a powerful rebuke to the terrorists it will be,” he declared, “when the world stands as one and shows that we will not be deterred from building a better future for our children.” With that, the pressure was on for world leaders to attend, and for all, including Obama, to produce results. Attending the gathering took on a solemn meaning. The number of heads of government announcing their participation quickly mushroomed. Little more than a week ago, the U.N. announced proudly that more than 120 would participate “to show solidarity with France.” In 2009, the climate change meeting in Copenhagen included just 60 world leaders. When COP21 opened, some 150 president and prime ministers were on hand. But the potential effect of the attacks goes beyond attendance. Because the conference has been branded as a symbol of countering ISIS, achieving results takes on additional symbolic weight. And there is an even more powerful political cost of failing. Related article Climate change is a form of terror Consider the case of the American president: As soon as he arrived in Paris, Obama went to pay his respects at the Bataclan theatre, scene of the worst carnage on November 13. When he spoke at the opening of the conference, he again described holding the meeting in Paris as “an act of defiance.” In linking the ISIS attacks and the global gathering, he raises the political cost of failure on climate talks. Obama was already on the defensive on ISIS after having declared ISIS “contained” just hours before the carnage in Paris. The unfortunately timed claim added to charges that he has failed the challenge of global leadership. Now Paris, the same city that put the lie to his boast, offers the chance of at least partial redemption. He is unlikely to achieve major success against ISIS in what’s left of his presidency, but if he can exercise leadership in Paris, there is a chance to show that he can lead the world in a challenge of lasting significance. He has more of a head start than in the past: In previous climate negotiations, the United States has clashed with China over the correct strategy to tackle global warming. Instead of suspiciousness and acrimony, the world’s leaders – including China’s President Xi Jinping – have arrived in Paris in a spirit of unity, as if visiting a friend in mourning. Related article COP21 climate change summit: 'Never have the stakes been so high' China, which has overtaken the United States as the world’s top polluter, has been stunned to see its own citizens killed by Islamist terrorists. Just after the Paris massacres, ISIS announced it had “executed” Fan Jinghui, the first Chinese national killed by ISIS.  And the Chinese people were still in shock over the news when an al Qaeda group burst into the Radisson hotel in Bamako, Mali, and took 170 people hostage. When the siege was over, 22 people were dead, including three Chinese citizens. The Chinese people are angry, and the country’s leaders have vowed to take action. The bottom line is that China, too, is now on the anti-ISIS side. China’s leaders have arrived in Paris at a time when terrorists have managed to create emotional links between antagonists on the subject of how to defeat terrorism. Will all this be enough to overcome the many substantial obstacles to a climate deal? There’s no guarantee. But we should not dismiss the power of human connections in diplomatic negotiations. Instead of arriving in Paris with a sharp focus on how to defend their interests and minimize the cost of a climate deal, delegates of 195 countries have come to City of Lights with the inescapable awareness that they have stepped into the scene of a massacre, of a historic affront against civilization. When they sit across the table, they know whose side they’re on. The terrorist attacks have made it clear that they are on the side of saving the world. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion.Read CNNOpinion’s Flipboard magazine.


Seven weather-related deaths reported in US and one in Canada Normalcy trickles back in some areas of the Northeast Normalcy was trickling back to some areas of the Northeast after a major winter storm dumped more than 30 inches of snow in the region. Commuters can expect regular train and metro service to resume Thursday. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo lifted the state travel ban. Students will return to public school classrooms in Boston. Airline travel also is getting back to normal. More than 1,200 US flights were canceled Wednesday, but the outlook was looking much better for Thursday, according to Flightaware.com The storm led to seven deaths in the United States and one in Canada this week, authorities said – a toll that started Monday as snow fell in Wisconsin. A roundup of the deaths: • A 10-year-old boy died Wednesday after getting trapped in a pile of snow in Pendleton, New York. The Niagara County Sheriff’s Office said it appeared the boy was digging a tunnel in the snow when it collapsed. • Two men died of cardiac-related problems after trying to clear snow Monday in Wisconsin’s Milwaukee County, the county’s medical examiner’s office reported. One man, 76, was operating a snow blower before he died; the second man, 64, was shoveling snow, the office said. Related video Timelapses show snow cover the Northeast • In Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a snowplow driver was killed in a collision Tuesday with an Amtrak snow-plowing train, fire Chief Andrew Fraser said. The plow driver was crossing the tracks, which the train was working to clear after roughly 12 to 15 inches of snow fell. • In Canada, a driver of a tractor-trailer died from injuries after a multicar pileup Tuesday during blizzard conditions on Highway 401 in the township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands in southern Ontario, a township spokeswoman said. • On New York’s Staten Island, a 47-year-old man died of a heart attack he suffered while shoveling snow Tuesday, police said. • In East Hartford, Connecticut, an elderly man died after being struck by a snowplow Tuesday afternoon, police said. • In Gilford, New Hampshire, a 16-year-old girl was killed in a weather-related accident, police Chief Anthony Bean Burpee told CNN. The victim was the daughter of a Gilford police dispatcher, according to authorities. More than 30 inches of snow were reported Tuesday in parts of Pennsylvania and upstate New York, according to the National Weather Service. The largest amount reported was 41 inches in Bridgewater, New York, a hamlet about 45 miles southeast of Syracuse. Binghamton, New York, set a 24-hour snowfall record with 31.3 inches, breaking the previous record of 23 inches set in February 1961. Some parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine received 20 inches or more, the weather service said. “Areas along the coast from New York to Boston didn’t see as much as expected,” said Taylor Ward, a CNN meteorologist. “But some portions of the Northeast have seen more than 30 inches of snow.” Not even close to being high tide either @ACPressSkeldon pic.twitter.com/yQ1c8mkJnd Strong winds also caused difficulties Tuesday. Along the New Jersey coast, winds pushed ocean water into neighborhoods, resulting in coastal flooding and beach erosion. Amtrak announced that regular operations resume Thursday for the Acela Expess, Northeast Regional and other services that operate between Boston and Washington, DC. Empire Service will still be on a modified schedule, according to the company. Related article Was the blizzard a bust? It's debatable Metro-North trains, which ferry commuters to and from New York City, will run its regular weekday schedule Thursday. Customers should still expect some delays, the company said in a statement. Though the storm’s most powerful portion moved out to sea, it still was expected to affect eastern Quebec. A blizzard was expected to drop more than 10 inches of snow and whip the area with wind gusts of more than 60 mph, Environment Canada said. CNN’s Madison Park, Michelle Krupa, Mayra Cuevas, Janet DiGiacomo and Keith Allen contributed to this report.

major winter storm in the Northeast US and Canada


Editor’s Note: Ahead of the British election, we want to know: What do you think the UK’s place in the world should be? Call us and leave a message: http://cnn.com/voicemail Your response could be used on CNN. Khan says as deals with fallout from attack, he doesn't "have time to respond" to Trump Trump criticizes Khan for second time since Saturday's attack US President Donald Trump’s war of words with the Mayor of London continued Monday, with the two men trading barbs even as the city mourns the victims of Saturday’s terror attack. Speaking to the UK’s Channel 4 News, London Mayor Sadiq Khan reiterated that he thought a planned state visit to the UK for Trump should be called off. Related article Timeline: How Trump's relationship with the London mayor grew so heated “I don’t think we should roll out the red carpet to the President of the USA in the circumstances where his policies go against everything we stand for,” Khan said. “When you have a special relationship it is no different from when you have got a close mate. You stand with them in times of adversity, but you call them out when they are wrong. And there are many things about which Donald Trump is wrong.” He said his position on the planned state visit had remained consistent. Related article Trump's terror tweets make a statement In January of this year, Khan insisted Trump’s state visit to Britain be canceled after the US President attempted to impose a travel ban on Muslim nations – a policy that he labeled “cruel and shameful.” The British politician was largely dismissive of two tweets sent by Trump in the wake of the attacks, which misconstrued a statement from Khan. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Khan said there was “no cause for alarm” when referring to a visible increase in police activity on the streets of London. Trump appeared to misconstrue the statement on Sunday when he tweeted: “At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is “no reason to be alarmed!” At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is "no reason to be alarmed!" Trump renewed his criticism of Khan on Monday, a day after attacking his handling of the weekend’s terror attack in the city. Trump said: “Pathetic excuse by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who had to think fast on his ‘no reason to be alarmed’ statement. (Mainstream media) is working hard to sell it!” Pathetic excuse by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who had to think fast on his "no reason to be alarmed" statement. MSM is working hard to sell it! Following a vigil held near the city’s famous Tower Bridge, Khan said that as he deals with the fallout from the latest attack on the British capital, he hasn’t “got the time to respond to tweets from Donald Trump.” Prime Minister Theresa May came to Khan’s defense, saying he was doing a “good job” and that they were working together closely in the wake of the weekend attack. “I think Sadiq Khan is doing a good job and it’s wrong to say anything else – he’s doing a good job,” May told reporters after a general election campaign speech. May declined to directly criticize Trump for his tweet, which has prompted a fierce backlash in Britain. Asked what it would take for her to publicly criticize the US President, May suggested that she “was not afraid” to speak out when Trump “gets things wrong.” “I’ve been very clear, I’ve been very happy to say when I think President Trump is wrong – to have taken America out of the climate change agreement, the Paris agreement,” May said. “So I’m not afraid to say when I think President Trump is getting things wrong.”’ RELATED: Trump never forgets a slight. Now his team is trolling the mayor of London After Trump’s first attack on Khan, the acting US ambassador to the UK, Lewis Lukens, notably singled out the London Mayor for praise. “I commend the strong leadership of the @MayorofLondon as he leads the city forward after this heinous attack,” read a tweet from the US’ London embassy attributed to Lukens.


The US military conducted its first airstrike against al Qaeda in Libya Saturday, killing one of the group’s leaders, according to US Africa Command, which oversees US military operations in the region. “This is the first precision airstrike the US has conducted against al Qaeda,” Africa Command spokesperson Robyn Mack told CNN. Africa Command said in a statement Wednesday that the strike, which took place near Ubari, Libya, killed “two al Qaeda terrorists, including Musa Abu Dawud, a high ranking al-Qa’ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) official.” AQIM is the local al Qaeda affiliate in North Africa. Related article What the massive US military budget pays for “Dawud trained AQIM recruits in Libya for attack operations in the region. He provided critical logistics support, funding and weapons to AQIM, enabling the terrorist group to threaten and attack US and Western interests in the region,” the statement added. The statement said the strike was “conducted in coordination with the Libyan Government of National Accord” and that the US military assesses that no civilians were killed. The US has carried out a series of airstrikes targeting ISIS in Libya, a country beset by internal divisions and conflict following the ousting of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. US aircraft carried out over 500 airstrikes against ISIS in the coastal city of Sirte after the terror group seized control of the city, helping to drive ISIS out by the end of 2016. The US has carried out additional strikes against ISIS in remote areas of the Libyan Desert. “It’s very very hard to plan some kind of operation that has a large effect when you have two to three guys in the Libyan desert,” a Africa Command official told CNN last month. Related article Surrounded by hawks, Mattis digs in amid Trump admin chaos “It’s not an ideal solution but we’re keeping them degraded,” the official added. However, this is the first time the US has specifically targeted the local al Qaeda affiliate in Libya, though US forces have targeted operatives with links to the group. AQIM also has a presence in neighboring Algeria and other North African countries like Mali. Al Qaeda in Libya was responsible for the 2013 attack against the In Amenas oil consortium in Algeria, which killed three US citizens, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Sheryll Klinkel told CNN – as well as the 2012 Benghazi attack. “An al Qaeda-affiliate was also responsible for the US Consulate attack in September 2012 that killed our Ambassador and several others,” Klinkel added. US military officials have expressed concerns about the growing strength of al Qaeda-linked groups in northwest Africa, particularly in Mali. “ISIS and al Qaeda have taken advantage of under-governed spaces in Libya to establish sanctuaries for plotting, inspiring, and directing terror attacks; recruiting and facilitating the movement of foreign terrorist fighters; and raising and moving funds to support their operations,” Africa Command said in its statement confirming Dawud’s death.

US military airstrike against al Qaeda in Libya


British lawmakers used a debate on Monday to express their outrage at the revelations about the slave trade in Libya exposed by a CNN report last month. Chris Law, MP for Dundee West, described the crimes as “violations of human rights and human dignity that are on an unthinkable scale.” “They have no place in our world,” he added. He urged the United Kingdom not to “stay silent or stand by in the face of such inhumane atrocities” but to instead join with the international community to tackle the problem. Related article How one of Africa's richest men is trying to stem the migrant crisis The debate was triggered by a petition created by Constance Mbassi Manga after CNN released video footage of migrants being sold into slavery in the north African country, some for as little as $400 each. The petition calls for the UK government to “put pressure on the Libyan government to take immediate action to stop these criminals from selling more people, to set current prisoners free, arrest the criminals and end this.” It was signed by more than 265,000 people, easily passing the 100,000 threshold qualifying it for a parliamentary debate. Member of Parliament Paul Scully, who lobbied for the petition to be debated, opened the debate with an impassioned call for action on the “atrocious” crimes, acknowledging that “nobody really knows the extent of the problem.” He argued that the power vacuum in Libya and the root causes of migration need to be addressed before any solutions can be found. Speaking to CNN earlier in the day, Scully said he hoped the debate would further strengthen public awareness of the issue. He said governments must take a long-term view of the problem and focus on directing aid to the right recipients and ending economic migration from sub-Saharan Africa. Today’s debate is just “part of a campaign, not the end of a campaign,” he said. “This is just one cog in a wheel.” Other lawmakers expressed their shock that slave auctions, a phenomenon they believed had been eradicated long ago, still go on. The images emerging from Libya are shocking and “have a historical resonance,” said Lyn Brown, MP for West Ham. “The victims are black Africans and the people who enslave them are not.” “These people matter. African lives matter,” she said. “They need us to be their allies, taking action to end this today. This is not a situation that we can simply take note of and move on.” Middle East Minister Alistair Burt said the UK is committed to tackling the problem head on. “Eradicating modern slavery is one of our top foreign policy priorities,” he said. According to Burt, the UK is doubling its aid spending on modern slavery and launching a £75 million ($100 million) migration program to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants traveling from West Africa to Libya and to “assist those along the way who may wish to return home.” While some speakers, including Burt, focused on the need to end mass migration from sub-Saharan Africa, others criticized the UK government for failing to provide safe, legal migration routes for Africans hoping to reach Europe, arguing that this leaves them vulnerable to traffickers. “The EU goes to great lengths to stop migrants coming into its territory, including even training the Libyan coastguard to stop boats reaching Italy,” said Law. “As part of the EU, the UK is complicit with the EU’s push to tighten its borders.” The release of the slave auction footage last month sparked protests and outrage around the world. Related article Nigerians return home with a warning to others: Don't go to Libya UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was horrified at the reports, which could amount to crimes against humanity, and called on the international community to unite on the issue. The UN Security Council later called for “all relevant authorities to investigate such activities without delay,” saying the acts amount to “heinous abuses of human rights.” Individual nations added their voices, too. Spain’s Foreign Ministry expressed “deep concern” over the report, while French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to press for sanctions. In response to the global condemnation, Libyan officials denounced the slave auctions but claimed more support was required from the international community to tackle the issue. “Addressing this phenomenon exceeds the national capacities,” said the United Nations-backed Libyan Government of National Accord. European countries also have come under fire. In a report published on December 12, Amnesty International accused European governments of being complicit in the torture and abuse of migrants and refugees in Libya. “Tens of thousands (of refugees and migrants) are kept indefinitely in overcrowded detention centers where they are subjected to systematic abuse,” said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s Europe director. “European governments have not just been fully aware of these abuses; by actively supporting the Libyan authorities in stopping sea crossings and containing people in Libya, they are complicit in these abuses.” Amnesty called on the EU to end what it called a “policy of containment” and instead establish “pathways” to bring the migrants and refugees to Europe safely. CNN’s Hilary Clarke and Lauren Moorhouse contributed to this report.


About 59,000 Haitians are in the US under Temporary Protected Status Many work in health care, often in grueling, low-wage jobs as nursing assistants or home health aides Now, these workers' days in the US are numbered After back-to-back, eight-hour shifts at a chiropractor’s office and a rehab center, Nirva arrived outside an elderly woman’s house just in time to help her up the front steps. Nirva took the woman’s arm as she hoisted herself up, one step at a time, taking breaks to ease the pain in her hip. At the top, they stopped for a hug. “Hello, bella,” Nirva said, using the word for “beautiful” in Italian. “Hi, baby,” replied Isolina Dicenso, the 96-year-old woman she has helped care for for seven years. The women each bear accents from their homelands: Nirva, who asked that her full name be withheld, fled here from Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. Dicenso moved here from Italy in 1949. Over the years, Nirva, 46, has helped her live independently, giving her showers, changing her clothes, washing her windows, taking her to her favorite parks and discount grocery stores. Now Dicenso and other people living with disabilities, serious illness and the frailty of old age are bracing to lose caregivers like Nirva due to changes in federal immigration policy. Nirva is one of about 59,000 Haitians living in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a humanitarian program that gave them permission to work and live here after the January 2010 earthquake devastated their country. Many work in health care, often in grueling, low-wage jobs as nursing assistants or home health aides. Now these workers’ days are numbered: The Trump administration decided to end TPS for Haitians, giving them until July 22, 2019, to leave the country or face deportation. In Boston, the city with the nation’s third-highest Haitian population, the decision has prompted panic from TPS holders and pleas from health care agencies that rely on their labor. The fallout offers a glimpse into how changes in immigration policy are affecting older Americans in communities around the country, especially in large cities. Related article Using technology to help older adults keep their independence Ending TPS for Haitians “will have a devastating impact on the ability of skilled nursing facilities to provide quality care to frail and disabled residents,” warned Tara Gregorio, president of the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, which represents 400 elder care facilities, in a letter published in The Boston Globe. Nursing facilities employ about 4,300 Haitians across the state, she said. “We are very concerned about the threat of losing these dedicated, hardworking individuals, particularly at a time when we cannot afford to lose workers,” Gregorio said in a recent interview. In Massachusetts, 1 in 7 certified nursing assistant (CNA) positions are vacant, a shortage of 3,000 workers, she said. Nationwide, 1 million immigrants work in direct care – as CNAs, personal care attendants or home health aides – according to the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, a New York-based organization that studies the workforce. Immigrants make up 1 in 4 workers, said Robert Espinoza, PHI’s vice president of policy. Turnover is high, he said, because the work is difficult and wages are low. The median wage for personal care attendants and home health aides is $10.66 per hour, and $12.78 per hour for CNAs. Workers often receive little training and leave when they find higher-paying jobs at retail counters or fast-food restaurants, he said. Related article Why confusion leads seniors to turn down home health care The country faces a severe shortage in home health aides. With 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 each day, an even more serious shortfall lies ahead, according to Paul Osterman, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management. He predicts a national shortfall of 151,000 direct care workers by 2030, a gap that will grow to 355,000 by 2040. That shortage will escalate if immigrant workers lose work permits, or if other industries raise wages and lure away direct care workers, he said. Nursing homes in Massachusetts are already losing immigrant workers who have left the country in fear, in response to the White House’s public remarks and immigration proposals, Gregorio said. Nationally, thousands of Haitians have fled the U.S. for Canada, some risking their lives trekking across the border through desolate prairies, after learning that TPS would likely end. Employers are fighting to hold on to their staff: Late last year, 32 Massachusetts health care providers and advocacy groups wrote to the Department of Homeland Security urging the acting secretary to extend TPS, protecting the state’s 4,724 Haitians with that special status. “What people don’t seem to understand is that people from other countries really are the backbone of long-term care,” said Sister Jacquelyn McCarthy, CEO of Bethany Health Care Center in Framingham, Mass., which runs a nursing home with 170 patients. She has eight Haitian and Salvadoran workers with TPS, mostly certified nursing assistants. They show up reliably for 4:30 a.m. shifts and never call out sick, she said. Many of them have worked there for over five years. She said she already has six CNA vacancies and can’t afford to lose more. “There aren’t people to replace them if they should all be deported,” McCarthy said. Nirva works 70 hours a week taking care of elderly, sick and disabled patients. She started working as a CNA shortly after she arrived in Boston in March 2010 with her two sons. She chose this work because of her harrowing experience in the earthquake, which destroyed her home and killed hundreds of thousands, including her cousin and nephew. After the disaster, she walked 15 miles with her sister, a nurse, to a Red Cross medical station to try to help survivors. When she got there, she recounted, the guards wouldn’t let her in because she wasn’t a nurse. Nirva spent an entire day waiting for her sister in the hot sun, without food or water, unable to help. It was “very frustrating,” she said. Related article Simple steps to help people with dementia lead better lives “So, when I came here – I feel, people’s life is very important,” she said. “I have to be in the medical field, just to be able to help people.” The work of a CNA or home health aide – which includes dressing and changing patients and lifting them out of bed – was difficult, she found. “At the beginning, it was very tough for me,” Nirva said, especially “when I have to clean their incontinence. … Some of them, they have dementia, they are fighting. They insult you. You have to be very compassionate to do this job.” A few months ago, Nirva was injured while tending to a 285-pound patient who was lying on her side. Nirva said she was holding the patient up with one hand while she washed her with the other hand. The patient fell back on her, twisting Nirva’s wrist. Injury rates for nursing assistants were more than triple the national average in 2016, federal labor statistics show. Common causes were falling, overexertion while lifting or lowering, and enduring violent attacks. Related article Many home health care workers lack insurance of their own Nirva works with a soft voice, a bubbling laugh and disarming modesty, covering her face with both hands when receiving a compliment. She said her faith in God – and a need to pay the bills to support her two sons, now in high school and college – help her get through each week. She started caring for Dicenso in her Boston home as the older woman was recovering from surgery in 2011. Like many older Americans, Dicenso doesn’t want to move out of her home, where she has lived for 63 years. She is able to keep living there, alone, with help from her daughter, Nirva and another in-home aide. She now sees Nirva once a week for walks, lunch outings and shopping runs. The two have grown close, bonding in part over their Catholic faith. Dicenso gushed as she described spending her 96th birthday with Nirva on a daylong adventure that included a Mass at a Haitian church. At home, Dicenso proudly displays a bedspread that Nirva gave her, emblazoned with the word LOVE. On a recent sunny winter morning, Nirva drove Dicenso across town to a hilltop clearing called Millennium Park. “What a beautiful day!” Dicenso declared five times, beholding the open sky and views of the Charles River. As she walked with a cane in one hand and Nirva’s hand firmly clasped in the other, Dicenso stopped several times due to pain in her hips. “Thank God I have her on my arm,” Dicenso said. “Nirva, if I no have you on my arm, I go face-down. Thank God I met this woman.” In addition to seeing Dicenso, Nirva works three shifts a week at a chiropractor’s office as a medical assistant. Five nights a week, she works the overnight shift, from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., at a rehabilitation center in Boston run by Hebrew SeniorLife. CEO Louis Woolf said Hebrew SeniorLife has 40 workers with TPS, out of a total of 2,600. Related article Appeals court rules against latest Trump travel ban It’s not clear how many direct care workers rely on TPS, but PHI calculates there are 34,600 who are non-U.S. citizens from Haiti, El Salvador, Nicaragua (for which TPS is ending next year) and Honduras, whose TPS designation expires in July. In addition, another 11,000 come from countries affected by Trump’s travel ban, primarily from Somalia and Iran, and about 69,800 are non-U.S. citizens from Mexico, PHI’s Espinoza said. Even immigrants with secure legal status may be affected when family members are deported, he noted. Under Trump, non-criminal immigration arrests have doubled. The “totality of the anti-immigrant climate” threatens the stability of the workforce – and “the ability of older people and people with disabilities to access home health care,” Espinoza said. Related article Caring for an elderly relative? What you should know Asked about the impact on the U.S. labor force, a DHS official said that “economic considerations are not legally permissible in TPS decisions.” By law, TPS designation hinges instead on whether the foreign country faces adverse conditions, such as war or environmental disaster, that make it unsafe for nationals to return to, the official said. The biggest hit to the immigrant workforce that cares for older patients may come from another program – family reunification, said Robyn Stone, senior vice president of research at LeadingAge, an association of nonprofit groups that care for the elderly. Trump is seeking to scrap the program, which he calls “chain” migration, in favor of a “merit-based” policy. Osterman, the MIT professor, said the sum of all of these immigration policy changes may have a serious impact. If demand for workers exceeds supply, he said, insurers may have to restrict the number of hours of care that people receive, and wages may rise, driving up costs. “People aren’t going to be able to have quality care,” he said. “They’re not going to be able to stay at home.” See the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter. But since three-quarters of the nation’s direct care workers are U.S. citizens, then “these are clearly not ‘jobs that Americans won’t do,’” argued David Ray, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which supports more restrictive immigration policies. The U.S. has 6.7 million unemployed people, he noted. If the health care industry can’t find anyone to replace workers who lose TPS and DACA, he said, “then it needs to take a hard look at its recruiting practices and compensation packages. There are clearly plenty of workers here in the U.S. already who are ready and willing to do the work.” Angelina Di Pietro, Dicenso’s daughter and primary caretaker, disagreed. “There’s not a lot of people in this country who would take care of the elderly,” she said. “Taking care of the elderly is a hard job.” “Nirva, pray to God they let you stay,” said Dicenso, sitting back in her living-room armchair after a long walk and ravioli lunch. “What would I do without you?”

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians


Mexico announces it won't be sending aid to Texas due to two natural disasters Mexico will no longer send the emergency aid offered to Texas after Hurricane Harvey, to focus on those affected by a deadly earthquake and Hurricane Katia that struck the eastern state of Veracruz last week, the Mexican Foreign Ministry said Monday. In a statement, the ministry said the decision was taken in light of the changed circumstances in both countries, and the fact that the need for help in Texas had diminished. Mexico offered to deliver aid to Texas in late August, after the state was struck by Hurricane Harvey and flooding. But Mexico is now grappling with the aftermath of two natural disasters. An 8.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Mexico’s southern coast last Thursday. The earthquake struck the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas and Tabasco, and killed 95 people, according to the Foreign Ministry. It was the most powerful to hit the country in a century and was felt as far as Mexico City and Guatemala City by an estimated 50 million people. The following day, Hurricane Katia, a Category 1 storm, made landfall in Mexico’s state of Veracruz. Katia’s remnants led to a mudslide that killed two people Saturday in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes had said. “Given this situation, the Mexican government will channel all available logistical support to the families and communities that have been affected in Mexico and has informed the Texas and US governments that, unfortunately, on this occasion, it won’t be possible to provide the assistance originally offered to Texas in late August in the wake of Hurricane Harvey,” according to the Foreign Ministry’s statement. Mexico had offered to send 25 trailers with supplies, as well as 300 beds, nine generators, water treatment equipment, three mobile kitchens, radio and satellite equipment and personnel to the US. Mexican government officials had initially announced their offer in a statement responding to President Donald Trump’s tweets bashing Mexico for violence and the trade deal between the countries. The hurricane aid was offered “as good neighbors should always do in difficult times.” CNN’s Lonzo Cook and Leyla Santiago contributed to this report.


Israel’s parliament passed legislation Monday that aims to legalize about 3,000 housing units built on private Palestinian land in the West Bank. The so-called “Regularization Law” passed the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in a 60-52 vote. Many of the housing units are located in outposts, the term for small, unsanctioned communities that have sprung up in the West Bank over the last 20 years. Unlike settlements, they are not recognized or authorized by Israel even though many are  close to existing settlements. The vote further complicates efforts to reach a two-state solution in the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict over land rights. Officials from both sides of the debate characterized the vote as a clear step toward annexation of the West Bank. Related article What you need to know about the Israeli settlements The vote follows Israel’s announcement last week that it plans to build a new settlement in the West Bank, despite a UN Security Council resolution in December condemning Israeli settlement construction. Before the vote, Nickolay Mladenov, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, urged Israeli legislators to reconsider adopting the measure, noting that Israel’s attorney general had deemed it unconstitutional. “If adopted into law, it will have far-reaching legal consequences for Israel and greatly diminish the prospects for Arab-Israeli peace,” Mladenov said in a statement Monday. Government Minister Miri Regev of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party called the bill’s passage “a historic move” toward annexing the West Bank. “This is the first step towards complete regulation, namely, applying Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria,” Regev said, using the biblical name for the West Bank. The new law is widely expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court on the grounds the Knesset does not have the authority to legislate property issues on land that is not part of Israel. Related article US abstains as UN demands end to Israeli settlements Israeli nongovernmental organization Peace Now, which campaigns to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians, said it will appeal the law. “Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to allow land theft to endanger IDF officers, and to drag Israel to the International Criminal Court in the Hague, all in the name of political survival, and under the pressure of interrogations. In light of this insanity, we will act as the responsible adult and will block this dangerous law in the Supreme Court,” Peace Now said. The bill offers original Palestinian landowners compensation for their loss of the land, though Palestinians have not agreed to the sale. Under international law, all settlements and outposts are illegal because the West Bank is considered occupied territory, though Israel disputes this. Senior Palestinian officials condemned the law, calling it legalized “land theft” and accusing the Knesset of breaking international law. “Such a law signals the final annexation of the West Bank. Not only does it attempt to retroactively legalize the settlements and outposts built on Palestinian private property, it also gives clear license to the settlers to embark on a land grab in the occupied West Bank with impunity,” Executive Committee Member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi said in a statement. “All settlements are illegal, whether on private property or on state land that belongs to the Palestinian collective as a whole.” Palestine Liberation Organization Secretary General Saeb Erakat appealed to the international community to act with “concrete measures” to protect the Palestinian people from Israel’s military rule. “All Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine are illegal and a war crime regardless of any law passed by the Israeli parliament or any decision taken by any Israeli judge. The Israeli settlement enterprise negates peace and the possibility of the two-state solution,” he said in a separate statement. “It’s long overdue to hold Israel accountable for its systematic violations of international law, in defiance of the collective international will to act for peace.” CNN’s Andrew Carey reported from Jerusalem and Emanuella Grinberg reported and wrote in Atlanta.


President Donald Trump will host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his private Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida later this month, the White House said Monday. Abe will visit the so-called “Winter White House” on April 17 and 18, the Trump administration said in a statement. “President Trump and Prime Minister Abe will explore ways to expand fair and reciprocal trade and investment ties between the United States and Japan, two of the world’s wealthiest and most innovative economies,” the White House said. The two men are also expected to discuss the “maximum pressure” campaign on North Korea ahead of Trump’s expected meeting with Kim Jong Un this spring. Trump hosted Abe at Mar-a-Lago last February, when North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile. More recently, the two saw each other in Tokyo in November during Trump’s tour of Asia.


Tuesday marks 100 years since some British women were first guaranteed the right to vote. The Representation of the People Act was adopted in February 1918, eventually paving the way for universal women’s suffrage in the country. Here’s a look at how all women in the UK were eventually granted the vote and how it compares with the rest of the world. But the landmark act only granted a sliver of the UK’s female population the right to cast a ballot. Under the 1918 Representation of the People Act, women over the age of 30 who either owned land themselves or were married to men with property were given the right to vote. The same act also dropped the voting age for men from 30 to 21. For the next decade, the number of women’s suffrage campaigners grew as they demonstrated for equal voting rights under two main factions. The Suffragists, a predominantly middle-class group of women, campaigned under traditional, non-violent forms of dissent, using peaceful tactics and demonstrations to collectivize under the law. The more militant Suffragettes took another approach to their campaign, executing hunger strikes, and carrying out arson and firebomb attacks to galvanize support. In 1928, under the Equal Franchise Act, women in the UK were granted equal voting rights, increasing the number of eligible female voters from 8 million to 15 million. Like the UK, Austria and Germany also first gave way to women’s suffrage in 1918. New Zealand was the first country in the world to secure women’s voting rights under law in 1893. In 1902, some Australian women got the right to vote – but the law excluded indigenous women from casting their ballots until 1967. In Europe, Finland became the first European country to introduce women’s suffrage in 1906. Women in Switzerland were the last in Europe – excluded from their voting rights until 1971. In 1929, Ecuador became the first South American country to grant women’s universal suffrage. It was an optional right for women to exercise until 1967, when it became compulsory. Mongolia became the first country in Asia to grant women the vote in 1924. Following independence in 1947, Pakistan adopted universal suffrage for legislative elections – with women granted the right to vote in national elections in 1956. Indian women were granted universal suffrage in 1950. Women’s suffrage in Gulf States have lagged behind the rest of the world, with Oman the first to loosen the law in 1994, followed by Qatar in 1999. Bahrain changed their laws in 2002, followed by Kuwait in 2005. In the United Arab Emirates, the right to vote is limited for both women and men, but in 2006, around 6,000 citizens – including women – were able to cast their ballots. Saudi Arabia women voted in municipal elections in 2015, marking the first time they were allowed to cast ballots – and run for office – in the Kingdom. Although some women in the UK have been casting their ballots for 100 years, female politicians remain a minority in elected positions of power. There are more women members of parliament than ever before, but they still make up only 32% of the total 650 members of Parliament. In 2017, 208 female lawmakers were elected to the House of Commons in the General Election – the most seats that women have held in the country’s history. But it’s progress. In 2015, the total number of women to become MPs in history surpassed the number of males in a single Parliament. When will women live #AsEquals with men? Globally, the UK ranks 39th for female representation in parliament. The United States ranks 99th – with women making up less than 20% all lawmakers. Rwanda currently leads the world in terms of share of female legislators, with women holding more than 61% of positions in parliament. Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Sweden follow at the top, according to the International Organization of Parliaments. Graphic by CNN’s Henrik Pettersson


Editor’s Note: The names of the “Halabi” family have been changed to protect their identities and the identities of those who helped them in Syria. Years of war had left only one small Jewish family in the northern Syrian city An Israeli-American businessman worked with rebels to spirit them out The Jewish Agency calls the businessman "dangerous" and a "vigilante" The plan to rescue the last Jews of Aleppo was hatched in Brooklyn during the waning days of summer. Two months later, in a white minibus commandeered by pro-Western Syrian rebels, the Halabi family whizzed from Syria into Turkey in the dark of night. But the journey to that point was difficult – and getting them out of war-torn Syria did not turn out to be the end of the story. Mariam Halabi, 88, was born and raised in Aleppo. She had never wanted to leave her homeland before. In fact, she and her small family had never left Syria before. They didn’t even have passports. But practicing her faith through years of civil war, without regular kosher supplies, praying in secret, was taking its toll on Mariam. Friday night Shabbat dinners continued through gun battles and airstrikes, but in the fourth year of the war, she became a vegetarian after kosher meat from Turkey ran out. Worried for his family, Mariam’s U.S.-based son Eli wanted his mother and sisters Gilda and Sarah out. But when the time came to leave, even Mariam and her daughters did not know the plan. Eli, Mariam’s only son, moved to Brooklyn in 2005, long before the start of the civil war in his homeland. Like many others coming to the United States, he wanted to chase the American dream: a better life and more money. After a decade of separation and news of barrel bombs dropped on his hometown by the Syrian regime, Eli contacted his rabbi. The rabbi had heard of an Israeli-American businessman who had been in and out of Syria since the revolution began. He arranged for Eli to meet the businessman, Moti Kahana. Gregarious and outspoken, Kahana was willing to help. “I had helped another family before this one so I knew this was a possibility,” Kahana said. This time the plan was more complicated though. Not only were the moderate Free Syrian Army rebels and the Syrian regime operating in Aleppo, by late 2015, the so-called Islamic State and al Qaeda-linked Jabahat al-Nusra were also encroaching. The journey out would have to be winding and dangerous. And Kahana wanted to send the Halabi family to Israel – but did not think it was safe to tell them that. “The word Israel could not be mentioned to anyone inside Syria,” Kahana said, “so we could not tell them about the precise plan.” To further complicate the operation, Gilda was married to a Syrian Muslim man with three children from a previous marriage. Getting four Muslims to Israel was not an easy feat, Kahana thought, but that would have to be dealt with once the family was out of Syria. The plan itself was simple: get the family passports, get them in a van, and get them to Turkey. The Jewish Agency, a nonprofit that organizes “aliya,”or immigration of Jews to Israel from around the world, was to take charge of the family journey once they reached Istanbul. Neither Eli nor Kahana could get to Syria, so they worked with moderate Syrian rebels in the city. The Muslim rebels, who “did not ask for a single penny,” he said, facilitated the trip , guarded the family’s safety, and did everything to get the Halabis out of the Aleppo. It took weeks to get the family passports through the Syrian government, a task Kahana entrusted to some of his contacts in-country. Then, the Halabi family waited. Finally, out of nowhere, a minibus arrived at the family’s doorstep. “Thud, thud, thud!” Kahana recounted. “Initially we had to confuse them. Who was knocking at the door? Is it (Syrian President Bashar al-) Assad? Rebels?” This gave the family less time to think, gather belongings and get into the running van, according to Kahana: “No one broke windows or kidnapped them. We just wanted to get them all out quickly and let them ask questions later.” Once all seven were in the van, the rebels identified themselves and told the family Eli had sent them. What should have been a two-hour journey from Aleppo to the Turkish border town of Gaziantep stretched out over 72 hours to avoid checkpoints, ISIS and the Syrian regime. No one but a few rebels knew their whereabouts on the strenuous journey to an outpost on the Turkish side of the border. Tired, hungry, and terrified, the group was dropped off with a Palestinian Muslim woman and her Syrian husband in Gaziantep. Kahana had contacted them ahead of time and asked for their help. “Of course I took them in. Why wouldn’t I? I helped them because of humanity. They were alone and needed help. Everyone needs help,” said the woman, who asked not to be named to protect her safety. Afraid her Syrian neighbors would be nosy, the woman put the family up at a nearby hotel for a night, and the next day, Mariam and her family were driven to a safe house in Istanbul. Only once they were in Istanbul did the family find out they were going to Israel. And that is where the journey became even more complicated. The Jewish Agency took over the final leg of the trip. Getting Mariam and Sarah, her unmarried daughter, to Israel was simple. But since Gilda was a convert to Islam, she could not be issued an aliya visa – one for Jewish migrants settling in Israel. And it is illegal to convert from Islam while in Turkey. The head of public relations for the Jewish Agency, Yigal Palmor, is deeply critical of Kahana, calling him “dangerous” and an “aliya vigilante.” The Halabis wanted to stay in Syria, and had made no effort to leave, Palmor insisted. Kahana “resorted to scare tactics, which in itself is totally reprehensible, to get them out. They don’t have family in Israel. He told them they would be going to America,” Palmor said. Kahana acknowledges he lied to the Halabi women about their final destination. Wanting to keep the word “Israel” out of the negotiations in case it was overheard by the Syrian government, he said, he admits he had implied the Halabis would reunite with Eli in America. In the end, Gilda and her husband, along with his three children, went back to Aleppo. They were not offered any other options, like a tourist visa or humanitarian visa, Kahana claimed. Palmor denies this, saying many people who are not Jewish travel to Israel on a tourist visa, insisting again that maybe the five did not want to move to Israel. Mariam and Sarah, meanwhile, have made it to Ashkelon in Israel, and they are in touch with Eli in Brooklyn. But Palmor worries about what will happen to this torn-apart family, now scattered across three countries: “It’s not like they can start over again.” War has forced half of Syrians from their homes. Here’s where they’ve gone.


Putin tells reporters: Hackers could work on behalf of their country's interests Russian President denies that any Russian hackers were working on behalf of government Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed to suggest Thursday that “patriotic hackers” may have meddled in the US election, but insisted that none of their potential activities were state-backed. It’s the first time the Russian leader has conceded that any election-related hacking attacks may have emanated from his country. In comments to reporters at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, Putin likened hackers to “artists,” who could act on behalf of Russia if they felt its interests were being threatened. “(Artists) may act on behalf of their country, they wake up in good mood and paint things. Same with hackers, they woke up today, read something about the state-to-state relations. “If they are patriotic, they contribute in a way they think is right, to fight against those who say bad things about Russia,” Putin said. Russia has repeatedly denied involvement in any attempts to influence November’s US Presidential election. When asked directly whether Russia interfered in the election, Putin said in March: “Read my lips: No.” He also described the allegations as “fictional, illusory, provocations and lies.” Derek Chollet, senior adviser of the German Marshall Fund of the US, told CNN’s Brian Todd that’s not true. “The US intelligence community in January concluded with high confidence that Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign to try to shape the US election. And part of that influence campaign were hackers. This is Putin trying to obfuscate and blur what is the reality.” Sources: Congress investigating another Sessions meetingComey to testify on Trump confrontationsHouse Russia investigators issue subpoenasRussia investigation: What to know Sources: Congress investigating another Sessions meetingComey to testify on Trump confrontationsHouse Russia investigators issue subpoenasRussia investigation: What to know While he maintained Thursday that the Russian government wasn’t behind the attacks, he said hackers anywhere could make their efforts appear like they came from the state. “The most important this is that we don’t do that on government level,” he said. “Secondly, I can imagine that some purposefully does that, building the chain of these attacks in a way to make it seem that Russia is the source of these attacks. Modern technology allows to do that quite easily.” However, he said that even if hackers did intervene it’s unlikely they could swing a foreign election. “No hacker can affect an electoral campaign in any country, be it Europe, Asia or America.” “I’m certain that no hackers can influence an electoral campaign in another country. It’s just not going to settle on the voter’s mind, on the nation’s mind,” he added. CNN’s Fareed Zakaria said Putin’s remarks on the hacking mirror what Putin said when Russia seized Ukraine’s Crimea region. “If you remember, when the invasion of Crimea and the destabilization of eastern Ukraine took place, Vladimir Putin said, ‘I don’t know who these people are … it seems there are patriotically minded Ukrainians and Russians who want the Crimea to be part of Russia,” Zakaria said. The US government publicly announced in October that it was “confident” Russia orchestrated the hacking of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and other political organizations of the Democratic Party in the lead-up to the election. And in January, days before Trump took office, the US intelligence community concluded that Putin had ordered an “influence campaign” aimed at hurting Trump’s rival, Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton. Last month, the US Justice Department appointed a special counsel led by former FBI Director Robert Mueller to oversee the federal investigation into Russian interference in the election. US President Donald Trump said the probe “hurts our country” and has branded the investigation the “single greatest witch hunt” in political history.


Editor’s Note: Elaine Dang is a graduate student at the Yale School of Management. Meaghan Shanahan worked with Dang in the writing of this piece. The views expressed in this commentary are those of the author. Elaine Dang: I survived a terrorist attack and learned that educating ourselves is an antidote to fear The best way to overcome fear is to befriend Muslims in our community and learn more about their faith, writes Dang I survived a terrorist attack – the kind President Trump uses to perpetuate a fear of “The Other.” I am not a national security expert, but I am someone who has come face-to-face with terrorism. I, likely more than many experts who often base their knowledge on theory and secondhand information, can understand how this fear can spiral into something ugly. On September 21, 2013, the International Day of Peace, I was at a children’s cooking competition in a mall in Nairobi, Kenya, when members of the extremist group al-Shabaab opened fire. By the end of their siege, 67 people were killed, though I was fortunate enough to survive the attack. In the following weeks, my physical wounds healed, but I developed PTSD. Every time a door slammed, my heart raced and I ducked for cover, assuming it was a gunman. As I walked into any public place, I immediately surveyed my surroundings and planned an escape route. I constantly felt threatened in large groups of people, so I avoided crowds and public spaces. And, just like many Americans today, I began to feel anxious and suspicious of people who were visibly Muslim. As someone who was raised in a variety of diverse communities, this shift in my thinking and response to others shocked me. My fear had narrowed my vision, and made me believe that good and evil were as easy to discern as black and white. Somehow I had begun to think that by knowing what a person looked like or how he worshiped I could classify him as either dangerous or safe. But I was wrong. As my psychological wounds healed, I began to recognize when my response was emotional rather than rational. And then I learned to use those moments as a signal that I needed to pause and consciously think about the emotions I was experiencing, and how they affected the conclusions I drew about situations and about people. Related video Anxiety over Trump in a California mosque I realized the only way to overcome my fear and distrust was to educate myself about the religion, read reputable sources for facts and information about terrorism and violent crime in our country and – most importantly – get to know more Muslims. I spent time reaching out to people I knew who were Muslim and told them about my experience. I openly shared my concerns and asked questions about their beliefs and opinions. We talked about things I saw on social media or heard in the news. Over time, the people I met became my friends, colleagues and mentors. It was clear that the extremists who carried out the attack I experienced were not true representatives of their faith. In fact, their actions were an affront to a religion based on peace and compassion. Of course, it shouldn’t have surprised me. One of the first people to come to my aid as I escaped the mall was a Muslim woman who, largely driven by her faith, risked her own safety to assist me in a time of need. She was the true face of Islam, not my attackers. Related article France is paying the price for normalizing Islamophobia But I hadn’t taken the opportunity to dig deeper and learn more – at least not then – and so I missed something that only became obvious later on: that al-Shabaab did not reflect the ideals of Islam. Using the actions of a few extremists to justify fear of 1.6 billion people worldwide is irrational and amoral. Grouping an incredibly diverse set of people based on one characteristic – whether religion, race or any other single trait – unfairly objectifies them. It turns many individuals worthy of care and understanding into a massive, inhuman entity of fear. For those curious about Islam, there are many people and resources that can help those interested in learning more. Visiting a local mosque, reaching out to a Muslim business owner or engaging with Islamic Cultural Centers in-person or online are all excellent options to explore. And for those who aren’t interested, I implore you to try. I share my story because I understand your fear of radicalism and the real threat that it poses. And I also understand how this fear and the information espoused by the very government that serves us can shade your thinking. Sign up for CNN Opinion’s new newsletter.Join us on Twitter and Facebook The more I have learned and engaged, the more I have realized how futile it is to try to group all Muslims together. Just like subscribers to any other religion, they are undeserving of judgment and distrust based on the actions of a few. And rather than labeling them “The Other” – which erases their humanity and historically has been used to justify heinous acts – we must recognize their individuality and diversity. We must directly engage and learn from one another. In the end, it is the only way to overcome fear and pave the way for future peace and mutual understanding.


NEW: Russian envoy to UN says lack of vote open room for further talks US Secretary of State says "steps are underway" to remove Syrian President Russia has challenged US President Donald Trump to set out his strategy on Syria after he said an apparent chemical weapons attack had transformed his views on President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Trump, who has previously argued against removing Assad from power, said the attack on a rebel-held town in Syria’s Idlib province was a “heinous” act that “crossed a lot of lines for me.” Related video Video shows gas attack aftermath The President has not offered any details of how US strategy on Syria would change – but he did tell some members of Congress that he’s considering military action in Syria in retaliation for Tuesday’s chemical attack, a source familiar with the calls told CNN on Thursday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff held a quickly called meeting in the office of the chairman, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, on Thursday afternoon and were briefed on the military options regarding Syria, a US military official told CNN. The attack killed at least 86 people, including 26 children. Why Syrian civilians get killed with barrel bombs and chemical attacks Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters that “steps are underway” to organize an international effort to remove Assad. He called on Russia to “consider carefully” its continued support for the Syrian regime. When asked whether Russia would reconsider its backing for Assad, Russia’s Foreign Ministry instead challenged the United States to show its cards. “Russia’s approach to Assad is clear. He is the legal president of an independent state. What is the US approach?” ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told CNN in a text message. Kremlin spokessman Dmitry Peskov warned against “snap judgments” on what happened in Idlib. “It’s indeed a very menacing course of events, dangerous and horrible crime. However, sticking labels on everyone, prematurely, is not a correct thing to do, in our opinion,” he said. Russia is Syria’s most powerful ally and has provided the military might behind Assad’s grip on the country, which plunged into civil war six years ago. At the United Nations, diplomats from the United States, United Kingdom and France circulated a new draft resolution against the Syrian government, but the 15 members of the Security Council failed Thursday night to reach agreement. Victims gassed as they slept Teen: ‘I saw the explosion’Explainer: Syria’s chemical weaponsHow a chemical attack unfolded Man says 25 relatives lost in strike Photos show no hiding from the horrorWatch: Attack survivor’s plea to TrumpTrump: ‘I now have responsibility’ Victims gassed as they slept Teen: ‘I saw the explosion’Explainer: Syria’s chemical weaponsHow a chemical attack unfolded Man says 25 relatives lost in strike Photos show no hiding from the horrorWatch: Attack survivor’s plea to TrumpTrump: ‘I now have responsibility’ The draft demands that all parties “provide delay-free and safe access to any sites deemed relevant by the (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Fact Finding Mission).” The OPCW said its investigation into the Tuesday attack is ongoing. The draft also emphasizes that the Syrian government is obligated to provide flight logs filed on Tuesday and to arrange requested meetings, including ones with generals or other officers. The Security Council ended up with two other competing draft resolutions. Russia’s deputy ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said he thought the US decision to not bring its draft to a vote “opened a window for further work, for attempts to find a common denominator.” Closed-door discussions took place after a regularly scheduled Security Council meeting. In talking about potential US military action in Syria, Safronkov said, “First of all, you have to think about negative consequences. All responsibility … will be on shoulders of those who initiated such doubtful and tragic enterprise.” Several countries have said they believe the Syrian regime carried out the attack, including the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Turkey. Related article What we know about Syria's chemical weapons US military and intelligence officials told CNN that Syrian planes dropped bombs at the time and place that the chemical attack was reported to have happened. A US official said radar intelligence followed the radar track of regime airplanes and the infrared heat signature of the bombs. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem denied the government carried out airstrikes at the time of the attack and repeated the government’s claims it had never used chemical weapons and never would. He said the government’s first strike happened at 11:30 a.m., about five hours after reports of the chemical attack emerged. That strike hit a depot holding chemical weapons smuggled into the country by terrorist group Al Nusra Front, he said. Russia said that the deaths were caused by the Syrian regime strike on the munitions depot. But several chemical weapons experts dismissed Russia’s claims as “chemically impossible” and “laughable.” The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was “premature to accuse the Syrian government of using chemical weapons in Idlib,” insisting on a full investigation. Autopsies on three victims conducted in Turkey indicated exposure to chemical substances, Turkey’s Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said. It’s not yet confirmed what chemical agent was involved in the attack, but early indicators point to the release of a nerve agent like Sarin. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Assad a “murderer” over the incident. British Prime Minister Theresa May also said the attack would need to be investigated. “If it is the case that it was the Assad regime, it shows the barbarism of the regime,” she said, describing the attack as “despicable.” And German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the incident was a war crime that must be investigated. “The chemical attack in Syria was a barbaric attack which must be cleared up,” she said. Hospitalized victims told CNN they saw planes drop bombs. No terrorist or rebel group in Syria is believed to have the capacity to carry out aerial strikes. Related article Teen lost 19 family members in Syria chemical attack: 'I saw the explosion' Mazin Yusif, a 13-year-old-boy, broke down in tears at the Reyhanli Hospital in southern Turkey near the Syrian border, where about 25 victims have been taken for treatment. “At 6:30 in the morning, the plane struck. I ran up on our roof and saw that the strike was in front of my grandfather’s house,” Mazin told CNN. Related video Syrian survivors detail moment of attack He said he ran toward his house and found his grandfather slumped over. He ran outside to call for help. “I got dizzy and then fainted in front of my grandfather’s garage. I next found myself here in this hospital, naked in a bed.” Another survivor, Ahmed Abdel Rahim, 31, stared vacantly from his hospital bed while explaining he was hit with a poisonous substance carried by three rockets. “I was in my house. I had difficulty breathing, but I feel better now. But I did throw up after getting to the hospital,” he said. “I don’t know if my family is dead or alive. I don’t know anything.” CNN’s Barbara Starr, Kareem Khadder, Richard Roth, Ben Wedeman, Tim Lister, Theodore Schleifer, Dan Merica, Isil Sariyuce, Nadine Scmidt, Simon Cullen, Steve Almasy and Schams Elwazer contributed to this report.


Editor’s Note: Brian King is professor and associate dean at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is editor-in-chief of the journal “Tourism Culture & Communication.” Golden temples, Mekong River cruises, mighty waterfalls and nearly two dozen national parks. On paper, Laos has it all. But the land-locked Buddhist country welcomed only around 4.2 million visitors in 2016 – a paltry achievement compared with its southeastern Asian neighbors. In that same year, there were 32 million tourist arrivals in Thailand, 26.8 million in Malaysia and over 10 million in Vietnam – all countries boasting long coastlines of gorgeous beaches. Meanwhile, Cambodia is famed internationally for its Angkor Wat “Tomb Raider” temples, and recently opened-up Myanmar is growing its tourism industry. Laos, it seems, just isn’t on the radar for most international travelers headed to southeast Asia, aside from young backpackers. But things could be set to change. A high-speed rail link between Laos and China expected to open in 2022 has poised the country for a game-changing influx of Chinese tourists. A former French colony, Laos retains the nostalgic charm of an earlier era – note the stylishly restored villas in the historic Old Quarter of the former trading post and now capital Vientiane. Unlike the car-choked metropolises of Bangkok or Hanoi, Vientiane’s low-key boulevards invite a walking pace with their wandering Buddhist monks. It’s the upside of Laos’ undeveloped economy: Vientiane’s status as national capital hasn’t prompted the frenzied high-rise construction that has been evident in Ho Chi Minh City. The motorbikes are there but, somehow, with less intensity. The capital of Laos is Vientiane.The population is estimated to be 7 million.It’s the 13th-fastest growing economy in the world.President Bounnhang Vorachith heads the communist government.Lao is the official language. English, French and several dialects are also spoken.SOURCES: Lao Statistics Bureau, World Bank, CIA World Factbook The capital of Laos is Vientiane.The population is estimated to be 7 million.It’s the 13th-fastest growing economy in the world.President Bounnhang Vorachith heads the communist government.Lao is the official language. English, French and several dialects are also spoken. In addition to its heritage, Laos also offers mystique. The so-called Plain of Jars sees clusters of giant Iron Age stone structures scattered across the hillsides around Phonsavan in northern Laos. Nobody knows who created them or why, although theories abound. That the bizarre jars have survived is itself a miracle. The area was heavily bombed by America during the Vietnam War and only a few are today open to the public while unexploded cluster bombs are cleared. But the quintessential Laos postcard scene is probably Luang Prabang. Set in the mountains of Central Laos, the ancient town – named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995 – is the former home of the Royal Palace and capital of a kingdom of the same name. Laos’ main problem is its lack of the three Ss – sun, sand and sea. The country is making a bold attempt to overcome this natural deficit by becoming the first foreign country using Chinese technology, equipment and investment to connect with that giant nation’s domestic fast and vast rail network. Vietnam and Myanmar will eventually be connected to China’s rail network, too, but Laos looks likely to be the first to do so using Chinese technology. Critically, that means Laos and China will have a common rail gauge on both sides of the border making traveling between the two countries seamless. Furthermore, if all goes as planned, Laos will be the first stop on one route of the Pan-Asia Railway, which aims to connect China with all of Southeast Asia, with trains traveling at speeds of up to 125 miles per hour, carrying both passengers and cargo. The route from Kunming to Singapore will take just 10 hours. Laos’ flight connections with China are improving, too. A direct link operated by Sichuan Airlines launched between Kunming and Vientiane in May, while a Hainan Airlines route to Haikou, the capital of Hainan Island, began last year. To be a tourism powerhouse, Laos will need to welcome Chinese, and other, tourists without sacrificing its unique, peaceful atmosphere. It would do well to learn from the mistakes of its neighbors. In Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, for example, the local tourist authority had to create etiquette pamphlets to educate visitors on how to respect the local culture and temples, in response to  incidents involving Chinese nationals in 2015. Laos also needs better facilities – a change that’s already underway. The 32-room President by Akaryn hotel opened in a restored neoclassical villa next to the Presidential Palace in Vientiane in February. And in Luang Prabang, Azerai, a new venture from Aman Resorts’ founder Adrian Zech, launched in February, while the Rosewood Luang Prabang is scheduled to open its luxury tented camp and villas before the end of the year. While these properties are a step in the right direction, other tasteful, high-end hotel options are generally lacking. In addition, more professional service skills are needed to complement the natural hospitality of the Lao people. Still, many will see that underdevelopment as part of Laos’ charm. If so, now could be the last chance to experience a rare unspoiled part of Southeast Asia before it joins its neighbors in the high echelons of bucket-list destinations. Editor’s note: Brian King is professor and associate dean at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is editor-in-chief of the journal “Tourism Culture & Communication.”


A Trump administration nominee to lead the United Nations migration agency faced an onslaught of questions from reporters Friday about his anti-Muslim tweets and the sharing of others. Ken Isaacs, a veteran refugee coordinator who has helped migrants from Iraq to Myanmar, has an extensive history of tweets reviewed by CNN’s KFile, which include “Islam is not peaceful” and one comparing Islam to the People’s Temple, the Jim Jones mass murder cult in Guyana. Isaacs told reporters at the United Nations Correspondents Association event: “There’s nothing that I can say to change what I said. I’ve apologized for the hurt that I’ve caused. I have hundreds of Muslim friends around the world, and I’ve had them for years. So I do not believe that Islam is a violent religion, and I have no distinction, no discrimination against anybody of any religion or no religion.” Isaacs is in a three-way race to lead the International Organization for Migration, based in Geneva. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley hosted a reception this week for Isaacs in New York so that he could meet some of the people who may decide if he is elected. Isaacs told reporters he met with representatives of 90 countries in the last two days. But the tweets can’t be dodged, especially inside the UN, with dozens of Muslim countries as members. Isaacs said his online comments and retweets sometimes were made at home and when he had no idea that they would come under scrutiny, as they have since his nomination. He said his Internet bio says at the top that “tweets aren’t endorsements” and that a lot of retweets are to “stimulate conversation.” The man who once tweeted Austria and Switzerland should consider building a wall in the Alps to “control their borders from refugees,” said, “What I apologized for was that I did not mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. That’s not in my nature to hurt people.” He said much of what he tweeted was taken out of context. “I will have to say that Twitter, 140 characters, is not a very good way to make comments, but it’s also not a good way to capture the context of what was said … Would I tweet again? No, I wouldn’t. But if I’m elected the director general or if I’m not, I believe in the human rights of the individuals. I believe every individual is unique, has a valuable life, and they all deserve equal and fair treatment.” The election is June 29 in Geneva. Isaacs’ competitors are the current deputy secretary-general of the International Organization for Migration, Laura Thompson of Costa Rica, and Antonio Vitorino, a former deputy prime minister of Portugal. If he wins, Isaacs vows to be in the field during crises “You probably will not see me at a lot of diplomatic meetings, but you will see me at every disaster in the world. You will see me on the front lines where migration is going on. You will see me on the front lines where immigration and human suffering is going on,” said Isaacs, who is vice president for programs and government relations for Samaritan’s Purse, a worldwide humanitarian relief organization. CNN’s KFile has reported it reviewed more than 140 previously unreported tweets from Isaacs before he was nominated. Isaacs on Friday there were only 15 that were controversial. Toward the end of the press conference, Isaacs said he would not take any more questions about his Twitter account. Asked whether he had advice for younger political or humanitarian hopefuls. Isaacs said: “You better be careful on social media.” Richard Roth is CNN’s senior UN correspondent.


Here’s what you might have missed on CNN today: – Irma is heading for the mainland US and also may brush Cuba and the Bahamas after leaving a trail of devastation in the Caribbean. Southern Florida is bracing for a direct hit early Sunday, and evacuations have been issued, sparking a dramatic mass exodus from the state where millions could be affected. The catastrophic storm also hit the islands of Turks and Caicos overnight, and President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate closed ahead of Irma. – On the horizon: Hurricane Jose strengthened to Category 4 with winds up to 150 mph, and the storm is forecast to move west-northwest into the Atlantic Ocean over the coming days. Hurricane Katia is spinning in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. – The House approved the package on Hurricane Harvey relief. The bill includes measures that would raise the debt ceiling and keep the government open for three months. A 8.1-magnitude quake hit off the coast of southern Mexico, leaving dozens dead. Social Security numbers and other data for up to 143 million people may have been exposed to cyber criminals following a massive security breach of credit monitoring firm Equifax. Today, it’s been revealed that three Equifax executives sold stock before the hack was disclosed. Find out whether the Equifax hack hit you here. – The Trump hangover continues for gun companies as sales drop.– Politics aside, catch up on the other headlines of the week or, if you prefer, look at this week’s photos.– Deaths associated with heroin have jumped 533% in the US since 2002, a report said. – Uber is ditching diesel cars in London. – Planning a fall trip? Here’s a guide to make sure it’s smooth sailing when you’re traveling with friends. Does Napa Valley make the bucket list?


Investigation underway into who ordered Iraqi troops to withdraw from Ramadi, letting ISIS take the city last month Iraq's prime minister was not aware the order was given, raising big questions, parliamentary speaker says The question of why Iraqi troops left the city has sparked an international blame game Iraqi troops left the strategically vital city of Ramadi – allowing it to fall to ISIS – because of a direct order from their military commanders of which Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was not aware, according to the powerful Sunni speaker of Iraq’s parliament. Salim al-Jabouri, arguably the most powerful Sunni politician in the country, told CNN that Ramadi was abandoned last month because of “a clear decision to give the order to pull out – and after that Ramadi fell.” Al-Jabouri added: “Even the Prime Minister – the general commander of the armed forces – was not aware of the orders to pull out. This led to big questions for us. Who has a direct interest in the army pulling out and not confronting ISIS?” Asked who gave that order, he replied: “In command was the Golden Division, and after they withdrew, a collapse occurred, and ISIS controlled Ramadi.” He said it was unclear where the order to withdraw originated – whether the Golden Division was ordered to pull out by a higher command, or did so on its own. A parliamentary investigation is under way to establish these facts, he added. “There are a number of answers that we need to confirm in a realistic form,” he said. “We fear that there are other hands involved in this that played a role in military decisions.” The Iraqi army loss in Ramadi has been the subject of an international blame game in the media, during which U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told CNN the Iraqis lacked the “will to fight.” Al-Abadi, the Iraqi Prime Minister, told the BBC that Carter had bad information, and the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Qassim Suleimani, said U.S. President Barack Obama had not done a “damn thing” to confront ISIS. Read: Iraqi army conduct in Ramadi ‘surprised all of us,’ deputy prime minister says Al-Jabouri echoed assertions by U.S. officials that the Iraqi forces in the city were far from outnumbered by ISIS. “The number of ISIS fighters who entered Ramadi at the time of the fall was not large,” he said, “and I think morale played a huge role and it had an influence.” Sectarian tensions are high over the fall of Ramadi, with some critics of the often pro-Shia Baghdad government suggesting it was reluctant to arm the Sunni tribes fighting ISIS there as it mistrusts them, but also reluctant to send adequate reinforcements to fight for a predominantly Sunni area. Read: Inside the battle for Ramadi: Iraqi soldier recalls the battle with ISIS Al-Jabouri said locals in Anbar province – like the Sunni tribes fighting there – should be the ones to liberate the province, but that previous campaigns in other towns against ISIS had left a bitter taste for some Sunnis. “The experiences in Salaheddin, in Tikrit and al-Dor sometimes play a discouraging role. There is concern that it would be repeated in Anbar, especially after the liberation operations in those areas. We have to be careful. We must not think only of the liberation of an area but also about what comes after liberation. How do we establish stability and security?” Many will take that as a reference to the conduct of Shia fighting groups, whose human rights records are often questioned and whom some Sunnis fear. In the 48 hours before the interview, al-Jabouri met the U.S. coordinator for the coalition against ISIS, Gen. John Allen, and he is expected to travel to Washington soon. He appealed for more aid from the U.S., and said that airstrikes could intensify along with – if the U.S. was willing – boots on the ground.


ISIS has claimed responsibility for the carnage that left at least 129 dead Terror expert Paul Cruickshank: Group is increasingly getting into international terror business The coordinated nature of Friday’s deadly attacks across Paris points to an organized terrorist group, security experts say, giving credence to ISIS’ claim of responsibility. ISIS has sought to extend its reach globally, with an ISIS affiliate claiming credit for the recent downing of a Russian passenger plane over Egypt and a bombing in Lebanon that killed more than 40 people this week. The Paris carnage has left at least 129 dead – including at least 80 at the Bataclan concert venue in the center of the city. With a steady flow of radicalized foreign fighters traveling to places such as Syria and then returning – in addition to the considerable number of homegrown ISIS sympathizers in many European countries – the militant Islamic organization is finding it easier to support and encourage these kind of attacks, experts say. Fear, grief and support after terrorists run amok “The French are overwhelmed by the numbers of people they’re having to monitor,” CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank said. “They’ve opened surveillance files into more than 5,000 Islamic extremists throughout the country. There have been more than 1,000 French nationals traveling to Syria and Iraq. They know of 250 that have come back, and that’s just the number they’re aware of.” Horror as Paris wakes to 128 dead Related video Hostages flee concert hall He pointed to a January terror plot thwarted in Belgium when security services uncovered a huge cache of weapons – as well as police uniforms – suggesting a possible attack on a sensitive site there. “Intelligence officials there and in the United States have told me that plot was directed by the top leadership of ISIS in Syria,” he said. Complete coverage on Paris attacks “This is a group that is increasingly getting into the international terrorism business. I think all these different events of the past few weeks have really illustrated this: More than 100 killed during an attack in Ankara – ISIS suicide bombers – the attack in Beirut, 40 to 50 killed, ISIS bombers that claim for taking down that Russian Metrojet airliner. It goes on. ISIS is pivoting toward international terrorism.” Paris attacks: What we know so far Related video Brother of drummer: Band heard gunshots, exited venue The fact the attacks in Paris all happened within 30 minutes suggested it was long-planned and there was some kind of command and control structure, according to Michael Weiss, co-author of “ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror.” Witness describes concert ‘bloodbath’ “That’s not to say it’s coming out of ISIS headquarters in Raqqa,” he told CNN. “One of the things to keep in mind is the that the caliphate has expanded in a way that many have not foreseen. It’s not necessarily taking up more terrain in Syria and Iraq, but it is getting these affiliates – getting these sleepers – essentially to declare allegiance and to conduct their own operations.” CNN iReporter films gunmen from building While the gunmen and bombers picked a number of “softer” targets in the French capital – a concert hall and restaurants – other analysts said they believe the attack on the Stade de France was the real statement of intent. “There’s a tremendous amount of symbolism when you have France playing Germany – this is the national sport of France, this is where you’ll have a tremendous number of people gathered there and watching on television, hearing the explosions go off,” CNN political commentator Buck Sexton said. “To explode suicide vests outside of there is really to strike at the heart of France when the entire country is watching. The entire country heard those explosions as they went off. They would have thought, ‘What was that?’ So as soon as the news started to break, there would have been a ripple effect.” Related video Explosion heard at Paris soccer game Cruickshank said the next challenge was the emergence of a major ISIS propaganda video if they eventually do take credit for the Paris attacks. “Just recently, they (ISIS) instructed all their recruits, all their operatives on the ground, to film everything,” he said. “They say there’s no point launching these kinds of attacks if you don’t film them.” Obama: ISIS hasn’t been ‘decapitated’ So how will France react? According to Sexton, there will be a “quite a response” from France. “They’re already done airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. They’ll go with more of that I think. There’s also a U.S. presence on the ground in Syria – that will likely increase.” Amid #Paris horror, a moment of solidarity as evacuating fans sing French national anthem https://t.co/ddKcnB5XFnhttps://t.co/k3j3Rwkfg5 He said France has shown it is capable of unleashing its fury. And it is exactly the tone President Francois Hollande has taken. Speaking from outside the Bataclan concert hall late Friday, he vowed France would be “ruthless” in its response.


President Donald Trump said Wednesday his administration is devising a plan to withhold US foreign aid funds from the home countries of immigrants who illegally enter the United States. Speaking at a roundtable on illegal immigration and the MS-13 gang, Trump offered few specifics about the plan and it was unclear if he was referring to the illegal entry of any undocumented immigrant or those who have committed other crimes. It was also possible he was referring to situations where home countries refuse to accept undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes in the US once they have served their prison sentence. “Many of these countries we give tremendous amounts of aid to. Tens of millions of dollars. And we’re working on a plan to deduct a lot of the aid because I happen to believe that it’s not so hard,” Trump said during the event in Bethpage, New York. “So we’re going to work out something where every time somebody comes in from that country, we’re going to deduct a rather large amount of money from what we give them in aid – if we give them aid at all, which we may not just give them aid at all,” he added. A White House spokesman could not immediately clarify the President’s comments. Trump’s comment came after Rep. Dan Donovan, R-New York, lamented the situation where the home countries of certain undocumented immigrants refuse to “take … back” undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes in the US. Trump accused the home countries of undocumented immigrants in the US not only of “not trying to stop” illegal immigration to the US, but of encouraging criminals to leave their country. “They’ll let you think that they’re trying to stop this. They’re not trying to stop it. I think they encourage people,” Trump said. “They don’t want the people – they don’t want the people that we’re getting in that country.” “Despite all the reports I hear, I don’t believe they’re helping us one bit,” he added of the home countries. Trump has previously threatened aid cuts to Latin American countries who are primarily responsible for illegal immigration to the US, but experts have warned such efforts would backfire and could worsen the flow of migrants to the US. The roundtable on Wednesday was just the latest in a series of events the President has hosted in recent weeks focused on immigration issues, underscoring the extent to which the White House is focused on illegal immigration as a rallying issue heading into the 2018 midterms. Trump once again shined a spotlight on crimes committed by MS-13 gang members to reinforce his administration’s efforts to curtail illegal immigration, even though they account for only a small portion of both the number of undocumented immigrants and gang members in the United States. The Justice Department estimates there are more than 10,000 MS-13 gang members in the United States. That is just a fraction – less than 1% – of the 1.4 million gang members the FBI estimates to be criminally active in the United States. While it is not known what percentage of MS-13 members are undocumented, MS-13’s membership in the US is dwarfed by the total undocumented immigrant population in the US, which is estimated at roughly 11 million.

US foreign aid policy toward home countries of undocumented immigrants