The records describe the agencies within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for executing the partnership’s security agenda.

According to the memorandum signed by Secretary Chertoff: “…The [Security and Prosperity Partnership] has, in addition to identifying a number of new action items, comprehensively rolled up most of our existing homeland security-related policy initiatives with Canada and Mexico, and ongoing action and reporting in the various U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico working groups led by DHS [Department of Homeland Security] should now be driven by a single agenda: the SPP.”

The records also contain an information paper describing ten “Prosperity Pillar Working Groups,” and the organization of the “U.S.-Mexico Critical Infrastructure Protection Work Group.”

Unlike previous records produced by other federal agencies, the DHS records are heavily redacted to withhold the names of the U.S., Mexican and Canadian government officials carrying out the partnership’s agenda across all three countries.

Another record reviewed and released by DHS is a 10-page chart listing 36 “SPP Security High-Level Working Groups” that include the “Mexico-U.S. Repatriation Technical WG,” the “Mexico-U.S. Intelligence and Information Sharing WG,” and the “Canada-U.S. Cross Border Crime Forum,” among others.

On March 23, 2005, heads of government Vincente Fox, George W. Bush, and Paul Martin launched the North American partnership at a meeting in Waco, Texas, with the expressed goal of “a safer, more prosperous North America.” Critics, however, maintain the partnership is advancing some dubious policies and could ultimately compromise U.S. sovereignty.

To read the Security and Prosperity Partnership documents, visit Judicial Watch’s Internet site.

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Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, has filed a complaint with the United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics concerning inaccurate financial disclosure reports filed by Indiana Senator Evan Bayh. Senator Bayh failed to disclose his position as director of the Evan and Susan Bayh Foundation on disclosure reports despite requirements by the Ethics in Government Act.

Judicial Watch’s Senate ethics complaint, filed on March 8, 2007, notes that Senator Bayh’s failure to comply with disclosure requirements represents “improper conduct that reflects upon the United States Senate.”

On March 1, 2007, Judicial Watch filed separate complaints with the Senate Select Committee on Ethics and the Justice Department against Senator Hillary Clinton for failing to disclose her position as Secretary/Treasurer of the Clinton Family Foundation on five occasions.

To review Judicial Watch’s complaints against Senators Evan Bayh and Hillary Clinton, please visit JW’s Internet site, http://www.judicialwatch.org/.

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According to the documents obtained by Judicial Watch in response to its March 24, 2006, Freedom of Information Act request 9,787 students possess F-1 visas, which are designated for foreign students pursuing a full course of academic study. Nine students possess visa type M-1, which are designated for foreign students pursuing a full course of vocational or recognized non- academic program. The remaining 156 possess visa type J-1, meant for foreign nationals who are selected by a sponsor to participate in an exchange visitor program.

According to other ICE official records dated September 6, 2005, there are 611,581 active foreign students in the United States eligible for F-1 and M-1 student and vocational visas. The same records indicated that there are 154,471 exchange visitors eligible for J-1 “exchange” visas.

Judicial Watch launched an open records investigation of the U.S. government’s policies concerning student visas following a Bush administration joint statement with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah in April 2005 increasing the number of Saudi students permitted to travel to and study in the United States.

Judicial Watch’s investigation of the increase of student visas to Saudi nationals is part of its ongoing investigation of the government’s failure to protect American citizens from the threat of terrorism. On September 11th, 2001, 15 of the 19 terrorist hijackers carrying out the attacks were Saudi nationals, and all of them were issued student visas.

The ICE documents are available on Judicial Watch’s Internet site, http://www.judicialwatch.org/.

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