Three executive branch agencies — the Departments of State, Homeland Security, and Justice — have reported to Congress their plans to implement the International Megan’s Law (IML). The 17-page report also includes a request for an additional $9.3 million in funding each year to implement that law.
According to the report, the Angel Watch Center (AWC) will provide written determinations to the Department of State regarding whether an individual is a “covered sex offender”. After that determination is made, the State Department will add an individual’s name to its existing name check system, the Consular Lookout and Support System.
Also according to the report, the State Department will add a “unique identifier” to the endorsement page of a covered individual’s passport. The shape and size of the “unique identifier” has not yet been determined, however, the State Department expects to make that decision no later than December 31, 2016. In preparation for the addition of “unique identifiers”, the State Department is making “technological modifications” to its passport issuance system. After making its decisions, the State Department will send “guidance” regarding the internet identifiers to its overseas consular posts as well as to domestic passport agencies.
The Department of Homeland Security will assume additional duties as it implements the IML, including establishment of a “mechanism” to receive complaints from registrants affected by notifications to destination countries. The report states that Operation Angel Watch, the precursor to the Angel Watch Center, began in Los Angeles in 2007 and was focused upon “known child sex offenders” traveling to Southeast Asian countries. The operation moved to Washington, D.C., in 2010 and expanded its focus worldwide.
According to the report, the purpose of the IML’s Angel Watch Center is to reduce the risk of child sex tourism. The individuals being monitored by the Center are “those convicted of child sexual abuse or child pornography offenses who may travel overseas and sexually abuse or exploit minors”. The Center made more than 2,100 notifications to more than 95 countries in fiscal year 2015. More than half of these notifications resulted from input received from four states — Colorado, Florida, Texas and Washington.
The Angel Watch Center expects to increase to 5,000 annually its notifications to foreign nations in the future due to increased state notifications which are required by the IML. Due to this expected increase, the Center will request funding for four additional employees, known as Angel Watch international liaisons, to work in Mexico, the Caribbean, Manila and Bogota (to cover South America).
The National Sex Offender Targeting Center, which is part of the United States Marshalls Service, will increase its activities as well due to the IML. Part of the activities include developing initiatives with law enforcement partners to mitigate the risk of U.S. citizen sex offenders “who are living abroad undetected.”
Congressional Report August 2016
Next, our government will implement this same scheme on convicted, violent & known gang members. What a country.
The individuals being monitored by the Center are “those convicted of child sexual abuse or child pornography offenses who may travel overseas and sexually abuse or exploit minors”.
OK my offense wasn’t even close to “child sex abuse” or “child pornography”.
I have a Misdemeanor from 2001.
Whyyy was a notice sent to Mexico about me in 2014?
I think whatever future lawsuit that is being contemplated, should focus solely on the Notices that are being sent out. The Notices have been happening since 2007, and we know of the consequences of people being denied entry, before IML and after IML.
Heck, I even have the Notice that was sent on me! In writing!
I would concur that the Passport Provision isn’t ripe yet.
Wow, Waste of money
So this is now saying not all “sex offenders” will be tagged with a green notice just those covered offenders with child related offenses ? I would really like to know if ALL registered citizens will still be tagged by angel watch , even if their passports are not marked.
They don’t seem to have a straight answer on this .
“Part of the activities include developing initiatives with law enforcement partners to mitigate the risk of U.S. citizen sex offenders ‘who are living abroad undetected.”
So basically, get the U.S. Citizen RSOs who are legally living in a foreign nation deported and sent back to the United States, no matter how long they have been abroad, so they cannot escape the registry.
I just read all 17 pages and this is the biggest violation of basic human rights not to mention the biggest waste of money I have ever seen. It is beside me how the government can continue to get away with its never ending punishment.
The only thing we can all do is to continue to support Janice and team. I am simply dumbfounded how any of this is even remotely legal. I guess I could understand if this targeted sex tourist crimes , meaning you were convicted of a sex tourist crime in another country, but how do a million other people get lumped into this category is insane.
I wish I knew what “Certain Registered Sex Offenders Against Minors” means. I thought living abroad would bring me LESS stress about the registry… Is it that bad that I just want to live my life in peace?
Janice this verbiage is very difficult to follow. Somewhere in all of this discussion, at one point it seemed like it said something about a “covered sex offender who is required to register.” So if you are not on any registry does that mean that you will not be harassed? Does this mean that IML does not pertain to you but the notification along with the green notice that says that you in effect are dangerous will still be sent? Very confusing.
Quint,
They don’t want us to be able to relax for a second. Every single law is strictly designed to make life as miserable as possible for a RC. It’s all punitive.
I believe the government believes quite unfortunately and unfairly that a child is someone under the age of consent. So if in your state the age of consent is 18 then a child is 17, if the age of consent is 16, then a child is 15. So these countries who receive this notice probably believe that the registrant raped a child and they will probably assume that child is 8 years old.
I was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor 9 years ago. I was denied entry into the Dominican in 2015. So the government considers a child=teen.
Why was the government report which was issued in August just now appearing on this website? Are steps now being taken to start a new lawsuit? It says the identifier will be on the endorsement page, and depending on what it says and how prominent it is, I could see most customs inspectors overlooking it. They mostly flip through and find a blank page for their VISA stamp.
We are now at stage 6, “Preparation,” in the 8 stages of genocide…
http://www.genocidewatch.org/images/8StagesBriefingpaper.pdf
Wake up people. Registered sex offenders are the canary’s in the coal mine. Soon every citizen will be registered and everything about you will be tracked.
$9.3 million per year to track RCs. Waste of money and will do nothing to stop sex trafficking or sex tourism because it is not addressing the real problems. Sadly, where there are overpopulated, impoverished countries, there will always be prostitution and little regard for any age of consent. Politicians can’t solve overpopulation or extreme poverty. But by attacking RCs, they can cynically say they are addressing the problem.
Not to single out Iran, but it seems like one country where its known they kill sex offenders. By the US knowing full well Iran kills sex offenders and by the Judge rubberstamping the compelled speech on the passport, its basically giving Iran blessing to kill US citizens with past sex offenses that could be from over 30 years ago. How is this not unconstitutional?
I’ve read the entire 17 pages.
It does not address the problem of those who are not required to register that may still be “stuck” on another state’s registry simply because they traveled to that state for a length of time that required them to register for life in that state, such as Florida or New York.
It mentions that someone “researches” each person, but doesn’t directly address if people in that circumstance will be left off the notifications to other countries or if their passports won’t be marked.
It also appears that they will not just target countries known for sex tourism, but will send notifications to all countries.
I would think all of this would be a huge violation of Due Process, both Procedural and Substantive. It does not apply equally to all citizens, since states have different registration durations and registerable crimes as well as different ages of consent. It does not allow someone to know in advance that notice is being sent, and allow them to contest it before being turned back. There has been no procedural determination and chance for an impartial judge to declare someone is likely to engage in child sex tourism but instead IML relies on arbitrary durations of registration that are not in any way based on research that they are highly likely to offend. It denies a person the rights to travel for business and family which most would consider deeply rooted in our history and traditions.
Of course, the entire registry violates most of this in the first place. I’m still confused as to how a Substantive Due Process claim against the registry wouldn’t be successful, and allowed Strict Scrutiny, just in challenging the fact that an arbitrary list of crimes and for an arbitrary duration take away the privacy and liberty of an individual beyond the term of their jail sentence and probation and parole which is deeply rooted in American history and traditions in order to allow re-integration into society by every other crime or circumstance. Even Deferred Adjudication cases aren’t allowed to re-integrate even though there are no convictions!
What is up with this “mechanism” to receive complaints from registrants affected by notifications to destination countries? What does this mean exactly? I read the entire document but I’m unsure if this is a window we can hold up hope for? Is this a possible response to the lawsuits that have been coming their way?
i was put on this thing because i communicated with a 14 yo through the internet, a police sting, my crime was going to ohio to meet the person basically so i got arrested there. did jail time, did after release supervision 5 years and just report annually im a tier 1 here in NJ and can petition to be removed in 2020 thats 15 years after release. am i in the covered catagory??? im so confused about this all
Page 1 of the Report:
Section 9 (b): Not later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act, the … shall jointly submit a report to …
The Act was signed by President Obama on February 8. The date of the Report is August 26. That is 200 days later. 110 days too late.
A violation of IML is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Who is about to go to prison here?
Does anyone else notice the money they are asking for is anticipating that all states will be sorna compliant? only 17 states are compliant and some dont want to be. So where is all this extra money going? Did you notice how much thèse positions will be making a year based on there costs. Damn i want a job there… of course I would try to corrupt it lol.
“The National Sex Offender Targeting Center” at least has an accurate name….and we’re their targets!
Out of curiosity, does anyone know if the IML notification and identifier applies to EVERYONE convicted of certain offenses, or just those required to register? The language of the bill seems to elude to it applying to registered child-sex offenders:
“To protect children from exploitation, especially sex trafficking in tourism, by providing advance notice of intended travel by registered child-sex offenders outside the United States to the government of the country of destination …”
However, this article seems to imply that it applies to everyone convicted of child sexual abuse or child pornography offenses, which would include those who are not on the registry.
….
We all have talents that can be offered to help our cause. This law should be a call to action for us all. I’m willing to train RC’s and/or their families to get involved as boots on the ground in the local communities promoting politicians for election via salons and barbershops. It’s a proactive giving program that helps hairdressers in the name of a candidate. I sharpen salon scissors as a way to get the vote out. With our numbers and our focus forward we will make a difference. Hope to see all of you at the LA meeting. Robert 949-872-8768
PRESS RELEASE
It was announced today that three departments of the fascist government in the divided united States, the Dept. Of state propaganda, homeland discrimination and phobia, and the Dept. Of non-justice are preparing their illegal and ambitious plot to subject as many Americans as possible to foreign discrimination and violence.
With the blessings of the corrupt legislature, and additional bribe funding the law was passed unanimously with little to no discussion. Do you want to know more? In the legislation, immunity from prosecution of any kind resulting from harm or injury to the American slaves commanded to comply has been granted to all persons participating in the act. In fact, discretion has been given to all persons to insure that no American slave can remain anonymous.
Do you want to know more? All persons traveling with the identifier, a pink colored passport, are required to permit their harassment, discrimination, and violence directed at them without any legal recourse. All those required to return due to the unique identifier will not be reimbursed for their monetary or other loss.
Do you want to know more? The Dept. Of state propaganda expects the full support of all member national and treaty States to bar those with the pink passport from entry. Those nations that do not comply, will face immediate economic and military sanctions. Remember, if you are not our friend, you are our enemy, president George Bush jr.