ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY MAY 13, 2019 High of 88 Low of 76 Slight with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT RESOURCE PRESERVATION LOCAL | PAGE 3 POLICE SEIZE 53 DOGS FROM PROSPECT RESIDENCE $ 3 99 M EAL D EALS MONDAY - SATURDAY 9pcs MIXED , 2 Sides & 5 BISCUITS NEW FAMILY SUNDAY Cuban migrants get another shot at asylum Landmark ruling sets guidelines for immigration processes KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Seven Cuban migrants who were initially denied asylum will have their cases heard again after the Grand Court ruled on Friday that government did not properly consider their applications. The judgment sets guidelines for how asylum cases should be handled in the future. Until now, the Immigration Appeals Tri- bunal has failed to spell out the threshold asylum seekers must meet in order to prove their refugee status, according to the judg- ment. Past tribunals may have applied the “balance of probabilities test” in asylum cases – meaning that migrants had to show that, more likely than not, they are deserving of asylum status. The judgment states that moving forward, the tribunal should apply a “reasonable degree of likelihood” test, which means migrants will only have to show that there is a “reasonable” chance they would be subjected to rights vio- lations if returned to their home jurisdiction. This is a lower burden of proof for migrants to receive asylum. The judgment stems from seven Cubans landing in Cayman years ago, and having their asylum applications denied by the Immigra- tion Appeals Tribunal in 2017. The migrants then appealed their cases to the Grand Court, where attorney Alistair David argued last November that they did not receive fair hearings because they did not re- ceive legal aid and because the Immigration Appeals Tribunal did not sufficiently explain its reasons for denying their applications. David also argued that rights violations could be in store for the seven migrants if Ready for duty Newest police recruits graduate JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Spanning the globe from West Bay to Sarajevo, an ec- lectic class of 23 officers gradu- ated as the newest cardre of po- lice recruits. The recruits went through a rigorous 16-week course on the legal, physical and operational aspects of the job. They will go on the beat across the Cayman Islands next week, where their training will continue under the guidance of an experi- enced officer. The recruits range in age from 18 to 41 and hail from var- ious academic and professional backgrounds, including hospi- tality, education, finance and in- formation technology. The majority of graduates PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Cayman’s young people celebrated the islands’ turtling heritage Saturday at Junior Batabano. The 16th edition of the youth carnival embraced the very meaning of Batabano, which refers to tracks left in the sand by nesting turtles. Students from schools across the island paraded colourful, turtle- themed costumes throughout downtown George Town. For more photos, see page 6. – PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY Turtle tracks Cayman’s latest police recruits celebrate their graduation from training Thursday. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER2 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY MAY 13, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS BREAKTHROUGH (PG) 1:25 I 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 SUN: 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 KALANK (PG) 3:10 I 9:00 (SAT ONLY) I 9:30 (NO SAT) SUN: 3:10 I 9:20 LITTLE (PG13) 12:30 I 3:25 (SAT ONLY) I 3:50 (NO SAT) 6:50 I 9:45 SUN: 3:50 I 6:50 I 9:35 DUMBO 10:30 (SAT ONLY) I 4:35 I 7:15 (NO SAT) SUN: 4:35 I 7:15 CAPTAIN MARVEL 1:40 I 10:00 (NO SAT) SUN: 6:30 I 10:00 THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (R) 1:10 VIP I 4:35 I 7:00 VIP I 10:15 HELLBOY (R) 12:35 (SAT ONLY) I 1:00 I 6:10 (SAT ONLY) I 6:45 SHAZAM! (PG13) 1:30 I 3:40 VIP I 7:15 I 9:30 VIP SUN: 3:40 VIP I 4:40 I 6:40 VIP 8:00 I 9:40 VIP KIDS CLUB: OVER THE HEDGE (PG) 10:00 (SAT ONLY) CULTURE AT THE CINEMA: THE TRAGEDY OF KIND RICHARD THE SECOND(R18) SAT ONLY: 8:00 • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - MONDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) THE HUSTLE (PG13) 5:10 I 7:30 I 10:00 POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU (PG) 1:30 I 4:05 3D I 6:40 I 9:15 3D THE INTRUDER (PG13) 1:45 I 7:00 STUDENT OF THE YEAR 2 (PG) 12:45 I 7:15 FAST COLOR (PG13) 2:35 I 4:20 I 10:00 AVENGERS: END GAME (PG13) 12:30 VIP I 1:10 I 4:20 VIP I 5:05 3D 8:10 VIP I 9:00 BREAKTHROUGH (PG) 3:45 I 10:05 South Sound beach renamed Consuelo’s Beach JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government took steps to cement the environmental legacy of Anna Consuelo Ebanks, nee Yates, last week. A sign and memorial plaque were unveiled, re- naming South Sound Com- munity Beach as Consue- lo’s Beach in memory of the Cayman icon. Consuelo, a South Sound community activist, author, environmentalist, actress, businesswoman and mother, spent her too-short life en- hancing, protecting and con- serving all things Caymanian. Her final project was leading the development of the South Sound public beach facility, which embodied all aspects dear to her, and on which government chose to honour her on Thursday. After the demolition of a home on the site once occu- pied by Dr. Marco Giglioli, Cayman’s first director of the Mosquito Research Con- trol Unit, she spearheaded a movement to convert the overgrown plot into a beau- tiful beach site that would benefit the South Sound com- munity, residents and vis- itors alike. With this objective in mind, Consuelo, as she was commonly known, enlisted others to help clear the site, pave the parking area and un- dertake landscaping works. “She was Caymanian to the bone,” said Minister Ju- liana O’Connor-Connolly as she paid tribute to Consuelo in front of a packed gath- ering of people attending the renaming ceremony at South Sound Community Centre. “The things that mat- tered most to her were the things that people did not take the time to see. She made it her business to look out for those plants, those animals and those things Caymanian,” O’Connor- Connolly said. In 2003, Consuelo com- piled, wrote for, had pub- lished and distributed ‘The Southwell Years’. This book is a historic compilation of information about the years when Caymanian seamen were employed with National Bulk Carriers, a time that had great influence on Cay- man’s society. Its popularity prompted a reprint. “She didn’t go to sea, but she knew more about sea- faring men than most Cayma- nian women did,” said Cap- tain Paul Hurlston. “She was fearless, smart as a cricket, bold as a lion and a very knowledgeable woman who had an answer for everyone.” Many tributes were paid to Consuelo, recognised as a person who liked her beer, and a colourful, unique char- acter who loved the Cayman Islands. But her son Don Wayne Ebanks said he wanted her remembered as a person, not a symbol of these islands. In an article in the Cayma- nian Compass, Dave Martin, a member of the Cayman Na- tional Cultural Foundation and cast member of the play ‘Rundown’, in which Con- suelo was a key player, once said Consuelo was a force to be reckoned with. Overcome with emotion, fellow actress Rita Estevano- vitch said Consuelo was one of Cayman’s most talented thespians and would be greatly missed. She had the crowd chuckling when she paid tribute to Consuelo with a rendition of the poem ‘Gov- ernment Bull’. She was adept at playing comedic as well as tragic roles. Committed to pro- tecting and stimulating Cay- man’s heritage, arts and cul- ture, Consuelo passionately served as a board member of the Cayman National Cul- tural Foundation for more than 20 years. She also advocated for ‘one man, one vote’ and was a founding member of the Orchid Society and the Botanic Park. Premier Alden McLaughlin said her concerns were al- ways about the environment. “She supported issues she stood for or stood against. That was the way she was,” he said. McLaughlin said he wanted to memorialise her contributions. “She was an incredible human being who did more for the environment outside of government, and outside various societies than most of us collectively do who hold powerful positions,” McLaughlin said. “It speaks volumes about the character and strength of this Cayma- nian woman, long may her memory last, and may we never forget her incredible contributions.” Kurt Tibbetts, a former leader of government busi- ness, sang ‘My Way’ by Frank Sinatra in her honour. Government officials unveil a sign for Consuelo’s Beach. – PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Consuelo and her aunt Gwen Bush. Consuelo’s mum Doris Yates, seated in a wheelchair, watches as government officials unveil a plaque in Consuelo’s honour. “ She was fearless, smart as a cricket, bold as a lion and a very knowledgeable woman who had an answer for everyone.” PAUL HURLSTON3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 13, 2019 EDITION BOOKING DEADLINE Monday May 20th NO PUBLICATION Tuesday May 21st Thursday May 16th Wednesday May 22nd Thursday May 16th Thursday May 23rd Friday May 17th Friday May 24th Tuesday May 21st DISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAY Celebrate the long weekend OVER May 20th (345) 949-5111 • sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Please be advised there will be no newspaper on Monday, May 20th, Discovery Day. OUR OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY PUBLICATION DEADLINES: Police seize 53 dogs from Prospect residence MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police made their largest ever seizure of mistreated dogs on 6 May at a Prospect-area residence, confiscating 53 an- imals, many of which were in poor health. Police reported the incident Friday. The dogs were smaller breeds, including shih tzu, Yorkshire terriers, Maltese, dachshund and Pekingese, and were being housed in unsani- tary conditions. Photos pro- vided by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service ap- pear to show the animals in small cages lined with faeces- smeared paper. All the dogs showed signs of flea and/or tick infesta- tion, officials said, and many had health problems that were consistent with mange. Dental and eye problems were also observed among the ani- mals, they said. The dogs were owned by a woman, 54, who police said they expect will be prosecuted for animal welfare violations. The dogs are now being as- sessed and cared for by the De- partment of Agriculture’s An- imal Welfare Unit. One dog was in such poor health, officials said, that veterinarians decided it needed to be euthanised. DoA Assistant Director Brian Crichlow indicated in a statement that this is one of the worst cases the depart- ment has seen. “The health of the animals and conditions in which they were kept are disturbing,” he said. “They do not appear to have been given appropriate preventative healthcare, and as a result the prognosis of the some of the animals is poor, despite the continuous veteri- nary care they have been re- ceiving since Monday.” Crichlow said via email that he could not provide in- formation regarding why so many animals were being housed in one residence as the case is still under investigation. As for the long-term out- come for the dogs, he said everything is dependent upon their progress. “The dogs continue to be assessed and monitored based on their health and medical conditions,” Crichlow said. “It is impossible to estimate how long this will continue as it is entirely dependent on the dogs’ health, medical conditions and the advice and recommendation of the veterinarians.” He said he couldn’t predict when and if the dogs would be made available for adoption. “At this stage, any decision on the future of these dogs is dependent on the advice and recommendation of the Of- fice of the Director of Public Prosecutions.” Police say 53 dogs were being held in dangerous conditions at a residence in Prospect. LOADED GUN FOUND IN OVEN, COURT HEARS CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A loaded handgun was found by police in the oven of a kitchen stove last week, Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez heard on Friday. The gun was a 9mm Smith & Wesson semi-au- tomatic pistol, with 15 rounds of ammunition it. Senior Crown counsel Nicole Petit said the fire- arms were found in the George Town apartment of Kemar Anthony Boothe, 40, on Wednesday, 8 May. She explained that police went to Boothe’s workplace that day to speak to him about an unrelated matter. As a result, they executed a search warrant at his home and found the firearm. Petit showed the court photo- graphs of the stove and the gun on a rack inside. She noted how acces- sible it would have been to anyone in the premises. Petit said Boothe was questioned and he told of- ficers he had found the gun some time ago. He said he did not deliver it to police because he was afraid of not being believed. Petit objected to bail, noting that in the Grand Court, even in cases of finding a firearm, without any indication of any in- tention, the sentence has been custodial. Attorney Oliver Grim- wood pointed out that the Firearms Law specifically allows for exceptional cir- cumstances and Boothe could well have a reason the court would accept. He said the defendant had not fired the gun and did not know if it would even meet the definition of a lethal-bar- relled weapon. He described Boothe as a man who has been on island 13 years, and more than nine years with the same employer. His job was still open to him and he would abide by a curfew that fit his work hours. Boothe was in a long-term relationship here and, although he was from Jamaica, he no longer had a home there. His life was here in Cayman, the at- torney said. Petit assured the court that the gun had been test fired and it was lethal-barrelled. The magistrate sent the charges to the Grand Court at the Crown’s request and remanded Boothe in cus- tody until Friday, 17 May. Charge in school burglary Defendant denies entering property CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A charge of burglary has been laid against Meshach Vernal Ebanks, 26, in con- nection with a break-in at the Cayman Islands Fur- ther Education Centre on Walkers Road. Ebanks is accused of en- tering CIFEC as a trespasser and stealing tools and com- puters on or about 18 April 2019. The charge does not specify the value of the items stolen. Ebanks appeared in Sum- mary Court on Friday be- fore Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez. Attorney John Furniss told the court that Ebanks said he did not go into the property at all. The attorney advised that he was not making a bail application at this time. He noted that the investigating officer was checking on the possibility of DNA evidence. The matter was set for mention again on Monday, 13 May. Burglary included cups of soup CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Peter Elmer Ebanks, 22, appeared in Summary Court on Friday charged with a residential daytime burglary committed the day before. Ebanks was accused of en- tering a Walkers Road apart- ment on 7 May and stealing $100 in cash and two cups of soup. Senior Crown counsel Nicole Petit said officers were called to the apartment com- plex, where residents said they had left the property around 11am. They said they returned around 2pm to dis- cover their apartment had been broken into. The Crown’s case was strong, Petit said, and in- cluded fingerprints. Defense attorney Oliver Grimwood called the bur- glary opportunistic. It did not involve ransacking or any high-value goods, he pointed out. He asked for bail, calling Ebanks “a young man of al- most good character with only a minor traffic matter”. Magistrate Angelyn Her- nandez ordered the de- fendant to be tested for drugs. When the results came back positive for both ganja and cocaine, she remanded him in custody. She set the next mention for Thursday, 16 May.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion & Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” MICHAEL BECK According to a report com- piled by hundreds of sci- entists from 50 countries, Earth is losing species faster than at any other time in human history. The UN report calls for rapid action at every level, from local to global, to con- serve nature and use it sus- tainably. And here’s some potential good news: Many ecosystems now at risk can provide valuable services if they are protected. I know from my research on coastal habitats that the biggest obstacle to investing in natural infrastructure, such as wetlands and reefs, often is that experts have not figured out how to value the protection that these habitats provide in economic terms. But a new report that I co-au- thored, published by the US Geological Survey, solves that problem for one of our plan- et’s most biodiverse ecosys- tems: coral reefs. This report shows that coral reefs in US waters, from Florida and the Caribbean to Hawaii and Guam, pro- vide our country with more than US$1.8 billion dollars in flood protection benefits every year. They reduce direct flood damages to public and private property worth more than $800 million annually, and help avert other costs to lives and livelihoods worth an additional $1 billion. Rig- orously valuing reef benefits in this way is the first step to- wards mobilising resources to protect them. Breaking waves and blocking floods Reefs act just like sub- merged breakwaters. They ‘break’ waves and drain away their energy offshore, before it floods coastal properties and communi- ties. This is an enormously valuable function. In 2017, tropical storms alone did over $265 billion in damage across the nation. Manmade defences, such as sea walls, can damage ad- joining habitats and harm species that rely on them. In contrast, healthy reefs enhance their surround- ings by protecting shore- lines and supporting fisheries and recreation, from diving to surfing. The flood protection bene- fits that reefs provide across the US are similar to those in more than 60 other nations. As I estimated with colleagues in a separate study, the global cost of storm damage to the world’s coastlines would double without reefs. Pinpointing local flood protection value Our estimate of the value of flood protection from reefs applies state-of-the-art tools that engineers and insurers use to assess flood risks and benefits. Using a model and more than 60 years of hourly wave data for all US states and ter- ritories with reefs – a total area of over 1,900 miles – we developed flood risk maps projecting the extent and depth of flooding that would occur across many storms, both regular and cat- astrophic, with reefs present and then without them. We calculated these values in grid cells that measured just 100 square meters, or about 1,000 square feet – the foot- print of a small house. Then we overlaid these flood risk maps on the latest information from the US Census Bureau and the Fed- eral Emergency Management Agency to identify people and properties at risk – and ben- efitting from the presence of reefs – in each location. With this level of detail, we now can identify not just total benefits provided by reefs, but who receives them. For example, Florida receives more than $675 million in an- nual flood protection from reefs, and Puerto Rico gets $183 million in protection yearly. As the UN report on biodiversity loss notes, Earth has lost approximately half of its live coral reef cover since the 1870s. And that trend leaves 100-300 million people in coastal areas at increased risk due to loss of coastal habitat protection. Investing in natural defences How can our valua- tion study inform coral reef protection? First, it buttresses the case for using disaster re- covery funding to help nat- ural coastal defences recover. Second, the insurance industry has an important role to play in offering in- centives and supporting in- vestments in nature-based defences for risk reduc- tion. Insurers are starting to consider habitats in in- dustry risk models and to create opportunities to in- sure nature. Thus reefs could be re-built if they are damaged in storms or even restored now based on their proven flood protection (i.e., premium saving) benefits. Third, federal agencies have incentives to invest in reefs as protection for critical infrastructure. Reefs defend military bases located along tropical coastlines, as well as shore-hugging roads that are the lifeblood of many econo- mies from Hawaii to Florida and Puerto Rico. The new UN report clearly identifies key threats to spe- cies and ecosystems. Our work provides rigorous social and economic values quan- tifying what is at stake. My co-authors and I hope it cre- ates new incentives to invest in coral reef conservation and restoration and to build coastal resilience. Michael Beck is a research professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. This article originally published at www.theconversation.com Without a dramatic course correction, 1 million species are at risk of extinction, according to a United Nations-backed panel of scientists. The animals and plants at risk include many beloved to our Cayman Islands, including Hawksbill turtles, Nassau grouper, blue iguanas, parrot fish, eagle rays and sharks. More than a third of all marine mammals around the world; more than 40% of amphibian species. The prospect is — or ought to be — unthinkable. The idea is particularly jarring in Cayman, home to many rare and unique natural resources. In fact, the Department of Environment told the Compass last week that almost half of 415 endemic plant species are critically endangered - primarily because of human activities. The decline in biodiversity on our small islands and around the world is serious business, and not only because tourists flock to our shores to experience our peaceful beaches and beautiful reefs. In many ways, Cayman provides the perfect microcosm of the global situation. Our population growth, and our struggles to find the ideal balance between development and pres - ervation, are a case study in miniature of what the report’s authors observe. They point to overfishing, pollution, spread of invasive species and development all as contributors to the problem. If the UN scientists are correct in their predictions, we must work now to steer in a more sustainable direction. A healthy, diverse ecosystem provides innumerable benefits that we rarely consider until they are threat- ened. Ecologists call them ‘ecosystem services’ such as honeybees pollinating food crops, a ‘service’ esti - mated to be worth US$15 billion in the US economy, alone. Take our reefs, which serve an even more vital purpose than providing beauty, supporting our fish- eries and attracting tourists from around the world. They also protect us from the elements, breaking waves and diffusing their energy before they reach the shore. Researcher Michael Beck has crunched the numbers and found that coral reefs around the United States provide that country with more than US$1.8 billion in flood protection benefits, as he explains in the column on the right-hand side of this page. Without reefs, he estimates the global cost of storm damage to coastlines around the world would double. Beck’s analysis is, of course, just a model, but we are intrigued by his approach. Perhaps assigning dollar values to resources we once took for granted is not so farfetched an idea. It offers a different perspective; a ‘bottom-line’ analysis to back up many people’s belief that the natural environment and resources of the Cayman Islands should be used responsibly, ensuring that future generations inherit an environment that is clean and safe. Getting serious about resource preservation MONDAY MAY 13, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Calculating the value of coral reefs Reefs act just like submerged breakwaters. They ‘break’ waves and drain away their energy offshore, before it floods coastal properties and communities. 5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 13, 2019 a better place We are about people Good people People who care about people People who want the best for their clients People motivated by challenge We are about people Cayman Technology Centre personnel2000.com 945-8367 Government’s first quarter budget surplus larger than expected MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com The public sector’s $216.8 million budget surplus in the first quarter of 2019 was $44.4 million higher than estimated, the Ministry of Finance said on Friday. In addition, government had more cash in the bank with $747.1 million in cash and deposits during the period that ended on 30 March. The higher surplus and larger bank balances were in- fluenced by both higher reve- nues and lower expenditures. Total public sector reve- nues of $373.7 million were about $30.7 million higher than expected. At the same time govern- ment spent $3.5 million less on civil service personnel costs than budgeted. Pur- chases of supplies and con- sumable goods and services fell $8.8 million below the budgeted amount and the performance of investment revenues was also more fa- vourable than predicted. Finance Minister Roy McTaggart said he was pleased that first quarter re- sults had exceeded budget expectations and was grateful to the civil service for its contribution in saving government money. “All things being equal, it bodes well for the remainder of the year,” he said, adding that government would con- tinue its fiscal vigilance throughout the financial year “to maintain improvements on budget expectations”. Compared to the same period last year, total rev- enues of core government have increased $28.0 million, whereas total expenses of core government have risen by $9.3 million. The first quarter-gen- erated, coercive revenue of $358.1 million was 8% ($25.3 million) higher than the first quarter of 2018. This was mainly due to 6% higher do- mestic levies on goods and services and 25% higher im- port duty revenues. In con- trast, first quarter levies on property have declined by 12% ($2.2 million) compared to last year. Government’s debt stood at $417.4 million as of 31 March 2019. This is $31.2 million lower than one year ago. The debt bal- ance continues to decline and government intends to repay its outstanding US$312 million bond obliga- tion in November 2019. The unfunded pension li- ability with respect to the defined benefit portion of public sector pension plans was $411.1 million in the first quarter. The unaudited quarterly financial report was pub- lished in the Ga- zette on Friday. $44.4M higher than estimated $216.8M budget surplus in the first quarter of 2019 $373.7M in total public sector revenues, about $30.7M higher than expected $417.4M in government debt as of 31 March 2019 - $31.2M lower than one year ago Robotics challenge creates a buzz JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com In a crowded sports hall, students whoop with delight as their classmates rack up another point to gain a knife- edge victory against an op- posing team. For once it is not a basket- ball or soccer match that is gen- erating this level of excitement, but an academic tournament. That is the beauty of the ‘Rover Ruckus’ FIRST Tech Challenge, says Glenda McTag- gart of Dart’s Minds In- spired, which organised the event Saturday. “The whole programme is about trying to get the same level of excitement and energy for academics that we see for sports or a concert,” she said. Students in science and maths programmes across eight high schools in the Cayman Islands were given ro- botics kits and challenged over three months to create a robot vehicle that could compete in the tournament at the Camana Bay Arts and Recreation Centre. The complex challenges in- volved computer coding and using their smartphones to in- dependently detach the robots from a ‘mother ship’. The stu- dents were then required to re- motely operate the robots to perform a series of challenges. As the tournament pro- gressed, teams were required to form alliances with other schools to compete for the overall championship. Caylem Hill, 17, of Cayman International School, said the event had brought stu- dents together. He said everyone had been willing to help each other, and to loan each other tools or ex- pertise when inevitable me- chanical problems occurred. “You realise that everything is going to break and you have to have a plan for when things go wrong,” he said. His teammate Jack McGregor, 17, added, “Eve- ryone has been helping each other out. Everyone wants to make sure everyone’s robot is working. We all want to win but we want to win in a fair fight.” Cayman International School were the eventual vic- tors in an alliance with Cayman Prep that defeated St. Ignatius Catholic School and John Gray High School in the final. Von Ryan Abrantes, science teacher at St. Ignatius Cath- olic School, said the event had been a great experience for his students. “We had 15 students in- volved. Some of them worked with programming, some with robotics, some mechanics and operations. They were really ex- cited and motivated to partici- pate,” he said. He said it was great to see students from different schools mixing and working together. The event was sponsored by a mix of Science Technology En- gineering and Math focussed businesses in Cayman; Aureum Re, Caribbean Utilities Com- pany, Dart, Digicel and Cayman Islands Health City. Each team was assigned an engineer from CUC who worked with them during the design phase. Stan Hunter, a robotics teacher from Toronto, who coached Canada’s national team at the FIRST Global Robotics Challenge in Mexico, was also brought in to work with the teachers and students. He said the event had been incredible. “The mindset of gracious professionalism and teams helping other teams to per- form at their best means a great road ahead for collabora- tion between all the schools in Cayman while still fiercely com- peting,” he added. “I saw students problem- solving with students from other schools, teachers and in- dustry mentors working along- side, all working at a common goal, while learning and ap- plying mechanical design, pro- gramming, teamwork, elec- tronics, communication, and game strategy.” McTaggart said students from various schools would be selected for a Cayman Islands national team that would go to the next global event in Dubai later this year. Shankar Paulraj, Justin Miller and Kieran Finch of St. Ignatius manoeuvre their robotic vehicle through a series of challenges Saturday. Caylem Hill and Jack McGregor, of Cayman International School, were part of a winning alliance. – PHOTOS: JAMES WHITTAKER6 LOCAL NEWS Check out these photos and others by visiting caymancompass.com/photogalleries or on facebook.com/caycompass (and don’t forget to tag yourself and your friends!) MONDAY MAY 13, 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS Young sailors from Cayman International School join the festivities on Saturday.George Town Primary school students parade their turtle-inspired fashion. Students from St. Ignatius show off their dancing skills. St. Ignatius students parade through downtown for Junior Batabano. - PHOTOS: ALVARO SEREY A Sir John A Cumber Primary School student parades in style. Several dance groups from St. Ignatius joined the fun on Saturday. Junior Batabano paraders display their Cayman pride. A Savannah Primary School student carries his colourful turtle shell through downtown. S chools from across Cayman joined the Junior Batabano street parade Saturday, as young people danced through downtown in turtle-inspired wears. The family-friendly event started at the Glass House and circled its way through George Town. The junior parade, in its 16th year, allows youth to embrace the carnival spirit in a fun and safe setting. The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 13, 2019 Tel: 949-5383 www.tomlinsonfurniture.ky sales@tomlinsonfurniture.ky 9 Walkers Road At the 4-Way Stop by GT Hospital SLEEP BETTER, FOR LESS! NOTHING MOM NEEDS MORE OR WANTS MORE THAN SLEEP! Treat your Mom to the rest she deserves. Special Ends May 15th New! Glass insert for 4” Globes Happy Mother’s Day New! Glass insert for 4” Globes were Caymanian and per- manent residency holders, though the course was opened up to expatriates for the first time in an effort to widen the pool of poten- tial officers. Among the graduates was Brazilian Alan Parada, who helped foil a million-dollar diamond heist in George Town as a civilian. Parada, who was working as a mar- keting manager at Dolphin Quest at the time, won a bravery award for stepping in to assist then Commis- sioner David Baines as he chased down armed robbers in the streets of the capital after a raid on Diamonds In- ternational jewellery store on New Year’s Day in 2014. Parada, who went on to work in a civilian role in the police, said he was delighted to have made it through the training course. He said he had worked from 5am till late at night to ensure he passed all the exams. “It feels amazing. I have been trying to join the police for years and I finally did it.” Also among the gradu- ates was Joseph Anglin, an 18-year-old from West Bay, who has dreamed of being a police officer since the age of 11. He graduated along- side his former John Gray High School teacher, Craig Robinson, who switched to the police after a career in education. Evelin Mena, from Belize, worked as a court interpreter before opting to join the re- cruit class. She said going through the training had been “life-changing”. “We didn’t know how strong we were or how ca- pable. Training brought out the best of us and now we want to put it to work,” she added. John Percival, senior training officer for the RCIPS, said it had been an “exuberant class” with a lot of energy. He said they had all per- formed well, and with on-the- job training and experience would become great officers. He said it was impossible to teach them everything in 16 weeks, but they had been given the right foundation. As well as the legal and physical requirements of the job, he said the course tried to instil customer care skills and the vision of a police officer as a public servant. “A good officer is someone who wants to do the right thing for society, someone who has integrity, even in the face of adversity,” he said. “I think this is a new gen- eration of police officers, a new way of thinking.” The recruit class gradu- ates will be continually as- sessed throughout a two-year probationary period until they are eventually confirmed as constables by the police commissioner. During a graduation cer- emony at Harquail Theatre Thursday, Acting Commis- sioner of Police Anthony Ennis told the officers he was confident they would uphold the highest ethical standards on the job. “From this point on, your conduct will be proof of your character, integrity and service as a police of- ficer,” he said. Governor Martyn Roper, who attended the cere- mony, said it was encour- aging to see such a large re- cruit class. “We have a diverse Police Service but I’m also pleased to see the majority of these recruits are from the Cayman Islands and that a good pro- portion are female – helping to improve the gender bal- ance,” he added. JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com When Joseph Anglin first met Craig Robinson, he knew him simply as ‘sir’. In those days, Robinson was a teacher at John Gray High School and Anglin was a “live-wire” 13-year-old student. Now the pair have grad- uated together as two of the newest recruits in the Royal Cayman Islands Po- lice Service. Robinson, 41, and An- glin, 18, are the oldest and youngest graduates among the 23 trainee officers. For Anglin, joining the po- lice was the realisation of a dream he has held since those days in the back of the class at John Gray. “I always knew from the time I was 11 that I wanted to join the police ser- vice,” he said. Three weeks after his 18th birthday. he applied to join the recruit class. When he turned up for the physical entrance exam, he found his old teacher doing shuttle runs alongside him. “I was very happy when I saw him there,” Anglin said. “He was a really good teacher. I used to give him some trouble, but he was a good teacher.” Robinson, who made the switch to the police ser- vice after nearly a decade as a computer skills teacher at John Gray, found himself alongside four of his former students in the recruit class. He remembers teaching Anglin for a year when he was 13. “He was a live wire, talkative but full of char- acter,” he said. It was a different dynamic for both men being class- mates and learning together during the 16-week course. “I consider him as an equal,” Robinson said. “From what I have seen, he has proved himself in every respect. I think he is going to make an excellent officer.” For Anglin, it was no surprise that his former teacher was the class clown among the group. “He has the perfect char- acter. He lightens the mood all the time. He is always joking and making everyone at ease,” Anglin said. “Being a teacher and then going into the police ser- vice is very different, but I think he is going to make a great officer.” Robinson will go on the beat in Bodden Town while Anglin has been assigned to his hometown of West Bay. Anglin said, “I can’t wait to get started. I really wanted to go to West Bay. I know the area well. I know the people and I am quite sure they are going to respond well to a young Caymanian out on the beat.” Robinson said the course had been challenging but the group had supported and helped each other through it. “Everyone’s brought some- thing to the group and eve- ryone is proud of where they have come from and where they are going to.” From teacher and student to police academy classmates CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Robinson, who made the switch to the police service after nearly a decade as a computer skills teacher at John Gray, found himself alongside four of his former students in the recruit class. Academy graduate Alan Parada had previously won a police award for helping foil a robbery as a civilian. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER Craig Robinson, left, taught Joseph Anglin at John Gray when Anglin was 13. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER The new officers show their marching skills during a graduation parade. – PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY Governor Martyn Roper inspects the graduates. – PHOTO: ALVARO SEREYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY MAY 13, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS they are returned to Cuba. The attorney explained that Cuba is a place that punishes political dissent and disloyalty, imposes ar- bitrary punishments on people, has harsh prison conditions, and interferes with other basic rights. David said one of his clients – who has been in Cayman for several years – was imprisoned in Cuba for five months for refusing to work for the government. His client had refused to go into the Cuban mili- tary because he said he was against the government. Crown counsel Smith, who represented govern- ment, agreed with David that Cuba indeed has an oppressive government – a “repressive Marxist dicta- torship”, he called it. However, not everyone who leaves Cuba does so for political reasons, he said. Some leave for economic reasons, including one ap- pellant who apparently said he was planning on going to Honduras and travelling to the US from there. “Furthermore,” Smith said, “simply not liking your country’s govern- ment does not make you, a priori, a refugee. Otherwise, Cayman would be full of UK asylum seekers fleeing Brexit and US asylum seekers fleeing Trump.” Smith then addressed David’s argument that the Immigration Appeals Tribunal did not suffi- ciently explain its reasons for denying the Cubans’ applications. While admitting that the three- to four-page de- cisions – compared to deci- sions that are typically 20 pages or more in the UK – are not “exemplars of judi- cial drafting”, he said that they were sufficient in ex- plaining why the Cubans should be denied asylum. For the decisions to be unlawful, the Cubans would have to prove that they were “substantially prejudiced” by the lack of details in the judgments, Smith said. Moreover, having the Immigration Appeals Tri- bunal provide more de- tails would not have altered their decisions, he said. Smith also addressed David’s argument that the Cubans did not receive a fair hearing because they were denied legal aid. He said the Cubans were provided translators for the hearings so they could understand what was going on, and that three of them were represented by a Cuban doctor who lives here. The doctor does not have a law degree. Grand Court Justice In- grid Mangatal agreed with David that the Cubans did not have fair hearings in front of the tribunal. The tribunal did not state what thresholds the Cu- bans should have met to receive asylum, nor did it define important terms to decide whether the mi- grants would be subject to rights violations if sent back to Cuba. “In my judgment, the tri- bunal has committed im- portant errors in failing to state the burden and standard of proof correctly,” she stated, adding, “The problem was compounded because there was a lack of directions as to the defini- tion of persecution, when prosecution can amount to persecution, the special care that has to be given to aspects of the credibility of asylum seekers, past perse- cution and imputed polit- ical belief.” The justice added that these errors were even more detrimental to the Cubans’ receiving a fair hearing be- cause the migrants did not have access to legal aid. However, Justice Man- gatal stopped short of de- claring that everyone seeking asylum in Cayman should have legal aid. “It is the case that the Refugee Convention pro- vides that a refugee should have free access to the courts of law,” she wrote in her judgment. “How- ever, in my judgment, this does not amount to an ob- ligation on the Cayman Is- lands to provide legal aid to asylum seekers at the tri- bunal stage.” The justice acknowl- edged that the other party – in these cases, the Chief Immigration Officer – also does not have legal rep- resentation during tri- bunal stages. “Therefore, the appel- lants were not at any, or any substantial disadvan- tage, vis-à-vis the [Chief Immigration Officer] due to a lack of legal aid,” the jus- tice wrote. “The appellants all had the assistance of a translator and were per- mitted to present their case and supporting [evidence] to the tribunal.” “There is no ideal in this world, and public funds are scarce,” the justice added. “There must be the bal- ance between fulfilling the Cayman Islands’ Refugee Convention obligations and the many needs competing for the allocation of scarce public funds.” Justice Mangatal noted that this matter is the first written local judg- ment dealing with asylum law, and she thanked both parties for making such thorough submissions in this precedent-estab- lishing case. “ In my judgment, the tribunal has committed important errors in failing to state the burden and standard of proof correctly.” GRAND COURT JUSTICE INGRID MANGATAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cuban migrants get another shot at asylum Crown: Refugee Tribunal to be up and running ‘soon’ KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com In a judgment ren- dered Friday, Grand Court Justice Ingrid Mangatal stated that the Immigra- tion Appeals Tribunal did not properly consider the applications of seven Cuban migrants seeking asylum here, ruling that the tribunal’s er- rors amounted to a mis- carriage of justice for the migrants. Justice Mangatal con- cluded her judgment by calling for Cayman immi- gration officials to receive more training to handle matters of complex and evolving immigration law. Such matters make it necessary “for the tri- bunal members to be knowledgeable, and to keep undergoing training and evaluation in this complex area”, she stated. “Indeed, the judges who will be asked to deal with these complex matters will also need to have spe- cialist ongoing training.” Government is in- deed devoting resources to make sure it can prop- erly handle asylum cases going forward, according to Crown counsel Mi- chael Smith. Smith told the court on Friday that he and mem- bers of the Refugee Pro- tection Appeals Tribunal – which was recently es- tablished to replace the Immigration Appeals Tri- bunal in handling ref- ugee and asylum matters – have received a week of training by several prom- inent immigration judges from the United Kingdom. Smith said he is drafting rules of proce- dure for the new tribunal. Once those rules of pro- cedure are approved by stakeholders, the Refugee Protection Appeals Tri- bunal will start hearing asylum - and refugee-re- lated cases. Smith said this should happen “soon”, and the Compass under- stands the new tribunal could be functional by the end of June. Smith told the court on Friday that he and members of the Refugee Protection Appeals Tribunal … have received a week of training by several prominent immigration judges from the United Kingdom. CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – From the lush tropical garden of the Chilean ambas- sador’s residence, Venezuelan opposition leader Freddy Guevara takes a much-an- ticipated call from a foreign diplomat and asks him to protect a fellow lawmaker fleeing President Nicolás Ma- duro’s latest crackdown. “Gracias, Gracias ambas- sador. In the name of all of us,” said Guevara speaking into his cellphone as he sits down for a rare interview inside the diplomatic com- pound that has been his un- easy and isolating home the past 18 months. “You probably think this was all staged for you, right?” he chuckles while tapping out a text message sharing the good news to someone in his party. “But the last few days have all been like this.” As Venezuela’s crisis deepens, more and more government opponents are on the run, facing arrest for their role in a failed mil- itary uprising last week when opposition leader Juan Guaidó briefly took control of a highway with a small cadre of troops seeking to topple Maduro. But instead of going into exile, or to jail as another si- lenced martyr of the move- ment to oust Maduro, many dissidents are pounding on the doors of foreign embas- sies in a throwback to the dark days of the 1970s, when far bloodier military dicta- torships in South America hunted down their opponents. In the past 10 days, as Maduro has mopped up from the uprising, three law- makers have taken refuge in the ambassadorial residences of Italy and Argentina, while opposition leader Leopoldo López, who defied house ar- rest to partake in the putsch, is now living with his family in the Spanish ambassador’s residence. Others are hiding out in undisclosed missions while 18 national guardsmen who answered Guaidó’s call to rebel are holed up in Pana- ma’s embassy. None have requested asylum, even though coun- tries in Latin America have a tradition of granting such status to political outcasts showing up at their diplo- matic missions, allowing them to enter instead as ‘guests’ in a sort of limbo waiting for Maduro to fall. For Guevara, that is al- lowed him to remain po- litically active, holding fre- quent strategy sessions with Guaidó and other members of their Popular Will party. “I’m like the ghost in a haunted house: I can’t leave but if you want to come over you can talk to me,” he says. Guevara’s decision to seek refuge inside the ambassa- dor’s residence was part ne- cessity, part political strategy. The 33-year-old cut his political teeth during student protests against Hugo Chavez a decade ago and quickly rose through the opposition’s ranks after several of its stal- warts were jailed or exiled. As vice president of the op- position-controlled congress, he was one of the leaders of anti-Maduro protests in 2017 that led to more than 130 deaths. When the government finally quelled the unrest, Guevara was high on the list of organisers they went after. Guevara said he was tipped off about his im- pending arrest on charges of instigating violence by a Su- preme Court magistrate and narrowly sneaked out the back door of his apartment building as feared SEBIN po- litical police were arriving. He appealed for protec- tion from Chile in the hope that it would drive home to Venezuela’s neighbours, many of whom were reluc- tant to confront Maduro but now recognize Guaidó as the country’s rightful leader, the spillover risks from a spiraling political and eco- nomic crisis. “Every lawmaker living inside an embassy is a per- manent reminder for that country, its media and its people that Nicolás Maduro isn’t just a problem for Ven- ezuelans,” said Guevara. “Im- agine if Nancy Pelosi had to run to an embassy because President Trump wanted to send her to prison, or the head of congress in France had to hide inside the Spanish embassy because of Macron.” He was welcomed with open arms by Chile’s then- ambassador, Pedro Ram- irez, who had already taken in Roberto Enriquez, pres- ident of the conservative COPEI party. Two years later, Enriquez is still living in the compound. Maduro’s foes fill embassies in Venezuela Venezuelan opposition leader Freddy Guevara, exiled at the Chilean ambassador’s residence, speaks by phone prior to an interview with AP in Caracas, Venezuela. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 13, 2019 North Korean cargo ship seized A North Korean cargo ship seized by the US because of suspicion it was used to violate international sanctions has arrived at the capital of American Samoa, where it will undergo inspections. ‘Heartbeat’ abortion bans advance in US Arms control, Venezuela, Iran high on Pompeo’s Russia agenda WASHINGTON (AP) – Secre- tary of State Mike Pompeo will head to Russia this week for talks with Presi- dent Vladimir Putin amid heightened US-Russia ten- sions over the crisis in Ven- ezuela and the Trump ad- ministration’s hardline policy on Iran, the State De- partment said. Pompeo’s meeting with Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday in the Black Sea resort of Sochi will be the highest-level face- to-face talks between the former Cold War foes since the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Putin and President Donald Trump spoke at length by phone last week and Pompeo saw Lavrov earlier this week in Finland. The trip will be Pompeo’s first to Russia as secre- tary of state and as he pre- pared for his weekend de- parture, administration critics, including congres- sional Democrats, noted that a statement highly critical of alleged Russian involve- ment in an attempted coup in Montenegro had been re- moved from the State De- partment’s website. The statement, which had been released on Thursday, said a Montenegrin court’s conviction in absentia of two Russian intelligence officers for plotting to overthrow the Balkan country’s government and prevent it from joining NATO was “a clear victory for the rule of law, laying bare Russia’s brazen attempt to undermine the sovereignty of an independent Euro- pean nation”. After Pompeo’s office ob- jected to the release, the statement was taken down from the website, according to officials, who stressed that it had not been formally re- called and still reflected US government policy. Its re- moval, first reported by For- eign Policy, however, ap- peared to amuse Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee who tweeted a screenshot of the statement, saying “Good news, @Stat- eDept: we saved a copy”. The State Department said Pompeo and Putin and Lavrov would discuss “the full range of bilateral and multilateral challenges” facing the two countries. A senior department offi- cial said in addition to Ven- ezuela and Iran, the talks would include arms control, stalled US nuclear negotia- tions with North Korea, Syria, Russia’s support for separa- tists in eastern Ukraine and Washington’s concerns about Russian election interfer- ence efforts. The official, who was not authorised to preview the trip publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Pompeo did not nec- essarily expect the talks to produce any “overnight” breakthroughs and were in- stead “an opportunity to take the conversation to a higher level”. The official said one pri- mary focus of the meeting would be Trump’s desire to modernise and expand ex- isting arms control agree- ments, particularly ahead of the formal US withdrawal from the Intermediate Nu- clear Forces treaty in August after Washington’s repeated complaints that Moscow was violating it. Trump has said he wants new arms control accords that reflect the cur- rent post-Cold War situation and bring in other nations, notably China. The official would not be specific about any particular agreement Pompeo would push. After meeting with Lavrov on the sidelines of an Arctic Council foreign ministers meeting in Rovaniemi, Fin- land, on Monday, Pompeo said he believed the conver- sation had been “good” and had set the stage for poten- tially positive discussions on the significant differences between Washington and Moscow on many issues. “We covered a wide range of issues and I think on every one have charted a way that we can begin to have positive conversations forward,” he said. “We have interests that are definitely different and there will be places where we run into hard stops pretty quickly, but there is no doubt there was a desire to begin to try and find paths where we can make real progress on places where we have overlapping interests.” (AP) – If a new Missis- sippi law survives a court challenge, it will be nearly impossible for most preg- nant women to get an abortion there. Or, potentially, in neigh- bouring Louisiana. Or Ala- bama. Or Georgia. The Louisiana legislature is halfway toward passing a law – like the ones enacted in Mississippi and Georgia – that will ban abortions after a foetal heartbeat is de- tected, about six weeks into a pregnancy and before many women know they are preg- nant. Alabama is on the cusp of approving an even more restrictive bill. State governments are on a course to virtually elimi- nate abortion access in large chunks of the Deep South and Midwest. Ohio and Ken- tucky also have passed heart- beat laws; Missouri’s Repub- lican-controlled legislature is considering one. Their hope is that a more conservative US Supreme Court will approve, spelling the end of the constitutional right to abortion. “For pro-life folks, these are huge victories,” said Sue Liebel, state director for the Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion ad- vocacy group. “And I think they’re indicative of the mo- mentum and excitement and the hope that’s happening with changes in the Supreme Court and having such a pro- life president.” For abortion rights sup- porters, meanwhile, the trend is ominous. Said Diane Derzis, owner of Mississip- pi’s sole abortion clinic, the Jackson Women’s Health Or- ganization: “I think it’s cer- tainly more dire than it ever has been. They smell blood and that’s why they’re doing this.” Already, Mississippi man- dates a 24-hour wait be- tween an in-person consul- tation. That means women must make at least two trips to her clinic, often travelling long distances. Other states have passed similar, incremental laws re- stricting abortion in recent years, and aside from Missis- sippi, five states have just one clinic – Kentucky, Missouri, North and South Dakota, and West Virginia. But the latest efforts to bar the procedure represent the largest assault on abortion rights in decades. Lawmakers sponsoring the bans have made it clear their goal is to spark court challenges in hopes of ultimately overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision le- galising abortion. Those challenges have begun. Derzis’ attorneys are scheduled to go before a judge on 21 May, seeking to prevent Mississippi’s heart- beat law from taking ef- fect 1 July. A judge in Kentucky blocked enforcement of that state’s heartbeat ban after the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit on behalf of the clinic in Louisville. Similar legal action is expected before bans can take effect in Ohio and Georgia, where Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed the latest heartbeat bill into law Tuesday. Kemp said he wel- comed the fight, vowing: “We will not back down.” Georgia’s ban does not take effect until 1 Jan. But the impact was immediate. An abortion clinic oper- ated by The Women’s Centers in Atlanta began receiving anxious calls from patients soon after Kemp signed the law. Many callers had plans to travel from outside the state for abortions. Geor- gia’s heartbeat ban would have a wider impact be- cause the state has 17 abor- tion clinics – more than the combined total in the other four Southern states that have passed or are con- sidering bans. “On a typical day we will see people from North Car- olina, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina – all over the region,” said Dr. Lisa Haddad, the Atlanta clinic’s medical director. “And my thought is we’re not going to see those people coming here because they assume it’s al- ready illegal in Georgia.” Dr. Ernest Marshall, co- founder of Kentucky’s last remaining abortion clinic in Louisville, said in an email that banning abortions be- fore most women know they are pregnant would “have a disproportionate impact on poor women and commu- nities of colour throughout the South”. Advocates for abortion rights expect judges to halt enforcement of any new bans while lawsuits work their way through the courts. That could take years. “These laws are blatantly unconstitutional,” said Elis- abeth Smith, chief counsel for state policy and advo- cacy for the Center for Re- productive Rights, which also has filed suit over Mis- sissippi’s ban. Pro-life sidewalk ‘counsellors’ call out to a woman entering the Jackson Women’s Health Organization’s clinic, the only facility in the state of Mississippi that performs abortions. - PHOTO: AP Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives Thursday at the Department of State in Washington. - PHOTO: APNext >