East Boston family details ICE arrest of TPS recipient
Mercedes Pineda said having Temporary Protected Status and no criminal record didn't stop federal agents from detaining her husband, Jose, at work.
The big picture: Pineda, who spoke at a panel organized by U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley in East Boston, said hers is far from the only family to get torn apart by the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
What's happening: Pineda's husband, a TPS recipient from El Salvador, was released after two days, but she said the family is still grappling with the aftermath.
Neither of them is sleeping well. Jose's doctor warned he's one traumatic event away from a deadly stroke.
Their 12-year-old daughter is suffering from anxiety attacks. (As Pineda spoke, Pressley sat behind her and comforted her daughter.)
Pineda later told Axios she learned he was detained through videos that circulated, but couldn't confirm it until he managed to call hours later.
They still don't know why he was held and say he has no criminal record. Protections for Salvadoran TPS recipients last until Sept. 9, 2026, per U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
What they're saying: " We are honest people. We came to this country to work, to help our families move forward," Pineda said in a Spanish-language interview.
"They shouldn't be treating us like criminals, because we're not."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which typically does not respond to inquiries about individual cases, didn't respond to a request from Axios concerning Pineda's husband's case.
What's next: Pressley asked Pineda what help her family could use.
In the meantime, Pineda tells Axios she's leaning on her church and on God, whom she thanks for connecting her to Centro Presente and getting Jose released.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘King of the Hill' actor Jonathan Joss' alleged killer set free after posting $200,000 bail
The suspect accused of fatally gunning down Jonathan Joss, an actor best known for TV roles on King of the Hill and Parks and Recreation, is out of jail after posting $200,000 bond and will await trial at home – less than 75 yards from the scene of the crime. Police arrested Ceja, 56, on first-degree murder charges shortly after Joss was shot dead Sunday evening in front of his San Antonio home. He made bail on Monday, and was released Tuesday afternoon, court records show. He is now under full house arrest, with a slew of conditions that include GPS monitoring, random drug and alcohol testing, and a ban on firearms possession. Attorney Alfonso Otero, Ceja's court-appointed lawyer, did not respond to a request for comment. Although police say they have 'no evidence' the killing was a hate crime, Joss' husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, said that Ceja, who lives two doors down from the couple, directed homophobic slurs at the two as the 59-year-old Joss lay dying. 'Everything was really close range. It was in the head,' Kern de Gonzales told The Independent. 'I held his face together while I told him how much I loved him. He could still hear me, he looked up at me and he wasn't able to talk because of the extent [of his injuries], but I could tell he was trying to say, 'I love you.'' At the same time, Ceja, who had reportedly been engaged in a long-running feud with Joss, laughed coldly and sneered, 'Oh, you love him? Joto,'' according to Kern de Gonzales, a South Carolina native. ''Joto' is Spanish for f****t,' he said. 'I never knew the word until I came to Texas, and then I heard it a lot. The deadly clash occurred after Joss and Kern de Gonzales showed up at their home, which burned down in January, to collect their mail. The two had been living in Austin, about 90 miles away, following the blaze, according to Kern de Gonzalez, who said he is certain the blaze was arson. Authorities, on the other hand, have said the cause remains undetermined. Joss clashed frequently with others on the block, who Kern de Gonzales claimed had subjected the pair to ongoing anti-LGBT+ harassment over the past two years. One neighbor shared a video with local CBS affiliate KENS, purportedly showing Joss walking back and forth with a pitchfork, screaming. However, while Joss may have at times annoyed his neighbors by 'ranting and raving' in public, Kern de Gonzales said his spouse battled mental illness and insisted he was never violent. 'I don't care if me and my husband were walking around with one pitchfork in our hand and another pitchfork up our a**, we didn't point any weapons at anybody,' Kern de Gonzales told The Independent. 'When the man rolled up with the gun, we were checking the mail.' A police log shared with The Independent by the San Antonio PD lists more than 50 calls between January 26, 2024 and February 9, 2025 to the house Joss and Kern de Gonzales shared. Officers showed up at the address in response to disturbance reports, to conduct mental health and welfare checks, complaints of theft and criminal mischief, and one incident last year allegedly involving a knife. (Further details were not immediately available on the episode, or exactly who was involved.) The final entry is for a shooting in progress at 7:02 p.m. on Sunday, June 1, the incident that ended Joss' life. Kern de Gonzalez said finds it 'really sad how people treat other people when they're having a mental health crisis or going through trauma,' and that no one wants to consider what led to that point. 'It's OK to be a little sad, but if you're in a state where you're yelling or whatever, that doesn't get the same grace,' Kern de Gonzales said. Ceja is due back in court on August 19.
Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
Axios Event: U.S. needs more critical minerals to compete with China, experts say
WASHINGTON – Competition with China and tariff threats are fueling U.S. efforts to secure more critical minerals used to make semiconductor chips and other defense infrastructure, speakers said at a May 6 Axios event. Why it matters: Critical minerals have become a national security asset and subject of global politics, with the Trump administration recently signing a deal with Ukraine locking in preferential access to strategic elements from that country. Axios' Colin Demarest spoke with Reps. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.) and Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), as well as Gracelin Baskaran, critical minerals security program director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), at the May 6 Axios event, sponsored by South32 Hermosa. Zoom out: China has been building up its technological capabilities for decades under its Belt and Road Initiative, investing in minerals and other critical industries, speakers said – and the U.S. is behind. What they're saying: "Some minerals are here at home, we have good copper reserves … but some minerals we just don't have enough of," Baskaran said. The U.S. Energy Act of 2020 defined"critical minerals" as "any non-fuel mineral, element, substance or material that … has a high risk of supply chain disruption [and] serves an essential function in one or more energy technologies." The list of about 50 such elements includes lithium, nickel, cobalt and graphite. Catch up quick: The U.S. relies on China for many critical minerals, but export controls and tariffs have limited access amid growing trade tensions. China's recent restrictions on rare earth elements and magnets are a "dangerous game," Bergman said. However, removing China suppliers from the critical minerals equation – even with the security risks – wouldn't be realistic, he said. "The attainable goal would be to marginalize their dominance in it, because there's always going to be more than one player." The latest: It's not clear what impact the recent Ukraine minerals deal will have on U.S. supply, speakers said. "We don't know what the outcome is going to be in Ukraine yet, but we do know if we don't establish the relationship at a different level that hasn't been tried … that Ukraine is still vulnerable," Bergman said. "So it's a good thing to have those deals inked." "For me, it doesn't change the needle any," Tokuda said of the deal. Ukraine doesn't process these materials as well as China, where most of the processing also takes place, she said. State of play: "Let's be very honest, right? This is about making sure that we are in a state of readiness, that we're able to deter," Tokuda said. "Right now we have so much vulnerability because of our dependence on these critical and rare earth minerals with China, that we really, we need to start yesterday in terms of really shoring up that supply chain." Content from the sponsored segment: In a View From the Top conversation, Pat Risner, president of South32 Hermosa, said gaps in the zinc supply haven't gotten enough attention in the critical minerals conversation. "Zinc is used to galvanize steel, it's very important for infrastructure, all forms of energy … even battery storage, and other defense applications," Risner said.
Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
Trump admin rolls back LGBTQ+ gains during Pride Month
The Trump administration isn't celebrating Pride Month, but rather walking back initiatives to recognize LGBTQ+ communities. The big picture: It's a part of a larger repeal of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts by the administration, which have contributed to an increasingly hostile climate for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S., particularly for transgender individuals. State of play: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the White House has "no plans" to make a proclamation for the month of June. That marks a reversal from the yearly "Pride Month" proclamations and elaborate celebrations under former President Biden. Meanwhile, the Department of Education on Tuesday announced it's recognizing June as Title IX Month, "commemorating women and celebrating their struggle for, and achievement of, equal educational opportunity." Flashback: Trump didn't issue presidential proclamations celebrating Pride in his first term either, only marking the occasion with a social media post in 2019. Zoom in: In the first few days of Pride Month, the administration has taken steps to target LGBTQ+ recognition efforts. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the Navy to rename a ship that bears the name of gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk. Hegseth is "committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DOD installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief's priorities, our nation's history, and the warrior ethos," Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement. The FBI on Monday requested tips from the public on hospitals, clinics or practitioners performing gender-affirming surgeries to youth, putting that care among transgender youth under close scrutiny. Trump threatened to cut funding to California if it continues to allow transgender athletes to compete in women's sports, doubling down this week after a trans high schooler won state championships. "President Trump is protecting women in sports and restoring common sense," spokesperson Harrison Fields told Axios Tuesday. The National Park Service planned to close Dupont Circle in D.C. to bar people from celebrating Pride, but later reverted. Between the lines: Minnesota state Rep. Leigh Finke told Axios that while acts of violence are not directly tied to the Trump administration, his policies and the "language of dehumanization and ... language of eradication" have consequences. Our thought bubble via Axios' Russell Contreras: Trump's pullback on Pride comes as the nation is set the celebrate the fourth anniversary of Juneteenth becoming a national holiday.
