
Trump team sends removal notices to more than half a million migrants allowed into the country under Biden program
The Department of Homeland Security started handing out termination notices to thousands of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela this week after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a decision that allows the Trump administration to end a Biden-era humanitarian parole program.
Notices reviewed by CNN warned the migrants that if they do not leave voluntarily, they could face enforcement measures including detention and removal, 'without an opportunity to make personal arrangements and return to your country in an orderly manner.'
The humanitarian parole program, introduced by the Biden administration, granted eligible migrants permission to enter the United States on a two-year stay. Approximately 530,000 citizens from the four countries were allowed in under the program.
The Trump administration has criticized the program, claiming that it allowed 'poorly vetted' migrants into the country. But the program does require applicants to pass background checks and secure a financial sponsor to ensure they would not become a public burden.
Last month, the Supreme Court granted an emergency request by the administration to halt the program, paving the way for DHS to begin rescinding protections for those living in the US under the program's terms.
In a statement released Wednesday, DHS confirmed it would be revoking the work authorizations of those enrolled in the program.
'The Biden Administration lied to America,' DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. 'They allowed more than half a million poorly vetted aliens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela and their immediate family members to enter the United States through these disastrous parole programs; granted them opportunities to compete for American jobs and undercut American workers; forced career civil servants to promote the programs even when fraud was identified; and then blamed Republicans in Congress for the chaos that ensued and the crime that followed.'
The Biden administration had promoted the program as a strategy to relieve pressure on the southern border, offering a legal and controlled pathway for migration from nations frequently represented in asylum claims.
With the program now dismantled, immigrant advocacy groups and legal experts are bracing for a wave of legal challenges and humanitarian concerns surrounding those now facing removal.
It comes as tensions around immigration are at an all-time high.
In Los Angeles, in the city and Trump responded by deploying the military.
Elsewhere, other anti-ICE demonstrations ignited across the country, with more planned for Saturday.
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The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Hundreds of US Marines arrive in LA as large protests are planned in California and across US
Federal troops continued to be on duty in the streets of Los Angeles on Friday after a series of court rulings, and more arrived, with large protests planned in California and across the country this weekend against the Trump administration's aggressive anti-immigration raids and a big military parade in Washington DC. Around 200 US Marines arrived in LA on Friday morning. This followed Donald Trump's extraordinary decision to deploy National Guard troops to LA last weekend, over the objections of the governor of California, Gavin Newsom. The marines were to take over protecting a federal building, US Army Maj Gen Scott Sherman, who commands the task force of marines and national guardsmen, said. The streets had been mostly calm overnight going into Friday morning, marking the seventh day of protests across various areas and the third day of an overnight curfew in a small part of the huge downtown area. Sporadic demonstrations have also taken place in cities including New York, Chicago, Seattle and Austin on several days in the last week against Trump's pushing of his mass deportation agenda, undertaken by targeting undocumented communities in the US interior. And millions more are expected to turn out to protest on Saturday at roughly 2,000 sites nationwide in a demonstration dubbed 'No Kings', against growing opposition to what critics see as Trump taking actions on the brink of authoritarianism. The mass protests are timed to coincide with the US president's controversial military parade in Washington DC to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the formation of the US army, and coincidentally his 79th birthday. The protests in Los Angeles and subsequent deployment of California's National Guard by Trump, over the furious objections of Newsom, is a move that had not happened in the US in at least half a century, sparking a legal battle between the president and Newsom. Late on Thursday, a federal judge ruled that the federal deployment of troops by the president to aid in civilian US law enforcement in LA should be blocked. The administration swiftly appealed and a higher court paused the restraining order until Tuesday, when it will hear the case. Judge Charles Breyer's ruling in Newsom v Trump stated that Trump had unlawfully bypassed congressionally mandated procedures. Newsom in an interview with the New York Times podcast on Thursday called Trump a 'stone cold liar' for claiming he had discussed a federal deployment with the governor by telephone. Democrats and advocacy groups view Trump's deployment as an abuse of power aimed at suppressing free speech and supporting aggressive anti-immigration policies. Trump's use of the troops follows earlier, unfulfilled threats during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in his first administration, when he considered, but ultimately declined, to deploy federal troops and has since expressed regret about not cracking down more forcefully. The president has continuously defended his decision to send troops to LA claiming without any evidence that the city would have been 'obliterated' and 'burned to the ground' had he not initiated the deployment. In Washington, Saturday's parade is billed as a patriotic celebration, while critics argue it is more about Trump's personal brand and ego than promoting national unity. Organizers of No Kings protests have avoided planning a demonstration in the nation's capital, in a bid to draw attention away from tanks, armored vehicles, troops and aircraft on display. 'The flag doesn't belong to President Trump. It belongs to us,' read a statement from the No Kings protest movement. The parade will culminate on Saturday evening with a procession of 6,600 soldiers, dozens of tanks, and a live broadcast message from an astronaut in space. Inspired by a Bastille Day parade Trump witnessed in France in 2017, but with strong echoes of the kind of regular displays under authoritarian regimes such as Russia, North Korea and China, the event is expected to cost up to $45m, sources told NBC News. Meanwhile, some members and family members of the National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles have expressed discomfort with their mission, feeling it drags them into a politically charged domestic power struggle. 'The sentiment across the board right now is that deploying military force against our own communities isn't the kind of national security we signed up for,' said Sarah Streyder of the Secure Families Initiative, which advocates for military families. 'Families are scared not just for their loved ones' safety, although that's a big concern, but also for what their service is being used to justify.' Chris Purdy of the Chamberlain Network echoed those concerns: 'Morale is not great, is the quote I keep hearing,' he said, citing multiple National Guard members who contacted his organization. Amid the ongoing legal and political fallout, arrests have continued, although sporadic incidents of early looting have subsided. Jose Manuel Mojica, a 30-year-old father of four, was charged with assaulting a federal officer during a protest in Paramount, a community in southern Los Angeles County. And on Thursday, Alex Padilla, a Democratic US senator for California and vocal critic of the Trump administration's immigration polices, was forcibly removed and handcuffed as he attempted to ask a question at a press conference held by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, in Los Angeles. In video taken of the incident that has since gone viral on social media, Padilla is seen being restrained and removed from the room by Secret Service and FBI agents. He warned that if this was how he was dealt with it spoke ill for ordinary civilians being summarily arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice). Most Republican national lawmakers criticized Padilla, although some Republican senators condemned his treatment, while Democrats overwhelmingly applauded his challenge to the administration and were appalled at his removal. Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles contributed reporting.


Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Democrat turns on his party after arrest of Senator Padilla
Democratic Congressman Jared Golden broke with his party in claiming Sen. Alex Padilla's forceful removal from a DHS press conference was 'political theater' instigated by the California Democrat. The roughly 6'3 Democrat walked into an media event with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday dressed in plainclothes when he attempted to ask her a question. But Maine Democrat Jared Golden told Axios Thursday: 'I don't think politics as theater is what our job is here.' 'I think that it's never good when a senator or member of Congress gets roughed up by law enforcement,' he shared. The startling incident was diffused after law enforcement identified the senator, however, as after Noem's event she claimed to have sat down with the Democrat to speak. Noem has said that Padilla did not identify himself before asking a questions and local news streams of the event appear to back up that claim. 'At one point, I had a question, and so I began to ask a question. I was almost immediately forcibly removed from the room, I was forced to the ground, and I was handcuffed,' Padilla claimed. The FBI put out a statement explaining that since the senator was not wearing his 'Senate security pin' agents were not be able to determine his identity on the fly. Though the Democrat was 'disruptive' he was later released after being 'positively identified,' the FBI shared. Padilla's team sent out a fundraising email on Friday morning highlighting his stand at the DHS press conference. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters on Thursday that 'at minimum' Padilla should be censured - a rare and dishonorable distinction Congress votes on to condemn members publicly.


Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Lawmaker forcefully removed from Trump secretary's LA protests conference
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A US lawmaker was forcibly dragged out of a press conference on the Los Angeles protests held by President Donald Trump's 'ICE Barbie' and handcuffed. Democratic Senator Alex Padilla interrupted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's update on immigration enforcement at the Federal Building in LA on Thursday by shouting, 'I have questions for the secretary!' Secret Service and FBI agents quickly surrounded Padilla, restrained him and escorted him out of the room. Padilla said, 'Hands off!' several times before he was pinned to the floor facedown in the hallway and handcuffed with his arms around his back. He later posted a video of the ordeal recorded by one of his staff members, and explained that he was just trying to provide oversight as a ranking member of the judiciary subcommittee on immigration, citizenship and border safety. 'If that's what they do to a United States Senator with a question, imagine what they can do to any American that dares to speak up,' wrote Padilla on X (formerly Twitter). 'We will hold this administration accountable.' California Governor Gavin Newsom called it 'outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful' and wrote on X that 'Trump and his shock troops are out of control'. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that they believed Padilla was the person who 'lunged toward' Noem and falsely claimed that he did not identify himself. 'Mr Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers' repeated commands,' wrote the department on X. The DHS concluded that agents 'acted appropriately'. Noem said she wished that Padilla had reached out before interrupting the conference in a manner that 'wasn't appropriate'. She added that she and Padilla met for 15 minutes after the incident and had a 'great' and 'productive' conversation. More Trending Tensions have been high in LA as Trump and Newsom continue to spar over protests against the president's immigration crackdown. Trump ordered thousands of National Guard troops and Marines to the city to support efforts by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport undocumented people. Newsom sued Trump and a judge blocked Trump's use of the National Guard in LA, but an appeals court is temporarily allowing troops to stay. Protests have spread across multiple major cities in the US. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Urgent recall of over 1,150,000 power banks for fire and explosion risk MORE: Donald Trump opens up on Elon Musk being 'strange' and what went wrong in bromance MORE: Google, Spotify and YouTube down for tens of thousands of users worldwide