Latest news with #AlexisAlvarez
CBS News
a day ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Trump's new travel ban shakes South Florida families with ties to Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela
Trump's new travel ban rattles South Florida families with ties to Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela Trump's new travel ban rattles South Florida families with ties to Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela Trump's new travel ban rattles South Florida families with ties to Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela The Trump administration's newly expanded travel ban took effect Monday, triggering confusion and concern among travelers at Miami International Airport — especially those with ties to Cuba, Venezuela and Haiti. The ban, which applies to nationals from 12 countries and imposes partial restrictions on several others, has left many South Florida residents with family abroad worried about their ability to reunite with loved ones. The first day of implementation brought mixed experiences for travelers, some of whom were questioned by customs agents, while others passed through without issue. Travelers from Cuba, Venezuela and Haiti express fear and frustration Katheleen Areas, who frequently travels to Havana, said the ban has derailed her plans to bring her mother to the U.S. "That was my plan, but now with these new restrictions, we'll have to keep visiting her instead," she said in Spanish. Alexis Alvarez, a U.S. resident who just returned from Cuba, said he was surprised by the lack of questioning upon arrival. "They didn't ask me anything today, not even the usual secondary screening," he said. But his relief is clouded by concern for his family. "My wife and son can't come now. We'll have to wait until Trump is no longer in office," he added. New travel restrictions could block thousands of visas The restrictions vary by country. While Cuba and Venezuela face partial bans due to what the U.S. government calls "inadequate vetting procedures," Haiti is subject to the full travel ban. Haitian travelers reported more scrutiny at the airport. "They checked to confirm whether my visa was valid under the new rules," said Naray Llany, a Haitian national with a tourist visa issued three years ago. He said customs agents asked about the purpose and duration of his trip. The Department of State said currently valid visas will not be revoked, but individual customs officers retain discretion at the border. President Trump has defended the travel restrictions as necessary to protect national security. "It's about making sure we're enforcing our laws," a spokesperson said. Still, critics argue the policy disproportionately affects families. One Cuban woman heading to Havana said her relatives back home have now lost all hope of securing a visa. "They don't have one, and now they won't get one," she said. According to the American Immigration Council, the updated travel ban could impact up to 34,000 immigrant visas and more than 125,000 non-immigrant visas.
Newsweek
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Wedding Planner Reveals What She Leaves in Bathrooms: 'I Get a Lot of Hate'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A Chicago-based luxury wedding planner has gone viral after sharing the unusual thing she includes at her weddings—fentanyl testing strips. The video, posted by Alexis Alvarez, 34, on TikTok, has amassed over 260,000 views and sparked conversation online. In the video, Alvarez candidly said: "I am a luxury wedding planner and I put fentanyl testing strips in the bathrooms at luxury weddings." After working in the industry for eight years, she explained she has very real reasons for adding the testing strips to bathrooms at weddings. "So the reality is, I know you don't want to think that your guests are going to and, maybe your guests are different, but I've been planning weddings for over eight years and I know for certain some of your guests are using drugs in the bathrooms at your wedding," she said in the video. "And we can't stop them from doing that. I we just can't. I get a lot of hate for this, but they're very easily accessible you can get them from most libraries, police departments and it could just save someone's life." The addition of testing strips at weddings is part of a wider move to make weddings safer. "Last October, I was working a wedding where a table caught fire from a paper table number blown over into a candle. Thankfully, everything was fine, the fire was put out quickly, and the linen was replaced with no guests ever realizing there was a fire, but this has led to a lot of conversations with industry friends about general safety in the wedding industry, and this was a result of those conversations," Alvarez told Newsweek. Pictures of wedding planner Alexis Alvarez, who shared why she puts fentanyl testing trips in bathrooms at weddings. Pictures of wedding planner Alexis Alvarez, who shared why she puts fentanyl testing trips in bathrooms at weddings. @burstweddings/TikTok Rather than ignore the possibility of drug use, Alvarez is choosing to be proactive. "If I see somebody doing blow on the counter in the bathroom, I'm going to have security quietly escort them out. But I'm not [always] going to catch them. So I want to protect us, all of us, from the experience of an overdose," she explained. Fentanyl is often mixed into other illicit drugs without the user's knowledge, and significantly increases the risk of accidental overdose as even tiny amounts can be lethal. Fentanyl test strips (also known as FTS) are small, inexpensive strips of paper designed to detect the presence of fentanyl in drugs including pills, powders, and injectables. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2022, 73,654 people died from a fentanyl overdose in the U.S., more than double the amount of deaths from three years prior in 2019. Alvarez doesn't track whether the strips are used. "I don't count them at the end of weddings because frankly, I don't feel like it's my business to know if they are," she says. "But at a glance, I assume so." As the video gained more attention, people shared reactions in the comments. One viewer wrote: "I couldn't imagine how tasteless it feels to have fentanyl strips in the bathroom at your wedding," while others, like one Los Angeles wedding guest, said: "The testing strips are warranted and honestly, necessary. This is smart." A fellow vendor even chimed in: "I am a luxury makeup artist and I keep them in my kit." Alvarez says she was encouraged by a friend to share her approach online, and while the response has been mostly positive, she's no stranger to criticism. "My brand has become known in our local market for being pretty forward-thinking and so from a content creation standpoint, it made sense to make," she explained. "Still, it's also just such an important topic, as is safety in every context in weddings, and it's something I feel is more assumed that everything will be fine. Still, in reality, we have hundreds of people clustered in a confined space, many of which are under the influence of some mind-altering substance." "As a professional wedding planner, I think I have a responsibility to be as prepared as possible for whatever crisis may come up on wedding day; whether that's a pair of ripped pants, a fire, or an overdose," she said.
