Latest news with #American-born
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
3 U.S. Marine brothers faced toughest mission: Getting their dad freed from ICE custody
Narciso Barranco, an undocumented landscaper in Orange County, instilled a sense of pride for his adopted country in his three American-born sons. All three boys joined the Marines, which they saw as a sound start for a better life in the United States. Then, in June, Barranco was grabbed by masked federal immigration agents while working on the job. His arrest went viral on social media, with some outraged at images of the agents beating Barranco. For the last month, his family waded through the federal immigration system under the Trump administration. Narciso, 48, was born in Morelos, Mexico, and arrived in the United States more than 30 years ago, where he married a U.S. citizen and three sons. Within hours of his arrest, his eldest son was talking to reporters and pushing for his release. The sons' service in the U.S. military kept a media focus on his case, and thanks to a variety of interviews his eldest son provided, the case remained in the news cycle. Narciso Barranco was finally released on bond after spending 24 days in custody, but he still faced an uncertain future. Narciso's best advocate as his case moves forward is his 25-year-old son Alejandro Barranco, a Marine veteran who served as an engineer equipment mechanic and was deployed to Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal from the country. The junior Barranco has tried his best to rescue his father's livelihood since the arrest. He took up his father's work as a landscaper and put his own work on hold. He's waited outside federal detention facilities — first in Los Angeles and then in Adelanto — just to see his father or to attend immigration court hearings. 'It has for sure been an irritating process, to see how poorly they treat the people who are trying to get access to their families in these places,' Alejandro Barranco said. 'It's either unprofessional or they're doing all of this poorly to treat people with this type of disrespect.' Alejandro served in the Marines from 2019 to 2023. He was honorably discharged and is now a landscaper like his father and is working to become a licensed contractor. Alejandro's younger brothers, Emanuel and José Luis, are serving in the Marines and stationed at Camp Pendleton. They're unable to speak to the media about their father's treatment so Alejandro Barranco has become the family spokesperson. While they've remained quiet about the whole ordeal, they have attended their father's court hearings and provided their support in private. It was a source of pride for the Barranco family that all three sons joined the military, Alejandro Barranco said. His parents raised him and his brothers to be educated and to be as helpful as possible to their country. 'That was just how they raised us and it was something that my family were proud of,' Alejandro Barranco said. The agents grabbed Narciso Barranco on June 21 outside a Santa Ana IHOP while he tended to some grass with a weed whacker. He wore sun glasses and a baseball cap, unaware that the agents were coming for him. Video released by immigration officials showed agents pepper-spraying and beating Barranco before hauling him off to an overcrowded federal detention facility 80 miles away in San Bernardino County. Narcisco Barranco was released by an immigration judge on bond on July 15. His family is thrilled to have him home but is still worried about Barranco's health, unsure if he received a concussion from his arrest that went unnoticed while he was in the federal detention. 'He has a lot of headaches, and some pain in his shoulder,' Alejandro Barranco said about his father's condition after he was released from the Adelanto detention facility. It's been a shocking ordeal, especially with how the federal government said that Narciso Barranco attacked the immigration agents who arrested him and repeatedly punched him in the head while he was on the ground. Alejandro Barranco said that his father was surprised to hear that detail, but he has not been charged with assaulting any federal officials. He's read his father the messages of support posted on social media he's received from strangers and tried to reassure his father that people are watching his case. 'I keep reading to him the names of the people who support him online, how people are talking about his situation,' Alejandro Barranco said. His father is taken aback but is still having some difficulty processing what has happened. His father was injured during his arrest, according to Alejandro. But days after, the only thing the father wanted to know was how his truck and landscaping equipment were accounted for. He asked his son to take over his work, Alejandro said The fact that three of his sons are serving or have served the U.S. government has not deterred Narcisco Barranco from wanting to become a citizen. 'I'm making sure that my father's story is told and I'm also making sure that people know what a hard worker he is,' Alejandro Barranco said. 'It's disappointing that my parents worked so hard raising us and that their three boys who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for this country now find themselves going through all of this. Being taken away like this. It's just rather sad that it's come to this,' he added. It's unclear why the masked federal agents singled out Barranco The Dept. of Homeland Security shared the video on social media and said Barranco attacked the agent with his gardening tool. Video of the attack shows Barranco hold up his weed whacker as a masked federal agent shoots pepper spray at him. 'The agents took appropriate action and followed their training to use the minimum force necessary to resolve the situation in a manner that prioritizes the safety of the public and our officers. Ramirez, Barranco's attorney, called the federal government's arrest tactics 'arbitrary, careless and they include racial profiling and go beyond racial profiling.' Barranco was briefly held at a detention facility in Los Angeles and then transported to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County. The facility is overseen by Immigration Customs and Enforcement and GEO Group, a Florida-based private prison corporation. The facility has seen a massive increase in detainees since the Trump administration started its indiscrimate arrests across Southern California. The facility held around 300 people near the end of April and now holds around 1,600 people, according to the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice . Barranco said the conditions at Adelanto were subpar, according to Ramirez. Federal inspectors who visited the facility last month reported inadequate medical care and not enough guards to operate the facility. Some people wore the same clothes for 10 days in a row due to a lack of essentials at the facility. Barranco declined to speak to the media following his release from Adelanto. He applied for parole in place, which allows certain undocumented immigrants to remain in the country pending a change in their immigration status. The federal government is seeking to remove him from the country, Ramirez said, and due to the pending removal he's not legally able to work, according to Ramirez. 'He's very eager to go back to work and to go back to contribute to his household,' but he's not legally allowed to work waiting pending his application for a parole-in-place. Barranco is now trying to learn English through online classes, Alejandro Barranco said. His father is humbled by the show of support his family has shown him online. But the whole experience has also left him changed, Alejandro Barranco said. 'He seems scared. He's confused and I think he's just overwhelmed by everything we're telling him,' Alejandro Barranco said. 'He's a hardworking, kind person who is always there to help. He inspires a lot of people. His close friends were devastated. He's just a nice person.'
UPI
a day ago
- Politics
- UPI
U.S. to deport some Haitian permanent residents
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday announced they have determined some Haitian nationals with permanent resident status will be deported for supporting a Haitian gang. File Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo July 22 (UPI) -- The Trump administration has said it will deport Haitian nationals with permanent resident status in the United States who are accused of supporting or collaborating with gangs the White House has labeled foreign terrorist organizations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement in a statement Monday, saying the actions of these Haitian individuals and their presence in the United States have "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences." Neither the identities of the Haitian nationals to be deported nor the number to be expelled from the country were made public, though U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday announced the arrest of Haitian national Pierre Reginald Boulos. The Miami Herald reported that Boulos, 69, is an American-born entrepreneur, physician and influential political powerbroker in Haiti. ICE said Boulos was arrested Thursday for violating the Immigration and Nationality Act for contributing to the destabilization of Haiti. "Specifically, officials determined that he engaged in a campaign of violence and gang support that contributed to Haiti's destabilization," ICE said in the statement. "Additionally, in his application to become a lawful permanent resident, he failed to disclose his involvement in the formation of a political party in Haiti, Mouvement pour la Transformation et la Valorisation d'Haiti, and that he was referred for prosecution by the Haitian government's unit for the Fight Against Corruption for misusing loans, supporting an additional ground of removability based on this fraud." Rubio's statement, which was made public following the announcement of Boulos' arrest, says they have determined some Haitians with permanent resident status have supported or worked with Haitian gang leaders connected to Viv Ansanm, an organization that the State Department declared a Foreign Terrorist Organization in May, calling it "a primary source of instability and violence in Haiti." "The United States will not allow individuals to enjoy the benefits of legal status in our country while they are facilitating the actions of violent organizations or supporting criminal terrorist organizations," Rubio said Monday. The announcement comes as the Trump administration seeks to conduct mass deportations. As part of its efforts to fulfill the Trump administration's goal, the State Department has used the Immigration and Nationality Act to impose visa restrictions on foreign nationals and deport others.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Prominent Haitian businessman, former presidential hopeful arrested by ICE in South Florida
An influential Haitian businessman and controversial political powerbroker is being detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to immigration court records and sources familiar with the arrest. Pierre Reginald Boulos, an American-born entrepreneur and physician who exercised his influence through connections with top State Department officials and vocal criticism of Haitian presidents and politicians, is being held on immigration violations in Miami after being arrested by ICE agents at his home in Palm Beach. The arrest reportedly took place on Thursday. To date, Boulos is the most high-profile Haitian to be detained by the Trump administration, which in recent months has tried to shorten the deportation protections and work permits for over a half million Haitians temporarily in the United States. His case is complicated by his uncertain immigration status. As a one-time Haitian presidential aspirant, he renounced his U.S. citizenship several years ago. Boulos, 69, is not yet listed in the ICE detention locator system due to a backlog of recent ICE arrests. But sources say he was at Krome North Service Processing Center on Saturday before being moved later that day to a federal detention center in Homestead. ICE did not respond to multiple requests from the Miami Herald about the nature of his violations or confirmation of his detention. But Immigration court records published online on Monday, show that Boulos has a hearing scheduled at 8 a.m. July 31 before immigration judge Jorge Pereira at the Krome Detention Center. The records say 'this case is pending.' It is not clear from the immigration court record or from sources familiar with Boulos' case that his immigration violations are tied to any possible criminal charges. The Boulos case comes amid considerable uncertainty over the fate of tens of thousands of Haitian immigrants. Earlier this month, a federal judge in New York ruled that the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acted unlawfully by rolling back the deadline for Temporary Protected Status granted under the Biden administration. On Friday, the Trump administration announced that, while disagreeing with the judge's order, it has restored the original Feb. 3 deadline. Still, the administration has said that legal protections from deportations for Haitians will come to an end once the current TPS status runs out. Separately, the U.S. has been also warning in Port-au-Prince that Haitian authorities and foreign diplomats should expect a number of high-profile moves regarding Haitians by the administration as it tries to address the country's ongoing gang take-over. Controversial figure in Haiti Boulos is a highly controversial figure in Haiti, where he long worked as both a medical doctor and businessman while simultaneously wielding considerable influence over national politics. Boulos, who moved back to South Florida four years ago, has not been charged with a crime either in Haiti or the U.S. but he's been subject of countless conspiracy theories and corruption allegations on social media. The founder of the RBoulos Group, he was behind several businesses in Haiti, including Delimart supermarket and the Autoplaza car dealership, which is the Nissan brand dealer in the country. He also sold Chinese-made buses and trucks to the government, and under the late President Jovenel Moïse had the largest share of the sale of construction equipment in the country. Other investments include being part of an group that restructured one of the oldest newspapers in the country, Le Matin newspaper before it was forced to close. In 2009, he also led a group of investors in the purchase of the landmark El Rancho hotel in Petion-Ville, which he restructured and reopened in 2013 as the NH El Rancho. His activism in Haitian politics dates back decades. In the early 2000s, he was among members of the country's elite active in the movement to oust then president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. After his wife was kidnapped in 2003, he moved his family to Miami, where he sometimes resided. Boulos' arrest by U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement has rattled Haitian elites, given not just his stature but his reputation as a mover and shaker in Haiti's foreign and domestic politics — clout that came from his access to top decision makers in the U.S. and the United Nations, his lucrative government contracts and tens of millions worth of investments. in the country. His ICE case is complicated due to several factors, starting with his immigration status in the U.S. While in recent months Boulos, who had been keeping a low profile, told several close confidants he held U.S. permanent residency. But it is unclear whether his green card was issued on a conditional basis. A source close to the family said Boulos is being accused of not fully disclosing his political activities in Haiti when he applied to remain in the U.S. first through Temporary Protected Status and then a residency application via one of his children. Born in New York, Boulos attended medical school in Haiti and later earned a master's degree in public health from Tulane University in New Orleans. However, it is in business and politics that gave him such notoriety in Haiti, capped by trying to make a bid for the presidency. Because candidates cannot hold citizenship in two countries, he renounced his U.S. citizenship. In 2021, he presented himself as a candidate in the country's not-yet scheduled elections. His presidential ambitions were described in a May 2021 filing by a lobbying firm he contracted for $10,000 a month, according to documents submitted under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration. 'Dr. Reginald Boulos is considering running for the Presidency in the country of Haiti in November 2021,' the Denver-based firm said, describing the businessman as 'a respected medical doctor, businessperson and creator of the MTV Ayiti political party.' 'Dr. Boulos is interested in building constructive partnerships with leaders in the United States government and the Haitian-American diaspora community,' the firm added. 'Dr. Boulos' has a vision for rebuilding Haiti the way that he both built a successful medical practice and multiple, successful businesses.' At the time, Moïse was the target of multiple protests and accusations of trying to be a dictator. Two months later, he was assassinated in his bedroom in the hills above Port-au-Prince, sending Haiti into a spiraling chaos that continues until today. Since then, the country has been in a tailspin with violence escalating by armed gangs, who are accused of being supported by members of the country's elite and politicians. The Trump administration has been targeting illegal immigration aggressively since January. Haitians who entered the U.S. under the Biden-era humanitarian parole program and others who have Temporary Protected Status are now being targeted for deportations. The administration has reversed its position that Haiti is a dangerous place, saying conditions have improved. However, the United Nations and others have said conditions have gotten worse due to the onslaught of armed gangs that are expanding beyond Port-au-Prince, driving displacement and hunger. Gangs have also been targeting members of the country's elite through kidnappings and ransom demands, the burning of their businesses in recent months.
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Pope hardens tone, denounces Israel's 'barbarity' after Gaza parish strike - War on Gaza
An Israeli army strike on the only Catholic church in Gaza last week has pushed the Vatican to change its tone on Israel and blame it more directly in the dragging war -- a break from its traditional diplomacy strategy. The strike killed three people in the Holy Family Church in the centre of Gaza City -- prompting condemnation by politicians and by religious leaders of various denominations. Pope Leo XIV on Sunday slammed the "barbarity" of the war and the blind "use of force", denouncing "the attack by the Israeli army". It was a change of language after two years of tireless, repetitive calls for peace by the Vatican under former Pope Francis, who died in April. Francois Mabille, an analyst at France's Geopolitical Observatory of Religion, said the statements represent an increasingly critical view of Israel in the Catholic world. Beyond growing anger worldwide at the human cost of the Gaza war, he cited "the fact that it's happening on holy ground." It is leading to "at least a temporary shift in Catholic opinion in general," he told AFP. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Pope Leo -- who became pontiff in May -- and said his country "deeply regrets" the strike, blaming a "stray missile" and vowing an investigation. But on the same day, in an interview with Italian broadcaster Rai 2, the Vatican's second-in-command -- Cardinal Pietro Parolin -- implied the strike may have been intentional. He called on Israel to publicise the findings of its investigation to find out "if it really was an error, which we can legitimately doubt, or if there was a will to directly attack a Christian church." The Vatican also sent the cardinal of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, on a rare visit to Gaza Friday, where he visited the wounded and conducted a mass at the Holy Family Church. The visit was meant to show that Catholic authorities were determined to stay in Gaza. "We are not a target. They say it was a mistake, even if everyone here does not believe that is the case," the cardinal told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. 'Tyrant' Mabille, the analyst, said the Holy See is now also using "more precise vocabulary based on legal categories." On Sunday, the American-born pope called for the international community to "observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians, as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations." Mabille said that constituted four fundamental rights under humanitarian law that are being violated by Netanyahu's government. Some Catholic officials are going much further. In an interview to Italy's La Stampa newspaper, Cardinal Augusto Paolo Lojudice -- who also serves as a judge at a Vatican tribunal -- said Netanyahu is "not stopping because he is a tyrant pursuing a dark and bloodthirsty plan for power". Lojudice -- who worked with Leo for several years before was made pope -- accused Israel of "evil without logic" in Gaza. The Vatican, which since 2015 has recognised the state of Palestine, supports a two-state solution in Israel. It has also called for a special international status for occupied Jerusalem, with free and safe access to religious sites there. Already strained ties with Israel degraded further after Israel launched its war on Gaza. Diverging from the Vatican's official line, Pope Francis questioned whether Israel's heavy handed military response amounted to "genocide" in Gaza. The current tense diplomatic exchanges also come after a small Christian village in the central occupied West Bank was burnt down in early July and during heightened criticism of Israeli settler attacks. * This story was edited by Ahram Online. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Vatican Hardens Tone On Israel After Gaza Parish Strike
An Israeli army strike on the only Catholic church in Gaza last week has pushed the Vatican to change its tone on Israel and blame it more directly in the dragging war -- a break from its traditional diplomacy strategy. The strike killed three people in the Holy Family Church in the centre of Gaza City -- prompting condemnation by politicians and by religious leaders of various denominations. Pope Leo XIV on Sunday slammed the "barbarity" of the war and the blind "use of force", denouncing "the attack by the Israeli army". It was a change of language after two years of tireless, repetitive calls for peace by the Vatican under former Pope Francis, who died in April. Francois Mabille, an analyst at France's Geopolitical Observatory of Religion, said the statements represent an increasingly critical view of Israel in the Catholic world. Beyond growing anger worldwide at the human cost of the Gaza war, he cited "the fact that it's happening on holy ground." It is leading to "at least a temporary shift in Catholic opinion in general," he told AFP. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Pope Leo -- who became pontiff in May -- and said his country "deeply regrets" the strike, blaming a "stray missile" and vowing an investigation. Netanyahu's spokesman said the conversation was "friendly" and that the two men agreed to meet soon. But on the same day, in an interview with Italian broadcaster Rai 2, the Vatican's second-in-command -- Cardinal Pietro Parolin -- implied the strike may have been intentional. He called on Israel to publicise the findings of its investigation to find out "if it really was an error, which we can legitimately doubt, or if there was a will to directly attack a Christian church." The Vatican also sent the cardinal of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, on a rare visit to Gaza Friday, where he visited the wounded and conducted a mass at the Holy Family Church. The visit was meant to show that Catholic authorities were determined to stay in Gaza. "We are not a target. They say it was a mistake, even if everyone here does not believe that is the case," the cardinal told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. Mabille, the analyst, said the Holy See is now also using "more precise vocabulary based on legal categories." On Sunday, the American-born pope called for the international community to "observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians, as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations." Mabille said that constituted four fundamental rights under humanitarian law that are being violated by Netanyahu's government. Some Catholic officials are going much further. In an interview to Italy's La Stampa newspaper, Cardinal Augusto Paolo Lojudice -- who also serves as a judge at a Vatican tribunal -- said Netanyahu is "not stopping because he is a tyrant pursuing a dark and bloodthirsty plan for power". Lojudice -- who worked with Leo for several years before was made pope -- accused Israel of "evil without logic" in Gaza. The Vatican, which since 2015 has recognised the state of Palestine, supports a two-state solution in Israel. It has also called for a special international status for Jerusalem, with free and safe access to religious sites there. Already strained ties with Israel degraded further after Israel launched its assault following Hamas's deadly October 7, 2023 attack. Diverging from the Vatican's official line, Pope Francis questioned whether Israel's heavy handed military response amounted to "genocide" in Gaza. The current tense diplomatic exchanges also come after a small Christian village in the central occupied West Bank was burnt down in early July and during heightened criticism of Israeli settler attacks. The Cardinal of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, speaks to a victim of Israeli strikes during a visit to Gaza AFP The damaged facade of the Holy Family Church in Gaza after it was hit by an Israeli strike AFP
