Latest news with #BrianGreen
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
After a bumpy 2024 Colorado summer season, Aurora Reservoir staff prepare for holiday weekend with safety top of mind
With Memorial Day weekend fast approaching, the City of Aurora is preparing for what could be a capacity crowd at one of its most popular destinations: the Aurora Reservoir. This summer, hopefully, all guests will behave. CBS Holiday weekends are the kickoff to summer for Aurora Parks and Rec staff, who operate on a seven-day-a-week schedule. Public safety is the city's top priority for the holiday weekend. The park will be fully staffed, including rangers and lifeguards on duty at the swim beach. Coordination with Aurora Fire and Police Departments ensures quick response to any emergency. "If it's beautiful weather like this, we'll have a lot of people," said Brian Green, Director of Parks, Recreation and Open Space for the City of Aurora. "We can handle about four or five thousand people, so we expect a capacity crowd if it's nice." Families flock to the reservoir for everything from kayaking and fishing to sunbathing and picnicking. Last summer, the city had to implement temporary rules after several incidents of unruly behavior, including reducing park hours and banning loud music and alcohol. "We learned that those temporary measures really did help us change behaviors," Greene said. "It was a success. Everyone kind of calmed down, and we were able to remove those restrictions. We're going into this weekend with regular rules in place." However, Greene made it clear that if similar issues arise, the city won't hesitate to reinstate restrictions. "There's a reason behind every rule -- usually safety or resource protection," Greene explained. "We always start with education. But if someone is dangerous or impacting others, they will be asked to leave." Aurora Reservoir Rules: 1. Dogs are allowed at Aurora Reservoir and must be on a leash no longer than 10 feet at all times. 2. Dogs are not allowed on the beaches, in the water, or on the ice at Aurora Reservoir. 3. Swimming is permitted in designated areas only at Aurora Reservoir. 4. To comply with Colorado Department of Health regulations, water samples are tested regularly for bacterial levels. If bacteria levels rise to an unsafe level the swim area will be closed temporarily until conditions are again safe for swimming. 5. A wearable U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket is required for all persons on all watercraft. Children 12 years and younger must wear the life jacket when on the water. 6. Gas motors are prohibited. 7. Watercraft Access Pass (WAP) - any vessel that contains a compartment capable of holding water OR any vessel launched or landed via a trailer which enters the water will require a WAP and must go through boat inspection. 8. Bait - all bait types can be used at Aurora Reservoir, but you must have a valid receipt not more than 7 days old for live aquatic bait. 9. Hard alcohol and spirits are not permitted. Beer and wine are permitted. 10. No glass containers - including but not limited to beer bottles, wine bottles, condiment bottles, etc. 11. Charcoal and gas grills are allowed but may not be used on sand beaches or native grass areas. Grills must be located behind the white fence line that marks the beach boundaries. 12. No camping or overnight use. 13. Anyone using amplified sound must keep levels to a minimum to not interfere with the enjoyment of other park users. You will be required to turn down any volume that leads to complaints. 14. Drones are prohibited.
CBS News
16-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Structural issues cause Aurora's first recreation center to close after 55 years
Aurora's first recreation center will be closing at the end of the summer. For 55 years, the Beck Recreation Center in northeast Aurora has given the community a place to learn and play, but due to significant structural issues, the city has decided to shut it down. CBS Brian Green, the director of Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space, said it all started in 2024. "We had a gas line that failed, so we were in the process of fixing that. We started looking at other systems in the building, including the pool, and found that there were some leaks in the pool. There were other issues with the mechanical system that runs that pool," said Green. CBS There was also a leak in the roof, which was destroying the concrete and cinder block wall in their gym, and rotten support beams on their deck. When Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space received a quote to see how much it would cost to fix these issues, it wasn't good news. "It came to between $31 and $52 million, which is equivalent to the replacement cost of one of these facilities," said Green. Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space decided to close the Beck Recreation Center for good. CBS Aaron Sibs has been coming to the Beck Recreation Center since he was a boy. "I learned how to swim here. I learned taekwondo first, like, one lesson here, and then I learned how to play badminton," said Sibs. And he isn't alone. Opened in 1973, it was Aurora's only recreation center until the city renovated the Moorehead Recreation Center in 2017. Aaron said that for how old it is, it was still a great place. Beck Recreation Center "I mean, this is like the only recreation center within, like, 10, 12 miles. And I think it's one of the better ones," said Sibs. Brian Green said deciding to close the center was not easy. "There's so many emotional attachments to this building, to this site," said Green. "It's like you have a sense of loss." But Green said they want to build another one. It won't be on this site because it's too close to Buckley Space Force Base and isn't zoned for new construction, but Green hopes to find a location somewhere nearby. He said in the meantime, memberships will be honored at Aurora's three other rec centers. Aaron said he appreciates the gesture, but it's hardly a consolation. "Yeah, I guess it's good," said Sibs. The pool at Beck Recreation Center is closed now. The gym will close at the end of May, and preschool will stop at this location on July 31. The doors will close for good on August 1st. Those who want to have input about the future center or any projects the city has planned can go to their website and take the infrastructure task force community survey.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DHS memo offers new guidance on terminating status of international students
AUSTIN (KXAN) — An internal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo filed in court this week indicates what could be new guidance for when an international student can have their legal status terminated, though the policy has not been published in the official journal of the federal government, which shows agency rules and public notices. The change in guidance comes after ICE abruptly terminated the status of thousands of international students from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS — a database that tracks the minute-to-minute status of international students attending schools and participating in job training in the United States. Last week, after nearly 100 lawsuits were filed challenging the terminations, the federal government informed federal judges through a statement that it would reactivate the SEVIS records for thousands of students it had terminated from the system in recent weeks. Some universities, including the University of Texas at Austin, indicated that some students have had their visas reactivated in the SEVIS database. ICE restoring international students' visa registrations The filing from the federal government said, in part, 'ICE is developing a policy that will provide a framework for SEVIS record terminations. Until such a policy is issued, the SEVIS records for plaintiff(s) in this case (and other similarly situated plaintiffs) will remain Active or shall be re-activated if not currently active and ICE will not modify the record solely based on the NCIC finding that resulted in the recent SEVIS record termination.' 'That lasted about 24 hours over the weekend. We got updates saying that ICE was deleting the sentence about 'we will not revoke or terminate SEVIS terminations for the same reasons',' according to Denver-based immigration attorney Brian Green. 'It makes it sound like they're going to re-terminate some of those people again for the same reasons… It's a changing landscape basically every day.' The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to KXAN's questions about the new guidance or the SEVIS terminations. The new guidance, dated April 26, appears to expand the reasons why a student's legal status can be terminated in SEVIS. The policy states that the Student Exchange and Visitor Program, or SEVP, can terminate a student's record in SEVIS if the state department revokes their visa. 'It's not clear at this point if this is the new policy that they promised, because it hasn't been broadcast to the schools. So, we are still kind of trying to figure out what exactly that means, and there are some concerns about the new claims that the government is making in that document,' Maryland-based immigration attorney Anna Stepanova said. KXAN confirmed that at least 104 international students based in Texas had visas revoked or had their immigration status marked as terminated in SEVIS in recent weeks. Our reporting partner, the Texas Tribune, reports the number is at least 252 statewide. KXAN has reached out to universities across the state to independently verify those numbers. Green is currently representing more than 30 students across the country who were deleted from SEVIS, including six people based in Texas. Immigration statuses revoked for dozens of international students at Texas universities According to Green, all the individuals deleted from the system appear to have had some interaction with law enforcement during their time in the U.S., which was recorded in the National Crime Information Center database. The offenses, according to Green and other immigration attorneys, range from traffic citations to more serious crimes like driving under the influence. In some cases, immigration attorneys say charges were never filed or were dropped. Stepanova said none of the cases she is aware of meet the current law's criteria for a status violation. 'The law is very specific. It has to be a conviction for a crime of violence for which a term of imprisonment should be one year or more,' Stepanova said. Green said his clients got notice in early April that they had been terminated from the system. Along with a message saying, 'Individual identified in criminal records check and/or has a visa revoked.' His lawsuit, filed on behalf of 23 international students, argues that the termination was 'unlawful,' violated the students' Fifth Amendment rights to due process and put them at risk of 'abrupt detention' without prior notice. Court records indicate that the six Texas-based international students represented in the lawsuit had recently graduated and were completing their Optional Practical Training, or OPT, which allows eligible international students on F-1 visas to temporarily work in the United States in a field related to their studies. DHS Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a press release that it would 'consider aliens' antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests.' 'There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world's terrorist sympathizers, and we are under no obligation to admit them or let them stay here,' DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said. 'They're reinstating 4,700 people in the SEVIS system. Maybe those people will be terminated again in a week or two. There's a lot of stress on a lot of students right now,' Green said. 'Foreign students are really upset and worried about what is going to happen to them.' KXAN's Digital Data Reporter Christopher Adams contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Business Standard
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
No relief yet for F-1 students as US plans new study visa termination rules
The United States government is preparing to introduce a new policy to govern the termination of SEVIS records, following lawsuits from international students over wrongful visa cancellations. SEVIS, or the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, is the database used to track compliance of international students with their visa conditions. Court orders prompt action after student lawsuits Last week, a federal judge in Georgia issued Temporary Restraining Orders (TROs) directing the reinstatement of SEVIS records for 133 students, including Indians, who claimed their visa status was wrongly terminated. The students, holding F-1 and M-1 visas, alleged that their SEVIS records were closed after law enforcement checks, often involving no criminal convictions or charges. The sudden cancellations left students panicked and confused, with many unaware they were even under scrutiny. A government lawyer later told a federal court in Oakland, California, that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was reversing the terminations. In a statement read in court and emailed to lawyers, the government said it was working on a framework to guide SEVIS record terminations going forward. 'ICE is developing a policy that will provide a framework for SEVIS record terminations. Until such a policy is issued, the SEVIS records for plaintiff(s) in this case (and other similarly situated plaintiffs) will remain Active or shall be re-activated if not currently active and ICE will not modify the record solely based on the NCIC finding that resulted in the recent SEVIS record termination,' the statement read. Brian Green, a lawyer representing one of the plaintiffs, said the government had confirmed the temporary protection would apply to all students in the same situation, not just those who filed lawsuits. The NCIC, or National Crime Information Centre, is a database maintained by the FBI. How the crackdown unfolded According to an Associated Press review of university statements and court filings: < At least 1,220 students across 187 institutions had visas revoked or legal status terminated since late March < Some students left the country, others stopped attending classes, and a few went into hiding < University officials often discovered the terminations during routine database checks The US government's actions followed an announcement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month that his department was revoking visas of visitors acting against national interests. This included protesters against Israel's war in Gaza and individuals facing criminal charges. However, many international students whose status was revoked said they did not fit into either category, or had only minor incidents on record. Sheela Murthy, president and CEO of US-based Murthy Law Firm, told Business Standard there was little individual review behind the mass cancellations. 'Based on our understanding, the Department of Homeland Security took a shortcut of targeting anyone who had any type of incident or had their fingerprints taken or attended a court hearing,' said Murthy. 'They may have used AI to send out blanket visa revocations and SEVIS terminations without confirming if they were throwing the baby out with the bathwater.' She added that most affected students either had no criminal record or had seen their cases dismissed. 'The revocations and terminations in those cases would be clearly incorrect and violate due process under US law,' she said. According to experts, the damage could have been severe Mamta Shekhawat, founder of study abroad platform said the reinstatement offers students a much-needed reprieve. 'This victory served as a relief to the students who were struggling due to Trump's strict policies for SEVPs,' Shekhawat told Business Standard. 'The students can now continue their studies in the US without the disruption and uncertainty of cancellation.' Shekhawat also warned about the potential consequences had the revocations not been reversed. 'There would have been severe consequences. Deportation is the most predictable. The students could have faced legal proceedings and lost the chance to complete their education in the US,' she said. 'That would mean an incomplete degree and serious difficulty in finding jobs, plus long-term visa challenges in over 100 countries.' Murthy pointed out that families stood to lose both money and years of investment in education. 'Families could have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of investment in a US education, all because of an error by the government,' said Murthy. Uncertainty remains over permanent status Legal experts say the reinstatements remain provisional until further court rulings are made. 'The reinstatements may not be a permanent fix at this time,' said Anna Stepanova, assistant managing attorney at Murthy Law Firm. 'It's a direct response to federal judges' TROs, which are still temporary until a final order is issued. Without that, students may also be blocked from changing status or applying for a green card in future.' Murthy said she hopes the reinstatement allows students to move forward. 'The hope is that with the reinstatement, students will be able to continue their education, obtain F-1 OPT, and possibly pursue the STEM OPT later.' Shekhawat advised students to stay vigilant about their SEVIS profiles. 'They should also regularly consult their Designated School Officials (DSOs) and follow the right procedures for changes like course drops or transfers,' she said.
Yomiuri Shimbun
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
ICE Is Reversing the Termination of Legal Status for International Students around the US
AP File Photo Students march at Arizona State University in protest of ASU's chapter of College Republicans United-led event encouraging students to report 'their criminal classmates to ICE for deportations', Jan. 31, 2025, in Tempe, Ariz. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The U.S. government is reversing the termination of legal status for international students around the country after many filed court challenges against the Trump administration crackdown, federal officials said Friday. The records in a federal student database maintained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been terminated in recent weeks. Judges across the U.S. had already issued orders temporarily restoring students' records in dozens of lawsuits challenging the terminations. More than 1,200 students nationwide suddenly lost their legal status or had visas revoked, leaving them at risk for deportation. Many said they had only minor infractions on their record or did not know why they were targeted. Some left the country while others have gone into hiding or stopped going to class. Government says it will restore student status Word of the policy pivot came Friday from lawyers representing the government in several of the lawsuits. A lawyer for the plaintiff in one of the lawsuits, Brian Green, provided The Associated Press with a copy of a statement a government lawyer emailed to him on the restoration of legal status for people whose records were recently terminated. It says: 'ICE is developing a policy that will provide a framework for SEVIS record terminations. Until such a policy is issued, the SEVIS records for plaintiff(s) in this case (and other similarly situated plaintiffs) will remain Active or shall be re-activated if not currently active and ICE will not modify the record solely based on the NCIC finding that resulted in the recent SEVIS record termination.' SEVIS is the Student and Exchange Visitor Information Systems database that tracks international students' compliance with their visa status. NCIC is the National Crime Information Center, a database of criminal justice information maintained by the FBI. Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant Homeland Security secretary, said ICE had not reversed course on any visa revocations but did 'restore SEVIS access for people who had not had their visa revoked.' Several colleges said Friday they noticed legal status already had been restored for some of their students, but uncertainty remained. 'It is still unclear whether ICE will restore status to everyone it has targeted and whether the State Department will help students whose visas were wrongly revoked,' said Greg Chen of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Legal fights may not be over Green, who is involved in lawsuits on behalf of several dozen students, said his cases only sought restoration of the student status and that he would be withdrawing them as a result of the statement Friday from ICE. But lawyers in the Oakland case are seeking a nationwide order from the court prohibiting the government from arresting or incarcerating students, transferring them to places outside their district or preventing them from continuing work or studies. Pam Johann, a government lawyer, said it was premature to consider anything like that given that ICE was in the process of reactivating records and developing a policy. 'We should take a pause while ICE is implementing this change that plaintiffs are seeking right now, on its own,' she said. But U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White asked her to humor the court. 'It seems like with this administration there's a new world order every single day,' he said. 'It's like whack-a-mole.' He ordered the government to clarify the new policy. Visa revocations and student status terminations caused confusion Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said his department was revoking visas held by people acting counter to national interests, including some who protested Israel's war in Gaza and those who face criminal charges. But many students whose status was terminated said they did not fall under those categories. A survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs research found that even the visa revocations for students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests are more unpopular than popular. About half of U.S. adults oppose this policy, and only 3 in 10 are in support. Among college educated adults, 6 in 10 strongly oppose, compared with 4 in 10 who aren't college graduates. In lawsuits, students argued they were denied due process. Many were told that their status was terminated as a result of a criminal records check or that their visa had been revoked. International students and their schools were caught off guard by the terminations of the students' records. Many of the terminations were discovered when school officials were doing routine checks of the international student database. Charles Kuck, who filed a case in Atlanta on behalf of 133 students across the country said ICE's reversal can't undo the distress and hardship they have faced in recent weeks. 'I've got kids who lost their jobs, who might not get them back,' he said. 'I've got kids who lost school opportunities who might not get them back. We've got kids who missed finals, missed graduation. How do you get any of that stuff back?' Jodie Ferise, a higher education attorney in Indiana, said some students at schools her law firm works with already left the country after receiving instructions to self-deport. 'This unprecedented treatment of student status had caused tremendous fear among international students,' Ferise said. 'Some of them were too frightened to wait and hope for the administration to change course.' Earlier this week, before the government's reversal, Ferise said the situation could hurt international student enrollment. 'The world is watching, and we will lose students, not just by the technical revocation of their status, but by the message we're sending that we don't want them anyway and that it isn't safe to even try to go to school here,' she said. At least 1,220 students at 187 colleges, universities and university systems have had their visas revoked, their legal status terminated or both, since late March, according to an Associated Press review of university statements, correspondence with school officials and court records. The AP has been working to confirm reports of hundreds more students who are caught up in the crackdown.
