Latest news with #CesarEspinosa
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Immigrant advocates decry ICE arrest outside Houston immigration court
HOUSTON - Immigration attorneys and advocates are raising concerns after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained an individual outside a Houston immigration court, including at least one person whose case had just been dismissed. What we know Cesar Espinosa, Executive Director of the advocacy group, FIEL, said ICE agents were present inside the court building on South Gessner Road on the day of the arrests. "We have gone inside, and I can confirm ICE agents are inside waiting for people right outside of the master hearing, and near the elevators," Espinosa said. Immigration attorney Bianca Santorini said she witnessed federal agents detaining immigrants who were waiting for or exiting their court appearances. "What is very bothersome is that due process is guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution," Santorini said. "Due process does not mean you come here illegally and get to stay," she said. "But it does mean you get that one day in court. That is what we're asking to be respected by this administration." According to Santorini, one man detained outside the courtroom is from Ecuador and arrived in the United States in 2023. After being processed at the border, he was issued a notice to appear, though that notice was never initially sent to a judge. He later filed an asylum application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. His case was eventually scheduled in court (Jun 9), where the government moved to dismiss, stating they no longer intended to prosecute. As he exited the courtroom, Santorini said, ICE agents detained him near the elevators. Advocates say this type of enforcement will discourage individuals from attending immigration hearings, potentially leading to more deportations by default. FIEL is calling for ICE to halt such detentions, especially for individuals whose cases have been closed or dismissed. Espinosa called the practice "unjust" and "inhumane." "This is anti-democratic for the court system to say, 'Now you don't have any case,' and for ICE to be sitting right outside waiting for these folks," he said. "We've seen it happen in other places — but we've witnessed it today." Santorini also raised concerns about the apparent coordination between ICE agents and individuals with knowledge of case outcomes. "They're being fed the information — 'Hey, this person in the blue shirt with yellow stripes, case dismissed, here less than two years' — they know exactly who to approach," she said. According to Santorini, ICE agents were in plain clothes. The family of the man detained said that he was transported to a facility in Conroe. Espinosa questioned the use of public resources, saying, "For four agents to be sitting there the entire day, how much is that costing?" Attorneys from multiple organizations remained in court throughout the day, assisting immigrants with translation and legal navigation. In a statement, ICE responded: "Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials throughout the country routinely engage in enforcement activity at or near courthouses for both criminal and civil matters. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's activities at or near courthouses is wholly consistent with this longstanding law enforcement practice. ICE officers and agents seek to conduct enforcement actions at an alternate location when practicable. However, when no other location is feasible or when the alternate location increases the risk to public safety or the safety of our officers, ICE will seek to effectuate the arrest in the location that is least likely to endanger anyone's safety." The Source FOX 26 interviewed advocates and attorneys outside of the courtroom on South Gessner Monday, and received a statement from ICE.
CBS News
7 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Texas Dream Act allowing in-state tuition for undocumented students dismantled
For over 20 years, thousands of undocumented students have benefited from the Texas Dream Act. The law gave college students without legal residency access to reduced in-state tuition. "All three of my brothers and sisters are college graduates. We made it, but we are a very small percentage of people who, because of HB 1403, because of in-state tuition, were able to make it," said Cesar Espinosa, a Texas Dream Act recipient. Wednesday, just hours after the Department of Justice filed suit challenging the Texas law, a federal judge blocked the Texas Dream Act, calling it "unconstitutional and invalid." The law was passed in the state legislature in 2001 with bipartisan support. Domingo Garcia who was a state representative at the time and helped write the bill is calling this latest development "mean-spirited." "The recent remarks and actions targeting the Hispanic community in Texas are deeply concerning and do not reflect the values of fairness, justice, and equality that our society is built upon," said Garcia. There have been efforts in the legislature to eliminate the Texas Dream Act. In April, Espinosa was one of dozens of people who testified against a bill to tear it down. "It took me 33 years to get my status. I wanted to get status when I was 5, I wanted to get status when I was 10, I was dying to get status when I was 18 and was accepted to Yale, and Brown and Cornell University," said Espinosa. Many are also highlighting the economic consequences this repeal will bring. According to a report by Every Texan, Texas Dream Act students paid $81.6 million in tuition and fees in 2023. "The Texas Dream Act is one of the rare pieces of legislation that over 20 years people who have tried to come and mess with it have failed because it was designed so well to do what it was supposed to do what it was supposed to do, which is recoup the investment that we make on students," said Jaime Puente, Director of Economic opportunity, Every Texan.
