Latest news with #DACA
Newsweek
19 hours ago
- Health
- Newsweek
The Bulletin July 19, 2025
The rundown: Allegations of medical neglect and verbal abuse are mounting about life inside Alligator Alcatraz, the Florida immigrant detention center. All you need to know. Why it matters: Newsweek spoke with the attorney of one detainee and the friend of another, both of whom described harrowing conditions inside the remote Everglades facility. Attorney Phillip Arroyo said his client, a longtime U.S. resident and DACA recipient, was transferred to the prison despite facing only a minor traffic infraction, and was then denied medical care after falling ill. Arroyo said that the food at the facility allegedly contained insects or maggots. One individual allegedly suffered food poisoning and required hospitalization, according to Arroyo's client. Other detainees have made similar allegations. They claim that several phones in the facility are broken, limiting communication with legal representatives and family. Read more in-depth coverage: Alligator Alcatraz Is a 'Huge Step Backward,' Native Tribal Leader Warns TL/DR: Newsweek has heard several allegations of squalid, overcrowded, and inhumane conditions inside the facility from two people who spoke with detainees inside the facility. What happens now? The remote detention facility is expected to cost Florida approximately $450 million annually to operate. The proposal comes as President Donald Trump's administration looks to conduct what they describe as the largest mass deportations operation in United States history. Deeper reading Alligator Alcatraz Detainees Reveal Chaotic Conditions
Newsweek
21 hours ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Alligator Alcatraz Detainees Reveal Chaotic Conditions
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Allegations of medical neglect and verbal abuse are mounting about life inside Alligator Alcatraz, the Florida immigrant detention center. Newsweek spoke with the attorney of one detainee and the friend of another, both of whom described harrowing conditions inside the remote Everglades facility. Attorney Phillip Arroyo said his client, a longtime U.S. resident and DACA recipient, was transferred to the prison despite facing only a minor traffic infraction, and was then denied medical care after falling ill. Arroyo withheld his client's identity, citing concerns about possible retaliation. He received a call from his client who described the conditions inside the facility. Kimberly Gibson, the mother of Shaunti Gibson, whose friend Braydon Cash-Brown is also detained there, said Cash-Brown was held for hours without food or water, given only half a cup to drink on arrival, and became sick after consuming what he believed was tainted water. Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis via email on Thursday. The Context The remote detention facility is expected to cost Florida approximately $450 million annually to operate. The proposal comes as President Donald Trump's administration looks to conduct what they describe as the largest mass deportations operation in United States history. The administration has said the detention center is the state of Florida's responsibility. What To Know Newsweek has heard several allegations of squalid, overcrowded, and inhumane conditions inside the facility from two people who spoke with detainees inside the facility. Arroyo received a call from his client, who told him that the lights are kept on around the clock at the facility, making it nearly impossible to sleep. He described overflowing toilets, minimal food and water, and verbal intimidation from guards. Arroyo told Newsweek that the food at the facility allegedly contained insects or maggots. Some detainees said they were denied medical treatment after falling ill. One individual allegedly suffered food poisoning and required hospitalization, according to Arroyo's client. Some guards have allegedly used racial slurs when addressing detainees, according to Arroyo's client. Several facility phones also remain broken, the client reported during a phone call. Migrant detention facility Alligator Alcatraz, located in the Florida Everglades, as seen on July 4, 2025. Migrant detention facility Alligator Alcatraz, located in the Florida Everglades, as seen on July 4, 2025. Rebecca Blackwell/AP Friends of Braydon Cash-Brown, 21, who is currently detained in the facility, have expressed concerns over the harsh conditions inside the detention center. "My friend was in the process of fixing his papers and already had a court date set. He was doing everything the right way, following the legal process, but that didn't stop ICE from detaining him," Brown's friend, Shaunti Gibson, wrote in a social media post. ICE placed a second 48-hour hold on Brown before transferring him to a jail facility in Miramar, which he was told was designated for immigration detainees, according to the Gibson family. He described to the family overcrowded conditions with approximately 15 people held in a small room, and detainees sleeping on the floor. He said the facility had overwhelming odors and unsanitary conditions, according to the Gibson family. Later, he was transported at approximately 1 a.m. to the Everglades, where he claims detainees were kept on a bus for several hours without food or water, according to Shaunti's mother, Kimberly Gibson. Requests for water and to have their handcuffs loosened were allegedly ignored for up to 12 hours, she said. "When he was taken inside, he said the toilets weren't flushing, it was hot, and the lights were flickering off and on because the generators weren't working properly. He was then given a half cup of water. That's it," Kimberly Gibson told Newsweek in a statement. Cash-Brown described the guards as aggressive, Gibson said, and claimed they made threatening remarks such as, "What are you looking at?" and, "You'll soon find out." "The guards are very intimidating," Gibson said. Cash-Brown told the Gibson family he had no access to showers or freely available drinking water, with only small amounts provided. The food was minimal, and he became ill after drinking water that had a strange taste and came in containers with broken seals, Gibson said. He claimed that he had not received any medical attention despite feeling unwell and experiencing throat pain and hoarseness. Other detainees have made similar allegations. They claim that several phones in the facility are broken, limiting communication with legal representatives and family. Arroyo's client, a man in his 30s, is a DACA recipient who has been in the country for two decades, the Miami Herald first reported. "Our client was initially arrested for allegedly driving with a suspended license. However, we were able to present evidence to the State of Florida that he in fact has a valid license. As a result, the State has agreed to reduce the case to a civil traffic infraction," Arroyo told Newsweek. "Despite this resolution, he was inexplicably transferred to Alligator Alcatraz—a facility that, according to President Trump, was reserved for the 'worst of the worst.'" The facility operates under the 287(g) program, a partnership that allows local authorities to enforce federal immigration laws by detaining migrants on behalf of ICE. However, it remains unclear when or whether individuals held at the facility will be transferred to ICE custody for deportation. The projected cost is approximately $245 per bed per day, totaling roughly $450 million in operating expenses for the first year. Florida officials say they plan to seek federal reimbursement from the DHS, which will use FEMA funds. Meanwhile, the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times obtained a list of more than 700 people who have been detained or appear to be scheduled to be sent to the state-run immigration detention facility. What People Are Saying Florida-based attorney Raul Gastesi, a partner at Gastesi, Lopez, Mestre & Cobiella, told Newsweek: "Detaining people in the harsh climate of the Florida Everglades with extreme heat, relentless mosquitoes, and inadequate living conditions is not something we should be proud of as Americans. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement: "Under President Trump's leadership, we are working at turbo speed to deliver cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people's mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Mexico US Senators Heinrich, Luján back legislation to protect dreamers' data
Supporters of the DACA program rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court. (Photo by Robin Bravender / States Newsroom) New Mexico's senators in Congress have joined two dozen others in an effort to protect the private information submitted by undocumented people who came to the U.S. as children in order to receive protection from deportation. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich on Thursday announced that he and U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, along with 24 other senators, have introduced the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act, which would prohibit the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security from divulging to immigration authorities information disclosed in someone's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) application. 'I call on Congress to quickly take up and pass my legislation to make sure Dreamers are able to stay in school, keep working and contribute to our economy, and remain in their homes and neighborhoods,' Heinrich said in a statement. The bill would also block DHS from referring anyone with deferred enforcement protections under DACA to any law enforcement. Under the legislation, DHS could still share the information with national security and police agencies in order to identify or prevent fraud, and to investigate felony crimes, as long as they aren't related to the applicant's immigration status or for 'particularized national security purposes.' Approximately 825,000 people have received protection from deportation under DACA since 2021, according to Heinrich's office. 'We need to ensure that Dreamers' private information is not weaponized against them and is protected — full stop,' Heinrich said. In a news release, Heinrich's office noted that DACA recipients have contributed an estimated $140 billion to the U.S. economy and $40 billion in federal, state and local taxes. The bill's introduction comes as the federal Internal Revenue Service is building a database of taxpayer records, including home addresses, to help ICE find and deport people, ProPublica reports. The Trump administration has also provided immigration authorities with Medicaid enrollees' personal data. Earlier this year, New Mexico enacted a new state law that prohibits the state Motor Vehicle Division employees from disclosing driver's license data to any entity that would use it to enforce federal civil immigration laws, among other data protections. 'Dreamers in New Mexico and across the country are frontline health care workers, teachers, firefighters, police officers and scientists,' Heinrich said. 'These inspiring young people are Americans in every sense of the word except on paper, and they want nothing more than to be productive members of their communities. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration doesn't care about any of that and is indiscriminately sharing the private information of Dreamers.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Drag Race's Xunami Muse moves to Panama—cites 'complicated' U.S. 'situation'
Xunami Muse, a crowned Miss Congeniality and beloved queen in the RuPaul's Drag Race franchise, shared a statement to announce that she's relocated to Panama — explaining that her "situation in the United States was a difficult and complicated one." While filming season 16 of Drag Race, Xunami disclosed that she had been legally residing in the U.S. under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. Earlier on Wednesday, Xunami shared an Instagram post in Spanish that, translated into English, reads: "Watch out world!I have something to tell you. From now on, I will be living in my beautiful land of Panama. You heard that right, I left the States! And the reason is simple: To be able to explore the WORLD! My situation in the United States was a difficult and complicated one, but it introduced many blessings into my life. This August, we're touring Europe, and then in November, we're playing Australia!And so I'm going to take this moment to tell you that if you want to see me in your countries, send me a message via this email teamxunami@ and let's make it a reality! There are so many countries I would love to visit to share our love of DRAG!Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Nicaragua, Argentina, Spain, England, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, France, the Philippines, Japan, China, Thailand, Canada, South Africa, and, well, wherever the art of drag is celebrated!I hope to eat your meals, dance to your songs, and learn the dirty words of your languages! [laughing emojis]. I just touched down in my beautiful land of Panama, and I will spend it with my family, fighting here for our thing, reconnecting with my roots, and lots of practice for the Haus of Aja tour!!! I love you, and thank you so much for all the love and good vibes you always share with details later. But, for now, FROM PANAMA TO THE WORLD!!!" Xunami Muse's latest Instagram post announcing this relocation to Panama has been filled with emotional and supportive comments from RuPaul's Drag Race alumni, fans, creative partners, and beyond. RELATED: Below are responses from Geneva Karr, Leexa Fox, Alyssa Hunter, Jorgeous, Morphine Love Dion, Lucky Starzzz, Raja, Kandy Muse, and Symone. Instagram (@xunamimuse) RuPaul's Drag Race alumni react to Xunami Muse's Instagram post about relocating to Panama. Nicky Doll, Dahlia Sin, Luxx Noir London, Mhi'ya Iman Le'Paige, Marko Monroe, Gigi Goode, Plane Jane, Denali, and June Jambalaya were also among the top comments under Xunami's post. You can read their responses below. Instagram (@xunamimuse) RuPaul's Drag Race alumni react to Xunami Muse's Instagram post about relocating to Panama. Famous for her infectious laughter and sense of humor even while facing adversities, Xunami subsequently replied (in Spanish) to a few fans asking her questions (in Spanish) via X posts. The following exchanges have been translated into English. A fan asked, "If you leave the United States, can you not return?" "I really don't know," Xunami responded. Another fan wrote, "I can already imagine @XunamiMuse as the patron saint of drag in Panama. Periodt. This is gonna be fun." "BUT OF COURSE!!! The Panamanian Nicky Doll [laughing emojis]," Xunami replied. Another fan commented on X, "Chiqui [a term of endearment] nooo!!!! Panamá is a mess at this moment. USA is a better option." "I prefer fighting in my homeland than to fight in foreign territory! I'm not here for other people's business anymore, I'm here for my own! [laughing emoji; heart emojis]," Xunami wrote. An emotional discussion about DACA was one of Xunami's standout moments in the werk room of Drag Race season 16 — which filmed in 2023 and aired in 2024. During those scenes, Xunami disclosed her legal resident status in the U.S. under DACA and explained to her fellow costars what that meant. "I really didn't know, like, what I was gonna do, if that hadn't gone through. It was during the Obama administration," she explained in the werk room. "We literally would not be able to be here if it wasn't for that. So, thank you, Obama!" RELATED: Xunami went on, "DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and it is a law that came into effect to grant kids — with no papers — a work permit and a Social Security Number so that they can be another member of this society. DACA is why I'm able to legally work and also be on Drag Race." "We're not citizens," she noted. "We're kind of in limbo. We're legally here because we were already here, but we don't have the full rights of a citizen." Xunami also broke down while discussing what being on Drag Race meant for her. "When I got the call for this, I literally—I was, like, bawling," she said. "I was like, 'I'm finally having a shot to live my dreams,' you know?" - YouTube Xunami also discussed the fan reaction to her DACA segment on Drag Race in an exit interview from February 2024. "A lot of people who are of the same experience have been saying things like, 'Thank you. I feel seen.' For me, there was a fear of just even letting people know, right? There are so many people who are malicious," Xunami told Out at the time. "Although we are protected, we're not fully protected…But at that moment, it just felt like, 'Yeah, this is what we go through.' It was really nothing other than that, you know what I mean? Sharing our reality in that moment and showing our humanity. We love the drag, and we love the aesthetics, and the glam, and all of it — but who are these people?" 'RuPaul's Drag Race' alumni and fans are also reacting to Xunami Muse's update via X. Xunami Muse on RuPaul's Drag Race season 16. Kandy Muse, Xunami's drag mother, wrote in an X post: "It's a very bitter sweet day today, please respect my privacy- but my best friend & drag daughter has officially moved out of the united states and has relocated to her beautiful home in Panama- while I will miss you so much, I cannot wait till u finally discover the world [mending heart emoji]." X user @CTprogressive_ replied to Kandy's post, "DACA queens are self-deporting now [broken heart emoji] I hate how this country treats immigrants. She deserved better." Kandy re-posted that X user, adding: "It's the harsh reality of living in the United States." Drag Race season 12 winner Jaida Essence Hall wrote: "Love you @XunamiMuse." Xunami's season 16 costar, Mirage, wrote: "Love you Xunami can't wait to come visit." YouTuber and content creator @GreenGayYT wrote the X post below, which was then re-shared by Kandy. "Thinking about when Xunami spoke on s16 about being DACA recipient & the blessings that came from that policy. But now we have Trump who plans on getting rid of it entirely. Can't imagine any immigrant feeling safe in the states at all [frowning face emoji]." Xunami Muse will soon be going on the Haus of Aja tour along with her drag family — Aja, Kandy Muse, and Dahlia Sin — across Europe and Australia. For tickets and more information about the tour, you can visit . Tickets for the , as well as the , are all available for purchase. This story is still developing… This article originally appeared on Out: Drag Race's Xunami Muse moves to Panama—cites 'complicated' U.S. 'situation' Solve the daily Crossword
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Immigration activism: the fight against ICE reaches the South Bay
Scrolling through post after post on Instagram of masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raiding workplaces, homes, and schools, anonymous senior Jordan sighed and powered off her phone, turning back to her English homework. She had no idea that the fear she was feeling from seeing videos of families being torn apart was about to be magnified tenfold. Minutes later, Jordan's mother, a birthright American citizen, would break the news to her and her sister that their father, an immigrant, had been deported. 'The news that he was gone just got blurted out, no big announcement or anything. My mom told me my dad was in Mexico, and that we probably wouldn't see him for a while,' Jordan said. 'I knew he had gotten into it with an ex-girlfriend and was in jail for a minor assault charge, but I had no idea he'd been deported. Even though he'd never really been a part of my life, hearing that he'd been taken away was still devastating.' The struggles of life as an immigrant According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 53.3 million immigrants living in the United States as of January 2025. Kelsey, a sophomore granted anonymity for fear of safety, is one of them, having moved to the U.S. from Russia when she was just 9 years old. 'My mom got married to a new man and told me that we were going to move to America to be with him,' Kelsey said. 'We left behind our entire family, and since I didn't really know English, I had to wait until the second semester to join school with everyone else. It was a very lonely start.' Kelsey was too young to remember much of the legal process her family took to obtain an immigrant visa. However, the struggle to obtain permission to leave the country is something that 'made an impact' on her childhood, she said, as it took nearly two years before she could legally visit Russia. 'Getting here was actually surprisingly easy,' Kelsey said. 'But getting a visa from [the U.S. embassy in Russia] was awful. We couldn't visit our family, and it felt like we were trapped in America.' Student coordinator for her college's Immigrant Justice Center and journalism major Ally, who also chose to remain anonymous, has a more complicated immigration story. After coming to the U.S. from Belize at the age of five without documentation, Ally was rejected three times when applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Because she failed to receive DACA protection, Ally has been living at risk of deportation for most of her childhood and adult life. 'I've had some pretty difficult discussions about ICE with my partner, who is a legal citizen. He told me that if I was to get deported, he would go with me,' Ally said. 'Having his reassurance that he'd be there for me, even though he doesn't have to, makes me feel resilient, even when I'm fearing for the future.' Heightened fears under a new administration Making good on his campaign promises, on Jan. 20, newly elected President Donald Trump signed 34 executive orders, 10 of them related to immigration. These orders included the slashing of programs like CBP One, a mobile app developed by Customs and Border Protection to help asylum seekers, designating the border as a military priority, and suspending refugee admissions. Though these actions were justified as necessary to remove 'violent transnational criminals,' government data obtained by ProPublica showed that less than half of the immigrants detained from Jan. 20 to Feb. 2 had criminal convictions, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by politically active students like Jordan. 'Seeing these deportations of innocent people is horrible and heartbreaking. There's no reason that we should be kicking out our farmers, our contractors, and our construction workers,' Jordan said. 'These people have built this country, and we're treating them like animals.' According to National Public Radio (NPR), an American public broadcasting organization, 5,500 children were separated from their parents during Trump's first term, from 2017 to 2020. The 'zero tolerance' border policies aren't just cause for concern for undocumented immigrants—the American Immigration Council reports that 4.4 million children who are U.S. citizens have undocumented parents and are at risk for separation. 'I've seen people being round up everywhere. It doesn't matter if they're at a family event, with their kids or at work,' Jordan said. 'Because the arrests have been so violent and publicized, it's impossible for any immigrant to feel safe. I know my friends with immigrant parents are feeling the stress.' Ally said that she has seen 'a visible increase' in anti-immigrant sentiment on social media since the 2024 election. These hate campaigns have led to false rhetoric about certain immigrant groups becoming widespread, such as the 2024 hoax that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating residents' pets. This rumor was propagated by public figures such as J.D. Vance and Elon Musk on the social media platform X, and eventually led to dozens of reported bomb threats being called in across Springfield, real consequences for the spreading of false narratives. 'After I graduate, I want to use my training as a journalist to tell the real stories of the undocumented community. I'm tired of going into the comments of a YouTube video and seeing people repeating the same tired narratives,' Ally said. 'We are a very diverse community. Not all immigrants fit into one box […] even if the media sometimes makes it seem that way.' When thinking about what deportation would mean for her life, Kelsey has to consider the raging Russo-Ukrainian war she would be returning to. Despite her legal status, every new deportation raid still 'causes some worry.' 'I'm not even that scared for myself, though if something did happen to me, I would be devastated,' Kelsey said. 'I have a friend who immigrated here from Ukraine. She's already been stressed lately, and I can't imagine what would happen if she was deported to [such a war-torn country].' What can we do to protect our immigrant communities? With threats of deportation comes a lot of fear and anxiety for immigrant communities, especially for student immigrants who must reside in the U.S. for an extended period of time to complete their degrees. A study done by the Public Policy Institute of California reports that foreign-born students comprise 18 percent of undergraduate and 27 percent of graduate and professional school students in the state. This demographic includes Ally herself, who recently took to her school newspaper to express her concerns with the administration's handling of ICE on campus. 'To be honest, I was a little bit nervous about writing a critique of our admin. But when the story came out, I actually got an email from our Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice asking what they could do to help,' Ally said. 'They were interested in doing a workshop, but I told them that it couldn't just be a one-time thing. We need long-lasting protections for our students so they can feel safe coming to class again.' Jordan emphasizes protest as a means of vocalizing her support for the immigrants in her life. Even though she considers certain events like the anti-immigration crackdowns protest that occurred on Feb. 11, which blocked the 405 highway, as 'going overboard,' she still believes the First Amendment is the most important tool pro-immigrant activists have. 'I taught some friends about the history of colonization in Mexico, and the concept of nobody being illegal on stolen land,' Jordan said. 'And yeah, at protests it can be really scary when there's a bunch of big men and riot shields trying to hunt you down after you've built a life here. But you need to remember that you have a constitutional right to freedom of speech, and that your voice has power.' Related
