Latest news with #Dept.ofHomelandSecurity
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WATCH LIVE: Trump, DeSantis & Noem discuss ‘illegal immigration' at ‘Alligator Alcatraz' roundtable
President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis, and others are in South Florida Tuesday morning as state officials prepare to open 'Alligator Alcatraz.' They are expected to take part in a roundtable discussion at 10 a.m. The detention center in the Everglades will house about 5,000 detainees and will help the president's agenda to carry out what he called the 'largest mass deportation program' in the history of the country. In addition to Trump and DeSantis, several other state and federal officials are expected to take part in Tuesday morning's roundtable. They include: Sec. Kristi Noem, Dept. of Homeland Security Fla. Attorney General James Uthmeier Immigration and Custom Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons Fla. Div. of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds WFTV reporter Geovany Dias is in South Florida to cover the opening of 'Alligator Alcatraz' and will have live reports on Eyewitness News starting at noon. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Undocumented immigration fuels debate amid slow, costly path to citizenship
The Brief Legal immigration is slow, costly, and complex, often taking years and thousands in fees. Over 15 million undocumented immigrants live in the U.S. amid a broken, backlogged system. Without reform, the immigration issue will persist, says attorney Anastasia Didaskalou. CHICAGO - The number of undocumented immigrants living in the United States continues to fuel heated political debate. What we know It's a question that often floods social media comment sections whenever immigration makes headlines: "Why don't they just do it the right way?" "That's the ideology that we hear all the time, but in terms of immigration law, the right way is slow, complex and for most people, out of reach – simply like that," said immigration attorney with Kouklakis Law Anastasia Didaskalou said. On paper, the path to U.S. citizenship seems straightforward. In reality, it can take anywhere from three to 30 years, even for individuals already living, working and raising families in the U.S. "On top of attorney fees, you also have to pay money to the Dept. of Homeland Security. That is public information. Under the government's page, under USCIS, you're going to see that each application has a fee. For a petition for alien relative, we are around $600. And then for an adjustment of status, that is another fee and it's, I believe, $1,440 right now. So that's already $2,000 going to the government on top of the attorney fees as the attorney is going to be representing you," Didaskalou said. More than 15 million people are believed to be living in the U.S. without legal status, caught in a system that is outdated, costly and slow. Despite promises from both political parties, immigration reform remains stalled. Didaskalou experienced the system's challenges herself while in school. Now she fights for others as an immigration attorney. "The system is broken and it has been broken for years now. It is outdated, it is out of reach and it's extremely slow and backlogged. Unless we see change, we're gonna continue saying that this country has too many undocumented immigrants," Didaskalou said. What's next The U.S. Department of State releases monthly data on immigrant visas issued. According to the most recent report, just over 48,000 visas were granted in April. For more information, visit
Fox News
30-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Wisconsin judge claims 'absolute immunity,' calls DOJ indictment an 'ugly innovation'
The legal team representing a Wisconsin judge accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities recently expanded their motion to dismiss the case. Judge Hannah Dugan's attorneys say that she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts and that the federal government overstepped its authority by arresting and charging her. Additionally, the legal team asserts in its memo that the charges violate the Constitution's Tenth Amendment and the principle of separation of powers. They further argue that Dugan can be charged for conduct that is "wholly unrelated" to her duties as a judge, such as taking bribes or violating someone's constitutional rights. Dugan is not accused of doing either of those things in this case. "The indictment itself is an ugly innovation. Its dismissal will not be," Dugan's attorneys write in the memo. The Wisconsin judge is accused of helping illegal immigrant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz evade plainclothes ICE agents who were allegedly attempting to serve him a warrant. A federal indictment claims Dugan "falsely" told the agents that they needed a judicial warrant and directed them to go to the chief judge's office. Dugan then addressed the case off the record instead of holding the scheduled hearing. Flores-Ruiz faces three misdemeanor battery charges. Despite Dugan's efforts, Flores-Ruiz was arrested. The Department of Homeland Security celebrated Flores-Ruiz's arrest and slammed "activist judges" who, in the department's view, have attempted to obstruct President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. "Since President Trump was inaugurated, activist judges have tried to obstruct President Trump and the American people's mandate to make America safe and secure our homeland— but this judge's actions to shield an accused violent criminal illegal alien from justice is shocking and shameful," Assistant Secretary Dept. of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. Footage released last week appears to show Dugan interacting with the ICE agents in a hallway before allegedly escorting Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a private exit. On May 13, a grand jury indicted Dugan on federal charges of concealing a person from arrest and obstruction of justice. Dugan pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial in July. If found guilty of both charges, she could face up to six years in prison and $350,000 in fines. Mastantuono, Coffee & Thomas, the law firm representing Dugan, did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment in time for publication.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top White House officials visit Arizona for Border Security Expo
The Brief Arizona was host to border czar Tom Homan & Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on April 8. They're in town for the Border Security Expo, and to further their immigration enforcement plans under the Trump administration. PHOENIX - Border security remains a major issue in Arizona, and that's why multiple top White House officials are visiting the Valley. What we know Border czar Tom Homan and U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem were both in Phoenix on April 8. They were here for the Border Security Expo at the Phoenix Convention Center. The visits come as the Trump administration continues immigration and border security crackdowns. What they're saying Homan spoke at the state capitol, saying illegal border crossings are down 94%. "President Trump gave me three things to do. Three responsibilities. One, secure the border. Two, run deportation operations, the largest deportation operations we've ever seen. I'm going to tell you why that's important. And three, to find missing children," he said. Less than a minute into his speech, Homan acknowledged some lawmakers as they walked out in opposition. "I love it. Thank you for making my day. I love haters. They make my day every day," he said. Outside the capitol, House Democrats made their voices heard. "This agency deports people who are lawfully present in this country. It separates families. It's targeted. Targeting people who have built lives here, who contribute, who paid taxes to raise children, and who care for their aging parents," said Arizona House Democrat Rep. Betty Villegas. Earlier in the day, Noem took part in a deportation raid with ICE agents. The New York Post said three migrants with extensive criminal histories were arrested in the operation. At the expo, Noem talked about why she told President Donald Trump she wanted to be the Homeland Security Secretary. "I said, 'Sir, I'd like to be the Secretary of Homeland Security.' And he said, 'Why would you want to do that?' And I said, 'Sir, because it's your number one priority and you need to have someone in that job that is actually strong enough to do what you promised the American people,'" she said. Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels attended the expo and shared his reaction after hearing from these top U.S. officials. "To see the all the people here from Washington, D.C., that are now engaging with your state, local partners. That tells me we got a prioritization. We also are sharing this operation, this challenge," Sheriff Dannels said. The other side U.S. Senator representing Arizona, Ruben Gallego, posted a video to his X account, formerly Twitter, saying Noem doesn't know how to hold a gun, or run the Dept. of Homeland Security. Gallego is a retired U.S. Marine who was deployed to Iraq as an infantryman. His post was in response to Noem's X post, showing her holding a gun and thanking law enforcement members. What you can do The expo is being held from April 8 to 9. You can learn more about it by clicking here.
