Latest news with #FIEL
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE Makes Arrests At Houston Courthouse After Asylum Case Dismissals
(Texas Scorecard) – Federal immigration officers arrested three individuals outside a southwest Houston courtroom this week as part of a broader national crackdown targeting illegal aliens whose asylum cases have just been dismissed. On Monday, ICE agents in plain clothes arrested three illegal aliens outside a southwest Houston immigration court just moments after government attorneys dropped their pending asylum claims. The arrests mark the first time such an operation has been publicized outside an immigration court in the Houston area. Fox News has confirmed this is part of a nationwide initiative aimed at arresting illegal aliens after their asylum cases are dropped in order to expedite deportations. FIEL, the first to report the arrests, claims to be a non-profit dedicated to supporting immigrants, promoting education, and advancing the American dream. However, the group has been mired in controversy in recent years. Last July, Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit accusing FIEL of violating federal non-profit laws by engaging in electioneering. The suit alleges that FIEL breached its 501(c)3 tax-exempt status by campaigning against Texas legislation and portraying Donald Trump as the 'son of the devil.' Meanwhile, in the wake of rising public pressure, ICE has released information on 142 deportations that occurred last month, including the names of 10 individuals. ICE officials explained that while the release reflects their ongoing effort to balance privacy with the public's right to information, it was largely driven by citizen and journalist concerns over data transparency. 'This is just a small snapshot of those efforts, as it only focuses on deportations to one country over the course of a two-week period,' said Bret Bradford, a field operator with ICE Houston's Enforcement and Removal Operations division. 'But it gives you an idea of how big this problem really is.' Among the 10 named deportees, three had been convicted of driving while intoxicated, one of human trafficking, and one of sexual abuse of a child, among other charges. Notably, two of the individuals were deported solely for illegal entry. While enforcement has thus far often focused on violent offenders, President Donald Trump's promise of mass deportations will ultimately require removal of individuals whose only offense is entering the country illegally.
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.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas Gov. Abbott wages immigration operation in community targeted by conservatives
Texas state police and local law enforcement converged on a predominantly Latino community near Houston on Monday for what Gov. Gregg Abbott said was an immigration enforcement operation. The operation was focused on Colony Ridge, a group of unincorporated subdivisions northeast of Houston that has been targeted by GOP media and right-wing activists who have pushed unsubstantiated claims that the overwhelmingly Republican area has become a magnet for immigrants and that it is under the control of cartels. 'Colony Ridge is being targeted today,' Abbott said in a post on X. He said Texas' Department of Public Safety and special agents assisted Homeland Security Investigations in the housing development. 'They are targeting criminals & illegal immigrants. I have worked with Tom Homan on this for months,' Abbott said in his post, referring to President Donald Trump's border czar. NBC News' request to Texas DPS for information on how many people were detained or arrested and whether the apprehensions were immigration related was referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Members of FIEL Houston, an immigrant-led civil rights group, posted live video on Facebook of members driving around the streets of Colony Ridge and warning people not to open their doors and to stay silent if detained. Along with Texas DPS and unmarked vehicles, the FIEL members said Liberty County sheriff's cars were also in the area. '¡No firme nada! Don't sign anything! No hables! (Don't talk!),' one of the FIEL members yelled out the window in English and Spanish while passing a Liberty County constable car, a DPS SUV, three law enforcement personnel, a pickup truck and a man who was standing next to a white van with ladders attached to its roof, all pulled over on a roadway. Alain Cisneros, a spokesman for FIEL Houston, told NBC News that streets had been blocked in the morning and that there were many DPS vehicles and personnel in the city, pulling people over. 'They are pulling over people left and right,' one of the FIEL Houston members said during the live Facebook broadcast. 'If you don't have a license, we don't recommend you driving right now.' Cisneros said the officers had pulled over some trucks with workers heading to their jobs, many in construction. He said FIEL members in Cleveland, Texas, had not seen any children picked up but that the local school had been blocked off. At one point, as the FIEL Houston members were driving, one advised the other to remain calm if they were stopped. In 2023, right-wing media and conservatives tagged Colony Ridge as a "no-go" zone for law enforcement, a haven for people illegally in the U.S. and a hub for cartel activity. Law enforcement agencies disagreed with the narrative pushed by conservative media. Little legislative action resulted after Abbott made the claims part of the brief agenda of a special legislative session. Abbott has been waging his own multibillion immigration enforcement operation, Operation Lone Star, for years and using Texas DPS troopers to enforce state laws against trespassing and illegal entry. He has been seeking reimbursement from the federal government for $11 billion that the state has spent on the operation. The Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under then-President Joe Biden filed a lawsuit against the subdivision's developer alleging that he had targeted Hispanics with predatory loans, false advertising and subpar housing as part of an illegal land scheme. The developer denied the allegations and said it had made loans to people who could not get loans elsewhere. This article was originally published on
NBC News
24-02-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Texas Gov. Abbott wages immigration operation in community targeted by conservatives
Texas state police and local law enforcement converged on a predominantly Latino community near Houston on Monday for what Gov. Gregg Abbott said was an immigration enforcement operation. The operation was focused on Colony Ridge, a group of unincorporated subdivisions northeast of Houston that has been targeted by GOP media and right-wing activists who have pushed unsubstantiated claims that the overwhelmingly Republican area has become a magnet for immigrants and that it is under the control of cartels. 'Colony Ridge is being targeted today,' Abbott said in a post on X. He said Texas' Department of Public Safety and special agents assisted Homeland Security Investigations in the housing development. 'They are targeting criminals & illegal immigrants. I have worked with Tom Homan on this for months,' Abbott said in his post, referring to President Donald Trump's border czar. NBC News' request to Texas DPS for information on how many people were detained or arrested and whether the apprehensions were immigration related was referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Members of FIEL Houston, an immigrant-led civil rights group, posted live video on Facebook of members driving around the streets of Colony Ridge and warning people not to open their doors and to stay silent if detained. Along with Texas DPS and unmarked vehicles, the FIEL members said Liberty County sheriff's cars were also in the area. '¡No firme nada! Don't sign anything! No hables! (Don't talk!),' one of the FIEL members yelled out the window in English and Spanish while passing a Liberty County constable car, a DPS SUV, three law enforcement personnel, a pickup truck and a man who was standing next to a white van with ladders attached to its roof, all pulled over on a roadway. Alain Cisneros, a spokesman for FIEL Houston, told NBC News that streets had been blocked in the morning and that there were many DPS vehicles and personnel in the city, pulling people over. 'They are pulling over people left and right,' one of the FIEL Houston members said during the live Facebook broadcast. 'If you don't have a license, we don't recommend you driving right now.' Cisneros said the officers had pulled over some trucks with workers heading to their jobs, many in construction. He said FIEL members in Cleveland, Texas, had not seen any children picked up but that the local school had been blocked off. At one point, as the FIEL Houston members were driving, one advised the other to remain calm if they were stopped. In 2023, right-wing media and conservatives tagged Colony Ridge as a "no-go" zone for law enforcement, a haven for people illegally in the U.S. and a hub for cartel activity. Law enforcement agencies disagreed with the narrative pushed by conservative media. Little legislative action resulted after Abbott made the claims part of the brief agenda of a special legislative session. Abbott has been waging his own multibillion immigration enforcement operation, Operation Lone Star, for years and using Texas DPS troopers to enforce state laws against trespassing and illegal entry. He has been seeking reimbursement from the federal government for $11 billion that the s tate has s pent on the operation. The Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under then-President Joe Biden file d a lawsuit against the subdivision's developer alleging that he had targeted Hispanics with predatory loans, false advertising and subpar housing as part of an illegal land scheme. The developer denied the allegations and said it had made loans to people who could not get loans elsewhere.
