Latest news with #ICEarrests
New York Times
05-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Virginia Has Become a Hotbed for Immigration Arrests
The pace of immigration arrests has shot up across the country under the second Trump term, but few places have seen a spike quite as sharp as in Virginia. Arrests in the state by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are up more than 350 percent since 2024, one of the steepest increases in the country. This outpaces the growth in ICE arrests in Democratic-run states like California and New York and Republican-controlled states like Florida and Texas. Nearly 3,000 people were arrested by ICE in Virginia in the first five months of 2025, on par with numbers in a much larger state like New York. It is not entirely clear why Virginia, a politically middle-of-the-road state, has become such a magnet for immigration enforcement. The state's immigrant population has increased dramatically in recent decades, and Virginia is now home to more than a million immigrants, most of them citizens or legal residents. But compared to some other states where arrests haven't risen as much, like neighboring Maryland, people born in foreign countries make up a smaller percentage of the population. One difference may be that ICE has the unqualified backing of Virginia's leaders, as well as sheriff departments across the state. Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican nearing the end of his term, has been full-throated in his support for President Trump's immigration crackdown. Sounding a constant refrain about the perils of 'dangerous criminal illegal immigrants,' Mr. Youngkin has championed the work of a federal-state task force aimed at combating 'transnational organized crime.' He has directed his state's law enforcement agencies to partner with federal immigration authorities and threatened to withhold funding from local governments that do not fully cooperate with ICE. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Russia Today
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
US ramps up arrests of Iranians
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested 130 Iranian nationals over the past week, as Washington grows concerned about possible retaliation on American soil following last week's bombing campaign against Iran, Fox News reported. Less than a week ago, the US joined Israel's military campaign and struck three major nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic. Earlier this week, Tehran responded with a missile barrage targeting a US military base in Qatar, shortly before a ceasefire was announced. The White House has reportedly expressed concern about potential 'sleeper cells' being activated inside the US, Fox said on Thursday. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a bulletin warning of a 'heightened threat environment' shortly after the US strikes. Some of the arrested Iranians reportedly have criminal records, and at least one had recently served in Iran's military, according to ICE sources cited by the outlet. At least 670 Iranian nationals are currently in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings. According to DHS, former Iranian serviceman Ribvar Karimi immigrated to the US last year under a visa granted to foreigners engaged to American citizens. However, after marrying his partner, he failed to update his immigration status and was arrested in Alabama the day after the strikes on Iran. Karimi supported US President Donald Trump and his immigration policies, according to his pregnant wife, Morgan Karimi, who spoke to Newsweek on Wednesday. ICE Director Tom Homan said Trump's immigration stance is especially important 'now, during this Iran conflict.' Speaking on the Pod Force One podcast on Wednesday, he said the administration of former President Joe Biden 'created the biggest national security vulnerability I've ever seen.' On Monday, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing the Trump administration to deport migrants to third countries, despite earlier legal challenges to the policy.
Fox News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
ICE arrests dozens of Iranian nationals across US amid sleeper cell concerns
EXCLUSIVE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 130 Iranian nationals throughout the United States in the last week, and 670 Iranian nationals are in ICE detention, as the Trump administration continues to increase arrests of Iranian nationals in the country illegally amid security concerns. Multiple federal sources confirmed the numbers, as administration officials and national security experts have warned about the possible risk of sleeper cells being activated, as well as those who may be inspired to retaliate domestically after the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear program sites. "The presence in this country of undocumented migrants or Iranian nationals who have links to Hezbollah, IRGC, is, in my judgment, a domestic law enforcement concern of the highest magnitude," former Obama-era Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said on "Fox & Friends." The border crisis under the Biden administration, which resulted in millions of people entering the country illegally, also underscored the concerns. "We don't know who they are, where they came from, why they're here," border czar Tom Homan said last week. "This is the biggest national security vulnerability we've ever seen." Meanwhile, former acting ICE Director Jonathan Fahey said it "definitely" made things worse. "I think one thing that's really concerning about that: One, they weren't doing any really meaningful vetting in the last administration," Fahey said. "The second part of it is, you know, we have probably 2 million known gotaways come through the last administration, and the people that went through the non-ports of entry, we knew they went through but nobody caught them, so we have no idea who went through," he continued. ICE sources confirm that some of those arrested have criminal histories, including charges related to drugs, weapons and domestic violence. At least one had served as a sniper in the Iranian military within the last four years. During the Biden administration alone, roughly half of the 1,500 Iranian nationals released into the U.S. were released into the interior. A recent Supreme Court ruling allowing deportations to third-party countries — even where diplomatic relations are limited — could lead to detainees being sent to nations other than Iran. This ruling was triggered by a flight that headed toward South Sudan with illegal immigrants who had serious criminal convictions, but it was thwarted by a federal judge in Boston, and the legal debate is still ongoing.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
"Here's Everything We're Gonna Do If We Get Arrested By ICE": This Immigration Attorney's Tips Are A Must-Read For All Americans
Earlier this month, President Trump ordered ICE to increase arrests of undocumented people in the US from 1,000 a day to 3,000, and since then, the agency's tactics have drawn increasing criticism and protest. With reports that ICE has in some cases arrested legal residents and citizens, including New York City comptroller Brad Lander, it's so important for all of us to know our rights, just in case. That's where New York-based immigration attorney Michael Foote comes in. Foote has been practicing immigration law for 7 years, and he recently took to TikTok to share some tips for what to do if you find yourself getting arrested by ICE. In the video, which has been viewed over 3.4 million times, he begins by saying, "Here's everything we're gonna do if we get arrested by ICE," and then lays out 4 key steps to remember. he says, after you're arrested, you'll be taken to the nearest detention center to be booked and processed. When you're there, Foote says, "Do not ever sign a document that anyone gives you unless it was given to you by your immigration attorney. That's the only person you are signing documents for." On a call with BuzzFeed, Foote explained why it's so important not to sign anything without your attorney. "Detention officers, ICE officers are allowed to trick people. There is no protection from ICE officers using persuasion, taking advantage of the fact that you don't speak English. So you really want to make sure you're not signing anything. If you are forced to sign something, there's very much a strong legal case of coercion entering a deportation order under duress or coercion. But unfortunately, that suit will probably be fought after you're deported." Foote wants you to know that you have the right to a hearing before an immigration judge. "You have a day in court," he says. "You have due process rights." The right to due process is essentially the right to a hearing and to be treated fairly under the law. Foote explained to BuzzFeed that although immigration court is not the same as criminal court, immigrants are still entitled to due process under the Fifth Amendment. Related: Donald Trump Supporters Are Waking Up To The Reality Of Their Ballot Choices, And The Stories Are A Loooooot you meet the judge, Foote goes on to say, "You're going to ask the judge for a list of pro bono, free attorneys in the area, and guess what? That's it. You're not going to say anything else to that judge. They can ask your name, they can ask your address. That's fine. But anything after that, you say, I really would prefer to discuss this with an attorney present." Foote told BuzzFeed, "In immigration court, you have the right to consult an attorney, but you don't automatically get one the way that, when you're arrested for a criminal act, you get Mirandized, and then the second you show up for your arraignment, there's a public defender there. You just don't get those same rights." So it's vital to know that you have to ask for representation in immigration court. He also explained why you don't need to say much else to the judge. "That judge is a neutral third party. They're separate from you and your rights, and you and your attorney. So I feel like when people go in front of a judge, they're often like, I have to do whatever the judge says. It's like, that's actually not true. Sometimes judges are going to be looking out for completely opposite interests, or they're looking to clear a docket, or we just don't know what their motivations are. They are supposed to be third-party arbiters of a case, but they're not always going to have the same interests; they're not there to look out for your rights. That's your lawyer's job." Related: "He Torched His Entire Reputation For Nothing": 27 Of The Best Political Tweets From This Messy, Messy Week for the last step, he advises you to memorize an emergency contact's phone number today so you can make a call while you're in detention. "You're going to memorize someone's phone number right now, someone you trust who you know is going to answer the phone. That's all you need to know how to do by yourself, because after that, you're going to have an immigration lawyer. You're going to contact your emergency contact." Foote told BuzzFeed, "Definitely be careful what you say on the phone. Lines are recorded if you're calling from a detention center. So don't say, 'Hey, this was that crime I committed, and this is how I ended up getting in this detention center.' You just want to say, 'Hey, I was picked up by ICE. I'm now being held here. Please help me out.'" He went on to say, "Even if you don't have someone's phone number memorized, or you don't know who to contact, these detention centers have been in existence for quite some time, so there are a lot of nonprofits that are quite literally next door, or sometimes even attached to the detention center. Those nonprofits are great resources to help get you a lawyer or in contact with your family. They've been doing this for, decades, so they're able to really help. They're no strangers to a crisis, and I lean on them all the time." Foote says these 4 steps apply whether you're undocumented, a legal resident, or a citizen, but if you have legal status, he says you should make that known at every step of the way. "You definitely want to let everyone and anyone at the ICE facility, your detention officer, the people who are arresting you, know that you are a citizen and provide those documents as quickly as possible, like a US passport, birth certificate, something like that, that is evidence." You can watch his full video here: @michael_foote_ / Via Plus, here's a Spanish-language translation of Foote's video, and you can find more Spanish-language resources about immigrant rights at the National Immigration Law Center. @theabogada / Via In the comments, people also mentioned asking for a credible fear interview. Foote told BuzzFeed, "Credible fear interviews are conducted immediately after someone crosses the border without documentation, before they see an immigration judge. It is supposed to be a short series of questions to determine if someone qualifies for asylum; however, the person deciding the outcome of a CFI is the asylum officer conducting the interview. That person works for DHS and USCIS. They are not a neutral third-party arbiter like an immigration judge. So, anyone being asked to talk to an asylum officer in a CFI should request to have an attorney present, then ask for a list of pro bono attorneys in the area of the detention center, and say nothing to an asylum officer until they have an attorney present." Finally, Foote shared his perspective on the Trump administration's immigration tactics. He told BuzzFeed, "The US does not have the capacity or the resources to do on such a large scale what they want us to believe they're capable of doing. So I think that they are being very subversive in the information that they're letting out. They'll deport someone who's a citizen. It'll dominate headlines. They'll deport someone who has a green card, it'll dominate headlines." "The immigrant community is very much a word-of-mouth community, so once you sort of get a message out there that really bad, crazy things are happening, it very much spreads. But if you look at it, we haven't built a wall, we haven't taken major immigration legislative reforms, even though the conservatives have the House and Senate." He says that the situation is far more nuanced than what people may be seeing on social media, and the system is not as broken as it may seem. He summed it up, saying, "Immigration judges understand the law and how it's applied and when it's being violated. So, I'm having plenty of wins in front of immigration judges who understand that ICE is violating well-established constitutional law." Also in In the News: "Honestly Speechless At How Evil This Is": 26 Brutal, Brutal, Brutal Political Tweets Of The Week Also in In the News: Trump Had A Middle-Of-The-Night Meltdown About... Well... So Many Things Also in In the News: A Clip Of Donald Trump Getting Angry After Being Fact-Checked Is Going Mega Viral, And It Sums Up His Entire Presidency In A Nutshell
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
White House furious at top secret leak on Iran nuclear site bombing as Trump faces impeachment calls: Live updates
ICE arrests 15 Iranian migrants Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested 15 illegal Iranian migrants since Sunday. One of the migrants admitted to having ties to Hezbollah in Lebanon. An FBI insider told Fox News agents are 'closely watching' for any 'sleeper agents' in wake of the US strikes on Iran's nuclear weapons facilities. 'DHS has identified and arrested known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country, came in through Biden's fraudulent parole programs or otherwise,' ICE tweeted earleir today. 'We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out—and we are. We don't wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump's mandate to secure the homeland.'
