Latest news with #Immigrant
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Donald Trump's US entry ban order kicks in tomorrow: 12 countries, some exceptions
Citizens of 12 countries will not be able to enter the United States from Monday, June 9, following US President Donald Trump's ban order, issued for what he says is an effort to protect the country from 'foreign terrorists'. Donald Trump announced the ban on US entry for citizens of 12 countries earlier this week in an action that stemmed from a January 20 executive order he issued requiring the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report on 'hostile attitudes' toward the United States. The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan Yemen Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan Venezuela -Green Card holders – Legal permanent residents of the US. -Dual citizens – Individuals who hold US citizenship along with citizenship from one of the banned countries. -Athletes and coaches – Those traveling to the US for major sporting events like the World Cup or Olympics, as determined by the US Secretary of State. Afghan Special Immigrant visa holders – Afghans who worked with the US government or its allies in Afghanistan. Persecuted Iranian minorities – Iranians from ethnic or religious minority groups fleeing persecution. Long-term US government employees abroad – Foreign nationals who have worked for the US government overseas for at least 15 years, along with their spouses and children. Previously admitted refugees or asylees – Individuals granted asylum or refugee status in the US before the ban took effect. Family-based visa applicants – Individuals applying for visas to reunite with US citizen or permanent resident spouses, children, or parents. Diplomats and government officials – Foreign officials traveling on official government business. UN officials – Those visiting the US exclusively for official United Nations business at UN headquarters in New York. Representatives of international organisations and NATO – Those on official visits to the US. Adopted children – Foreign-born children adopted by US citizens. Donald Trump, a Republican, has carried out a series of sweeping actions and issued orders in a massive crackdown on illegal immigration since return to the White House in January. Listing the reasoning behind choice of 12 countries, Donald Trump said these were found to harbour a "large-scale presence of terrorists," fail to cooperate on visa security, have an inability to verify travelers' identities, as well as inadequate record-keeping of criminal histories and high rates of visa overstays in the United States. As an example of why the new curbs are needed, Donald Trump cited the recent incident in Colorado's Boulder, in which an Egyptian national threw a gasoline bomb into a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators . Egypt, however, is not among the countries facing the travel ban. Responding to the ban, Chad President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno said he had instructed his government to stop granting visas to US citizens. "Chad has neither planes to offer nor billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and its pride," Itno said in a Facebook post, referring to countries such as Qatar, which gifted the US a luxury jet for Trump's use and promised to invest billions of dollars in the US.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Smoke bombs, protests, arrests: Tensions soar in Los Angeles after ICE raids; 10 things to know
Protest after ICE raids in Los Angeles US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice)agents on Friday carried out a series of immigration sweeps, including two Home Depots, that sparked a tense standoff. Approximately 500 demonstrators walked through streets near the federal building, displaying pro-immigrant banners and flags, following a rally organised by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) on Los Angeles Street. LAPD declared the protest an unlawful assembly at 7 pm, instructing participants to leave or face arrest. Over 40 people arrested Immigrant advocates confirmed to CNN that authorities detained a minimum of 45 individuals without warrants at seven different sites. The arrests occurred at two Home Depot locations, a fashion district establishment and a doughnut shop, according to Angelica Salas, executive director for the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, at an afternoon press conference denouncing the activity. "If our constitutional rights are violated, if our due process is violated, then anybody's rights can be violated," said Salas. She added, "If you think you are protected because you're not a immigration, I'm here to tell you what's happening in our country is unprecedented." When protests occurred? The protest erupted following an immigration enforcement incident at a San Diego eatery. Similarly, demonstrations occurred in Minneapolis when federal agents wearing tactical equipment entered a Latino community. The officials clarified that their presence was related to a criminal investigation rather than immigration enforcement matters. During the demonstration, some participants defaced the federal building with graffiti, prompting law enforcement to respond with smoke bombs, Los Angeles Times reported. Why protest erupted? A large crowd gathered near the Los Angeles Federal Building at 4 pm to protest against the enforcement action, condemning the crackdown. The demonstrators called for the freedom of Service Employees International Union California President David Huerta. According to the labour union's statement, Huerta sustained injuries and was taken into custody while recording documentation of the raid. 'Hard-working people are being treated like criminals': Huerta Huerta, aged 58, received medical attention at a hospital before being moved to the Metropolitan Detention Centre in central L.A. According to a spokesperson from SEIU, he was still in custody at 5.30 pm. 'What happened to me is not about me; This is about something much bigger,' he said in a statement from the hospital. 'This is about how we as a community stand together and resist the injustice that's happening. Hard-working people, and members of our family and our community, are being treated like criminals. We all collectively have to object to this madness because this is not justice.' Huerta arrested for interfering with agents: US attorney In a post on X, US Attorney Bill Essayli stated that Huerta had intentionally prevented federal agents from accessing a worksite where they were serving a warrant by obstructing their vehicle on Friday morning. According to Essayli, Huerta was taken into custody for allegedly interfering with federal officers and is scheduled for arraignment on Monday. "Federal agents were executing a lawful judicial warrant at a LA worksite this morning when David Huerta deliberately obstructed their access by blocking their vehicle. He was arrested for interfering with federal officers and will face arraignment in federal court on Monday," he said. "Let me be clear: I don't care who you are—if you impede federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted. No one has the right to assault, obstruct, or interfere with federal authorities carrying out their duties," he added. Protest caught on camera In Los Angeles, onlookers and news teams recorded footage showing federal agents escorting individuals across a Home Depot car park, whilst confrontations occurred at additional detention locations. KTLA aired overhead shots depicting agents outside a fashion district apparel shop, guiding detainees towards two large white vans stationed in the parking area. The detained persons had their hands bound behind them. The agents conducted body searches before placing them in the vehicles. The officers wore protective gear displaying the letters FBI, ICE and HSI (Homeland Security Investigations). Armed personnel utilised yellow police cordons to maintain distance between the public and the enforcement activities. 'Do not sign anything. Do not tell them where you are from': Protestors Protesters assembled outside Ambiance Apparel's warehouse, offering legal guidance to those detained within. They positioned themselves atop a long bed truck in the street, causing traffic disruptions on the busy thoroughfare. "You are not alone," one said into a megaphone drowning out the sounds of the crowd. "Do not sign anything. Do not tell them where you are from." Eighteen-year-old Katina Garcia peered through the glass, searching for her undocumented father who had arrived for his regular workday that morning, Ls Angeles Times reported. "We never thought it would happen to us," she said, "I'm in disbelief." Following a two-hour period, numerous federal agents in riot equipment arrived at Ambiance Apparel to address the growing crowd of over 100 people outside. Their convoy of armoured vehicles announced their presence with blaring sirens. "Pigs," someone called out during the chaotic situation. "Fascists," came another voice. Authorities uses 'pepper spray, smoke bombs and flash bangs' to disperse crowd ICE agents emerged and encircled the entrances that demonstrators attempted to obstruct. Several protesters hurled items towards the armed officers whilst shouting and recording the incident. Officers deployed pepper spray to scatter the assembled crowd. Officers who were stationed inside the establishment escorted approximately twelve people out and loaded them into waiting vehicles, while additional personnel in protective equipment cordoned off the surrounding area. Overhead video captured by KABC-TV depicted officers deploying smoke bombs or flash bangs onto the roadway to clear the gathering, enabling their departure in SUVs, vans and military-style transport vehicles. Will respond, investigate and protect- regardless of person's legal status': Los Angeles Police Department The LAPD and LA County Sheriff's Department issued announcements acknowledging their awareness of Friday's immigration enforcement activities. Both organisations clarified their stance of non-participation in civil immigration enforcement and confirmed they would not investigate anyone's immigration status. "We want our residents to know that when they call for help, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department will respond, investigate and protect everyone — regardless of a person's legal status," the department said in a statement. 'Cruel and chaotic.' LA Mayor Bass, Governor Newsom slam ICE raids Union del Barrio and the Community Self-Defense Coalition planned additional protests Friday evening in downtown LA against raids and deportations that are "terrorizing people." 'Continued chaotic federal sweeps, across California, to meet an arbitrary arrest quota are as reckless as they are cruel,' Newsom said. 'Donald Trump's chaos is eroding trust, tearing families apart, and undermining the workers and industries that power America's economy.' LAPD reported their officers were called to assist with a "large, unruly group" in downtown LA, though they had not officially declared an unlawful assembly by Friday evening.
Forbes
7 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Trump Restricts Legal Immigration, Blocks Student Visas For Harvard
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after signing a proclamation in the Oval Office at the ... More White House on April 17, 2025. In two new presidential proclamations, Donald Trump restricted legal immigration to the United States and blocked visas for international students who want to attend Harvard University. (Photo by) In two new presidential proclamations, Donald Trump restricted legal immigration to the United States and blocked visas for international students who want to attend Harvard University. The proclamation bans immigration to the United States, with some exceptions, from 19 countries. Lawful permanent residents sponsoring family members will be most affected. The measure will reduce legal immigrant admissions and lower the number of visas issued for tourists, students and exchange visitors from the identified countries. The action against Harvard represents another blow to the university and international students seeking to enroll at the school. On June 4, 2025, Donald Trump issued a proclamation banning immigrant and temporary visas from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The proclamation also bans immigrant visas and visas for tourists and business travelers, students and exchange visitors for an additional seven countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. The proclamation contains an exception for the spouses, children and parents of U.S. citizens, known as immediate relatives, which limits the personal impact for many Americans. Among the other exemptions are for adoptions, Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans, visas for most athletes and 'immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran.' These exceptions will not help most people who previously could have entered the country on temporary visas from the 19 countries or through other immigration categories. While the Trump administration framed the proclamation as necessary for national security, it did not offer evidence that the travel ban enacted in Donald Trump's first term enhanced security or that the Biden administration removing the travel ban diminished America's security. Analysts noted the proclamation suspending refugee admissions was also framed as a security measure, even though refugees are the most vetted and screened individuals to enter the United States. According to a National Foundation for American Policy analysis, the proclamation will likely block approximately 25,000 legal immigrants a year from the 19 countries. Family-sponsored immigrants will be the most affected by the proclamation, with the burden falling primarily on lawful permanent residents in the United States who sponsor close family members, particularly from Cuba, Haiti, Iran and Yemen. A lawful permanent resident can sponsor a spouse, minor child or an unmarried adult child. Employment-based immigrants from the 19 countries unable to adjust status inside the United States will also be prevented from immigrating. Individuals from the 19 countries will not be allowed to immigrate via the Diversity Visa lottery. Based on FY 2023 data, approximately 100,000 fewer B1/B2 visas for tourism or business, 10,000 F-1 student visas and 2,400 J-1 visas for nationals of the 19 countries will be issued annually due to the proclamation, according to an NFAP analysis. The administration sought to justify the bans on student and other visas by citing figures from the DHS annual overstay report. However, analysts note the DHS reports do not accurately measure overstays. 'The DHS figures represent actual overstays plus arrivals whose departure could not be verified,' according to demographer Robert Warren. In other words, the report includes many unrecorded departures that may not be actual overstays. DHS has problems with its systems correctly identifying individuals who changed status inside the U.S. or left the country, which renders its reports inappropriate for policy purposes. That is particularly the case with students, and it's a long-standing problem. The 'suspected in-country overstay' rate for student and exchange visitors in FY 2018 dropped by 60% over the course of a year, from 2.11% to 0.84% 12 months later, according to DHS, as the agency's systems caught up. The problem is most evident when a student obtains a different immigration status, such as a green card, and the student is withdrawn from the SEVIS system. In March 2025, when DHS arrested a pro-Palestinian protest leader, Mahmoud Khalil, agents thought he was on a student visa even though Khalil was married to a U.S. citizen and had been a lawful permanent resident for months. The proclamation selectively cites overstay data. It omits Venezuela's low overstay rate of 2.7% for F-1 student and exchange visitor visas. Iran's low rate for F-1 student and exchange visitor visas is also not listed in the proclamation. The proclamation criticizes Haiti, Venezuela and Afghanistan for lacking a reliable or functioning government even though the Trump administration terminated Temporary Protected Status for the three countries and claimed it is safe for Haitians, Venezuelans and Afghans to return. A view of the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty ... More Images) In a separate, unprecedented proclamation issued on June 4, 2025, Donald Trump banned foreign nationals from coming to the United States to attend Harvard University. Presidential authority on immigration has never before been wielded in this way against a single educational institution. 'The entry of any alien into the United States as a nonimmigrant to pursue a course of study at Harvard University . . . [with an F or M visa] or to participate in a [J-1] exchange visitor program hosted by Harvard University is suspended,' according to the proclamation. The proclamation, which lasts six months, though it could be extended, 'shall apply to aliens who enter or attempt to enter the United States to begin attending Harvard University through the SEVP [Student and Exchange Visitor Program] after the date of this proclamation.' The Trump administration has engaged in a months-long battle with Harvard after the university refused demands for the federal government to take over the school's hiring, admissions and governance policies. In retaliation, the Department of Homeland Security removed Harvard's ability to enroll international students through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. A federal judge blocked the Trump administration and will need to decide the legality of attempting to accomplish the same goal via a presidential proclamation. 'They first tried to suspend SEVP and that failed, so now they are using an unsubstantiated threat to national security to halt the issuance of visas,' said Jonathan Grode of Green & Spiegel. 'So, it is like, if we cannot stop you from issuing I-20s to students, then we will stop the State Department from issuing them visas.' Attorneys and educators expect the latest administration move to have a further chilling effect on international students seeking to attend U.S. universities. Although the latest salvo against Harvard may have multiple objectives, the travel ban proclamation has one primary goal. The Trump administration wants to admit fewer immigrants and temporary visa holders to the United States from the 19 countries listed in the proclamation.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Many US families depend on immigrant nannies. Trump's policies could upend that
Catalina, a 23-year-old US citizen, confidently drives to her job as a nanny and earns a fair wage. Yet her mother – an undocumented immigrant from Peru – has worked in the shadows for 30 years. 'Even though we have the same job, do the same thing, and work the same hours, the pay is very different,' Catalina tells CNN. 'I've done very well because I was born here, and the pay is very good when you speak Spanish.' CNN has changed her name to protect her identity and her mother's safety. During Barack Obama's time in the White House, Catalina's mother considered returning to Peru, according to her daughter. The Obama administration focused on curbing interior deportations (as opposed to deportations at the border) and, especially in its later years, on so-called 'quick returns' of recent border arrivals who were perceived to have fewer ties in the US. 'A lot of people told her nothing would happen, and indeed, nothing did,' Catalina says, explaining her mother ultimately decided to stay. However, the harsh immigration policies of Donald Trump's administration paint a bleaker picture for both. The 23-year-old fears her mother could be detained when she drops off the children of a family she cares for every afternoon to support her own family. 'She's a single mom. I'm the oldest daughter, so if something happens to her, I'd have to take care of my siblings,' Catalina says. 'She had to sign a paper leaving everything to me, just in case: what to do with my siblings, her things, her money. It's awful to think about, but she feels prepared.' Catalina's mother has raised her children alone and dedicated part of her life to childcare, a sector facing a deep staffing crisis—one that has worsened in recent months, as experts say immigrants are essential to sustaining it. 'The childcare sector broadly has long been facing a crisis and a shortage of workers. And immigrant workers are critical to keeping that system running. Both the formal sector and the informal sector,' Wendy Cervantes, director of Immigration and Immigrant Families at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), tells CNN. According to a report from the National Women's Law Center, 20% of early educators in the US – an umbrella term encompassing preschool teachers, home-based childcare providers, teachers aids and program directors – are immigrants. Women make up 'a significant percentage' of the workforce in this sector nationwide. 'Care work is the work that makes all other work possible and enables all families to thrive,' the report says. However, caregivers face low wages, lack of benefits, vulnerability to exploitation, and job insecurity. Undocumented workers, for their part, also lack basic labor rights and protections. Although she has lived in the US for years, Catalina's mother does not have access to work benefits like health insurance or social security. 'She gets paid in cash or by check, but no benefits. Nothing,' Catalina says of her mother's working conditions. Every year, undocumented immigrants living in the US pay billions of dollars in taxes even though they know they won't be able to enjoy the benefits unless their status is regularized. Additionally, the constant threat of being reported limits her even when accepting jobs. 'If a job comes from an American family, I don't think she'd take it. She's afraid that if something happens, someone will call the authorities.' According to Cervantes, immigrant childcare workers 'are often an invisible workforce.' Despite their crucial role in the early education of an increasingly diverse child population, they are not sufficiently recognized. 'One thing that often goes unrecognized is that these workers are among the few who are bilingual and culturally competent, particularly in the formal sector, which is highly sought after. Many families want their children in bilingual education programs, and these workers are essential for serving an increasingly diverse child population,' adds the CLASP director. Beyond the numbers, the tightening of immigration policies under Trump's administration has directly impacted the reality of thousands of families like Catalina's. A few weeks after Trump took office, his administration announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents could now make arrests near places like schools, churches, and hospitals, ending a longstanding policy that prevented them from operating in so-called 'sensitive locations.' 'And now, in some states where there is greater cooperation with local police, a nanny simply driving to work could be arrested, deported, and separated from her family,' Cervantes notes. Catalina's mother experiences that anxiety firsthand every day when she gets in the car to pick up the children she cares for in the afternoons. 'When she arrives, there are always police officers managing traffic. Sometimes she hides in the car, doesn't get out. She waits for the kids to get in the car. It's awful,' Catalina says. 'If I meet her at the school, she feels a little better. But if she's alone, she doesn't.' Without protective policies in place, like the 'sensitive locations' policy, it is much harder for nannies to serve families and feel safe continuing their work, Cervantes warns. 'The way immigration enforcement measures are being applied across the country is happening with very little oversight and accountability. More people are becoming vulnerable to deportation because there is no longer prosecutorial discretion, for example, for parents or people with humanitarian reasons not to be deported. There's no way to prioritize who should or shouldn't be deported. Everyone is a priority. Therefore, everyone without status is in danger,' adds the CLASP director. Catalina is currently studying, hoping to build her mother a house in Peru in case she decides to return one day. 'Here my mom has no one, no family, no sisters, no mother. Nothing. She's alone,' she says, but insists she doesn't want to leave her alone either. 'She worries more because she says, 'My daughter will be left alone.'' Meanwhile, the Trump administration's growing push to advance its mass deportation plan could further harm the US childcare system. 'If we lose immigrant workers, especially those who care for our children, as a country we will suffer. If deportations continue at the current pace, if this budget proposal passes Congress—which would allow the administration to further increase its enforcement measures—and if we keep seeing more people lose their immigration status, then this will have a very negative impact on the workforce overall, making it harder for all working mothers and fathers to find childcare and go to work,' Cervantes says. This is the invisible role of Catalina's mother: she is the one who allows others to work while their children are cared for. Without her and many like her, the United States would be a very different country.
New York Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
A Beloved Mainstay of Sri Lankan Culture and Cuisine on Staten Island
The 212 column revisits New York institutions that have helped define the city, from time-honored restaurants to unsung dives. Much of Bay Street, which runs parallel to Staten Island's north shore, is a mix of nondescript restaurants and stores — a pizza place here, a barbershop there. But the Sri Lankan restaurant Lakruwana, housed in a brick building on the corner of Bay and Broad Streets, is impossible to miss. Its street-level facade, painted a vivid rose red, features a mural of dancing princes and elaborately dressed elephants. A five-foot-tall stone Buddha and a gleaming brass door mark the entrance. As soon as I walked inside on a recent gray spring day, I was seduced by the smells of roasted green chile, garlic and coconut. Countless artworks and artifacts line the dining room: stone sculptures of Hindu gods, wooden masks, spears, straw baskets and water jugs. There are two life-size mannequins in traditional Sri Lankan wedding dress, the groom in a dazzling headpiece made of gold yarn and red sequins, set at the end of a small bar. Around the tables are chairs with impossibly high backs, elongated triangles fashioned out of black wrought iron and rope. Brightly painted red-and-yellow shutters hang from one of the walls. Even the bathrooms have witty visual interest. My favorite sign reads, 'The Liar Falls Into Hell.' The restaurant's founder, Lakruwana Wijesinghe, who immigrated to the United States in 1975 from Kiribathgoda, a suburb near Colombo, Sri Lanka's largest city, designed the chairs and shipped them along with everything else to New York in a 40-foot container. He was determined to put as much as possible of his home country into the restaurant, including huge wall panels set with native pink stones. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
