Latest news with #ImmigrationandNationalityAct
Scoop
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Deportation Actions Against US Legal Permanent Residents Affiliated With Haitian FTO Viv Ansanm
July 21, 2025 I am pleased to announce the latest U.S. actions against individuals whose presence and activities in our country have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States. Specifically, the Department of State has determined that certain individuals with U.S. lawful permanent resident status have supported and collaborated with Haitian gang leaders connected to Viv Ansanm, a Haitian Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Viv Ansanm is a driver of the violence and criminality in Haiti contributing to the island's instability. The United States will not allow individuals to enjoy the benefits of legal status in our country while they are facilitating the actions of violent organisations or supporting criminal terrorist organisations. With this determination, the Department of Homeland Security can pursue the removal of these individuals under section 237(a)(4)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. These new actions demonstrate the Trump Administration's firm commitment to protecting the American people, advancing our national security interests, and promoting regional security and stability.
International Business Times
17 hours ago
- Politics
- International Business Times
Who is Pierre Réginald Boulos? Former Presidential Candidate Arrested by ICE for Supporting Violent Groups and Concealing Vital Details
Federal agents in Miami have arrested Pierre Réginald Boulos, a prominent Haitian businessman, doctor, and former presidential candidate. His detention has been verified by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as of last Thursday. He was arrested at his home in South Florida. This is one of the most high-profile arrests made by ICE so far. Boulos was arrested for violating the Immigration and Nationality Act, according to ICE. He is accused of promoting activities that fuel gang violence, leading to Haiti's general instability. Officials believe his conduct will work against U.S. foreign policy. Despite being born in the U.S., Boulos renounced his American citizenship to run for president in Haiti. He later obtained lawful permanent residency in 2023 under the Biden administration. But ICE now alleges that he hid his political allegiances and old legal entanglements while applying for residency. Last year, Boulos founded the Third Way Movement political party, which directly challenged the previous president, Jovenel Moïse. ICE says Boulos didn't tell them he had been referred for prosecution in Haiti for allegedly misappropriating loans—an allegation he has disputed. He is currently detained at the Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami. Human rights activists have criticized this center for overcrowding and poor conditions. Boulos was once president of Haiti's National Chamber of Commerce and founder of several companies. He remained active in Haitian politics until the assassination of President Moïse in 2021. Gang violence has soared in Haiti since then. His arrest comes as tensions between the United States and Haiti have intensified over American immigration policies that have targeted people from the country. Advocacy groups fear increased deportations. "I have said this from day one: You have to put the emphasis on criminals, not on people who are trying to seek refuge, trying to look for a better way to live or escape political persecution," said Rod Joseph, a Haitian-American candidate for Congress. Boulos had yet to make a public statement, and his legal team didn't reply to a request for comment from the media. To this day, he is the highest-profile Haitian figure arrested by ICE.
Newsweek
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Trump Admin to 'Pursue the Removal' of Green Card Holders: What to Know
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. The Trump administration announced plans to deport certain lawful permanent residents after identifying their involvement with Haitian gang leaders connected to a United States-designated terrorist organization. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said some lawful permanent residents had collaborated with leaders of Viv Ansanm, an armed coalition that controls much of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. The organization was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the Trump administration in May. "The United States will not allow individuals to enjoy the benefits of legal status in our country while they are facilitating the actions of violent organizations or supporting criminal terrorist organizations," Rubio said in a statement on Monday. Why It Matters The administration is enacting President Donald Trump's hard-line immigration agenda after he pledged to voters he would remove millions of migrants without legal status. Mass deportations are a core element of the Republicans' immigration policy. The State Department has revoked green cards and student visas as part of its widespread effort to conduct these deportations. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio meet in the Oval Office of the White House on July 16, 2025. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio meet in the Oval Office of the White House on July 16, 2025. Alex Brandon/AP What To Know Following this determination, the Department of Homeland Security can pursue the deportation of lawful permanent residents, also known as green-card holders, under section 237(a)(4)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Rubio said. The decision comes after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of Haitian national Pierre Reginald Boulos, a lawful permanent resident, for allegedly violating the Immigration and Nationality Act and "contributing to the destabilization of Haiti." Boulos allegedly did not disclose his involvement in the formation of the Haitian political party Mouvement pour la Transformation et la Valorisation d'Haïti in his application for lawful permanent residency, according to a press release issued by ICE. He was also referred for prosecution by Haiti's Unit for the Fight Against Corruption in connection with the alleged misuse of loans, according to immigration authorities. Officials say this supports an additional ground of removability based on misrepresentation. He is currently in ICE custody. Meanwhile, the Trump administration announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti in June. The move will impact more than 520,000 Haitian nationals living in the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the designation will expire on August 3, 2025, with the termination taking effect on September 2, 2025. The move reverses an 18-month extension granted under former President Joe Biden, which would have extended protections through February 2026. More than 500,000 Haitian nationals now face the possibility of being returned to a country grappling with political instability and widespread gang violence. Armed gangs now control roughly 80 percent of Port-au-Prince, after the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Nearly 5,000 people were killed in Haiti between October 2024 and June 2025 as gang violence escalated across the country, according to a report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. What People Are Saying Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a statement: "I am pleased to announce the latest U.S. actions against individuals whose presence and activities in our country have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States. "Specifically, the Department of State has determined that certain individuals with U.S. lawful permanent resident status have supported and collaborated with Haitian gang leaders connected to Viv Ansanm, a Haitian Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Viv Ansanm is a driver of the violence and criminality in Haiti contributing to the island's instability. "These new actions demonstrate the Trump Administration's firm commitment to protecting the American people, advancing our national security interests, and promoting regional security and stability."
UPI
a day ago
- Politics
- UPI
U.S. to deport some Haitian permanent residents
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday announced they have determined some Haitian nationals with permanent resident status will be deported for supporting a Haitian gang. File Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo July 22 (UPI) -- The Trump administration has said it will deport Haitian nationals with permanent resident status in the United States who are accused of supporting or collaborating with gangs the White House has labeled foreign terrorist organizations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement in a statement Monday, saying the actions of these Haitian individuals and their presence in the United States have "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences." Neither the identities of the Haitian nationals to be deported nor the number to be expelled from the country were made public, though U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday announced the arrest of Haitian national Pierre Reginald Boulos. The Miami Herald reported that Boulos, 69, is an American-born entrepreneur, physician and influential political powerbroker in Haiti. ICE said Boulos was arrested Thursday for violating the Immigration and Nationality Act for contributing to the destabilization of Haiti. "Specifically, officials determined that he engaged in a campaign of violence and gang support that contributed to Haiti's destabilization," ICE said in the statement. "Additionally, in his application to become a lawful permanent resident, he failed to disclose his involvement in the formation of a political party in Haiti, Mouvement pour la Transformation et la Valorisation d'Haiti, and that he was referred for prosecution by the Haitian government's unit for the Fight Against Corruption for misusing loans, supporting an additional ground of removability based on this fraud." Rubio's statement, which was made public following the announcement of Boulos' arrest, says they have determined some Haitians with permanent resident status have supported or worked with Haitian gang leaders connected to Viv Ansanm, an organization that the State Department declared a Foreign Terrorist Organization in May, calling it "a primary source of instability and violence in Haiti." "The United States will not allow individuals to enjoy the benefits of legal status in our country while they are facilitating the actions of violent organizations or supporting criminal terrorist organizations," Rubio said Monday. The announcement comes as the Trump administration seeks to conduct mass deportations. As part of its efforts to fulfill the Trump administration's goal, the State Department has used the Immigration and Nationality Act to impose visa restrictions on foreign nationals and deport others.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Boston trial over Trump's push to deport campus activists concludes
It is a major First Amendment case with implications across higher education and beyond. It took place one courtroom over from another involving the administration and its federal research funding cuts aimed at Harvard, a case where lawyers also raised key First Amendment issues. The administration has argued that it can deport visa and green card holders under the Immigration and Nationality Act, which has a provision granting the secretary of state the authority to remove people from the country if they undermine its foreign policy interests. But the trial in American Association of University Professors v. Rubio, which began on July 7, raised questions about whether the administration was violating the First Amendment by retaliating against people for their political speech. The lawsuit - filed March 25 on behalf of the association's campus chapters at Harvard, New York and Rutgers universities, along with the Middle East Studies Association - accused the administration of fostering a "climate of repression and fear on university campuses." The trial came amid the backdrop of a high-profile case involving Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian activist. Last month, a federal judge in New Jersey ordered Khalil released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. That judge had previously ruled that the government's actions were chilling Khalil's right to free speech. The Trump administration has said the basis for its March 8 detention was Khalil's supposed alignment with Hamas, a designated terrorist group. Trump administration 'systematically violating the First Amendment,' lawyers say Here in Boston, closing arguments took place before U.S. District Judge William Young, a Harvard Law School graduate. Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, along with co-counsel Sher Tremonte LLP, represented the association of professors in the case, and Young first asked them what evidence they had to support the notion that an "ideological deportation" policy exists. Alexandra Conlon, a Sher Tremonte lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said that was proven by the administration revoking visas and green cards based on noncitizens' pro-Palestinian activism. In doing so, she said, the federal government was "systematically violating the First Amendment" and seeking to chill speech it disagrees with. She said the administration conflates antisemitism with pro-Palestine, anti-Israel or anti-war viewpoints. Ramya Krishnan, an attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute , went on to argue that legal precedent affirms noncitizens' right to First Amendment protections. Further, she said, lawyers representing the administration hadn't proven that its actions against noncitizen activists were necessary for national security. Noncitizens don't have the same First Amendment rights, administration argues Justice Department attorney Ethan Kanter, representing the Trump administration, argued noncitizens do not have First Amendment rights to the same extent as U.S. citizens. While they may have such rights in some capacity, he said, they are "context dependent and in relation to the compelling government interest at play." He cited a 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision in 2024 that allowed the state of Ohio to ban foreign nationals from contributing to political campaigns while litigation continued. The court said the state was likely to succeed on the merits of the case, saying the state's law was narrowly tailored to serve the government's compelling interest in preventing foreign influence on elections. William Kanellis, another attorney representing the administration, at one point referenced the novel "Don Quixote." He cited a particular story in which Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and tries to fight them, leading to him falling off his horse. The plaintiffs had similarly "been knocked off their horse" in the trial, he said, adding that the notion of an "ideological deportation policy" was, like Don Quixote's vision, based on the plaintiffs' "imagination and creative conjuring." If such a broad policy existed, he said, "you'd see many more arrests." In their complaint, the plaintiffs requested that Young, among other actions, recognize the existence of an "ideological deportation policy" and deem it, along with "threats to arrest, detain and deport noncitizen students and faculty," to be unconstitutional. They asked for the policy to be set aside and for Young to bar the administration from making such threats moving forward. Closing arguments lasted about 90 minutes. Young said he appreciated the "vigorous advocacy" and "high level of civility" shown by the legal counsel and witnesses throughout the trial. He said he now has the responsibility to consider all arguments and deliver a "fair and just" ruling. Young previously blocked the administration's termination of National Institutes of Health grants that cut funding for research related to minority communities. In that case, he'd said that the funding cut "represents racial discrimination," the New York Times reported. BrieAnna Frank is a First Amendment Reporting Fellow at USA TODAY. Reach her at bjfrank@ USA TODAY's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
