Latest news with #KilmarArmandoAbregoGarcia
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Salvadoran migrant returned to US, charged with human smuggling
The Salvadoran migrant at the heart of a row over US President Donald Trump's hardline deportation policies was returned to the United States on Saturday and arrested on human smuggling charges. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was brought back to the US from El Salvador and charged with trafficking undocumented migrants,
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rep. Green calls on THP to release more details on Kilmar Abrego Garcia's 2022 traffic stop
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – U.S. House Homeland Security chairman Rep. Mark Green (R-Tennessee) is calling on authorities to be more transparent about a 2022 Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) traffic stop of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March. On May 2, the THP released a redacted video of a traffic stop dated Nov. 30, 2022, involving Abrego Garcia in Cookeville. The 29-year-old was pulled over for speeding in a vehicle with eight passengers and told state troopers they'd been working in Missouri. Body cam footage released from 2022 THP traffic stop of Maryland man deported to El Salvador In the video, THP troopers could be heard discussing among themselves their suspicions of human trafficking since nine people were traveling without luggage. 'He's hauling these people for money,' one responding THP trooper said. Abrego Garcia was not charged with a crime that day. The THP troopers allowed him to drive off with only a warning about an expired driver's license. According to the Associated Press, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, an attorney for Abrego Garcia, said in a statement that he saw no evidence of a crime in the released footage. In a letter to THP Col. Matt Perry, Green wrote that the Committee on Homeland Security is concerned that inadequate or ineffective information sharing between federal agents and the THP during the Biden administration may have led to the release of an active gang member and potential human trafficker. Trump says he 'could' return Abrego Garcia to US, but won't Because of that, he's calling on Perry to release the following as soon as possible, but no later than 5 p.m. on May 23: An unredacted copy of all body camera and dash camera footage of the November 30, 2022 traffic stop of Mr. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia from any employee or contractor of the Tennessee Highway Patrol; Unredacted copies of all notes taken by any employee or contractor of the Tennessee Highway Patrol referring or relating to the November 30, 2022 traffic stop of Mr. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia; Unredacted copies of all reports referring or relating to the November 30, 2022 traffic stop of Mr. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, including but not limited to, computerized dispatch reports, incident reports, or probable cause reports; A document sufficient to list all names of all Federal Bureau of Investigation employees or contractors and Tennessee Highway Patrol employees or contractors engaged in communications on November 30, 2022, to discuss the arrest, detention, or release of Mr. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia; and A document sufficient to show the result of any query conducted by any employee or contractor of the Tennessee Highway Patrol in the National Crime Information Center database, of any person related to the November 20, 2022, traffic stop of Mr. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, from November 30, 2022 to December 1, 2022. ⏩ 'Despite Democrats' best efforts to paint Kilmar Abrego Garcia otherwise, we can't ignore reports that he is a transnational gang member, domestic abuser, and likely human smuggler,' Green said in a statement to News 2. 'As Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, it's my responsibility to shed light on, and ensure the end of, the reckless, open-borders policies of the Biden-Harris administration. We will get to the bottom of why Abrego Garcia was released by the Biden-Harris administration despite the Tennessee Highway Patrol's suspicions of human trafficking.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Birthright Citizenship Is Under Attack This Mother's Day
For immigrant moms-to-be, this Mother's Day came amidst a political battle over the future of their babies. On May 15, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments about whether to narrow nationwide injunctions that currently prevent the Trump administration from denying citizenship to certain babies born in the United States. If the Supreme Court narrows the nationwide injunctions, some children born in the United States could start their lives without citizenship—for the first time in over 150 years. Imagine if your family's future depended on a Supreme Court decision, and your right to live in the only country you've ever known could be taken away by politics, not justice. That is the reality for thousands of families today. The Supreme Court must uphold the nationwide injunctions to protect the rights of every child born in the United States. Now is not the time for compromise. The Supreme Court must stand firm; the futures of our nation's most vulnerable—newborns—are at stake. Let's step back and review how we got to this moment. In January, the president issued an executive order to change the more than century-old interpretation of the 14th Amendment and deny citizenship to babies born in the United States based on their parents' immigration status. Several federal judges quickly issued injunctions that temporarily blocked the order from being enforced until the courts can decide whether it is legal. That's a process that could take years. In the meantime, due to the nationwide injunctions, children born on U.S. soil to immigrant parents continue to be recognized as U.S. citizens—as they should be. After the May 15 arguments, the Supreme Court can keep the nationwide injunctions in place, or limit them to certain states or groups of people. If the Court sides with the administration, some children born in the United States could be denied citizenship based on where they are born, while others would be recognized as citizens. That kind of decision is often called "splitting the baby," a metaphor that in this case is almost literal. It would create a patchwork of rules that treat children unequally and sow chaos in delivery rooms. It's unfair, unworkable, and goes against our values. WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 01: Demonstrators march in Lafayette Square near the White House to demand the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the United States and to mark the May Day holiday on... WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 01: Demonstrators march in Lafayette Square near the White House to demand the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the United States and to mark the May Day holiday on May 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. MoreAt the Tahirih Justice Center, we provide free legal aid to immigrants who have survived gender-based violence like child abuse, forced marriage, domestic violence, rape, and human trafficking. Some of our clients are moms-to-be, like Michelle (an alias to protect her privacy), who survived years of abuse and is finally awaiting her green card after a lawful, but lengthy, immigration process. Michelle is due to give birth to her first child later this spring. If the Supreme Court limits the nationwide injunction, her son could be denied U.S. citizenship. Michelle and her family have already been through challenges and traumas that changed the course of their lives. She dreams of serving in the U.S. military someday. While Michelle feels far from achieving this dream today, she says: "I hope my son can reach his dreams without many people getting in the way." Forcing Michelle's son to start life out with an uncertain status in his own country is cruel and sets us back centuries as a nation. There's another layer to the question of birthright citizenship that we and our clients at the Tahirih Justice Center know firsthand. Many of our clients were abused by U.S. citizens, who use their victims' immigration status as a weapon to control them and keep them from getting help. If the nationwide injunctions are narrowed, some of our clients will be dependent upon their abusers for paperwork to establish their babies' rights to U.S. citizenship. This gives abusers another weapon to manipulate and control their victims—while also putting newborn children in harm's way. As a mom, I know we all want the same things for our children—to be safe, loved, and have a fair chance at a life in which needs are met and dreams can be chased. On her first Mother's Day, the fate of Michelle's son—and so many others—lay in the Supreme Court's hands. The Supreme Court must maintain these nationwide injunctions and keep second-class citizenship relegated to our history books. Michelle's son must be born with the full opportunity that U.S. citizenship provides. This is what we owe our nation's children, our future leaders, and ourselves. Kursten Phelps is Litigation Counsel with the Tahirih Justice Center. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
New York Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
For Trump, the Constitution Is a Hindrance as He Pushes for Deportations
On Inauguration Day, President Trump, like his predecessors, swore to 'preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.' But in recent days he has said he isn't so sure about that commitment. In an interview with NBC News that aired Sunday, Mr. Trump said 'I don't know' when asked whether he needed to uphold the Constitution as his administration tries to conduct the largest deportation operation in American history. His remark came as part of a broader exchange over due process and who is afforded it, even though the Fifth Amendment guarantees it for every individual on American soil. Mr. Trump repeatedly said he wasn't sure whether everyone is entitled to due process. Mr. Trump's extraordinary stance on the issue provides a window into his belief that the legal system should not prevent him from immediately deporting people who entered the United States illegally. On Monday, Mr. Trump once again cast doubt on due process and how it would impede his mass deportation campaign, demonstrating he has little patience for individuals to have their day in court. 'The courts have all of a sudden, out of nowhere, they've said maybe you're going to have to have trials,' the president said Monday in the Oval Office. 'We're going to have five million trials?' The rhetoric from the president and his top aides is part of a strategy to defend the administration's vision for a far-reaching and aggressive deportation campaign. Even as they have faced legal setbacks, some of which they have ignored, Mr. Trump and his allies have portrayed their efforts as necessary for national security. Mr. Trump regularly paints migrants as 'monsters' and 'murderers,' describing them as 'some of the worst people on Earth.' Last week, officials lined the North Lawn of the White House with mug shot-style posters of migrants who were arrested and accused of committing crimes. 'I was elected to get them the hell out of here and the courts are holding me from doing it,' Mr. Trump said in the NBC News interview. To expedite the process, Mr. Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century wartime law, to deport Venezuelans his administration has deemed to be part of a street gang. Last week, a federal judge permanently barred the Trump administration from invoking the law, which had been used only three times before in U.S. history. Mr. Trump has also ignored a Supreme Court ruling that directs his administration to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a migrant the administration mistakenly sent to a prison for terrorists in El Salvador. Mr. Garcia remains in El Salvador., and some Democrats have argued that Mr. Trump has thrust the country into a constitutional crisis by ignoring the order. The president has also lashed out at judges who have ruled against him, calling for their impeachment and in turn drawing further criticism from Democrats and legal critics, who say he is undermining the independence of the judiciary. His attacks even earned a rare rebuke from Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who said 'impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.' But Mr. Trump has long had an adversarial relationship with the judicial system and feels further empowered to act after having faced dozens of criminal charges after leaving office in 2021. As a candidate, Mr. Trump teased that he would be a dictator on his first day in office (his aides said he was joking), and he has made clear he views the Justice Department as designed to defend his interests. Now, Mr. Trump and his top aides show no signs of backing down from this fight. 'The right of 'due process' is to protect citizens from their government, not to protect foreign trespassers from removal,' Stephen Miller, one of Mr. Trump's top advisers, posted Monday on social media. 'Due process guarantees the rights of a criminal defendant facing prosecution, not an illegal alien facing deportation.'
Axios
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Trump's total government deportation push
The Trump administration is tapping multiple agencies for a whole-of-government campaign to achieve its goal of deporting millions. Why it matters: Controversial tactics — ensnaring even legal U.S. residents and citizens — have raised alarm and triggered court battles over executive power. Zoom in: The administration's playbook pulls several levers within the government beyond the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reached an agreement with DHS to share the tax information of undocumented immigrants with authorities. "DHS can legally request return information relating to individuals under criminal investigation, and the IRS must provide it," per the agreement. Sharing the information could speed up immigration enforcement but may push undocumented immigrants to avoid paying taxes and turn to the informal economy. Department of Justice The DOJ is engaged in a number of headline-grabbing lawsuits over deportations. After admitting Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was erroneously deported, the DOJ is still pursuing the case to keep him in El Salvador. The administration invoked the Aliens Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, defying a federal judge's court order. A federal judge Thursday ruled it unlawful. Mahmoud Khalil, a legal U.S. resident and a leader of Columbia's pro-Palestinian protests, is in ICE custody as the DOJ builds its deportation case against him. Social Security Social Security is also now an immigration enforcement tool. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the U.S. with "temporary parole" status — granted through various Biden-era programs — have received Social Security numbers to work. The Department of Homeland Security identified more than 6,300 of them who are on the FBI terrorist watch list, or with FBI criminal records, an official told Axios. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD Secretary Scott Turner said last month that federal housing assistance will no longer be granted to undocumented immigrants or to " sanctuary cities" The department partnered with DHS to help identify undocumented immigrants living in publicly subsidized housing. Department of Transportation Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday that cities and states that give undocumented immigrants driver's licenses and those that are "sanctuary cities" will not receive federal funding. U.S. Postal Service The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the USPS' law enforcement arm, has quietly started to cooperate with federal immigration officials in order to find undocumented immigrants, the Washington Post reported this week.
