Latest news with #LaColaborativa
CBS News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Immigrant communities, organizations in Massachusetts concerned about Trump's travel ban
President Donald Trump's travel ban has gone into effect, impacting 12 countries. Its implementation is sending ripples through Boston's immigrant communities. "I think this is going to hit the Haitian community and the Latino community the hardest in Massachusetts without a doubt," said Alex Train, the COO of La Colaborativa, an organization promoting the social and economic welfare of the Latinx and other immigrant communities. Countries impacted by travel ban The ban will inhibit travel in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. "This means that if you have a loved one who passes, you won't be able to attend a funeral overseas," explains Train. "A lot of families right now are expediting their travel plans." Train saying some people tried to leave and come back before the ban went into effect. Economic implications "Nobody is going to want to come here whether it's for business, pleasure, or tourism, and we will regrettably see the economic implications of this," said Train. Train says some Haitian and Latinx business owners tell him they are worried about their employees or even foreign trade interests. "This is preventing the business owner down the street from taking a trip in order to execute a new contract," said Train. There are also international college students coming here to start their own careers. "The question that I have gotten from a lot these students is should I just leave because I don't want to end up in an ICE detention center," said Fatema Ahmad with the Muslim Justice League. "For so many people, the immigration process can actually take decades." As they wait and wait, life events do continue here and in their home country. "Most people are rightfully questioning whether they should travel here," Ahmad said. "Folks are worried about traveling out of the country and not getting back." This doesn't even take into account the future World Cup happening locally, or the Olympics in Los Angeles, where both will feature fans who may want to come support their country.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Refuse to cooperate': Border czar Tom Homan says he traveled to Boston to oversee 370 ICE arrests
Border czar Tom Homan has had enough. Homan, who said he is fed up with Boston and other Massachusetts communities not complying with federal authorities who are trying to apprehend hard criminals who are in the country illegally, traveled to Boston in recent days to oversee a five-day federal law enforcement operation. 'I made a promise at CPAC that I was going to Boston after reading about numerous illegal alien child rapists walking the streets of Boston and Massachusetts,' Homan said in a post on X on Monday morning. 'ICE had to find and arrest these illegal alien rapists because Massachusetts and Boston are sanctuaries that refuse to cooperate with ICE,' Homan said. 'They would rather release these animals back into the community rather than honor ICE detainers or notify ICE when they are scheduled to be released.' Guatemalan national accused of raping 10-year-old Mass. girl in federal custody after posting bail 'Mayor Wu later testified that I was lying,' Homan said in his post of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who testified before Congress with other mayors on March 5 about Boston's sanctuary city policies. Wu hired a Boston law firm to prepare for the congressional hearing. 'Well, I traveled to Boston last Tuesday, as promised, and we kicked off a five day operation with ICE, FBI, ATF, DEA, US Marshals and DSS,' Homan said. 'These incredible men and women arrested a total of 370 Illegal aliens in Boston and surrounding areas. A majority of the 370 being significant criminals.' Homan's statement on Monday calling out Bay State leaders comes one day after Wu pushed back at federal authorities, days after Homeland Security released a video criticizing Boston's handling of ICE operations. 'This narrative that cities, where more immigrants live, are less safe is just simply not true,' Wu told Boston 25 Sunday. During her State of the City speech last week, Wu said, 'Boston is proud to be the safest major city in the country, and we work with all levels of law enforcement every day to prevent crime and hold perpetrators accountable.' ICE agents have recently been spotted making arrests in Boston, East Boston, Chelsea, and other Massachusetts communities. La Colaborativa, a community group in Chelsea, warned of the raids on social media and subsequently shut down its main office for the day, officials said, so that visitors going to La Colaborativa would not be 'targeted' be federal officers. 'This has been an immensely difficult day for our community in Chelsea,' Alex Train, Chief Operating Officer at La Colaborativa, said on Tuesday. 'Immigration and Customs Enforcement orchestrated what turned out to be the largest raid over the last decade in Chelsea.' 18 Brazilian nationals charged, over 100 firearms seized in crackdown on gun trafficking in Mass. Wu added on Sunday, 'Our city is the safest major city in the country because we are safe for everyone, and because we collaborate every day with the federal government.' ICE arrests Dominican national convicted of killing pregnant girlfriend in Massachusetts On Monday, Homan said the 370 illegal aliens arrested in Massachusetts during the recent five-day federal investigation included six foreign fugitives, of which four 'who were wanted for murder or to serve a criminal sentence for murder, along with drug traffickers, child sexual predators and numerous other violent public safety threats.' Fugitive wanted in Brazil for manslaughter arrested while driving in Massachusetts, ICE says 'These officers and agents made the neighborhoods of Boston and Massachusetts much safer,' Homan said. 'They risked their own safety by arresting these criminals on the street, rather than a jail.' ICE arrests Brazilian national accused of raping Massachusetts resident Homan's strong words come after numerous cases of Massachusetts courts ignoring federal immigration detainers for foreign nationals who are accused of committing crimes in this country, and releasing them on bail. Last month, federal authorities said they arrested a Brazilian national and gang member convicted of assault, after a Massachusetts court ignored the ICE immigration detainer. In another case, federal authorities said that a Massachusetts court twice ignored an immigration detainer lodged by ICE and twice released a Guatemalan national convicted of assault and other crimes in the Bay State. 'Disturbing crime': Man accused of killing Lynn sub shop owner in the U.S. illegally, ICE says Court officials do not have the authority to hold an individual in custody solely on the basis of a Federal Civil Immigration Detainer, Jennifer Donahue, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Trial Courts, has repeatedly said in statements regarding the matter. 'In order to comply with Massachusetts law, court officers are prohibited from assisting or interfering with ICE agents in executing their obligations under Federal law,' Donahue has said. 'That means that a court officer will not interfere with ICE arresting an individual who has been released,' Donahue said. 'On the other hand, court officers are prohibited from keeping a released individual in custody awaiting an ICE agent.' Homan, in his post on Monday, had some strong words for Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. 'Governor Healy and Mayor Wu should be ashamed of supporting sanctuary policies. Releasing public safety threats back into the public, rather than working with ICE at the jails, puts the public at great risk,' Homan said. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
CBS News
18-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Videos appear to show immigration raid in Chelsea, local organization says laborers impacted
Cellphone videos appear to show an immigration raid that took place in the heart of Chelsea's Bellingham Square on Tuesday morning. Community members said federal agents wearing police vests and masks showed up around 6:30 a.m. and began taking people into custody. "There was a major immigration raid impacting laborers with local construction companies. We witnessed that multiple members of the community were detained. Many are here under asylum claims," said Alex Train, who claims he personally witnessed some of the raid. Train is the Chief Operating Officer of La Colaborativa, a local social services organization, which decided to shut its doors as a result of the raid. "To assure the safety of all the community members who come here on a day-to-day basis," Train said. Bellingham Square is the commercial epicenter of Chelsea. The raids happened around the corner from the restaurant where Bernardo Arteaga has cooked and food prepped for 15 years. "I worry about the community in general because there are people from every country around the world," Arteaga said. Leo Ubelasquez told WBZ-TV he takes no issue with ICE arresting dangerous criminals. "Listen, there's a lot of people doing bad stuff out there. Go get them! Not people that work hard. Not people who are thinking about businesses, creating opportunities for other people," he said. Train does not believe that is what happened. He says he knows a young asylum seeker who was detained this morning. "One of our community members, 19 years of age, is here completely legally, a Latino male. He is detained and nobody knows his whereabouts right now. It is madness and completely inhumane," Train said. WBZ reached out to ICE for comment on this story and did not receive a response.
Boston Globe
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu will testify before Congress about immigration enforcement this week. Here's what to expect.
Congressional hearings like this one have ended careers and soiled reputations; look no further than the 2023 panel on campus antisemitism that Advertisement Yet the high-profile public appearance, which comes at the beginning of a reelection year, also gives Wu the chance to tell the nation — and voters back home — about Boston's public safety success stories, and the city's approach to welcoming new arrivals. The daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, 40-year-old Wu has benefitted from the Related : But in Boston's public safety record, Wu also has an enviable story to tell. She often touts Boston as the Advertisement Wu is expected to emphasize that public safety message in Washington. She told reporters last week that at the hearing, 'the most important thing is to bring the truth of what Boston is doing and who we are and why our policies are working in the community.' Wu, city officials said. By the time she speaks Wednesday, Wu will have roughly a dozen prep sessions under her belt in which she drilled with City Hall staff, outside counsel, and police officials. She often brought along her She called each member of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, some of whom serve on the committee she'll appear before Wednesday. She also looked to Cahill Gordon & Reindel for help, selecting a firm that is not based in Boston but has offices in New York and on Washington, D.C.'s K Street, among other locations. As part of her prep, Wu met in recent weeks with Haitian leaders in Mattapan, advocates and nonprofit leaders in East Boston, faith leaders from across the city, and immigrant residents and business owners at La Colaborativa, in nearby Chelsea. She gathered stories she might share with the committee and also collected support from local leaders. Advertisement 'Our community is praying for you. We are with you,' said Imam Abdulqadir Farah of the Islamic Society of Boston after meeting with Wu last week. A central goal for Wu is to make the case to the committee, as she often has to her constituents, that the city's immigration policies do not undermine community safety, but rather bolster it. While Boston officials do not embrace the label 'sanctuary city' — a politicized term used primarily by Republicans to deride left-leaning cities — the Josh Zakim, a former Boston city councilor who authored the 2014 ordinance, said it was intended to ensure trust and cooperation between immigrant communities and law enforcement. 'We need people who are witnesses or victims of crime to come and talk to us if we're going to solve these crimes and get dangerous people off the streets,' he said. 'Nothing in the act is to impede or prevent federal officials from enforcing federal immigration law.' Attorneys who regularly prepare witnesses for congressional testimony warn that it can be difficult to escape unscathed. The soundbites that emerge tend to be good political fodder for the people asking the questions, not the ones answering them, they said. 'It's very difficult to win a hearing. It's easy to lose one, as a witness,' said Christopher Armstrong, a partner at Holland & Knight who co-leads the group's congressional investigations team. Wednesday's event is 'what I call a punching bag hearing,' he added. 'The reason they're holding this hearing is because they want to rake you over the coals and have spent about six weeks preparing for that.' Advertisement One approach, Armstrong said, is to avoid 'creating the big YouTube moments, because they'll often work against you.' Politicians may be used to answering tough questions from the media and constituents, but congressional hearings are not a level playing field, experts warned. The sessions require hours and hours of preparation, including digging up the same background research that oppositional congressional staff will find, and role playing the panel dynamics. Republicans on the committee have already set a combative tone for Wednesday's hearing. They released Boston has already been a target for national Republicans, particularly on immigration. 'I read a story last night: the police commissioner of Boston, you said you'd double down on not helping the law enforcement office of ICE,' Homan said during a recent speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference. 'I'm coming to Boston and I'm bringing hell with me.' In November, speaking about Wu's immigration policies during a television interview, Related : For all the bluster expected Wednesday, Wu may not be the most fiery mayor speaking before the committee — and that may be by design. She is relatively soft spoken, and has not always sought out the national spotlight. Other mayors appearing before the panel that day may face more aggressive questioning from the committee, and shoot back more aggressive answers. Advertisement Mayor Mike Johnston of Denver said last year Niki Griswold of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Emma Platoff can be reached at
Boston Globe
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
In the shadows of hope, fear shatters their American dreams
CHELSEA — Three thousand people were lined up to get free food from La Colaborativa, the nonprofit that supports Latinx immigrants in Greater Boston. 'Our community is very diverse, very blended,' says executive director Gladys Vega, who buys more food if the donated items are not enough. 'It's a very friendly atmosphere, and people feel very good about what we do.' However, the good vibes were shattered by three people who began videotaping and slinging insults. One of the females was particularly crude, staff members said. Advertisement Gladys Vega (left), executive director of La Colaborativa, and Jessica Armco, triage assistant, hugged an migrant after they helped her get her work permit. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff 'They were saying nasty things like, 'Get out of this country, you're worthless. We're calling ICE on you. Donny is going to come after you and I can't wait,'' says Vega. President Trump's plan to detain and deport undocumented migrants has sent sent a wave of worry through this diverse city. Federal immigration agents mobilized in a Market Basket parking lot last month. There was no major round-up of immigrants here, but people are still on edge. They worry agents will swoop in anytime, anywhere, any place. Fear is palpable on Broadway, the city's commercial heart. 'Living under the shadows, you hide,' says Vega. 'You don't tell your real name, you see someone white, you shy away. But then, when you wake up every morning, you go and work at a restaurant. You are cleaning the companies in the big office buildings. . . . America will not be America without the sweat and tears of the immigrants that are building this community.' A mural depicting activism in Chelsea. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff @font-face { font-family: BentonSansCond-Regular; src: url(" format('woff2'), url(" format('woff'); font-weight: 600; font-style: normal; } @font-face { font-family: BentonSansCond-Bold; src: url(" format('woff2'), url(" format('woff'); font-weight: 600; font-style: normal; } #containerbullet{ text-align: center; margin: 0px 10px 10px 10px; background-color:#f4f4f4; padding: 25px; border-color: #333; max-width: 66%; margin: 20px auto; position: relative; } .hedbulletpoints { font-family: "BentonSansCond-Bold", "Impact", "Arial Narrow", "Helvetica", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1; color: #000; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px 5px; text-align: left; padding:0px 16px 8px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; } .subhedbulletpoints { font-family: "BentonSansCond-Regular", "Impact", "Arial Narrow", "Helvetica", sans-serif; font-size:.9em; line-height: 1.2; color: #000; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px 5px; text-align: left; padding:0px 16px 8px 0px; } .updatebullets { font-family:BentonSansCond-Regular; font-size:14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.75; color: #000; letter-spacing: 0.8px; margin: 5px 5px 5px 0px; text-align: left; } .updatebullets span{ font-family: "BentonSansCond-Bold", "Impact", "Arial Narrow", "Helvetica", sans-serif; } .linesupdates { width: 100%; display: block; border-bottom: 0px solid rgba(0,0,0,1); height: 2px; background: #000; } .sourceline { font-family:BentonSansCond-Regular; font-size:11px; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.75; color: #000; letter-spacing: 0.8px; margin: 20px 5px 5px 0px; text-align: left; } li { padding-top: 10px; } @media only screen and (max-width: 500px) { #containerbullet{ text-align: center; margin: 0px 3px 3px 3px; background-color:#f4f4f4; padding: 8px; border-color: #333; max-width: 100%; margin: 3px auto; position: relative; } .updatebullets { font-family:BentonSansCond-Regular; font-size:14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.75; color: #000; letter-spacing: 0.8px; margin: 0px 8px 0px 0px; text-align: left; } } How we reported this story The Globe interviewed these immigrants, seeking their unique perspectives on the present situation. Because of their fears of reprisal, we only use an initial from their name and they collaborated on their photographic portraits to retain anonymity. Some chose hands only, others a mask, obscured faces, or in the case of a Venezuelan family, they proudly allowed full-face photos of their beautiful daughter, born in Boston. ' 'A lot of us are living in fear, whether we were born here, whether we weren't born here.' L. L., draped in a Mexican flag and wearing her cap and gown, is a native of the United States and graduated with a college degree in political science. She worries that her mom, who is Mexican and still in the process of getting citizenship, could be targeted by immigration agents. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff L. was born in the United States and graduated with a college degree in political science. She works with kids as a youth facilitator. She worries that her mother, who is Mexican and still in the process of getting citizenship, could be targeted. If agents come knocking on her door, she says, she has studied how to respond. 'Number one, don't open the door,' says 'L', who attended a 'Know Your Rights' workshop at La Colaborativa. 'Say that you don't wish to speak to them according to your Fourth Amendment right.' Advertisement Tears start streaming down her face. 'A lot of us are living in fear, whether we were born here, whether we weren't born here. And that's obviously what he [Trump] wants, and I think he's succeeding with it.' She dabs at her eyes with a tissue. 'It's a sanctuary city, yes. But with Trump signing all these executive orders saying basically, 'Screw you guys. You guys didn't vote for me. …I'm going after all of you,'' is frightening, she says. She agrees that criminals should be deported. 'But for your average hard-working Latino man and woman who came to this country for a better life, not only for themselves, but for their children, those are not the people that he should be targeting. . . . He says he's not, but you know he is,' she says. 'This country was built and created by immigrants. They're the ones who really hold and sustain this country. And without them, it's going to crumble down.' She still has hope. 'I think that being born in this country has its advantages. But I know that sometimes my family and the immigrant community do feel as though they're ghosts living here.' ' 'I'm not scared nor angry. I'll be for real with you. But what I want to do is help my community.' Z. Z. wears a bunny mask to cover his face. He was born on the Mystic River Bridge to a Mexican father and Salvadoran mother. 'Bunnies run away from predators. As a kid, when people scream La Migra, it means ICE or Immigration, which means run or hide. In this country we shouldn't be running and hiding from people. Bunnies have a lot of predators but when they combine forces, they scatter the wolves, and they mess with the wolves.' Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff Z. is an 18-year-old US citizen born smack dab in the middle of a snowy Tobin Memorial Bridge as his dad rushed them into Massachusetts General Hospital on Dec. 18, 2006. His umbilical cord was still attached. His dad is Mexican and works in construction. His mom is Salvadoran and works as a cook. Advertisement The Chelsea High School student is determined to help during this difficult time. 'I'm not scared nor angry. I'll be for real with you. But what I want to do is help my community. Chelsea is a very diverse community. It's nerve-wracking for people.' Recently he saw two mothers huddled and talking in the street, their child listening. 'And that kid starts to break down crying. No 7 or 8-year-old should be worrying about their mother being deported. It just saddens me.' His angst over the new president's quest to end birthright citizenship, a constitutional right for those born in this country, is raw. 'It's (expletive) up,' he says. 'Pardon my language, but if they do that, I'm not going to back down without a fight. If they get me and my parents, then people would say it's the end of the world. But in reality, if I'm with my family, if we're all together, then it doesn't matter. All I care about is my family.' ' 'If you deport me to Haiti, I have no one there and you're setting me up to die.' B. B. was born in Haiti. He is afraid that if he is deported, 'I will be dead the same day I arrive.' Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff B. was born in Haiti. His mom is from the Dominican Republic. He says his Haitian father abused him and then abandoned him when they got to the United States. His mom divorced his father and remained in Santo Domingo. She had several strokes and is immobile. 'I'm a momma's boy,' he says in Spanish. 'I'm afraid because I have never been detached from my mom.' He has his work papers and is looking for a full-time job. He works stocking food in a local market. He dreams of someday buying his mom a house. 'All my family is in Dominicana. My biggest fear is. . . if you deport me to Haiti, I have no one there and you're setting me up to die. Haiti is a country without law.' Advertisement He is 19, tall and shy, and wears a Super Bowl 1981 sweatshirt and a thin black coat in the cold. 'I may not have anything, but I have my energy and my youth and my willingness to do what is right. Judge me by the actions that I take and what I want to do in life. That's not right for me to be judged as a young man who will be a criminal. I am not that at all. Give me an opportunity, and see the type of person I am. 'I get extremely, extremely sad when at times you dream and the reality is the dream is no longer a dream. It could really become a nightmare.' ' 'I can't sleep at night. President Trump wants to kick them all out, even A., who was born in the USA.' F. A. walks with her Venezuelan mother. She was born on the Fourth of July at Boston Medical Center. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff Six-month-old A. was born on the Fourth of July at Boston Medical Center. Her parents are among the millions who fled the political and economic crisis of Venezuela. Part of their long journey was spent riding on top of 'El Bestia,' (The Beast), also known as 'The Train of Death,' for the high number of immigrants who die on it. F., who works as a supportive specialist at a local shelter, pays taxes and has no problems with the law. He has studied at Harvard Extension School. He worked briefly at a luxury hotel in Boston, where he saw migrants hard at work. 'When you walk in the lobby, it's beautiful. But then when you go down to where everything is happening, to the basement where the laundry, the food is being prepared, everything is being prepared by migrants. All the cleaning, fixing the pillows, anything.' Advertisement His newborn daughter has a birth certificate and US citizenship. All he has is The stress over his family's future has seeped into his soul. 'I can't sleep at night,' he says through an interpreter. 'President Trump wants to kick them all out, even A., who was born in the USA,' he says. 'Unfortunately, I feel that that is inhumane,' says F. 'Our biggest fear is that. Unfortunately, we cannot go back to Venezuela, because our life will be in danger back there.' Even going to the laundromat can be a traumatic experience. 'When I looked up, there was two police officers,' says his wife, M. But they were just on foot patrol. 'I just felt like my whole world collapsed. I got scared.' 'I feel like we left the country because of persecution, and we came to this country to give our best. But I feel like the same thing is happening here. Anything is possible and that is unnerving,' he says. His stress level on a one to 10 scale is now a solid 10. 'I don't think anyone likes to live in the shadow, in the darkness,' he says. @font-face { font-family: BentonSansCond-Regular; src: url(" format('woff2'), url(" format('woff'); } @font-face { font-family: BentonSansCond-Bold; src: url(" format('woff2'), url(" format('woff'); } .dipupnext_hed { font-family: "MillerHeadline-Bold", "Times New Roman", Times, Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: .75px; text-align: center; font-size: 1.25em; line-height: 1; margin-top: 3px; color: #000; width: 100%; font-weight: 600; } .dipupnext_cap_cred { font-family: "BentonSansCond-Regular", "Times New Roman", Times, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: .5px; text-align: left; margin: 3px 0px 5px 0px; font-weight: 200; color: #000; text-decoration: none; text-align: center; } .dipupnext_photo { max-width: 100%; height: auto; padding-top: 15px; opacity: 1; } .dipupnext__form:hover { opacity: .5; text-decoration: underline .5px; } .dipupnext__form{ opacity: 1; } .picupnext__container { width: 100%; position: relative; margin: 0 auto; } .dipupnext__content { width: 100%; display: grid; grid-template-columns: 3fr; } .cdipupnextcontainer { display: block; width:100%; height: auto; margin:0 auto; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; } .upnext { font-family: "BentonSansCond-Bold", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.15; margin-top: .5rem; letter-spacing: 0px; color: #000; padding: 8px 8px 4px 8px; margin-top: 5px; letter-spacing: .5px; } .upnext:before, .upnext:after { background-color: #000; content: ""; display: inline-block; height: 1px; position: relative; vertical-align: 4px; width: 32%; } .upnext:before { right: 0.3em; margin-left: -50%; } .upnext:after { left: 0.3em; margin-right: -50%; } .theme-dark .upnext:before { background-color: #fff; } .theme-dark .upnext:after { background-color: #fff; } .theme-dark .upnext { color: #fff; } .theme-dark .dipupnext_cap_cred { color: #fff; } .theme-dark .dipupnext_hed { color: #fff; } @media screen and (min-width: 800px){ .dipupnext__content { grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr; grid-column-gap: 40px; } } UP NEXT Stan Grossfeld can be reached at
