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Newsweek
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Green Card Holder in US for 40 Years Detained by ICE While Walking Dog
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. A green card holder who has been living in the United States for 40 years was detained by federal agents while walking his dog. Reza Zavvar, 52, was apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on June 28 just outside his home in Maryland and is currently being detained at a facility in Texas. Newsweek reached out to Zavvar's family, ICE, and the Department of Homeland Security for comment. Why It Matters The Trump administration is enacting plans to carry out what it calls the largest deportation operation in U.S. history as part of the Republicans' hard-line immigration agenda. In addition to people living in the country without legal status, immigrants with valid documentation, including green cards and visas, have been detained. Newsweek has revealed dozens of cases involving green card holders and applicants who were swept up in the immigration raids. Federal immigration authorities continue to pursue deportations not only of undocumented immigrants but also of former green card holders with past criminal records. What To Know Zavvar arrived in the U.S. legally from Iran as a student at the age of 12, and now he faces deportation to a country gripped by instability and conflict. Zavvar's mother, Firouzeh Firouzabadi, told NBC4 Washington that only minutes after Zavvar went out to walk his dog, Duke, uniformed strangers appeared at her front door with the leash in hand. "I heard the knock on the door," Firouzabadi said. "I was shaking," Firouzabadi told the outlet. "My brother was behind me holding me, and a lot of questions were coming, but the first thing that came to my mind was that maybe a car hit him and he's on the floor, that's why they brought him, Duke to me. That was the first thing that hit me. It was hard." Zavvar's family said he was initially taken to a facility in Baltimore for questioning before being transferred to a detention center in Texas, according to NBC4 Washington. Zavvar was sent to the U.S. by his parents to pursue his education and later obtained a green card, NBC4 Washington reported. The rest of the family joined him in the U.S. several years later. According to the family's attorney, Zavvar was charged with a misdemeanor for marijuana possession in the late 1990s. In 2004, he was stopped while reentering the country, which initiated deportation proceedings. The attorney said the case was resolved in October 2007, when Zavvar was granted a withholding of removal order to Iran, allowing him to remain in the U.S. and continue working legally. Federal immigration agents waiting to detain migrants at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center in New York City Federal immigration agents waiting to detain migrants at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center in New York City STAR MAX/Andrea Renaul What People Are Saying Reza Zavvar's sister, Maryam Zavvar, told NBC4 Washington: "I can't sleep at night, I just can't." "We don't know why he's being held in a detention facility in Texas hundreds of miles away from us with criminals." Bany Alavi, Reza Zavvar's friend, told NBC4 Washington: "He's everyone's favorite bud. You know that guy that you can just rely on, trust on." What Happens Next Zavvar's family told NBC4 Washington that the government has issued deportation orders to either Romania or Australia, without providing any explanation.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Yahoo
Guy Drives On National Mall After Letting Intrusive Thoughts Win
We've all had moments where we thought, "I bet it would be cool to drive there," but then never actually did it. Well, one guy in Washington, D.C. let those intrusive thoughts win, and it was all caught on camera. Around 8:30 p.m. on June 21, the driver of a Jeep Patriot decided to take the scenic route through the National Mall in D.C. while it was full of folks who were enjoying the warm summer evening. Luckily no one was hurt, according to NBC 4 Washington, but it was still an intense and dangerous scene. Video shared with the outlet shows the car driving close to pedestrians several times as they do their best to get out of the way of the car. The Patriot can be seen driving in circles around the mall as officers on motorcycles try to corral it to limited success. After a while of GTA-style antics, the driver left the mall and pulled back onto the street. Eventually, police were able to catch up to the driver and arrest him, NBC reports. There's no word yet on what charges he'll be facing, but if I had to guess, they're going to be pretty severe. He's expected in court sometime on June 23. Read more: These Are The Best Engines Of All Time, According To You Fox 5 DC spoke with people who were on the Mall at the time of the incident. Ferdous Al-Faruque, who recorded the video of the incident, told the outlet that he first thought it was "an undercover cop or an unmarked vehicle." It didn't really capture his attention until it pulled onto the grass, paused there and then "started going right into the mall." Here's what else Al-Faruque told Fox 5 he saw: "There was a lot of people. And I think you can get in the video there were people on the grass. Just enjoying themselves, having a picnic, this is why I love DC is that it's the kind of place you can go out and hang with people out in the open like that. There's open spaces. And unfortunately, this guy decided he was going to drive in the space and put people's lives in danger," Al-Faruque continued. Somehow, no one was injured in this whole situation, which is a minor miracle in itself. Still, let this be a lesson to you all: just because driving where you're not supposed to be seems like a good idea, it really isn't. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Residents shocked after unexpected creature wanders into backyard: 'The police don't want us to go outside'
A bear wandered into a backyard in Prince George's County, Maryland, forcing residents to take their Memorial Day plans indoors, NBC4 Washington reported. The young bear, approximately 18 months old, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, lounged in a tree in a backyard around noon. "We were going to the playground with my daughter. We canceled because the police don't want us to go outside," one resident said, per NBC4 Washington. The bear stayed in the tree until 3:30 p.m. Then, DNR officers relocated it to a wildlife management area. While some Langley Park residents thought the encounter was exciting and memorable, such occurrences reflect a broader pattern. Close encounters between humans and wildlife are becoming more frequent. The cause is habitat loss, and it's happening on a global scale. In 2024, the World Wildlife Fund reported a catastrophic 73% decline in wildlife populations worldwide between 1970 and 2020. Freshwater species (85%) suffered the steepest drops, followed by land (69%) and marine life (56%). These losses stem largely from habitat destruction, overharvesting, and changes to our climate, many of which are linked to human land use and food production systems. As urban development expands and forested areas shrink, wild animals are forced to search for food and shelter in suburban and residential areas. While the situation in Maryland ended peacefully, that is not always the case. Wildlife encounters not only put people at risk but also stress animals. Animals can get hurt or become disoriented and may face euthanasia by authorities. Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely Depends on the animal No way Just let people do it for free Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Globally, major restoration efforts are underway to reverse damage from decades of habitat destruction. Government initiatives and independent groups are working to revive ecosystems through reforestation, wetland recovery, and wildlife corridor development. Individuals can help by getting involved in local conservation efforts and staying informed about how urbanization impacts local ecosystems. Respecting wildlife, securing trash, and protecting green spaces are small but powerful ways to coexist with nature and prevent backyard surprises. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
New York Post
28-05-2025
- New York Post
Virginia teen charged for fatally shooting man he says jumped out and kicked his Tesla
A teenage driver has been charged with murder in Virginia after allegedly admitting to gunning down a man he said jumped out and started kicking his Tesla, according to court documents. Kianmehr Shirinipaziziba, 18, told police he shot 39-year-old Jason Hann after he attacked his Tesla near a shopping center in Herndon on Friday night, according to court documents. 3 18-year-old Kianmehr Shirinipaziziba has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting. Herndon Police Department Hann 'kicked the mirror and appeared to reach to his waistband,' Shirinipaziziba told police. The teenager then pulled out his own Glock 27 9mm handgun, chambered a round and fired a single shot which struck Hann, the court docs said. 3 Shirinipaziziba says the man kicked his Tesla. Herndon Police Department, NBC4 Washington 3 Hann was struck by the single shot before he died. Herndon Police Department, NBC4 Washington 'Officers arrived on scene and provided first aid care to the victim. The shooter was also on scene, he was taken into custody by officers,' Sgt. David Forbach with Herndon Police told NBC Washington.
Epoch Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Trump Grants Full Pardon for Former Virginia Sheriff
President Donald Trump on Monday said he has pardoned Scott Jenkins, the former sheriff of Virginia's Culpeper County, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison following a federal bribery conviction. Trump made the A federal jury in December 2024 found Jenkins guilty on all 12 counts of conspiracy, fraud, and bribery in connection with his 2023 reelection campaign. Prosecutors said he accepted at least $72,000 in cash bribes in exchange for badges through the county's auxiliary sheriff's deputy program. According to Jenkins maintained his innocence, while his three co-defendants pleaded guilty. His defense argued that the payments were legitimate campaign contributions and that it was within his authority as a sheriff to designate auxiliary deputy sheriffs. In March, Jenkins was Trump came to Jenkins's defense on Monday, accusing the judge who presided over the case of being politically motivated and excluding exculpatory evidence in favor of the sheriff during the trial. The judges allegedly 'allow into evidence what they feel like, not what is mandated under the Constitution and Rules of Evidence,' the president wrote. Related Stories 5/24/2025 5/26/2025 Jenkins led law enforcement in Culpeper County for over a decade before the prosecution that ultimately cost him reelection in 2023. First elected in 2011, he served three terms, twice as an independent and once as a Republican, in the largely rural county of approximately 52,000 residents. Over the years, Jenkins emerged as a consistently conservative local leader when it comes to issues such as Second Amendment rights, immigration enforcement, and public health mandates. His profile grew as political tension escalated between Virginia's conservative rural communities and left-leaning progressive lawmakers in Richmond. In December 2019, Jenkins joined more than 30 other Virginia sheriffs in declaring his county a 'Second Amendment sanctuary' and vowed to deputize residents if the state Legislature passed new gun control laws that he said would infringe on their Second Amendment rights. 'We the sheriffs, especially the sheriffs in rural environments, which is the majority of America, we know what it takes to protect our citizens and how short we are on staffing to do so, and that people need the ability to protect themselves and own the weapons they've had all along,' he said at that time in Months earlier, Jenkins In 2020, Jenkins made headlines again by refusing to enforce COVID-19 lockdown orders issued by then-Gov. Ralph Northam. 'The governor does have the right to enact regulations during a state of emergency and I get that, but the Constitution doesn't go away just because of that,' Jenkins Jenkins had issued a personal plea for clemency last month during a webinar hosted by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, NBC4 Washington Since his return to the White House, Trump has pardoned a range of people whom he said were targeted by a politicized Justice Department during the Biden administration. Jenkins 'is a wonderful person, who was persecuted by the radical left,' the president wrote on Monday. 'He will not be going to jail tomorrow, but instead will have a wonderful and productive life.'
