Latest news with #PeteFlores
Epoch Times
3 days ago
- Epoch Times
CBP Blocks Seafood Linked to Suspected Forced Labor on Chinese Fishing Vessel
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it is detaining at all ports any seafood linked to a Chinese fishing vessel suspected to use forced labor. 'Combatting forced labor is central to CBP's mission to protect the economic security of the United States,' CBP acting Commissioner Pete Flores CBP issued the May 28 withhold release order on vessel Zhen Fa 7, ordering its officers at all U.S. ports to block entry of seafood harvested from the Chinese-flagged vessel. The CBP said it had reasonable suspicion of forced labor, identifying abusive working and living conditions, physical and sexual violence, debt bondage, the retention of laborers' identity documents, and other issues. These afforded the Zhen Fa 7 labor costs below market value and 'unjustly earned profits' in a way that undercut American businesses, according to the press release. CBP currently has 52 active withhold release orders, and 36 of them are related to China-linked entities. The Tariff Act of 1930 prohibits the import of goods made by convict or forced labor, and a key expansion was made in 2022 with the enactment of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which blocks the importation of goods manufactured with forced labor in Xinjiang. Related Stories 1/14/2025 11/22/2024 The United States has determined that the Chinese communist regime systemically uses forced labor in Xinjiang, where the majority of China's cotton is produced. Xinjiang is also home to many of China's mining operations. In 2022, the United Nations also issued a U.S. agencies have According to CBP The shipments fall under a wide range of categories, including automotive and aerospace, electronics, apparel, consumer products, agriculture, base metals, pharmaceuticals, and machinery. The items do not all originate directly from China but often from Southeast Asia. Many of the shipments had a country of origin of Malaysia, Vietnam, or Thailand. These countries manufacture many goods sold to the United States with materials originating from China. CBP
Epoch Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
San Diego Immigrant Facility Closed Amid ‘Unprecedented Decrease in Illegal Crossings': Border Patrol
A temporary facility set up to process illegal immigrants has been shut down in San Diego following a considerable drop in illegal entries. 'Due to the unprecedented decrease in illegal crossings this year, the massive 1,000 person, San Diego Sector Soft Sided Facility has been dismantled,' Soft-sided facilities are According to CBP In the first four months of the year, 10,554 border encounters have been reported in the sector, down from 127,426 encounters during the same period in 2024. In a March 14 post on X, CBP had Related Stories 5/25/2025 5/24/2025 'Each facility shutdown saves $5-$30M/month. More resources for border security, less taxpayer money spent,' it said. Pete Flores, acting CBP commissioner, said the agency no longer needed many of the soft-sided facilities as illegal immigrants were being removed quickly. 'Manpower and other resources dedicated to temporary processing facilities will be redirected toward other priorities and will speed CBP's progress in gaining operational control over the southwest border,' he said. In February, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem 'President [Donald] Trump has a clear message: if you are here illegally, we will find you and deport you. You will never return. But if you leave now, you may have an opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American Dream,' she said. 'If you are a criminal alien considering entering America illegally: Don't even think about it. If you come here and break our laws, we will hunt you down. Criminals are not welcome in the United States.' 'Operational Control Becoming a Reality' Under the Trump administration's stringent policies and actions against illegal immigration, the number of foreign nationals entering the country illegally has declined. 'For the first time in years, more agents are back in the field—patrolling territories that CBP didn't have the bandwidth or manpower to oversee just six months ago,' said Flores, according to a May 12 'But thanks to this administration's dramatic shift in security posture at our border, we are now seeing operational control becoming a reality—and it's only just beginning.' According to the CBP, only five illegal immigrants were temporarily allowed entry into the United States last month for U.S. special interest court cases. This is a 'staggering drop from the roughly 68,000 released along the southwest border during the same month last year,' the agency said. The administration has also met with some legal hurdles. On May 7, a federal judge The administration appealed the ruling, seeking to lift the judge's order. However, on May 16, the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston Meanwhile, the administration is pushing ahead with stronger measures to tackle illegal immigration. On May 9, Trump In addition, the initiative offers an 'exit bonus' for illegal immigrants in the United States. Those who initiate their removal using the CBP Home app stand to receive $1,000 from the government as well as travel assistance. Trump said the program restores America's sovereignty and preserves taxpayer resources. 'This deportation bonus will save American taxpayers billions and billions of dollars,' he said. 'Eventually, when the illegals are gone, it will save us trillions.' Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Texas House Democrats block bill to punish cities that don't clear homeless encampments
A Republican-led bid to increase enforcement of Texas' 2021 camping ban died in the state House on Monday night after Democratic members challenged the bill on a technicality. Senate Bill 241 by Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, would have required cities to establish channels for residents to report illegal homeless encampments. If a complaint were not addressed within 90 days, the state could send the Department of Public Safety to clear encampments, then charge the city for that enforcement by withholding sales tax revenues. Flores said the bill strengthens the 2021 ban by "empowering residents to hold their cities accountable." "Every Texan deserves safe, clean communities, and this bill is an important step toward ensuring that," the senator, whose district includes San Antonio, said in a social media statement May 14. Texas' attorney general, currently Republican Ken Paxton, would have been responsible for notifying the DPS and the state comptroller about unresolved complaints. The bill's House sponsor, Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, argued cities aren't sufficiently enforcing the law. "The state has been the one footing the bill for the cities that have failed to address homeless camping in their jurisdiction," said Capriglione, R-Southlake. "Whether it's in my area, in Fort Worth, or in Dallas or here in Austin, everybody knows that these homeless camping restrictions have not been enforced." Austin city officials, however, disagree. The city cleared 1,500 encampments in 2024, according to David Gray, the city's Homeless Strategy Officer. "Every day, we have staff out in the community that are engaging with people on the street, offering them access to shelter and housing services, and posting 72-hour notices to clear encampments," Gray told the American-Statesman in a phone interview Tuesday. "From our perspective, the bill wasn't necessary. We're already doing the work." During floor debate of the bill, Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, argued that the state is contributing to Austin's homelessness problem by sending formerly incarcerated people into the city when their sentences end. She pointed to a state-licensed halfway house in East Austin, the Austin Transitional Center, where she said the majority of the population has no connection to Travis County. "We are blamed for our homelessness problem in Austin when it is the state of Texas who is in large part creating the problem," Hinojosa said. State Rep. Gene Wu, the House Democratic Caucus chair, dealt the death blow to SB 241 late Monday night. He argued its caption, "relating to prohibitions on camping in a public place," violated a House rule that requires captions to "give reasonable notice of the subject of the proposed measure." Wu said he killed the bill because it would have done nothing to alleviate the homelessness crisis, but instead punish people experiencing homelessness and municipalities such as Austin, Dallas and Houston that are trying to find compassionate solutions to the ongoing crisis. "It is a genuinely evil bill," Wu told the Statesman. Capriglione postponed the bill to June 3, an acknowledgement that there is not enough time to fix the caption issue before the 2025 legislative session adjourns on June 2. The bill had passed in a bipartisan 22-8 vote in the state Senate, with Democratic Sens. Royce West of Dallas, Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa of McAllen and Carol Alvarado of Houston joining Republicans to support the measure. Austin, the seat of state government, has struggled with how to address homeless encampments. Austin voters in 2021 reinstated the city's camping ban, which the City Council had repealed in 2019. In 2021, the political action committee behind the city's homeless camping ban sued Austin, accusing the city of failing to fully enforce the ordinance. The Third Court of Appeals affirmed in February 2025 that the group, Save Austin Now, lacked standing to bring the lawsuit. Gray said that eliminating unsheltered homelessness will take more than clearing encampments. In Austin, there is one shelter bed for every five people living on the streets, he said. "Rather than the Legislature taking up bills that make it more challenging for us to enforce, we invite them to be part of the solution," he said. "And the way that you do that is by getting people into shelter and getting people into housing programs wrapped around with case management, substance treatment and job training that they need to stabilize their lives and then thrive on their own." Statesman staff writer John C. Moritz contributed reporting. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Democrats kill bill penalizing cities over homeless encampments
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Democrats kill Texas bill to punish cities that don't clear homeless encampments
A GOP-led bid to increase enforcement of Texas' 2021 camping ban died in the state House on Monday night after Democrats challenged the bill on a technicality. The measure, Senate Bill 241 by Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, would have required cities to establish channels for residents to report illegal homeless encampments. If a complaint were not addressed within 90 days, the state could send the Department of Public Safety to clear encampments, then charge the city for that enforcement by withholding sales tax revenues. Texas' attorney general, currently Republican Ken Paxton, would be responsible for notifying the DPS and the state comptroller about unresolved complaints. "The state has been the one footing the bill for the cities that have failed to address homeless camping in their jurisdiction," House sponsor Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, said. "Whether it's in my area, in Fort Worth, or in Dallas or here in Austin, everybody knows that these camping restrictions on homeless camping restrictions have not been enforced." Rep. Gina Hinajosa, D-Austin, argued the state is contributing to Austin's homelessness problem by sending formerly incarcerated people into the city when their sentences end. She pointed to a state-licensed halfway house in East Austin, the Austin Transitional Center, where she said the majority of the population has no connection to Travis County. "We are blamed for our homelessness problem in Austin when it is the state of Texas who is in large part creating the problem," Hinojosa said. State Rep. Gene Wu, the House Democratic Caucus chair, dealt the death blow to SB 241 late Monday night. He argued its caption, "relating to prohibitions on camping in a public place," violated a House rule that requires captions to "give reasonable notice of the subject of the proposed measure." Wu said he killed the bill because it would have done nothing to alleviate the homeless crisis, but instead punish people experiencing homeless and municipalities such as Austin, Dallas and Houston that are trying to find compassionate solutions to the ongoing crisis. "It is a genuinely evil bill," Wu told the Statesman. Capriglione postponed the bill to June 3, an acknowledgement that there is not enough time to fix the caption issue before the 2025 legislative session adjourns on June 2. Tuesday is the last day for the House to give initial approval to Senate bills. The bill had passed in a bipartisan 22-8 vote in the state Senate, with Democratic Sens. Royce West of Dallas, Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa of McAllen and Carol Alvarado of Houston joining Republicans to support the measure. Austin, the seat of state government, has struggled with how to address homeless encampments. Austin voters in 2021 reinstated the city's camping ban, which the city council had repealed in 2019. In 2021, the political action committee behind the city's homeless camping ban sued, accusing Austin of failing to fully enforce the ordinance. The Third Court of Appeals affirmed in February 2025 that the group, Save Austin Now, lacked standing to bring the lawsuit. Statesman staff writer John C. Moritz contributed reporting. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Democrats kill effort to increase enforcement of camping ban
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Uvalde Strong Act' passes Texas Senate amid calls for bolder action
A bill that aims to better prepare law enforcement agencies to respond to mass shootings to avoid a repeat of the 2022 massacre at a Uvalde elementary school sailed through the Texas Senate and will likely be on its way to the governor's desk soon — but some fear the measure does not go far enough to prevent future tragedies. House Bill 33, titled the "Uvalde Strong Act," passed the upper chamber unanimously Monday after clearing the House with no opposition April 29. The House is expected to concur with Senate tweaks to the legislation and send it for a gubernatorial signature. On May 24, 2022, three years ago this Saturday, a gunman entered Robb Elementary School and killed 19 children and two teachers, marking the state's deadliest school mass shooting. As the tragedy unfolded, nearly 400 police officers waited more than an hour to confront the shooter. HB 33 introduces a slew of new requirements for schools and first responders. It requires school districts and multiple law enforcement agencies to meet together each year for planning and training, and it mandates annual mass shooting exercises. It requires the Texas Department of Public Safety to make agreements with local agencies detailing how the departments would coordinate with one another during an emergency. The legislation also gives responding officers the ability to override an incident commander and take control of a scene if the officer believes the response is inadequate or the situation is unsafe. It requires responding agencies to prepare a preliminary report by 60 days after an incident. "This tragedy has exposed critical failures in law enforcement preparedness, response coordination and school safety protocols, making it clear that Texas must take action to address our current shortcomings and future readiness for active shooter situations," said Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, who sponsored the bill in the Senate. More: 'Uvalde Strong Act' passes unanimously out of Texas House Committee: 'One step closer' The bill is the first from freshman state Rep. Don McLaughlin, who was Uvalde's mayor during the 2022 shooting, and was identified as a priority by House Speaker Dustin Burrows, who led the lower chamber's investigation into the botched shooting response. McLaughlin, a Republican who now represents the South Texas town of about 15,000, praised the bill's passage in a statement Monday. "This is about keeping our schools safer and making sure law enforcement and first responders are never set up to fail," McLaughlin wrote. "We owe it to the families to take action that actually matters. HB 33 does that." But San Antonio Democratic Sen. Roland Gutierrez, whose district includes Uvalde, said "more must be done" to heal from from the shooting and prevent future tragedies. "We need to do better on common sense gun safety solutions. We need to do better on how we take care of people after these things happen. We need to do better on victims compensation funds," Gutierrez said on the Senate floor. "I promise you, and sadly, this will happen again, no matter how many pieces of legislation we put up, until we begin to truly look at the root problems that are hurting us in this state on gun violence." Brett Cross, whose 10-year-old son Uziyah was killed in the Robb Elementary shooting, told the American-Statesman on Tuesday at the Capitol that the bill won't stop future tragedies but is instead a "reactionary measure ... just to placate people." "If (McLaughlin) wants to put out a bill that will actually save children's lives, that could have saved Uziyah and all the other ones in Uvalde, it would have been to raise the age (to buy assault weapons from 18 to 21). It would have been red flag laws. It would have been safe storage laws. It would have been universal background checks; to end the gun show loophole," Cross said. "The Republicans, especially in Texas, do not care about the youth. They do not care about our children. They care about the money that they make from the NRA." Staff writer Bayliss Wagner contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Legislature OKs Uvalde Strong Act to bolster shooting response
