Latest news with #Restraining
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Judge halts evictions from VT hotel motel program
BURLINGTON, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – A Vermont Superior Court judge placed a Temporary Restraining Order on the Vermont Department for Children and Families this week, blocking its ability to remove people from the state's General Assistance Emergency Housing Program, also known as the hotel-motel program, for the time being. Judge Sam Hoar signed the order after Vermont Legal Aid brought a complaint about recent evictions to the court, saying they had heard from people who claimed to have been kicked out of their hotel and motel rooms without notice. The order mandates Vermont DCF can no longer evict anyone as long as it's active, must give people in the program advance notice before terminating their vouchers, and must give voucher holders a chance to challenge their eviction. The ruling marks a big win for homelessness advocates in Vermont to start the month of May, as no one will be removed from their hotel or motel rooms for at least the next two weeks. 'The people in this program, they are elderly, they are disabled, they have children … They don't deserve to be treated like they don't matter,' said Leah Burdick, an attorney with Vermont Legal Aid who helped get the Temporary Restraining Order put in place. 'This is an important victory for the rule of law and the people of Vermont, because the judge said 'Yes, people in these motels have due process rights, and they must be notified before they can be told to leave.'' Burdick said Friday that ever since last year when the Vermont Legislature and Governor Phil Scott approved an 80 day cap on how long people are allowed to stay in the program, some people have complained about being kicked out before they believe their 80 days are up, and only being given hours to remove all of their belongings from their rooms. 'What we are really concerned about is these day-of, hours-before a checkout time, when they had every expectation that they were still eligible for another set of days, that they were told, 'Nope, get out,'' Burdick said. 'This order tells the department: That's not how this works.' The order will now remain in place until there is a hearing, which has been set for Friday, May 16. At that hearing, Burdick said Vermont Legal Aid hopes to get a Preliminary Injunction, which would basically elongate the period of time Vermont DCF is prohibited form evicting anyone. Chris Winters, Vermont DCF Commissioner, commented on the Temporary Restraining Order Friday afternoon, saying the department will comply with the order, but not indicating how they might respond to it in court. 'DCF is in receipt of the Court Order and is enacting changes to ensure compliance with this temporary order,' Winters wrote. 'Households are receiving notification of their rights to maintain housing and appeal any denial or termination.' When asked how far in advance she thinks people should be notified of their upcoming evictions, Burdick didn't give an exact number of days, but said it should be long enough to where people can dispute it if they want. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hindu
23-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Federal Court issues TRO on student visa records after lawsuit challenges SEVIS terminations
After the Murthy Law Firm filed a lawsuit against the federal government, a federal judge in Georgia issued Temporary Restraining Orders (TROs) restoring Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records for 133 international students who sued over unlawful SEVIS terminations. This comes after the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revoked Visas of International students and terminated their SEVIS records, citing encounters with law enforcement, many without any conviction. Anna Stepanova, assistant Managing Attorney, Murthy law firm, said the SEVIS reinstatements ordered by various federal judges are the result of Temporary Restraining Orders (TROs), which, at this time, provide a temporary reinstatement of plaintiffs' SEVIS records until the lawsuit is resolved via a final order from the judge. However, the standard for granting a TRO is a showing of a substantial likelihood of success on the merits of the case. This is generally seen as a positive development in the SEVIS terminations litigation. Background Late last month, the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, reported that DOS revoked more than 300 student visas and announced a new 'Catch and Revoke' program that uses AI-assisted reviews to screen social media posts of student visa holders. According to a verified source cited by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), out of 4,736 SEVIS records that the ICE has terminated since January 20, 2025, 50 per cent were Indians, with the majority being on F-1 visa status. Chinese students accounted for 14%, and a significant number of students were from Nepal, South Korea, and Bangladesh. The AILA report had indicated that 50 per cent of students were on Optimal Practical Training (OPT), which means that they had graduated and were employed in the U.S. Many Indian students especially from the STEM fields after their graduation work in the U.S. temporarily for 12 months with an additional extension of up to 36 under Optimal Practical Training. Many of the students who are doing their OPTs hope to secure a working career in the U.S. It is very difficult to secure an H1B visa in the U.S., for all these students who want to survive in the U.S., these OPTs open doors for them. Possible reasons for terminations The AILA study found many of those whose visas had been revoked had been in police reports for minor traffic violations or campus infractions, while in an extreme case, a student who was a victim of domestic abuse had their visa cancelled because their name appeared in the police complaint. Only two of the 327 responses received pertained to allegations that the students were involved in any political activity, and lawyers have pointed out that protesting is not illegal per se, and that the students risked losing their futures due to the government's action. As per Immigration attorneys in the U.S., the Department of State does not appear to have any rules or specific regulations that the DOS or ICE have mentioned or cited in the revocation letters issued to the students whose visas have been revoked and whose SEVIS records have been terminated. Sheela Murthy, President and CEO, Murthy Law Firm said, 'Generally, the reasons for the termination tend to be the person having some type of a fingerprint check or record with law enforcement. This includes incorrect cases that were filed and completely dismissed as baseless charges, or in some cases, there are pending investigations or ongoing cases in court.' Ms. Murthy said, 'In a few instances, it has been for simply showing support for a certain ideology, attending a march, or even showing a preferance for a certain ideology or in some case cases it appears to be a case of mistaken identity for a person being in the vicinity of a protest march.' State of confusion Ms. Murthy, said that there are no clear cut or simple avenues to challenge these decisions. The majority of the affected students have been filing federal lawsuits to reinstate their F1 status. Some courts have required the government to reinstate the student's status, and in other cases, the courts are not sure that the status of the student has been revoked or terminated merely because the SEVIS has been terminated. Ms. Murthy says that to date, the first has not received any deportation or removal notice for these students who have been impacted. We know many of them who have simply departed/traveled out of the US because they have been told that they need to leave immediately or they may be subject to deportation/removal. Ms. Murthy says other students are confused as to what to do, especially if they are in the middle of their education, for example, they may have a year or two to graduate, and they have invested their and their parents life savings to attend these universities to obtain the coveted U.S. degree, that will stand them in good stead anywhere in the world. Now, they are devastated and confused on how best to proceed. Ms. Murthy says even international student advisors or Designated School Officials (DSOs) are confused by the arguments made by the federal government that the termination of the SEVIS does not result in the status of the student being terminated. If that is not the case, nobody knows what exactly is going on, and even the government may be unclear since they are making up new rules and new ways to adversely impact students.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawyers say some deported by Trump administration weren't gang members, were targeted for tattoos
In several sworn declarations, attorneys, relatives and a former official for the Department of Homeland Security have pushed back on the Trump administration's deportation last weekend of Venezuelan migrants to a notorious prison in El Salvador. The declarations, which were filed overnight Wednesday, detail how some of the migrants were detained and how they were transferred to detention facilities in Texas before being sent to El Salvador. The declarations also allege that many of the migrants do not have ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua or have any criminal records. An official with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acknowledged in a sworn declaration earlier this week that "many" of the noncitizens deported under the Alien Enemies Act did not have criminal records in the United States. MORE: Man deported under Alien Enemies Act because of soccer logo tattoo: Attorney When asked by ABC News about how authorities are determining if migrants are gang members, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that the Trump administration is "not going to reveal operational details about a counterterrorism operation." Michelle Sarabia Gonzalez, the sister of Anyelo Jose Sarbia, who is believed to be in El Salvador, said in a sworn declaration that when she and her brother went to a routine ICE check-in two months ago as part of the asylum application process, officials did not allow her brother to leave. "The officers asked me whether my brother belonged to a gang and about a tattoo that is visible on his hand," Gonzalez said. "The tattoo on his left hand is of a rose with money as petals." Gonzalez said in her declaration that her brother is not affiliated with Tren de Aragua. In several declarations, attorneys described how their clients were placed on a plane for deportation but were removed because a Temporary Restraining Order was issued before the plane departed. Attorney Stephanie Quintero said her client was told by an ICE agent, "You all do not know how lucky you are. You all hit the lottery because you are not getting deported today." Quintero said her client and several other detainees were removed from the plane and sent back to El Valle Detention Center. Attorney also described how authorities brought them by bus to the plane after taking them out of detention centers in Texas over the weekend. "They were chained from top to bottom -- wrists, waist, ankles, chains which came up through their backs so they could barely move," said Quintero. One of the detainees, Quintero said, almost passed out on the bus "from heat exhaustion and dehydration and started bleeding profusely from his nose." "The detainees notified the guards, but they did not provide that person with medical attention," Quintero said. The incident was also mentioned in a declaration from another immigration attorney. MORE: 'Many' alleged gang members deported by Trump didn't have criminal records in the US: ICE Austin Thierry, an attorney who represents a Venezuelan migrant named E.V. who is believed to be in El Salvador, said his client did not have removal orders and has a hearing scheduled before an immigration judge in June. Thierry said E.V. has an infant son who is a U.S. citizen. According to Thierry, E.V. was detained after ICE officials showed up to his house looking for another individual. "Since E.V.'s detention, his partner and infant son have struggled to meet their expenses and maintain housing," Thierry said. Thierry said he believes his client's crown tattoo "may be why ICE falsely accused him of gang membership." "This crown is not related to Tren de Aragua, but rather a tribute to his grandmother whose date of death appears at the base of the crown," Thierry said. MORE: Timeline: Trump's race against courts to deport alleged gang members under Alien Enemies Act Attorney Linette Tobin, who represents Jerce Reyes Barrios, a professional soccer player from Venezuela who protested the Maduro regime and was detained and tortured after one of the demonstrations, said his client was falsely accused of having a gang-affiliated tattoo. "He chose this tattoo because it is similar to the logo for his favorite soccer team Real Madrid," said Tobin. Deborah Fleischaker, a former DHS official, pushed back on a declaration filed earlier this week by an ICE official who claimed that the alleged gang members were deported because ICE is not prepared to detain members of TdA. "ICE detention facilities in the United States are prepared to detain any noncitizen, regardless of their security risk level," said Fleischaker in her sworn declaration. "This includes people with violent criminal histories, as well as members of gangs and Foreign Terrorist Organizations." The former DHS official said ICE detention facilities are able to manage all levels of detainees and said that ICE could have detained the individuals safely "for the duration of their removal proceedings." MORE: Families of migrants who believe their relatives were deported by ICE say they weren't gang members Attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union said in a filing that the migrants who were sent to El Salvador "face prison conditions that have been deemed harsh and life threatening due to systemic abuse in the prison." The ACLU attorneys added that the Alien Enemies Act does not provide a process for individuals to contest that they are members of the TdA or provide individuals with a "statutory grace period" to seek judicial review. After Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, lawyers said, "people with upcoming immigration proceedings started being moved overnight from ICE detention facilities around the country and not allowed to appear at their proceedings, where many were seeking asylum," the lawyers said. Lawyers say some deported by Trump administration weren't gang members, were targeted for tattoos originally appeared on
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Unlawful': IL AG issues joint statement ahead of block on Trump admin's medical research funding cuts
CHICAGO, Ill. (WCIA) — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined 15 attorneys general in a statement ahead of a court hearing Friday, in which the judge extended the temporary block to cuts in National Institutes of Health research funding. Raoul joined the attorneys general in a joint statement on the lawsuit to preserve funding for medical and public health innovation research. Friday afternoon, AP News reported that a federal judge once again blocked the Trump administration's cuts in medical research funding, which scientists said would endanger patients and delay new lifesaving studies. 'We don't want to see people freaking out': Illinois Secretary of State clears up confusion about REAL ID as enforcement deadline approaches At the hearing in Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. National Institutes of Health, the plaintiffs were successful in seeking an extension of its Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the Trump administration's cuts to funds that are used to support cutting-edge medical and public health research at colleges and other institutions across the United States. Additionally, according to AP News, the new National Institute of Health policy would strip research groups of hundreds of millions of dollars to cover indirect expenses of studying cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease and many other illnesses. Separate lawsuits filed by a group of 22 states and organizations representing colleges, hospitals and other institutions across the country sued to stop the cuts. 'The Trump administration's attempt to cut research funding at thousands of research institutions across the country is not only unlawful; it undermines public health, our economy and our competitiveness,' Raoul said. 'There are laws in place that protect this funding, and the president cannot simply toss those laws aside.' Central Illinois legislators comment on Pritzker's State of the State Raoul co-led a coalition of 22 attorneys general filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration, the Department of Health and Human Services and the NIG in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts on Feb. 10. The lawsuit challenged the administration's plan to cut 'indirect cost' reimbursements at every research institution across the country. Less than six hours after that lawsuit was filed, U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley issued a TRO against the NIH, preventing it from cutting billions of dollars in funding for biomedical and public health research. During the hearing in Boston on Friday, Kelley extended the block until she rules on an injunction, which is a more permanent decision. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Seattle Children's Hospital pauses gender affirming surgeries, residents protest
The Brief Residents gathered for a protest outside a Seattle hospital Saturday. They were there to speak out against the hospital for ending gender-affirming care for youths. Hospital organizers say they are seeking clarity on new legal restrictions. SEATTLE - Some residents spent their Sunday protesting outside of Seattle Children's Hospital, after they told FOX 13, the hospital stopped its gender-affirming surgeries for transgender youth. The move comes after President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order aimed at stopping federal support for gender-affirming care. The order bans federal support for this health care for transgender people under the age of 19. People of all ages lined the streets as they held signs, waved flags and chanted. What they're saying "I think to give up one group of kids to help another doesn't really win for any of us, all kids need to be protected and have health care provided for them," Lauren Mahon, a supporter said. Those protesting hope their chants outside of Seattle Children's Hospital will travel down Sandpoint Way and 41st Avenue Northeast to inside the hospital to those making the decisions. "The reality is the suicide rates and the lack of love that these kids because their parents just don't understand it, that's our real concern," Anita Johnston, who traveled from Whidbey Island to attend, said. Local perspective For Vi, what's happening at the hospital is personal. "I myself am trans and I watched this happen in the south where I had to leave for my safety and my partner's safety," Vi said. "I know hundreds of cases of transgender children who were denied cared and took their own lives." It's also personal for middle schoolers, Kai, Eleanor, Q and Adyn, who also attended the protest on Sunday. "We just want to be protected from the people who say they should protect the other kids from us," Eleanor said. Wearing a sign with the words 'protect us,' the students told FOX 13, the freedoms they've grown up with are quickly changing. "It's kind of troubling to think that all of this safe space is going to become not as safe with our new president," Kai said. "All of this stuff that we fought for is all just going down the trash," Adyn said. "It can be very scary with all the stuff happening because it's happening at such a quick rate that it's sometimes hard to process and you don't know what to expect next," Q said. FOX 13 reached out to the hospital and they sent us this statement: "Seattle Children's is supporting the Washington State Attorney General's Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in response to President Trump's January 28th Executive Order directing federal agencies to revoke funding for institutions providing gender-affirming care (GAC) to minors. Given the uncertainty surrounding the orders legal authority, we are seeking clarity to safeguard the best interests of Seattle Children's patients and families, and our workforce, so we can continue to deliver on our mission. We remain committed to caring for our patients and families who need us and engaging in life changing research, while ensuring we operate within all applicable laws." Elayne Wylie helped provide security, safety and support on Sunday and has a message for the hospital. "You have a mission to do no harm and what we're seeing in the community is harm and you need to listen to your community and respond with the people that rely on the support the children's hospital gives," Wylie said. The Source Information for this report comes from original interviews with FOX 13 Seattle. Washington Senate passes changes to parental rights in education Japan Airlines plane clips tail of Delta plane at Sea-Tac Airport Judge blocks DOGE access to sensitive Treasury Department payment system records Man sentenced to 20 years for grooming, taking WA girl to Michigan home To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily Fox Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
