Latest news with #SafeandBeautiful
28-05-2025
- Politics
Jeanine Pirro vows to tackle violence as top prosecutor in DC
Former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro vowed to improve safety and address violence in the nation's capital when she was sworn in Wednesday as the interim U.S. attorney for D.C. Referencing her experience as a judge and prosecutor, Pirro said as the top federal prosecutor in D.C. she will take on violence in the city that President Donald Trump has called unsafe and dangerous. "Violence will be addressed directly with the appropriate punishment, and this city will again become a shining city on the hill in an America that President Trump has promised to make great again and will make safe again," Pirro, a Trump ally, said in the Oval Office. Trump said he has confidence in Pirro to improve safety in D.C. "Jeanine Pirro, I have no doubt will be an exceptional U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, one of the truly most important positions in our country of any position, where she will restore public safety in our nation's capital, break up vicious street gangs and criminal networks, and ensure equal justice under the law. You'll see very, very big improvements in the D.C. area, that I can promise you," the president said. Trump signed the "Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful" executive order in March, which establishes a task force to help improve safety in the nation's capital. The order has been criticized as micromanaging D.C., with Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton saying it's "insulting to the 700,000 D.C. residents." Earlier this month, Trump tapped Pirro -- who most recently hosted Fox News' "The Five" -- for the job after controversy around his previous pick, Ed Martin. Martin, who had served as D.C.'s interim top prosecutor, lost GOP support for the job. Martin's past, specifically his defense of Jan. 6 rioters and inflammatory rhetoric around the Capitol attack, plagued his nomination. Pirro faced her first test as the top federal prosecutor in D.C. last week when she spoke about the response to the deadly shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers. She addressed the shooting on Wednesday, saying hatred would not be tolerated under her watch. "Just last week, here in our nation's capital, two people on the brink of beginning their life had hopes and dreams that were never realized because a cold-blooded murderer made a decision to shoot them down on the streets on a cold, rainy night in our nation's capital. This will not go without just accounting," Pirro said. "My voice should be heard loud and clear. No more. No more tolerance of hatred, no more mercy for criminals." Pirro marks the latest Fox News personality to join the ranks of the Trump administration. Some of the most notable Fox News alumni appointed in Trump's second administration include Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who hosted "Fox & Friends Weekend," and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who hosted "Unfiltered With Dan Bongino" before he left the network in 2023. Pirro has been a longtime ally of Trump, dating back to her time as a prominent prosecutor in New York. She was an early supporter of his 2016 campaign and publicly defended him during the "Access Hollywood" tape scandal. One of Trump's final acts before leaving office in 2021 was issuing a last-minute pardon to Pirro's ex-husband, a longtime GOP donor. With less than an hour before his term ended, Trump granted one final pardon to Albert Pirro, who was convicted more than two decades ago on 34 counts of conspiracy and tax evasion after he was found to have improperly deducted over $1 million in lavish personal expenses in tax write-offs for his businesses.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arlington County Board votes to prohibit police from contacting ICE
ARLINGTON, Va. (DC News Now) — Arlington County police are no longer allowed to reach out to federal immigration officials proactively. The county board voted Tuesday to take out language from its 'Trust Policy.' One of the big concerns from immigration lawyers and board members is that immigrants have been afraid to report crimes to police for fear of being deported. People opposed to the policy change say the move makes the community less safe. With the recent ICE crackdowns on immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, life for many immigrants comes with fear. 189 arrested in immigration crackdown under 'Make DC Safe and Beautiful' initative 'Generally, people are scared,' said immigration attorney Miguel Palmeiro. On Wednesday afternoon, Palmeiro was helping a single mom with a young son who two people attacked. 'She doesn't have legal status. So her fear, she tells me, she goes, 'I don't want to call the police because I don't want them to have my updated address, because then they're going to get me and they're going to deport me,'' Palmeiro said. It's one of the main reasons Arlington County's board unanimously removed Section 7 of its trust policy, meaning county law enforcement can't proactively contact federal immigration authorities about any issue. 'I want the police to be able to keep the community safe. And they can report the crimes so that… future crimes don't happen,' Palmeiro said. 'I'm worried that if people think that they just target immigrants, that bad things will happen to immigrants.' County Vice Chair Matt De Ferranti says Arlington police shouldn't be focused on federal immigration. 'Those in our detention facility must be entered into a database that ICE has access to. Whether we like that or not, it is the law,' De Ferranti said. Immigrant advocacy organizations offer advice amid reports of increased immigration enforcement in DC There is pushback to the change. Matthew Hurtt is chairman of the Arlington County Republican Committee. 'Arlington Republicans are disappointed at this county board for refusing to work with federal law enforcement, including ICE, to uphold our immigration laws,' Hurtt said. Hurtt believes increased ICE enforcement is a good thing. 'It allows law enforcement to keep our streets safe. Again, Northern Virginia residents are deeply concerned about crime and we're seeing a lot of elements from the illegal alien community, people who are hiding in the shadows, who are committing those crimes,' Hurtt said. As part of her decision, board member Maureen Coffey pointed to the overall immigration actions that have been taking place. 'Sending people to foreign prisons and claiming we have no way to get them back is not normal. Stating that due process isn't required for immigration proceedings is not normal,' Coffey said. 'The rhetoric and actions of this administration have led to tremendous stress and fear in our community, and we want to make sure all residents feel safe in engaging with local government, particularly with local law enforcement, ' said Takis Karantonis, chair of the Arlington County Board. 'The County continues to follow state and federal law, but neither requires us to have Section 7. The County has always held that immigration enforcement is the sole and exclusive responsibility of the federal government, and this decision remains consistent with that understanding.' ICE has not responded to a request for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Epoch Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
189 Illegal Immigrants Arrested in DC Immigration Crackdown
Federal officials arrested 189 illegal immigrants in the District of Columbia last week as part of a multi-agency immigration enforcement operation targeting alleged criminals, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on May 13. The four-day operation ran from May 6–9 and is part of a wider effort by President Donald Trump to maintain order and safety in the nation's capital. In March, Trump issued the 'Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful' The crackdown was conducted by the ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Homeland Security Investigations directorates in conjunction with the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, among others. In a statement, ICE Suspected members of the violent 18th Street gang were also detained, ICE said. Related Stories 5/13/2025 5/13/2025 At least four of the individuals apprehended also had lengthy criminal histories, according to a separate They include charges for drug possession, illegal reentry, aggravated assault, trespassing, disorderly conduct, sexual assault, threat to kidnap, threats to bodily harm, driving while intoxicated, brandishing a machete, misdemeanor larceny, misdemeanor indecent exposure, theft, and possession of a prohibited weapon (knife). The DOJ said at least one of the four men with lengthy criminal histories—a 47-year-old illegally present Guatemalan alien—also had 'numerous gang-affiliated tattoos on his arms, legs, and chest.' ICE said many of the apprehensions were made after local jurisdictions 'refused to honor immigration detainers' and 'released the alien offenders back into their communities.' Businesses Served Notices of Inspection In addition to targeting alleged criminal alien offenders, ICE also served 187 notices of inspection to local businesses during the four-day operation to ensure they are complying with immigration and employment laws. 'The District of Columbia is exponentially safer today because of countless hours of investigative work and dedication to duty displayed by ICE Washington, D.C. and our law enforcement partners,' said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Russell Hott in a As well as directing cleanup and 'beautification' efforts in the District of Columbia in his March executive order, Trump established the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, which consists of representatives from agencies including the Department of the Interior, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Department of Transportation. According to the order, the task force may request operational assistance from local law enforcement, including the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD), to enforce federal immigration law and apprehend and deport illegal immigrants in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The DOJ and ICE did state whether the MPF took part in the four-day immigration enforcement operation. 'Thanks to president Trump's leadership and this administration's focus on law and order, these arrests represent a major step forward in making Washington, D.C., safer for legal citizens and their families,' said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr in a statement. 'These arrests make clear that violating our nation's immigration laws will not be ignored.' The Epoch Times has contacted MPD for comment.
