Latest news with #Salvadorian
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Bitcoin Beach: How a small seaside town became cryptocurrency ground zero
The populist Salvadorian leader, who has fashioned himself a Silicon Valley-style disrupter, signed a $US1.4 billion-deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the bogeyman of Bitcoiners, in which he agreed to scale back the country's Bitcoin policies. As part of the agreement, Salvadorian merchants are no longer compelled to accept the cryptocurrency as payment and Bukele agreed on paper to stop buying Bitcoin with public cash – the country currently owns more than 6,000 Bitcoin – although he has since said their strategy is not stopping. So what will this gear-change mean for 'Bitcoin Beach'? 'It's gonna keep some people away, definitely,' says Ronny Avendano, who runs the Bitcoin Hardware Store, which sells all the Bitcoin bells and whistles including tech and books about the cryptocurrency. 'The IMF is definitely a governing body that you want to stay as far away from as possible... It might be detrimental to the business,' he adds. While he does not think the IMF deal will impact life in El Zonte, where Bitcoin is already enmeshed in the community, he worries it could cause some Bitcoiners to get 'cold feet'. Loading Avendano, whose parents fled El Salvador for Canada during the civil war, gave up his six-figure job in finance in Toronto to travel Latin America in response to Justin Trudeau's vaccine mandates. His first stop was El Zonte in March 2021. He has been here ever since. After learning about Bitcoin, he became a 'Bitcoin maximalist', investing all of his savings in the cryptocurrency. Right now, he says, he only has around $US9. When Bukele announced Bitcoin would be a legal tender, he saw an 'influx' of Bitcoiners from all over the world arrive. Talking to The Telegraph after giving a short lesson on investing in the courtyard outside his shop, he adds: 'From a tourist perspective, you know, I don't feel that excitement anymore... It used to be 'I can't wait to come to El Salvador' to now 'tell you what's going on with this deal'.' He adds: 'For me, nothing's changed. People in town still accept Bitcoin, and I still love the Bitcoin farmers market. Yesterday, I went to buy food at the grocery store in Bitcoin. 'I don't know what's gonna happen over the next six months if it were to change... I'd have to close my business down.' Mr Avendano believes it's not just Bitcoin pulling foreigners to El Salvador, but the country's safety. To combat gang violence, Bukele enforced a 'state of exception' in 2022, rounding up and imprisoning more than 80,000 people without due process. The streets are safer, but the Bukele administration has faced allegations of human rights abuses. His administration also built the notorious Cecot mega-prison, where Donald Trump has since deported Venezuelan migrants the White House claims are gang members. Walter Mena, a Salvadorian lawyer, was reluctant to open a business before Bukele, when even El Zonte was overrun by gangs and it was not uncommon for people to be shot dead on the beach. But now Mena, 49, who returned to El Salvador in 2019 after living in France for 15 years, is in the midst of constructing apartments he hopes to rent to wealthy Bitcoiners Mena, who accepts Bitcoin payment for his legal services, does not think the IMF deal will make any difference. Loading 'Now people know what Bitcoin is and how to use it... Bukele is pretty smart, and the IMF is full of dinosaurs,' he said. 'People probably will turn back, but the people who understand, who are already here, they're not leaving.' For locals in El Zonte, the sudden arrival of foreign Bitcoiners has been a blessing and a curse. Wealthy foreigners have been investing in the area, buying land, building homes and starting businesses. But prices have increased, and for each tale of one local making enough money to buy a new motorcycle with Bitcoin, there are stories of those who lost thousands in the volatile market. El Salvador 'like Wild West' Surf teacher Isaac Reyes, 28, who is from El Zonte, says there have been more positive impacts than negative on the local community. He is sometimes paid in Bitcoin but he and most of the locals transfer it straight into dollars using an app on their phone. He said he believes the novelty of Bitcoin Beach had already reached its 'peak' and is now 'going back down'. 'Now the difference is the people, not the currency… less people are coming,' he said. From speaking to the Europeans who have already moved to El Salvador in search of Bitcoin freedom, there is no hesitation – they are here to stay. M moved to El Salvador from London in 2021 after he broke up with his girlfriend and read about Bukele. Talking to The Telegraph as he sips on a can of beer with a friend, purchased with Bitcoin, he says he did not know El Salvador existed before he read about the Salvadorian president. M, 28, who did not want to give his full name, now lives in San Salvador. He first bought Bitcoin almost a decade ago when he was at university and now works for a hardware Bitcoin devices firm. Asked what he likes most about the country, he said: 'The fact that I can just easily use my Bitcoin everywhere.' Danny, a retired Belgian housebuilder who also did not want to give his last name, made his fortune in Bitcoin before moving to El Zonte 20 months ago in search of a crypto haven to retire to. You wouldn't know it by looking at him, as he sits on a stool wearing a vest and flip flops, but Danny, 59, is a Bitcoin millionaire. He invested his life savings in 2014, when one Bitcoin was worth around $US311. The value has since swelled to over $US108,000. He believes Europe is becoming a 'police state' and part of the reason he has relocated to El Zonte is to provide a base for his nine grandchildren to escape to if they wish. El Salvador, by contrast, he says is like the Wild West. 'There are not many rules, or not many rules that you really need to follow... there is almost no control.' James Bosworth, the founder of Hxagon, a firm which provides political risk analysis with a focus on Latin America, is also unconvinced the IMF deal will have much of an impact. 'Bitcoin experiment has been a failure' He puts the apparent dwindling numbers of people visiting Bitcoin Beach down to the town losing its sheen, rather than the IMF deal. 'It's probably more a function of the initial hype cycle about El Salvador's Bitcoin drawing down and global macro factors (likely recession hits all tourism),' he says. He adds: 'There are only so many people who might relocate and most of them jumped early. For anyone still considering it, the IMF agreement didn't change much.' Dr Peter Howson, an assistant professor at Northumbria University who has written books on cryptocurrency, thinks Bukele's Bitcoin experiment has been a 'failure'. Loading In 2023, eight out of 10 Salvadorians did not use cryptocurrency, according to a survey by the University Institute of Public Opinion (Iudop) at the José Simeón Cañas Central American University (UCA). Meanwhile, only a fraction of remittances sent back to El Salvador from relatives abroad, which accounts for 25 per cent of the country's GDP, were sent with Bitcoin.
The Age
4 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Bitcoin Beach: How a small seaside town became cryptocurrency ground zero
The populist Salvadorian leader, who has fashioned himself a Silicon Valley-style disrupter, signed a $US1.4 billion-deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the bogeyman of Bitcoiners, in which he agreed to scale back the country's Bitcoin policies. As part of the agreement, Salvadorian merchants are no longer compelled to accept the cryptocurrency as payment and Bukele agreed on paper to stop buying Bitcoin with public cash – the country currently owns more than 6,000 Bitcoin – although he has since said their strategy is not stopping. So what will this gear-change mean for 'Bitcoin Beach'? 'It's gonna keep some people away, definitely,' says Ronny Avendano, who runs the Bitcoin Hardware Store, which sells all the Bitcoin bells and whistles including tech and books about the cryptocurrency. 'The IMF is definitely a governing body that you want to stay as far away from as possible... It might be detrimental to the business,' he adds. While he does not think the IMF deal will impact life in El Zonte, where Bitcoin is already enmeshed in the community, he worries it could cause some Bitcoiners to get 'cold feet'. Loading Avendano, whose parents fled El Salvador for Canada during the civil war, gave up his six-figure job in finance in Toronto to travel Latin America in response to Justin Trudeau's vaccine mandates. His first stop was El Zonte in March 2021. He has been here ever since. After learning about Bitcoin, he became a 'Bitcoin maximalist', investing all of his savings in the cryptocurrency. Right now, he says, he only has around $US9. When Bukele announced Bitcoin would be a legal tender, he saw an 'influx' of Bitcoiners from all over the world arrive. Talking to The Telegraph after giving a short lesson on investing in the courtyard outside his shop, he adds: 'From a tourist perspective, you know, I don't feel that excitement anymore... It used to be 'I can't wait to come to El Salvador' to now 'tell you what's going on with this deal'.' He adds: 'For me, nothing's changed. People in town still accept Bitcoin, and I still love the Bitcoin farmers market. Yesterday, I went to buy food at the grocery store in Bitcoin. 'I don't know what's gonna happen over the next six months if it were to change... I'd have to close my business down.' Mr Avendano believes it's not just Bitcoin pulling foreigners to El Salvador, but the country's safety. To combat gang violence, Bukele enforced a 'state of exception' in 2022, rounding up and imprisoning more than 80,000 people without due process. The streets are safer, but the Bukele administration has faced allegations of human rights abuses. His administration also built the notorious Cecot mega-prison, where Donald Trump has since deported Venezuelan migrants the White House claims are gang members. Walter Mena, a Salvadorian lawyer, was reluctant to open a business before Bukele, when even El Zonte was overrun by gangs and it was not uncommon for people to be shot dead on the beach. But now Mena, 49, who returned to El Salvador in 2019 after living in France for 15 years, is in the midst of constructing apartments he hopes to rent to wealthy Bitcoiners Mena, who accepts Bitcoin payment for his legal services, does not think the IMF deal will make any difference. Loading 'Now people know what Bitcoin is and how to use it... Bukele is pretty smart, and the IMF is full of dinosaurs,' he said. 'People probably will turn back, but the people who understand, who are already here, they're not leaving.' For locals in El Zonte, the sudden arrival of foreign Bitcoiners has been a blessing and a curse. Wealthy foreigners have been investing in the area, buying land, building homes and starting businesses. But prices have increased, and for each tale of one local making enough money to buy a new motorcycle with Bitcoin, there are stories of those who lost thousands in the volatile market. El Salvador 'like Wild West' Surf teacher Isaac Reyes, 28, who is from El Zonte, says there have been more positive impacts than negative on the local community. He is sometimes paid in Bitcoin but he and most of the locals transfer it straight into dollars using an app on their phone. He said he believes the novelty of Bitcoin Beach had already reached its 'peak' and is now 'going back down'. 'Now the difference is the people, not the currency… less people are coming,' he said. From speaking to the Europeans who have already moved to El Salvador in search of Bitcoin freedom, there is no hesitation – they are here to stay. M moved to El Salvador from London in 2021 after he broke up with his girlfriend and read about Bukele. Talking to The Telegraph as he sips on a can of beer with a friend, purchased with Bitcoin, he says he did not know El Salvador existed before he read about the Salvadorian president. M, 28, who did not want to give his full name, now lives in San Salvador. He first bought Bitcoin almost a decade ago when he was at university and now works for a hardware Bitcoin devices firm. Asked what he likes most about the country, he said: 'The fact that I can just easily use my Bitcoin everywhere.' Danny, a retired Belgian housebuilder who also did not want to give his last name, made his fortune in Bitcoin before moving to El Zonte 20 months ago in search of a crypto haven to retire to. You wouldn't know it by looking at him, as he sits on a stool wearing a vest and flip flops, but Danny, 59, is a Bitcoin millionaire. He invested his life savings in 2014, when one Bitcoin was worth around $US311. The value has since swelled to over $US108,000. He believes Europe is becoming a 'police state' and part of the reason he has relocated to El Zonte is to provide a base for his nine grandchildren to escape to if they wish. El Salvador, by contrast, he says is like the Wild West. 'There are not many rules, or not many rules that you really need to follow... there is almost no control.' James Bosworth, the founder of Hxagon, a firm which provides political risk analysis with a focus on Latin America, is also unconvinced the IMF deal will have much of an impact. 'Bitcoin experiment has been a failure' He puts the apparent dwindling numbers of people visiting Bitcoin Beach down to the town losing its sheen, rather than the IMF deal. 'It's probably more a function of the initial hype cycle about El Salvador's Bitcoin drawing down and global macro factors (likely recession hits all tourism),' he says. He adds: 'There are only so many people who might relocate and most of them jumped early. For anyone still considering it, the IMF agreement didn't change much.' Dr Peter Howson, an assistant professor at Northumbria University who has written books on cryptocurrency, thinks Bukele's Bitcoin experiment has been a 'failure'. Loading In 2023, eight out of 10 Salvadorians did not use cryptocurrency, according to a survey by the University Institute of Public Opinion (Iudop) at the José Simeón Cañas Central American University (UCA). Meanwhile, only a fraction of remittances sent back to El Salvador from relatives abroad, which accounts for 25 per cent of the country's GDP, were sent with Bitcoin.
Saudi Gazette
5 days ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Fleeing US deportations, it took this family three tries to enter Canada
BUFFALO — The Rainbow Bridge, which crosses the Niagara River between the United States and Canada, has for decades been a symbol of peace connecting two countries. But for Araceli, a Salvadorian migrant, and her family, the bridge represented a seemingly insurmountable hurdle. Along with her partner and two daughters, aged four and 14, the family first attempted to cross the bridge on 17 March. They had arrived with a suitcase and documents that they believed assured them they would soon be reunited with Araceli's siblings on Canadian soil and escape the threat of US President Donald Trump's mass deportations. But the plan failed. Not just once, but twice. While a third attempt proved successful, immigration experts and official statistics point to a rise of asylum seekers at the border fleeing not just their homelands, but President Trump's immigration policies. Araceli and her family had been living illegally in the US for more than a decade – only her youngest daughter, who was born in New Jersey, has a US passport. In the US, Araceli built a life for herself and tried to initiate an asylum application process, but was unsuccessful. "They charged me money and told me I would get a work permit. I paid that to a lawyer, but they never gave me an answer as to whether it was approved or not," she told BBC Mundo from a migrant shelter near the US-Canada border. Araceli has 12 siblings, and like her, several left El Salvador due to safety concerns in the rural community where they grew up. Two of them managed to start from scratch in Canada. After President Trump's inauguration, amid reports of mass raids and deportations, Araceli began to fear for her and her family's safety – especially after the administration began sending illegal migrants to a notorious Salvadorian prison. But because both Canada and the US have signed onto the "safe third country agreement," migrants, like Araceli, who have been denied refuge in one country are not supposed to be granted asylum in the other. The agreement states that asylum seekers must apply for asylum in the first country where they land. There are exceptions. One of them is if the asylum seeker arriving from the US can prove they have a close relative in Canada who meets certain requirements, they can enter the country and begin their refugee claim again. So Araceli and her family said goodbye to the life they had built in the US to join her two brothers in Canada. After crossing the Rainbow Bridge, they arrived at the border check point to make their asylum claim. She said she had all the original documents proving her relationship to her brother. "They took everything, even our backpack, and we were left with nothing," They spent the entire night in a waiting room, occasionally answering questions, until an agent found a problem with the application. "They found a small detail: on my [birth] certificate, my father only had one last name, and on my brother's, he had two." And although the document had a clarification explaining that such inaccuracies are common in El Salvador, the agent denied them entry to Canada. The family returned, resigned and anguished, having to face their greatest fear: being separated and deported. At the US checkpoint, they were put in a room with no windows. "The four of us spent 14 days in that cell," Araceli said, clarifying that they could go out to use the bathroom, but were barely allowed outside. Her brother reached out to an organization that works with migrants, who helped them hire an attorney, Heather Neufeld. While she was preparing their documentation, and without any explanation, the family was given an apparent second chance. "Two agents arrived at the cell and said: 'Congratulations, you're going to Canada'," Araceli recalled. But their hopes were short-lived. "We've been too generous in welcoming you back here," she recalled the agent saying after the family applied for asylum in Canada a second time. "The United States will see what it does with you." A spokesperson declined to comment on Araceli's case in particular, citing the country's privacy laws. One thing is for sure — more families like Araceli's are seeking exceptions to come to Canada. While the number of people attempting to cross into the United States from Canada has decreased significantly, the number of asylum seekers being denied entry into Canada from the US has increased. According to official figures from the United States government,13,547 apprehensions were reported along the entire northern border as of March 2025 – a 70% decrease compared to the number recorded in the first quarter of 2024. Conversely, the number of migrants seeking asylum in Canada and being returned to the US has increased this year, according to data from Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). In April of this year, 359 people, including adults and children, were found ineligible for asylum in Canada, compared to 180 people in April 2024. Ms Neufeld believes the increase in the number of people turned away is due to "stricter" border policy at the Canadian side. In December 2024, Canada announced an investment of C$1.3bn ($950m; £705m) to "strengthen border security and strengthen the immigration system". The move was largely seen as an attempt to placate Trump, who has justified widespread tariffs against Canada by blaming the country for illegal immigration into the US. In February, amid a brewing trade war, the Canadian government announced it would further expand this programme. The CBSA has also committed to increasing the number of removals from 16,000 to 20,000 (a 25% increase) for fiscal years 2025-2027. Still, a spokesperson for CBSA told BBC Mundo that they have not changed how they do things: "We have made no changes to policies or processes". Denied entry to Canada for the second time, Araceli and her family had to cross the border back into the US, which scared them. "In this day and age, it's not just about being sent to the United States. There's an immediate risk of detention and deportation," Ms Neufeld said. The problem now was that this second trip to Canada was counted as a reconsideration of the case, the only one the family is entitled to under that country's regulations. Ms Neufeld said that Canadian border agents made a mistake. "They didn't act like they had in the past with other clients, nor did they agree to an interview with the brother when they normally do," she stated. According to Ms Neufeld, the family didn't return to Canada of their own free will, but because the US authorities told them to, and so their second attempt should not have been considered an official reconsideration. To get a third opportunity to cross the border and make an asylum claim, Araceli would need a Canadian court to intervene. When they returned to America, her partner was sent to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre, while Araceli was made to wear an ankle monitor and she and her children went to a migrant shelter. "They came to tell us they were giving us three minutes to say goodbye because my husband was going to be taken to a detention center," Araceli recalls, her voice breaking. A week later, following complex negotiations between the lawyers, a Canadian federal court agreed to allow the family to return to the border to be re-evaluated. On 5 May, seven weeks after the first attempt, Araceli crossed the bridge once again. This time, she had her lawyer with her. After 12 hours, a border agent opened the doors and said "welcome to Canada and good luck with your new life", she recalled. "I felt immense joy, it's indescribable," Araceli told Canadian public broadcaster CBC earlier in May, adding: "My daughters gave me so much strength." But it was a bittersweet celebration, as her partner remained in the US for two more weeks, caught up in ongoing legal proceedings. The family hired a lawyer to take on his case. "They managed to get him out on bail, and that's something not all detention centres allow. The whole family had to make a huge effort; they had to sell things to be able to pay for it," Ms Neufeld said. According to her, this family's case reflects the changes that have recently occurred on the northern border. "There are many more Aracelis, but we can't know where they are or what situation they are facing. Most people lack the capacity to fight to have their rights respected." — BBC
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Fleeing US deportations, it took this family three tries to enter Canada
The Rainbow Bridge, which crosses the Niagara River between the United States and Canada, has for decades been a symbol of peace connecting two countries. But for Araceli, a Salvadorian immigrant, and her family, the bridge represented a seemingly insurmountable hurdle. Along with her partner and two daughters, aged four and 14, the family first attempted to cross the bridge on 17 March. They had arrived with a suitcase and documents that they believed assured them they would soon be reunited with Araceli's siblings on Canadian soil and escape the threat of US President Donald Trump's mass deportations. But the plan failed. Not just once, but twice. While a third attempt proved successful, immigration experts and official statistics point to a rise of asylum seekers at the border fleeing not just their homelands, but President Trump's immigration policies. Araceli and her family had been living illegally in the US for more than a decade – only her youngest daughter, who was born in New Jersey, has a US passport. In the US, Araceli built a life for herself and tried to initiate an asylum application process, but was unsuccessful. "They charged me money and told me I would get a work permit. I paid that to a lawyer, but they never gave me an answer as to whether it was approved or not," she told BBC Mundo from a migrant shelter near the US-Canada border. Araceli has 12 siblings, and like her, several left El Salvador due to safety concerns in the rural community where they grew up. Two of them managed to start from scratch in Canada. After President Trump's inauguration, amid reports of mass raids and deportations, Araceli began to fear for her and her family's safety – especially after the administration began sending illegal migrants to a notorious Salvadorian prison. But because both Canada and the US have signed onto the "safe third country agreement," migrants, like Araceli, who have been denied refuge in one country are not supposed to be granted asylum in the other. The agreement states that asylum seekers must apply for asylum in the first country where they land. There are exceptions. One of them is if the asylum seeker arriving from the US can prove they have a close relative in Canada who meets certain requirements, they can enter the country and begin their refugee claim again. So Araceli and her family said goodbye to the life they had built in the US to join her two brothers in Canada. After crossing the Rainbow Bridge, they arrived at the border check point to make their asylum claim. She said she had all the original documents proving her relationship to her brother. "They took everything, even our backpack, and we were left with nothing," They spent the entire night in a waiting room, occasionally answering questions, until an agent found a problem with the application. "They found a small detail: on my [birth] certificate, my father only had one last name, and on my brother's, he had two." And although the document had a clarification explaining that such inaccuracies are common in El Salvador, the agent denied them entry to Canada. The family returned, resigned and anguished, having to face their greatest fear: being separated and deported. At the US checkpoint, they were put in a room with no windows. "The four of us spent 14 days in that cell," Araceli said, clarifying that they could go out to use the bathroom, but were barely allowed outside. Her brother reached out to an organisation that works with migrants, who helped them hire an attorney, Heather Neufeld. While she was preparing their documentation, and without any explanation, the family was given an apparent second chance. "Two agents arrived at the cell and said: 'Congratulations, you're going to Canada'," Araceli recalled. But their hopes were short-lived. "We've been too generous in welcoming you back here," she recalled the agent saying after the family applied for asylum in Canada a second time. "The United States will see what it does with you." A spokesperson declined to comment on Araceli's case in particular, citing the country's privacy laws. 'It's not fair': Other refugees in limbo as US welcomes white South Africans What is the 1798 law that Trump used to deport migrants? What is habeas corpus and why might Donald Trump want to suspend it? One thing's for sure - more families like Araceli's are seeking exceptions to come to Canada. While the number of people attempting to cross into the United States from Canada has decreased significantly, the number of asylum seekers being denied entry into Canada from the US has increased. According to official figures from the United States government,13,547 apprehensions were reported along the entire northern border as of March 2025 – a 70% decrease compared to the number recorded in the first quarter of 2024. Conversely, the number of migrants seeking asylum in Canada and being returned to the US has increased this year, according to data from Canada Border Services Agency. In April of this year, 359 people, including adults and children, were found ineligible for asylum in Canada, compared to 180 people in April 2024. Ms Neufeld believes the increase in the number of people turned away is due to "stricter" border policy at the Canadian side. In December 2024, Canada announced an investment of C$1.3bn ($950m; £705m) to "strengthen border security and strengthen the immigration system". The move was largely seen as an attempt to placate Trump, who has justified widespread tariffs against Canada by blaming the country for illegal immigration into the US. In February, amid a brewing trade war, the Canadian government announced it would further expand this programme. The CBSA has also committed to increasing the number of removals from 16,000 to 20,000 (a 25% increase) for fiscal years 2025-2027. Still, a spokesperson for CBSA told BBC Mundo that they have not changed how they do things: "We have made no changes to policies or processes". Denied entry to Canada for the second time, Araceli and her family had to cross the border back into the US, which scared them. "In this day and age, it's not just about being sent to the United States. There's an immediate risk of detention and deportation," Ms Neufeld said. The problem now was that this second trip to Canada was counted as a reconsideration of the case, the only one the family is entitled to under that country's regulations. Ms Neufeld said that Canadian border agents made a mistake. "They didn't act like they had in the past with other clients, nor did they agree to an interview with the brother when they normally do," she stated. According to Ms Neufeld, the family didn't return to Canada of their own free will, but because the US authorities told them to, and so their second attempt should not have been considered an official reconsideration. To get a third opportunity to cross the border and make an asylum claim, Araceli would need a Canadian court to intervene. When they returned to America, her partner was sent to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center, while Araceli was made to wear an ankle monitor and she and her children went to a migrant shelter. "They came to tell us they were giving us three minutes to say goodbye because my husband was going to be taken to a detention center," Araceli recalls, her voice breaking. A week later, following complex negotiations between the lawyers, a Canadian federal court agreed to allow the family to return to the border to be re-evaluated. On 5 May - seven weeks after the first attempt - Araceli crossed the bridge once again. This time, she had her lawyer with her. After 12 hours, a border agent opened the doors and said "welcome to Canada and good luck with your new life", she recalled. "I felt immense joy, it's indescribable," Araceli told Canadian public broadcaster CBC earlier in May, adding: "My daughters gave me so much strength." But it was a bittersweet celebration, as her partner remained in the US for two more weeks, caught up in ongoing legal proceedings. The family hired a lawyer to take on his case. "They managed to get him out on bail, and that's something not all detention centers allow. The whole family had to make a huge effort; they had to sell things to be able to pay for it," Ms Neufeld said. According to her, this family's case reflects the changes that have recently occurred on the northern border. "There are many more Aracelis, but we can't know where they are or what situation they are facing. Most people lack the capacity to fight to have their rights respected."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
US judge blasts Trump lawyers for 11th-hour tactics in MS-13 deportation case
A federal judge in Maryland scolded Trump administration lawyers on Tuesday for waiting until the eleventh hour to seek an extension in the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Salvadorian migrant and alleged MS-13 member deported to El Salvador in what officials have acknowledged was an administrative error. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis denied the Justice Department's 30-day extension request, noting that Trump administration lawyers waited until "the very day" their response was due to file. She also said they "expended no effort in demonstrating good cause" to comply with her earlier orders. "They vaguely complain, in two sentences, to expending 'significant resources' engaging in expedited discovery," Xinis said of the government's efforts. "But these are burdens of their own making." Judge Presses Trump Doj On Abrego Garcia Deportation; Answers Leave Courtroom In Stunned Silence She also noted the number of times the administration has delayed submitting information in the case despite the fact the Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration this year to "facilitate" Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S. "The court has conducted no fewer than five hearings in this case and at no point had defendants even intimated they needed more time to answer or otherwise respond," Xinis said, adding that the defendants are "intimately familiar with the causes of action and of the pending deadline." Read On The Fox News App "Thus, to say now that additional time is needed to do that which the law requires rings hollow," Xinis said in denying the motion. Hours later, the Trump administration filed with the court a motion to dismiss the case, citing what it described as a "lack of jurisdiction." Xinis has not yet responded to the motion to dismiss. Trump's Remarks Could Come Back To Bite Him In Abrego Garcia Deportation Battle That filing comes amid a monthlong court fight over the status of Abrego Garcia, who remains in El Salvador. Xinis in April ordered the Trump administration to comply with an expedited discovery schedule to determine whether they were complying with the directive to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S. Since then, lawyers for the government and Abrego Garcia's attorneys have sparred with Xinis in court over what exactly it means to "facilitate" his return. Xinis most recently described the process as beating a "frustrated and dead horse." She previously took aim at what she deemed to be the lack of information they submitted to the court as part of an expedited discovery process she ordered last month, describing the government submissions as "vague, evasive and incomplete" responses, and which she said demonstrated "willful and bad faith refusal to comply with discovery obligations." She also chastised their efforts to invoke the state secrets privilege, noting at a status hearing this month that the administration tried to invoke the privilege via a footnote that referenced a filing in a different case before a different federal judge. 100 Days Of Injunctions, Trials And 'Teflon Don': Trump 2Nd Term Meets Its Biggest Tests In Court She said that would not pass muster in her court. The order comes as Trump officials have repeatedly alleged that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang, though any formal ties have not been proven. Xinis has indicated growing impatience with the Trump administration's apparent failure to comply with her orders and submit the requested information. This month, she sparred multiple times with DOJ lawyers over their assertions that Abrego Garcia was lawfully detained and deported. "I can't count the number of 'I don't knows' my wonderful clerks and I have heard," she said of depositions from Trump administration officials. The order is the latest development in the ongoing feud between Trump officials and the courts over the use of the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime immigration law used earlier this year to quickly deport migrants from the U.S. Click To Get The Fox News App To date, the Trump administration has not knowingly complied with any court orders to return migrants who were removed and sent to El Salvador in the early wave of deportation flights, despite earlier court orders from Xinis, Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and others. It is unclear whether Xinis plans to begin contempt proceedings against the administration, though the federal judge in D.C. said earlier this year that he had found probable cause to do article source: US judge blasts Trump lawyers for 11th-hour tactics in MS-13 deportation case
