Latest news with #Sec_Noem
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
ICE lifts age cap: Agency to hire 10,000 new applicants; local sheriffs alarmed
AP file photo US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has removed the age limit that previously barred older adults from applying to become deportation agents. The agency, which is actively working to hire 10,000 deportation agents and support staff, earlier set application cutoffs at age 37 or 40, depending on the role, reported USA Today. 'We are ENDING the age cap for ICE law enforcement. Qualified candidates can now apply with no age limit,' said Kristi Noem, the US secretary of homeland security, through a video posted on X. — Sec_Noem (@Sec_Noem) "We've removed any of the age barriers, we no longer have a cap on how old you can be. You can continue at age 18. Sign up for ICE and join us and be a part of it," Noem was quoted as saying by Fox News. The Congress approved nearly $30 billion in July to strengthen immigration enforcement and removal operations, including funding to hire thousands of additional agents. By the end of the Biden administration, the agency employed approximately 6,000 deportation agents. The agency is offering recruitment bonuses of up to $50,000 and student loan assistance to attract 'brave and heroic' Americans interested in supporting the Trump administration's deportation efforts, reports the BBC. Alongside the recruitment bonus, the agency is also offering generous overtime pay and 'enhanced retirement benefits.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This new air conditioner cools down a room in just seconds News of the Discovery Undo The new federal spending plan is set to make ICE the largest law enforcement agency in the nation, surpassing the combined size of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and other federal agencies, reported USA Today. ICE's recruitment push is drawing concerns from some local sheriffs who fear the agency's large bonuses and higher salaries could effectively impact already understaffed departments. Hundreds of local law enforcement agencies nationwide have partnerships with ICE currently. "It is tone-deaf and reflects a total lack of judgment and character on their part," said Jonathan Thompson, the executive director and CEO of the National Sheriff's Association, as reported by USA Today. Roughly 150,000 individuals were deported during the first six months of the Trump administration, as per data obtained by CBS, reports the BBC.
Al Jazeera
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Keep your shoes on: What to know about the TSA rule change at US airports
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Tuesday that it was scrapping a policy requiring people to take off their shoes while passing through airport screenings. The policy, long a source of ire for travellers, had its roots in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US, when authorities sought to bolster security around air travel through a host of measures. Many more rules have been added in the time since, some criticised as arbitrary and needlessly intrusive, and have been supplemented by the integration of measures such as facial scanning technology at airports across the country. What's behind the change, what rules remain, and could other policies change next? STARS, STRIPES, AND SHOES ON! 🇺🇸👟 Under the leadership of @Sec_Noem, DHS is announcing a new policy today which will allow passengers traveling through domestic airports to keep their shoes on through security screening at TSA checkpoints. This policy change will drastically… — Homeland Security (@DHSgov) July 8, 2025 What was the 'shoes off' policy? The 'shoes off' policy was first implemented by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in 2006 and required travellers to remove their shoes as they advanced through airport security screenings to check them for possible explosives. Those enrolled in TSA PreCheck, a programme in which people who pass a basic security check are allowed to bypass certain airport security measures, had already been allowed to pass through screenings with their shoes on. Why was it implemented? The policy was the result of a failed December 2001 attack by a British man named Richard Reid, who packed explosives into his shoes and tried to detonate them during a flight from Paris to Miami. The incident, like many attempted attacks carried out in the post-9/11 period, was highly amateur: Reid, a petty criminal who became an Islamic fundamentalist, was foiled after an airline worker noticed that he was trying to light his shoe on fire with a match. But the failed attack played into fears that were prominent during the post-9/11 era. And, when it came to safety, why take a chance? 'TSA can't just rely on the next attack being as incompetent as this one was,' Jay Stanley, a privacy advocate and senior policy analyst at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), told Al Jazeera. The agency asked people, on a voluntary basis, to consider removing their shoes while passing through screening so they could be checked for explosives. TSA later made the policy mandatory in August 2006. Why was the policy scrapped? DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement on Tuesday that eliminating the policy would remove a source of strain on travellers and reduce TSA wait times at airports, and was no longer necessary due to technological innovations. 'We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience,' she said. The change was effective immediately. What other policies remain in place, and could they change? While the 'no shoes' policy is gone, travellers expecting an easy, stress-free trip to the airport should temper their expectations as many other security measures remain in place. Passengers will, for example, still have to remove their belts, coats, laptops, and certain items from their bags while passing through security. Rules limiting gels and liquids in carry-on items to 3.4 ounces (100 ml) still apply, and checked bags must also be subjected to X-ray screenings. Canines used for detecting bombs and drugs are still frequently used, and full-body scanners were brought to airports after another failed attack in December 2009, in which a man tried to detonate explosives smuggled onto a plane in his underwear. Noem has suggested that DHS is reviewing some rules, but did not offer further details. Are those measures effective or just security theatre? Travellers have long fumed about an ever-growing list of measures that can seem arbitrary and do not always have a clear utility. While the government argues that the increases in airport security reflect efforts to patch up vulnerabilities exposed by the 9/11 hijackers and subsequent failed attacks, some experts say that certain measures provide the impression of security more than provable benefits. 'People are hesitant to push back against new rules because nobody wants to be seen as responsible if there's another attack,' said Stanley. 'Security theatre has always been a part of this, where you make a big show of security in order to give people the impression of greater safety.' But enforcing so many rules can be difficult for agency workers themselves, who have the industrial-scale task of screening around two million travellers per day. A 2015 report from the agency's inspector general found that TSA officers had failed to detect weapons, explosives and other prohibited items brought through security by undercover agents to test the effectiveness of the system in 95 percent of cases. Despite such concerns, TSA has continued to grow in size and scope each year. The agency has a workforce of nearly 63,000 people and a budget that is set to reach more than $11bn in 2025. In 2006, when 'shoes off' was first implemented, it was around $6bn. What new technologies are being used in airport security? In her statement, Noem said that one of the reasons that the 'shoes off' policy could be safely discarded is that 'cutting-edge technological advancements' have rendered it unnecessary. One that travellers may have noticed is the greater use of facial recognition technology, a development some privacy advocates have viewed with concern. What are the privacy concerns? Petra Molnar, a lawyer and author of the book, The Walls Have Eyes: Surviving Migration in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, told Al Jazeera that in an era of heightening restrictions on movement, airports have become testing grounds for new technologies, with civil liberties a largely secondary concern. 'With increasingly more digital technologies used at borders, airports have become epicentres of surveillance tech, with facial recognition and biometric technologies augmenting to physical surveillance practices,' said Molnar. 'Airports and borders are often one of the first places where new surveillance technologies are tested out, often with little regulation and oversight. Airports are the true testing grounds where unregulated technology experiments can run unchecked.' While the decision to scrap the 'shoes off' policy is a rare example of airport security measures being dialed back in the name of efficiency and convenience, it also comes at a time when those traveling or returning to the US are increasingly wary of being pulled aside and questioned about their political views on topics such as Israel's war in Gaza. The administration of President Donald Trump recently warned, for example, that international students entering the US must make their social media profiles available for inspection by authorities. 'The goal of security measures should be to ensure that nobody can get through this security process if they pose a threat,' said Staley. 'The problems start when the government tries to categorise people by traits they believe could make them a risk, and to do that, you need to go into people's lives and find out more about them.'
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump sends National Guard to LA amid immigration protests
Federal agents and demonstrators clashed for a second consecutive day in the Los Angeles suburb of Paramount on Saturday, as immigration raids triggered mass protests. Armed agents in riot gear used flash-bang grenades and tear gas to disperse crowds gathered near a Home Depot staging area reportedly used by ICE. Amid chants of 'ICE out of Paramount,' protesters waved Mexican flags, burned American flags, and attempted to block enforcement vehicles. Some formed barricades using shopping carts and cement blocks, forcing authorities to shut parts of a nearby freeway. The operation came after Friday's high-profile immigration raids across the city, which resulted in 118 arrests. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), among those detained were individuals with links to criminal organisations and others with prior convictions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Many Are Watching Tariffs - Few Are Watching What Nvidia Just Launched Seeking Alpha Read Now Undo 'We Will Enforce the Law' As tensions flared, federal officials doubled down. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem warned protesters on X, formerly Twitter, that 'you will not stop us or slow us down,' and vowed full prosecution for any interference. — Sec_Noem (@Sec_Noem) ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons criticised city leaders for what he called a failure to maintain order. 'Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement,' he said. Live Events Tom Homan, Trump's border security advisor, told Fox News that the National Guard would be deployed Saturday night: 'We are making Los Angeles safer. Mayor Bass should be thanking us.' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino confirmed multiple arrests and stated, 'You bring chaos, and we'll bring handcuffs. Law and order will prevail.' — FBIDDBongino (@FBIDDBongino) Streets become a battleground On the ground in Paramount, the mood remained tense. Footage showed green-uniformed federal personnel lined across a boulevard as tear gas drifted through the air. Protesters wore respiratory masks and held signs reading 'No Human Being is Illegal.' A woman shouted into a megaphone, 'ICE out of Paramount. We see you for what you are. You are not welcome here.' Smoke rose from burning shrubbery and trash. In one incident, protesters surrounded a US Marshals Service bus, prompting further freeway closures. Legal concerns and high-profile arrests The raids also sparked alarm among immigrant advocacy groups. Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), said that legal representatives had been denied access to detainees on Friday. 'It's very worrying,' she said. Federal agents also carried out operations at a clothing warehouse in the fashion district after a judge found probable cause of fraudulent documentation use by the employer. Among those arrested during the protests was David Huerta, regional president of the Service Employees International Union. Justice Department spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy confirmed Huerta's detention and upcoming court appearance. It was unclear whether Huerta had legal representation. Senator Chuck Schumer demanded his release, citing a 'disturbing pattern of arresting and detaining American citizens for exercising their right to free speech.' Polarised politics President Donald Trump praised the crackdown and warned that the federal government would intervene if local authorities failed to control the situation. 'If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can't do their jobs… the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!' he posted on Truth Social. Governor Gavin Newsom responded, warning that federal control over California's National Guard would escalate tensions. 'This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust,' he said. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the raids as attempts to 'sow terror' in one of America's most diverse cities. 'The tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city,' she said in a statement. 'We will not stand for this.' Unrest and resistance continue Protests erupted soon after Friday's immigration raids, which targeted sites including garment factories, warehouses, and day labourer pickup points near Home Depots. Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and known immigration hardliner, described the scenes as 'an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States.' On Saturday, he escalated his language, calling it a 'violent insurrection.' Protester Ron Gochez, 44, addressed the crowd: 'Now they know that they cannot go to anywhere in this country where our people are, and try to kidnap our workers, our people — they cannot do that without an organised and fierce resistance.' The protest movement appears set to grow, even as federal officials insist they will continue to carry out immigration enforcement operations . ICE has set a daily arrest goal of 3,000 under President Trump's second-term immigration push. The suburb of Paramount, where the standoff took place, is 82% Hispanic or Latino, according to US Census data. Los Angeles remains one of the country's most immigrant-rich cities, with a large population of foreign-born residents. The broader standoff pits federal immigration authorities under a Republican White House against a Democratic-led city government. As tear gas clouds clear, the political divisions remain sharp—and the likelihood of continued confrontation grows by the hour.
