Latest news with #Serrano
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. Salvadoran family's tough journey to Canada: 'We didn't want to be deported'
Aracely Serrano Ayala said she felt her world was ending several times in the last three months. After living and working in the U.S. for more than a decade, the 35-year-old resident of Plainfield, New Jersey, and her partner, Marcos Guardado, began to live in fear because they were undocumented immigrants. The Salvadoran couple never started the process of seeking a green card. As the Trump administration increased its deportation efforts, in March they decided to embark on a journey to Canada with their two daughters and apply for asylum there, where Serrano's brother is a citizen. 'We wanted a better future, to legalize our status and continue working," said Serrano, "but the United States gave us no hope." Serrano said nothing prepared her and her family for being turned away twice at the Canadian border, detained by U.S. immigration authorities and separated from her husband for several weeks, after he was transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. Serrano and her family are now living legally in Canada, but their story illustrates the complexities of the immigration and the asylum process, both in the U.S. and Canada. 'We just wanted to get out of the country and never imagined we would go through all this,' she says, her voice breaking. Under the 2015 Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between Canada and the United States, asylum-seekers must seek protection in the first safe country they arrive in. That is, if someone enters the U.S. first and meets the requirements, they must begin their asylum application there and cannot do so in Canada, and vice versa. However, there are exceptions in the agreement. If a person enters Canadian territory from the U.S. and can prove they have a close relative in the country who meets certain requirements (being of legal age, having Canadian citizenship or being a permanent resident, among other conditions), the person can enter the country and is allowed to begin their asylum application. 'I was hopeful because I know this agreement exists — and my brother had been there for 20 years,' Serrano said. But when the family got to the Canadian border, issues with documentation and even a misunderstanding over how last names are used in Latin America prevented them from being allowed into Canada and led to their detention in the U.S., illustrating the difficulties around migration and entry into another country. Serrano said that when she and he family crossed the Rainbow Bridge into Canada, "our dream of entering the country had collapsed," as Canadian border officials flagged several issues with their Salvadoran documents. One of the birth certificates had a mistake regarding Serrano's mother's name, Serrano's Canadian attorney, Heather Neufeld, said. Though there was a correction note in the margins, the border officials didn't pay attention to that and thought there was a discrepancy in their names, so they didn't accept it,' Neufeld said in an interview. The attorney added that another aspect complicating the process was that on one document, Serrano's father appeared with only one of his surnames, while on other documents, he had both. 'The [Canadian] officers didn't understand that in Latin America, people have two last names, but sometimes only one appears on the documents. So they thought they were fake. It was a series of errors made by border officials, when in fact, they were legitimate documents,' Neufeld said. Telemundo Noticias requested comment from the Canada Border Security Agency on the Serrano and Guardado case. Although authorities declined to comment on the Salvadoran family's case out of respect for their privacy, Luke Reimer, a spokesperson for the agency, said in a statement that port-of-entry officials are the ones who determine whether the evidence demonstrates that the asylum-seeker is subject to the Canada-United States Agreement. After the couple was declared inadmissible, Canadian authorities deported them back to the U.S., where they were detained at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility. 'They checked our documents there at U.S. immigration and then took us to a cell. It was a place with no windows or bathroom. When we wanted to go to the bathroom, we had to tell them to take us,' said Serrano. She said they were held there for two weeks. At the end of March, Serrano said, without warning, U.S. immigration agents sent them back to the Rainbow Bridge port of entry, but because they had the same papers, they were deported again to the U.S. Serrano, Guardado and Neufeld said that neither U.S. nor Canadian authorities have explained who made the decision to take them back to the Canadian port of entry. This is important because generally people only have one opportunity to resubmit their case to authorities. Noticias Telemundo contacted the Department of Homeland Security, ICE and CBP for comment on the case, but didn't receive a response. After the second deportation, Serrano and her daughters were separated from Guardado, who was transferred to an ICE detention center. Guardado said he'd never been imprisoned in his life; "it was the first time that happened to me, and I was there for a month and a few days,' he said, adding that he only had a few minutes to say goodbye to his daughters. However, things began to change. While Guardado was in detention, U.S. authorities placed Serrano in an electronic bracelet and released her along with her daughters. They spent a few days in a shelter in Buffalo, New York, and their case began to attract attention in the Canadian media. Neufeld then filed an official appeal with Canadian authorities. 'We submitted all the evidence with our arguments, but they sent us a one-sentence letter stating that they weren't going to change their initial decision, so the only option left was a petition in federal court,' Neufeld said. On May 5, the Canadian government agreed to allow Serrano and her two daughters to enter the country to begin the asylum application process. Meanwhile, Guardado remained detained in the U.S. and had to post a $12,000 bond to attend the interview with Canadian authorities to be able to reunite with his family. They turned to their family and close friends, all from the same Salvadoran town as Serrano and Guardado. "They all raised the bail to get me out; some put up $50, others $500," Guardado said. "Little by little, it all came together. I have a list of more than 500 people who helped me." Guardado recalled the day they told him he was entering Canada. 'I was able to be with them and hug my crying girls,' Guardado said. Serrano said the biggest difference she's experienced living in Canada is a sense of security and freedom that comforts her. 'We're no longer afraid. Imagine having that freedom with my girls, to go anywhere, without the fear that they'll find us and deport us without us committing any crime,' she said. But while the family begins a new life in Canada, bad news continue to cloud their horizon. Guardado's brother, Jaime — who's married to a naturalized U.S. citizen from El Salvador and was planning to go back to El Salvador as part of his green card process — was detained in New Jersey and continues to be in ICE custody. An earlier version of this story was first published in Noticias Telemundo. This article was originally published on
NBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
U.S. Salvadoran family's tough journey to Canada: 'We didn't want to be deported'
Aracely Serrano Ayala said she felt her world was ending several times in the last three months. After living and working in the U.S. for more than a decade, the 35-year-old resident of Plainfield, New Jersey, and her partner, Marcos Guardado, began to live in fear because they were undocumented immigrants. The Salvadoran couple never started the process of seeking a green card. As the Trump administration increased its deportation efforts, in March they decided to embark on a journey to Canada with their two daughters and apply for asylum there, where Serrano's brother is a citizen. 'We wanted a better future, to legalize our status and continue working," said Serrano, "but the United States gave us no hope." Serrano said nothing prepared her and her family for being turned away twice at the Canadian border, detained by U.S. immigration authorities and separated from her husband for several weeks, after he was transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. Serrano and her family are now living legally in Canada, but their story illustrates the complexities of the immigration and the asylum process, both in the U.S. and Canada. 'We just wanted to get out of the country and never imagined we would go through all this,' she says, her voice breaking. An opportunity in Canada - and unexpected setbacks Under the 2015 Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between Canada and the United States, asylum-seekers must seek protection in the first safe country they arrive in. That is, if someone enters the U.S. first and meets the requirements, they must begin their asylum application there and cannot do so in Canada, and vice versa. However, there are exceptions in the agreement. If a person enters Canadian territory from the U.S. and can prove they have a close relative in the country who meets certain requirements (being of legal age, having Canadian citizenship or being a permanent resident, among other conditions), the person can enter the country and is allowed to begin their asylum application. 'I was hopeful because I know this agreement exists — and my brother had been there for 20 years,' Serrano said. But when the family got to the Canadian border, issues with documentation and even a misunderstanding over how last names are used in Latin America prevented them from being allowed into Canada and led to their detention in the U.S., illustrating the difficulties around migration and entry into another country. Serrano said that when she and he family crossed the Rainbow Bridge into Canada, "our dream of entering the country had collapsed," as Canadian border officials flagged several issues with their Salvadoran documents. One of the birth certificates had a mistake regarding Serrano's mother's name, Serrano's Canadian attorney, Heather Neufeld, said. Though there was a correction note in the margins, the border officials didn't pay attention to that and thought there was a discrepancy in their names, so they didn't accept it,' Neufeld said in an interview. The attorney added that another aspect complicating the process was that on one document, Serrano's father appeared with only one of his surnames, while on other documents, he had both. 'The [Canadian] officers didn't understand that in Latin America, people have two last names, but sometimes only one appears on the documents. So they thought they were fake. It was a series of errors made by border officials, when in fact, they were legitimate documents,' Neufeld said. Telemundo Noticias requested comment from the Canada Border Security Agency on the Serrano and Guardado case. Although authorities declined to comment on the Salvadoran family's case out of respect for their privacy, Luke Reimer, a spokesperson for the agency, said in a statement that port-of-entry officials are the ones who determine whether the evidence demonstrates that the asylum-seeker is subject to the Canada-United States Agreement. After the couple was declared inadmissible, Canadian authorities deported them back to the U.S., where they were detained at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility. 'They checked our documents there at U.S. immigration and then took us to a cell. It was a place with no windows or bathroom. When we wanted to go to the bathroom, we had to tell them to take us,' said Serrano. She said they were held there for two weeks. At the end of March, Serrano said, without warning, U.S. immigration agents sent them back to the Rainbow Bridge port of entry, but because they had the same papers, they were deported again to the U.S. Serrano, Guardado and Neufeld said that neither U.S. nor Canadian authorities have explained who made the decision to take them back to the Canadian port of entry. This is important because generally people only have one opportunity to resubmit their case to authorities. Noticias Telemundo contacted the Department of Homeland Security, ICE and CBP for comment on the case, but didn't receive a response. After the second deportation, Serrano and her daughters were separated from Guardado, who was transferred to an ICE detention center. Guardado said he'd never been imprisoned in his life; "it was the first time that happened to me, and I was there for a month and a few days,' he said, adding that he only had a few minutes to say goodbye to his daughters. However, things began to change. While Guardado was in detention, U.S. authorities placed Serrano in an electronic bracelet and released her along with her daughters. They spent a few days in a shelter in Buffalo, New York, and their case began to attract attention in the Canadian media. Neufeld then filed an official appeal with Canadian authorities. 'We submitted all the evidence with our arguments, but they sent us a one-sentence letter stating that they weren't going to change their initial decision, so the only option left was a petition in federal court,' Neufeld said. On May 5, the Canadian government agreed to allow Serrano and her two daughters to enter the country to begin the asylum application process. Meanwhile, Guardado remained detained in the U.S. and had to post a $12,000 bond to attend the interview with Canadian authorities to be able to reunite with his family. They turned to their family and close friends, all from the same Salvadoran town as Serrano and Guardado. "They all raised the bail to get me out; some put up $50, others $500," Guardado said. "Little by little, it all came together. I have a list of more than 500 people who helped me." Guardado recalled the day they told him he was entering Canada. 'I was able to be with them and hug my crying girls,' Guardado said. Serrano said the biggest difference she's experienced living in Canada is a sense of security and freedom that comforts her. 'We're no longer afraid. Imagine having that freedom with my girls, to go anywhere, without the fear that they'll find us and deport us without us committing any crime,' she said. But while the family begins a new life in Canada, bad news continue to cloud their horizon. Guardado's brother, Jaime — who's married to a naturalized U.S. citizen from El Salvador and was planning to go back to El Salvador as part of his green card process — was detained in New Jersey and continues to be in ICE custody.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Family detained in Hays County raid says no gang ties existed, expert questions tattoo evidence
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Venezuelan father detained alongside his wife and two young children during a March immigration raid in Hays County maintains the family has no connection with the violent gang authorities claim they were targeting. The operation, which took place in the early morning hours of April 1, resulted in the apprehension of 47 people, including nine minors. Federal and state authorities alleged the gathering involved members and associates of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that originated in prisons before expanding across Latin America. VIDEO: New look at operation leading to 40 people possibly linked to Venezuelan gang arrested in Hays County According to Texas Tribune reporter Alejandro Serrano, who interviewed the Venezuelan father, the family was celebrating birthdays at a rented house when law enforcement arrived with flashbang grenades around 5 a.m. 'He said they weren't given a reason,' Serrano told KXAN's Will DuPree. 'They were at a what he described, [as a] birthday party gathering, sort of a family and friends sort of event and in the early hours of April 1, the party was busted by a variety of law enforcement agencies.' The father told Serrano that immigration agents later questioned him about the tattoos on his shoulders, suggesting they indicated gang membership. The man disputed this claim, explaining the star-shaped tattoos were personal choices from his youth, unrelated to any criminal organization. Criminologists who study organized crime in Latin America question the use of tattoos as evidence of Tren de Aragua membership. Serrano spoke with two experts who research Venezuelan gangs. 'Venezuelan gangs, including Tren de Aragua, don't use tattoos as identifiers, as far as their research shows and other people's research that they pointed me to,' Serrano said. More than 40 people possibly linked with Venezuelan gang taken into custody in Hays County The Tribune's investigation found no criminal records for 35 of the individuals detained in the operation when their names were searched through federal, Travis County and Hays County court databases. Only two people from the raid face state charges related to drug possesion. The remaining detainees were arrested on suspicion of illegal entry to the United States. After 23 days in detention in Frio County, the Venezuelan family returned home wearing ankle monitors to discover significant consequences from their absence. Their landlord had issued an eviction notice, bills had accumulated and their 5-year-old son was expelled from school due to unexcused absences. 'They have removal orders, and they also have fear now that they described. They're kind of scared to do anything,' Serrano said. 'They left Venezuela because of persecution, so now they kind of describe being in this situation where they recognize they might be sent back.' The father maintains employment with two jobs and possesses legal work permits and Social Security documentation. The family has a pending asylum case but now faces deportation orders. The Hays County operation reflects a pattern of immigration enforcement under the Trump administration's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 against Tren de Aragua. The wartime law allows for swift deportation of suspected gang members with limited legal recourse. More than 230 men accused of gang membership have been deported to a maximum security prison in El Salvador under this authority, though reports indicate few had documented histories of serious violent crimes. Federal agencies involved in the Hays County operation, including ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and FBI, have not responded to requests for comment or provided evidence supporting their gang affiliation claims, according to the Tribune. The search warrant related to the operation contains limited information about authorities' prior knowledge, and a district court judge has sealed accompanying documents detailing the warrant request. Court challenges to the administration's deportation authority have emerged across multiple judicial districts, creating a patchwork of rulings that have largely blocked such expedited removals. The Supreme Court has ruled that detainees must receive proper opportunities to raise legal challenges, though it has not specified required procedures. As legal proceedings continue, the Venezuelan family remains in Austin, working to rebuild their lives while facing an uncertain immigration future and questioning why they were targeted in the first place. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Vogue
6 days ago
- General
- Vogue
Is 10,000 Steps a Day a Myth? Here's What Experts Say
Walking 10,000 steps a day is a wellness essential, right? Whether from the messaging on social media or the advertising of fitness brands, most of us have wholeheartedly come to believe that walking a minimum of 10,000 steps a day is a science-backed wellness requirement. In an effort to add more activity to my daily routine, I have been following the 10,000 steps 'rule' for months. It's definitely helped shift my otherwise sedentary lifestyle, the kind that those of us who spend our days sitting at a computer also unwittingly follow. The body needs to move—and walking has become my own little act of self-care. But should we really set our sights on the figure of 10,000 steps? To find out the benefits—and potential pitfalls—I spoke to health experts. Do you have to walk 10,000 steps a day? 'It has no scientific basis,' says Jesús Serrano, a physiotherapist at the Improve Clinic in Madrid. 'This belief comes from the launch of a Japanese pedometer many years ago.' He's referring to a 1965 advertising campaign for a device called the Manpo-kei—which is Japanese for '10,000 step meter'—that 'encouraged people to lead an active life and, at least, to take 10,000 steps a day,' says Serrano. Evidently, it was quite the sticky advertising campaign; the message has stuck around even to the present day. But is the number correct? Apparently, no: 'It is far below what we should be moving,' says Serrano. 'Walking 10,000 steps a day should be the minimum baseline for everyone. We encourage meeting that figure and, in addition, doing a workout.' The importance of walking—and not becoming obsessed with it Regardless of whether the myth has scientific basis to fall back on, it does act as a kind of challenge for anyone who aims to move more in their day-to-day lives. 'Human beings are made for movement,' says Serrano. 'We live in a time in which everything is very comfortable and is just a click away, but in the end we get rusty and grow old because of our sedentary lifestyle.' After spending eight hours anchored to a chair, it is not surprising that the body might crave some movement anyway. 'This figure of 10,000 steps is an invitation for people to have a minimum activity,' explains Serrano. 'But each person is different and we must adapt to the lifestyle we have to lead in order to be healthy.'
Los Angeles Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
ICE agents wait in hallways of immigration court as Trump seeks to deliver on mass arrest pledge
MIAMI — Juan Serrano, a 28-year-old Colombian migrant with no criminal record, attended a hearing in immigration court in Miami on Wednesday for what he thought would be a quick check-in. The musty, glass-paneled courthouse sees hundreds of such hearings every day. Most last less than five minutes and end with a judge ordering those who appear to return in two years' time to plead their case against deportation. So it came as a surprise when, rather than set a future court date, government attorneys asked to drop the case. 'You're free to go,' Judge Monica Neumann told Serrano. Except he really wasn't. Waiting for him as he exited the small courtroom were five federal agents who cuffed him against the wall, escorted him to the garage and whisked him away in a van along with a dozen other migrants detained the same day. They weren't the only ones. Across the United States in immigration courts from New York to Seattle this week, Homeland Security officials are ramping up enforcement actions in what appears to be a coordinated dragnet testing out new legal levers deployed by President Trump's administration to carry out mass arrests. While Trump campaigned on a pledge of mass removals of what he calls 'illegals,' he's struggled to carry out his plans amid a series of lawsuits, the refusal of some foreign governments to take back their nationals and a lack of detention facilities to house migrants. Arrests are extremely rare in or immediately near immigration courts, which are run by the Justice Department. When they have occurred, it was usually because the individual was charged with a criminal offense or their asylum claim had been denied. 'All this is to accelerate detentions and expedite removals,' said immigration attorney Wilfredo Allen, who has represented migrants at the Miami court for decades. Three U.S. immigration officials said government attorneys were given the order to start dismissing cases when they showed up for work Monday, knowing full well that federal agents would then have a free hand to arrest those same individuals as soon as they stepped out of the courtroom. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared losing their jobs. AP reporters on Wednesday witnessed detentions and arrests or spoke to attorneys whose clients were picked up at immigration courthouses in Los Angeles, Phoenix, New York, Seattle, Chicago and Texas. The latest effort includes people who have no criminal records, migrants with no legal representation and people who are seeking asylum, according to reports received by the American Immigration Lawyers Association, known as AILA. While detentions have been happening over the past few months, on Tuesday the number of reports skyrocketed, said Vanessa Dojaquez-Torres, practice and policy counsel at AILA. In the case of Serrano in Miami, the request for dismissal was delivered by a government attorney who spoke without identifying herself on the record. When the AP asked for the woman's name, she refused and hastily exited the courtroom past one of the groups of plainclothes federal agents stationed throughout the building. The Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees immigration courts, referred questions to the Department of Homeland Security. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is part of Homeland Security, said in a statement that it was detaining people who are subject to fast-track deportation authority. Outside the Miami courthouse on Wednesday, a Cuban man was waiting for one last glimpse of his 22-year-old son. Initially, when his son's case was dismissed, his father assumed it was a first, positive step toward legal residency. But the hoped-for reprieve quickly turned into a nightmare. 'My whole world came crashing down,' said the father, breaking down in tears. The man, who asked not to be identified for fear of arrest, described his son as a good kid who rarely left his Miami home except to go to work. 'We thought coming here was a good thing,' he said of his son's court appearance. Antonio Ramos, an immigration attorney with an office next to the Miami courthouse, said the government's new tactics are likely to have a chilling effect in Miami's large migrant community, discouraging otherwise law abiding individuals from showing up for their court appearances for fear of arrest. 'People are going to freak out like never before,' he said. Serrano entered the U.S. in September 2022 after fleeing his homeland due to threats associated with his work as an adviser to a politician in the Colombian capital, Bogota, according to his girlfriend, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being arrested and deported. Last year, he submitted a request for asylum, she said. She said the couple met working on a cleanup crew to remove debris near Tampa following Hurricane Ian in September 2022. 'He was shy and I'm extroverted,' said the woman, who is from Venezuela. The couple slept on the streets when they relocated to Miami but eventually scrounged together enough money — she cleaning houses, him working construction — to buy a used car and rent a one-bedroom apartment for $1,400 a month. The apartment is decorated with photos of the two in better times, standing in front of the Statue of Liberty in New York, visiting a theme park and lounging at the beach. She said the two worked hard, socialized little and lived a law-abiding life. 'He didn't even have a speeding ticket. We both drive like grandparents,' she said. The woman was waiting outside the courthouse when she received a call from her boyfriend. 'He told me to go, that he had been arrested and there was nothing more to do,' she said. She was still processing the news and deciding how she would break it to his elderly parents. Meanwhile, she called an attorney recommended by a friend to see if anything could be done to reverse the arrest. 'I'm grateful for any help,' she said as she shuffled through her boyfriend's passport, migration papers and IRS tax receipts. 'Unfortunately, not a lot of Americans want to help us.' Goodman and Salomon write for the Associated Press. AP reporters Martha Bellisle in Seattle, Sophia Tareen in Chicago, Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, and Amy Taxin in Santa Ana, Calif., contributed to this report.
