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Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
US support for immigration rebounds as Trump cracks down on it, poll finds
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Support was particularly low with Hispanic adults, 21 per cent of whom approved of Mr Donald Trump's approach on the issue. NEW YORK - Six months into the Trump administration's efforts to carry out the largest mass deportation effort in US history, a new poll shows that the American public is once again warming to immigration. A sustained increase in migrants crossing the southern border starting in 2021 had stirred anxiety and anger across the United States, and public support for immigration plunged as Mr Donald Trump made the issue the centrepiece of his campaign to return to the White House. But in the past year, Americans have grown less negative about the issue, with the share of those wanting to see immigration decrease now totalling 30 per cent, compared to 55 per cent in 2024, according to the new survey, conducted by Gallup, a polling organisation. A record high of adults in the United States – 79 per cent – now believes immigration is a 'good thing' for the country. The results are in line with other recent surveys that suggest attitudes on immigration may be shifting as Mr Trump has intensified efforts to detain and deport people . Illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border, which began dropping in 2024 under President Joe Biden, are now at their lowest level in decades, and major cities like New York are no longer struggling to care for large numbers of migrants. At the same time, people in many communities – large and small, urban and rural – are seeing immigrant relatives, friends and neighbours taken away by federal agents. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore ST will have Govt's 'full confidence and support' in its mission: PM Wong Asia Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over engine switch movement Business F&B operators face tougher business landscape amid rising costs and stiff competition Business What's in store for policyholders after GE removes pre-authorisation letters for two private hospitals Multimedia Which floor is this? Chongqing's maze-like environment powers its rise as a megacity Asia 'Woven air': Ancient fabric spun across history makes comeback amid lies and climate change Sport 'A step forward' for golfer Shannon Tan, who makes cut at Evian Championship Business 4 conditions that allow seniors with dementia to sign wills Still, immigration remains an area where Mr Trump receives some of his strongest approval ratings. Gallup pollsters said Mr Trump's 'swift and visible' response had allayed concern among some Republicans, which in turn shifted overall American sentiment on immigration back to where it was before migration levels climbed to record heights. 'We went through a period of irregularity in attitudes on immigration, and now we are just getting back to a normal,' said Ms Lydia Saad, Gallup's director of US social research. But where pollsters are still seeing partisan friction, she added, are with the Trump policies. The new Gallup poll found that more Americans disapprove rather than approve of Mr Trump's handling of the issue, which has been the case since Mr Trump took office. Support for stricter border enforcement measures is down over the last year – though a majority of Americans still support stricter measures – while support for creating pathways to citizenship for immigrants living in the US illegally remains high. The Gallup poll, conducted from June 2 to 26 and released on July 11, found that support for the president's handling of immigration has fallen, with 35 per cent approving, down from 46 per cent in February. Support was particularly low with Hispanic adults, 21 per cent of whom approved of Mr Trump's approach on the issue, 14 percentage points below the national number. The numbers most likely reflect that demographic group's low support for some of his administration's marquee immigration policies, Ms Saad said, such as deporting all immigrants in the country illegally and increasing the number of immigration agents. Still, a plurality of Hispanic adults – 39 per cent – said they wanted immigration levels to decrease, while only 30 per cent of the general public said the same. The results mark a dramatic reversal in trends that began in 2021 when immigration apprehensions hit levels not seen in 20 years and more than 1.5 million people crossed the southern border for the first time. In recent years, a majority of Americans had come to see the situation at the border as a problem, and concern over immigration, both legal and illegal, had been rising. 2024 was the first time since 2005 that a majority of Americans told Gallup they wanted to see immigration in the country decrease. Mr Trump was voted into the White House for a second term after a campaign marked by nativist rallying cries against migrants and pledges to carry out mass deportations – and with many Americans ranking immigration as most important issue in the election. Since then, Mr Trump and his allies have embarked on an immigration crackdown more sweeping than the one he undertook in his first term and harsher than any since World War II. In its first months, his administration has implemented a travel ban, rolled back temporary deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of people and fast-tracked asylum cases without granting court hearings. His administration has also sought to ramp up arrests and raids at homes, courthouses and workplaces; suspend a wide array of student visas; invoke centuries-old wartime law to summarily deport people; and end the constitutional right granting citizenship to all children born on US soil. The recent shift in attitudes about immigration has been driven primarily by Republicans, whose support for lowering immigration rates plummeted to 48 per cent, from 88 per cent just one year ago. Although a plurality still want immigration to decrease, an increasing share expressed a desire to keep immigration at current levels. In turn, a 64 per cent majority of Republicans now say immigration is a good thing for the country, up from 39 per cent in 2024. The poll, which surveyed 1,402 US adults, is the latest public opinion research to show a drop in Mr Trump's approval ratings on immigration and a mixed-to-negative response to his hardline policies. A New York Times/Siena College poll in April found that Mr Trump's highest approval rating was on immigration, though slightly more Americans disapproved than approved of his handling of the issue and 53 per cent believed he had gone too far on enforcement. A Pew study in June found Americans evenly split over his administration's use of state and local law enforcement officers in its deportation dragnet, and over its efforts to offer money and travel funds to immigrants who leave voluntarily. But a majority of the public disapproved of ending Temporary Protected Status programmes, suspending most asylum applications and increasing Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on job sites where immigrants who are in the United States illegally may be working. NYTIMES
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
British man pleads not guilty to nearly $128 million wine fraud
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Victims invested in loans meant for wealthy wine collectors - except that neither the collectors nor their wine existed. NEW YORK - A British man pleaded not guilty on July 11 in New York to charges he helped mastermind a nearly US$100 million (S$128.02 million) fraud whose victims invested in loans meant for wealthy wine collectors - except that neither the collectors nor their wine existed. James Wellesley, 58, entered his plea to wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges before US Magistrate Judge Robert Levy in Brooklyn. Wellesley, also known as Andrew Fuller, was ordered detained without bail at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, after unsuccessfully fighting extradition from Britain. A lawyer for Wellesley did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Stephen Burton, 60, another Briton charged with running the fraud, is being held at the same Brooklyn jail. He was extradited from Morocco to face the same charges, and pleaded not guilty in December 2023. Both defendants face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore ST will have Govt's 'full confidence and support' in its mission: PM Wong Asia Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over engine switch movement Business F&B operators face tougher business landscape amid rising costs and stiff competition Business What's in store for policyholders after GE removes pre-authorisation letters for two private hospitals Multimedia Which floor is this? Chongqing's maze-like environment powers its rise as a megacity Asia 'Woven air': Ancient fabric spun across history makes comeback amid lies and climate change Sport 'A step forward' for golfer Shannon Tan, who makes cut at Evian Championship Business 4 conditions that allow seniors with dementia to sign wills Prosecutors said that from June 2017 to February 2019, Wellesley and Burton convinced victims to invest US$99.4 million of loans brokered by their company Bordeaux Cellars, with interest payments coming from the wine collectors. The men allegedly told victims the loans were backed by an inventory of more than 25,000 bottles of wine, including from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti in Burgundy and Chateau Lafleur in Bordeaux. But prosecutors said Bordeaux Cellars actually controlled thousands fewer bottles than the loan documents showed, including just 217 bottles in March 2018. Prosecutors said the defendants used loan proceeds to pay interest to some investors, or for personal expenses. The scheme collapsed when victims stopped receiving interest payments, prosecutors said. REUTERS
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Russian foreign minister arrives in North Korea, KCNA says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SEOUL - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in North Korea on Friday, North Korea's state media KCNA said on Saturday, the latest visit by a senior Russian official to the isolated state amid warming ties between the countries. Lavrov's visit, scheduled to Sunday, includes a meeting between the countries' foreign ministers, KCNA reported. Lavrov flew out of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur following the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting and arrived in Wonsan, North Korea's eastern coastal city, which is home to a recently opened resort and known for its missile and naval facilities. Lavrov's visit is the latest high-level meeting between the two countries amid a dramatic upgrading of their strategic cooperation that now includes a mutual defence pact. South Korean intelligence service has said North Korea may be preparing to deploy additional troops in July or August, after sending more than 10,000 soldiers to fight with Russia in the war against Ukraine. North Korea has agreed to dispatch 6,000 military engineers and builders for reconstruction in Russia's conflict-hit Kursk region. Russian news agencies also reported Lavrov's arrival and said after North Korea he is expected to travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, which is set to take place on Monday and Tuesday. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore ST will have Govt's 'full confidence and support' in its mission: PM Wong Singapore ST will aim to become an indispensable partner to S'pore's communities: Editor Jaime Ho Singapore Wishes for ST beyond 180: Odes to its enduring role in the Singapore story Singapore Heartbeats & Headlines: ST's 180-year legacy comes to life in immersive exhibition Singapore Trusted news, smarter experience with new Straits Times website and app Singapore Community space Stranger Conversations blossoms as 'library of human stories' and life experiences Singapore Man who killed 5-year-old daughter gets life sentence after he appeals against 35-year jail term Singapore Judge declines to void alleged sham marriage in S'pore, says it is for Parliament to decide
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
UK man pleads not guilty in New York to $99 million wine fraud
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox NEW YORK - A British man pleaded not guilty on Friday in New York to charges he helped mastermind a nearly $100 million fraud whose victims invested in loans meant for wealthy wine collectors -- except that neither the collectors nor their wine existed. James Wellesley, 58, entered his plea to wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Levy in Brooklyn. Wellesley, also known as Andrew Fuller, was ordered detained without bail at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, after unsuccessfully fighting extradition from Britain. A lawyer for Wellesley did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Stephen Burton, 60, another Briton charged with running the fraud, is being held at the same Brooklyn jail. He was extradited from Morocco to face the same charges, and pleaded not guilty in December 2023. Both defendants face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors said that from June 2017 to February 2019, Wellesley and Burton convinced victims to invest $99.4 million of loans brokered by their company Bordeaux Cellars, with interest payments coming from the wine collectors. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore ST will have Govt's 'full confidence and support' in its mission: PM Wong Singapore ST will aim to become an indispensable partner to S'pore's communities: Editor Jaime Ho Singapore Wishes for ST beyond 180: Odes to its enduring role in the Singapore story Singapore Heartbeats & Headlines: ST's 180-year legacy comes to life in immersive exhibition Singapore Trusted news, smarter experience with new Straits Times website and app Singapore Community space Stranger Conversations blossoms as 'library of human stories' and life experiences Singapore Man who killed 5-year-old daughter gets life sentence after he appeals against 35-year jail term Singapore Judge declines to void alleged sham marriage in S'pore, says it is for Parliament to decide The men allegedly told victims the loans were backed by an inventory of more than 25,000 bottles of wine, including from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti in Burgundy and Chateau Lafleur in Bordeaux. But prosecutors said Bordeaux Cellars actually controlled thousands fewer bottles than the loan documents showed, including just 217 bottles in March 2018. Prosecutors said the defendants used loan proceeds to pay interest to some investors, or for personal expenses. The scheme collapsed when victims stopped receiving interest payments, prosecutors said. The case is US v Burton et al, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, No. 22-cr-00079. REUTERS
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
Ecuador gang leader 'Fito' accepts extradition to US
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Jose Adolfo Macias known as \"Fito\", the leader of the Los Choneros criminal group, sits in an armoured personnel carrier after he was recaptured following his escape from a Guayaquil prison in 2024, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on June 26, 2025. Ecuadorean Armed Forces/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo QUITO - Ecuadorean gang leader Jose Adolfo Macias, known as "Fito," on Friday accepted a court's request to be extradited to the United States to face drug and gun charges. Macias, who escaped from prison in January 2024, was recaptured in late June by security forces in the coastal city of Manta and transferred to a maximum-security prison. "Yes, I accept, your honor," he told the judge presiding over the case, appearing at the hearing virtually. Macias accepting the extradition request will speed up the process, now moving on to the presidency for confirmation before authorities can coordinate with their U.S. counterparts to negotiate the handover. Rejecting the extradition request would have kicked off a potentially months-long process before the head of the National Court of Justice ruled whether or not to hand him over. In Ecuador, Macias was serving a 34-year sentence for various crimes, including drug trafficking, organized crime and murder. Macias will face seven charges, including for drug and arms trafficking, in a U.S. federal court in Brooklyn, New York. These charges were announced months before his recapture. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore ST will have Govt's 'full confidence and support' in its mission: PM Wong Singapore ST will aim to become an indispensable partner to S'pore's communities: Editor Jaime Ho Singapore Wishes for ST beyond 180: Odes to its enduring role in the Singapore story Singapore Heartbeats & Headlines: ST's 180-year legacy comes to life in immersive exhibition Singapore Trusted news, smarter experience with new Straits Times website and app Singapore Community space Stranger Conversations blossoms as 'library of human stories' and life experiences Singapore Man who killed 5-year-old daughter gets life sentence after he appeals against 35-year jail term Singapore Judge declines to void alleged sham marriage in S'pore, says it is for Parliament to decide The U.S. Department of Justice has stated that under Macias' direction, gang Los Choneros committed violent acts against law enforcement, Ecuadorean politicians, lawyers, prosecutors and civilians. Ecuadorean authorities have accused the criminal group of extortion, murder and drug trafficking, and allege it exercises vast control over Ecuador's prisons, which are plagued by crime and overcrowding. The Ecuadorean government had offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his capture. Authorities have also arrested Macias' relatives and seized several of his assets throughout the Andean nation. The extradition of Ecuadoreans was approved in a referendum called by President Daniel Noboa in April 2024. REUTERS
