Latest news with #Szeliga
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland lawmakers closer to passing roadblock to ICE deportation effort
The Maryland House of Delegates passed a bill that will prohibit agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) from entering sensitive locations without a warrant. The legislation, Senate Bill 828, which will ban ICE agents from schools, libraries and churches unless the agency is able to obtain a warrant, passed the Democratic-dominated House of Delegates on a 98-39 vote. It now returns to the state Senate where, if approved as amended, it will proceed to Democratic Gov. Wes Moore's desk. The bill comes as President Donald Trump has ramped up deportation efforts across the country, seeking to make good on a campaign promise that became central to his third bid for the White House. Blue State Sheriffs Combine Forces To Fight Back Against Sanctuary Laws That effort has led to over 100,000 deportations between when Trump took office on Jan. 20 and the end of March, according to numbers provided to Newsweek, a number that was already over a third of the 271,000 deported during the final year of the Biden administration. Read On The Fox News App But Maryland lawmakers are putting a roadblock in front of that effort, with the state's Democratic-controlled legislature arguing that ICE tactics have spread fear through local communities. "People in my community have been afraid for far too long," Democratic Delegate Karen Simpson told Fox affiliate WBFF. "I am thankful to everyone in this body who has voted for this so that we can get rid of 287(g) who has scared our community." The new legislation also incorporates Maryland's House Bill 1222, which seeks to eliminate ICE's 287(g) program from being used in the state. That program allows local law enforcement agencies to partner with ICE and assist in immigration enforcement efforts, including cooperating with ICE detainers that instruct local jurisdictions to hold illegal immigrants in jail until they can be apprehended by ICE for deportation proceedings. Jd Vance Torches Media, Dems' 'Disgraceful Set Of Priorities' On Deportation Of Accused Ms-13 Gang Member The legislation was opposed by Republican Delegate Kathy Szeliga, who told WBFF that the bill was nothing more than "fear mongering by the left" that is "stirring up the immigrant community." Szeliga was able to successfully add an amendment to the legislation that would ensure that criminal illegal aliens who are on the state's sex offender registry would be turned over to ICE, though that provision would not go into effect until June 1. The legislation will not return to the Senate, where Szeliga believes it will pass despite opposition to such amendments. "I hear that the Senate doesn't love the bill the way it's been amended. But I believe that they will pass this bill," Szeliga said. The Maryland Senate has until midnight tonight to vote on SB 828 before the Maryland General Assembly adjourns for the year. If passed, it heads to Moore's desk. Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for ICE said the agency does not comment on article source: Maryland lawmakers closer to passing roadblock to ICE deportation effort
Fox News
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Maryland lawmakers closer to passing roadblock to ICE deportation effort
The Maryland House of Delegates passed a bill that will prohibit agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) from entering sensitive locations without a warrant. The legislation, Senate Bill 828, which will ban ICE agents from schools, libraries and churches unless the agency is able to obtain a warrant, passed the Democratic-dominated House of Delegates on a 98-39 vote. It now returns to the state Senate where, if approved as amended, it will proceed to Democratic Gov. Wes Moore's desk. The bill comes as President Donald Trump has ramped up deportation efforts across the country, seeking to make good on a campaign promise that became central to his third bid for the White House. That effort has led to over 100,000 deportations between when Trump took office on Jan. 20 and the end of March, according to numbers provided to Newsweek, a number that was already over a third of the 271,000 deported during the final year of the Biden administration. But Maryland lawmakers are putting a roadblock in front of that effort, with the state's Democratic-controlled legislature arguing that ICE tactics have spread fear through local communities. "People in my community have been afraid for far too long," Democratic Delegate Karen Simpson told Fox affiliate WBFF. "I am thankful to everyone in this body who has voted for this so that we can get rid of 287(g) who has scared our community." The new legislation also incorporates Maryland's House Bill 1222, which seeks to eliminate ICE's 287(g) program from being used in the state. That program allows local law enforcement agencies to partner with ICE and assist in immigration enforcement efforts, including cooperating with ICE detainers that instruct local jurisdictions to hold illegal immigrants in jail until they can be apprehended by ICE for deportation proceedings. The legislation was opposed by Republican Delegate Kathy Szeliga, who told WBFF that the bill was nothing more than "fear mongering by the left" that is "stirring up the immigrant community." Szeliga was able to successfully add an amendment to the legislation that would ensure that criminal illegal aliens who are on the state's sex offender registry would be turned over to ICE, though that provision would not go into effect until June 1. The legislation will not return to the Senate, where Szeliga believes it will pass despite opposition to such amendments. "I hear that the Senate doesn't love the bill the way it's been amended. But I believe that they will pass this bill," Szeliga said. The Maryland Senate has until midnight tonight to vote on SB 828 before the Maryland General Assembly adjourns for the year. If passed, it heads to Moore's desk. Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for ICE said the agency does not comment on legislation.
CBS News
09-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
How this Philadelphia business is navigating Trump's on-again, off-again tariffs on Canadian goods
At Fishtown Seafood, owner Bryan Szeliga is worried about the oysters. Szeliga, who operates three retail and wholesale locations in Philadelphia and Haddonfield, N.J., sells a range of seafood. But briny, slurpable oysters are the biggest part of his overall business. And 60% to 70% come from Canada. The Trump's administration's on-again, off-again 25% tariffs on imports from Canada — which went into effect on Tuesday only to be suspended on some items for a month on Thursday — are giving Szeliga whiplash. The flip-flopping is making it tough to plan ahead. And if the tariffs do eventually go into effect, he'll likely need to raise prices and offer his customers fewer choices of oysters. "Part of the problem of the ' chaos and shock and awe ' approach to the negotiation is you can't actually really business plan based on knowing what is and isn't actually going to happen," he said. "That's a big problem." Szeliga started Fishtown Seafood four years ago after other jobs in the food industry including chef and working for a nonprofit. His customers include neighborhood locals and others who shop at his retail shops as well as restaurant wholesale clients. He sources some of his U.S. products directly from fish farms but for Canadian oysters he goes through dealers. "They're larger companies that aggregate from all the (seafood) producers and then and then distribute throughout the country," he said. There's also a quality consideration. "Canadian oysters simply have the size, flavor profile, and brand recognition that our customers prefer and have grown to love," he said. Trying to plan On Tuesday, most of his suppliers told Szeliga they'd be raising prices. He only made one purchase while the tariff was in effect, buying some "sweet petite" oysters from Prince Edward Island, to make sure a wholesale client had enough product. He paid the whole 25% markup himself and didn't pass it along to his client, eating the extra cost. The suppliers' price increases are likely to come down now that the tariffs are postponed, but only for a month. Now that he has a month reprieve, Szeliga said he plans to adjust his own inventory and work with his wholesale clients to plan out a menu that will be less affected by the tariffs. That might mean replacing higher-priced, higher-quality oysters with domestic or lower-priced Canadian offerings. "Now that we have a picture of what this is probably going to look like, let's just start designing out your menus so that we're prepared and it's not complete bedlam again," he said. "Even if prices come down, we know prices are going to come up to X, Y, Z (when the tariffs return)." He said he'll be asking his clients, "What products are going to work for you in a month?" A blow to the burgeoning oyster market Szeliga isn't alone with his concerns – the entire oyster market could be affected. The total value of U.S. imported seafood in 2023 was $25.5 billion. Canada, as the largest supplier, delivered more than $3.6 billion in seafood products to the United States in 2023. Imports of seafood from Canada into the U.S. rose 10% in 2024 to $3.96 billion, according to the USDA. While oysters are just a fraction of that – the most popular seafood remains shrimp, salmon and tuna – oyster demand has been growing. In 2022, oysters joined the National Fisheries Institute Top 10 List for the first time ever. Szeliga has watched as the popularity meant more and more restaurants, beyond just oyster bars, began offering the bivalve on their menus. He worries that growth will now "fade and fizzle." "I think it's really going to take the momentum out of what is a growth industry," he said. Limiting choice, raising prices Szeliga said he'll likely limit the number of oysters he carries in his shop from 12 to about 10 to make sure he can still offer a range of higher and lower price oysters that his customers want, even if he no longer carries the most expensive options. Switching to oysters harvested only in the U.S. isn't an option, because although there are numerous types of oysters available on U.S. coasts, the majority of U.S. seafood is imported. Canada is the largest supplier of seafood to the U.S. That's hard to match. "For domestic oysters the production is pretty maxed out right now," he said. "Oysters can take several years to grow and make it to market so a farmer would have needed to make a business selection several years ago to grow their business to be in a good position right now to take full advantage of this situation." Szeliga worries that Canadian producers might start limiting what they sell to the U.S. market after the tariff confusion. So ultimately, his customers should expect less choice of oysters, and for a higher price since not all prices will come back down after they've been marked up. "Some products that were really 'value' purchases in the past. I think those suppliers, it forced them to realize they were value," he said. "And I think there are going to be products that aren't going to come back down (price-wise)," he said.
Washington Post
09-03-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
How one small business is navigating Trump's on-again, off-again tariffs on Canadian goods
NEW YORK — At Fishtown Seafood, owner Bryan Szeliga is worried about the oysters. Szeliga, who operates three retail and wholesale locations in Philadelphia and Haddonfield, N.J., sells a range of seafood. But briny, slurpable oysters are the biggest part of his overall business. And 60% to 70% come from Canada. The Trump's administration's on-again, off-again 25% tariffs on imports from Canada — which went into effect on Tuesday only to be suspended on some items for a month on Thursday — are giving Szeliga whiplash. The flip-flopping is making it tough to plan ahead. And if the tariffs do eventually go into effect, he'll likely need to raise prices and offer his customers fewer choices of oysters. 'Part of the problem of the 'chaos and shock and awe' approach to the negotiation is you can't actually really business plan based on knowing what is and isn't actually going to happen,' he said. 'That's a big problem.' Szeliga started Fishtown Seafood four years ago after other jobs in the food industry including chef and working for a nonprofit. His customers include neighborhood locals and others who shop at his retail shops as well as restaurant wholesale clients. He sources some of his U.S. products directly from fish farms but for Canadian oysters he goes through dealers. 'They're larger companies that aggregate from all the (seafood) producers and then and then distribute throughout the country,' he said. There's also a quality consideration. 'Canadian oysters simply have the size, flavor profile, and brand recognition that our customers prefer and have grown to love,' he said. On Tuesday, most of his suppliers told Szeliga they'd be raising prices. He only made one purchase while the tariff was in effect, buying some 'sweet petite' oysters from Prince Edward Island, to make sure a wholesale client had enough product. He paid the whole 25% markup himself and didn't pass it along to his client, eating the extra cost. The suppliers' price increases are likely to come down now that the tariffs are postponed, but only for a month. Now that he has a month reprieve, Szeliga said he plans to adjust his own inventory and work with his wholesale clients to plan out a menu that will be less affected by the tariffs. That might mean replacing higher-priced, higher-quality oysters with domestic or lower-priced Canadian offerings. 'Now that we have a picture of what this is probably going to look like, let's just start designing out your menus so that we're prepared and it's not complete bedlam again,' he said. 'Even if prices come down, we know prices are going to come up to X, Y, Z (when the tariffs return).' He said he'll be asking his clients, 'What products are going to work for you in a month?' Szeliga isn't alone with his concerns – the entire oyster market could be affected. The total value of U.S. imported seafood in 2023 was $25.5 billion. Canada, as the largest supplier, delivered more than $3.6 billion in seafood products to the United States in 2023. Imports of seafood from Canada into the U.S. rose 10% in 2024 to $3.96 billion, according to the USDA. While oysters are just a fraction of that – the most popular seafood remains shrimp, salmon and tuna – oyster demand has been growing. In 2022, oysters joined the National Fisheries Institute Top 10 List for the first time ever. Szeliga has watched as the popularity meant more and more restaurants, beyond just oyster bars, began offering the bivalve on their menus. He worries that growth will now 'fade and fizzle.' 'I think it's really going to take the momentum out of what is a growth industry,' he said. Szeliga said he'll likely limit the number of oysters he carries in his shop from 12 to about 10 to make sure he can still offer a range of higher and lower price oysters that his customers want, even if he no longer carries the most expensive options. Switching to oysters harvested only in the U.S. isn't an option, because although there are numerous types of oysters available on U.S. coasts, the majority of U.S. seafood is imported. Canada is the largest supplier of seafood to the U.S. That's hard to match. 'For domestic oysters the production is pretty maxed out right now,' he said. 'Oysters can take several years to grow and make it to market so a farmer would have needed to make a business selection several years ago to grow their business to be in a good position right now to take full advantage of this situation.' Szeliga worries that Canadian producers might start limiting what they sell to the U.S. market after the tariff confusion. So ultimately, his customers should expect less choice of oysters, and for a higher price since not all prices will come back down after they've been marked up. 'Some products that were really 'value' purchases in the past. I think those suppliers, it forced them to realize they were value,' he said. 'And I think there are going to be products that aren't going to come back down (price-wise),' he said.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How one small business is navigating Trump's on-again, off-again tariffs on Canadian goods
NEW YORK (AP) — At Fishtown Seafood, owner Bryan Szeliga is worried about the oysters. Szeliga, who operates three retail and wholesale locations in Philadelphia and Haddonfield, N.J., sells a range of seafood. But briny, slurpable oysters are the biggest part of his overall business. And 60% to 70% come from Canada. The Trump's administration's on-again, off-again 25% tariffs on imports from Canada — which went into effect on Tuesday only to be suspended on some items for a month on Thursday — are giving Szeliga whiplash. The flip-flopping is making it tough to plan ahead. And if the tariffs do eventually go into effect, he'll likely need to raise prices and offer his customers fewer choices of oysters. 'Part of the problem of the 'chaos and shock and awe' approach to the negotiation is you can't actually really business plan based on knowing what is and isn't actually going to happen,' he said. 'That's a big problem.' Szeliga started Fishtown Seafood four years ago after other jobs in the food industry including chef and working for a nonprofit. His customers include neighborhood locals and others who shop at his retail shops as well as restaurant wholesale clients. He sources some of his U.S. products directly from fish farms but for Canadian oysters he goes through dealers. 'They're larger companies that aggregate from all the (seafood) producers and then and then distribute throughout the country,' he said. There's also a quality consideration. 'Canadian oysters simply have the size, flavor profile, and brand recognition that our customers prefer and have grown to love,' he said. Trying to plan On Tuesday, most of his suppliers told Szeliga they'd be raising prices. He only made one purchase while the tariff was in effect, buying some 'sweet petite' oysters from Prince Edward Island, to make sure a wholesale client had enough product. He paid the whole 25% markup himself and didn't pass it along to his client, eating the extra cost. The suppliers' price increases are likely to come down now that the tariffs are postponed, but only for a month. Now that he has a month reprieve, Szeliga said he plans to adjust his own inventory and work with his wholesale clients to plan out a menu that will be less affected by the tariffs. That might mean replacing higher-priced, higher-quality oysters with domestic or lower-priced Canadian offerings. 'Now that we have a picture of what this is probably going to look like, let's just start designing out your menus so that we're prepared and it's not complete bedlam again," he said. 'Even if prices come down, we know prices are going to come up to X, Y, Z (when the tariffs return)." He said he'll be asking his clients, "What products are going to work for you in a month?' A blow to the burgeoning oyster market Szeliga isn't alone with his concerns – the entire oyster market could be affected. The total value of U.S. imported seafood in 2023 was $25.5 billion. Canada, as the largest supplier, delivered more than $3.6 billion in seafood products to the United States in 2023. Imports of seafood from Canada into the U.S. rose 10% in 2024 to $3.96 billion, according to the USDA. While oysters are just a fraction of that – the most popular seafood remains shrimp, salmon and tuna – oyster demand has been growing. In 2022, oysters joined the National Fisheries Institute Top 10 List for the first time ever. Szeliga has watched as the popularity meant more and more restaurants, beyond just oyster bars, began offering the bivalve on their menus. He worries that growth will now 'fade and fizzle.' 'I think it's really going to take the momentum out of what is a growth industry,' he said. Limiting choice, raising prices Szeliga said he'll likely limit the number of oysters he carries in his shop from 12 to about 10 to make sure he can still offer a range of higher and lower price oysters that his customers want, even if he no longer carries the most expensive options. Switching to oysters harvested only in the U.S. isn't an option, because although there are numerous types of oysters available on U.S. coasts, the majority of U.S. seafood is imported. Canada is the largest supplier of seafood to the U.S. That's hard to match. 'For domestic oysters the production is pretty maxed out right now,' he said. 'Oysters can take several years to grow and make it to market so a farmer would have needed to make a business selection several years ago to grow their business to be in a good position right now to take full advantage of this situation.' Szeliga worries that Canadian producers might start limiting what they sell to the U.S. market after the tariff confusion. So ultimately, his customers should expect less choice of oysters, and for a higher price since not all prices will come back down after they've been marked up. 'Some products that were really 'value' purchases in the past. I think those suppliers, it forced them to realize they were value,' he said. 'And I think there are going to be products that aren't going to come back down (price-wise),' he said. Mae Anderson, The Associated Press Sign in to access your portfolio
