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GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
U.S. Judge orders Release of Filipina green card holder after months of detention
LOS ANGELES, CA - After three months of detention at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Northwest Detention Center, an immigration judge in Tacoma, Washington, ordered the release of Green Card holder Lewelyn Dixon. The 64-year-old Filipina Green Card holder was arrested back in February by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Seattle International Airport upon returning from a vacation in the Philippines after her record showed a conviction for embezzlement in 2001. The immigration judge's decision noted that the two-decade-old conviction could not be used as a basis for deportation to the Philippines. Dixon, 64, worked as a lab technician at the University of Washington Medical Center for nearly a decade after moving from Hawaii, where she graduated from high school. Hours before the hearing, Dixon issued a statement saying, 'I'm going in hopeful and thankful. Finally, the day I've been waiting for has arrived. I'm praying everything goes well and that I'll be out.' Dixon also expressed her gratitude to everyone 'for being there' and for the encouragement, prayers, and visits. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Time Out
2 days ago
- Time Out
These are the worst U.S. airports for international travel this summer
Flying internationally involves a bit more preparation as well as time spent in the airport. As we get into peak summer travel season, clearing customs and immigration could take even more time as checkpoints face backups. Just as some major airports are known for more hassle than others, some have longer wait times at immigration checkpoints than others. New data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection reveals the worst airports for international travel, where you'll likely wait far longer to clear immigration. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) comes in as the number one worst airport for international travel. Average wait to reach a Customs and Border Protection agent? 31.8 minutes. Non-U.S. citizens can expect 43.7 minutes in line, and 12.8% of all travelers find themselves stuck for over an hour. Chicago O'Hare (ORD) is just as bad. The overall average wait time here is a fraction of a second faster, at 31.7 minutes. U.S. citizens can expect an average wait of 27.3 minutes, while non-U.S. citizens could face 40.3 minutes in line. ORD also has the highest percentage of travelers who wait more than an hour in line, at 13.6%. Nashville International (BNA) might have a much lower passenger volume, but it has surprisingly long wait times. Immigration waits average 31.1 minutes, with only 20.2% of travelers breezing through in under 15. On the flip side, airports known for their efficiency and speedy immigration lines include Palm Beach International (PBI) with an average wait time of 3.5 minutes, John Wayne Airport (SNA) at 6.4 minutes and Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) at 7.5 minutes. So if you're traveling internationally this summer and you have a choice in airports when returning, peruse the full report here. Even arrival times matter, as the worst delays hit between 10am and 3pm. Want to skip the wait altogether? Enroll in Global Entry. It includes TSA PreCheck and gets you into a fast lane at immigration via automated kiosks. U.S. airports with the longest immigration wait times: LAX, Los Angeles ORD, Chicago BNA, Nashville MCO, Orlando MSP, Minneapolis AUS, Austin IAH, Houston SFO, San Francisco SAN, San Diego JFK, New York
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
California freight forwarder charged with smuggling billions in goods
Executives at a Los Angeles freight forwarding company smuggled billions of dollars in goods into Mexico from the U.S. for over a decade in a lucrative scheme involving drug cartels and corrupt customs agents, federal prosecutors say. Ralph Olarte, 55, and Humberto Lopez Belmonte, 53, used 'fraudulent documents, shell companies, bribes to public officials, and kickbacks to Mexican cartels' in the scheme, which lasted from at least 2013 to 2024, according to the 22-count indictment against Olarte, Lopez and their company, Sport LA Inc., in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Olarte, a U.S. citizen, and Lopez, a citizen of Mexico, allegedly hid the nature of the goods as well as the identities of the actual recipients from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Among items originating in the U.S. and exported to Mexico or funneled through the U.S. from other countries and then to Mexico were contraband including counterfeit cell phone batteries and medical devices, as well as goods that required licenses, such as handguns, ammunition, electronic cigarettes and marijuana, the indictment states. Mexican shell companies received the goods. The defendants avoided paying hundreds of millions of dollars in duties owed to the Mexican government by bribing Mexican customs officials, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's used WhatsApp to direct truck drivers into specific Mexican customs lanes where officials who had been bribed were assigned. The agents permitted the trucks to enter Mexico without paying duties, the indictment alleges. The defendants then smuggled large amounts of cash from payment for the goods into the U.S., which they laundered through the Mexican shell companies and back to the shipping companies they controlled. 'Throughout the conspiracy, defendants OLARTE and LOPEZ wired, and caused to be wired, tens of millions of dollars from the shell consignee accounts to the HRL defendants,' according to the indictment. Both men allegedly received millions of dollars in the scheme. Sport LA Inc. was a bonded freight carrier that did business as HRL, H&R Logistics and under other names. Lopez was CEO and secretary, and Olarte was chief financial officer. Bonded carriers are permitted to ship goods through the United States to other defendants also facilitated kickbacks to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and other cartels, which allowed them to continue operations, and used contacts with law enforcement in Mexico to ensure the goods reached their intended destinations, prosecutors say. The charges range from conspiracy to commit money laundering to smuggling goods from the United States to submitting false and misleading export information. Lopez pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, the day he was arrested, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. A July 21 trial date was scheduled, and he was ordered released on a $100,000 bond. It was not immediately clear whether Olarte, who was also arrested on Tuesday, had entered a plea. If convicted, Olarte and Lopez face up to 20 years in federal prison for each count related to wire fraud and money laundering, up to five years for each count related to smuggling and making false statements, and up to two years for each count of knowingly submitting false and misleading export information. Mark Werksman, Lopez's lawyer, told Courthouse News Service that Lopez denies the accusations. 'We look forward to defending against these charges in court, and we're confident that a jury will agree that Mr. Lopez, his co-workers and his company did nothing wrong,' Werksman said. Homeland Security Investigations, CBP, IRS Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration are involved in the investigation. Related:Armenian crime rings charged with attempted murder, $83M Amazon cargo theft The post California freight forwarder charged with smuggling billions in goods appeared first on FreightWaves.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Will There Be a Trump Tariff Refund?
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The federal court ruling aimed at striking down the majority of President Donald Trump's tariffs could force the government to pay back billions of dollars in import duties that have already been collected. Newsweek has reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the agency responsible for administering tariffs and collecting duties, for comment. What To Know On Wednesday, a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) did not grant the president authority to impose his sweeping tariffs or bypass Congress' typical control over economic policy and commerce. The 1977 law was cited by Trump as justification for the majority of his tariffs, most notably those unveiled on "Liberation Day" in early April. "The court does not read IEEPA to confer such unbounded authority and sets aside the challenged tariffs imposed thereunder," the ruling read. The decision, which followed several lawsuits alleging executive overreach by the president on trade, covers the currently paused "reciprocal" tariffs and the 10 percent baseline rate applied globally. The ruling also halts the "trafficking" tariffs imposed on China, Canada and Mexico in response to the public health crisis caused by fentanyl and other illicit drugs brought into the U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 23, 2025, in Washington. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 23, 2025, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP Photo However, the ruling does not concern the tariffs on autos, auto parts, steel or aluminum, which were brought under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, allowing the president to limit imports of specific goods if these are considered a threat to national security. "This will do tremendous damage to Trump's agenda. His whole second term seemed to be DOGE, deport, and (trade) deals," Todd Tucker, trade expert with the New York-based Roosevelt Institute think tank, posted to BlueSky on Thursday. "On trade, in particular, why would any country waste time negotiating to lower his tariffs if he can't impose them in the first place?" Will There Be A Tariff Refund? The administration has already filed an appeal with the Court of Appeals of the Federal Circuit while calling the CIT's ruling a "judicial coup." Economists have also pointed to other avenues for the president to carry out his trade agenda following the decision. If upheld, the court's decision could require the administration to refund the billions already paid in import duties. The Kobeissi Letter estimated that $10 billion worth of tariff revenue had been collected since April 2, though Newsweek analysis of official Treasury Department data suggests the figure could be much higher. "I think that the court's order should lead CBP to suspend liquidation of entries going forward, which would mean that if the court's decision is ultimately upheld, importers can get their money back," said William Reinsch, formerly under secretary of commerce for export administration during the Clinton administration and president of the National Foreign Trade Council from 2001 to 2016. Reinsch told Newsweek that, for goods already processed by customs authorities, importers may also be able to sue the administration. "The CIT decision ruling the tariffs illegal and vacating them gives importers good grounds to do that," he said, "but the administration will probably resist." The Trump administration has acknowledged its duty to refund certain tariff charges if duties are later revoked or lowered. After deciding in late April that certain tariffs should not be cumulative or "stacked," Trump in an executive order said that the decision would apply "retroactively" to some tariffs and that refunds for those who had paid a heightened import tax would be processed "pursuant to applicable laws and U.S. Customs and Border Protection's standard procedures for such refunds." Similar information was included when exceptions on Trump's reciprocal tariffs were announced, and the CBP has given guidance on how importers can request refunds for duties paid on products where tariffs were subsequently reversed or reduced. While importers—typically U.S. businesses but also foreign exporters contractually obligated to pay import taxes—may be entitled to refunds, Reinsch told Newsweek that consumers would "probably not" see any as a result of the CIT's decision, even if the tariffs resulted in higher prices for foreign-sourced goods purchased over the past few months. "The people who paid the tariffs—the importers—might get their money back, but they would not be obligated to pass that on to consumers, although some might choose to do so as a matter of goodwill," he said, adding that he was "skeptical" any attempt by consumers to sue the government for damages would get very far. What Happens Next The CIT has ordered the government to halt the tariffs imposed under the IEEPA within 10 calendar days of the decision. Financial analyst and trader Craig Shapiro predicted that the conclusion of the appeals process could come by the end of June, when the administration may be able to continue collecting tariff revenue. Steve Wyett, chief investment strategist at BOK Financial, told Newsweek that despite the CIT's ruling, "there are other avenues which can be used to replace most announced tariffs." Similarly, Goldman Sachs researchers, in a Thursday note cited by CNBC, said that while the ruling represented "a setback for the administration's tariff plans," they expect that Trump "will find other ways to impose tariffs." They cited Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act as allowing the president to "quickly replace the 10% across-the-board tariff with a similar tariff of up to 15%."
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
New relief for international travelers to the U.S. amid Trump-era restrictions
As immigration controls tighten under the Trump administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has released a series of announcements that could make travel easier for international visitors this summer. The federal agency is implementing several measures to streamline the entry process at U.S. airports ahead of a busy season that is expected to bring millions of travelers from around the world. CBP is actively encouraging international passengers to take advantage of mobile tools designed to make their arrival to the U.S. faster and more efficient. CBP technology streamlines entry process for international travelers 'CBP is committed to enhancing national security while streamlining lawful travel,' said CBP Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane J. Sabatino. 'By leveraging advanced technologies and mobile applications, we are transforming inspections at airports into a seamless, touchless process, enabling faster risk identification and efficient processing of legitimate visitors,' she added in a news release. This summer also marks the debut of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, scheduled from June 14 to July 13. The tournament, hosted for the first time in the United States, is expected to draw millions of international visitors — alongside the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026. Together, the events could bring in up to 10 million foreign travelers, according to CBP estimates. Read more: Skip the REAL ID and the passport: This $65 card can get you through TSA in 2025 CBP's modernization efforts include Enhanced Passenger Processing (EPP), which uses auto-capture photo technology to conduct a complete customs assessment: biometric verification, eligibility checks and enforcement review — before a traveler even meets a CBP officer. Another option, Seamless Border Entry (SBE), combines the Trusted Traveler Programs framework with 'On the Move' technology. This system allows Global Entry members to move through inspection with little or no interaction with a CBP officer, depending on officer discretion, authorities said. SBE is currently available at select airports, including Miami International, Los Angeles International, Washington Dulles, Chicago O'Hare, Newark Liberty, George Bush Intercontinental and Toronto Pearson. CBP also offers a suite of free mobile applications, available through the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, or via the CBP Mobile Apps Directory. These tools allow eligible travelers to submit passport information in advance and speed up their inspection upon arrival. U.S. entry requirements in 2025: What visa waiver travelers need to know Travelers entering under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) can use the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) mobile app to submit applications via smartphones, tablets, or other mobile devices. ESTA is also available online for those unable to download the app. Regardless of how travelers enter the U.S., CBP reminds all visitors that they must meet legal requirements, present proper documentation, undergo background checks and inspections, and comply with the terms of their visa or authorization. Read more: Just days after Trump's inauguration, USCIS updates a crucial U.S. green card requirement 'If statutes or visa terms are violated, travelers may be subject to detention and removal,' the agency warns. 'A visa is a privilege, not a right, and only those who respect our laws and follow the proper procedures will be welcomed.' Throughout the Trump administration, U.S. embassies and federal agencies have reiterated the importance of adhering to the 90-day limit allowed under ESTA. Domestically, CBP continues to enforce stricter identity controls for U.S.-bound travelers through the implementation of REAL ID, which went into effect on May 7, 2025, for boarding international flights.
