Latest news with #U.S.ImmigrationsandCustomsEnforcement
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Bronx high school student Dylan detained by ICE asks judge to order his release
Dylan, the 20-year-old Bronx public school student arrested by federal immigration authorities sued the Trump administration late Thursday night over his ongoing detention in Pennsylvania. The 'habeas corpus' petition asked a western Pennsylvania federal judge to find Dylan's arrest was unconstitutional and violated his due process rights — and order his immediate release. 'As long as he remains detained, his health is at continued, serious risk; his ability to [seek a green card] is jeopardized; and he will fall behind on his schoolwork,' read the suit. The complaint, which was first reported by Chalkbeat, names Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and Pennsylvania-based immigration authorities as defendants. The Daily News has withheld Dylan's last name at the request of his family. Dylan, who fled persecution in Venezuela, is currently being held at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County, Penn. He has no criminal history and entered the country legally with humanitarian parole under President Biden. He and his mother appeared on May 21 without a lawyer for a routine court hearing, where the federal government asked a Manhattan immigration judge to dismiss his case. Late last week, his newly retained lawyers at the New York Legal Assistance Group filed a motion to reconsider the dismissal. On their way out of the courthouse, two plainclothes ICE officers followed them into an elevator, handcuffed Dylan and threatened to take in his mother if she tried to record his arrest on her cellphone, according to court documents. His lawyers allege the dismissal was part of a new 'coordinated practice' to transfer Dylan and others out of standard proceedings into a process known as 'expedited removal,' which offers fewer protections. They say the student was selected at 'random.' Removal proceedings are overseen by immigration judges, who are part of the U.S. Department of Justice. Through the process, people can gather evidence and present witnesses, and appeal deportation orders up to the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Circuit Courts of Appeals. By contrast, the expedited removal process — which has been greatly expanded during the Trump administration — is overseen by DHS. That means Dylan and other immigrants in his position have no opportunity to bring their case before a judge or appeal their decision, the lawyers said. DHS earlier this week condemned a Biden-era asylum process that allowed immigrants like Dylan to enter the country with a notice to appear before a judge. The agency claimed President Trump has reverted back to following the law and that the student and others in his position should have faced expedited removal from the beginning. 'If individuals have a valid credible-fear claim, they will continue in immigration proceedings,' officials said in a statement, 'but if no valid claim is found, aliens will be subject to a swift deportation.' Dylan's interview with DHS over his fear claim was Thursday morning. If decided in his favor, his case would revert back to the regular deportation process, according to the suit — but he would remain in detention 'far from loved ones and counsel.' His claim remained pending as of the petition's filing. His lawyers claim he did not meet the requirements for an expedited removal due to the length of time he's been in the United States and that he was legally paroled into the country when he entered. 'The government has not justified why it specifically targeted, arrested, and detained Dylan, a high school student without a criminal record and abiding by all immigration laws and procedures,' read the complaint. And the harms of continuing to detain Dylan may be irreparable, the habeas petition argued. Dylan has a chronic illness related to his stomach, according to his lawyers, which his doctors are still trying to diagnose and treat. The process has required various medical tests to determine whether his symptoms are indicators of cancer or Crohn's disease, and on Tuesday, he got results back that require an in-person appointment as soon as possible. Before he was arrested, Dylan was also in the middle of a process to obtain what's known as Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJS) status based on the death of his father, which would give him a pathway to a green card. He had a hearing scheduled in that process for Friday, which his lawyers expected to miss. Dylan turns 21 later this year and would no longer be eligible for that process. While the case plays out, Dylan's lawyers requested that he remain in Pennsylvania. Since he was taken into custody, Dylan has been moved between facilities in Pennsylvania, Texas, Louisiana and New Jersey. His lawyers accused the federal government of misrepresenting Dylan's whereabouts and said they were unable to speak with Dylan until Wednesday morning — a week after his arrest. In the year and change he was in New York, Dylan enrolled in ELLIS Prep, a program for English learners overaged for traditional high school. Dylan was granted work authorization and took care of his two younger siblings. While his mom worked long hours, he picked the kids up from school. And with the help of his supplemental income as a part-time delivery driver, they were able to move their family out of a homeless shelter — and into their own apartment. New York politicians and immigration advocates have condemned Dylan's detention, including a protest on the steps of the public school system's headquarters on Thursday, which drew hundreds of supporters and even the city schools chancellor. After distancing himself earlier this week from Dylan's arrest, Mayor Adams under pressure from local lawmakers on Friday released a statement that he was 'sad to learn of this incident,' especially since Dylan was following a legal process. 'Keeping New Yorkers safe has always been Mayor Adams' top priority,' said his spokesman Zachary Nosanchuk, 'and he has been clear that our city is less safe when people are afraid to use public resources — like sending their children to school … or partaking in legal proceedings at court.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Congressional committees announce investigation into Nashville Mayor
Two Congressional committees announced a federal investigation into Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell on May 30, accusing the mayor of obstructing a U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in the wake of a major immigration operation in early May. The Committee on Homeland Security—chaired by U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee—and the Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives, sent a letter demanding investigative materials from the mayor as part of a federal effort to conduct 'oversight of state and local jurisdictions that endanger American communities through efforts aimed at thwarting the work of federal immigration officials.' The move comes after weeks of public pressure by U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, who held a press conference on Memorial Day weekend calling for the investigation. 'While the state of Tennessee has outlawed sanctuary policies, recent actions from your office threaten to chill immigration enforcement in the City of Nashville and Davidson County,' the letter reads. 'Accordingly, we write to request information about how your recent actions, including a directive to Nashville and Davidson County employees to disclose their communications with federal immigration officials, affects the robust enforcement of immigration law.' Until May 30, O'Connell has declined to comment on Ogles' calls for a congressional investigation. At the mayor's weekly news conference with Nashville reporters, O'Connell said his office intended to 'appropriately respond' to the requests listed in the letter from members of Congress. He also said he's not concerned about the investigation finding any wrongdoing. 'I am not particularly concerned,' O'Connell said. 'We're going to, again, respond appropriately to all inquiries. We have been guided by a full understanding of state and federal law and will continue to be.' More: What to know about how Mayor O'Connell responded to Nashville ICE operation Nashville is weeks removed from the weeklong immigration enforcement operation, during which ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol made 468 traffic stops and arrested nearly 200 immigrants. The ICE sweeps were concentrated in south Nashville, in neighborhoods around Nolensville Pike and Harding Place with a large population of immigrants and Latino residents. Friday's letter condemns O'Connell's public statements of opposition to the ICE operation, as well as a community charity fund that, while announced by O'Connell at a May 5 press conference, is run by a community nonprofit and does not utilize taxpayer funds. More: D.C. Republicans pile on Nashville mayor over ICE response — and imply more action in city It also expresses 'concern' about a previously standing executive order updated by O'Connell requiring city departments to report communications with federal immigration officials to the mayor's office. The order, titled Executive Order 30, isn't new — in fact, it's well over a year old, having first been issued in January 2024. But it's reemerged in the wake of the ICE operation because O'Connell amended it to allow for a shorter timeline for reporting. Regardless, the order is a key focus in the investigation. 'This Executive Order could have a chilling effect on the ability of local law enforcement to communicate freely and candidly with federal immigration employees,' the letter states, adding that there is 'real potential that your Executive Order could have the effect of diminishing ICE enforcement operations.' The letter lists three key requests for the city, all concerning documents created between May 1 and the receiving of the letter: All documents and communications referring or relating to the amendment of Executive Order 30 All documents and communications referring or relating to ICE enforcement actions in the City of Nashville or Davidson County All documents and communications 'between or among Metro employees and non-Metro employees, including but not limited to non-governmental organizations, referring or relating to the arrest of criminal aliens in the City of Nashville and Davidson County' The information is tagged with a June 13 deadline, and is signed by Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security and Enforcement Tom McClintock, R-California, Ogles and Green. 'Today, with the full support of Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, we're taking action," said Ogles, in a press release regarding the investigation. "If Mayor O'Connell wants to spy on federal agents doing their job, then Congress is going to investigate him for obstruction.' The letter came a day after the city of Nashville was added to a federal list titled 'Sanctuary Jurisdictions Defying Federal Immigration Law,' which was posted on the Department of Homeland Security's website. There are only two 'sanctuary jurisdictions' listed in Tennessee — Nashville and Shelby County. DHS says each jurisdiction will receive formal notification of its non-compliance with federal statutes. It's not immediately clear why Nashville — or any jurisdiction in Tennessee — is included on the list, given that neither has self-identified as a sanctuary city. In Tennessee, sanctuary cities have been banned for about seven years, and another state law passed earlier this year criminalizes local officials who support sanctuary policies for immigrants. O'Connell also commented on Nashville's appearance on the list at his May 30 news conference. He passed out copies of the state law to reporters and said Nashville complies with 'every single component' of the law and, by definition, is not a sanctuary city. O'Connell added that Nashville does not have — and has never had — a policy violating the state law. He said the city has asserted over the past several weeks that it has no legal authority related to immigration enforcement and does not impede law enforcement action. 'I'm puzzled about the criteria they used to include Nashville (on the list),' O'Connell said. 'We are not and never have been a sanctuary city. If you look at the state law that defines a sanctuary city policy there are six factors, and we do not and never have had a policy that violates any of those factors. I'd be interested to learn what criteria they're using.' The USA TODAY Network - Tennessee's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Have a story to tell? Reach Angele Latham by email at alatham@ by phone at 931-623-9485, or follow her on Twitter at @angele_latham Austin Hornbostel is the Metro reporter for The Tennessean. Have a question about local government you want an answer to? Reach him at ahornbostel@ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Congressional committees announce investigation into O'Connell, city
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, others call for probe into Nashville mayor over ICE operation
Flanked by state and local lawmakers, U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles on Memorial Day repeated a call to investigate Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell and said the mayor obstructed a U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement operation in early May. Nashville is weeks removed from the weeklong immigration enforcement operation, during which ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol made 468 traffic stops and arrested nearly 200 immigrants. The ICE sweeps were concentrated in south Nashville, in neighborhoods around Nolensville Pike and Harding Place with a large population of immigrants and Latino residents. Ogles' call to investigate O'Connell is not new — he called on two congressional committees, the House Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security Committee, to open investigations into the mayor and other city officials during a May 14 Department of Homeland Security briefing on Capitol Hill. On Memorial Day inside the Tennessee State Capitol, Ogles decried past presidential administrations for letting a 'flood of illegals' come into the country and described a visit to CECOT, the El Salvador prison where the Trump administration has been sending purported members of crime gangs Tren de Aragua and MS-13. He also rattled off a list of crimes involving undocumented immigrants in Nashville, several of whom were arrested as part of the recent ICE operation. 'When a mayor stands up and is defending those types of individuals over our hard-working law enforcement — Homeland Security, ICE, THP, the sheriff's department and the city — he's choosing criminals over Tennesseans,' Ogles said. In a social media post following the news conference, Ogles clarified that he's looking for the following documents and communications as part of the investigation: The recent amendment to Executive Order 30 requiring city departments to inform the mayor's office within a certain time frame after communicating with federal immigration authorities, which Ogles called 'an outrageous directive.' Any internal discussions or documents concerning ICE enforcement actions in Nashville or Davidson County. All correspondence involving city employees and affiliated non-governmental organizations regarding the arrest or detention of undocumented immigrants in the city or county. 'If you're helping violent gangs destroy Tennessee by obstructing ICE — you belong behind bars,' Ogles' post concluded. While O'Connell hasn't shied away from criticizing the ICE arrests, he's stated before that he understands the city's hands are tied when it comes to federal immigration operations and has previously told reporters that the amended order wouldn't allow his office to publicize operations like this one. Ogles was joined by several Republican state lawmakers, including Sen. Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), Rep. Lee Reeves (R-Franklin), Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) and Rep. Kip Capley (R-Summertown). While she didn't attend, Sen. Marsha Blackburn also sent a letter in support of the event accusing Democrats of 'demonizing' law enforcement. While many of them spoke, protesters banged on windows and shouted chants that continued throughout the news conference. Metro Nashville Council Member David Benton was the sole local official to speak during the event. Benton represents District 28, which includes part of Antioch where the recent ICE operation was concentrated. In part, Benton said he supports legal immigration but called it 'cruel' for city officials to encourage undocumented immigrants to remain in the country 'as if they can shield them in some sort of false pretense against ICE enforcement.' Benton also made a call for an investigation of his own — he's asking for a state or federal audit of The Belonging Fund, launched by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee on May 5. According to Community Foundation CEO Hal Cato, the fund is intended to support child care and transportation costs and address housing assistance and food insecurity for immigrant families. O'Connell has previously clarified that the city itself likely couldn't contribute to the fund and also that the fund wouldn't support immigration legal services. Benton, on Memorial Day, said he wanted to 'clarify whether any funds are inadvertently supporting and violating' the federal law against harboring undocumented immigrants. He called for O'Connell to choose between 'criminals or the innocent taxpayers.' 'Stop making a mockery of Memorial Day,' Benton said. 'Defend Nashville, defend Tennessee, defend this country and stop the invasion.' Austin Hornbostel is the Metro reporter for The Tennessean. Have a question about local government you want an answer to? Reach him at ahornbostel@ Get Davidson County news delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Rep. Andy Ogles calls for probe into Nashville mayor over ICE operation
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan cops shouldn't collaborate with ICE
I was upset to read of the Jackson County and Taylor Police Department agreements to act as U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents for the federal government. The current federal government is already taking funding away from every part of our lives, including those that impact our children, our libraries, our schools, our health care, our scientists, our seniors and the poorest amongst us, increasing our local tax burdens. It's made enemies of Canada, our closest and fondest neighboring country, and en route to slowing trade and tourism dollars. It has set up tariffs that threaten the success of our auto companies, which is likely to impact local Michigan tax revenues. Now, the federal government wants us to divert even more of our local tax dollars to enforce their cruel, lawless and inhumane treatment of immigrants. Why should any local police department agree to this? We need them to focus on keeping us safe, not threatened. It's madness. Please reconsider. Jeaneane Havstad Novi Not everyone in my community has adequate resources to be able to afford the necessities of life, one of them being the basic requirement of food. The proposal to require states to pay for a portion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits is a burden on the state and would potentially leave a number of people without enough food to eat. It is not realistic that most or all states would be able to make up the difference of the lost federal funds, in which case they would need to cut the food assistance to low-income people and families. The Trump administration and congressional Republicans seem ready to pursue these cuts that would harm many at risk families. Please contact your representatives and let them know what you think about this issue. We don't have to stay silent. We have a Carpinelli Plymouth More from Freep Opinion: U-M President Santa Ono lacked the stomach to stick around The Michigan Senate is looking at a proposal to exempt seniors over the age of 70 from paying property taxes. The first question asked by every citizen should be: What services are you willing to see discontinued with the loss of community tax income? I am a 74-year-old retiree who disagrees with the constant demand that someone else pay for community services. Everyone wants someone else to pay for police and fire protection, education, street maintenance, mosquito control, etc., yet they want those services available when they need them. Everyone has a responsibility to contribute to a community's maintenance, even retirees. Enacting the Senate proposal will require either raising someone else's taxes or cutting basic services and programs to reduce spending. John F. Frenzel Saginaw As board president of Honor Community Health and an education professional, I see firsthand how children's health and academic achievement are inextricably linked. The proposed significant elimination of Medicaid funding threatens both. At Honor, Oakland County's largest Federally Qualified Health Center, we provide comprehensive health care to thousands of children whose families rely on Medicaid. These children receive critical preventive services — vaccinations, developmental screenings, and early interventions — that set the foundation for lifelong health and learning. As an educator, I've witnessed how untreated health issues create insurmountable barriers to learning. Children cannot focus when struggling with dental pain, untreated asthma or vision problems. They cannot attend school regularly when preventable illnesses go unchecked. More from Freep Opinion: Trump flag flying? No thanks. I don't want to know a business' politics. Investing in children's health through Medicaid pays dividends in educational outcomes. Healthy children attend school more consistently, concentrate better and achieve higher academic success. Without Medicaid, these children would lose access to consistent care, resulting in more classroom absences, reduced academic performance and, ultimately, diminished future opportunities. I urge our elected officials to protect Medicaid funding. Our community's children deserve both health security and educational opportunity — inseparable components of their future success. Dr. Michael Yocum Pontiac Submit a letter to the editor at and we may publish it online and in print. If you have a differing view from a letter writer, please feel free to submit a letter of your own in response. Like what you're reading? Please consider supporting local journalism and getting unlimited digital access with a Detroit Free Press subscription. We depend on readers like you. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: I'm disappointed in Michigan police collaborating with ICE | Letters
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
McIver rejected plea deal, saying DOJ pushed her to ‘admit to doing something that I did not do'
Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) said Tuesday she rebuffed efforts from the Trump administration to strike a plea deal ahead of pending assault charges stemming from her visit to an immigration detention center, saying officials wanted her to 'admit to doing something that I did not do.' Interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba announced Monday she planned to charge McIver with assaulting a law enforcement officer — thought she has yet to actually do so. McIver has said she did nothing wrong during a visit to a U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility where chaos ensued as officers arrested Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D). 'Well, the Justice Department and Alina Habba wanted me to admit to doing something that I did not do, and I was not going to do that, once again. I came there to do my job and conduct an oversight visit, and they wanted me to say something differently, and I'm not doing that. I'm not going to roll over and stop doing my job because they don't want me to, or they want to neglect the fact that we needed to be in there to see what was going on and that detention center, and so, absolutely, no, I was not going to do that,' McIver said during a Tuesday appearance on CNN. '[I'm] definitely always open to conversations, but I'm not going to admit to something that I did not do, and no one's going to stop me from serving the people in New Jersey.' Footage from the incident shows McIver being jostled in the crowd, but she has contested accusations she 'body-slammed' anyone. In her Tuesday interview, McIver pushed back on claims she was violent, noting that after the scuffle, she and two other New Jersey lawmakers were still given a tour of the facility. 'We were there to conduct an oversight visit, which, after all of this — the chaos, Kate — they gave us a tour. All of this, 'We broke in, we assaulted people,' all of these things that Habba is saying and Republicans are saying, but they gave us a tour and allowed us to go in and tour the facility and speak to detainees,' she said. McIver added their main goal was to assess conditions in the facility, noting immigrants held there were not always able to reach their attorneys. 'The reason why we were there is because we wanted to make sure this facility was up to par, that it was clean, that it was safe, and that the detainees there were given due process, that they were able to use the phone, that they were able to speak to their legal representation,' she said, 'which we found out was not happening.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
