Latest news with #USCustomsandImmigrationEnforcement
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Trump immigration officials set target of 3,000 arrests a day
In the first 100 days of Mr Trump's second term, US Customs and Immigration Enforcement said it deported about 65,000 people. PHOTO: AFP WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is telling immigration officials to ramp up arrests to 3,000 per day with a goal of more than 1 million a year, according to a person familiar with the discussions, a target that would significantly escalate the pace of detentions. The directive was delivered at a recent meeting led by senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private conversation. The tone of the discussion left some senior officials concerned they could be fired or relocated if the goals weren't met, according to the person. The meeting and new targets were reported earlier by Axios. 'We are committed to aggressively and efficiently removing illegal aliens from the United States, and ensuring our law enforcement officers have the resources necessary to do so,' White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement on May 28. 'The safety of the American people depends upon it.' The Department of Homeland Security echoed that sentiment in its own statement, saying it was delivering on US President Donald Trump's push 'to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens and make America safe'. Mr Trump has made sweeping immigration enforcement a cornerstone issue of his presidency, vowing to carry out the largest deportation effort in US history. But so far, the scale of arrests of migrants in the country illegally has remained largely in line with the prior administration. In the first 100 days of Mr Trump's second term, which began in January, US Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) said it deported about 65,000 people. During the final stretch of the Biden administration, ICE arrested an average of 759 migrants a day, according to federal data from the Transactional Records Access Clearing House at Syracuse University. The new arrest target appears to be part of a broader strategy to accelerate removals. Earlier in 2025, the administration expanded the 287(g) programme, which deputises state and local law enforcement to carry out immigration arrests. ICE has also published contract offers worth as much as US$45 billion (S$58.20 billion) to expand detention capacity at immigration jails. At the same time, the administration has deployed thousands of troops to the south-west border, where crossings have plummeted in recent months to lows not seen since the 1960s. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hindustan Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
America will have a price to pay for targeting campuses
For more than a century, the US has drawn some of India's brightest minds in pursuit of world-class education. From BR Ambedkar, who went on to draft India's Constitution, to business titans like Mukesh Ambani and Azim Premji, American universities have helped shape generations of Indian thinkers, builders, and changemakers. Today, however, under the Trump administration's increasingly hardline immigration policies, that legacy is being threatened. The consequences of these actions could reverberate for decades to come. In recent weeks, reports from US campuses have sent a chill through the Indian student community. Thousands of international students on F-1 visas have been detained, deported, or denied re-entry for seemingly minor infractions. According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the records of more than 4,700 international students have been terminated by US Customs and Immigration Enforcement. Half of these students are estimated to be Indian nationals. The reasons for these terminations range from immigration violations to allegations of advocating pro-Hamas positions. It appears though the majority of the cases stem from interactions with law enforcement. Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, senior director of government relations at AILA, told CNN-News18 last week, 'Many of the so-called crimes they were charged with or picked up for are things that everyday Americans wouldn't even consider crimes, and certainly not college students.' In certain instances, students were deported for traffic offences, including speeding, sometimes just five to ten miles over the limit. There are many troubling aspects to the current crackdown on F-1 visa holders. Most of the students impacted, according to reports, are from Asia, West Asia, or Africa, with Indian students making up the majority of them. This is not surprising since nearly 30% of all international students enrolled in US universities are Indian nationals According to the Open Doors analysis, of the approximately 1.13 million international students on F-1 visas during the 2023–2024 academic year, nearly 332,000 were from India. A recent AILA review of 327 visa revocation cases revealed that 60% involved Indian students. This disproportionate representation of Indian students is troubling. It suggests that these students are caught in the crossfire of an administration intent on restricting legal immigration, particularly from specific regions, under the guise of security and order. Much like the administration's tariff policies, the crackdown on F-1 visa holders could have long-term negative consequences. It is quite possible that a significant number of Indian students will choose to stay home or seek opportunities in countries more welcoming to international talent. That would not only be a loss for the students, but a setback for the US as well. To grasp the gravity of the current crackdown, one needs to look no further than the US tech industry. Two of the most influential and consequential companies in the world — Microsoft and Google — are led by former F-1 visa holders: Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai. In addition, tens of thousands of former international students now occupy leadership roles across the American economy, from senior engineers and startup founders to university presidents and deans, strengthening institutions that help define the nation's global edge. The crackdown would not only have intellectual costs. It would also have economic costs for the US. International students contribute substantially to the US economy. According to research by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, these students added $43.8 billion to the US economy in the 2023–2024 academic year and supported 378,175 jobs across the country. Indian students alone might be contributing more than $10 billion annually to the US economy through tuition, housing, and living expenses. Universities themselves are feeling the strain. Even before this latest crackdown, enrollment of Indian students in US universities had begun to decline due to tightening visa rules, hostile rhetoric, and rising costs. Now, as stories of raids, detentions, and revocations circulate across WhatsApp groups and social media forums, this damage is accelerating. With alternatives like Europe and Australia increasingly seen as safer bets, the US is losing its reputation as a welcoming destination for international talent. What began as a broad campaign of hostility toward immigrants — from the mass deportations of undocumented families to the demonisation of H-1B visa holders — has now turned university campuses from havens of learning into frontlines of suspicion. Sadly, for the US, this moment transcends universities. At stake is nothing less than America's identity. Historically, this immigrant nation -- as John F Kennedy referred to the US -- has flourished because of its openness to embracing immigrants of all types including the world's dreamers, scholars, and builders. That openness is now under siege. Unless it is reversed America will pay an enormous cost for this shortsightedness. The trust broken in classrooms today may take decades to repair. And, when the world's brightest students stop knocking, the door may never open in quite the same way again. Frank F Islam is an entrepreneur, civic leader, and thought leader based in Washington DC. The views expressed are personal
Boston Globe
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Court grants request to block detained Venezuelan immigrants from being sent to Guantanamo
During a brief hearing, Judge Kenneth J. Gonzales granted the temporary order, which was opposed by the government, said Jessica Vosburgh, an attorney for the three men. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'It's short term. This will get revisited and further fleshed out in the weeks to come,' Vosburgh told The Associated Press. Advertisement A message seeking comment was left for US Customs and Immigration Enforcement. The filing came as part of a lawsuit on behalf of the three men filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, and Las Americas Immigrant Advisory Center. The Tren de Aragua gang originated in a lawless prison in the central Venezuelan state of Aragua more than a decade ago and has expanded in recent years as millions of desperate Venezuelans fled President President Nicolás Maduro 's rule and migrated to other parts of Latin America or the US. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said last week that flights of detainees had landed at Guantanamo. Immigrant rights groups sent a letter Friday demanding access to people who have been sent there, saying the base should not be used as a 'legal black hole.' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that more than 8,000 people have been arrested in immigration enforcement actions since Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration. Trump has vowed to deport millions of the estimated 11.7 million people in the US illegally.
