Latest news with #USDepartmentofHomelandSecurity
DW
3 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Suspect charged in Colorado attack that wounded 8 – DW – 06/02/2025
Multiple people were injured in what the FBI called a "targeted terror attack" in the US state of Colorado. Police said a male suspect attacked a rally in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Several people were injured in an attack at an outdoor mall in Boulder, Colorado, police said on Sunday. The attack occurred at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall known for attracting tourists and college students, where a rally in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza was taking place. The suspect was identified as a 45-year-old who shouted "Free Palestine" and used makeshift incendiary devices in the attack, said Mark Michalek, the FBI special agent in charge of the Denver field office. The suspect was taken into custody at the scene. On Monday, he was charged with a federal hate crime for the attack. He faces other charges including assault and the use of explosives. The US Department of Homeland Security said Monday that the man had entered the US on a tourist visa in 2022 and was in the country "illegally." Several injured in attack on Israeli hostage vigil in US To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Four women and four men between 52 and 88 years old were transported to hospitals after the attack, Boulder police said. The suspect was also injured and taken to the hospital, but authorities didn't elaborate on the nature of his injuries. Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said he did not believe anyone else was involved. "We're fairly confident we have the lone suspect in custody," he said. "This was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in downtown Boulder on Pearl Street and this act was unacceptable," Redfearn said at an earlier press conference. "I ask that you join me in thinking about the victims, the families of those victims, and everyone involved in this tragedy." "We are fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado," FBI Director Kash Patel said on X. 'Terror has no place' in the United States, says Rubio US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to X to denounce the attack. "We're united in prayer for the victims of a targeted terror attack this afternoon in Boulder," Rubio posted. "Terror has no place in our great country." The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish activist group, said on X that the attack occurred at Sunday's "Boulder Run for Their Lives" event, a weekly gathering of the Jewish community to remember and raise visibility for the Israeli hostages who remain in captivity in Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he was "shocked by the terrible antisemitic terror attack targeting Jews." In a post on social media, he described it as "antisemitism, fueled by the blood libels spread in the media." without elaborating. US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a prominent Jewish Democrat, said he was closely monitoring the situation. "This is horrifying, and this cannot continue. We must stand up to antisemitism." The attack comes over a week after the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington, where a 31-year-old suspect who shouted "Free Palestine" was taken into custody by police. Colorado Governor Jared Polis posted on social media that it was "unfathomable that the Jewish community is facing another terror attack here in Boulder." Israel's ambassador to the United Nations in New York also expressed outrage at the attack. "Terrorism against Jews does not stop at the Gaza border — it is already burning the streets of America," he said in a statement. "Today, in Boulder, Colorado, Jewish people marched with a moral and humane demand: to return the hostages. In response, the Jewish protesters were brutally attacked, with an attacker throwing a Molotov cocktails at them," he said. "Make no mistake — this is not a political protest, this is terrorism." Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru, Wesley Rahn
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘Cruel' decision: Immigrants in Massachusetts face fresh deportation fears after Trump end humanitarian parole program
Related : Advertisement The court ruled on a request from the Trump administration to stay a lower-court decision that temporarily halted plans to end the humanitarian parole programs. The proceedings originated from a that Trump ended after he returned to office in January. The Trump administration planned to end the program on Humanitarian parole dates back to the 1950s, when a law granted the attorney general discretion to admit noncitizens from countries affected by gang violence, war, or other political instability. Trump has targeted the system as part of his wider crackdown on legal immigration and promise to deport millions of people. Related : Advertisement Two justices appointed by Democratic presidents, On Saturday, Mayor Michelle Wu said the city remains 'steadfast' in its commitment to being safe, welcoming, and 'creating opportunity for all.' 'It's not despite our immigrant heritage that we are strong, it is because of our immigrant heritage and the diversity of all of Boston,' she told reporters at Harambee Park, speaking at a an unveiling of Caribbean flag poles. Wu's office provided the Globe with an audio recording of her remarks. Related : US Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin praised the high court's decision on Friday in a statement that called the CHNV program 'disastrous.' 'Ending the CHNV parole programs, as well as the paroles of those who exploited it, will be a necessary return to common-sense policies, a return to public safety, and a return to America First,' she said. Thielman said in the last two years, the institute has helped about 15,000 people from Haiti enroll in federal benefits, about half of whom were granted legal status through the CHNV program. The agency also enrolled 1,500 to 1,800 Haitians with the legal protections in employment services to help them find work, he said. Many Haitians have left the country to flee gang violence, political turmoil, poverty, and fallout from natural disasters, including a devastating earthquake in 2010. Related : Advertisement Tilda, a 42-year-old Haitian woman living in Brockton, said she came to Massachusetts under the parole program in 2023. She asked to be identified by her nickname because she fears retaliation from federal immigration authorities. With her parolee status, Tilda said she was granted authorization to work, found a job with a plastic appliances manufacturer, and became certified as a home health aide. 'I liked it, because I found a job,' she said through a Haitian Creole interpreter during an interview in April. 'I was living a better life.' Related : Returning to Haiti is not an option, she said. Her father falls asleep amid the sound of gunfire outside his home in Port-au-Prince, she said. Tilda previously attempted to establish a new life in Brazil, but said she couldn't find steady work and then moved to the United States. 'It's very difficult because if you go back to Haiti, you risk your life,' Tilda said. One plaintiff in the lawsuit seeking to reinstate the program is Wilhen Pierre Victor, a Woburn resident who sponsored family members to enter the United States from Haiti with humanitarian parole. Victor's brother and his family relocated to Woburn last year, and have found work, but applications filed by her niece and cousin weren't processed before Trump ended the program, the complaint said. Now the niece and cousin are stuck in Haiti and Victor's brother fears he and his family won't be able to stay here. Advertisement 'Her brother and his family could be forced to return to a life in Haiti rife with instability and violence,' the complaint said. In a statement, Karen Tumlin, founder and director of Justice Action Center, one of the groups behind the lawsuit, said the Supreme Court's move is 'devastating.' 'While we grieve with these communities today, we remain resolved in our fight for the dignity they deserve,' she said. Without humanitarian parole, noncitizens can seek authority to stay in the country legally by applying for asylum or temporary protected status, Thielman said. Yet the temporary protected status program is also under attack. On May 19, the Supreme Court let the Trump administration withdraw those protections from about Willian came to the United States from Venezuela two years ago with temporary protected status and now works as a delivery driver for Amazon. He asked to be identified only by his first name because he fears retaliation from immigration officials. Willian said Venezuelans who fled to the United States are seen as enemies by Nicolás Maduro, leader of the South American nation who has been described by Trump as a 'dictator.' Returning to Venezuela could be dangerous, he said. 'Even if we don't commit a crime, even if we don't do anything wrong, they could put us in jail,' Willian said in Spanish as Thielman translated his remarks into English. Marvin Mathelier, executive director of the Toussaint Louverture Cultural Center in Boston, said Haitians must sell all their belongings to pay to leave the country. Advertisement If they are forced to return, they face nothing but danger, he said. 'I think this is cruel,' said Mathelier, whose parents moved to the United States from Haiti in the 1980s. 'We are just throwing them back to the wolves and that's just very unfortunate.' Laura Crimaldi can be reached at
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
No Texas cities on Department of Homeland Security sanctuary city list
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Thursday, the US Department of Homeland Security released a comprehensive list of jurisdictions it believes are defying federal immigration law. 'Designation of a sanctuary jurisdiction is based on the evaluation of numerous factors, including self-identification as a sanctuary jurisdiction, noncompliance with Federal law enforcement in enforcing immigration laws, restrictions on information sharing, and legal protections for illegal aliens,' a DHS spokesperson said. According to DHS, each of the cities or counties listed will get a notification from the federal government of its non-compliance. Austin City Council passes resolution countering stalled state immigration law 'DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with Federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens,' the agency said. There are no Texas cities on the list, though DHS told KXAN the list 'is actively reviewed, will be regularly updated, and can be changed at any time.' The Trump administration has previously indicated cities not complying with federal immigration law may be passed over for funding opportunities. For example, the secretary of the Department of Transportation released a memo earlier this year indicating cities that require compliance with immigration enforcement will be prioritized for federal transportation funding opportunities. 'President Trump and Secretary Noem have been clear: sanctuary jurisdictions should immediately cease violation of Federal law and cooperate with law enforcement,' a DHS spokesperson said after KXAN reached out asking about penalties associated with making the list. Earlier this year, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into the city of Dallas and the Dallas Police Department over possible sanctuary city policies, according to a release from the AG in March. 'The law is not optional. Local governments do not have the authority to disregard state and federal immigration laws,' said Attorney General Paxton at the time. Texas lawmakers effectively banned sanctuary cities in 2017 through Senate Bill 4. That now-law prohibits any local policy that would interfere with state or federal immigration enforcement. The city of Austin initially fought against it, passing 'freedom city' resolutions that identified legal loopholes in SB 4. For example, while state law allows officers to question someone on their immigration status, the city instructed police to inform people of their right not to answer that question, NBC News reported. Inside Austin's Agenda: City Council Member Mike Siegel Since then, state lawmakers have also passed a bill that allows local law enforcement to arrest people they believe are in the U.S. illegally. That one came in 2023 and has been tied up in federal court since. Just like the previous council, Austin addressed that one with a resolution as well. 'We really want our police officers focused on investigating violent crime. That's where their time and resources should be spent. Not carrying out this policy that we know leads to racial profiling, that will separate families and could potentially lead to deportations,' Austin City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes (she is now the mayor pro tem) said after that resolution passed. After Trump immigration order, ICE 'force multiplier' agreements with Texas police surge But between state and federal rules, the city of Austin — and other Texas cities — are largely restricted on what more they can do in broad brush strokes. That is, if the don't want to lose massive chunks of funding or face legal penalties. 'So that's where you can't, quote, unquote, be a sanctuary city. You know, we can't use our police officers to disrupt ICE enforcement, things of that nature. Or, you know, frankly, our chief of police could lose her law enforcement license. We could have funding taken away from our city,' Austin City Council Member Mike Siegel said. 'And so that's kind of the balance, you know, SB 4 and other state legislative efforts that constrain our local control. We have to stay within those parameters and still do as much as we can.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Trump gives Harvard 30 days to contest end of int'l student enrolment
BOSTON: The Trump administration on Thursday backed away from plans to immediately revoke Harvard University's ability to enroll international students and would instead give it 30 days to contest those plans through a lengthier administrative process. The US Department of Homeland Security sent Harvard a notice of intent on Wednesday to withdraw the school's certification under a federal program to enroll non-US students. The Justice Department filed the notice in court ahead of a hearing before US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston over whether to extend a temporary order blocking President Donald Trump's administration from revoking the Ivy League school's right to host international students. Citing the potential for Harvard and its students to be harmed if the administration reverted to its earlier plans, Burroughs at that hearing said she planned to issue a broad preliminary injunction preserving the status quo while the newly announced administrative process plays out. Harvard had argued that the revocation violated its free speech and due process rights under the US Constitution. In addition, Harvard contended that the revocation failed to comply with DHS regulations. The regulations required providing at least 30 days to challenge the agency's allegations and giving Harvard an opportunity to pursue an administrative appeal. Harvard has said losing that right would affect about one quarter of its student body and devastate the school. It has denied Trump administration charges of alleged bias against conservatives, fostering antisemitism on campus and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party. The Homeland Security Department said it sent Harvard the notice after school officials indicated an intent to comply with requirements of the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which allows Harvard to enroll non-US students. 'We continue to reject Harvard's repeated pattern of endangering its students and spreading American hate—it must change its ways to be eligible to receive generous benefits from the American people,' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.
NDTV
7 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Harvard Gets 30-Day Reprieve From Trump In Row Over Foreign Students: Report
Harvard University had said that if its ability to enroll international students is revoked, it would impact about a quarter of its student body. On Thursday, a federal judge will consider whether to further block US President Donald Trump's administration from revoking the same. US District Judge Allison Burroughs will consider whether to extend the temporary order she issued on Friday that blocked the US Department of Homeland Security to carry out the revocation it issued earlier. Trump had said in the Oval Office on Wednesday that the Ivy League University should have a 15 per cent cap on the number of non-U.S. students it admits. "Harvard has got to behave themselves," he said. The Trump administration had accused Harvard of fostering antisemitism and violence on campus, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party. However, the University's lawyers said that the attack was part of an "unprecedented and retaliatory attack on academic freedom at Harvard". Harvard is also entangled in another lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's decision to cut off $3 billion in federal research funding. Harvard's lawyers said that the University's certification was removed abruptly without any compliance of federal regulations that requires the department to give a legitimate reason for its actions and an advance notice. Moreover it also gives an opportunity to address any issues. The school also argued that the Trump administration is violating its free speech and due process rights that are provided by the US Constitution and Administrative Procedure Act. Under DHS regulations, the department had to provide a 30-day window to challenge the agency's allegations and present evidence, per a report by Reuters.
