Latest news with #USImmigrationandCustomsEnforcement
NZ Herald
12 hours ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Columbia University settles with US, pays $200m to restore federal funding
'Importantly, the agreement preserves Columbia's autonomy and authority over faculty hiring, admissions and academic decision-making,' she said. The agreement marks an end to a protracted period of federal scrutiny and financial uncertainty, Shipman said. 'The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal Government to get back on track. Importantly, it safeguards our independence, a critical condition for academic excellence and scholarly exploration, work that is vital to the public interest.' For months, Columbia has been in the Trump administration's crosshairs. It was the first to be singled out in the administration's push to compel universities to adopt its agenda on issues including antisemitism and diversity initiatives. In March, the Education Secretary announced $400 million in federal research funding would be cancelled over what officials alleged were the school's failures to protect Jewish students from discrimination. The next day, a Columbia student, Mahmoud Khalil, became the first pro-Palestinian advocate seized by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in a series of high-profile attempts to deport non-citizen activists. (A federal judge ordered Khalil's release from detention in June.) Columbia student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was seized by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a rally. Photo / Getty Images Three days after the funding freeze, the Education Department sent a letter that set out its demands, including changes to student discipline, a mask ban, and the right to monitor an academic department as preconditions to restoring funding. Columbia announced several changes – some of them long in the works – including clarifying rules for campus demonstrations, appointing a senior vice-provost to review Middle East programmes, seeking to increase the intellectual diversity of the faculty, and training additional public safety officers to remove and arrest protesters. But its funding was not restored in response, and tense negotiations have been under way for months. The school had been the centre of protests over the Israel-Gaza war during the 2023-2024 academic year, with an encampment in the spring that sparked similar demonstrations at colleges across the country, and a takeover of a university building that was cleared by New York police officers. The protests were divisive: as college leaders struggled to balance freedom of speech with student safety, some Jewish and Israeli students at Columbia and elsewhere said that school officials had not done enough to stop rising antisemitism. Students reported being ostracised from clubs for supporting Israel, seeing protesters handing out fliers promoting Hamas, and instances of signs displayed with target symbols. Some other students, including pro-Palestinian activists, criticised the school for trying to stifle views critical of Israel and not standing up to federal intrusion into campus policies. Demonstrators take part in a Our City, Our Fight, Protect Migrants, Protect the Planet protest in New York City. Photo / Getty Images This past academic year was much calmer, but on the first day of classes in the spring semester, masked protesters burst into a course on the history of modern Israel and handed out fliers, including one labelled 'Crush Zionism' with a drawing of a boot stomping on a Star of David. And pro-Palestinian protesters swarmed the school's main library in May, disrupting hundreds of students studying for finals. Police dispersed the demonstration, arresting scores of people. The Trump administration's antisemitism task force praised Columbia's forceful response. But the school's research funding was not restored. In June, tShipman, told the campus community that the challenges to Columbia's research mission and the entire institution were 'becoming increasingly acute' and that they were reaching a 'tipping point'. She said it was essential to restore their research partnership with the federal Government and that the university will comply with the law. She also laid out some red lines: 'We must maintain our autonomy and independent governance. We decide who teaches at our institution, what they teach, and which students we admit.' Any agreement they might reach, she said, must align with those values. Columbia University's acting president, Claire Shipman, fought for the school's autonomy. Photo / Getty Images Columbia is just one of dozens of schools targeted by the Trump administration as it seeks to change campus culture, including university hiring practices, admissions, penalties for antisemitism, and other matters. The administration has frozen billions of dollars in federal research funding to several high-profile schools – including more than $2 billion at Harvard, which has fought back with two lawsuits. This month, the University of Pennsylvania agreed to rescind a transgender athlete's awards and apologise for allowing her to compete on the university's swim team in 2022. The Trump administration had announced it was freezing $175 million at Penn over the issue. A White House spokesperson said Friday there are no restrictions to Penn's funding. While focused broadly on a campaign to change the nation's higher education system, President Donald Trump has taken particular interest in Columbia. Then-candidate Trump was in New York City for one of his criminal trials when the anti-Israel demonstrations erupted on the Upper West Side campus, producing images of clashes between students waving Palestinian flags and police dressed in riot gear. He asked to go to the campus to 'show solidarity with Jewish people', a senior White House official said. His team ultimately rejected his request because of logistics and security concerns, the official said. Trump and his allies have put immense pressure on powerful institutions, often winning significant concessions. Since winning a second term, Trump and his administration have struck deals or reached settlements with media companies, social media titans and prominent law firms. rump this year issued executive orders hitting law firms he disliked with heavy penalties, including saying they should be stripped of federal contracts and their employees blocked from federal buildings. Four firms filed lawsuits challenging his actions, and judges have blocked the orders aimed at those practices. But nine other law firms, hoping to rescind or avoid similar sanctions, instead struck deals with the administration. Mark Berman contributed to this report.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Afghan man helped US military against Taliban, almost got a green card. Then, immigration officials came for him
A 35-year-old Afghan translator who aided American troops during the war in Afghanistan has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Connecticut, in a move that has sparked bipartisan outrage and raised questions about the Trump administration's treatment of wartime allies. Identified as Zia S, the man entered the US legally in October 2024 on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) and humanitarian parole. He was arrested last week after attending a routine biometrics appointment for his green card in East Hartford, according to his attorney and multiple officials. He is currently being held at a detention facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Zia, a father of five, fled Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in 2021. His visa was part of a US programme meant to protect foreign nationals who risked their lives to support US military operations abroad. 'This is the worst kind of abhorrent violation of basic decency,' said Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) in a statement quoted by The Guardian. 'He actually worked and risked his life in Afghanistan to uphold the values and rights that are central to democracy.' Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, also from Connecticut, said Zia's family had been left in the dark. 'Our credibility is at stake. We have families who have risked everything not just for themselves, but for their entire family … in the name of standing up for the promises of our American democracy,' Hayes told The Guardian. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Reuters that Zia is under investigation for a 'serious criminal allegation,' though no specifics have been made public. His lawyer, Lauren Petersen, said she has no knowledge of any charges. 'Zia has done everything right. He's followed the rules. He has no criminal history,' she said. 'If he is deported … he faces death.' A federal judge has issued a temporary stay on his deportation, but Zia remains in custody. Zia is the third known Afghan ally to be detained by ICE since Donald Trump returned to office. More than 70,000 Afghans were brought into the US under President Biden's 'Operation Allies Welcome,' but many still face legal limbo. The Trump administration has also moved to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals from countries including Afghanistan, Haiti, and Venezuela, despite ongoing unrest in those regions.
GMA Network
a day ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
US immigration policies not tackled during meeting with Trump
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. meets with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., July 22, 2025. REUTERS/ Kent Nishimura President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. said the issue of the United States' immigration policies was not discussed during his meeting with US counterpart Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. At a press conference with the Philippine media delegation, Marcos said that there had been no significant difference in the US immigration policies since Trump began his second term in January. Trump has vowed tough enforcement of immigration law and mass deportation of illegal migrants in the US. ''It's not been raised; it was not, not in this forum, but of course we are well aware of the situation,'' Marcos said. ''I think in our estimation with what the United States is doing now... It's not anything different [from] what they were doing before. Ito 'yung mga may record, mga wanted, convicted, lalong-lalo na kung sila ay illegal, TNT sila, 'yun ang mga pinapauwi nila (these are those with criminal records, wanted, convicted, and illegally staying),'' he added. The Philippine Embassy is providing assistance to undocumented Filipinos through immigration lawyers who offer legal advice and outline available options for them. However, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez has advised illegal immigrants—those who entered the US on tourist visas and then overstayed—to consider voluntarily leaving the country rather than waiting for the possibility of deportation. Recently, a Filipino was among at least 11 illegal aliens convicted of various crimes who were arrested during separate operations by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified the individual as a 29-year-old illegal alien from the Philippines. He was arrested in Middlesex, Massachusetts. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business Standard
Bollywood couple's $4 million scam duped over 100 in Texas property deals
"We're watching you.' That's the message US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been sending for months to undocumented immigrants with pending criminal charges. But a celebrity couple from India—well known for their stage performances and social media presence—appeared to believe their public profile would shield them. They were wrong. ICE in June 2025 detained Sidhartha 'Sammy' Mukherjee, husband of Bollywood singer Sunita Mukherjee, in connection with a $4 million (approximately Rs 34.5 crore) real estate fraud targeting members of the Indian-American community in North Texas. Business Standard confirmed through ICE's Online Detainee Locator System that Mukherjee is currently being held at the Prairieland Detention Centre. He was taken into custody just weeks after being released on a $500,000 bond in a felony theft case. His wife, Sunita, was also charged. The Mukherjees were once familiar faces in Dallas-area cultural events, known for Bollywood-style performances and lavish parties. But behind the glamour, investigators allege, was a scheme that duped over 100 people with fake property investment deals. The case began unfolding in 2023 when Euless Police Detective Brian Brennan opened an inquiry after a couple reported losing $325,000. What followed was a trail of forged contracts, receipts, and emails purporting to be linked to city-backed housing projects. When Brennan contacted the Dallas Housing Authority (DHA), they denied any such projects or partnerships. The arrest affidavit described all documentation provided by the Mukherjees as forged. 'All fake,' Brennan told CBS. 'It had to be a full-time job for him to do that.' How the fraud spread and who was targeted According to the affidavit reviewed by CBS, the couple allegedly ran a multi-pronged scam involving phoney firms, fabricated payrolls, and pandemic-era PPP loans. In one case, Sammy denied recognising several employee names listed on a PPP loan application. Investigators later found the identities were fictitious. The couple also reportedly targeted elderly victims using threatening emails to coerce payments under false claims of pending arrest. Some victims were told they owed law enforcement money. When questioned, Mukherjee claimed the deposits were for a hotel project funded by a deceased associate. Officials did not believe the explanation. What the victims said 'They will make you believe that they are very successful businesspeople,' Terry Parvaga, one of the alleged victims told CBC. 'But they will take every single penny you have.' Forensic accountants later identified at least 20 confirmed victims, with more than 100 individuals possibly affected. Brennan described Sammy as 'probably the most prolific fraudster I've seen' in his 23-year career. Public image, arrest and what next Despite the ongoing investigation, the Mukherjees maintained an active public image. In May 2024, they hosted a high-profile charity event featuring a Bollywood celebrity and the mayor of Plano. CBS found that the nonprofit organising the event was registered to the couple's home—the same house where they were arrested weeks later. The FBI is now leading the probe. There are concerns that funds may have been moved into crypto assets or hidden abroad. The couple filed for bankruptcy last year. ICE took Sammy Mukherjee into custody shortly after his release on bond of $500,000. According to CBS, the couple had entered the US seeking asylum. Their immigration status is still unclear. Some victims have submitted documents suggesting Mukherjee may also be wanted for fraud in Mumbai. Dozens of victims are now left chasing both justice and restitution. Investigators have warned that much of the money may already be gone. 'I think it's gone,' Brennan said. 'I think they've spent it on cars, their house, and in just living expenses.' Trump's crackdown The case emerges amid a renewed immigration crackdown under US President Donald Trump, who has vowed to remove undocumented immigrants, particularly those with pending criminal charges. ICE has already deported nearly 150,00 individuals since January, including around 70,000 with criminal convictions. But, many of these offenses were minor- traffic violations or immigration related infractions, CBS News reported.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
US races to build migrant tent camps after $45 billion funding boost, reports
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is racing to build migrant tent camps nationwide after receiving $45 billion in new funding, aiming to expand detention capacity from 40,000 to 100,000 beds by year-end, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. The agency is prioritizing large-scale tent facilities at military bases and ICE jails, including a 5,000-bed site at Fort Bliss in Texas and others in Colorado, Indiana, and New Jersey, the report added, citing documents seen by WSJ. 'ICE is pursuing all available options to expand bedspace capacity,' a senior ICE official told Reuters, adding that the 'process does include housing detainees at certain military bases.' Top US officials at Homeland Security, including US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have expressed a preference for detention centers run by Republican states and local governments rather than private prison companies, the report said. The agency declined to confirm the specifics of the plan to expand detention capacity. Noem said last week that she was in talks with five Republican-led states to build other detention sites inspired by the 'Alligator Alcatraz' facility in Florida. 'We've had several other states that are actually using Alligator Alcatraz as a model for how they can partner with us,' Noem told a press conference in Florida without naming any of the states.
