Latest news with #Un-American
Metro
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Metro
Billie Eilish's brother Finneas tear-gassed at protest in Los Angeles
Billie Eilish's brother Finneas has claimed that he was tear-gassed by the National Guard at a 'very peaceful' protest in Los Angeles. The singer-songwriter, 27, took to social media to detail his experience, sharing his message to more than four million followers on Instagram. 'Tear gassed almost immediately at the very peaceful protest downtown – they're inciting this,' he wrote. The musician had attended a protest against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department's operations in Los Angeles over the weekend. The protests, which began on Friday and carried on through until Sunday, saw numerous people stage a peaceful demonstration, campaigning against ICE's raids of several workplaces in Los Angeles for alleged immigration violations. President Donald Trump authorised the deployment of the National Guard in response. On Sunday, Finneas wrote on an Instagram Story: 'F**k ICE.' His next post saw him repost a message to National Guard and military personnel who do not wish to partake in Trump's order: 'If you are National Guard or Active Duty military and you are being ordered to violate the Constitutional rights of US citizens, then this is the number to the GI Rights Hotline. There is support, you don't have to go through with it.' Several celebrities have banded together to criticise ICE and the military reaction to protests across Los Angeles, including Eva Longoria and Chrissy Teigen. On X, Longoria shared a post from California Governor Gavin Newsom, which criticises Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his threat to deploy active-duty Marines in response to the protests. Newsom described the threat as 'deranged behaviour,' while Longoria added that it was 'Un-American' while also sharing a video of a woman being separated from her child during an ICE raid. Teigen shared various posts in support of the protests on her Instagram Stories, including a link to a mass protest on June 14. Massive raids are underway in major cities across the US as part of Trump's pledge to arrest 3,000 suspected illegal immigrants per day. One in Los Angeles descended into chaos, as counterprotests led to multiple arrests, allegedly without warrants. Two Home Depot stores, a clothing shop called Ambient Apparel, and other locations were raided by ICE agents in the predominantly Latino city of Paramount. The President issued an executive order, posted to the White House website, outlining Trump's plan to prevent undocumented immigrants from 'invading' communities and costing state and local governments. And a policy which previously restricted officers' abilities to arrest undocumented immigrants at 'sensitive' locations, such as schools, churches and hospitals, was rolled back. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How a Mass. group is fighting Trump cutting assistance for legal green card holders
After a loss of federal funding forced the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition to shut down its citizenship assistance programming, the organization has joined a national lawsuit against the Trump administration. The Boston-based coalition, known as MIRA, lost $300,000 in funding from the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program in late January after the Department of Homeland Security terminated all related grants. MIRA had to immediately cease citizenship application assistance, at the time saying that hundreds of immigrants would now be forced to navigate the 'daunting and costly citizenship application process without the support of qualified, trained experts.' Last week, the organization joined other immigrant-serving organizations in a national lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security demanding that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reinstate the funding that supports green card holders on their path to citizenship. Read more: 'Betrayal of the American promise': Trump admin. cuts citizenship assistance in Mass. The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of Maryland, Solutions in Hometown Connections et al. v. Noem et al., argues the Trump administration unjustly stripped MIRA of $300,000. The MIRA Coalition currently has 174 open naturalization cases for clients and insufficient funding to pay for those representation services, the lawsuit states. Elizabeth Sweet, MIRA Coalition's executive director, said the organization was proud to join the fight against the Trump administration after it 'wrongfully cut off hundreds of thousands of dollars in previously allocated funding that assists green card holders who legally reside in the U.S. apply for citizenship.' 'Immigrants who have lived and worked in the U.S. deserve support in navigating the confusing, expensive and lengthy citizenship application process and we will not turn our backs on them now,' she said. 'We look forward to making our case in court alongside immigrant-serving organizations from across the country.' According to the lawsuit, the grant program has helped more than 350,000 lawful permanent residents nationwide prepare for citizenship since 2009. A senior official at the Department of Homeland Security previously told MassLive that USCIS had terminated all grants awarded through the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program because 'taxpayer-funded programs that support, or have the potential to support, illegal immigration' are 'out of step' with the administration's priorities. The official further claimed without evidence that organizations funded by USCIS grants 'actively undermined the rule of law and integrity of our nation's immigration system by supporting sanctuary cities and open borders.' Citizenship assistance helps immigrants who already have permanent legal status and wish to become full U.S. citizens. ICE raids wrong home as 'traumatized' family explains they are citizens 'Un-American': Free speech groups petition judge to order Rümeysa Öztürk's release Boston prepares for fight after Trump signs order threatening sanctuary cities Mass. schools boss: Immigration chill leading to 'extended absences' Rümeysa Öztürk's return to Vermont delayed by federal appeals court
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Never seen before': Centre County DA says at least 12 student visas revoked for retail theft
At least a dozen international students in Centre County have had their student visas revoked in the last two weeks, the county's district attorney said Saturday. Penn State Global's interim vice provost confirmed on April 3 that some Penn State international students have had their lawful status revoked. At the time, Penn State would not share more information, including how many students have been impacted. Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna said from his office, they've seen 12 students whose visas were revoked due to retail theft. He said each of those students was placed in a diversion program and was not convicted of any crimes. A 13th person had their status revoked due to a DUI; they participated in a DUI diversion program for first offenses, Cantorna said. None of them had any prior criminal records, he said, and most have already returned to their home countries. 'This is just a small snapshot over the last two weeks, but it's something that we have never seen before,' Cantorna wrote in an email to the Centre Daily Times. 'We are tracking what comes through the legal system but it is a small percentage.' Penn State did not immediately respond to an inquiry on Saturday. The university is one of at least 170 colleges and universities across the United States that have said some international students and recent graduates have had their legal status revoked, according to Inside Higher Ed. This comes as the Donald Trump administration has made immigration one of its top priorities. State Rep. Paul Takac (D-College Township), in a statement Friday, said he is alarmed by these reports at Penn State and called the Trump administration's actions 'Un-American.' 'The sudden termination of legal status due to political expression, minor infractions, or otherwise mysterious circumstances violates our shared values of free speech, justice, and due process,' Takac said. 'The targeting of international faculty, staff, or students erodes trust in our communities and diminishes our standing in the world.' The University Park campus falls within Takac's district; he said he's been engaged with university leadership and law enforcement on the matter and is monitoring the federal actions and policies. 'I am committed to doing everything in my power to ensure that we live up to our highest ideals and adhere to strict legal standards and precedent,' Takac said. 'And while we know of no current ICE actions to date on campus or in our community, I — along with other elected officials and university leaders — remain vigilant.' Sabine Klahr, interim vice provost of Penn State Global, included some guidance and resources available to international students in an April 3 letter to the community. The International Student and Scholar Advising in Penn State Global recommends international students keep their documentation regarding their visa status up to date and to carry copies of proof of status. The letter states federal law enforcement officers can't enter private spaces — like residence halls, locked offices or other secured university spaces — without a warrant. Classrooms are not private spaces. If someone is approached by ICE or other federal officers on campus, they should call University Police 814-863-1111, the letter states.
