Latest news with #detention
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Immigration arrests surge in Central Florida. Could they max out Orange's jail?
Pressure from the Trump administration to escalate immigration arrests has led to huge spike in the number of people detained by ICE in Central Florida and raised fears that the Orange County jail could eventually hit its capacity. The number of detainees held in the local jail for immigration violations so far this year is nearly 400% higher than last year, officials said. Before a panel of sheriffs and police chiefs last month, Orange Public Safety Director Danny Banks warned of the possible consequences of the surge of detainees — including some who had never before set foot in the county. 'I'm fearful that it's going to lead us to maxing out our jail space,' he said of an influx of ICE inmates coming from Orange and neighboring counties. The Pinellas County sheriff is already staring down Banks' fears, with 200 inmates in his county jail sleeping on the floor because of the flood of new detainees held for immigration violations. In the past month alone, 267 people were booked into the Orange County jail solely on immigration charges, compared with 259 in the prior four months combined, according to data obtained by the Orlando Sentinel. The Orange County jail is one of only a handful in the state authorized to hold people for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That means people arrested in places as far away as Indian River and Polk counties — in some cases about 100 miles from the jail just south of downtown Orlando — are being booked into the local facility. Banks said if arrests keep climbing as expected, as more local law enforcement agencies are deputized by federal authorities, the county jail's bed space could be maxed out. 'I do think it's going to get to that,' Banks said Friday. 'I expect the numbers will go up. That will increase the daily number of bookings and we're going to get closer and closer to our capacity.' As of Friday morning, 3,099 inmates were housed at the Orange County Jail, which has a capacity of about 4,000 beds. About 10 of those were from outside of Orange on ICE detainers, said Tracy Zampaglione, a jail spokesperson. Banks said that the number fluctuates day to day, with little notice. For instance, on one recent day, the Florida Highway Patrol brought over about 40 immigration detainees from Lake County, Banks said. Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said his county, which like Orange has a federal agreement with ICE, wants federal leaders to let all of Florida's jails house those arrested in their respective counties. 'We have to keep other housing units free for these ICE inmates, which are coming from all over the place, before they can get them on the bus' to an Ice processing center, he said. 'We're out of space,' he added. 'There's an infrastructure problem.' Across Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties combined, local authorities have seen 1,796 people who have been processed with ICE detainers so far this year, with 1,485 turned over to federal authorities, according to data obtained by the Orlando Sentinel. In all of 2024, Orange County booked about 800 people on such detainers. By May 28, 2025's count had already hit 1,314 people. That surge is largely a product of federal authorities inputting thousands more warrants into the National Crime Information Center, which alerts law enforcement of a warrant when they plug somebody's name into a computer during traffic stops or other encounters. 'Any occasion in which law enforcement comes across someone where they run their information — a traffic stop, or they show up to the house for an argument, historically that call didn't necessitate an arrest,' Banks said. 'Unfortunately, now they're forced to arrest them.' Fewer than 1 in 5 of Central Florida's ICE detainees so far this year were charged with felonies, ranging from 11.5% in Lake to 18.6% in Orange. Last week, Axios reported the Trump administration was pushing for ICE to bump its daily arrests to 3,000 per day, with a White House spokesperson saying 'keeping President Trump's promise to deport illegal aliens is something the administration takes seriously.' White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller confirmed the story on Fox News and said that was the minimum goal, and that it would only climb higher over time. The State Immigration Enforcement Council, made up of sheriffs and chiefs appointed by state leaders, voted last month on a resolution calling on the Trump administration to allow inmates to be housed in all county jail facilities, not just those with agreements like Orange has had for decades. The same resolution stated Florida was ready to set up a 10,000-bed facility to house migrants, if federal funding was issued. Polk Sheriff Grady Judd, who chairs the committee, said he had 200 beds at his jail that he could use. 'If our county jails under the Florida Model Jail Standards are good enough to house non-convicted US citizens, certainly it ought to be satisfactory to house illegal immigrants who are here with a deportation warrant,' Judd said. rygillespie@
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Turkish authorities order detention of dozens of opposition officials in widening crackdown
ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkish authorities ordered the detention of several opposition party members in Istanbul and raided opposition-run municipalities on Saturday, state media said, part of a widening legal crackdown against the opposition and city's jailed mayor. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is also President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival and leads him in some polls, was jailed in March pending trial over charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist group, all of which he denies. The arrest of the mayor, from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), triggered mass protests, economic turmoil, and broad accusations of government influence over the judiciary and anti-democratic applications. The government denies this and says the judiciary is independent. Since Imamoglu's arrest, authorities have detained dozens of CHP members, officials from the Istanbul municipality, and other CHP-run municipalities. Access to Imamoglu's X account was also blocked in Turkey this month. On Saturday, the state-owned Anadolu news agency and private broadcaster NTV reported that detention warrants had been issued for 47 people in four separate graft investigations, with 28 of those being detained. Among those detained was former CHP lawmaker Aykut Erdogdu, the mayors of several districts in Istanbul, senior staff at the Istanbul municipality or institutions tied to it, and the mayors of two districts in the southern province of Adana, according to Anadolu. It said police also searched the buildings of the Avcilar, Buyukcekmece, Gaziosmanpasa, Seydan, and Ceyhan municipalities, whose mayors were ordered detained as part of the probe. In response to the new wave of detentions, the CHP called an emergency meeting in Istanbul, NTV reported. Some Western countries, rights groups and the CHP have said repeatedly that the operations are anti-democratic and aimed at quashing the opposition's electoral prospects. Imamoglu and his CHP have said there is no concrete evidence against him. Opinion polls show that popular support for Imamoglu has risen since his arrest, extending his lead over Erdogan and reinforcing the view that he would be Erdogan's main rival in the next presidential election, not due until 2028.
Reuters
13 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Turkish authorities order detention of dozens of opposition officials in widening crackdown
ANKARA, May 31 (Reuters) - Turkish authorities ordered the detention of several opposition party members in Istanbul and raided opposition-run municipalities on Saturday, state media said, part of a widening legal crackdown against the opposition and city's jailed mayor. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is also President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival and leads him in some polls, was jailed in March pending trial over charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist group, all of which he denies. The arrest of the mayor, from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), triggered mass protests, economic turmoil, and broad accusations of government influence over the judiciary and anti-democratic applications. The government denies this and says the judiciary is independent. Since Imamoglu's arrest, authorities have detained dozens of CHP members, officials from the Istanbul municipality, and other CHP-run municipalities. Access to Imamoglu's X account was also blocked in Turkey this month. On Saturday, the state-owned Anadolu news agency and private broadcaster NTV reported that detention warrants had been issued for 47 people in four separate graft investigations, with 28 of those being detained. Among those detained was former CHP lawmaker Aykut Erdogdu, the mayors of several districts in Istanbul, senior staff at the Istanbul municipality or institutions tied to it, and the mayors of two districts in the southern province of Adana, according to Anadolu. It said police also searched the buildings of the Avcilar, Buyukcekmece, Gaziosmanpasa, Seydan, and Ceyhan municipalities, whose mayors were ordered detained as part of the probe. In response to the new wave of detentions, the CHP called an emergency meeting in Istanbul, NTV reported. Some Western countries, rights groups and the CHP have said repeatedly that the operations are anti-democratic and aimed at quashing the opposition's electoral prospects. Imamoglu and his CHP have said there is no concrete evidence against him. Opinion polls show that popular support for Imamoglu has risen since his arrest, extending his lead over Erdogan and reinforcing the view that he would be Erdogan's main rival in the next presidential election, not due until 2028.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Immigrant detained by ICE after hearing in federal courthouse in Denver
DENVER (KDVR) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained an immigrant who showed up for a hearing at the Federal Immigration Courthouse Friday morning after leaving the courtroom. Immigrant rights groups told FOX31 this is the second day in a row that this has happened. Immigration advocates were outside the courthouse on Friday. 'I am witnessing and trying to let people know their rights as they go into the courtroom because there is a good chance of people getting detained here,' said Arnie Carter. One immigrant was detained in a hallway as he left his first hearing this morning. Immigration attorney Christina Brown was there. Live blog: Colorado officials address Homeland Security's 'sanctuary jurisdiction' list 'He was not expecting this to happen, this is very irregular in the normal course of events until very recently,' Colorado Asylum Center executive director Christina Brown said. A mother, father and daughter were also reportedly taken by ICE agents on Thursday. 'And we are seeing the scale of this operation increase, and we are seeing the fear of people who need to come to court not wanting to come to court increase as well,' Brown said. ICE Denver would not comment on the man who was detained. 'U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is executing its mission of identifying and removing criminal aliens and others who have violated our nation's immigration laws,' ICE told FOX31 in a statement. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said, 'Most aliens who illegally entered the United States within the past two years are subject to expedited removals.' A court worker said the courts do not work with ICE and that judges are solely responsible for what happens inside courtrooms, not hallways. There were many other hearings, where immigrants appeared for their hearings and left without being detained. Immigration advocates said they plan to continue trying to help immigrants as they continue, as they need help navigating the immigration court system. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Sun
a day ago
- General
- The Sun
Son of Brit couple Craig & Lindsay Foreman detained in Iran for 150 days on spying charges reveals shock at arrests
THE young son of a British couple imprisoned in Iran on spying charges has revealed how devastated he was after hearing of his parents' arrest. Husband and wife Craig and Lindsay Foreman have spent almost 150 days in jail since being detained during a round-the-world motorbike trip. 8 8 8 The Brits entered Iran despite being warned by the Foreign Office and their family to avoid passing through the notoriously strict state. The couple, both in their 50s, were held back in January on unspecified espionage charges. The Iranian government continues to claim they were 'posing as tourists' to gather intelligence against the Middle East nation. Ever since their incarceration, the pair have hardly spoken to their loved ones and mainly had contact with the Foreign Office. Now the teenage son of Craig, a carpenter, and wife Dr Lindsay, a life coach, has revealed how hard the past few months have been on the family. Anxious Toby said Foreign Office officials visited his mum on Tuesday and handed her a letter from her closest loved ones back home. He told the Mirror: 'There was a visit yesterday day. Someone from the Foreign Office, checking if she's okay. "We have been able to pass on a message to the Foreign Office, everyone wrote a letter to give them to them, but we don't know what they received. 'We just don't want to make things worse. We're waiting to see if anything big happens over the next few months.' The 19-year-old university student described hearing about his parent's arrest as a "real shock". My dad has been sentenced to death in Iran on trumped-up charges and faces imminent execution - we must save him He said: 'Everyone in the family is dealing with it in different ways. I had never heard about English people being detained out there. 'I thought there was more of a security concern with them taking relatively expensive bikes out there. 'We were not expecting for them to get detained." Toby is holding on to hope that due to his mum's long career in psychiatry she will be able to cope with her prison stretch as best as possible and help Craig too. At the time of Craig and Linday's arrest a spokesperson for the Iranian judiciary said: "These individuals were cooperating with covert institutions linked to the intelligence services of hostile Western countries under the guise of investigative and research activities. "According to the observations of intelligence and security institutions, the connection of these individuals with several institutions affiliated with intelligence services has been confirmed, and additional investigations are ongoing in this regard." The judiciary spokesperson also said the pair "were monitored with the cooperation of security agencies and arrested". The pair first travelled into Iran from Armenia on December 30, and reportedly planned to leave by January 4, as they headed for Australia. 8 8 8 While in Iran they visited Tabriz, the capital Tehran, and Isfahan before staying in Kerman. It was here where they were picked up by police and arrested. At the time, the Foreign Office said the couples arrest had "caused significant concern". The couple, who had previously been featured on Channel 4 's A New Life in the Sun, had ignored pleas from friends, family and the Foreign Office (FCDO) not to enter Iran. FCDO guidance explicitly warns against all travel to the country, cautioning that British citizens could be arrested simply for their nationality. Brits 'face torture and years in hellhole jail' on 'fabricated' espionage charges CRAIG and Lindsay Foreman could be left to languish in a hellhole jail for years, sources fear. Insiders believe Iran's merciless leaders have made a "fabricated case" to use Craig and Lindsay as pawns in their sick game to get Western countries to give in to their demands. United Against Nuclear Iran's (UANI) policy director Jason Brodsky told The Sun while they are unlikely to face execution, they could be jailed for years and face torture. He said: "Iran uses hostage diplomacy as a means to extract concessions from Europe and the United States. "Hostages have languished for years behind bars in Iran. "The Iranian regime has executed dual-nationals previously, or those with Iranian citizenship in addition to American or European nationality. "Since the Foremans do not have dual-nationality, an execution is unlikely but the danger of harm remains. "The Iranian regime employs both psychological and physical torture methods depending on the situation." Insiders and campaigners say it is likely the couple were arrested simply for being British. It is feared they have been taken "hostage" to put pressure on the UK. Hossein Abedini of the National Council of Resistance told The Sun: "All of these actions are aimed at gaining leverage from the country to which the hostages belong therefore, any verdicts could arise. "This is a repetitive process that has occurred many times, but due to the concessions made by the West, the regime assesses this as a profitable business." Despite this, the pair acknowledged the extreme risk in a social media post on December 30. It read: 'Despite the advice of friends, family, and the FCDO (which strongly advises against travel to Iran for British nationals), we've chosen to keep moving forward. 'Why? Because we believe that, no matter where you are in the world, most people are good, kind humans striving for a meaningful life. Yes, we're aware of the risks. 'We also know the rewards of meeting incredible people, hearing their stories, and seeing the breathtaking landscapes of these regions could far outweigh the fear.' The UK government has been urged to act quickly to try and free the pair. Richard Ratcliffe, whose wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was imprisoned in Iran for six years, urged officials to move faster than they did in her case. He said: 'My heart goes out to them, and I hope they are not in for a long ordeal, and that the government is able to respond more promptly than it did in our case." 8 8
