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Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Immigrants choose to leave the U.S. amid fear and discrimination
For 14 years, Jessika Cifuentes built a stable life in the United States. She ran her own business, forged strong community ties, and even became a U.S. citizen. But the increasingly hostile climate toward immigrants — fueled by harsher policies and deepening economic hardship — led her to make an unthinkable decision: return to Guatemala. Cifuentes, a 51-year-old professional, packed her bags, left her home in Utah and relocated with her two daughters to Antigua, a city ringed by volcanoes in southern Guatemala, where she has only a few friends. There, she hopes to launch a food business with her eldest daughter. After months of anxiety over shifting immigration policies under the Trump administration, a period of unemployment following layoffs at her company and a lack of support to sustain her food business, she made the difficult choice to go back home last April. 'Now, from what I've seen, being a citizen is no longer enough; just being Latino is enough,' she told el Nuevo Herald in an interview from Guatemala. 'I didn't want to expose myself to that. I couldn't keep living in a place where I'm discriminated against without people even knowing who I am — just because I have a Latino last name.' Her story is not unique. A growing number of immigrants are returning to their countries voluntarily in the wake of expanded detentions and deportations, the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for several nations, the end of humanitarian parole programs for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, and the suspension of new DACA applications. Many of them had built full lives in the United States — with families, jobs, property and deep roots in their communities. But faced with the threat of detention, family separation and no path to legal status, they have chosen to return — often to countries they haven't called home in decades. Not everyone is using 'CBP Home,' the app launched in March by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that allows undocumented immigrants —or those with revoked permits— to voluntarily self-deport and apply for $1,000 in financial assistance. Juana Iris Estrada, originally from Mexico, is preparing to leave the United States this summer. She's packing up most of her belongings to move to Puebla, a city in east-central Mexico known for its colonial architecture and cuisine. There, she plans to start over with her husband and their two young daughters, ages 9 and 5. Estrada arrived in the U.S. at the age of 10 and is currently protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, as is her husband. But now, she fears that protection could vanish at any moment. 'One of the reasons we're leaving is because of everything that's happening under this president's administration,' she told el Nuevo Herald from Washington state. 'Honestly, the emotional toll is heavy. I'm a mother. My husband and I both have DACA, and it could be revoked at any moment, leaving us completely unprotected.' Confronted with that uncertainty, Estrada made the decision to leave. 'It's no longer up for debate —we're not going to sit around and wait to see what happens.' Still, the decision brings considerable stress: gathering documents required for resettlement in Mexico, coping with the emotional weight of leaving the country where she grew up, handling the paperwork to sell her house —all while headlines about raids and deportations dominate the news cycle. President Donald Trump, upon taking office, announced mass deportations with a focus on immigrants with criminal records. But human rights organizations have criticized the removal of non-criminal immigrants without due process, warning that such deportations can expose people to persecution. The DHS reported that in the first 100 days of the Trump administration, more than 142,000 deportations were carried out. In May alone, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted 190 deportation flights —up from 125 in April— bringing the total to 1,083 for the year, including returns and domestic transfers, according to data compiled by immigration activist Thomas H. Cartwright. Cartwright noted on X (formerly Twitter) that May's total marked the highest number of flights since he began tracking them in January 2020. Immigrants on alert: fear, raids and discrimination in the U.S. Immigration attorney Richard Hein says that fear is now a defining feature of life for many immigrants in the United States. Some are avoiding going outside altogether; others are choosing to leave the country voluntarily. He describes a climate of 'terror and fear' being cultivated —raids carried out by agents without visible name tags, only patches indicating the federal agency they represent, arresting people with little to no transparency. He mentioned the lack of due process, which he asserted is fundamental to a civilized society and that there are 'attempts to overthrow it.' 'We truly have an administration that is outside the law and is ignoring a Supreme Court ruling, in the specific case of Kilmar Abrego García, to facilitate his return to the United States. And not a finger has been lifted to respect that Supreme Court ruling,' argued the attorney from Hein Law Firm in St. Louis, Missouri. In immigration hearings, Hein says, people are being treated with a level of disrespect he hasn't witnessed in '15 or 20 years.' Estrada, too, has noticed a shift. 'It doesn't matter what country you're from, whether you're a citizen, a resident, or undocumented —we're all treated the same now,' she said. 'It feels like there are no laws left to protect us. Everything you do, every move you make, is used against you.' She recalled an incident in which her husband was crossing the street when someone, unprovoked, began shouting at him, 'Go back to your country,' simply because he looked Hispanic. 'We had never experienced discrimination like this before,' she said. One of her daughters, she added, has been deeply shaken by recent remarks from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who stated that anyone entering the U.S. illegally would be caught, deported and permanently barred from reentering. Changes speed up the departure Mireya Valladares arrived in the United States at age 20, crossing the border. She never intended to stay permanently. She and her husband set a goal for themselves: to return to their home country before turning 40. With that plan in mind, they worked hard for years to make it happen. They initially postponed their return after Valladares became pregnant. But as sweeping immigration changes unfolded —marked by raids and deportations— they decided to accelerate their timeline. 'Because of the immigration situation and everything that's happening, we moved up our trip and said, 'We're not going to wait any longer. Let's leave now, because we can't live here anymore,'' she said in an interview from Tampa, Florida. Read more: The Supreme Court allows Trump to revoke TPS for thousands of Venezuelans. Neither Valladares nor her 38-year-old husband has legal status, although they had tried for years to obtain it. Valladares said she was issued a deportation order 'years ago.' She expressed frustration that families like hers —who own registered businesses in Florida, pay taxes, create jobs and have no criminal records— still have no viable path to legalize their status. 'We're making a very risky decision, which is to leave and not be able to return, leaving practically everything we have and our businesses that are operating,' she said. But her greatest concern, she added, is that her 10-year-old son and baby might grow up in an environment of 'racism and discrimination.' 'Honestly, I'm not willing to expose them to that. Besides, I want to live in peace, to wake up and have no one knocking on my door to get me out of here and leave my children alone. No, I'm not willing to have that,' she said. Valladares plans to restart her life in the Department of Olancho, in northeastern Honduras. Other Honduran immigrants are also preparing to return. Consular authorities in Florida told el Nuevo Herald they have registered an increase in citizenship applications for U.S.-born children of Honduran parents. Deysi Suyapa Tosta, Consul General of Honduras in Miami, said that both in Miami and Tampa —where the country maintains consular offices— they are receiving more requests for documents, particularly citizenship certificates. 'We are addressing these cases. Because of this situation, many Hondurans are applying for dual citizenship and registering their newborn children —something they used to delay until it was time to enroll them in school. Now we're seeing many more people requesting these documents,' she said. The diplomat noted that the consulate is assisting Hondurans even without appointments and has opened on Saturdays to meet demand. Valladares was among those who visited her consulate to obtain the paperwork needed to return to Honduras. 'Yes, we're going to go back. I'd rather try than stay here with these policies, these laws they're trying to change every day,' she said.
Miami Herald
14-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
How to watch the Herald Silver Knight Awards that honor top high school students
The 67th annual Miami Herald/el Nuevo Herald Silver Knight Awards will be held live at 7 p.m. Wednesday to recognize the 'best of the best' among high school seniors in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. This year's ceremony, at the James L. Knight Center in downtown Miami, includes 935 students who were nominated from 93 Miami-Dade and 33 Broward public, charter and private schools. The students are judged by professionals in 15 disciplines: art, athletics, business, digital and interactive media, drama, English & literature, general scholarship, journalism, mathematics, music & dance, science, social science, speech, vocational technical and world languages. How to watch the live broadcast The event will be broadcast on the Miami Herald's YouTube page and Facebook page and on To watch a livestream of the ceremony, refresh those pages at 7 p.m. Wednesday when the event begins. What do Silver Knight winners receive? Silver Knight winners receive a $2,000 scholarship from the Herald Charities Foundation, in addition to 25,000 AmericanAdvantage miles, good for one round-trip ticket in the continental U.S., courtesy of American Airlines. They will also receive a medallion and the Silver Knight statue. Honorable Mentions receive a $500 scholarship and an engraved plaque.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Miami Herald reporting wins big in national, state journalism contests
The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald won several prestigious national and statewide journalism awards in 2025. Much of the journalism recognized had significant community impact, including investigative work that triggered the arrest of a gym coach long accused of abusing girls, prompted the Florida Bar to open an investigation into a South Florida attorney who used a legal loopholes to manipulate condo auctions to his advantage, and led authorities to strengthen boating safety laws and increase charges against the captain in a catastrophic boat crash. 'We're exceptionally proud of the work our journalists do, and the positive impact they have in our community,' said Alex Mena, executive editor of the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald. 'It's an honor to see that work recognized by our peers.' Here is the list of the Herald's recent awards and the work recognized: The National Headliner Awards is one of the oldest and largest annual journalism contests. ▪ First Place, local news beat coverage: Brittany Wallman and Ben Wieder for 'Rigged.' Wallman and Wieder revealed how a Florida attorney had manipulated Florida's foreclosure action process to his advantage. Following their reporting, the Florida Bar opened an investigation. The revelations also prompted action from Broward County's chief judge and a vow for legislation from a Miami state senator. ▪ Second Place, local news beat coverage: Grethel Aguila, David Goodhue and Susan Merriam for their 'Wrecked Justice' inquiry, which revealed a botched investigation into a boat crash that killed one teen and permanently disabled another. ▪ Third Place, investigative reporting: Miami Herald Staff for 'Criminal Injustice,' which explored how Miami-Dade's legal system failed victims in several controversial cases. This package included: — Key Biscayne's Dark Secret by Ana Claudia Chacin and Clara-Sophia Daly, which focused on how Miami-Dade's State Attorney's Office dismissed sexual abuse allegations against a popular gymnastics coach in Key Biscayne. Police arrested Oscar Olea weeks after the Miami Herald reported that former students alleged he sexually abused them. — Deal with the Devil by Sarah Blaskey and Brittany Wallman, which detailed how Miami murderer William 'Little Bill' Brown was given a sweetheart plea deal and immunity from prosecution for one of Miami's worst mass shootings. Following the Herald's reporting, Brown was finally sent to prison. — Dr. Feelgood by Julie K. Brown and Grethel Aguila, who revealed how a Miami Beach doctor accused of sex trafficking a teenage girl evaded serious charges. — Wrecked Justice by Grethel Aguila, David Goodhue and Susan Merriam. The Herald's dissection of the 2022 boat crash that killed 17-year-old Luciana 'Lucy' Fernandez and critically injured Katerina 'Katy' Puig led prosecutors to increase charges against prominent real estate broker George Pino, the boat's captain, and Legislators to strengthen boating safety laws. The 2024 Associated Press Sports Editors contest, judged by sports editors and journalists from across the nation, recognized work that was published in 2024. First place, investigative reporting: Key Biscayne's Dark Secret, by Ana Claudia Chacin and Clara-Sophia Daly The 2024 Best in Business Awards by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing honors excellence in business journalism from 2024. First place, real estate coverage for medium market: Rigged by Brittany Wallman and Ben Wieder Finalist, Tom Renner Award, in recognition of career accomplishments: Julie K. Brown. Judges noted Brown's work in uncovering New York financier Jeffrey Epstein's pattern of sexual abuse against underage girls and her continued pursuit of stories revealing abuses of power against vulnerable people, most recently her Dr. Feelgood investigation into the suspicious death of a young sex trafficking victim. Finalist, Print/Online investigations: Wrecked Justice by David Goodhue, Grethel Aguila and Susan Merriam The Livingston Awards honor the best reporting and storytelling by journalists under 35. Finalists: Ana Claudia Chacin and Clara-Sophia Daly, who were recognized for their impactful investigation Key Biscayne's Dark Secret. The annual Taylor Family Award is meant to encourage fairness in news coverage by American journalists and news organizations. Finalist: Guilty of Grief by Carol Marbin Miller, Linda Robertson and Camellia Burris with the help of visual journalist Jose Iglesias and data/visual journalist Susan Merriam. The series relied on hours of police bodycam footage, thousands of court documents, interviews and other records to tell the saga of Gamaly Hollis and her son Richard Hollis, a 21-year-old with a history of psychiatric problems. He was shot dead by Miami-Dade police officer Jaime Pino during a confrontation. His mother was jailed for nearly a year after protesting on Facebook against Pino. The State Attorney's Office offered Hollis a plea deal instead of additional jail time a week after the Herald's series was published. Sponsored by the Sidney Hillman Foundation, this is a monthly, national award for outstanding investigative journalism that exposes social and economic injustices. December 2024 award: Guilty of Grief by Carol Marbin Miller, Linda Robertson and Camellia Burris. NABJ's awards recognize journalism that 'best covers the Black experience or addresses issues affecting the worldwide Black community.' Finalist, feature story: 'These Black Veterans Served In Multiple Wars. Now They Meet Daily At A Miami McDonald's' by Michael Butler, with images by photojournalist Carl annual Florida Society of News Editors journalism contest recognizes works across Florida's news industry. Investigative Reporting, First Place: Guilty of Grief by Carol Marbin Miller, Linda Robertson Camellia Burris, with contributions from Jose Iglesias, Susan Merriam, Pierre Taylor, Carolina Zamora, Alie Skowronski, Andres Viglucci, and McClatchy Media Creative Director Sohail Al-Jamea and Visual Journalist Rachel Handley. Community Leadership, First Place: Guilty of Grief. Enterprise writing, First Place: Guilty of Grief. Multimedia, First Place: Wrecked Justice, by David Goodhue, Grethel Aguila and Susan Merriam, with contributions from Pedro Portal, Carl Juste, Sohail Al-Jamea, and Kevin Scott. Spanish beat writing, First Place: Sonia Osorio. Spanish sports writing, First Place: Jorge Ebro. Sports columns, First Place: Greg Cote. Sports photography, First Place: 'Georgia fan selfies with Miami coach after team's defeat,' by Al Diaz. Investigative Reporting, Second Place: 'Juvenile Crime, Adult Time,' by Shirsho Dasgupta. The series found that teens who were tried in court as adults were often given higher sentences on average for felony crimes than older, adult offenders. Spot News Photography, Second Place: 'Fire at the Temple Court Apartments,' by Carl Juste. Spanish feature writing, Second Place: Sarah Moreno. Spot News Photography, Third Place: 'Aftermath of Hurricane Milton,' by Pedro Portal. Breaking News, Third Place: 'The Cuffing of Tyreek Hill,' by Miami Herald Staff, including Grethel Aguila, David J. Neal, David Goodhue, Doug Hanks, Devoun Cetoute, Charles Rabin, Isaiah Smalls, Camellia Burris, Barry Jackson and Al Diaz.
Miami Herald
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Cuba releases former intelligence officer accused of spying for the U.S. after 27 years
Ernesto Borges Pérez, a former Cuban counterintelligence officer who served 27 years in prison after he was convicted of spying for the U.S., was released Thursday from the high-security Combinado del Este prison in Havana. Trained by the KGB, Borges was a 32-year-old counterintelligence captain and first officer in the Interior Ministry when he was arrested in July 1998 for attempting to pass the identities of 26 Cuban intelligence agents about to infiltrate the United States and Europe to a U.S. diplomat in Havana, his father, Raúl Borges, told el Nuevo Herald in 2012. He was charged with attempted espionage and sentenced to 30 years in a one-day trial in January 1999. Reports described him as the first Cuban government official ever convicted of spying for the United States. Borges had been eligible for parole years ago but had been denied the benefit despite staging hunger strikes and developing several health ailments, including untreated cataracts that affected his vision. After one hunger strike, the late Cuban cardinal Jaime Ortega visited him at the prison in 2012, raising hopes the Catholic Church could help bring about his release. He was also reportedly floated as one of the U.S. assets that could have been exchanged for five spies of Cuba's 'Wasp' network in South Florida, which was swept up by the FBI in 1998, the same year of Borges' arrest. The Obama administration ultimately secured the release of another Cuban imprisoned for spying for the U.S, Rolando Sarraf, in a prisoner exchange in 2014. Activists have lately raised suspicion that Manuel Rocha, a former U.S. diplomat who was stationed at the U.S. embassy in Havana at the time of Borges' arrest, might have played a role in his detention. Rocha was sentenced in the U.S to 15 years in prison last year for acting as a foreign agent of Cuba. An official review of the damage caused by Rocha's activities on behalf of Cuba has not been made public. In a call with Martí Noticias, a U.S.-government-funded news outlet, Borges expressed gratitude for those advocating for the release of political prisoners on the island. 'I wish they would listen to the people of Cuba. I wish they would understand that it is necessary to engage in dialogue with those who think differently, both inside and outside of Cuba,' he said. 'I wish God would touch their hearts, and I wish to have a transition process that would be as painless as possible.'
Miami Herald
22-04-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Miami Herald climate coverage gets a boost with gift from MSC Cruises
Climate coverage at the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald has received a supportive boost thanks to a gift from MSC Cruises. The Geneva-based cruise line, with ships departing from Miami, has contributed to the nonprofit Miami Herald Impact Journalism Fund at the Miami Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The gift will help support local multimedia coverage of climate change. The donation to the fund, which was announced Tuesday, is the latest effort to bolster news coverage through private-sector support. The Miami Herald retains editorial control of all content. How the funds will be used The donation will be used to support an existing climate reporting position, which connects the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald's digital audiences with information about climate change, its impacts on South Florida and potential solutions. 'To amplify the message around climate and the environment, collaboration between media and companies like ours is key,' said Lynn Torrent, president of MSC Cruises North America. 'This partnership and critical investment reflect our belief that local journalism plays a vital role in shaping a more sustainable future.' The gift is part of an ongoing commitment to sustainability initiatives by MSC, including the restoration of Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas, 60 miles from Miami, where the cruise line established a new Marine Conservation Center and expanded the MSC Foundation's Super Coral Program to support coral research and restoration, Torrent said. 'Supporting climate journalism complements the work we are doing at sea and underscores our long-term vision for a healthier planet and thriving port communities,' Torrent said. The Herald newsrooms will use the gift to expand climate coverage. 'We are grateful for the support from MSC Cruises and its long leadership in sustainable practices,' said Alex Mena, executive editor for the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald. 'This gift will enable us to expand our work connecting multimedia audiences with actionable information about the South Florida environment that is so critical to all of us who live and work here.' This position is also funded by support from the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Foundation. Readers can access the content through the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald's digital platforms, such as the websites, a free weekly climate newsletter and posts on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. The multimedia climate reporting position is part of the Miami Herald's four-person climate coverage team, which includes two positions funded by the company and two by private philanthropy. Other contributors to the Miami Herald's climate coverage include Florida International University's Caplin School of Journalism in partnership with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the David and Christina Martin Family Foundation. KNOW MORE: Biscayne Bay is polluted. Miami-Dade hopes this new technology will help clean it up 'Through this collaboration, we can ensure the conversation around climate and sustainability stays front and center,' Torrent said, 'and that it drives both awareness and meaningful change.'
