Tag: ICE

Sen. Blackburn Votes to Address Humanitarian Crisis at Border While Supporting Border Patrol Agents

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Wednesday voted to fund the needs of border patrol agents to address the ongoing humanitarian and security crisis at the southern border. The bill passed the Senate with a substantial bipartisan majority of 84-4, providing $4.59 billion in funds, Blackburn said in a press release. Presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) was too busy doing a press availability tour at a migrant facility in Miami to make the vote. She was scheduled to appear in the Democratic presidential debate Wednesday night as well. She criticized the detention of 2,300 illegal immigrant children, Fox News said. “This is not what we should be doing,” she argued. Taking aim at the president’s illegal immigration detention policies, Warren said that “these children pose no threat to people here in the United States and yet they are locked up for weeks, for months, because our government is following a policy of inflicting maximum pain.” On Wednesday, The Tennessee Star reported that President Donald Trump’s $4.5 billion border spending request faced obstacles because the House and Senate versions differed. The bills are similar on the amount of funding but differ on other topics like funding for Immigration…

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Rep. Green Calls for ‘Permanent Solution to the Border Crisis’

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) on Monday called for a “permanent solution to the border crisis.” Green, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, made his statement in regard to both the Senate and House, which reportedly are working on bills simultaneously to bring humanitarian relief to the ongoing border crisis. According to both a press release and a tweet, Green said, “Whatever Congress passes must include a permanent solution to the border crisis. We must fix our legal loopholes. Via the president’s emergency declaration, we are getting the physical wall built. But we need to build a legal wall by fixing the loopholes.” Whatever Congress passes must include a permanent solution to the border crisis. We must fix our legal loopholes. Via the president's emergency declaration, we are getting the physical wall built. But we need to build a legal wall by fixing the loopholes. https://t.co/bPr4wduKTC — Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) June 24, 2019 The report that Green referenced was from The Hill, which said President Donald Trump’s $4.5 billion border spending request is facing obstacles in differences between the Senate and House versions. The bills are similar on the amount of funding but differ on…

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Officials Accuse DHS Chief Kevin McAleenan of Personally Sabotaging President Trump’s Planned ICE Raids

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by Jason Hopkins   Administration officials are accusing Homeland Security Acting Director Kevin McAleenan of sabotaging Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) deportation raids by leaking key details of the plan. President Donald Trump abruptly announced Saturday that he would delay plans for Sunday raids targeting around 2,000 illegal immigrants across the country. The president claimed the two-week hiatus would give the White House time to reach a consensus with Democrats on “asylum and loophole” issues at the southern border. However, senior administration officials say there is much more to the story. Current and former officials within the administration who spoke to the Washington Examiner and BuzzFeed are accusing McAleenan of ruining the Sunday operation by either personally releasing details of the plan or by having people in his staff do it for him. “I know he has not approved of this operation for months,” one source familiar with the matter said to the Washington Examiner. “The president wouldn’t leak that. ICE wouldn’t leak that. There’s only a few people involved in these discussions. … The only one who could have shared the details of those operations were [McAleenan]. Revealing details of the deportation raids, such as dates and locations, put ICE…

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Trump Postponing for Now Planned Immigration Raids

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  In a surprise move, President Donald Trump said he would push back by a couple of weeks the raids planned for Sunday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “At the request of Democrats, I have delayed the Illegal Immigration Removal Process (Deportation) for two weeks to see if the Democrats and Republicans can get together and work out a solution to the Asylum and Loophole problems at the Southern Border,” President Trump wrote in a tweet Saturday afternoon from the presidential retreat in Camp David in Maryland. The reports that ICE planned to conduct large-scale enforcement actions sparked an outcry from Democratic leaders in many major cities, who condemned the plan and initiated efforts to help affected residents. Just hours earlier Saturday, as he departed the White House, Trump said migrants who were to be targeted in a nationwide roundup should return to their native countries. ICE Acting Director Mark Morgan told reporters days earlier the agency would round up and deport families who have received a removal order from a U.S. immigration court. The operation, first reported by The Washington Post, had been expected to begin on Sunday, targeting up to 2,000 families in large cities that…

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Ilhan Omar Defends AOC’s Comments Comparing Border Crisis to ‘Concentration Camps’

Anthony Gockowski

  Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) recently defended fellow freshman Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), who’s facing ongoing criticism for calling immigrant detention centers “concentration camps.” Ocasio-Cortez made the comment during a Tuesday night live stream on Instagram, and has continued to stand by her remarks. “This administration has established concentration camps on the southern border of the United States for immigrants, where they are being brutalized with dehumanizing conditions and dying,” she wrote on Twitter. “This is not hyperbole. It is the conclusion of expert analysis.” This administration has established concentration camps on the southern border of the United States for immigrants, where they are being brutalized with dehumanizing conditions and dying. This is not hyperbole. It is the conclusion of expert analysis ⬇️https://t.co/2dWHxb7UuL — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 18, 2019 She later accused the GOP of supporting the building of “mass concentration camps on the southern border.” “Kids and families are dying. Now they want money for more—with zero negotiation on how money is spent,” she added. The GOP has supported building mass concentration camps on the southern border. Kids & families are dying. Now they want money for more – w/ ZERO negotiation on how $ is spent.…

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Obama-Appointed Judge Blocks ICE From Arresting Illegal Immigrants at Courthouses

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by Jason Hopkins   A Massachusetts federal judge appointed by former President Barack Obama ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents cannot make arrests at courthouses in the state, dealing a major blow to the agency. Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled Thursday that ICE agents are barred from “civilly arresting parties, witnesses and others attending Massachusetts courthouses on official business while they are going to, attending or leaving the courthouse,” per Talwani’s Memorandum and Order. ICE agents are not only prohibited from apprehending illegal aliens inside courthouses, but they also cannot make arrests on courthouse steps and parking lots. The ruling is the first in the country to prohibit these type of immigration arrests across a whole state, according to the Associated Press. Talwani was nominated to serve on the court by then-President Barack Obama in 2013, and she began serving the following year. The preliminary injunction came in a case filed by a coalition of prosecutors, public defenders and other immigration activists in April. The plaintiffs argue that ICE arrests in courthouses make illegal immigrants fearful to step into a courtroom at all, making it harder to bring forward…

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It’s Not Just Central America: Where Illegal Immigrants on the Border Come From

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by Fred Lucas   The recent spike in illegal immigration from African countries underscores the increase in migrants coming from around the globe to sneak across the southern border—including more than 10,000 from Asia and almost 900 from Europe last year. In recent weeks, U.S. Customs and Border Protection apprehended more than 500 illegal immigrants from African countries that include Angola, Cameroon, and both the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Associated Press reported. That’s more than twice the 211 total apprehensions during fiscal year 2018 of illegal border crossers from the continent. Customs and Border Protection numbers from fiscal 2018 show significant numbers from other continents as well. The recent spike in illegal immigration from African countries underscores the increase in migrants coming from around the globe to sneak across the southern border—including more than 10,000 from Asia and almost 900 from Europe last year. In recent weeks, U.S. Customs and Border Protection apprehended more than 500 illegal immigrants from African countries that include Angola, Cameroon, and both the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Associated Press reported. That’s more than twice the 211 total apprehensions during…

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Hundreds Of Illegal Migrants Carry Criminal Histories, DHS Investigation Finds

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by Jason Hopkins   Hundreds of migrants who were part of U.S.-bound caravans carried serious criminal convictions, an internal investigation from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reveals. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), two agencies under DHS, conducted an investigation into two different caravans from Central America that were bound for the U.S. Their findings revealed hundreds of those individuals carried criminal histories, including murder, aggravated assault and sexual offenses. The figures specifically refer to criminal acts already committed in the U.S. The discoveries were detailed in a letter from members of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. Out of the nearly 8,000 members within a caravan that reached south of California in October 2018, ICE Homeland Security Investigations found that 660 already had run-ins with the law in the U.S. Of those, nearly 40 were convicted of assault or aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Three of them were convicted for murder. ICE Homeland Security Investigations also tracked a migrant caravan from Honduras in January 2019. Of the more than 3,300 individuals in the caravan, 860 were found to have criminal histories in the…

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Sureños 13 Gang Member in Country Illegally Charged with Attempted Murder And Kidnapping of Minnesota Woman

Anthony Gockowski

  Luis Alfredo Cortez Mendoza, a 23-year-old member of the Sureños 13 gang suspected of being in the country illegally, was charged Monday in Washington County District Court with attempted murder and kidnapping. His victim, a woman, was found in a pool of blood at 2:30 in the morning on June 9 in Stillwater. An Uber driver, who first thought the woman was “a dead animal in the street,” found her and led officers to the scene. Angel Ignacio Sardina-Padilla was arrested on Tuesday and charged with aiding and abetting attempted murder and kidnapping. According to the criminal complaint, Sardina-Padilla was “in charge” and Cortez Mendoza would reportedly “do anything Padilla asked him to.” Nicole Alberico, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), told The Star Tribune that Cortez Mendoza is suspected of being in the country illegally. He has been deported to his native Mexico four times, Alberico added. Alberico wasn’t able to offer any information on Sardina-Padilla’s immigration status, telling The Star Tribune that “to determine their immigration status, ICE officers must first interview the individual who still has outstanding warrants for this state investigation.” The woman was transported to Regions Hospital in critical condition but has…

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ICE Releases List of Murderers And Rapists Protected Under Sanctuary City Policies

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by Jason Hopkins   Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released a list of criminal illegal aliens who were released from jail due to sanctuary city policies, many of whom went on to commit other crimes. Washington and Oregon, two states under Democratic Party control, have enacted some of the strongest sanctuary laws in the country that protect illegal immigrants from federal apprehension. Washington Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee signed legislation in May that prohibits local jails and state prisons from honoring ICE detainers, and bars them notifying ICE when a suspected illegal immigrant is about to be released from their custody. The newly minted law puts Washington on par with Oregon and California in terms of the level of restriction placed against federal immigration authorities. Federal law enforcement officials argue that their job becomes much more difficult with these laws, and communities are put in more danger. “There is an inherent increase in risk to personnel and bystanders when ICE officers and agents must go out into the community to proactively locate these previously detained criminal aliens,” read a press release from the agency. “ICE commends our local law enforcement colleagues who work to minimize that risk by cooperating with ICE…

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TIRRC Manifesto Calls on Nashville to Spend Taxpayer Money on Illegal Aliens

Chris Butler

  The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) put out a new manifesto last month describing how they want Metro Nashville officials to treat illegal immigrants, and it demands taxpayers subsidize new programs to protect them from deportation. This document, titled, Beyond Welcoming: A Platform for Immigrant Inclusion for the Next Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County, also disparages ICE agents as persecutors who set out to destroy immigrant families. You can download the full document here. The TIRRC document focused on community organizing activities to put political pressure on state and local officials. “Each week in Nashville, ICE is terrorizing immigrant neighborhoods and ripping residents away from their families and communities,” according to the document. (Page 3) “As the federal government ramps up immigration enforcement, the state legislature has continued their efforts to make life harder for immigrant and refugee communities.” (Page 3) The document calls on Nashville officials to embrace pro-immigrant policies and “help turn the tide in this country.” (Page 3) Among only some of the document’s policy suggestions for Nashville leaders: • Nashville should not help ICE deport illegal immigrants. (Page 4) • The Davidson County jail must stop renting bed space to ICE. (Page 7)  •…

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Sen. Blackburn Calls for More Boots of the Southern Border, Closer Look at Big Tech Business Practices

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is gaining attention for her strong stands on border security and “big tech.” On Saturday, she joined Fox News’ Neil Cavuto on “Cavuto Live” to discuss her trip to the border in El Paso, Texas, Friday to meet with Customs and Border Patrol officials. Blackburn also discussed how Congress should assess the size of big tech companies.   ‘Big tech’ Cavuto called it “an odd confluence of events” to have many Republicans and Democrats agreeing on a subject — the need to watch “big tech.” Regarding “big tech,” Blackburn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said “They are big ad companies. They have pretty much built monopolies in their space and it is time to review their practices and see how much we know about what they are doing with, as I call it, your Virtual You – you and your presence online.” Congress needs to “do a deep dive” and examine the companies’ business practices before making any sort of recommendations to the Department of Justice, Blackburn said. In April, Blackburn said tech companies should embrace “the spirit of the First Amendment,” The Tennessee Star reported. She called out media giants to…

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Former ICE Chief on Trump’s Tariff Threat: ‘I Agree With The President 100 Percent’

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by Jason Hopkins   The former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) voiced unwavering support for President Donald Trump’s plan to tariff all Mexican goods if they don’t better enforce illegal immigration. “I agree with the president 100 percent and I agree with the tariffs,” Tom Homan, who served as acting ICE director from January 2017 to June 2018, said Tuesday while appearing on Fox News. The former immigration chief was reacting to President Donald Trump’s press conference alongside British Prime Minister Theresa May, where he spoke more about tariff threat against Mexico. “I understand that the tariffs may have a short-term effect on the economy, but it’s money, money, money, money. My concern is, what price is it going to put on our national security?” Homan said. “If you’re a terrorist in the world that wants to come to this country to do us harm, you’re not going to buy a plane ticket, you’re not going to try to get a visa — because of all the checks being done now after 9/11. You’ll enter the country the same way as 12 or 20 million other people entered.” The former ICE chief noted how around 40% of…

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The Governor of Colorado Just Made It Harder for ICE to Apprehend Illegal Migrants

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by Jason Hopkins   Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation that makes it more difficult for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to apprehend suspected illegal immigrants. Polis signed House Bill 1124 on Tuesday. It bars local law enforcement from arresting or detaining a suspected illegal alien solely on the basis of an ICE request. The legislation also prohibits officers from providing a suspected illegal immigrant’s personal information to ICE, and it requires Colorado police to read illegal migrants their Miranda rights when coordinating an ICE interview, the Denver Post reported. The law serves as a major setback for federal immigration authorities operating in Colorado. ICE detainers are requests made by agents to local law enforcement, asking them to detain inmates for up to 48 hours longer than their release date if the individual is suspected to be living in the country illegally. The extra two days gives authorities time to decide if the person should be deported or not. Immigration rights advocates and other supporters celebrated the signing of the bill. “Thank you to all of the people who helped to make this a reality and advocate for our immigrant community,” wrote Colorado Democratic state Rep. Adrienne Benavidez,…

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EXCLUSIVE: Steve Gill of The Tennessee Star Report Talks to FAIR Rep Dave Ray About Illegals ‘Gaming the System’ at the Border

Julie Carr

  In an interview on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast Wednesday on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Steve Gill spoke to the Federation for American Immigration Reform‘s representative Dave Ray about the President Trumps new immigration reform plan. Towards the end of the segment, the men discussed how people are gaming the system at the border and revealed the child smuggling that is occurring because immigrants are using them as a way to come into the country. Gill: President Trump has rolled out his new immigration reform plan. And among those who are urging parts of it and questioning other parts of it are our friends at FAIRUS.org. FAIRUS.org. Dave Raz is their communications director. He’s on the line with us to talk a little immigration this morning. Dave good to have you with us! Ray: Hey great to be with you, Steve. How are you doing this morning? Gill: You aren’t wearing your own brick wall suit this morning are you? (Ray laughs) Ray: Of course not. Gill: It’s more the steel bollard look. Ray: It’s not a brick wall. It’s…

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Omar Calls for Abolishing ICE and Ending ‘Criminalization’ of ‘Those Crossing the Border’

Anthony Gockowski

  Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) called for abolishing ICE and ending the “criminalization” of “immigrants and those crossing the border.” The comments were made during a speech Omar gave at a rally Thursday in Washington, D.C. The event was hosted by MoveOn and its allied organizations, who brought a replica of the State of Liberty to “make clear America welcomes immigrants and refugees.” LIVE we brought the Statue of Liberty to D.C. to make clear #americawelcomes immigrants and refugees https://t.co/pJB5MSD6kE — MoveOn (@MoveOn) May 16, 2019 “We unveiled a Statue of Liberty replica in D.C. as a reminder to everyone that our immigration policies must be rooted in dignity, human rights, and respect,” Omar wrote on Twitter. During the rally, Omar said she decided to participate “because we live in a country that was founded on the idea of justice, of liberty, and of the pursuit of happiness.” “But those core beliefs, these ideas, are being threatened by this administration,” she continued. “This administration has explicitly targeted immigrants and people of color at every single turn. This president would rather demonize immigrants and cage children than pass a comprehensive immigration reform.” We unveiled a Statue of Liberty replica in DC…

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Report: Nielsen Stopped Plan for Mass Migrant Family Arrests Shortly Before She Was Ousted

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by Jason Hopkins   Former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and ICE acting director Ron Vitiello were both fired shortly after challenging a major White House plan to arrest thousands of illegal migrants across the U.S. Weeks before they were fired by President Donald Trump in April, Nielsen and Vitiello put a stop to a secret White House proposal to apprehend thousands of parents and children in an operation to crack down on illegal immigration, according to seven former and current Department of Homeland Security officials who spoke with The Washington Post. The plan — which had the backing of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller and then-ICE deputy director Matthew Albence — involved arresting thousands of migrant family members across 10 major U.S. cities as a public display of force, and help deter the rising influx of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border. Targeted cities included Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and other top destination spots for Central American immigrants. The initial target by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations included 2,500 adults and children, but the proposal, which reportedly is still under consideration by the Trump administration, was treated as a stepping stone toward apprehending as many as 10,000 illegal migrants.…

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Nearly 100 Indicted, 50 in Custody After ICE Uncovers Large-Scale Marriage Fraud Scheme

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by Jason Hopkins   Fifty people have been arrested and 98 have been indicted after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) busted an enormous marriage fraud operation allegedly taking place in Vietnam and Houston. A months-long Homeland Security Investigations probe uncovered a criminal operation that enabled numerous foreign nationals to fraudulently obtain legal immigration status in the U.S., according to a Monday ICE press release. Under the alleged terms of conspiracy, immigrant beneficiaries would pay around $50,000 to $70,000 to get married and score permanent resident status. However, according to the indictment, the marriages were complete shams. The spouses typically met only briefly before they obtained their marriages licenses and did not live together after becoming a “married” couple. The criminal operation behind the marriages would go so far as to produce fake wedding albums and falsified tax, utility and employment information — all in an effort to convince U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to approve the forms. “These arrests mark the culmination of a comprehensive yearlong multi-agency investigation into one of the largest alleged marriage fraud conspiracies ever documented in the Houston area,” Special HSI Agent in Charge Mark Dawson, said in a Monday statement. “By working together with our partners…

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Former ICE Director: Congress Hates Trump More Than They Want to Fix the Border

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by Jason Hopkins   Thomas Homan, the former acting director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), eviscerated Democratic lawmakers who oppose the president’s border efforts. “Look, I’ve been saying for months: Congress doesn’t care,” Homan said Friday on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.” “Look, I think their resistance to Trump … they want to see the president fail on the number one campaign promise. I said it many times. They’re putting their hatred of this president above their responsibilities to secure this border.” “They can’t be ignorant to what’s happening,” Homan, a longtime veteran of immigration enforcement, continued. “All you got to do is watch the videos, watch the borders. The borders … I’ve done this 34 years. It is unprecedented. I’ve never seen it this bad on the border. They’re sitting there watching the parade go by. Nothing is happening and they’re watching.” The former ICE chief, who said that 9 out of 10 migrant families do not show up to their court hearing, claimed that the situation is “out of control” and the “worse I’ve ever seen it.” Homan’s comments come as the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border continues to escalate. A total of 109,144 illegal migrants were either…

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Illegal Immigrant Raped, Impregnated 11-Year-Old Ohio Girl Before Hiding Her in Closet

Anthony Gockowski

  Illegal immigrant Juan Leon-Gomez is being held on a $1 million bond in Stark County Jail on charges of raping and impregnating an 11-year-old Ohio girl. News quickly spread of the tragic story after Leon-Gomez’s May 1 arrest, but his immigration status went unreported until Friday, when police confirmed with Cleveland 19 News that he is in the country illegally. Leon-Gomez, 26, was arrested at his residency in Massillon after the 11-year-old’s mother reported her missing. When police arrived at the scene, Leon-Gomez turned off the lights and hid the girl in an upstairs bedroom closet, according to the police report. According to The Canton Repository, he now faces charges of felony rape and obstructing official business. He could face life in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years. When asked during his May 3 court appearance if he speaks English, Leon-Gomez responded “no,” saying he speaks Spanish and is from Guatemala. The judge also placed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold on Leon-Gomez, meaning he’d be handed over to ICE if he were to post bail. Several news outlets used the story to criticize Ohio’s recently-passed “heartbeat bill,” which bans abortions in the state after…

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Blackburn Illustrates Multiple Issues Creating Crisis at Southern Border

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Thursday spoke on the Senate floor about the ongoing crisis at America’s Southern border with Mexico. Blackburn said the border is facing a “real humanitarian crisis” while ICE is challenged on making deportations. Her remarks to the Senate follow: Our border is strained to the breaking point. There is a real humanitarian crisis escalating, with people being stranded in the desert without food or water, at 100 degree weather in summer. At the same time, ICE faces mounting challenges on expediting deportations. Abuse and exploitation of the asylum process overburdens our court system, as migrants flood our borders claiming persecution. Our country historically welcomes people fleeing political persecution, but there must be tighter rules on asylum seekers. I welcome President Trump’s moves to raise the standards. Last week the President directed the Department of Homeland Security to enact several new asylum changes. As part of these new policies, the President imposed a new deadline for the immigration courts to meet. He directed that cases in immigration courts be settled within 180 days. Tennesseans want to see government accountability, and a six month deadline is exactly the accountability the government needs. Right now there…

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Feds Allege Georgia Construction Owner is Illegal Alien Who Employed Illegal Aliens and Paid Them Below-Market Wages

Jason M. Reynolds

  A North Georgia construction company owner has been indicted on charges that his company hired illegal aliens and paid them below-market wages, according to a press release by U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. Juan Antonio Perez, 46, of Rydal, Georgia, was indicted on charges that his construction company, Aztec Framing, which operated in Northwest Georgia and East Tennessee, profited by employing illegal aliens, the press release said. He has also been charged with being an illegal alien in possession of 14 firearms. Federal law prohibits illegal aliens from possessing firearms. Southern Region Communications Director Bryan D. Cox told Chattanooga’s NewsChannel 9 that agents served search warrants in six locations across North Georgia and East Tennessee. Federal records say the owner of the business, along with his homes and other businesses, were under investigation. According to a complaint filed by U.S.  Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent James Rivas, in one payroll account, Perez withdrew about $5.8 million from June through January, the Chattanooga Times Free Press said. “Perez not only broke the law by allegedly hiring illegal aliens at below-market wages and paying no taxes, he had a large assortment of weapons including shotguns and pistols that he…

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New York City Councilman Wants ICE Back in the Courthouse to Make Immigration Arrests

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by Nick Givas   New York City Democratic Councilman Robert Holden said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents should be allowed to make arrests in and around state courthouses, without a signed warrant. Holden was responding to Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s support for the Protect Our Courts Act, which would bar ICE agents from apprehending illegal immigrants without authorization from a judge. “We want to actually deport the criminals, I guess, right? I mean that’s what we’re trying to do,” Holden said Wednesday on “Fox & Friends.” “ICE, that’s their job, along with stopping drug trafficking and you know all sorts of other nasty things,” he said. “New York’s already thrown ICE out of the jails. So I mean they should be in the jails, actually looking up the people that are obviously committing these crimes. Do we want to import criminals? Is that what we want to do in the United States?” The New York Office of Court Administration issued new guidelines in April, preventing federal agents from making arrests in and around the courthouse. Holden directly criticized Cuomo for supporting the measure and accused the New York governor of pandering to voters for political reasons. “He used to be…

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Leftist Mainstream Media and Immigrants’ Rights Groups Take Their Claws Out Against Memphis Judge Jim Lammey

Chris Butler

  Memphis Criminal Court Judge Jim Lammey said he dispenses justice regularly to gang members who, in his words, “would cut your throat for what you have in your pockets.” Lammey also said he angers people when he sends their sons off to prison for 25 to 30 years. But one of Lammey’s recent Facebook posts angered two possibly more ferocious and determined groups of people — immigrant rights groups and the left-leaning mainstream media. As several Memphis media outlets and even Newsweek reported, people unloaded a torrent of anger after Lammey shared an article from someone later revealed as a Holocaust denier. According to The Memphis Commercial Appeal, Lammey treats Hispanic defendants different in court and makes them register with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “The media is not concentrating on the fact that these people are illegal aliens. They just want to focus on how bad of a guy I am. They are switching the narrative from ‘Are these people following the law?’ to ‘He is not being fair and impartial, and he’s treating illegal aliens different because they are illegal aliens,’” Lammey told The Tennessee Star. “But all I’m doing is enforcing the law as it…

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ICE Announces Plan to Stop ‘Fake Families’ and Child Smuggling at the Border

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by Jason Hopkins   Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Monday that it is shifting its resources to deal with the influx of “fake families” arriving on the U.S-Mexico border. “Fake families are being formed to cross our border and avoid detention. ICE [Homeland Security Investigations] is working with [Customs and Border Protection] to stop individuals, networks and organizations facilitating child smuggling and document fraud to illegally enter the U.S.,” ICE tweeted on Monday. Fake families are being formed to cross our border and avoid detention. ICE #HSI is working with @CBP to stop individuals, networks and organizations facilitating child smuggling and document fraud to illegally enter the U.S. — ICE (@ICEgov) April 29, 2019 The agency went on to write that it is moving experts to the border to investigate child smuggling, and it will be using science data to “dismantle” the child trafficking rings employed by human smugglers working in Central American and Mexico. The announcement came on the same day as a media appearance by the agency’s acting director. “What we’re currently doing is surging resources from ICE’s Homeland Security investigations to the border. We’re sending human trafficking experts, document fraud experts, forensic interviewers, victim assistance specialists, because our first…

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Trump Attorney General Barr Cracks Down on Phony Asylum Seekers

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by CHQ staff   Attorney General William Barr has ruled that some illegal aliens who are about to be deported must be held without bond as their deportation cases play out. According to a Department of Justice decision document released on Tuesday, Barr concluded that illegals who fit certain criteria after applying for asylum will not be eligible for release during the deportation process. The decision reverses a George W. Bush-era ruling dating back to 2005 that allowed bond to be instituted if the deportation subjects could demonstrate a legitimate fear of either persecution or danger should they leave the United States. “An alien who is transferred from expedited removal proceedings to full removal proceedings after establishing a credible fear of persecution or torture is ineligible for release on bond,” Barr wrote. “Such an alien must be detained until his removal proceedings conclude, unless he is granted parole.” “I order that, unless DHS paroles the respondent under section 212(d)(5)(A) of the [The Immigration and Nationality] Act, he must be detained until his removal proceedings conclude,” Barr wrote. Attorney General Barr’s decision has attracted broad support, even from more moderate Republicans, such as New York’s Representative Peter King (NY-2). Attorney General William Barr…

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Rashida Tlaib Suggests Americans Launch A Hunger Strike To ‘Shut Down’ ICE

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by Molly Prince   Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib suggested that Americans engage in a hunger strike to “shut down” the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rather than abolishing the agency through congressional approval. “I want you not to only share things on social media, but pick up the phone because many of your Michigan delegation members need to also be loud and clear about this action,” Tlaib told a crowd of supporters on Sunday while delivering the keynote address for the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights. “You know, there’s so many movements that we’re all part of. It won’t take us getting them information from the subpoena only,” Tlaib continued. “You know what it’s going to take? Movements outside of the halls of Congress, movements outside of [the] White House.” The Michigan congresswoman has been an outspoken opponent of the agency. She claimed in June that ICE makes “our neighborhoods less safe” and that it “terrorizes” communities. “I want you all to shut [ICE] down. We can shut them down,” Tlaib said. “Don’t wait for this Congress to act. Shut ’em down.” “I know what you’re going to say though, they’re going to go ‘what do you mean…

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Former ICE Director Tom Homan Makes The Case For Trump’s Sanctuary City Plan

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by Nick Givas   Former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan said President Donald Trump’s sanctuary city plan is a plausible option and would reveal Democratic hypocrisy. “Illegal aliens are already going to sanctuary cities. That’s one of the reasons they’re coming,” Homan said Monday on “Fox & Friends.” “They want to get to some place where they can be protected from ICE and get free social benefits. They can get drivers licenses. They can get [in-state] tuition. They can get college assistance … What the president did I thought was ingenious. He called their bluff.” https://youtu.be/hqZvjuPlXLY?t=1207 Homan said Democrats are only for open borders and lax immigration polices, so long as migrants and refugees aren’t living in their neighborhoods. “What [Trump] did was he pulled the curtain back on the Democratic leadership, showing the hypocrisy that they said they wanted these people in the United States. They want open borders as long as it’s not in my district. As long as it’s not in my neighborhood we’re fine with it,” he said. “So I think he pulled the curtain back and I think it was an ingenious move on his part.” Homan also claimed the Democratic platform is more about resisting…

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Nearly Four Dozen Arrested on Sex-Trafficking Charges During Final Four Weekend in Minnesota

Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) arrested nearly four dozen people on child sex-trafficking and related charges during the Final Four weekend in Minnesota. The final games of the NCAA’s basketball tournament were hosted at Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. The BCA, with the assistance of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Minneapolis and St. Paul police departments, conducted a four-day sting operation during the tournament. According to a press release from ICE, a total of 47 people were booked into Hennepin, Anoka, or Ramsey county jails on probable cause solicitation of a minor or solicitation of prostitution of people under 16 years of age. Of those 47, 11 were booked on charges of probable cause sex trafficking or promotion of prostitution. The operation also rescued 28 victims from sex-trafficking situations, including one minor. “This operation is an example of the aggressive steps necessary to stop traffickers and johns who buy and sell people for sex in our communities,” BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said. “We can’t let this crime continue, and we must work together to stop it.” The operation was a part of HSI’s Operation Predator initiative, which has arrested more than 19,000…

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ICE Acting Director to Step Down Friday

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by Jason Hopkins   Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director Ron Vitiello will be stepping down from his position on Friday, marking the latest move in the Trump administration’s immigration staff shakeup. Vitiello, who has served as acting ICE director since June 2018, will officially vacate his post by the end of the week, the agency has confirmed. It is not yet clear who will replace him, but acting deputy director Matthew Albence is next in line. Vitiello’s resignation follows President Donald Trump’s decision earlier in April to pull his nomination to lead the agency in an official capacity. “[Vitiello is] a good man,” the president told reporters the day after rescinding Vitiello’s nomination. “But we’re going in a tougher direction. We want to go in a tougher direction.” Vitiello is one of several high-profile leaders in the Department of Homeland Security who have been pushed out by the administration. The shakeups come as Trump, frustrated over rising illegal immigration at the U.S. southern border, is looking to toughen up enforcement. Trump accepted Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen’s resignation just several days after pulling Vitiello’s nomination. Acting deputy secretary for Homeland Security Claire Grady also submitted her resignation. There…

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Immigration Officials Arrest 280 at Texas Company

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided a Texas cellphone repair company Wednesday, in what Homeland Security officials are calling the largest worksite raid in the country in more than a decade. ICE arrested 280 employees of CVE Technology Group Inc. on immigration charges. The company is in the Texas city of Allen, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Dallas. The investigation started after special agents with ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations division (HSI) received tips CVE was hiring undocumented people. ICE said some of those employed by the tech company were using fake documents. A business that knowingly hires undocumented workers “creates an unfair advantage over their competing businesses,” HSI Special Agent Katrina W. Berger said in a statement. HSI began an audit of CVE’s hiring practices in January 2019. The audit confirmed numerous hiring irregularities. Berger also said the practice creates “an atmosphere poised for exploiting their illegal workforce.” CVE’s website is down. VOA could not reach the company for comment. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in a statement to reporters said the organization is working non-stop to help undocumented workers arrested Wednesday. Domingo Garcia, LULAC’s national president, said the operation was tragic and unnecessary.…

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Proposed Bill Takes Aim At Sanctuary City Sheriffs in North Carolina

A.P. Dillon

Another North Carolina Sheriff says he will not uphold ICE detainers and will release criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets. In response, state lawmakers are taking action to protect the public with a bill the would require law enforcement to cooperate with immigration enforcement officials. “The sheriff’s office will continue to comply with all applicable state and federal laws, however, we do not make or enforce immigration laws; that is not part of our law enforcement duties,” Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller said at a March 19th press conference. Miller is the latest in a line of sheriffs from Durham, Wake and Mecklenburg counties who are refusing to contact ICE or honor ICE detainers on illegal aliens they have in custody. ICE spokesman Bryan Cox responded to Miller’s remarks, telling the Asheville Citizen-Times that “as a direct result of this policy, persons in Asheville will see an increased presence of ICE.” North Carolina’s top law enforcement official, Attorney General Josh Stein, has made similar moves. In February, Stein contemplated joining a 16 state coalition which is suing President Trump over his emergency border declaration. The official North Carolina Department of Justice account tweeted a statement from Stein that said…

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Overwhelmed ICE Facilities Forced to Release 100,000 Illegal Aliens in Past Three Months

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by Jason Hopkins   ICE detainment centers have become so overwhelmed with illegal aliens that the agency has been forced to release over 100,000 migrant family members in the past three months. While speaking to reporters on Thursday, Nathalie Asher, a senior official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, revealed that her agency has had to reallocate resources as it deals with a “crushing” surge of illegal aliens on the country’s southern border. ICE has not only been forced to reduce its activity in the interior of the U.S., but the agency’s overcrowded detainment centers have released 107,000 migrant family members in the past three months, averaging more than 1,000 illegals a day. “What you’re looking at is our interior arrests have been affected,” Asher said, explaining why ICE arrests have dropped in the past few months. She said her agency is redirecting manpower to their first priority: “addressing what has been occurring and continues to occur at an alarming rate at the border.” ICE arrests have dropped 12 percent between Oct. 1 and Dec. 29 of last year, according to the agency’s latest statistics released Thursday. Agents arrested 34,546 during this time period. At the same time, an overburdened ICE…

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Immigrant Deaths Under Trump Virtually Unchanged Since Obama Era

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by Jason Hopkins   Immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the Trump administration are dying at virtually the same rate as they did during the Obama administration. During former President Barack Obama’s first year in office, 10 foreign nationals died in ICE custody. Five passed away in 2012, and 12 died in 2016, according to ICE data obtained by the Washington Examiner. The numbers are not far removed from President Donald Trump’s first two years in office. Ten detainees died in 2017 and 12 died in 2018, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association. There have been no reported deaths in the fiscal year 2019 as of March 5. Not only are current deaths on par with the Obama administration, but they remain far lower than the numbers from about 15 years ago. Thirty-two people died in the calendar year 2004, and 20 died in 2005. A far larger number of foreign nationals were caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border during the 1990s and early 2000s, which led to more immigrants being detained than is currently the case. The data contradicts a narrative pushed by many Democrats that the current administration is less humane to foreign nationals that…

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Illegal Immigrant With Criminal Record Sexually Abused Minnesota Senior Center Patient

Anthony Gockowski

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed Wednesday that a 23-year-old man accused of sexually abusing a resident of a St. Cloud senior center is in the country illegally. ICE issued an immigration detainer and administrative arrest warrant against Jesus Manzanilla-Alvarado after responding to a call from St. Benedict’s Center where he was employed. Manzanilla-Alvarado later admitted to having sexual contact with a female resident in the home over a period of two weeks. According to a criminal complaint filed against Manzanilla-Alvarado with the Minnesota Department of Health and obtained by The St. Cloud Times, he spent an “inordinate amount of time with” the woman and was accused of touching her genitals while masturbating. Manzanilla-Alvarado faces charges of gross misdemeanor mistreatment of residents or patients, and gross misdemeanor criminal sexual abuse of a vulnerable adult by a caregiver. If convicted and sentenced, Manzanilla-Alvarado would likely face deportation after he’s released. But according to ICE spokesman Shawn Neudauer of the agency’s St. Paul field office, this isn’t the first time Manzanilla-Alvarado has faced criminal charges. In fact, he has a “criminal history” that includes “numerous misdemeanor convictions,” Neudauer told The Minnesota Sun. One of those convictions seems to include a 2015…

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California Sanctuary Laws Allowed Illegal Immigrant Who Tried to Kill a Cop Remain in the US, ICE Claims

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by Jason Hopkins   Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials claim a deadly shootout between an illegal immigrant and a sheriff’s deputy could have been prevented if California sanctuary laws allowed them to do their job. A deadly shootout on Sunday took place between a cop and a Mexican national. During a routine traffic stop in Napa County, California, Javier Hernandez Morales, 48, attempted to shoot Napa County Sheriff’s Deputy Riley Jarecki. Jarecki was able to maneuver away and return fire, killing Hernandez Morales at the scene. Footage of the shootout was captured on the deputy sheriff’s body camera. Hernandez Morales, who had been living in the U.S. illegally, was no stranger to law enforcement. He had been deported back to his home country of Mexico twice in 2007 and once more in 2010. However, since that time, local law enforcement officials refused to work with ICE on deporting him again, despite various crimes. ICE lodged four different detainers for Hernandez Morales relating to battery of a peace officer, suspicion of driving while intoxicated, selling liquor to a minor and probation violations. The detainers, according to ICE, were sent to Napa County Jail in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and anther was issued to Sonoma County Jail in…

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Wisconsin Dem Stands Outside ICE HQ Asking for Response to His FOIA Request

Anthony Gockowski

Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI-02) recently stood outside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) headquarters asking for answers about a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request he submitted. Pocan claims the request was filed in October 2018 and sought information on the “arrests of 83 individuals in Wisconsin,” who were presumably arrested and deported by ICE. “More than four months after submitting my request, the agency is clearly using delays as an effort to hide something. While we will not know until the agency provides the information, I have reason to believe that the data on the arrests will show that ICE has targeted immigrants with no prior criminal record to stoke fear in our community,” Pocan said in a recent press release. According to Pocan, ICE claims it has responded to his request on two occasions, but those responses were allegedly just acknowledgments of his request. “Despite multiple meetings, letters, a FOIA request, and unannounced visits to the agency’s office, ICE will not provide information regarding communication with local law enforcement officials and information about whether the arrested individuals held criminal records,” he said. Frustrated with the delay, Pocan recently stood outside ICE’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., where…

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Michigan Governor Costs Town 250 Jobs After Blocking Immigrant Detention Center

Anthony Gockowski
Whitmer MI Capitol overcast

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) recently blocked the sale of a former state prison set to be used as an immigrant detention center. According to The Associated Press, Whitmer prevented the sale from moving forward after Immigration Centers of America, the sole bidder for the property that has been closed since 2009, couldn’t guarantee that it wouldn’t house adults separated from their children. “The governor believes that building more detention facilities won’t solve our immigration crisis, and she also believes that separating families doesn’t reflect our Michigan values,” a Whitmer spokesperson explained. The sale of the Deerfield Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan was allowed to move forward under Republican Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration. Rep. Thomas Albert (R-86), whose district includes the correctional facility, has repeatedly criticized Whitmer’s decision to block the sale. “I would really like to know what the governor’s plan is to bring 250 well-paying jobs to Ionia and how she plans to clean up the long-vacant former prison property. The sale of this blighted property has been in the works for well over a year and the governor’s heavy-handed rejection came days before the sale was to be finalized,” Albert said in a statement on Facebook. “It’s obvious…

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After Missing Deadline, North Carolina Turns Over Smaller List of Voter Records

A.P. Dillon

After missing a January deadline to turn in voter records requested in two subpoenas by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), North Carolina officials have turned over a smaller list of voter records. Upon missing the deadline, state lawmakers sent a letter to Attorney General Josh Stein urging his office’s compliance with the subpoenas. According to a letter sent by the Kim Strach, the Executive Director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE), voting records for just 789 individuals will be turned over. “Now, the Attorney General’s office has directed the State Board to acquire the records associated with 289 individuals who were previously registered in counties within the Eastern District,” Strach’s letter reads. “These records will be transmitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the Subpoenas. It is our understanding that this limited production is all that is required at this time.” The letter goes on to detail that the NCSBE will be pulling records from multiple counties in order to comply with the subpoenas. According to Strach’s letter, “two-thirds of the prior registrants were already inactive in 2017.” In addition to the 289 individuals, the letter also says that approximately 500 individuals statewide who resided…

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn Says She Will Not Support Deal That Cuts Number of ICE Beds Or Opens The Border

Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) outlined conditions for her support of a border security deal to avert the second government shutdown in less than two months. The comments came on Fox Business News’s “Mornings With Maria.” The tentative deal in Congress provides $1.38 billion for border security funding, Fox Business News said Tuesday. The video is available online here. President Donald Trump held a “Finish the Wall” rally Monday in El Paso to kick off his 2020 presidential campaign and to continue the push for the $5.7 billion border wall, The Tennessee Star reported Tuesday. Blackburn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the pending deal would add 55 miles of wall to the border. She said she did not know if Trump would sign the deal. Americans want to end “the influx of drugs and sex traffickers, human traffickers, gangs, that really make our communities unsafe,” Blackburn said. Although some reports indicate the number of beds in ICE detention facilities for “violent criminal illegal aliens” is reduced in the tentative deal, the numbers don’t bare that out. The “deal” limits the number of average daily beds to a number below what Trump requested, but it is still an…

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Omar, Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez Turn on the Waterworks at Press Conference to Defund ICE

Anthony Gockowski

Several new progressive members of the U.S. House made emotional appeals to defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a Thursday morning press conference organized by MoveOn. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) spoke at the press conference behind a podium with a banner of: “Defund the deportation force.” “Earlier this week we were here and we were hearing inside that Capitol the State of the Union. The president said something. He said and spoke of the idea that he likes quote-unquote legal immigration. But that is a lie. The president does not like any form of immigration,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Now he is asking for $5 billion to continue to militarize and weaponize a force that has zero accountability, whose director and whose secretary has no idea when she goes in front of a hearing how many children are dying in her own care, under her own watch, and they have the audacity to ask for more money to fund that. I don’t think so,” she continued. She went on to say that ICE “does not deserve a dime” because it “repeatedly and systematically violates human rights.” Rep. @AOC is calling on Congress to cut…

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Illegal Immigrants Are Trying to Starve Themselves to Death in Hunger Strike

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by Tim Pearce   Nearly a dozen illegal immigrants at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Texas are refusing to eat as part of a hunger strike against alleged verbal abuse by guards, The Associated Press reported. ICE officials confirmed Thursday to the AP that 11 detainees at the El Paso Processing Center have refused to eat at least nine consecutive meals. Detainees and others connected with those inside the facility say roughly 30 men are actively participating in the hunger strike. Officials at the El Paso facility have inserted nasal tubes into six detainees to force feed them and keep them alive. Hunger strikes at ICE facilities are scarce and situations where a court order is obtained to force feed a detainee is almost unheard of, an ICE official told the AP. “Nine of the 11 detainees missed their ninth consecutive meal, triggering hunger strike protocols, in late December and early January,” ICE spokeswoman Dani Bennett said in a statement, according to CNN. ICE did not comment on the motivation for the hunger strike, the El Paso Times reported. “It’s just the discrimination. They observe it, they see it. That’s what sparked that,” Michigan-based lawyer Ruby Kaur,…

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Omar, Tlaib and Progressive Allies Call for DHS Funding Cuts: ‘Not Another Dollar’

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) and three fellow congresswomen are urging their Democratic colleagues to cut funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) because of its alleged abuses on the southern border. Omar was joined by Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) in issuing the letter – addressed “Dear Colleagues.” The letter, obtained by The Daily Beast Thursday, targets congressional Democrats working on a bipartisan conference committee convened in an attempt to reach a deal on border security. “The Department of Homeland Security is tasked with critical functions. However, under the auspice of the Trump Administration, a number of agencies housed at DHS have abused their authority and the fidelity of public resources,” the letter states. “Funds are being reallocated internally not to make our nation safer, but to build desert camps to inhumanely house infants and to prosecute immigrants who are part of the fabric of our community.” The letter goes on to request that “our colleagues at the negotiating table” adhere to “the following guidelines critical to protecting families and children and restoring Americans’ faith in government.” “Cut, do not increase funding,” the January 29 letter says. “A Republican controlled Congress has already…

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North Carolina Elections Committee ‘Disturbed’ by State Justice Department Missing Fed Subpoena Deadlines, Urges Compliance

A.P. Dillon

North Carolina lawmakers on the state’s Elections and Ethics Committee sent a letter to the state’s Attorney General urging him to comply with two federal subpoenas. Earlier this month, the North Carolina Department of Justice missed the deadline to respond to two federal grand jury subpoenas issued in September 2018 and which requested five years worth of voter and ballot data from 44 counties. In addition, the subpoenas requested eight years of data for voters statewide and eight years of data from the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. North Carolina House Elections Committee co-chairs Representative Holly Grange (R-D20) and Representative Destin Hall (R-D87) sent a letter on Tuesday to the State Board of Elections and Attorney General Josh Stein. Representatives Grange and Hall were recently appointed co-chairs of the North Carolina House Committee on Elections and Ethics Law by Speaker Tim Moore (R-D111). The letter, which was included in a press release put out by Speaker Moore, urges the agencies to comply with the federal grand jury subpoenas. “We are disturbed that the State Board declined to comply with grand jury subpoenas which seek to discover potential election fraud in North Carolina,” wrote Representatives Grange and Hall in the letter.…

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North Carolina Misses Federal Subpoena Deadline to Turn Over Voter Information

A.P. Dillon

North Carolina state officials have missed the deadline to turn over voter information requested by the federal office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The two federal grand jury subpoenas were issued in September 2018 and requested five years worth of voter and ballot data from 44 counties. In addition, the subpoenas also requested eight years of data for voters statewide and eight years of data from the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The DMV criteria are lengthy but include anyone registering to vote who indicated that they were born outside of the United States, dealt with immigration services, used foreign documents to try to register, or had their applications rejected. The subpoenas can be accessed below: ICE DMV Subpoena ICE Elections Records Subpoena In a letter to the North Carolina State Board of Elections Attorney Joshua Lawson dated September 6, 2018, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sebastian Kielmanovich agreed to postpone fulfillment of the subpoenas until January 2019 due to the upcoming election. The letter also states that the postponement is agreeable only if North Carolina preserves the records being requested. The subpoenas were originally sent on August 31, 2018 to the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE),…

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ICE Places Hold on Immigrant Charged With Criminally Negligent Homicide in Fatal Knoxville Accident

Jason M. Reynolds

A man charged in the vehicular death Saturday of a Knoxville Fire Department captain’s son also has an ICE hold on his arrest, WBIR reported. Franco Cambrany Francisco-Eduardo, 44 has been charged with criminally negligent homicide, not having a driver’s license and failure to have proof of financial responsibility (having no insurance), WBIR said. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has a hold on him. Francisco-Eduardo, of Oak Ridge, is accused of killing Pierce Corcoran, 22 in the crash that happened on Chapman Highway around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, WVLT said. The Knoxville Police Department said Francisco-Eduardo’s Chevy pickup, which was heading north, crossed into the opposite lanes and hit Corcoran’s Honda Civic, causing a chain reaction. Corcoran and passenger Jade Adams, 21, were transported to UT Medical Center, where Corcoran was later pronounced dead, WVLT said. Adams was treated for her injuries. The other drivers were not injured. Corcoran was the son of Knoxville Fire Department Capt. and Public Information Officer D.J. Corcoran. Corcoran’s obituary by Stevens Mortuary said: In his 22 years, he tried his hand at every sport possible, developing a love of golf, soccer, tennis and running 2 marathons in 2017. He became an advocate for eating…

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Illegal Immigrant With Criminal Past Reentered Country Illegally and Murdered His Ex in Minnesota

Anthony Gockowski

A 35-year-old illegal immigrant who reentered the country illegally pleaded guilty last week to stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death in August in his Shakopee apartment. According to a statement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Fraider Diaz-Carbajal was deported in 2012 for “suspected immigration violations.” He had a history of criminal activity, including three DUIs and a domestic assault conviction. “Since then he illegally reentered the United States, which is a felony. He remains in local custody pending adjudication of his criminal charges,” ICE said in August after Diaz-Carbajal’s arrest. The Star Tribune reports that he entered his plea to second-degree murder last week, and prosecutors will seek a maximum sentence of 40 years for the murder of Enedelia Perez Garcia. Court records reveal that Garcia was found with “multiple stab wounds all over her body” after she visited Diaz-Carbajal’s apartment to pick up some of her belongings. The two had previously lived together, but Garcia moved out “due to the domestic abuse,” the records state. A witness to the murder, a young woman who lived in a neighboring apartment, said she heard Garcia yell “drop the knife,” and then saw through a bedroom window Diaz-Carbajal pinning Garcia to…

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California Sanctuary Law Allowed Twice Deported Illegal Immigrant to Embark on Murderous ‘Reign of Terror’

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by Grace Carr   A twice-deported illegal immigrant felon allegedly killed a man and injured numerous others Sunday, and authorities are blaming the criminal’s violent actions on California’s sanctuary state law for allowing the violence to occur. Gustavo Garcia, 36, shot a farm worker in Tulare County in California Sunday before stealing $2,000 from an AA Gas and Grub mini mart in Exeter, The Washington Post reported Thursday. Garcia went on to shoot a woman in the parking lot of a Motel 6 in Tulare, spray bullets into a Shell gas station, shoot and kill a man at a second gas station in Visalia, and finally attack his ex-girlfriend’s house, the Post reported. The farm worker and motel occupant are expected to survive, according to the Post. Authorities described Garcia’s 24-hour violent rampage as a “reign of terror,” according to the Post. Garcia stole a truck and drove at speeds exceeding 100 mph in an attempt to evade police following his shooting spree, according to Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux. Garcia collided with multiple vehicles before flying through the car’s windshield. Four people were taken to the hospital with injuries, and one remains in critical condition, according to the Post. Garcia was arrested on Dec.…

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Former Judges Call on ICE to End Immigration Arrests at Courthouses

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ICE arrest

Dozens of retired state and federal judges called on U.S. immigration officials Wednesday to stop making arrests at courthouses of people suspected of being in the country illegally, saying immigrants should be free to visit halls of justice without fearing they will be detained. Nearly 70 former judges from 23 states— including federal judges and state supreme court justices— said in a letter sent to Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Ronald Vitiello that courthouse arrests are disrupting the criminal justice system. “I just can’t imagine that we are closing our courtrooms to people who have a right to be there. And you really are closing them if you instill fear in people so they cannot come near a courtroom,” said Fernande R.V. Duffly, who was born in Indonesia to Dutch and Chinese parents and served as an associate justice on Massachusetts’ highest court until 2016. The judges are urging Vitiello to add courthouses to the list of so-called “sensitive locations” that are generally free from immigration enforcement, like schools and places of worship. They say that only “unequivocal guarantees and protections will restore the public’s confidence that it can safely pursue justice in our nation’s courts.” The Brennan Center…

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Immigrant Arrested for Murder Was Previously Deported at Least Eight Times

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by Jason Hopkins   An illegal immigrant arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a co-worker in Oregon is discovered to have been deported at least eight times. Deciderio Vargas-Ortiz, 52, was arrested for the alleged murder of Renee Luis-Antonio. The two worked together at a creamery in Milton-Freewater, Oregon — a town in the northeastern part of the state — and reportedly had a long-running dispute. Investigators believe Luis-Antonio was shot on Nov. 26 while riding a tractor. Officer were able to locate and arrest Vargas-Ortiz a day after the alleged shooting. The suspect had fled to Washington state, where a SWAT team apprehended him in a local hotel. As it turns out, not only was Vargas-Ortiz residing it the U.S. illegally, but he had already been deported back to his home country of Mexico at least eight times, according to a statement from an immigration spokeswoman. The suspect had also been operating under an alias — his real name being Antonio Vasquez Vargas. “ICE lodged a detainer with the Benton County Jail on Antonio Vasquez Vargas, aka Deciderio Vargas Ortiz, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the U.S., after he was arrested on local charges,” Tanya Roman, a public…

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