Newsweek: ICE arrests 11 Iranian nationals in US amid fears of secret terror cells

The Trump administration said Tuesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had arrested 11 Iranian citizens over the weekend who were in the U.S. illegally.

Among those arrested was a man ordered for removal from the United States 20 years ago, and others accused of breaking immigration laws.

Goody goody for them! If there are any Iranian terrorists running around loose in the U.S.A., I sure wouldn’t count on ICE to catch them! They’re too busy snatching gardners off the front lawns of L.A.

https://www.newsweek.com/ice-arrests-iranian-nationals-us-citizen-2089977

Houston Chronicle: She called 911 to report domestic abuse. Then Houston police called ICE on her.

Houston police called federal immigration agents on a woman who dialed 911 to report domestic abuse by her ex-husband in April, newly released records show. 

The woman, an immigrant from El Salvador who has lived in Houston for seven years, had a removal order stemming from the denial of her asylum claim. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents declined to pick her up because they said there was no one to take custody of her children, according to a copy of the police report obtained by the Houston Chronicle through a public records request.

So fortunately she’s still free, for now at least!

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/immigration/article/houston-police-ice-domestic-violence-20382891.php

Washington Examiner: Liberal judge frees federally charged anti-ICE rioters in Portland

A liberal Portland judge has ordered the pretrial release of several antifa-affiliated activists facing federal charges for their alleged violent involvement in the uprisings against Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Stacie Fatka Beckerman, a federal magistrate judge who donated to Democrats, freed at least four known antifa affiliates federally charged over serious crimes connected to the anti-ICE riots, according to a Washington Examiner review of court records.

Joshua Ames Cartrette, a convicted felon accused of assaulting a federal officer; Ginovanni Joseph Brumbelow, who allegedly tried to stab a Customs and Border Protection agent with a wooden stake; Deni Jungic Wolf, who is suspected of punching a federal officer in the head; and alleged anti-ICE rioter Eli Victor McKenzie were all released without bail after appearing before Beckerman in separate preliminary proceedings.

Cartrette, 46, of Oregon City, allegedly attacked a federal agent and kicked deployed tear-gas cannisters toward other officers during a declared June 14 riot outside the ICE office in south Portland, according to a copy of the criminal complaint obtained by the Washington Examiner.

Authorities allege that Cartrette was part of a far-left mob that launched mortar fireworks, rocks, bricks, and glass bottles at the facility to burn down the building following nationwide “No Kings” protests. Cartrette, a self-described “anarchist” who uses the comrade moniker “Zero,” has frequently been featured in writings published on the antifa blog “It’s Going Down.” If convicted, Cartrette faces a maximum one-year prison sentence.

That same evening, Brumbelow, 21, of Gresham, allegedly interfered with the arrest of a fellow anti-ICE rioter and used a “pointed” stake to strike the back of a CPB agent’s head, according to probable cause statements.

Video evidence allegedly captures Brumbelow, dressed in black, bashing the officer over the head with the wooden end of a protest sign. Brumbelow faces up to eight years in federal prison for felony assault of an officer.

Wolf, 19, of Portland, is accused of assaulting a federal officer at a June 16 standoff outside the local ICE office. When agents moved in to clear a make-shift barricade erected by anti-ICE activists, Wolf allegedly punched an officer with enough force to knock his mask off and expose him to pepper spray deployed during crowd-control operations. Charging documents say Wolf was armed with a knife. Assaulting a federal officer resulting in bodily injury is punishable by up to 20 years behind bars. Last year, Wolf was reported to Portland police as an autistic, teenage runaway.

McKenzie, 21, of Portland, is charged with failing to obey a lawful order at the June 16 riot near the city’s ICE office. The offense is a Class C misdemeanor and carries a penalty of up to 30 days in custody.

So glad to see these heroes resisting ICE!

MSNBC: Conditions at some ICE facilities are already horrendous — and they may soon get worse

As the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts continue, multiple lawmakers and immigrant rights groups are alleging that conditions at various Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities are “inhumane” and “unsanitary.”

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., sounded the alarm last week in a video, stating she was deeply disturbed by what she saw during her visit to the Adelanto ICE facility, where many people swept up in recent immigration raids around Los Angeles have been brought.

Chu said the detainees she spoke with at the facility were “not the criminals that [President Donald] Trump says that he’s trying to get out of this country,” noting that some of those detained simply had expired documents.

“They are undergoing conditions that are inhumane, in my opinion. They were not able to change their underwear for 10 days,” Chu said in the video, adding: “They did not get a PIN number for the telephone. As a result, they cannot be in contact with any legal representative nor with their family members. This is not right.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/conditions-at-some-ice-facilities-are-already-horrendous-and-they-may-soon-get-worse/ar-AA1HjnIs

Newsweek: Utah college student says ICE agent who detained her “knew it wasn’t right”

A 19-year-old student at the University of Utah says the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who detained her repeatedly apologized and “knew it wasn’t right,” but his “hands were tied.”

Caroline Dias Goncalves was pulled over by police in Fruita, Colorado, on June 5 on the way to Denver. Shortly after being let go by the officer, Dias Goncalves was stopped again a few miles away in Grand Junction—this time by immigration agents.

“He kept apologizing and told me he wanted to let me go, but his ‘hands were tied.’ There was nothing he could do, even though he knew it wasn’t right. I want you to know—I forgive you,” Dias Goncalves said in a statement.

https://www.newsweek.com/caroline-dias-goncalves-utah-college-student-ice-agent-2089824

Miami Herald: Trump Orders Increased ICE Deportations Nationwide

President Donald Trump has directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to intensify deportations in Democrat-run cities. He called it the “largest Mass Deportation Program in History.” ICE, however, is reportedly falling short of the 3,000 daily arrest target set by the White House.

Nationwide “No Kings” protests have erupted against Trump’s immigration policies. In Los Angeles, federal raids sparked demonstrations and National Guard deployment.

Trump said, “ICE Officers are herewith ordered, by notice of this TRUTH, to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.”

Trump added, “We must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.”

Trump’s immigration crackdown has hit industries like agriculture and hospitality, which depend on immigrant labor. Acknowledging workforce losses, Trump has directed ICE to pause operations in these sectors.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-orders-increased-ice-deportations-nationwide/ss-AA1HdAmY

Daily Beast: Judge Embarrasses Stephen Miller in High-Profile Court Ruling

A judge has shut down arguments pushed by the Trump administration and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller in a ruling surrounding the high-profile case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

Tennessee Magistrate Barbara Holmes ruled Sunday that Abrego Garcia is not the dangerous gang member Trump allies like Miller and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have repeatedly claimed he is.

Abrego Garcia is pending trial on human smuggling charges for allegedly transporting undocumented migrants within the U.S. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In March, the Trump administration admitted to mistakenly deporting Abrego Garcia to El Salvador. The Supreme Court ordered them to facilitate his return to the United States.

In her 51-page report, Holmes disputed claims made by the U.S. government that Abrego Garcia was a member of international crime gang MS-13.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/judge-embarrasses-stephen-miller-in-high-profile-court-ruling

Newsweek: Amazon worker fears deportation after humanitarian parole revoked

An Amazon employee in Indiana fears she will be deported to a war-torn country after her humanitarian parole was revoked by the Trump administration.

Now, her husband believes that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will come for her.

Daphnee S. Poteau, 33, originally from Haiti, had been working at an Amazon customer returns center in Speedway since entering the United States on July 4, 2023, under the Biden-era CHVN humanitarian parole program. On June 14, she was sent home mid-way through her shift after she lost her right to work.

The CHNV parole program was launched in early 2023 by the Biden administration to provide a lawful pathway for individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. temporarily under humanitarian parole. Participants with U.S.-based sponsors could live and work in the country for up to two years.

Though Poteau has not been arrested or detained by immigration authorities, Poteau’s husband, Kristopher D. Vincent, 45, an Amazon associate and U.S. citizen, says the family is feeling “frustrated and scared.”

“I am afraid they will come looking for her eventually. We’ve seen it in the news a lot lately. People in black masks snatching—or attempting to snatch—migrants up, even at immigration hearings,” Vincent told Newsweek. “When judges, and even U.S. representatives, are facing arrests and indictments, how are the little people like us supposed to feel? Her only ‘crime’ seems to be coming from the ‘wrong’ country.”

https://www.newsweek.com/amazon-worker-deportation-humanitarian-parole-revoked-2089333

Style on Main: Home Depot Implements Employee Response Plan Amid Frequent ICE Raids

Home Depot, a retailing giant with over 2,300 stores, has been inadvertently pulled into the rising ICE raids on illegal immigrants. Its parking lots, where day laborers used to gather to seek employment unofficially, are now hot spots for immigration enforcement under President Trump’s increased campaign. 

This combination of street-level labor and federal regulations creates a potent concoction that forces Home Depot into a difficult social and financial impasse.

The conflict between abiding by the law and safeguarding its employees to prevent censure by the larger community illustrates the company’s choice to implement an employee assistance policy while permitting round-ups.

Parking lots at Home Depots have long served as informal labor markets, where contractors and day laborers mix without resumes or contracts.

This subterranean economy supports approximately one million workers at the lower end of the pay scale, many of whom are illegal immigrants engaged in difficult-to-document home repair and construction work.The raids disrupt this fragile equilibrium, causing labor shortages and economic ripple effects.

Home Depot’s identification of these territories as de facto enforcement areas demonstrates workplace culture at the ground level that is at odds with federal immigration policy, which has accelerated the need to reconsider worker policy and community outreach programs. 

Home Depot has since released new guidelines that mandate workers to report ICE encounters directly upon occurrence and to keep their distance from agents for personal safety. Some local bosses permit workers traumatized by the raids to leave with compensation, though this is an in-border initiative, not company policy.

This effort shows an effective tactic: protecting workers from trauma and legal risk while maintaining business operations. It also shows a new corporate mandate, acknowledging the human toll of immigration enforcement without necessarily hindering federal efforts. It is a delicate tightrope walk in today’s polarized culture.

Newsweek: ICE responds after beloved bagel house boss’ arrest sparks protests

A manager of a New York bagel house was detained by federal immigration agents earlier this month, sparking outrage across the community.

Fernando Mejia, 41, who runs Port Washington’s Schmear Bagel & Cafe, was apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents outside the business on June 12, the Long Island Press reported.

When contacted for comment by Newsweek, a spokesperson for ICE said: “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement encountered Fernando Alberto Mejia-Flores, a Salvadorian national, during a daily routine law enforcement action in the vicinity of Port Washington, New York, June 12. Mejia-Flores was identified as a fugitive alien with a Final Order of Removal. ICE arrested him and transported him to an ICE processing facility in Central Islip, New York.”

The American Immigration Council estimates that the president’s mass deportation policy could slap a one-time cost of $315 billion on the country.

“Fernando was also recently hospitalized for medical issues, which make his sudden detention all the more dangerous to his well-being,” a post on GoFundMe reads. “His sudden detention has also left his family, including his 14-year-old daughter, emotionally devastated and facing immediate legal battles.”

https://www.newsweek.com/fernando-mejia-bagel-house-ice-immigration-2089381