Tag Archives: immigrants

Independent: She was Stephen Miller’s high school class president. Now she’s fighting his deportation efforts

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California attorney is fighting Miller’s mass deportation efforts by working as an immigration lawyer

Cynthia Santiago, an attorney in Southern California, won her high school presidential class race the same year Stephen Miller, the current White House Deputy Chief of Staff, lost the class speaker race. More than 20 years later, Santiago is trying to fight Miller’s mass deportation efforts.

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Recalling the day she won her class election at Santa Monica High School, Santiago said that Miller was “booed” off stage for giving an incendiary speech about picking up trash.

A video of the moment, posted online years ago, shows Miller on stage asking his fellow students, “Am I the only one who is sick and tired of being told to pick up my trash, when we have plenty of janitors who are paid to do it for us?”

A school newspaper clipping, obtained by The Daily Beast, says Miller’s microphone was turned off and he was escorted off stage for what school officials said was going “over time.”

Writing for the Santa Monica Lookout in 2002, Miller advocated for all announcements to be written in English only, claimed “very few” Hispanic students were in honors classes, and asserted that the school’s political correctness would make Osama bin Laden “feel very welcome at Santa Monica High School.”

It seems Stephen Miller was brain dead at an early age and has never recovered.

Stephen Miller’s high school class president is fighting his deportation efforts
California attorney is fighting Miller’s mass deportation efforts by working as an immigration lawyer

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/stephen-miller-deportation-high-school-classmate-b2768997.html

Raw Story: ‘Deep brain rot’: Ex-Republican blasts GOP over ‘deranged’ assassin theories

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Former Republicans Tim Miller and MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace were incensed by the behavior of former colleagues over the assassination and threats to Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota over the weekend.

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“I mean, all the way up to Elon Musk, richest man in the world, former shadow president, two United States senators, Mike Lee and Bernie Moreno, and a bunch of other very prominent right wing media folks, are still up until this moment, trying to claim that this person is a marxist. They invented some rationale that I guess one of the victims had voted against something that Gov. Tim Walz was pushing through with regards to health care for undocumented immigrants or something.”

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“I mean, this is like a deep brain rot, and it is infecting all of their followers,” Miller said. “It’s infecting people all around the country.”

He noted that these kinds of statements only “incite people more.” By claiming the left is behind the violence is “radicalizing people more towards the victims.”

‘Deep brain rot’: Ex-Republican blasts GOP over ‘deranged’ assassin theories

https://www.rawstory.com/minnesota-assassin

Rolling Stone: Barack Obama Defends DACA Amid Mass Deportations and ICE Raids

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In a post marking the 13th anniversary of his administration’s policy, Obama called out how immigrants “are being demonized and treated as enemies”

Former President Barack Obama took to social media this weekend to mark the 13th anniversary of his administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. He called his administration’s immigration policy, which offered temporary protection and work permits to undocumented immigrants who arrived to the U.S. as kids, “an example of how we can be a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws” while describing how families with similar backgrounds “are being demonized and treated as enemies” under the Trump administration today.

“Thirteen years ago, my administration acted to protect young people who were American in every single way but one: on paper,” his post read. “DACA was an example of how we can be a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. And it’s an example worth remembering today, when families with similar backgrounds who just want to live, work, and support their communities, are being demonized and treated as enemies. We can fix our broken immigration system while still recognizing our common humanity and treating each other with dignity and respect. In fact, it’s the only way we ever will.”

Barack Obama Defends DACA Amid Mass Deportations and ICE Raids
In a post marking the 13th anniversary of DACA, former President Barack Obama called out how immigrants ‘are being demonized and treated as enemies.’

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/barack-obama-daca-trump-immigration-1235365749

LatinTimes: Fewer Than 1 in 10 Immigrants Detained by ICE Since October Had Convictions for Serious Offenses, Data Shows

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Furthermore, over 75% had no criminal convictions other than immigration or traffic-related offenses

Internal government data shows that fewer than 1 in 10 of the more than 185,000 immigrants booked into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since October 2024 were convicted of serious crimes such as murder, assault, robbery, or rape, according to a new report. Furthermore, over 75% had no criminal convictions other than immigration or traffic-related offenses, CNN reported.

The data, covering detentions during the final months of the Biden administration and the early months of the Trump administration, contrasts sharply with the current administration’s public messaging, as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials and President Donald Trump have repeatedly emphasized the arrest of immigrants with violent criminal records.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security challenged CNN’s referenced data limited to ICE arrests in a shorter timeframe. “ICE targets the worst of the worst—including gang members, murderers, and rapists,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “In President Trump’s first 100 days, 75% of ICE arrests were criminal illegal aliens with convictions or pending charges.”

A CNN review of ICE press releases in the past month found that nearly two-thirds of named individuals were described as having serious criminal records. However, advocates and local reports in cities like Los Angeles describe widespread arrests of longtime residents and workers with no criminal history.

“We are seeing huge amounts of people with no prior contact with the criminal or immigration system picked up,” said Eva Bitran of the ACLU of Southern California to CNN. “It is very contrary to the story that the secretary is telling.”

“The secretary” is a lying bitch, always has been and is unlikely ever to change.

Fewer Than 1 in 10 Immigrants Detained by ICE Since October Had Convictions for Serious Offenses, Data Shows
Fewer than 1 in 10 of the more than 185,000 immigrants booked into ICE custody since October 2024 were convicted of serious crimes, according to a new report

https://www.latintimes.com/fewer-1-10-immigrants-detained-ice-since-october-had-convictions-serious-offenses-data-shows-585081

Guardian: Troops and marines deeply troubled by LA deployment: ‘Morale is not great’

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Several service members told advocacy groups they felt like pawns in a political game and assignment was unnecessary

California national guards troops and marines deployed to Los Angeles to help restore order after days of protest against the Trump administration have told friends and family members they are deeply unhappy about the assignment and worry their only meaningful role will be as pawns in a political battle they do not want to join.

Three different advocacy organisations representing military families said they had heard from dozens of affected service members who expressed discomfort about being drawn into a domestic policing operation outside their normal field of operations. The groups said they have heard no countervailing opinions.

“The sentiment across the board right now is that deploying military force against our own communities isn’t the kind of national security we signed up for,” said Sarah Streyder of the Secure Families Initiative, which represents the interests of military spouses, children and veterans.

“Families are scared not just for their loved ones’ safety, although that’s a big concern, but also for what their service is being used to justify.”

Troops and marines deeply troubled by LA deployment: ‘Morale is not great’
Several service members told advocacy groups they felt like pawns in a political game and assignment was not necessary

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/12/los-angeles-national-guard-troops-marines-morale

Guardian: Ice arrests of migrants with no criminal history surging under Trump

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Guardian analysis sharply contradicts president’s claim that officials are targeting ‘criminals’ for deportation from US

The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agency has exponentially increased the arrest and detention of immigrants without any criminal history since the second Trump administration took office, a data analysis by the Guardian shows.

The information sharply contradicts Donald Trump’s claims the authorities are targeting “criminals” for deportation as part of his aggressive anti-immigration agenda.

According to numbers gathered from Ice and the Vera Institute of Justice, after Trump returned to the White House in late January there was a steep surge in arrests of immigrants, in general. One of the sharpest increases in arrest numbers has been of immigrants with pending charges, who have not yet been convicted of any crimes.

But the biggest increase has been people with no charges at all. Between early January, right before the inauguration, and June, there has been an 807% increase in the arrest of immigrants with no criminal record.

In other words the incessant chants of “Criminals! Criminals! Criminals!” coming from the White House / Homeland Security / ICE are a bunch of BS. They’re deporting anyone they can drag out of home or work or snatch off the streets.

Ice arrests of migrants with no criminal history surging under Trump
Guardian analysis sharply contradicts president’s claim that officials are targeting ‘criminals’ for deportation from US

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/14/ice-arrests-migrants-trump-figures

The Hill: Homan says Trump administration to ramp up workplace immigration enforcement

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The Nebraska business owner whose facility was raided by ICE on Tuesday said he’s worked to ensure that employees are legally in the United States by checking their identity with E-Verify, a system managed by the Department of Homeland Security. 

However, officials told him the system was “broken” after the raid, which left him clueless on how to properly process individuals who’ve applied for employment.

“I mean, what am I supposed to do with that? This is your system, run by the government. And you’re raiding me because your system is broken?” Chad Hartmann, president of Glenn Valley Foods, told The Associated Press. 

ICE officials told him they’d help him figure out the best method for hiring …

“Best method” until the next raid? ICE could probably care less.

Homan says Trump administration to ramp up workplace immigration enforcement

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5347195-homan-says-trump-administration-to-ramp-up-workplace-immigration-enforcement

Washington Post: ‘No Kings’ protests nationwide to push back on Trump’s ‘overreach’

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In the hours before tanks barrel down the streets of Washington for President Donald Trump’s grand military parade Saturday, thousands of Americans will gather across the country in defiance of what they call his dangerous brand of authoritarianism.

The organized day of protests in over 2,000 cities — dubbed “No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance” — comes after a week of unrest and anger in Los Angeles and other cities following immigration raids in the L.A. area and the Trump administration’s move to federalize the National Guard and dispatch Marines to California.

No Kings organizer Ezra Levin said that interest has “skyrocketed” since those protests began — with individuals in 200 more cities signing up to host No Kings events just this week. He said more people are now expected to turn out than the estimated 3.5 million who participated in a similar nationwide day of action in April.

“We’re no longer talking to folks who are just paying attention to politics,” said Levin, the co-founder of the liberal advocacy group Indivisible. “People are seeing this overreach by Trump and saying, ‘I don’t like that — what can I do?’”

Images of immigrants being swept up at moments in their daily lives — at car washes and Home Depots, to name just two places — seem to have struck a chord with a wider swath of the public than was previously engaged, observers say, though the concept of deporting those in the country illegally still has broad support.

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‘No Kings’ protests nationwide to push back on Trump’s ‘overreach’
On the same day as the president’s military parade in D.C., thousands of people are expected to protest what they call his dangerous brand of authoritarianism.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/06/13/no-kings-protest-anti-trump-army-parade

Newsweek: Woman detained on honeymoon faces deportation despite being stateless

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Ward Sakeik, a 22-year-old who recently married a U.S. citizen, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in February after returning from her honeymoon, and her husband fears she may soon be deported.

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ICE detained Sakeik in February as she and her husband, Taahir Shaikh, returned from their honeymoon to the U.S. Virgin Islands. The couple got married in January.

Shaikh told reporters that his wife may be deported to an unknown location soon. The ICE detainee database showed that as of Friday, she was still being held at the El Valle Detention Facility in Raymondville, Texas.

However, a spokesperson for the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) told Newsweek that she was being detained in the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.

Sakeik, who is of Palestinian descent, was born in Saudi Arabia but holds no citizenship there. Her husband said she was unable to obtain Saudi citizenship.

“She’s stateless, she doesn’t hold citizenship in any part of this world,” he told WFAA.

Sakeik first came to the United States when she was 8 years old. Her husband said her family applied for asylum but a judge signed a removal order. She was later given legal permission to work in the country, he said.

She was in the process of obtaining her green card and had attended all the mandatory immigration appointments, with one slated for July prior to her detention, her husband said.

In December 2023, Sakeik graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, her LinkedIn page said. She has been working as a wedding photographer for more than five years.

On Thursday, the North Texas chapter of CAIR held a news conference on the matter, saying in a media advisory, “Despite a pending green-card application, a lawful marriage to a U.S. citizen, and a spotless compliance record for the past 15 years, ICE has notified Sakeik’s legal counsel that Sakeik could be removed as early as tonight—but will not disclose the destination country. Sakeik’s husband fears she could be sent to a country that she has no birth or national ties to, after being given a life to live here for 15 years.”

Woman detained on honeymoon faces deportation despite being stateless
Ward Sakeik has been detained for four months and now faces deportation to an unknown location, her husband says.

https://www.newsweek.com/stateless-woman-detained-honeymoon-faces-deportation-2085161

Bloomberg: Trump Administration Orders 500,000 Immigrants to Leave US

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Immigrants admitted to the US from a Biden-era parole program for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela have begun receiving notices of termination urging them to depart the US.

Participants in the “CHNV” parole program were also told that their employment authorization is revoked effective immediately in email messages from the Department of Homeland Security, the agency said Thursday.

The notices follow a US Supreme Court decision last month allowing DHS to move forward with revocation of parole benefits for half a million immigrants after a lower court preserved the protections. A legal challenge to the Trump administration’s dismantling of parole programs including the CHNV process is still ongoing.

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Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge, said the immigrants receiving termination notices this week had played by the rules and already passed security screenings and secured legal work authorization.

“Instead of rewarding responsible migration through orderly legal pathways, this action punishes those who jumped through every hoop asked of them,” she said in a statement.

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“Instead of rewarding responsible migration through orderly legal pathways, this action punishes those who jumped through every hoop asked of them,” she said in a statement.

“There is no question that the Trump administration is needlessly and flagrantly flouting U.S. law, and we will continue to fight in the courts to ensure justice for our communities,” she said in a statement.

This is unconscionable! The Trump regime is manufacturing illegal immigrants and thriving on the misery of thousands.

Trump Administration Orders 500,000 Immigrants to Leave US

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-12/dhs-tells-half-a-million-immigrant-parolees-to-leave-country

Also here:

Trump Administration Orders 500,000 Immigrants to Leave US
Immigrants admitted to the US from a Biden-era parole program for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela have begun receiving notices of termination urging them to depart the US.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/trump-administration-orders-500-000-immigrants-to-leave-us/ar-AA1GBBn8