Tag Archives: green card

MSNBC: What the Trump administration woefully misunderstands about America’s workforce

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With reports of more and more raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on migrant farm workers around the country, it would be a good time for Americans to learn about the labor that fuels our food supply — especially at a time when our current Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is making an unrealistic pledge to create a “100% American workforce” in agriculture.

One hundred percent American is a surefire applause line for the Trump faithful, as evidenced by the applause Rollins received at a recent press conference where she shared the idea. However, it shows an unfortunate lack of understanding of the current state of play for farmers who are struggling mightily to find a reliable workforce in all corners of America.

The numbers tell the story. There are more than 2.6 million people working on farms in the United States. That includes 1 million workers for hire who are primarily immigrants. According to recent KFF data, 1 in 10 workers are Hispanic and two-thirds are noncitizen immigrants. While a small percent hold work authorization or a green card with protective status, almost half lack formal work authorization.

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Rollins also noted that given the number of able-bodied adults on Medicaid, “we should be able to do that fairly quickly.”

Unsurprisingly, members of the farming community have openly scoffed at this idea.

Michael Marsh, president and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, told Brownfield Ag News, “I just can’t imagine somebody from New York City wanting to take a job in New York to milk a cow in order to qualify for their Medicaid. To me that just doesn’t make sense.”

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“If that was possible it would already be done,” Tester said. “The reason it is not possible is because there are better jobs to be had that require less physical labor. It is literally back-breaking work.”

What the Trump administration woefully misunderstands about America’s workforce
The Trump administration’s ICE raids on migrant farm workers threaten farmers and highlight how poorly the administration understands the agricultural labor force.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/what-the-trump-administration-woefully-misunderstands-about-america-s-workforce/ar-AA1IEYWt

Newsweek: Green card-holder with 2 US citizen kids held by ICE for over two months

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Claudio Cortez-Herrera, a green card holder from Mexico who has lived in the U.S. for more than two decades and has two U.S. citizen children, has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials for over two months.

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Cortez-Herrera, 34, has been in the U.S. for over two decades, his fiancee Leticia Ortiz Lopez wrote in an online fundraiser seeking financial assistance for legal fees and child support. He is the father of their two U.S. citizen children, a 2-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son with autism.

She told local outlet 13 On Your Side that he was on his way to work and “putting in the house payment across the street at the drop box post office, when he got surrounded by 10 ICE agents, and he was taken.”

ICE confirmed in a Facebook post that Cortez-Herrera was arrested by Detroit-based immigration officials on April 23. Newsweek confirmed in the ICE detainee database that he is still in custody, held at the Calhoun County Correctional Center in Battle Creek, Michigan.

In the Facebook post, ICE noted Cortez-Herrera’s previous criminal record, writing, “Convicted in New Castle, Del [Delaware],” noting that his conviction was for “Planning first-degree arson & first-degree reckless endangering.”

Newsweek has been unable to independently verify the conviction.

His wife said in the GoFundMe: “Over 20 years ago, as a teen, he made a mistake. He took responsibility and left that life behind.”

Green card-holder with 2 US citizen kids held by ICE for over two months
Claudio Cortez-Herrera, who has been in the U.S. for decades but served seven months on a racketeering charge as a teen, has been detained by ICE.

https://www.newsweek.com/green-card-holder-2-us-citizen-kids-held-ice-over-two-months-2091660

Guardian: Purple heart army veteran self-deports after 50 years from ‘country I fought for’

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Green card holder Sae Joon Park left for South Korea after saying he was being targeted by Trump administration

A US army veteran who lived in the country for nearly 50 years – and earned a prestigious military citation for being wounded in combat – has left for South Korea after he says past struggles with drug addiction left him targeted by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

“I can’t believe this is happening in America,” Sae Joon Park, who held legal permanent residency, told National Public Radio in an interview before his departure Monday from Hawaii. “That blows me away – like [it is] a country that I fought for.”

Park’s remarks to NPR and the Hawaii news station KITV vividly illustrate the effects that Donald Trump’s immigration policies can have on those who came to the US from abroad and obtained so-called green cards. His experience also highlights the challenges that noncitizens can face if they are ensnared by legal problems after serving the US military.

As the 55-year-old Park put it, he was brought to the US from South Korea at age seven and enlisted in the army after high school. He later participated in the US’s invasion of Panama in 1989 that toppled the regime of General Manuel Noriega – who was wanted by American authorities on accusations of drug trafficking, money laundering and racketeering.

During what was codenamed Operation Just Cause, Park was shot in the back during an exchange of gunfire with Panamanian troops. He flew back to the US, accepted the Purple Heart decoration given to US military members who are hurt or wounded in combat, secured an honorable discharge from the army and began physically recovering.

But he had difficulty grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder from being shot, and he became addicted to the illicit drug crack cocaine as he tried to cope, he recounted to NPR.

Park spent a few years in prison beginning in 2009 after police in New York arrested him while he tried to buy crack from a dealer one night, he said. At one point, Park skipped a court hearing related to his arrest knowing he would fail a required drug test. That doomed his chances of converting his legal residency into full US citizenship, which the government offers to military veterans who arrive to the country from abroad and serve honorably.

Purple heart army veteran self-deports after 50 years from ‘country I fought for’
Green card holder Sae Joon Park left for South Korea after saying he was being targeted by Trump administration

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/26/trump-immigration-veteran-self-deports

KTLA: Santa Ana police urge public to report abandoned property after immigration arrest video sparks outrage

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The Santa Ana Police Department is asking residents to alert authorities if they see abandoned vehicles or property they believe may belong to someone detained by federal immigration officers. The department issued the public service announcement on social media following a high-profile immigration arrest in the city that has drawn local and national attention.

“If you believe a community member has been detained by federal officers and their vehicle or property has been left alone or abandoned, please call our Communications Division,” the statement read. Police added they would make a “reasonable effort” to contact family members or others who could retrieve the belongings. The notice was initially posted in Spanish, with a follow-up video in English.

Beating and kidnapping of Narciso Barranco by ICE Gestapo goons:

The message comes amid heightened immigration enforcement activity in Southern California, which has left many families scrambling for answers and assistance. One case in particular has sparked outrage: the arrest of Narciso Barranco in Santa Ana, a 48-year-old husband and father of three U.S. Marines.

Barranco was allegedly detained Saturday by U.S. Border Patrol agents while working as a landscaper outside an IHOP near Edinger Avenue and Ritchey Street. Video of the arrest, shared widely on social media, shows masked federal agents tackling a man to the ground, striking him, then forcing him into an unmarked silver SUV.

The footage was first posted by the Instagram account @SantaAnaProblems. In the video, agents wearing tactical vests and face coverings are seen surrounding the man, pinning him to the pavement. One agent repeatedly strikes him on the arm and near the head before others lift him up and push him into the vehicle using what appears to be a metal rod. The man did not appear to be seriously injured in the footage.

His son, 25-year-old Alejandro Barranco, identified the man as his father, Narciso. He told KTLA’s Sara Welch that his father has lived in the United States for nearly three decades and was targeted, he believes, because of how he looked and where he worked.

“I think part of it is racial profiling,” Alejandro said. “They probably assumed because he was working the landscaping he had no documentation.”

On Sunday evening, hundreds of community members gathered in Santa Ana for a candlelight vigil in support of Narciso. The event drew several hundred attendees, including faith leaders and elected officials, all rallying behind a family whose story has gained national attention.

“We never expected a turnout like this—all the elected officials, the support—it’s crazy. I’ve never seen anything like it, but I’m very glad we’re all here for each other,” Alejandro said.

Santa Ana police urge public to report abandoned property after immigration arrest video sparks outrage

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/santa-ana-police-urge-public-to-report-abandoned-property-after-immigration-arrest-video-sparks-outrage

Newsweek: Man married to US citizen detained by ICE after delaying green-card process

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An Alabama woman who married an Iranian man she met online is asking for financial help after he was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) even though he had a visa, she said.

She said Monday that they “are devastated, confused and overwhelmed” and that she’s “trying to do everything I can to get him home.”

Morgan Karimi (Gardner) of Locust Fork, Alabama, about 45 minutes outside Birmingham, said in a Facebook post that her husband, Ribvar Karimi, was detained by ICE on Sunday morning.

She said Monday that they “are devastated, confused and overwhelmed” and that she’s “trying to do everything I can to get him home.”

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ICE agents reportedly told Gardner that her husband was arrested because they did not file for an adjustment of status. The couple was unaware that further action was required after the K1 visa was approved, notably as they were married within the designated 90-day window required by law.

Big oops! I hope things work out for them, but I don’t buy into their excuses. Without filing the I-485 (Adjustment of Status), he was also ineligible to work or get a driver’s license. And they noticed nothing was amiss?

After being admitted to the United States as a K-1 nonimmigrant and marrying the U.S. citizen petitioner—Gardner in this case—within 90 days, Karimi could have applied for lawful permanent resident status and gotten a green card, according to U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Man married to US citizen detained by ICE after delaying green-card process
“I feel like he was specifically targeted because of what’s going on where he’s from,” a woman said of her Iranian husband.

https://www.newsweek.com/iran-ice-detained-visa-immigration-2090079

Newsweek: Man who came to US as young child faces deportation after over 30 years

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Karem Tadros, who has lived in the United States for more than 30 years after immigrating from Egypt with his family, who are all U.S. citizens, faces deportation to an unspecified country following his release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New Jersey, he told Newsweek in a Friday phone interview.

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His citizenship process was halted due to his 2006 conviction, telling Newsweek it was for “intent to distribute oxycodone.” He said, “I was on the right path. I made a terrible mistake when I was younger.”

He spent six days in a county jail and was released on bail, completing his probation afterwards, he said. “Because of that, I was detained at Hudson County facility for 13 months. And I was released by the judge on a court date with no supervision, no nothing. So 17 years go by, now it’s 2025, I haven’t seen a single ICE officer since I was detained back in 2008, 2009,” he added.

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On June 16, Tadros was granted a Writ of Habeas Corpus, as U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey, Evelyn Padin, found the “petitioner has remained in perfect compliance with the conditions of release dictated in the April 9, 2009 Order of Supervision.”

The judge found it was “unlawful” for the government to keep Tadros detained and ordered his release.

The judge’s order stated that “ICE may identify a third country within thirty to sixty days of this order to which the Petitioner may be removed.” The judge denied the Trump administration’s request to place an ankle monitor on Tadros. He must stay within the tri-state area.

Man who came to US as young child faces deportation after over 30 years
Karem Tadros, who was born in Egypt, has lived in New Jersey for over three decades and now faces deportation to a third country.

https://www.newsweek.com/man-faces-deportation-after-30-years-2088572

Newsweek: Marine veteran says wife detained by ICE at green card interview

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Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained the wife of a Marine veteran during a green card interview in New Orleans, according to the veteran and his attorney.

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Adrian and Paola Clouatre married in California in 2022. The Marine met his wife while in the last of five years of military service.

Now residing in Louisiana, they had been working through the legal process to secure Paola Clouatre’s U.S. residency. The couple, who have two young children including a 9-week-old daughter, were surprised by ICE’s intervention that stemmed from a years-old deportation order.

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Paola Clouatre, a Mexican national, entered the U.S. as a minor. She was 14 when she came to the country with her mother, who applied for asylum but failed to arrive for a trial on that claim two years later, according to NOLA.com.

The couple reportedly learned of this order days before their green card appointment in May, when they truthfully disclosed the situation on government forms.

“She knew she had to do it,” Adrian Clouatre told NOLA.com. “She was very fearful about all this, but also very hopeful.”

Near the end of his five-year service, he took her to a green card interview, where she was detained.

https://www.newsweek.com/marine-green-card-ice-immigration-detained-2086677

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

Newsweek: Green card holder in US for 50 years “in distress” as she faces deportation

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A green card holder who has lived in the United States for five decades is set to appear before an immigration judge in Seattle on Thursday in an effort to avoid deportation.

Lewelyn Dixon, known as “Auntie Lyn,” has spent the last three months in immigration detention after being stopped by federal agents after returning from a trip.

“She has been in distress trying to figure out what to say to the judge and how to explain why she deserves to stay in America, the only home she’s truly known since she was a child. The pressure is immense,” Her niece Melania Madriaga told Hawaii News Now.

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Dixon’s attorney, Benjamin Osorio, previously told Newsweek that the current issue stems from a single conviction dating back to 2001. According to Osorio, the conviction was for a nonviolent embezzlement offense, for which Dixon was sentenced to 30 days in a halfway house and fined $6,400. She was never required to serve time in jail or prison.

Green card holder in US for 50 years “in distress” as she faces deportation
Green card holder Lewelyn Dixon will appear before an immigration judge in Seattle on Thursday in an effort to avoid deportation.

https://www.newsweek.com/lewelyn-dixon-green-card-holder-immigration-hearing-2078436

Latin Times: MAGA Green Card Holder Detained by ICE at Final Citizenship Interview Denied Bail

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A Danish green card holder and father of four was denied bail after being detained by ICE during what was supposed to be his final citizenship interview in Tennessee.

Kasper Eriksen, 32, came to the U.S. in 2009 as a student and later married his high school sweetheart, Savannah, with whom he settled in rural Mississippi, according to the Daily Beast.

After receiving his green card in 2013, he began the naturalization process, but unknowingly missed a key immigration filing deadline in 2015—around the same time the couple suffered the stillbirth of their first child.

On April 15, 2025, Eriksen was detained in Memphis, Tennessee, without warning by ICE agents during his scheduled naturalization interview. He was later transferred to the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Jena.

“Kasper was detained for a paperwork miscommunication from 2015, and I was sent home with no explanation and no idea where my husband had been transported,” Kasper’s wife said. “I was 22 weeks pregnant at the time, and as I drove the 3-hour journey back to Sturgis, Mississippi, to say I couldn’t control my emotions would be an understatement.”

ICE claims his failure to submit Form I-751 to remove conditions on his green card a decade ago voided his path to citizenship. At a court hearing on May 28, an immigration judge agreed to reopen Eriksen’s case but denied him bond, meaning he must remain in detention.

If he failed to file an I-751 (Removal of Conditions) 2015, that means his original 2013 green card was a conditional two-year green card. He is not presently a green card holder.

I hope they get this worked out, but it does appear that he has been here illegally for the past ten years.

And he’s a MAGA supporter? 😀 As the old commercial goes, “You asked for it! You got it! Toyota!” It looks like you’ll just have to experience what you wished on others.

MAGA Green Card Holder Detained by ICE at Final Citizenship Interview Denied Bail
ICE detained a Danish MAGA supporter at his citizenship interview over a paperwork error, and a judge has now denied him bail despite no criminal record and four U.S.-born children.

https://www.latintimes.com/maga-green-card-holder-detained-ice-final-citizenship-interview-denied-bail-584002