Tag Archives: The Texas Tribune

Alternet: Busted: Major investigation catches Trump administration in a massive lie

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The Trump administration knew that the vast majority of the 238 Venezuelan immigrants it sent to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador in mid-March had not been convicted of crimes in the United States before it labeled them as terrorists and deported them, according to U.S. Department of Homeland Security data that has not been previously reported.’

President Donald Trump and his aides have branded the Venezuelans as “rapists,” “savages,” “monsters” and “the worst of the worst.” When multiple news organizations disputed those assertions with reporting that showed many of the deportees did not have criminal records, the administration doubled down. It said that its assessment of the deportees was based on a thorough vetting process that included looking at crimes committed both inside and outside the United States. But the government’s own data, which was obtained by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and a team of journalists from Venezuela, showed that officials knew that only 32 of the deportees had been convicted of U.S. crimes and that most were nonviolent offenses, such as retail theft or traffic violations.

The data indicates that the government knew that only six of the immigrants were convicted of violent crimes: four for assault, one for kidnapping and one for a weapons offense. And it shows that officials were aware that more than half, or 130, of the deportees were not labeled as having any criminal convictions or pending charges; they were labeled as only having violated immigration laws.

As for foreign offenses, our own review of court and police records from around the United States and in Latin American countries where the deportees had lived found evidence of arrests or convictions for 20 of the 238 men. Of those, 11 involved violent crimes such as armed robbery, assault or murder, including one man who the Chilean government had asked the U.S. to extradite to face kidnapping and drug charges there. Another four had been accused of illegal gun possession.

Busted: Major investigation catches Trump administration in a massive lie

https://www.alternet.org/venezuelan-deportees

Texas Tribune: UT-Rio Grande Valley students caught in nationwide sweep sue Homeland Security over immigration status

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Four international students at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley are suing the Department of Homeland Security, alleging its recent steps to terminate their legal immigration status based on minor criminal cases that have already been resolved are unlawful and designed to coerce them into leaving the country voluntarily.

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  • Castellanos was given a class C misdemeanor ticket for public intoxication in 2020 and pleaded guilty to failing to yield the right of way when turning left. He paid a fine in 2024.
  • Timilsena was charged in 2024 with “intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury” to his wife, a class A misdemeanor. The case was dismissed upon the prosecution’s request.
  • Gholami was charged in October with preventing or interfering with the ability to place an emergency call, a class A misdemeanor. He has not been convicted.
  • Wong was convicted of driving while intoxicated. His conviction was dismissed after he completed a pre-trial diversion program.
UT-Rio Grande Valley students caught in nationwide sweep sue Homeland Security over immigration status
The four students were involved in minor criminal cases that have been resolved, which they argue shouldn’t be used to justify ending their higher ed goals in Texas.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ut-rio-grande-valley-students-caught-in-nationwide-sweep-sue-homeland-security-over-immigration-status/ar-AA1D3Lo6

Texas Tribune: Texas law students warn that bill to quash “terrorist activity” in universities could trample free speech rights

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Law school students and civil rights organizations warned senators on Wednesday that a measure that would require universities to report students accused of supporting terrorist activities to federal authorities could turn their schools into immigration enforcement agencies.

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Everyone who testified before the committee Wednesday was in opposition to the bill. Many said the bill was too vague and could be used to either punish or discourage people from expressing their political views because doing so could be conflated as support for a terrorist organization. Others said it would open the door for universities to monitor and surveil visa-holding students. Some said universities might even have an incentive to do so because the bill also puts their funding at risk.

Texas law students warn that bill to quash “terrorist activity” in universities could trample free speech rights
The bill would require universities to report any visa-holding students who support terrorism, but its vague language could be dangerous, civil rights groups say.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/texas-law-students-warn-that-bill-to-quash-terrorist-activity-in-universities-could-trample-free-speech-rights/ar-AA1D3E7F