Tag Archives: U.S. Border Patrol

Fox News: Chicago Teamsters, backed by mayor, want ICE blocked without warrants in strike fight

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Mayor Brandon Johnson reportedly backed the move, calling Trump a ‘dictator’

About 140 people work at the plant, which reconditions metal barrels for chemical storage, and a plurality are Latino, according to the American Prospect.

One striking worker told the outlet that he and others are concerned that ICE may target them on a racial basis even if they are able to prove legal residency.

A Chicago Teamsters local is demanding a packaging company refuse to allow federal immigration enforcement on its property without warrants as a top tenet of its overall demands.

The workers are seeking assurances from Mauser Packaging Solutions that it will require ICE to display a warrant signed by a judge before it is allowed on the property.

The strike at Mauser’s plant in the heavily Hispanic “Little Village” neighborhood has lasted more than two months, and the Teamsters Local 705 negotiator recently refused the factory’s latest offer, according to multiple reports.

About 140 people work at the plant, which reconditions metal barrels for chemical storage, and a plurality are Latino, according to the American Prospect.

One striking worker told the outlet that he and others are concerned that ICE may target them on a racial basis even if they are able to prove legal residency.

The Prospect reported the strike began over a separate issue — allegations of employee surveillance during discussions with union representatives amid contract bargaining.

The Illinois-based global company’s striking workers also collected a big-name voice in their court during that time: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Johnson, a former teachers’ union figure, is familiar with similar situations and also agreed with the union’s aversion to federal law enforcement.

“This union and this strike is leading the way to ensure that this country knows that workers run this country,” Johnson said while rallying with strikers earlier this month.

He said Mauser’s workers have the right to seek livable wages and environs “at a time in which we have a federal government coming after workers, immigrants, Brown and Black people,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Johnson demanded workers get protections to ensure “ICE agents do not get to run amok [or] create fear and come in and disrupt and destabilize our communities and workplaces, whether you are at work, school, church or the barbershop.”

He noted that Chicago is a “welcoming city,” a term increasing in popularity among Democratic leaders due to the political stigma now associated with “sanctuary cities.”

In his remarks, Johnson also once again referred to President Donald Trump as a “dictator.”

Updated figures from Chicago’s official crime dashboard now show 266 homicides this year, averaging more than one a day.

Fox News Digital reached out to DHS and the Teamsters for comment.

Mauser Packaging Solutions communications director Kimberly Braam told Fox News Digital later Wednesday the company “is aware of the concerns raised by members of Teamsters Local 705. We are committed to negotiating a fair and sustainable collective agreement with employees.”

When asked about the union’s demands, a DHS spokesperson criticized Johnson, saying he and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker “stand with criminal illegal aliens over the safety of American citizens.”

The spokesperson also said “shameful rhetoric” against ICE has “fueled a culture of hate against law enforcement resulting in a 1,000 percent increase in assaults against them.”

ICE’s ill-disciplined pigs & bully boys have a well-deserved, well-earned reputation. They have only themselves to blame for this achievement.

Chicago Teamsters, backed by mayor, want ICE blocked without warrants in strike fight
Workers at the Mauser Packaging plant in Little Village seek assurances that ICE must display judge-signed warrants before accessing company property during strike.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/chicago-teamsters-backed-mayor-want-ice-barred-without-warrants-strike-fight

Albany Times Union: Ex-Border Patrol agent gets prison for making migrants show breasts

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A former U.S. Border Patrol agent was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to charges that he had made immigrant women expose their breasts when he was processing their information using a computer webcam.

The incidents took place after the immigrants had been encountered by Border Patrol agents in August 2023 while crossing the southern border.

Shane Millan, 54, who pleaded guilty in March to two misdemeanor counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, had been working at a Border Patrol station at Wellesley Island in Jefferson County and was using the computer to get information from the immigrants during interviews over a webcam. He had been a border patrol agent for 17 years at the time.

According to federal court records, Millan was tasked with gathering the migrants’ biographical and other information and saving the data electronically so that they could remain in the United States pending further immigration proceedings. Although the immigrants had crossed the southern border, Millan was doing the work through a computer from upstate New York at a time when record numbers of migrants were entering the U.S. and the federal agency was overwhelmed.

According to prosecutors, Millan “repeatedly abused his authority by requiring female immigrants to expose their breasts during these video-conference sessions, ostensibly so that he could confirm whether they had any chest tattoos.”

Millan did not speak Spanish but used a translation app to learn phrases such as, “I will also need you to lift your bra, please,” and “I will need to verify once more, can you stand in front of the monitor and lift your shirt and bra again, please,” according to court records.

One of the women, who was carrying an infant, resisted when Millan told her to lift her shirt a second time. Court records indicate he told her that he would not sign her paperwork unless she showed him her bare chest again. She reluctantly placed her child on the floor and lifted her shirt.

“These sickening demands violated agency policies regarding voyeurism and strip searches, but the victims did not know that,” federal prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “(Millan’s) repeated instructions appeared legitimate, which is the lynchpin of a color of law offense, and multiple immigrants reluctantly complied with them.”

Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “Everybody deserves respect, and we will not tolerate the sexual exploitation of immigrants by members of law enforcement. Nobody is above the law.”
 
Prosecutors said Millan admitted requiring at least a dozen women to show him their breasts during the webcam processing. The misconduct was exposed after “multiple victims had the courage to come forward and report how they were exploited,” prosecutors said.

When he was initially interviewed about the allegations in August 2023, Millan told investigators that he had asked only one woman to lift her shirt but never asked any women to remove their bras. In June 2024, after an investigation that lasted nearly a year, he confessed to what he had done, according to court records.

Millan’s attorneys, while noting his behavior was “disturbing” and “aberrant,” had asked the judge to consider a sentence of “supervision, rather than incarceration,” along with mental health counseling. They said that he had no prior criminal history and is having trouble finding a new job due to publicity about his case.

They also wrote in the sentencing memorandum that prior to his arrest last year, Millan’s “lifestyle was not only law-abiding, considering his family commitments, religious practices, and career, his lifestyle was devoted to caring for and protecting others.”

Making Amerika great again, one perverted bully-boy at a time!

Ex-Border Patrol agent gets prison for making migrants show breasts

https://www.timesunion.com/capitol/article/border-patrol-agent-gets-prison-making-migrants-21018000.php

Atlanta Black Star News: Border Agent Accused of Drunkenly Invading Women’s Bathroom Before Assaulting Officers, Found Dead at 29

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A U.S. Border Patrol agent who faced criminal charges for assaulting police officers in California has been found dead, authorities confirmed Wednesday.

Isaiah Anthony Hodgson, 29, was discovered inside a Riverside County home, east of Los Angeles, on Friday, just days after a recent court appearance. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a call in Lake Elsinore around 12:45 p.m. on Aug. 22, where Hodgson was pronounced dead at the scene, NBC News reported.

No cause of death has been released. The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing, though no foul play is suspected.

Hodgson had been arrested on July 7 in Long Beach after what prosecutors described as a drunken night that began in a women’s bathroom and ended in a confrontation with officers.

According to ABC7, Hodgson, who was carrying a handgun, was accused of entering the women’s bathroom of a Shoreline Village restaurant on July 7 and refusing to leave. When officers arrived, Hodgson reportedly “became agitated and physical with the officers.” One officer sustained injuries during the arrest.  

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Hodgson was employed as a border agent at the time of his arrest. He had pleaded not guilty to three felony charges of resisting arrest and assaulting an officer. Hodgson had a preliminary hearing scheduled for late September, according to court documents viewed by NBC.

His death drew scrutiny online, as Hodgson has been involved in the chaotic June arrest of 20-year-old Adrian Andrew Martinez, a Walmart employee accused of impeding federal officers conducting immigration detainments outside of Martinez’s store in the Los Angeles suburb of Pico Rivera.

Many critics tied it to President Donald Trump’s ongoing push for ramped-up ICE raids across Los Angeles.

One Threads user captioned a local news clip, “Remember that ICE agent who harassed a brown U.S. citizen, then went drunk to Long Beach harassing a woman and fighting a cop? He’s now been found dead.”

The post racked up more than a thousand comments, many indifferent to Hodgson’s fate.

One user didn’t hold back:, “Normally I wouldn’t say this out of respect but in this case…the world is just a tad bit better off without him. Hopefully his dear leader won’t be far behind.”

A similar tone continued with another user adding, “Yeah, he knew he was guilty for his sins and couldn’t deal with his guilt. We’re going to see a lot of it!” another commenter added.

Hodgson’s arrest had already made headlines in Southern California. His booking photo circulated after Long Beach police said he was heavily intoxicated during the scuffle. Prosecutors noted his law enforcement position when filing charges, but CBP at the time only said it was “aware of the arrest” and pledged cooperation with local authorities.

The agency has not commented publicly on his death.

Good riddance!

Border Agent Accused of Drunkenly Invading Women’s Bathroom Before Assaulting Officers, Found Dead at 29
“Border agent accused of assaulting officers found dead at 29. Shocking details emerge. Click to uncover the mysterious circumstances. 😮…
Border Agent Accused of Drunkenly Invading Women’s Bathroom Before Assaulting Officers, Found Dead at 29

Newsweek: ICE detains green card holder returning from vacation after 23 years in US

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A Filipino immigrant and green card holder with prior criminal charges for distributing controlled substances was detained at an airport and is currently in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

Sonny Lasquite was detained after a vacation in the Bahamas by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on July 28 at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to relatives who spoke with GMA News Online.

Why It Matters

Lasquite’s arrest was due to a red flag in the federal system linked to a 2012 narcotics case. ICE records reviewed by Newsweek show Lasquite currently being held at the Stewart Detention Center in Stewart County, Georgia.

Lasquite’s detention illustrated how lawful permanent residents could face immigration enforcement after arrests at ports of entry, raising questions about the consequences of past criminal convictions for long-term residents and the humanitarian impact on families that rely on detained relatives for financial and caregiving support.

What To Know

Lasquite reportedly lived in the U.S. for 23 years and worked as a banquet server in Las Vegas.

From roughly December 2010 to about August 2012, Lasquite “intentionally and knowingly” possessed with the intent to distribute Schedule IV narcotics, including diazepam, alprazolam, zolpidem and carisoprodol, according to court records in the Southern District of New York reviewed by Newsweek.

But records indicate that he promptly took responsibility for his actions and cooperated with the federal government in identifying charged and uncharged co-conspirators. A 2014 sentencing memorandum by former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said that Lasquite helped stop narcotics distribution practices and led to the prosecutions of others.

“You are, as the government points out, the only defendant who cooperated,” Bharara said on September 9, 2014. “You did that at some risk to yourself. I think there needs to be recognition of that and proportionate sentencing between you and the other defendants.

“I feel pretty confident that you’re not going to commit any crimes in the future, and I join the government in wishing you well and hopefully being able to put this behind you.”

The court ultimately sentenced Lasquite to time served and no additional prison time, ordering him to pay $200.

Lasquite has put that time of his life behind him, according to family and friends, who created a GoFundMe on Saturday to raise $30,000 for legal representation, filing fees, and “essential expenses to fight for Sonny’s right to remain in the U.S. and reunite with his family.”

As of Monday morning, nearly $11,600 had been raised from 56 donations. The fundraiser was started by Vivian Hirano, of Las Vegas, who writes that Lasquite “has had no further legal troubles and has been a law-abiding, contributing member of his community” since his 2012 criminal conviction.

Newsweek reached out to Hirano via the GoFundMe page for comment.

“Sonny Lasquite is more than a name—he is a beloved son, brother, uncle and friend whose kindness has touched countless lives,” the GoFundMe says. “For decades, Sonny has lived peacefully in the United States, working hard, caring for his elderly mother, and always putting others before himself. He is the kind of person who never hesitates to help, greet you with a warm smile, or offer comfort when you need it most.”

Aside from Lasquite’s detention causing his mother’s health to “decline under the weight of this stress,” his own health is reportedly taking a toll. Lasquite has purportedly faced medical neglect during detention, including delayed access to his blood pressure medication and proper care for his recent fever, according to Hirono.

What People Are Saying

Immigration attorney Rosanna Berardi told Newsweek on Monday that cases like these are “not new and have been happening for decades.”

She said: “Under current U.S. immigration law, lawful permanent residents—even those who have lived in the country for most of their lives—remain vulnerable to removal proceedings if they are convicted of certain drug-related offenses. This is true regardless of how much time has passed since the conviction or how significantly they have contributed to their communities in the years afterward.

“Because of this, we strongly encourage our clients to pursue U.S. citizenship as soon as they are eligible. Naturalized citizens cannot be deported for criminal convictions in the same way, providing a crucial safeguard against the devastating consequences of removal.”

Vivian Hirano on Sonny Lasquite’s GoFundMe page: “Sonny is the primary breadwinner of his family, providing both financial and emotional support to his loved ones. His income helps cover essential expenses, including his elderly mother’s medical needs and daily living costs.”

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Friday in Illinois called allegations of ICE detaining immigrants without criminal convictions “false,” according to NewsNation: “I’m here today because elected leaders in Illinois are ignoring the law. In fact, they’re being obstructionists when it comes to getting dangerous criminals off of their streets. They’re deciding that dangerous criminals that are murderers, rapists, money launderers, have committed assaults, and that are trafficking children are more important than the families who live in the communities here.”

What Happens Next

Lasquite’s case was pending in immigration custody, and his legal options were constrained by immigration statutes that treat certain controlled-substance convictions as grounds for removal.

ICE detains green card holder returning from vacation after 23 years in US
The Filipino immigrant helped the government over a decade ago to arrest narcotics co-conspirators, receiving a reduced sentence and monetary fine.

https://www.newsweek.com/ice-illegal-immigration-filipino-detained-criminal-2111738

Another article:

Outrage Sparked Over ICE Detention Conditions

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/outrage-sparked-over-ice-detention-conditions/ss-AA1KGVSw