southern border Archives - Page 7 of 7

Joe Biden Ends President Trump’s National Emergency on Southern Border

February 14, 2021February 13, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Joe Biden has announced that his administration will be ending the declaration of a national emergency on the southern border that was first declared by the Trump Administration, as reported by Fox News.

President Trump first declared the national emergency in February of 2019, which allowed him to allocate billions of federal dollars to the construction of the wall after Congress repeatedly blocked his efforts to do so. The move allowed for nearly 500 miles of new border wall to be constructed by the end of his first term. Biden announced the decision in a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), in which he described the policy as “unwarranted.”

Biden Administration Expects to Rely on Trump-Era Private Detention Facility to Hold Migrant Teenagers at the Border

February 12, 2021February 11, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

A Trump-era temporary private facility for holding unaccompanied migrant teenagers will reopen at the southern border as the Biden administration anticipates it will be needed within the next two weeks.

The spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human (HHS) Administration for Children and Families declined to answer when asked how the Biden administration’s treatment of detained children would differ from conditions during the Trump administration and instead pointed to President Joe Biden’s executive order on reuniting separated families.

Biden Ends Trump-Era Deals with Central American Countries to Reduce Asylum Claims at US Border

February 8, 2021February 7, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Arrangements made between the U.S. and three Central American countries to curb the number of asylum claims at the U.S. border were suspended Saturday, the Biden administration announced.

The Asylum Cooperative Agreements that limited some asylum seekers from making claims in the U.S. and required them to instead seek asylum in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras were suspended and scheduled to be terminated with an executive order signed Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced.

Eleven Iranian Migrants Caught Illegally Crossing the Border

February 8, 2021February 7, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Eleven Iranian migrants were arrested on Monday after crossing the border illegally from Mexico into Arizona, as reported by Breitbart.

The group of illegals, confirmed to consist of six men and five women, was stopped in Yuma County, Arizona by the Yuma Sector Border Patrol. After being confirmed as Iranian citizens, they were taken to the Yuma Station for processing and questioning. The group included five adult women, two young boys, and four adult men.

Federal Judge in Texas Blocks Biden’s Deportation Moratorium

January 28, 2021January 27, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

A federal judge in Texas has sided with the state’s Attorney General against the Biden Administration, temporarily halting Biden’s planned pause on deporting illegal aliens, as reported by The Daily Wire.

Biden originally announced the 100-day halt on all deportations shortly after taking office, directing his Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to focus its resources elsewhere. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton subsequently sued the administration, pointing out that such a moratorium would force the state of Texas to face “irreparable education and healthcare costs,” and also violated a prior agreement between the state government and the DHS, where the DHS was obligated to inform the state of any significant changes in its immigration policy beforehand.

Migrant Caravan in Guatemala Pushes Through Border from Honduras to Reach U.S.

January 20, 2021January 19, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Guatemalan officials report that 6,500 migrants are moving from Honduras to the USA. The migrants began pushing through the Guatemalan southern border.

The spokeswoman for Guatemala’s immigration authority, Alejandra Mena, estimated that there were some 6,500 Hondurans crossing the country’s southern border on Saturday, making their way north, with 3,000 to 3,500 of them already in Guatemalan territory. A Honduran police officer said he observed “more or less 5,000 people” walk past his checkpoint.

Trump Touts Success of 450 Miles of Border Wall

January 14, 2021January 13, 2021 The Center Square

President Donald Trump on Tuesday hailed the completion of 450 miles of border wall completed long the U.S.-Mexican border and praised the men and women of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

At a news conference held at the Mexico–U.S. border in Reynosa–McAllen, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, Trump said the border is more secure than it’s ever been.

ICE Arrested Significantly Fewer Illegal Immigrants Due to COVID-19

December 27, 2020December 26, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Officials arrested 30% fewer individuals in 2020 than they did last year, in part because of COVID-19, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Wednesday.

ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations officials made 103,603 arrests this year and deported 185,884 individuals, according to ICE. Around 90% of the aliens who were arrested had criminal convictions or charges, and 92% of those deported had prior or pending criminal charges.

Border Patrol Agents Seize Over $37 Million Worth of Meth, 800 Pounds of Weed, and 14 Pounds of Fentanyl

December 26, 2020December 25, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Officials announced the seizure of liquid methamphetamine hidden in a gas tank, more than 800 pounds of marijuana, nearly 15 pounds of fentanyl and over $37 million worth of methamphetamine at the southern border over the weekend, Customs and Border Protection announced Monday.

ICE Arrested More Than 150 Aliens in 10 Days

December 26, 2020December 25, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Over 150 aliens, including 117 who said they would voluntarily leave the U.S. were arrested during a 10-day enforcement period, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Monday.

The national enforcement operation, “Operation Broken Promise” found that 71% of the aliens arrested from Dec. 7 through Dec. 17 had criminal convictions or pending charges, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Multiple Illegal Immigrants with Previous Deportations and Serious Crime Convictions Found in Texas by CBP

December 6, 2020December 5, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Over 20 illegal immigrants, including some with prior deportations, criminal histories, and gang affiliations, were arrested within a 24-hour period near Laredo, Texas, officials announced Thursday.

The arrests were part of a “troubling trend” of agents detaining large groups of illegal immigrants, including finding detainees with significant criminal histories, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Over the past 10 days, three illegal immigrants with prior sexual offense convictions were apprehended, the CBP said.

Federal Judge Blocks New Criminal Disqualifiers to Asylum

November 21, 2020November 20, 2020 The Associated Press

A federal judge on Thursday blocked a Trump administration rule about to take effect that would have put up new roadblocks for asylum-seekers convicted of a variety of crimes.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco said the rule “sweeps too broadly” and was unnecessary because current federal law already includes a host of disqualifying crimes such as drug trafficking, money laundering and counterfeiting.

Over 100 Illegal Immigrants Detained by CBP in Texas Over One Week

November 6, 2020November 5, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Over 100 illegal immigrants were found at three separate stash houses and detained over the span of a week near Laredo, Texas, border officials announced.

The illegal immigrants received medical screenings before they were processed as none were wearing personal protective equipment when officials searched the residences, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Court Order Forced ICE to Release 250 Criminal Immigrants

October 30, 2020October 30, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Tuesday that it released 250 immigrants with criminal histories back into communities in response to a coronavirus-related order issued by the Central District of California, Fox News reports.

The news came a week after U.S. Judge Terry Hatter ordered the agency either release or deport detainees at the Adelanto ICE processing center in Southern California in order to halt the spread of coronavirus infections. According to the order, starting from October 19 they must reduce the population at the facility by at least 50 detainees a day, until the population is at or below 475 detainees. At the time of the order, about 750 people were detained there.

Top Trump Adviser Wants More Nations to Field Asylum Claims

October 25, 2020October 24, 2020 The Associated Press

One of President Donald Trump’s top priorities on immigration if he wins a second term would be to use agreements with Central American governments as models to get countries around the world to field asylum claims from people seeking refuge in the United States, a top adviser said.

Stephen Miller, a key architect of Trump’s immigration policies, said Friday the agreements would help stop “asylum fraud, asylum shopping and asylum abuse on a global scale.”

Border Patrol Arrests Nearly 300 Illegal Immigrants After Searching Stash Houses, Stopping Smuggling Attempts

October 23, 2020October 22, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials and local law enforcement in Texas arrested 294 suspected illegal immigrants within 18 hours, the Department of Homeland Security announced last week.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents intercepted smuggling attempts and raided stash houses in four separate incidents in Laredo, Texas, on Oct. 13, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Of those detained, 90 were from countries other than Mexico.

Apprehensions at Southern Border Decreased by Nearly Half from Last Year 2019, CBP Says

October 16, 2020October 15, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Nearly half as many individuals were apprehended at the southern border during fiscal year 2020 as in the previous year, Customs and Border Protection announced Wednesday.

A total of 400,651 migrants were apprehended between ports of entry at the southern border in fiscal year 2020, which ended with September, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced. In the fiscal year 2019, just over 851,500 individuals were apprehended.

ICE Arrests Over 2,000 Illegal Immigrants with Violent Criminal Convictions or Charges

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested more than 2,000 illegal immigrants who have criminal histories involving victims between July 13 and Aug. 20, ICE announced Monday.

The immigrants who are illegally living in the U.S. are subject to removal because of their previous arrests or charges connected to victims, according to ICE. Of those arrested for immigration-related charges, around 85% had pending criminal charges or previous criminal convictions.

133 Illegal Immigrants and Nearly $48 Million Worth of Drugs Seized at Texas Border in 5 Days, CBP Reports Show

September 3, 2020September 2, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Customs and Border Protection arrested 133 illegal immigrants and seized roughly 7,630 pounds of narcotics were seized at the border between Texas and Mexico over five days, according to the agency.

Authorities intervened in drug smuggling, human smuggling and trafficking and illegal crossing attempts, and recovered around $47,863,472 worth of narcotics, according to 15 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reports between Aug. 25 and Aug. 28.

Virginia Attorney General Joins Amicus Brief Aimed to Block Trump Administration’s New Rules for Asylum Seekers

August 6, 2020 Zachery Schmidt

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring joined an amicus brief Tuesday that disputes the Trump administration’s new rules pertaining to asylum seekers’ employment authorization. The Trump administration announced in June that asylum seekers must wait a year before applying for employment authorization rather than 150 days. Also, the administration eliminated…

Judge: US Must Free Migrant Children from Family Detention

June 28, 2020June 27, 2020 The Associated Press

A federal judge on Friday ordered the release of children held with their parents in U.S. immigration jails and denounced the Trump administration’s prolonged detention of families during the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee – who was appointed by President Obama in 2009 – penned the order that applies to children held for more than 20 days at three family detention centers in Texas and Pennsylvania operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Some have been detained since last year.

Justices Boost Trump Administration’s Power in Asylum Cases

June 26, 2020June 25, 2020 The Associated Press

The Supreme Court on Thursday strengthened the Trump administration’s ability to deport people seeking asylum without allowing them to make their case to a federal judge.

Immigration experts suggested the administration would use sweeping language in the majority opinion to bolster broader efforts to restrict asylum.

House Democrats Urge Trump Admin to Stop Deportations, Release Immigrant Detainees

May 22, 2020May 21, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

House Democrats urged the Trump administration Wednesday to stop all deportation flights, arguing that these repatriations contribute to the spread of coronavirus in Latin America.

In a letter sent Wednesday, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf to discontinue deportation flights amid the coronavirus pandemic, and release illegal aliens currently in detention.

North Dakota Based Company Awarded Largest Border Wall Construction Contract Ever Given

May 22, 2020 Zachery Schmidt

Federal officials gave Fisher Sand and Gravel a $1.28 billion deal to build 42 miles of the border wall along the southern border in Arizona, The Arizona Daily Star reported. This May 6 deal is the biggest contract ever given for border wall construction, according to CBS News. The…

Trump Admin Indefinitely Extends Authority That Allows Immediate Return of Illegal Aliens

May 21, 2020May 20, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

The Trump administration is extending an authority that allows immigration officers to immediately return illegal entrants along the U.S.-Mexico border for as long as it deems fit.

While the White House has chosen to renew an international agreement which blocks all non-essential traffic on its northern and southern borders, it has chosen to allow a specific health order to remain in place until the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) decides the COVID-19 crisis has waned.

Trump Plans to Keep Borders Closed Until Coronavirus Isn’t a Threat: Report

May 15, 2020May 14, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

The Trump administration is preparing an order that will extend current border restrictions indefinitely, until a top public health official declares the novel coronavirus is no longer a threat, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

The White House plans to keep border restrictions in place until it decides the coronavirus outbreak is not a significant threat to the public anymore, according to a draft of a public health order obtained by the NYT. If such an order is implemented, it would remove any concrete timetable to open up the U.S.-Mexico border to non-essential traffic.

DHS to Waive Environmental Laws for Border Wall Construction

October 10, 2018October 9, 2018 Admin

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that it would waive environmental laws so it could build gates between sections of border barriers in South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. The waiver posted online lists 11 locations where the government plans to install gates in existing fencing. DHS has in…

President Trump on Illegal Immigration: ‘The United States Will Not Be a Migrant Camp’

June 18, 2018June 18, 2018 Admin

During the announcement of the new Pentagon ‘Space Force’ directive, President Trump took a moment at the beginning of his remarks to address the media’s outrage at his administration’s enforcement of laws regarding the arrest and prosecution of illegal aliens and the disposition of any minor children that may accompany…