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Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Justice Department, driven by Trump policy, plans to go after naturalized U.S. citizens
In his all-out war on illegal immigration, President Donald Trump has branded immigrants as 'criminals,' 'invaders' and 'predators,' as his administration targets millions of Haitians, Latin Americans, gang members and foreign college students for deportation. Now, the president has directed the Justice Department to bolster its resources in a major crackdown on naturalized citizens suspected of unlawfully obtaining their U.S. citizenship. According to a recent memo, the department plans to focus not only on individuals who may have lied about a crime or having done something illegal during the naturalization process. But authorities also plan to focus on others who may have committed a crime after becoming citizens — a generally untested legal frontier. Citing Trump's policy objectives in the June 11 memo, the head of DOJ's Civil Division instructed government lawyers to go after naturalized citizens who pose a potential danger to national security, such as acts of terrorism or espionage, violated human rights, engaged in international drug trafficking or committed felonies that were not disclosed during the naturalization application. The DOJ list of priority targets, backed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, even includes naturalized citizens who have been convicted of defrauding the U.S. government, such as Medicare, Medicaid and COVID-19 loan programs. 'These categories are intended to guide the Civil Division in prioritizing which cases to pursue; however, these categories do not limit the Civil Division from pursuing any particular case,' Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate wrote in the memo, pointing to an expansive interpretation of laws on the revocation of naturalization. A range of critics, including immigration and defense attorneys, say the Justice Department's new 'priorities for denaturalization cases' are extremely broad and vague — allowing the Trump administration to target any number of naturalized citizens for various offenses that may fall outside the scope of the law, before trying to deport them to their native country. Ultimately, a federal judge must decide on any government bid to revoke the status of a naturalized citizen, a long process involving likely appeals. 'Traditionally, the law was intended to apply to individuals who committed an unlawful act before becoming naturalized citizens—particularly if that act was not disclosed during the naturalization process or if there was a material misrepresentation on the application,' Miami immigration attorney Steven Goldstein told the Miami Herald. 'What appears to be happening now is an effort to broaden the law's scope, targeting conduct that occurs at any point after naturalization, based on interpretations laid out in the memo,' said Goldstein, a former federal prosecutor with the now-defunct Immigration and Naturalization Service. 'This administration has aggressively expanded the reach of immigration enforcement — and they've shown they're unafraid to defend these expansions in court.' The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers condemned the Justice Department's new directive. 'The Trump Administration's push to revoke citizenship is alarming, and raises serious Fourteenth Amendment concerns,' group president Christopher Wellborn said in a statement. 'Although the memo purports to target concealment of earlier offenses, the language suggests that any offense, at any time, may be used to justify denaturalization,' he said. 'This is particularly concerning given the administration's reliance on vague claims of gang affiliation in deportations.' The impact of the new DOJ policy aimed at U.S. citizens who were born in a foreign country is unclear. According to the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank, the United States has about 24.5 million naturalized citizens, a little more than half of the country's immigrant population. Historically, the Justice Department has zeroed in on Nazi collaborators, Communist party members and spies for denaturalization if they 'illegally procured' their U.S. citizenship, including 'by concealment of a material act or by willful misrepresentation,' according to federal law. Denaturalization was commonly used during the McCarthy era of the late 1940s and early 1950s, and expanded during the Obama administration and Trump's first term in office. The country's latest denaturalization case occurred in mid-June when a federal judge revoked the citizenship of Elliott Duke, an American military veteran from the U.K. who was convicted a decade ago of receiving and possessing child-porn images while stationed in Germany — a crime he did not disclose on his naturalization application before becoming a U.S. citizen in 2013. The issue became even more heated after the Trump administration raised the possibility of stripping Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic mayoral candidate for New York City, of his U.S. citizenship as part of the crackdown against foreign-born citizens convicted of certain offenses. The spurious allegation, known to be false, is that Mamdani may have concealed his support for 'terrorism' during the naturalization process. Mamdani, 33, who calls himself a Democratic socialist, was born in Uganda to ethnic Indian parents, became a U.S. citizen in 2018 and has attracted widespread media attention over his vocal support for Palestinian rights. Trump, during a visit last week to the new Everglades detention facility called Alligator Alcatraz, was asked about Mamdani's pledge to 'stop masked' Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents 'from deporting our neighbors.' Trump responded: 'Well, then, we'll have to arrest him.' Mamdani posted a statement on X: 'The President of the United States just threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, put in a detention camp and deported. Not because I have broken any law but because I will refuse to let ICE terrorize our city.' Longtime North Miami immigration attorney Andre Pierre, who toiled for years on a landmark denaturalization case, said he has seen both Democratic and Republican administrations pursue aggressive immigration policies — but no president has made the issue as controversial and visible as Trump. Pierre said Trump ran for re-election on the campaign promise of ridding the country of illegal immigrants who have been convicted of committing crimes, along with gang members from El Salvador and Venezuela. But as soon as he was sworn in as president for a second term, he said, Trump started going after everyday, working-class Venezuelans, Haitians, Cubans and other immigrants with temporary protected status or humanitarian parole. 'A lot of people in these communities voted for for him and didn't think he was going to go that far,' Pierre told the Herald. Pierre said it was only a matter of time before the Trump administration would zero in on naturalized foreign-born citizens in the United States. But after reviewing the Justice Department's list of priorities for denaturalization cases, he came away dismayed. 'This memo is shocking,' Pierre said. 'But I don't see a lot of evidence supporting the kind of cases they want to go after.' Decades ago, Pierre represented a Haitian restaurant owner in Miami who applied for naturalization in November 1994, was approved in February 1996 and took the oath of allegiance and became a naturalized citizen in April 1996. But that fall, Lionel Jean-Baptiste was arrested on cocaine distribution charges, convicted at trial and sentenced to eight years in prison. Evidence showed that Jean-Baptiste committed the crime in March 1995 while his application for naturalization was still awaiting approval by the U.S. government — a fact that would ultimately undo his citizenship. After his conviction, government lawyers moved to revoke his naturalization status in what was considered to be a 'test' case, claiming he illegally procured his citizenship because he failed to show 'good moral character' during the application process. A federal trial judge agreed — a decision affirmed in 2005 by a federal appeals court in Atlanta. The key issue was whether the mere allegation of criminal activity against the Haitian immigrant demonstrated a lack of good moral character, a requirement for naturalization. 'The case dragged on for years,' Pierre said. 'It went all the way up to the Supreme Court.' After Jean-Baptiste, 77, lost his naturalization status, Immigration and Customs Enforcement was then able to take the next step of deporting him to Haiti. The Justice Department's new memo on denaturalization policies suggests that government lawyers might be able to pick ripe cases and expedite naturalized citizens as part of the Trump administration's aggressive goal of deporting millions of illegal immigrants. But a historic South Florida case that lasted for years suggests otherwise, because of the extraordinary due process afforded the defendant: Feodor Fedorenko, a former guard at the infamous Treblinka death camp in Poland, where the Nazis killed about 900,000 Jews during the Holocaust. When the Ukrainian-born Fedorenko applied for a visa to enter the United States in 1949, he lied about his activities during the war. He was granted a visa and lived in the U.S. under the radar for about 20 years. He then applied for U.S. citizenship and once again lied about his activities during the war and failed to disclose his collaboration with the Nazis in carrying out war crimes. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen and continued with his life working at a factory in Connecticut — until his retirement in Miami Beach. Authorities caught up with him. In 1978, federal prosecutors moved to strip Fedorenko of citizenship at trial before U.S. District Judge Norman Roettger in Fort Lauderdale. Fedorenko's case, which was cited several times in the Jean-Baptiste ruling by the appeals court, featured dramatic testimony by a half-dozen Jewish survivors of Treblinka who were living in Israel, by Fedorenko himself and by character witnesses. When asked about the gas chambers at the camp, Fedorenko testified that he never went near them, though he could see them from the guard tower where he was stationed occasionally, according to 2014 book, 'Forgotten Trials of the Holocaust.' Fedorenko, who considered himself a 'prisoner of war' even though he worked as a private in the German army, acknowledged that the Germans gave him a gun. But he denied that he ever whipped or shot an inmate. The lead Justice Department lawyer, Jon Sale, who had been an assistant special Watergate prosecutor, was tasked with proving by 'clear and convincing' evidence that Fedorenko illegally procured his citizenship by hiding his past as a Nazi guard from U.S. immigration authorities. But in the end, Roettger rejected the testimony of the Treblinka survivors and spared Fedorenko from being denaturalized. Although Roettger was not entirely convinced of Fedorenko's 'do no evil' depiction of himself as a Treblinka guard, the judge never took the next step of finding that his denial of what witnesses said about him was also untrue. Sale's team appealed, and the judge's ruling was overturned in 1979. Two years later, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld that ruling, leading to the former Nazi guard's denaturalization. 'Even then, his due process rights continued to be honored when the Immigration and Naturalization Service afforded him administrative hearings and appeals,' Sale, a prominent defense lawyer in Miami, told the Herald. 'After all this due process, he was finally deported to the Soviet Union.' There, because of his commission of war crimes in Crimea, Fedorenko, 79, was tried, found guilty and executed in 1987, a year after his deportation.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Exclusive-WeightWatchers names new medical chief, plans to offer menopause therapy and support
By Amina Niasse NEW YORK (Reuters) -WeightWatchers will announce on Tuesday Dr. Kim Boyd as its chief medical officer, and plans for a new program to help women manage the transition into menopause and beyond, part of its growth strategy in emerging from bankruptcy. Boyd, a Stanford University graduate who has worked with several consumer health startups, said in an interview that WeightWatchers is building upon its decades-long work providing weight management tools to also address the specific needs of people using obesity treatments. That includes Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound. The company says its model promoting balanced eating and exercise helps subscribers reduce gastrointestinal side effects from the medicines and lose more weight on Wegovy. 'We have the foundation, and we will continue to evolve our programming to show up in a way that matches best with the addition of medications,' Boyd said. WeightWatchers CEO Tara Comonte said such support for members using weight-loss drugs should appeal to health insurers and employers who pay for health benefits as they seek more sustainable management of the costly medications. "It's a different business model and these partnerships and relationships take a much longer period of time than dialing up some direct to consumer marketing or promotional models," Comonte said. The program for perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause will include access to prescription treatments such as hormone replacement therapy, as well as behavioral and nutritional support for members, a significant proportion of whom are women ages 40 to 60 years old, WeightWatchers said. More details will become available later this year, the company, also known as WW International, said. 'It is a very natural overlap. In the perimenopausal and menopausal phase, up to 70% of women experience weight gain,' Boyd said. CHANGING WEIGHT LOSS MARKET Boyd previously served as national medical director at One Medical, a clinical business now owned by and later was chief medical officer at weight-management company Calibrate. Her appointment comes nearly a year after previous Chief Medical Officer Dr. Amy Meister stepped down. In the interim, WeightWatchers emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, after struggling to compete with other online weight-management platforms selling cheaper, compounded versions of obesity treatments, including telehealth companies like Hims & Hers Health. The market for weight-management companies is changing since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered an end to sales of compounded versions of Wegovy in late May. WeightWatchers last month announced a partnership with Novo Nordisk to sell Wegovy through the drugmaker's NovoCare pharmacy. Hims & Hers continues to offer smaller doses of compounded Wegovy than what is available from Novo, arguing they are providing a personalized medication that is not subject to the FDA ban. Industry analysts, however, have questioned whether that strategy will leave Hims vulnerable to legal challenges. Hims has said it also plans to expand into testosterone and menopause treatments as part of its growth strategy in the coming years. WeightWatchers has stopped selling compounded weight-loss drugs, and its partnership with Novo may prove more attractive to employer-sponsored health plans in the long run, Boyd said. "At the foundation of this is prescribing FDA-approved medications," Comonte said. 'We only prescribe branded drugs." A month's supply of Wegovy is listed at over $1,000 per month, but many people pay less through insurance. Cash-pay patients can access the treatment for $499 through NovoCare. 'For employers, some of them are finding value in these vendors like WeightWatchers... that give the members the lifestyle tools,' said Chantell Reagan, a senior director at advisory firm Willis Towers Watson. These strategies may help an employee sustain weight loss if they stop using a drug, she said. 'We are looking very closely at our employers that are using these programs and assessing the effectiveness.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
6 nutrition deficiencies you might not notice, according to a dietitian — and how seniors can get these important nutrients into their diet
Nutrition can often be an overlooked key to longevity for older adults. Prioritizing proper nutrition as we age can help prevent or manage chronic disease, improve quality of life and support a healthy lifestyle as we get older. As a registered dietitian who has worked in long-term care for the better part of the last decade, I've worked with many seniors on reviewing and optimizing their diet. I've noticed that six nutrients are commonly neglected, missed or not consumed in adequate amounts to support healthy aging. From fibre to calcium, below are the nutrients you should ensure you're getting enough of. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle. The majority of people don't consume enough fibre, and the same is true for older adults. The recommendations for women over age 51 is 21 grams per day, and it's 30 grams for men in the same age group. Fibre's most notable role is keeping bowels regular, but it can also help lower cholesterol and control blood sugar levels. If you're experiencing constipation, uncontrolled diabetes or high cholesterol, it might be time to focus on fibre. And if you do start prioritizing this nutrient, be sure to increase your fluids at the same time. Fluids help fibre move through our system without us getting constipated, or feeling bloated. To get more fibre into your diet, try to include one or two options below for each meal, along with one option for snacks: Beans and lentils Fruits and vegetables Avocado Bran cereal Oats Prunes Whole grains As we age, the amount of protein we eat tends to decrease. This can be for a number of reasons: Decreased appetite, difficulty chewing, financial restrictions or physical limitations impacting our ability to shop or cook. However, getting enough protein as an older adult is key to maintaining muscle mass, supporting bone health, wound healing and delaying overall frailty. Protein recommendations are individualized based on weight, health goals and age, but in general, aim for 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal, so approximately 75 to 90g protein per day. Include a source of protein from the list below with every meal. If you're aiming for more protein in your diet, try eating the following foods: Greek yogurt Cottage cheese Beans and lentils Soy products (tofu, edamame, soy milk) Chicken Fish Lean red meat Eggs Hemp hearts Nuts and seeds The recommended amount of fluids we need decreases as we age. However, most older adults don't even meet that amount. Decreased thirst sensation, mobility issues, impaired taste sensation, medications or concerns about incontinence are all factors that may cause us to drink less as we age. Dehydration is much more than just feeling thirsty. It can cause constipation (especially if you've started eating more fibre), along with cognitive and functional decline. Most people at risk of dehydration are those over age 85, but for the average person, eight to 10 cups of fluids per day is recommended (unless another amount has been suggested by your health-care practitioner). To tell if you're properly hydrated, check your urine. It should be pale yellow, or almost clear. If you struggle to drink enough fluids, try setting alarms to remind you to drink throughout the day, have a glass of water first thing in the morning and keep a reusable bottle or glass nearby to sip on. When aiming for more fluids, water will always be the first choice. But if you don't like plain water, try flavouring it with lemon, or sugar-free flavourings. Still, all liquids technically count towards our fluid goal, including coffee, tea, soup, smoothies and milk. Fruits and vegetables with a high water content — like watermelon, peaches, oranges, cucumber, lettuce and tomatoes — also provide fluids. This vitamin is found primarily in animal protein sources, and as we discussed above, many older adults do not eat enough protein. Additionally, as we age, the amount of vitamin B12 our body absorbs decreases. This means older adults are at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, with an estimated six to 15 per cent of seniors having a confirmed deficiency. Even if you eat sufficient amounts of protein and have a good appetite, a vitamin B12 supplement may be recommended. If you don't eat meat, fish or seafood, or you have any medical conditions that impact digestion or absorption of foods, I recommend talking to your health-care team about starting a B12 supplement. Some great foods to focus on if you need more vitamin B12 include: Shellfish, like mussels and clams Fish, including sardines, trout, salmon and tuna Red meat Eggs Dairy and fortified non-dairy milks Nutritional yeast These two micronutrients are best known for their role in supporting bone health and preventing osteoporosis, although there is evidence to suggest they do more than just that. Calcium can be found in more foods than just dairy products, but vitamin D is found in very few foods, so supplementation is generally recommended. Continue to include foods that are rich in calcium and vitamin D, but also talk to your health-care provider and pharmacist about taking a supplement. If you're taking a vitamin D supplement, it's best absorbed when taken with a source of fat (like oil, butter, nuts, seeds, avocado or nut butter). I encourage people to take it with their largest meal of the day, which is usually dinner, and tends to include a good source of fat. To get more of these micronutrients, opt for foods like: Dairy products and fortified non-dairy milks Calcium-set tofu Fish, like salmon and canned sardines with bones Kale White beans Chia seeds As we age, our dietary needs change, and it's easy for some nutrients to get overlooked. Protein, fibre, fluids, vitamin B12, calcium and vitamin D are common nutrition gaps among older adults, so it's important to be aware that you're getting enough of these nutrients. By being mindful of how much you're consuming and making a point to include them in your daily diet, it can help support healthy aging and help you feel your best.
