Latest news with #ErickDiazVeliz
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michiganders primed to say 'No Kings' this Saturday at statewide protests
Anti-Trump protesters holding their signs in demonstration at the Hannah Administration Building at MSU on March 28, 2025. Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz From Ironwood in the western Upper Peninsula to Adrian, near the Ohio border, more than 70 'No Kings Day' protests against President Donald Trump are planned in Michigan this Saturday. Included in that list are larger demonstrations set for Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo, among more than 1,500 planned in cities across the nation to protest against 'authoritarian overreach and the gross abuse of power' which No Kings protest organizers say has been demonstrated by the Trump Administration. The protests are timed to coincide with festivities scheduled in Washington D.C. to ostensibly celebrate the U.S. Army's 250th birthday, but also Trump's 79th birthday, with a military parade featuring nearly 7,000 soldiers, and 150 vehicles, including tanks and armored personnel carriers, as well as military flyovers from 50 aircraft. Estimated to cost $45 million, the planned exhibition has drawn criticism as an ostentatious display at a time congressional Republicans have pushed through a budget plan that would gut federal safety net programs like Medicaid and food assistance, simultaneous to Trump's deployment of National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles over immigration protests. 'Rapid and widespread attacks against vulnerable members of our communities and those who voice political dissent, illegal and arbitrary arrests and deportations, antidemocratic acts of repression of free speech, and flagrant defiance of the courts demonstrate that the current administration stands in opposition to the founding principles of our nation,' organizers of Detroit's protest said in a statement. Set to begin Saturday at 1 p.m. in Clark Park, Detroit's No Kings protest will feature U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit), an outspoken critic of the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts and use of the military against civilian protestors in LA. The Grand Rapids protest will start at 10 a.m in Ah-Nab-Awen Park, with speakers including City Commissioner Marshall Kilgore and Rev. Nathan Dannison of the Fountain Street Church. 'Local community organizations will have 'Take Action' stations providing attendees with specific actions to take,' organizers said in a release. 'This rally will also include family-friendly activities. We follow the principles of non-violence protests. Harassment and hate speech will not be tolerated.' That same message was echoed earlier this week by state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia), who along with state Rep. Carrie Rheingans (D-Ann Arbor), urged Michiganders to take part in the protests, but do so peacefully. 'Let me be crystal clear: We unequivocally condemn any violence. That has no place in our movement for peace and justice. Everyone should use their voice peacefully, but the Trump administration intentionally provoked the situation by sending a force of armed and armored agents to round up immigrant workers,' Pohutsky said. Smaller municipalities are also holding protests, including in Republican-heavy areas like Livingston County, which has 'No Kings' protests planned at the Historic Courthouse in Downtown Howell and at the public amphitheatre adjacent to Brighton's Millpond. The Brighton gathering will feature Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel and Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State. Another of the larger No Kings protests is planned at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, which starts with a 'Kick Out the Clowns' rally at noon, followed by a sidewalk march around the Capitol and then a 'No Kings' carnival from 3-6 p.m. 'Participants are encouraged to bring signs and flags while they stand in solidarity against this abuse of taxpayer funds. Planned circus-themed activities will highlight the absurdity of the administration's self-aggrandizement and flagrant disregard for American laws and norms,' stated a release.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
University of Michigan denounced for using private investigators to surveil student protesters
Pro-Palestinian protest on the UM campus on February 20, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz Josiah Walker has one year left until he graduates from the University of Michigan. However, since last summer, his college life had undergone an abrupt change when he realized he was being followed and recorded by several people while going about his daily activities on campus and around Ann Arbor. As it turns out, he wasn't the only one. According to The Guardian, they all shared the same pattern: the pro-Palestinian movement on campus. On Friday, The Guardian published a report in which a group of students accused the University of Michigan of hiring private undercover investigators from the Detroit-based firm City Shield to conduct covert surveillance both on and off campus of student pro-Palestinian activist groups. Walker is among the five U of M students who were interviewed in the report. They declared that they were trailed, eavesdropped on, recorded, and verbally harassed by what they considered intimidation tactics from the university. They said they recognized dozens of investigators, often working in teams, who were behind their steps around campus and Ann Arbor, sometimes sitting at nearby tables at cafes and bars. 'The same people and vehicles kept popping up everywhere I went on and even off campus. Each individual would execute some combination of recording and following me,' Walker told the Advance. The Guardian investigation determined that the private investigators are employees of City Shield. According to university spending records from June 16, 2023, through September 15, 2024, the university paid at least $850,000 to City Shield's parent company, Ameri-Shield. 'The university had used a lot of its own resources to uplift my previous involvements and accomplishments. Now, I'm on the other side where the university is using those same resources to try to destroy my future and, quite frankly, seriously injure or kill me,' Walker told the Advance. These students started to record, identify, and confront the undercover investigators by themselves, resulting in tense interactions recorded on video. Katarina Keating, also one of the students interviewed by The Guardian, is a PhD candidate and a member of the Graduate Employees' Organization. She recounted to the Advance that she noticed she was being followed in early November last year. She said she started seeing the same person following her after protests or events, and even weekly in the last months. Walker said he began to feel watched last year when he noticed that many people were continuously recording and following him; therefore, he started to record them in return. He shared the videos of those encounters with the Advance, also posted in the report, of himself recognizing and confronting those The Guardian reported are undercover investigators, including an interaction in which the alleged investigator, who is white, appears to falsely accuse Walker, who is Black, of trying to steal his wallet. During another of those interactions, he says a car from where he was being recorded almost hit him, making him fear for his life since then. 'The threat has already presented itself. This is what City Shield employees or university contractors were willing to do on camera when it was very obvious that I was recording them as I was holding my phone at chest level. There's no telling what they're willing to do off-camera,' Walker said to the Advance. Another video Walker shared with the Advance shows the same man sitting inside his parked vehicle and initially pretending to be hearing impaired, including speaking in an impeded manner, before switching to a normal voice. Michigan Advance requested an interview with a university spokesperson, but instead were directed to a public email from the interim university President, Domenico Grasso, regarding the investigation. 'At the University of Michigan, simultaneously keeping our campus safe and welcoming is a top priority,' Grasso said. 'We recently learned that an employee of one of our security contractors has acted in ways that go against our values and directives. What happened was disturbing, unacceptable, and unethical, and we will not tolerate it.' Additionally, Grasso said the university was terminating all contracts with vendors to provide plainclothes security on campus. The university also provided a campus security statement issued Sunday, saying that 'recent media reports have mischaracterized the role of contract security personnel who were engaged solely to support campus safety efforts,' and denying that the university had requested the services of private investigators to monitor U of M students on or off campus. Both statements explained that as part of a 'security strategy' during 2024, the university augmented contracts with outside firms of plainclothes security personnel in order to 'provide discreet awareness of potential illegal activities without escalating tensions,' said the updated statement. Grasso recommended reporting any inappropriate behavior by contractors or employees to campus police or the Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX Office. 'It's certainly not 'safe and welcoming' for the dozens of students and community members who have been banned from campus for participating in protests. Grasso should reverse these campus bans next,' said Keating to the Advance in response to the statements. Walker declared to the Advance that, as of the time of publication of this report, U of M has not reached him to offer support or in response to the investigation by The Guardian, and so far, he believes he is still being monitored. 'It's really unfortunate. There's no doubt that if City Shield operatives or university police see me, they're going to continue to monitor me. They'll probably just try to be more discreet about it,' said Walker. The student accusations come as part of a series of rifts in the already strained relationship between the university administration and pro-Palestinian groups, including accusations of vandalism against individuals in the groups, and alleged selective targeting by authorities. Walker was among a group of students charged in September 2024 with trespassing and/or resisting university police during the raid on the pro-Palestinian encampment at the Ann Arbor campus' Diag in May 2024. The trespassing charges were later dismissed. In April, the pro-Palestinian activist group, TAHRIR coalition, alleged that some of their members were targeted in raids by the FBI at the houses where they live, authorized by Attorney General Dana Nessel. The raids were carried out in Ypsilanti, Canton, and Ann Arbor by unmarked vehicles accompanied by the Michigan State Police and local police officers. Pro-Palestinian activists were also accused by the university police earlier this month of damaging and vandalizing hundreds of flowers at the university's famed peony gardens after they found papers signed with pro-Palestinian slogans. 'The university has 100% selectively prioritized rights such as freedom of expression and movement. If a cause has even a remotely favorable view of Palestine or Palestinians, one can expect fierce university opposition,' Walker told the Advance. Despite the actions of the university and its contractors being publicized, Walker doesn't feel completely at ease because he worries the university could still take various measures against him. 'On one hand, it feels liberating to be able to raise awareness about what's been happening,' Walker told the Advance. 'On the other hand, I can't help but know that the university police department and City Shield are probably looking for ways to retaliate against me.' Both Walker and Keating say college life is no longer the same and that they no longer socialize freely, to the point that Walker warns his close friends to be careful around him so they don't endanger themselves, while Keating is always watching people around her. 'My life has changed in that I'm on high alert any time I am walking around campus, which is essentially every workday. I'm always looking around to see if someone is watching or following me,' Keating said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dozens protest outside Detroit ICE field office against Los Angeles immigration raids
Demonstrators gathered outside the ICE field office in Detroit to protest against ICE raids in Los Angeles. Jun 8, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz Dozens of people carrying immigrant support signs gathered outside the ICE field office in Detroit on Sunday afternoon to protest against ICE raids in Los Angeles, which sparked violent demonstrations. A raid by ICE agents this weekend at a Home Depot in Los Angeles sparked clashes between ICE agents, local police, and protesters, resulting in injuries and property damage across the city. The federal government deployed 2,000 of the California National Guard ear;ier Sunday to take control of the streets, as protests continue to erupt throughout Los Angeles. 'We're here because protests are happening in L.A against ICE. We stand with them. We wanted to hold an emergency protest here to show our support,' said Kasandra Rodrigues, 25, a member of the Detroit Community Action Committee. The protesters gathered on the sidewalks at the intersection, waving and holding up their signs with slogans in Spanish and English toward passing cars. While some drivers honked in support, the protesters chanted against ICE and Trump. At least four Detroit police vehicles monitored the area. Rodrigues emphasized his support for the Hispanic community living in Detroit, emphasizing that the protest was held in support of them. 'I think the Latino community in Southwest is very scared. However, they have a lot of strength and drive for this struggle. So, we're here supporting them,' Rodrigues said. Around 3 p.m., the protest dispersed without incident. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The end of humanitarian parole and TPS is shaping Michigan communities
Anti-deportation protesters gather in Detroit, waving Mexican flags and signs in both Spanish and English, to show their opposition to border patrol activities in the area on January 26, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz. On Wednesday morning, community members reported Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were making surprise arrests at an immigration check-in office in Grand Rapids where individuals were present for previously scheduled appointments, part of a larger nationwide effort by the Trump administration to restrict those with legal immigration status and deport them. Activist groups, including GR Rapid Response to ICE and Movimiento Cosecha GR, say they quickly mobilized through social media, with members showing up outside the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office to let new arrivals who were showing up for appointments know about the ICE presence, while others entered the office to warn people waiting inside. 'People who show up for check-ins were being taken anyway. This is what we've come to. We need to do much more to help the affected community. Still, I'm hopeful that over time, the number of people helping will increase,' Ivan Diaz, a former Kent County commissioner and candidate for Michigan senate, said in a text statement. The arrests are just the latest by federal agents in Michigan that continue to spark concern among community members and activist groups of the increasing intensity and sweep of federal actions against the immigrant community. Restricting legal status Since the start of the current administration, the Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, protections for immigrants and humanitarian paroles are in danger of being removed from hundreds of thousands of foreign individuals. Christine Sauve, from the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, told Michigan Advance that it is uncertain how many members of the community across Michigan currently live under either TPS or humanitarian parole. 'There are currently 31,500 cases pending in Detroit's immigration court, and the majority of those cases involve individuals with parole. These individuals deserve to have their case heard and their day in court, especially if they fear persecution in their country of origin,' Sauve said. On Monday, May 19, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way, at least for now, for the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for 350,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the United States in 2023. That followed a February decision by the federal government to cut similar extensions for just over half a million Haitians, leaving them vulnerable to losing their jobs and facing deportation after August. Additionally, by the end of May, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a court order that had protected almost 500,000 Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelans immigrants with temporary legal status through what is referred to as the CHNV program, from losing their humanitarian parole protections, exposing them to possible deportation. In an X post, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson wrote that the decisions by the federal government are within their legal authority to revoke the temporary status granted to hundreds of thousands during the Biden Administration. 'Biden's program violated black letter immigration law, incentivized additional illegal immigration,' Jackson wrote. Sauve did not appear hopeful about the issue being resolved in a timely manner for those facing deportation. 'During this time, current CHNV parolees will not have a legal immigration status. Individuals utilized these legal immigration pathways in good faith, and overnight they have been rendered undocumented, unable to work, and subject to deportation.' Sauve said. Temporary Protected Status and humanitarian parole are two distinct immigration protection mechanisms. TPS allows qualified nationals already present in the U.S to live and work legally for a specific period, while humanitarian parole, granted on a case-by-case basis, allows certain individuals to enter or remain in the country temporarily. They are given to individuals from countries affected by armed conflict, natural disasters, or who might face persecution. 'Many individuals with parole status have fled dangerous situations in their country of origin and have pending applications for asylum or other immigration benefits that they may be eligible for,' Sauve highlighted. 'They have built lives and become part of our Michigan communities. They are our neighbors and co-workers.' Economic consequences Another aspect of the mass deportations promised by the federal government is the impact to Michigan's agricultural economy in which a considerable portion of the working population is undocumented. In March, days after half a million Haitians found their TPS extension cut, a Michigan food corporation declared their operation would be significantly affected by losing such a large number of employees. Clemens Food Group in Coldwater employs around 400 Haitian TPS holders as its workforce. According to a report by the American Immigration Council, based on 2022 data and published in 2024, TPS holders have contributed positively to Michigan industries and paid a significant amount of taxes in the U.S. 'Forcing them to leave the country not only risks putting these individuals in danger, but also threatens to significantly disrupt local economies,' the report stated. The council says TPS holders across the state make significant contributions to both public coffers and the private economy, including earning $57.9 million in household income, which translates into $5.2 million in state and local taxes paid, $6.7 million in federal taxes paid. 'The end of TPS and parole designations is devastating for our clients and their families, but also for their families, workplaces, and communities across Michigan,' Sauve said. 'These programs are lifelines for vulnerable individuals and should not be cruelly ended prematurely, while immigration cases are still pending or conditions are still not safe for individuals to return.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MSU international students are warned not to leave the country
Delia Koo International Academic Center at Michigan State University. June 4, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz The email raised concerns among members of Michigan State University's international community. On Thursday afternoon, international students at MSU received an email from the Office for International Students and Scholars, or OISS, 'strongly' recommending them not to leave the United States, among other recommendations. The email, signed by Krista McCallum, director of OISS, was delivered independently to foreign students, but with the same content: An important update in response to recent federal government actions affecting the international academic community, both those already legally in the country and those still in process to enter. By the end of May, a cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by The Associated Press stated that the U.S. government decided to halt new student visa interviews for foreign applicants to U.S. colleges, where they plan to use the review of social media activity as a filter to vet foreign applicants. Additionally, the U.S. Department of State released a press statement in which Rubio specified that 'under President Trump's leadership,' Chinese students' visas will be 'aggressively' revoked, including those 'with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.' 'Our current understanding is that previously scheduled visa interview appointments will proceed as planned. However, most embassies and consulates have suspended scheduling new appointments,' the message said. McCallum advised those students who are still in the U.S. not to leave the country. 'For students and scholars inside the U.S.: We strongly advise that you do not travel outside the United States,' McCallum said in the communication. For those currently outside the country who require a visa to return, McCallum recommended staying in close contact with the U.S. embassy or consulate in their area. Additionally, for those unsure about the validity of their visas, the email included a link where students could check their current visa stamp. MSU spokesperson Amber McCann reiterated one more time that the international community on campus is essential to the university's academic and professional development, adding that 'The university is closely monitoring recent federal policy changes and updates concerning international students and scholars.' Chinese college students in Michigan among those nationwide facing direct threats of visa revocation 'We will continue to advocate for policies that enable us to welcome international students and scholars from around the world and promote global engagement,' McCann concluded.' As it is happening across the country, within MSU's international community, concerns about not returning home over the summer due to the severity of recent policy changes had already become a recurring topic, while those who traveled expressed concerns about their return. Many students had already decided not to travel back to their home countries, fearing potential issues with immigration when attempting to re-enter the U.S. 'It's no longer just about having your paperwork in order; now it feels like crossing the border comes with a real risk of running into trouble,' said Diego Granados, an MSU PhD student in biochemistry who is from Mexico. 'The atmosphere has changed. Every time you see another international student, you ask them if they're traveling this summer, because of the political climate.' At the end of the email, McCallum expressed her support and concern for the international community and reiterated, as in previous communications stated by MSU, the university's commitment to international students, who have increasingly become targets of federal government policies nationwide. 'I understand that this news and the uncertainty surrounding it may be frustrating. Please know that MSU remains strongly committed to our international Spartan community. We will continue to welcome students and scholars from around the world, and we will advocate for policies that support your presence and success,' the email said. MSU students had already protested what they considered to be the lack of action by MSU officials regarding the protection of the international community. And after only receiving statements and emails, they considered the university to be taking an insufficient stance. 'I think they just want to play it safe and make sure we don't leave,' said Granados. 'Honestly, it just feels awful. It's like this message is formalizing that feeling we already had, that even if you have legal status and you're pursuing a degree, going back home is now something risky. It might go wrong. You might not be able to come back.' Luis Torres, an MSU PhD student in Kinesiology who is from Puerto Rico, highlighted the targeting of the immigrant community in general and how it escalated to academic fields. 'The pattern is evident: the criminalization of undocumented immigrants was amplified, university students who protested were stigmatized, and now the focus shifts to the entire international student community,' said Torres. 'A state that restricts access to education under current pretexts can justify future encroachments on fundamental rights, eroding democracy for the benefit of a privileged minority,' he finished. Additionally, among foreign students, the protection of their identity or hiding their opinions have increasingly become a concern, showing a decline in freedom of speech within the community. 'It makes you feel trapped. Like, I'm here, and I can't cross the border or talk openly about it because they check my phone, don't like something, and I'm not allowed to reenter to finish my studies. That's really how it feels,' finished Granados. A request for comment was sent via email to Krista McCallum, director of OISS, but has yet to be returned. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
