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San Francisco Chronicle
18 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. drag performer detained by ICE after asylum hearing
A San Francisco drag performer was detained by immigration enforcement officers after his asylum hearing in immigration court Thursday morning, one of the latest among at least 20 people in San Francisco to be subject to a new Trump administration practice of courthouse arrests. The man, an immigrant from Central America who performs under the drag name Hilary Rivers, is gay and has a pending asylum application based on 'traumatic and severe' persecution he experienced in his home country that led him to flee to the U.S., according to Milli Atkinson, legal director at the San Francisco Immigrant Legal Defense Collaborative, who heads up the city's Rapid Response Network that responds to immigration enforcement actions. At Rivers' immigration hearing, the government attorney moved for the case to be dismissed, but the judge denied it. Rivers was arrested as he was leaving court, Atkinson said. A Rapid Response Network attorney on site was able to advise Rivers on his rights to prevent the government deporting him in error, Atkinson said. His attorney has since located him at an ICE detention facility in Bakersfield, she said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hilary-River's (@hilary_riversh) The Chronicle has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment. U.S. law grants asylum seekers like Rivers the right to remain in the United States while their asylum claim is pending, but the government has argued that it has the right to detain such individuals, which has been challenged in court before. Under the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment's right to due process, immigrants also generally have the right to a hearing in front of an immigration judge before they're deported, with some exceptions. However, since late May, federal immigration authorities under President Donald Trump's administration have started a new practice where the government attorney in an immigration hearing would file a motion for the judge to dismiss the case so that the person would lose protections from deportation afforded to those with pending immigration proceedings. After the judge dismisses it, ICE agents would arrest the immigrant and detain them for expedited removal, or deportation without a hearing, a federal power that's under Biden was reserved for those arrested at the border within two weeks of their arrival. Authorities have also been detaining people whose cases were not dismissed by immigration judges, including Rivers, Atkinson said. Of the, at least 20, people who the San Francisco Rapid Response Network confirmed had been subject to 'courthouse arrests,' she said only two of them had cases dismissed by judges. The rest, she said, are still in active proceedings and the majority have a pending asylum application. Atkinson said she has confirmed that the government then moves a person's case to appear before an immigration judge who is more willing to grant the motion to dismiss, so they can deport the person. 'It's a complete, flagrant violation of what our asylum system was built on,' Atkinson said. 'He was doing everything, complying with every rule there could possibly be. Every day he's been in the U.S. has been lawful.' Rivers was paroled — legally admitted — into the U.S. through a Biden-era program called CBP One, which granted permission to about 900,000 migrants to enter the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump has since cancelled the program and revoked parole from those who entered through it, but the move is facing legal challenges. The Trump administration justified the mass revocation of parole as a way to secure U.S. borders and protect nation security. Trump has argued the program was illegal in the first place. The night before he was detained, Rivers performed at a long-running queer pride pageant event called Miss & Mr. Safe Latino, started 30 years ago in response to the HIV epidemic at the now-closed Mission District bar Esta Noche, which had been a hub for queer Latinos. 'There's not a more textbook case of what asylum was created for than a case like his,' Atkinson said. 'To have them take him away from his community during Pride Week, when he's fleeing persecution for his queer identity, and when he had just participated in that pageant … is just horrific to me, is just a disgrace, and people should really be outraged and ashamed by what our government is doing.' Advocates have voiced concern over bad conditions in overcrowded ICE detention facilities as the Trump administration detained a record 56,000 people as of June 15, about 72% of whom have no criminal records, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a data organization. The courthouse arrests have caused a 'real panic' in the undocumented immigrant community, causing people to be afraid to go to their hearings, Atkinson said. But if they fail to appear for their hearings, they can be ordered deported.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
First challenge to courthouse arrest: Family with ailing child fights US Immigration detention; lawsuit alleges rights violations
Represented image (AP) In a first of its kind lawsuit involving children, a Honduran mother and her two young children have sued the US government over their arrest outside a Texas courthouse, alleging violations of constitutional rights. The family, who legally entered the US using the CBP One app, is detained at the Dilley immigration processing center and is fighting for release, according to the news agency AP. Filed in Texas, the lawsuit argues that their arrest violated the Fourth Amendment's protection against unlawful searches and seizures and the Fifth Amendment's guarantee of due process. According to their legal team, led by Columbia Law School professor Elora Mukherjee, the family complied fully with immigration procedures before being taken into custody. The mother and her children fled Honduras in October 2024 following death threats. After being paroled into the US by the department of homeland security, they were scheduled to appear before an immigration court in Los Angeles on May 29. But immediately after the judge dismissed their case, ICE agents allegedly arrested them outside the courtroom, placing them in expedited removal, a fast-track deportation process. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like "Nature's Morphine" May Help Relieve Pain, Brain Fog and Inflammation. Manna Undo Their lawyers argue the arrest was traumatic, especially for the 6-year-old boy, a leukemia patient who missed a vital check-up due to the detention. "He's pale, bruising, and suffering bone pain,' Mukherjee said, adding that the boy urinated on himself in fear after an officer exposed a firearm. Though their appeal is pending, the family could be deported any day. Advocates say the case highlights growing concerns about the Trump administration's continuation of aggressive immigration enforcement, particularly at courthouses. "This family followed every rule," said attorney Kate Gibson Kumar of the Texas civil rights project. 'With young children involved, there must be protections.' The department of homeland security has not commented. The government has until July 1 to respond to the lawsuit.
NDTV
a day ago
- Politics
- NDTV
How Badar Khan Suri Parented His Children From Immigration Detention Centre
Badar Khan Suri, the Georgetown University postdoctoral scholar, who had been arrested by immigration officers and faced deportation, had been in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for months. He was arrested on the charges of "actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media." Khan Suri "has close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas," Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in March on X. He explained how he helped manage his 5-year-old sons to get to terms with his absence. He credited his wife, Maphaz Ahmad Yousef, and called her a "blessing", since she was the support system for their children. "For my younger twins, I created a story they could hold on to: I told them I was traveling and had gotten lost somewhere in the clouds, trying to find my way back home," Khan Suri said in an email to NBC News. He said he took efforts to parent his three children "with love, creativity and resilience" from afar, while at detention. It has been a month now since his release from the ICE facility in Texas, after a judge ruled that his detention violated the First Amendment right to free speech and the Fifth Amendment right to due process. "For my family also, I feel the power dynamic changed. I am no more the provider or protector I once was," he said. "But I have survivor's clarity, as I saw the injustice. I am rebuilding my journey with meaning and truth." He also reflected how parenting from detention was a "heartbreaking" experience but it "kept him going". He has now returned to his regular parenting days, bringing his kids to the bus stop, and said that he has earned the privilege of being identified as the favourite parent in the household. "Even the twins say 'Baba' when I ask who they love more," he joked. "Before, it was always a clear 'Mama.'" He described how the first week in custody was a "nightmare". "That night, my wife was only able to bring back my belongings. My elder son only saw my bag returning home and not me," he said of the night of his arrest. "I was sad for my children, who had lost their father, their security cover, their ease in life." He told how his children kept aside food for him, expecting him to show up any moment. "They would draw pictures for me, and even save cupcakes or slices of pizza for me as if I might come back at any moment - they refused to let anyone else touch my share." Although his younger sons felt comforted by the stories of him travelling through skies, his 9-year-old older son understood more and had become more withdrawn. "I tried to bring humour into our conversations when I could," he said. "I'd tell him I had a PlayStation 4, a basketball court and a soccer field where I was, and he would laugh and ask questions about them." Suri was not even provided a bed at the detention centre, and used to sleep in the TV room where the television played from 5am to 2am, according to the petition. He also received halal food only after 5 days. "On April 2, officers came and told him that he had complained through his lawyer about his religious accommodations and asked him for more details," the petition said. "After Dr. Khan Suri reaffirmed his needs, he was given a prayer mat, a Quran, and provided a space on a bed in the dorm, outside of the TV room." He was classified as "requiring high security" and had to wear a bright-red uniform. He was told he fell under the category of "with a known criminal group". "Due to his classification and security protocols at the facility, Dr. Khan Suri is only permitted two hours per week of recreation," the petition said. To cope with the difficult conditions at the detention centre, he said, "I would write about them, I would think about them - like when their school bus would come, when would it return, what they do during the day, what they were drawing," he said. "When I saw drawings by kids of other detainees, I felt the love for my children." On the morning of his release, he said, "When they saw me, all three were shouting with joy, hugging and kissing me," he said. "For the twins, I had finally come back from the 'clouds.'"
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
ICE detains boy, 6, battling leukemia inside L.A. courthouse; mother suing for release
A Honduran woman who is seeking asylum in the United States has filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of her and her family's detention at a Texas facility. The woman, along with her 6-year-old son who is battling leukemia and his 9-year-old sibling, were detained after the three attended their May 29 immigration hearing in Los Angeles. Attorneys for the family say they could be deported at any time, despite their attempt to seek asylum in the U.S. The 6-year-old, identified as N.M.Z in a habeas corpus complaint, was diagnosed in Honduras with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when he was 3 and has undergone two of the required two-and-a-half years of treatment, according to the court filing. Due to his detention, he missed a scheduled medical appointment on June 5. The mother is now suing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security and the Trump administration for her immediate release, along with the release of her two children. The mother claims the government violated many of their rights, including the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment. This is the first lawsuit challenging ICE arrests of children pursuant to a new ICE directive encouraging courthouse arrests. 'A federal district court has already ruled that the ICE courthouse arrest policy announced last month is illegal and unconstitutional and I think applying it to children is particularly abhorrent and unconscionable,' said attorney Elora Mukherjee, a Columbia Law professor and member of the team representing the family. Attorneys noted that DHS determined the mother was not a flight risk when she was paroled into the country, and that her detention was unjustified. They also argued that she was not given an opportunity to contest her family's detention in front of a neutral party. 'The horrors that this family has suffered should never be felt by a child in need of medical care. Arresting immigrants as they step out of a courtroom is a heinous display of disregard for humanity. This family came to the United States seeking safety, but inhumane policies are preventing them from seeking necessary medical care for their child,' Kate Gibson Kumar, an attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project, said in a statement provided to KTLA. The Texas Civil Rights Project said the family was placed in expedited removal, which allows for rapid deportation without a court hearing. The family's attorneys fear they could be deported before their lawsuit is heard. This mother and her children were granted legal entry to the U.S. during the Biden administration. The Trump administration has set a goal of 3,000 immigration arrests per day, or 1 million people per year, claiming that it is targeting violent criminals. ICE data obtained by the Cato Institute show that more than 93% of immigrants arrested this fiscal year were never convicted of any violent offenses. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to our request for comment at the time of publishing this article. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
NBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- NBC News
How Georgetown scholar Badar Khan Suri parented his three kids while in ICE detention
For months while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, Badar Khan Suri, the Georgetown University postdoctoral scholar who was targeted for deportation by the Trump administration, said he spun a tale for his 5-year-old sons to help them cope with his absence. 'For my younger twins, I created a story they could hold on to: I told them I was traveling and had gotten lost somewhere in the clouds, trying to find my way back home,' Khan Suri said in an email to NBC News. It was one of the ways, Khan Suri said, that he attempted to continue to parent his three children 'with love, creativity and resilience' from detention. Now, just over a month since his release from an ICE facility in Texas, Khan Suri reflected on his experience with family separation, one that he said took a significant toll on his wife and children. Khan Suri credits his wife, Maphaz Ahmad Yousef, with being a critical support system for their children, calling her a 'blessing.' However, he's still processing the pain of separation, he said. 'For my family also, I feel the power dynamic changed. I am no more the provider or protector I once was,' he said. 'But I have survivor's clarity, as I saw the injustice. I am rebuilding my journey with meaning and truth.' Parenting from detention, he said, 'was one of the most heartbreaking parts of my experience — but also the one that kept me going.' These days, Khan Suri — who was released last month after a judge ruled that his detention violated the First Amendment right to free speech and the Fifth Amendment right to due process — said his children have been enjoying life with both their parents at home. He said he has returned to some quintessential dad duties including bringing his kids to the bus stop, and he's earned the privilege of being identified as the favorite parent in the household. 'Even the twins say 'Baba' when I ask who they love more,' he joked. 'Before, it was always a clear 'Mama.'' But three months ago, Khan Suri was pulled away from his family when he was arrested outside his Arlington, Virginia, home and accused by the Department of Homeland Security of 'actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media.' He was never formally charged with a crime. Khan Suri 'has close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas,' DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in March on X. His attorney Hassan Ahmad has repeatedly denied that he ever made pro-Hamas or antisemitic statements. Khan Suri's father-in-law, Ahmed Yousef, was an adviser to a now-deceased Hamas leader. Yousef said he left his position more than a decade ago and he has since become a critic of Hamas. Khan Suri described the first week in ICE custody as a 'nightmare.' 'That night, my wife was only able to bring back my belongings. My elder son only saw my bag returning home and not me,' he said of the night of his arrest. 'I was sad for my children, who had lost their father, their security cover, their ease in life.' He had been moved across multiple facilities and three states, finally landing in Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. However, as Khan Suri's detention stretched on, he said, he aimed to maintain some semblance of lightness for his family. During their occasional phone calls home, Khan Suri said he made sure his youngest children absorbed his tall tale about the clouds. 'When I first had the chance to speak with them, I repeated that same story,' he said. 'They would draw pictures for me, and even save cupcakes or slices of pizza for me as if I might come back at any moment — they refused to let anyone else touch my share.' While his youngest sons believed he had been journeying through the skies, Khan Suri said his oldest child had picked up on bits and pieces of his situation. And while at the facility, the father said, he had attempted to paint a more positive picture of the conditions he was living in, particularly as his 9-year-old became more withdrawn. 'I tried to bring humor into our conversations when I could,' he said. 'I'd tell him I had a PlayStation 4, a basketball court and a soccer field where I was, and he would laugh and ask questions about them.' According to Khan Suri's habeas petition, he wasn't assigned a bed in a dorm when he first arrived at the facility. Instead, he was placed in the detention's 'TV room,' where the television runs every day from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m., according to the petition. Khan Suri had also requested religious accommodations and only received halal food after five days, the documents said. 'On April 2, officers came and told him that he had complained through his lawyer about his religious accommodations and asked him for more details,' the petition said. 'After Dr. Khan Suri reaffirmed his needs, he was given a prayer mat, a Quran, and provided a space on a bed in the dorm, outside of the TV room.' He was also issued a bright-red uniform, usually reserved for individuals classified as requiring high security due to their criminal history, the petition said. When he inquired about the uniform, Khan Suri was told that he fell under the category due to his association 'with a known criminal group — presumably based on Respondents' unfounded claims of his connections to Hamas,' the petition said. 'Due to his classification and security protocols at the facility, Dr. Khan Suri is only permitted two hours per week of recreation,' the petition said. Khan Suri said he kept his children front of mind in order to cope with the circumstances, as well. 'I would write about them, I would think about them — like when their school bus would come, when would it return, what they do during the day, what they were drawing,' he said. 'When I saw drawings by kids of other detainees, I felt the love for my children.' After he was released following the judge's ruling that the government had failed to provide evidence that Khan Suri was a flight risk or a danger to the community, he said the reunion with his children was joyful. 'In the morning, I woke up before them. When they saw me, all three were shouting with joy, hugging and kissing me,' he said. 'For the twins, I had finally come back from the 'clouds.''
