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Miami Herald
35 minutes ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Immigrant detentions in New Jersey and Pennsylvania hit highs not seen since 2011
The number of individuals arrested and held in New Jersey and Pennsylvania detention centers pending deportation hearings has risen to levels not seen since the early years of the Obama presidency, according to recently released government data. The detained population in New Jersey surged 451% since the end of April, when only 65 newly-arrested individuals were detained while awaiting deportation hearings. Pennsylvania's detained population crossed the 300 mark in March for the first time since 2011. As of May 31, ICE held 358 and 353 people, respectively, in New Jersey and Pennsylvania detention facilities who were detained that month as their deportation cases wound their way through immigration court. New Jersey's figure represents the highest number of such detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 14 years while Pennsylvania's is the highest in 16. The figures reflect the number of individuals detained in a given month pending removal proceedings who remain in detention at the end of the month in which they were detained. They are an undercount of detained individuals as they do not include people in so-called "expedited removal," a process by which immigration officers can deport noncitizens from the United States without a hearing before an immigration judge. President Donald Trump expanded the use of expedited removal upon returning to office. The figures were published by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, or TRAC, a data gathering and research organization which regularly acquires and analyzes such data from the Executive Office for Immigration Review, or EOIR, and ICE through Freedom of Information Act requests and litigation. The data do not indicate which centers held the individuals but the 1,000-bed Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark began housing migrants on May 1. Jenny Garcia, a communications associate at Detention Watch Network, a national coalition that supports local communities trying to shut down local centers, has no doubt the increase is at least partly tied to the facility's opening. "When a detention center opens up within a state - within a community - ICE is going to fill those beds with local people - people in the tri-State Area," Garcia said. The Delaney facility, located in an industrial stretch along the Passaic River, has been dogged by controversy since before it even opened. The administration of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka in March filed a lawsuit and issued a stop-work order against GEO Group, the private prison company which operates the center under a 15-year contract with ICE worth $1 billion, claiming the company blocked city building inspectors from conducting required inspections. Baraka, a candidate in this month's Democratic primary for the state's governorship, was later arrested at a protest outside the center shortly after it began operating. Baraka is currently suing New Jersey U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for "false arrest and malicious prosecution." The U.S. Attorney's Office last week charged four Delaney Hall detainees with attempting to escape earlier in the month amid reports of late-arriving meals and other poor conditions at the facility. Garcia, whose group has held daily vigils outside of Delaney Hall since the center began holding migrants, said detainees have suffered from a lack of medical care and food, alternately freezing and boiling temperatures, and access to family and legal counsel. "We've seen clergy get denied. We've seen families get denied," Garcia said. "And, very concerningly, we've seen many, many lawyers get denied visits with their clients." A spokesperson for ICE's Newark field office did not respond to an email seeking comment on conditions at the facility and whether the agency has been making an effort to detain more individuals now that it's open. While Pennsylvania did not experience the same month-over-month surge in detentions that New Jersey did, the 353 individuals held in detention pending removal proceedings is the highest number since September 2009. The state's detained population has increased every month since last December and crossed the 300 mark in March for the first time since 2011. Peter Pedemonti, the co-director of the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia, decried the increased detentions. "I hope everybody can look at those numbers and agree that those are 353 people who have been abducted out of our communities," Pedemonti said. "These are our are members of our community." The number of detained people in Pennsylvania has long been higher than that of New Jersey. Before May, the last time New Jersey's total exceeded that of Pennsylvania was March 2020. Part of that is the presence of the Moshannon Valley Processing Center. The former federal prison, located 30 miles northwest of State College, was repurposed as an ICE detention facility in 2021. The facility is run by Geo Group, the same private prison company that operates Delaney Hall, and has faced accusations of serious mistreatment of detainees. Activists have identified Moshannon as the ICE facility where detained Philadelphia residents are most often sent. Pedemonti said he expects Pennsylvania's numbers could rise even further based on anecdotal reports of increased arrests in recent weeks. "(ICE) is under tremendous pressure to produce numbers," Pedemonti said. "We've seen an uptick in the last three weeks (in arrests) in Philadelphia and before that was Norristown, and I'm sure we'll see that in the June (detention) numbers." A spokesperson for ICE's Philadelphia field office did not respond to an email seeking comment on whether the agency has recently been making an effort to detain more individuals. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
New York Post
16 hours ago
- Health
- New York Post
University of California system pushed DEI training before Trump discrimination probe: ‘Equality isn't fair'
WASHINGTON — The University of California system forced students to undergo diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training that taught 'equality isn't actually fair' and implied it may be 'racist' to oppose the Black Lives Matter movement, according to internal records exclusively obtained by The Post. The training module, contracted from a vendor used by the UC system as recently as the 2024-25 school year, largely consists of interactive role-playing scenarios in which students are forced to imagine situations involving perceived 'microaggressions' against certain identities. The training module was obtained via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from the advocacy group Do No Harm, which is focused on 'keeping identity politics out of medical education, research, and clinical practice.' 'This course is a clear example of the political indoctrination the University of California system forces its students to go through,' said Do No Harm medical director Dr. Kurt Miceli in a statement. 'Instead of spending precious time developing critical thinking and analytical skills, students in the UC System are subjected to learn progressive political dogma. The UC System and any other school using this training should refocus on the basics of academic excellence rather than DEI and critical theory.' 3 The training module was obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request from the advocacy group Do No Harm, which is focused on 'keeping identity politics out of medical education, research, and clinical practice.' Vector Solutions It's unclear how widespread the training is in the UC system, but a UCLA student had been required to take the DEI module before graduating this spring, according to reps for Do No Harm. A rep for the University of California said in a statement that the vendor, Vector, no longer had a contract with any school in the 10-campus system. 'Like many large institutions of higher education across the country, for a time, Vector (formerly, EverFi) was a training vendor for the University of California system. The University no longer has a systemwide contract with Vector,' the spokesperson said. 'The University of California ended its systemwide contract with Vector for employee sexual harassment prevention training in May 2024. For student harassment training, the Vector contract was extended through the end of May 2025 to ensure a smooth transition to the new platform and is now ended,' the rep added. 'The University of California did not renew a systemwide contract with Vector for diversity training, and that offering is no longer in use. UC campuses require students, faculty, and staff to complete a variety of trainings based on legal and/or regulatory requirements, UC system requirements, and individual campus needs.' In one video module on 'power, privilege and oppression,' participants were asked to distinguish between 'equality' and 'equity.' '[S]ometimes, equality isn't actually fair,' the script states. 'Equity means fairness, which is about giving everyone what they need to be successful.' Another situation asks trainees to navigate how to respond when a fellow student expresses skepticism about the Black Lives Matter movement and suggests that rallying around the phrase 'All Lives Matter' might be a better way to 'bring people together.' The options for the trainee to pick from include educating the skeptic about why 'Black Lives Matter' is an important movement, telling the student that he's 'naïve' and his 'comments are racist,' or a final option, which is to 'engage in a discussion.' 3 The module details cut against several executive actions taken by the Trump administration — and raise questions about whether the UC system could be subjected to greater scrutiny. Pool/ABACA/Shutterstock The document also instructs students on what types of speech they should and should not use. It reminds trainees to use 'inclusive language' and avoid terms including 'lame' and 'insane,' which purportedly contribute to the 'stigma that disabled people face,' while affirming 'that transgender and intersex people are entitled to use facilities that reflect their gender identity.' If a student '[has] religious, political, or cultural objections to someone's gender identity or expression,' the document advises that they 'remember that our community values include treating everyone with dignity and respect.' The end of the document provides a list of resources for students to 'inspire further learning.' 3 A UCLA student was required to take the DEI module as recently as June, according to reps for Do No Harm. ALLISON DINNER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Among the organizations to which students are referred is 'Showing Up for Racial Justice,' an initiative that aims to '[bring] hundreds of thousands of white people into fights for racial and economic justice.' The group has also accused white voters of casting their ballots for 'self-described Nazis, white supremacists, and those with strong ties to white nationalists,' and described the Republican Party's success among Southern white voters as a result of 'appealing to their racism.' The module details cut against several executive actions taken by the Trump administration — and raise questions about whether the UC system, which receives more than $17 billion in federal funding annually, could be subjected to greater scrutiny. On Thursday, the Trump administration launched an investigation into the UC system to determine whether it ran afoul of federal law by engaging in racial or sex-based discrimination when hiring faculty for certain fellowship programs. Earlier this year, the UC system was hit with a lawsuit by the group Students Against Racial Discrimination for allegedly continuing race-based admissions — even after a Supreme Court ruling outlawed the practice in 2023. Reps for UCLA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Scottish Sun
18 hours ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Migrant hotel kingpins who pocketed millions paid for by YOU ‘flee UK after their £2billion' contract was axed
The pair had already taken at least £47.4million in dividends from the business between April 2021 and September 2022 KINGPINS VANISH Migrant hotel kingpins who pocketed millions paid for by YOU 'flee UK after their £2billion' contract was axed Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TWO migrant hotels kingpins have disappeared after their £2billion contract was axed. Kebab shop owner Safwan Adam, 38, and sushi shop boss Bassam Gilini, 38, made tens of millions from the Home Office through their firm Stay Belvedere Hotels Limited (SBHL). Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Kebab shop owner Safwan Adam, pictured, and Bassam Gilini, made tens of millions from the Home Office Credit: bae 2 Gilini raked in the cash through Stay Belvedere Hotels Limited Credit: Facebook It was announced in March that the firm — which operates 51 sites — was being removed as a government contractor when its deal ends in September next year. The pair had already taken at least £47.4million in dividends from the business between April 2021 and September 2022 — in the only public accounts currently available. It is believed they may have now left the UK. Neighbours at Mr Gilini's £2million home in Chigwell, Essex, said they had not seen him around for 'some time'. Meanwhile a relative of Mr Adam in Wanstead, East London, said he was 'not in the country'. But a source close to the company last night insisted the directors had not moved from the UK and continue to work from the country. The Home Office has refused The Sun's Freedom of Information Act request to explain why the deal was scrapped. Border security and asylum minister Angela Eagle had told a select committee earlier this month that there had been 'non-performance-related issues' with SBHL. The TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'The Home Office's refusal to be transparent, even after a parliamentary committee raised serious concerns is unacceptable.' Neither director has replied to requests for comment.
The Irish Sun
18 hours ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Migrant hotel kingpins who pocketed millions paid for by YOU ‘flee UK after their £2billion' contract was axed
TWO migrant hotels kingpins have disappeared after their £2billion contract was axed. Kebab shop owner Safwan Adam, 38, and sushi shop boss Bassam Gilini, 38, made tens of millions from the Home Office through their firm Advertisement 2 Kebab shop owner Safwan Adam, pictured, and Bassam Gilini, made tens of millions from the Home Office Credit: bae 2 Gilini raked in the cash through Stay Belvedere Hotels Limited Credit: Facebook It was announced in March that the firm — which operates 51 sites — was being next year. The pair had already taken at least £47.4million in dividends from the business between April 2021 and September 2022 — in the only public accounts currently available. It is believed they may have now left the UK. Neighbours at Mr Gilini's £2million home in Chigwell, Essex, said they had not seen him around for 'some time'. Advertisement Meanwhile a relative of Mr Adam in Wanstead, East London, said he was 'not in the country'. But a source close to the company last night insisted the directors had not moved from the UK and continue to work from the country. The Home Office has refused The Sun's Freedom of Information Act request to explain why the deal was scrapped. Border security and asylum minister Advertisement Most read in The Sun The TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'The Home Office's refusal to be transparent, even after a parliamentary committee raised serious concerns is unacceptable.' Neither director has replied to requests for comment. How illegal migrants are paying £20,000 to fly into the UK using fake papers before disappearing in new border threat
Washington Post
20 hours ago
- Business
- Washington Post
D.C. Housing Authority reaches $20,000 settlement with former agency head
After a year-long legal fight, the D.C. Housing Authority has agreed to pay its former executive director Brenda Donald $20,000 to settle a lone breach-of-contract claim left standing after a judge dismissed all of her other allegations surrounding her decision to leave that position. In exchange, she has agreed not to disparage an agency long criticized over its performance serving some of the city's neediest residents, according to the settlement agreement, which The Washington Post obtained this week through a Freedom of Information Act request.
