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Int'l Business Times
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
TikToker Creates Fake 'Alligator Alcatraz' Tour Company That Redirects MAGA Supporters to Migrant Aid Resources
A TikToker is going viral after she created a website touting fake tours of the Trump administration's new "Alligator Alcatraz," which redirects visitors to resources for migrant aid. Lisandra Vazquez, a comedian with more than 830,000 followers on TikTok, created the fake tour company " Terri's Tourz ," which offers both "basic" and "VIP" tours of the newly erected migrant detention center in the Florida Everglades. However, when visitors try to purchase tickets for the tours or try to enter parts of the site claiming to lead them to merch or information about the alligators, users are instead sent to various nonprofits that offer legal and/or financial support for migrants, such as the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and Border Kindness . Vazquez, who is known for creating sketches mocking politicians, created the site as part of a video she did acting as "Terri," a female business owner boasting tours and allowing those interested to "claim an alligator" for $4,547. If the alligator someone "claimed" later "eats an illegal," Terri said they could win a gift card to a "non-DEI business." As the TikTok gained traction online, with more than 211,000 views as of Tuesday, Vazquez revisited the site to add a pop-up at the request of TikTok users so that visitors could be asked to submit their emails. In exchange for submitting their email, visitors would then be eligible for "20% off" of the fake tours. Vazquez said she has not yet decided what to send signees who do input their emails, but told her followers she was "open to ideas" in a comment. However, she warned her followers who were in on the joke, "Please resist the urge to put your email in unless you want to be considered one of them." In the last 24 hours, the comedian shared that her site had received more than 6,000 visits, though it is not clear how many of those were from her fans. The newly constructed facility has sparked both humanitarian and environmental concerns. The detention center was built in the Florida Everglades, an environmentally sensitive area bordering Miccosukee and Seminole tribal lands. Five Democratic Florida lawmakers attempted to visit the facility over the weekend, but were reportedly denied entry. Days later, detainees at the facility began speaking about allegedly not having water for regular showers and finding "maggots" in their food. The Trump administration has defended the construction of the facility, claiming it is in the interest of American safety and security. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt previously said the administration plans to house up to 5,000 migrants at the detention center. Originally published on Latin Times
Bloomberg
13-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
How Home Depot Parking Lots Turned Into Deportation Hotspots
As President Donald Trump deployed thousands of troops into Los Angeles last weekend, a national group that helps day laborers called for the city's residents to stage a parallel deployment. 'Go to Home Depot, any Home Depot near you,' said a June 8 statement from the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, 'and stand with the immigrants who are being seized and taken away.' It's not even an open secret that Home Depot, with more than 2,000 stores across the US, is seen as a fixture in the off-the-books market for day laborers, the vast majority of whom are undocumented. It's been that way for more than a generation — roughly 30 years ago, the same group cited Home Depot Inc. as one of the businesses that needed to improve conditions for day laborers. Few other major American retailers are as enmeshed in national immigration issues like those that have boiled over into rolling street confrontations in Los Angeles and other cities over the past week.
The Intercept
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Intercept
Trump's GI Joe-Cosplaying 'Goon Squads' Sow Terror — and Solidarity
Across the country, demonstrators are preparing for a weekend of protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, Donald Trump's planned June 14 military parade, and Trump himself. Ground zero for these demonstrations is likely to be Los Angeles, where heavily armed ICE agents have carried out raids at churches, graduations, parking lots, and scores of other gathering spots recently. ' The level of armament that these guys are wearing is out of a GI Joe movie,' said Salvador G. Sarmiento, the campaign director and lawyer for the 70-member National Day Laborer Organizing Network. 'It seems like the federal police is just driving around willy-nilly — dressed up as a goon squad — picking up people that they see on a street corner.' 'The federal government [is] violently taking people from their work sites in military fashion,' added Jonah Valdez, reporter for The Intercept. This week on The Intercept Briefing, Sarmiento and Valdez joined host Jordan Uhl to discuss the wave of ICE operations sweeping Los Angeles that have sparked a week of protests and the militarized response from law enforcement. Several weeks ago, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller went on Fox News to tout the Trump administration's goal of 3,000 ICE arrests per day. Shortly after that, federal agents targeted day laborers outside several Los Angeles-area Home Depots and raided Ambiance Apparel, a clothing manufacturer in the heart of downtown. Sarmiento hypothesized that LA's reputation as 'a multicultural, multiracial, working-class city,' bothers Trump administration officials like Miller and Tom Homan, Trump's border czar. 'If anything triggers Stephen Miller more than the city of Los Angeles itself, it's undocumented workers that are visible on a street corner,' Sarimento said. 'Day laborers are often a target.' As videos of agents clad in tactical gear and armored vehicles spread online, so did fear and resistance. Protests erupted against the federal government's aggressive and militaristic push into communities. The law enforcement response against protesters escalated quickly with so-called 'less-lethal' munitions being fired at the crowd on Sunday. 'I spoke with five people total who were hit and injured by LAPD mostly, but also [California Highway Patrol],' said Valdez. 'One of them has a pretty bad injury on his arm where the ER doctor told him he's worried about long-term nerve damage and mobility.' Sarmiento, Valdez, and Uhl also discussed how the protests have been misrepresented by right-wing and mainstream media outlets — and the importance of community solidarity. ' People [have to] continue showing up because there's no politician, no elected official, no foundation, nobody in D.C. or Sacramento that's going to come save the day,' Sarmiento said. 'It's the people, it's our neighbors, it's our loved ones, it's our family, it's our friends, our co-workers that we're all counting on.' As people head to the streets again this weekend, protesters should be informed about their constitutional rights and safety options. The episode also features practical advice from attorney Isabella Salomão Nascimento. You can hear the full conversation of The Intercept Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
The Herald Scotland
08-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Who is Kilmar Abrego Garcia? Man returns from wrongful deportation
At a June 6 press conference, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi accused the Maryland man of making over 100 trips to smuggle illegal immigrants across the nation. "Thousands of illegal aliens were smuggled," Bondi told reporters. "The defendant traded the innocence of minor children for profit. There are even more disturbing facts that the grand jury uncovered." The U.S. government again attested that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 criminal gang, an allegation his attorneys and family have heavily denied. "We should treat any of these charges with a high degree of suspicion and he should get a fair hearing in court because he isn't getting one in the court of public opinion," said Chris Newman, Legal Director at the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, which represents Abrego Garcia's family. Newman said he was recently denied from meeting with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, alongside Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Maryland. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, met with Abrego Garcia briefly in El Salvador. Who is Kilmar Abrego Garcia? Abrego Garcia is a 29-year-old sheet metal worker who grew up in the El Salvador capital of San Salvador, in a neighborhood known as Los Nogales. He fled to the U.S. as a teenager for a new life, eventually moved to Maryland and became a father of three, as USA TODAY previously reported. On March 12, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pulled him over while he driving with his 5-year-old son. Three days later, he was deported to El Salvador's CECOT mega prison for terrorists. The deportation led to eventual standoff among President Donald Trump, the courts, some members of Congress and the Salvadoran government. The Justice Department insists Abrego Garcia is a member of a dangerous criminal gang, while he insists he is not. Why was deported to El Salvador? The Trump administration deemed the deportation a mistake caused by an administrative "error." However the White House, argued it had no authority to bring him back to the U.S. because he is in a foreign country. Previously: Trump's team acknowledges 'administrative error' led to deportation to El Salvador What are Kilmar Abrego Garcia's criminal charges? Abrego Garcia has been indicted on two charges of unlawful transport of undocumented immigrants for financial gain in Tennessee in May, as reported by USA TODAY. Though police have never charged Abrego Garcia with domestic violence, his wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura filed a 2021 protection order alleging instances of violence in 2019, 2020 and 2021. In the filing, she alleged that Abrego Garcia "punched and scratched" her. What is Kilmar Abrego Garcia's legal status? Abrego Garcia was granted a legal status in 2019 in which an immigration judge ruled the Maryland resident could not be deported to El Salvador because he had a "well-grounded fear of future persecution," as previously reported by USA TODAY. Due to the 2019 ruling, a U.S. district judge ordered the Trump administration to return him back to the U.S., with the U.S. Supreme Court later ordering the administration to "facilitate" his release. What has Trump said about Kilmar Abrego Garcia? President Trump has not yet commented on Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S. However, the Trump administration has insisted that the El Salvador native is a member of the MS-13 gang, an accusation a federal judge has questioned due to the strength of the government's evidence. Abrego Garcia's attorneys have insisted he has not been a member of the gang. Contributing: Erin Mansfield, Nick Penzenstadler, Will Carless, Bart Jansen and staff, USA TODAY
USA Today
06-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Who is Kilmar Abrego Garcia? Man returns to US after wrongful deportation
Who is Kilmar Abrego Garcia? Man returns to US after wrongful deportation Show Caption Hide Caption Federal judge hears from Trump admin, Kilmar Abrego Garcia lawyers A federal judge in Maryland heard from lawyers from both sides in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the father wrongfully detained by ICE. After being wrongly deported to the his native country of El Salvador earlier this year, Kilmar Abrego Garcia returned to the United States where he will face human trafficking charges, Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed. The U.S. sent Abrego Garcia, 29, back to the Central American country in March despite a court order that barred the move due to security concerns. At a June 6 press conference, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi accused the Maryland man of making over 100 trips to smuggle illegal immigrants across the nation. "Thousands of illegal aliens were smuggled," Bondi told reporters. "The defendant traded the innocence of minor children for profit. There are even more disturbing facts that the grand jury uncovered." The U.S. government again attested that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 criminal gang, an allegation his attorneys and family have heavily denied. "We should treat any of these charges with a high degree of suspicion and he should get a fair hearing in court because he isn't getting one in the court of public opinion," said Chris Newman, Legal Director at the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, which represents Abrego Garcia's family. Newman said he was recently denied from meeting with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, alongside Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Maryland. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, met with Abrego Garcia briefly in El Salvador. Who is Kilmar Abrego Garcia? Abrego Garcia is a 29-year-old sheet metal worker who grew up in the El Salvador capital of San Salvador, in a neighborhood known as Los Nogales. He fled to the U.S. as a teenager for a new life, eventually moved to Maryland and became a father of three, as USA TODAY previously reported. On March 12, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pulled him over while he driving with his 5-year-old son. Three days later, he was deported to El Salvador's CECOT mega prison for terrorists. The deportation led to eventual standoff among President Donald Trump, the courts, some members of Congress and the Salvadoran government. The Justice Department insists Abrego Garcia is a member of a dangerous criminal gang, while he insists he is not. Why was deported to El Salvador? The Trump administration deemed the deportation a mistake caused by an administrative "error." However the White House, argued it had no authority to bring him back to the U.S. because he is in a foreign country. Previously: Trump's team acknowledges 'administrative error' led to deportation to El Salvador What are Kilmar Abrego Garcia's criminal charges? Abrego Garcia has been indicted on two charges of unlawful transport of undocumented immigrants for financial gain in Tennessee in May, as reported by USA TODAY. Though police have never charged Abrego Garcia with domestic violence, his wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura filed a 2021 protection order alleging instances of violence in 2019, 2020 and 2021. In the filing, she alleged that Abrego Garcia "punched and scratched" her. What is Kilmar Abrego Garcia's legal status? Abrego Garcia was granted a legal status in 2019 in which an immigration judge ruled the Maryland resident could not be deported to El Salvador because he had a "well-grounded fear of future persecution," as previously reported by USA TODAY. Due to the 2019 ruling, a U.S. district judge ordered the Trump administration to return him back to the U.S., with the U.S. Supreme Court later ordering the administration to "facilitate" his release. What has Trump said about Kilmar Abrego Garcia? President Trump has not yet commented on Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S. However, the Trump administration has insisted that the El Salvador native is a member of the MS-13 gang, an accusation a federal judge has questioned due to the strength of the government's evidence. Abrego Garcia's attorneys have insisted he has not been a member of the gang. Contributing: Erin Mansfield, Nick Penzenstadler, Will Carless, Bart Jansen and staff, USA TODAY
