Latest news with #US-citizen
NZ Herald
18-07-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
In September, Homeland Security will end temporary protections for more than 50,000 Hondurans and Nicaraguans
The decision, announced in early July, has been met with outrage from immigrant communities across the country, prompting a lawsuit by the National TPS Alliance, an advocacy group, and seven impacted individuals. The parties allege that the decision violated federal law by 'relying on a predetermined political decision' and 'racial animus', while ignoring 'dire' local conditions in those countries. Immigration advocates hope federal courts will step in to intervene. But the order has left tens of thousands of people grappling with the possibility that they will be forced to leave their families and US-citizen children to return to countries where they have no immediate family, no community, no jobs - places that in some cases they haven't seen in nearly three decades. 'My life has been here in the Bay Area,' said Jhony Silva, 29, a certified nursing assistant from Honduras, who is suing the Trump Administration for ending the programme. His parents brought him to the US as a toddler in 1998. 'I've been doing everything the right way this whole time,' said Silva, who fears being separated from his 9-year-old child, a US citizen. 'I am very, very worried.' President Bill Clinton established temporary protections for Hondurans and Nicaraguans after Hurricane Mitch devastated the Central American nations in 1998. Since then, the Government has renewed the programme every six to 18 months, but the Trump Administration let it expire on July 5. The Administration has also moved to revoke TPS for as many as 900,000 people from Haiti, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Cameroon and Nepal living in the US, arguing that the programmes for nationals of countries facing conflict and environmental disaster was always intended to be temporary. Hondurans and Nicaraguans have had temporary protections for much longer - in some cases decades more - than immigrants from the other countries. Nearly 27 years after Hurricane Mitch, 'Honduran citizens can safely return home', Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement about ending that country's programme. Of Nicaragua's termination, a DHS spokesperson said the programme 'was never meant to last a quarter of a century'. It's not clear whether people affected will leave the US voluntarily or try to lie low to avoid deportation. The average TPS holder from Honduras and Nicaragua is aged 48 and has been in the US for more than 30 years, according to estimates from an immigration advocacy group. TPS holders from Honduras and Nicaragua told the Washington Post they now identify as American. Maria Elena Hernandez, 67, came to the US from Nicaragua in 1996 and has worked as a cleaner at a university in Broward County, Florida, for more than 17 years. She stands to lose her job and her employer-sponsored health insurance, which covers medication for asthma and a heart condition. 'This news destroyed me,' said Hernandez, who is also suing the federal Government. 'I am going to be separated from my family. I'm going to lose my medical insurance. I have a medicine that I have to take for life.' The Trump Administration's termination of multiple humanitarian programmes could strip three million immigrants of their status and work authorisation, according to some immigration experts. About 72,000 Hondurans and 4000 Nicaraguans have temporary protections, although roughly 22,100 of them have received green cards, according to the Department of Homeland Security, and therefore will be able to stay. Typically, administrations notify TPS holders six months or more before winding down TPS programmes for countries that have had the designation for more than three years. But when the Administration announced the terminations of the programmes for Hondurans and Nicaraguans on July 7, the programme had already expired two days earlier. 'The cruelty is really extraordinary,' said Emi MacLean, a senior lawyer at the ACLU Foundation of Northern California who is working on the lawsuit. 'These people have no criminal history, because you cannot maintain TPS with criminal history. They've been paying their taxes for decades. They've been paying to reregister. And the administration waiting until after the end date to announce a termination is something that has not been done before.' Jackey Baiza, now 30, was 2 when she came to Boston from Honduras with her mother. Her employer told her a day before the Fourth of July weekend that it was placing her on leave while awaiting notice as to whether the Trump Administration would extend the TPS programme for Honduras past its July 5 expiration. Baiza has since been asked to return to her human resources job until the programme runs out in early September. 'I have no direct communication with anyone in Honduras,' Baiza said. 'Being sent back is going to a place where I have absolutely no roots. I don't know where I would go. I have no clue how to navigate the country.' She fears separation from her mother, sister, and other immediate family members, all of whom have US citizenship or permanent residence. Baiza's mother secured permanent legal residence through Baiza's younger sister who was born in the US. Over the past three decades, thousands of Hondurans and Nicaraguans have used legal pathways to obtain green cards or citizenship, including through asylum applications, marriage to US citizens or through US-citizen children. But most immigrants with temporary protections, including Baiza, do not have obvious legal ways to remain in the country after early September. Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Centre for Immigration Studies, a Washington think-tank that advocates for stricter immigration policies, called the order 'an important step in the right direction'. 'The lie of temporariness needs to end,' Krikorian said. 'It's not a great thing to uproot people who have been here for a long time, but the blame has to be on activists and politicians who have made sure TPS was perverted in this way. If the programme had lasted 12 to 18 months, it would be a lot less disruptive for people.' Many of the affected Hondurans and Nicaraguans work in construction, building and grounds maintenance, and transportation - industries that face labour shortages dating to the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Some regions are going to get hit really hard, and it's going to be even harder for folks to build things or provide healthcare,' said Brian Turmail, a vice-president at Associated General Contractors of America, a trade group that represents the construction industry. Silva worked at a Tesla factory in the paint department throughout the pandemic and was considered 'an essential worker', he said. Now he works as a certified nursing assistant in the cardiac unit at Stanford Hospital, bathing, dressing, and feeding sick patients. Growing up in the Bay Area, Silva participated in his church's youth group, went to the movies and played mini golf. He didn't think much about his immigration status, he said. When he graduated from high school in 2013 and tried to enlist in the US Army, a recruiter told him he was not eligible. 'I've tried to be as American as possible,' Silva said. 'But I've been in his country almost 30 years, and it's still so difficult for me to get any type of permanent status.' Mardoel Hernandez, 57, came by himself to the Washington DC area from Honduras at age 21 under the TPS programme. He works in real estate development and advocates for permanent status for the large Central American immigrant community in the area. The end of the programme 'means the end of everything,' Hernandez said. 'The end of the effort of my life.'
Hindustan Times
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Who is Cynthia Olivera and why was the Canadian mother detained by ICE in California
Cynthia Olivera, a 45-year-old Canadian-born mother of three US-citizen children, was detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last month, during a green card interview in Chatsworth, California. She and her husband both supported President Donald Trump's plans to conduct mass deportations. Cynthia Olivera was detained by ICE agents in California(AFP) 'We feel totally blindsided,' Olivera's husband, a US citizen and self-identified Trump voter Francisco Olivera, told KGTV. "I want my vote back.' Cynthia's case, tied to a 1999 deportation order, has drawn attention. Read More: 6-year-old with leukemia detained by ICE. Then this happens Who Is Cynthia Olivera? Born in Mississauga, Ontario, Olivera moved to the US at age 10 with her parents from Toronto. She has lived in Los Angeles for over 35 years, attending elementary, junior high, and high school there. She married Francisco Olvera, a US citizen, in the 1990s, and they have three US-born children. Olivera worked legally in 2024 under a Biden-era work permit, paid taxes, and has no criminal record. In 2023, with her children grown, Olivera hired a lawyer to pursue legal residency through her marriage, culminating in the June 13, 2025, green card interview. Read More: Why was Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr arrested by ICE agents? Key details emerge Why Was She Detained by ICE? In 1999, Olivera traveled to Canada for her mother's funeral. At the Buffalo border crossing, she was denied re-entry after disclosing she was pregnant and planned to give birth in the US, leading to an expedited removal order for residing in the US illegally. She re-entered via San Diego months later without inspection, which ICE later cited as a felony. During her green card interview in Chatsworth, ICE agents detained her after a security guard singled her out. Her husband waited outside, and the interviewing officer did not return. She was handcuffed and transferred to an El Paso, Texas, detention center. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, 'ICE arrested Cynthia Ivanna Olivera, an illegal alien from Canada, who was previously deported and chose to ignore our law.'
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Low-income migrants fined up to $1.8 million by Trump admin
President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House. WASHINGTON: Wendy Ortiz was surprised to find out she was being fined by US immigration authorities for being in the country illegally - but it was the amount that truly shocked her: $1.8 million. Ortiz, 32, who earns $13 an hour in her job at a meatpacking plant in Pennsylvania, has lived in the US for a decade, after fleeing El Salvador to escape a violent ex-partner and gang threats, she said in an interview and in immigration paperwork. Her salary barely covers rent and expenses for her autistic US-citizen son. "It's not fair," she said. "Where is someone going to find that much money?" In the last few weeks, US President Trump has started to operationalise a plan to fine migrants who fail to leave the US after a final deportation order , issuing notices to 4,500 migrants with penalties totaling more than $500 million, a senior Trump official said, requesting anonymity. Reuters spoke with eight immigration lawyers around the country who said their clients had been fined from several thousand dollars to just over $1.8 million. The recipients of the notices were informed that they had 30 days to contest, in writing, under oath, and with evidence as to why the penalty should not be imposed. The steep fines are part of Trump's aggressive push to get immigrants in the US illegally to leave the country voluntarily, or "self deport." The Trump administration plan, details of which were first reported in April, include levying fines of $998 per day for migrants who failed to leave the US after a deportation order. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The administration planned to issue fines retroactively for up to five years. Under that framework, the maximum would be $1.8 million. The govt would then consider seizing the property of immigrants who could not pay. It remains unclear exactly how the Trump administration would collect the fines and seize property. The fines reviewed by Reuters were issued by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but a separate agency - Customs and Border Protection (CBP) - has been asked to process them and handle potential forfeitures, Reuters reported in April. The US department of homeland security did not respond to a request for comment.
Straits Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Low-income migrants fined up to $2.3 million by Trump administration
Immigration lawyers said their clients had been fined from several thousand dollars to just over US$1.8 million. PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON - Ms Wendy Ortiz was surprised to find out she was being fined by US immigration authorities for being in the country illegally - but it was the amount that truly shocked her: US$1.8 million (S$2.3 million) . Ms Ortiz, 32, who earns US$13 an hour in her job at a meatpacking plant in Pennsylvania, has lived in the United States for a decade, after fleeing El Salvador to escape a violent ex-partner and gang threats, she said in an interview and in immigration paperwork. Her salary barely covers rent and expenses for her autistic 6-year-old US-citizen son. 'It's not fair,' she said. 'Where is someone going to find that much money?' In the last few weeks, US President Donald Trump has started to operationalise a plan to fine migrants who fail to leave the US after a final deportation order, issuing notices to 4,500 migrants with penalties totaling more than US$500 million, a senior Trump official said, requesting anonymity to share internal figures. Reuters spoke with eight immigration lawyers around the country who said their clients had been fined from several thousand dollars to just over US$1.8 million. The recipients of the notices were informed that they had 30 days to contest, in writing, under oath, and with evidence as to why the penalty should not be imposed. The steep fines are part of Mr Trump's aggressive push to get immigrants in the US illegally to leave the country voluntarily, or 'self deport'. The Trump administration plan, details of which were first reported by Reuters in April, include levying fines of US$998 per day for migrants who failed to leave the US after a deportation order. The administration planned to issue fines retroactively for up to five years, Reuters reported. Under that framework, the maximum would be US$1.8 million. The government would then consider seizing the property of immigrants who could not pay. It remains unclear exactly how the Trump administration would collect the fines and seize property. Immigration lawyers baffled The fines reviewed by Reuters were issued by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but a separate agency - Customs and Border Protection - has been asked to process them and handle potential forfeitures, Reuters reported in April. CBP is still working out the complicated logistics to conduct seizures, a CBP official said, requesting anonymity. The US Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in April that immigrants in the US illegally should 'self deport and leave the country now'. The fines stem from a 1996 law that was enforced for the first time in 2018, during Mr Trump's first term in office, and target the roughly 1.4 million migrants who have been ordered deported by an immigration judge. The Trump administration withdrew fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars against nine migrants who sought sanctuary in churches in his first term after a legal challenge, but proceeded with smaller penalties. Mr Joe Biden's administration dropped the fines in 2021. Mr Robert Scott, a New York City-based immigration lawyer, said he was baffled when one of his clients - a low-income Mexican woman who has lived in the US for 25 years - also received a US$1.8 million fine. 'At first you look at something like this and think it's fake,' he said. 'I've never seen a client receive anything like this.' Mr Scott said the woman received a final deportation order in 2013 but was not aware of it at the time. The woman filed a motion i n 2024 to reopen the removal order, which is still pending, Mr Scott said. 'She hasn't been hiding,' he said. 'I find it curious that they would pick on someone like that. I don't know if it's random, I don't know if she's low-hanging fruit. I don't know.' Seeking relief, then targeted After crossing the border in 2015, Ms Ortiz was released to pursue her asylum claim when an officer found she had a credible fear of persecution, documents show. But she said she never received an immigration court hearing notice and was ordered deported after failing to show up to court in 2018. Ms Ortiz's immigration lawyer requested humanitarian relief from the US government on Jan 8, saying she faced danger in El Salvador and that her son would not have access to services for autistic children. The petition asked for 'prosecutorial discretion' and for the government to reopen and dismiss her case. Axel, son of Ms Wendy Ortiz, waits to go to the park, at their home in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, on May 17. PHOTO: REUTERS Twelve days later, Mr Trump took office and launched his wide-ranging immigration crackdown. Ms Rosina Stambaugh, Ms Ortiz's attorney, said she had requested a 30-day extension and was considering ways to fight the fine in court. 'She is a mother of an autistic child, she has no criminal history, and they have all of her background information,' Ms Stambaugh said. 'I just think it's absolutely insane.' Lawyers said clients who received the notices also included spouses of US citizens, who were actively trying to legalise their immigration status. Ms Rosa, a US citizen in New York, said her Honduran husband was fined US$5,000. She said her husband was not able to leave the country after being granted voluntary departure in 2018 because she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. She hopes once she explains the situation, that the fine may be waived. If not, she said, he will have to work many extra hours to pay it. 'It's one thing after the other,' she said. 'This whole process has cost us so much money.' REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
29-04-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Deported Cuban mother separated from breastfeeding 1-year-old daughter, World News
HAVANA — Cuban mother Heidy Sanchez collapsed into tears as she recalled the moment last week when US immigration officials in Florida told her she would be deported and separated from her still-breastfeeding 1-year-old daughter. "They told me to call my husband, that our daughter had to stay and that I would go," she told Reuters in an interview at a family member's home near the Cuban capital, Havana. "My daughter got nervous and agitated and began to ask for milk, but it didn't matter to them." The US Department of Homeland Security told Reuters that Sanchez' statement was inaccurate and contradicted standard Immigration and Customs Enforcement protocol. "Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with someone the parent designates," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in an emailed response late on Monday (April 28). "In this case, the parent stated they wanted to be removed without the child and left the child in the care of a safe relative in the United States." DHS did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for evidence that Sanchez had been offered the choice to take her child with her to Cuba. Sanchez said she arrived in her home country hours after being detained, with no passport or identification and no documentation from the United States explaining the reason for her deportation. The contradictions in Sanchez' case highlight concerns among civil rights advocates over the due process rights of immigrants during US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, a key platform of his 2024 election campaign. Trump's administration on Monday touted the early results of the aggressive enforcement measures, highlighting a drop in illegal border crossings. Democrats and civil rights advocates, however, have criticised his administration's tactics, including the cases of several US-citizen children recently deported with their parents. One of the children had a rare form of cancer, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Unlike those cases, Sanchez, who was surprised at a routine check-in at an ICE office in Tampa last Thursday, said she was given no choice but to leave behind her daughter, a US citizen. She said officials separated her from her child, escorted her to a van, handcuffed her and later that day, deported her by air to Cuba alongside 81 others. Sanchez, 44, had been under deportation orders since 2019 but was allowed to temporarily live and work in the United States as long as she regularly checked in with ICE. During that time, she married a Cuban-born naturalised US citizen and had her first child in November of 2023. Her husband sought legal residence in the US for Sanchez two years ago as a result of their marriage, but had yet to receive a response, she said. Sanchez broke down several times during the interview with Reuters. She said she understood that ICE officials were "just doing their job" but said separating a mother from her breastfeeding infant was "unjust." "I can't sleep, I can't rest," she said. "All I ask is that they reunite me again with my daughter." The case underscores a sharp break in policy between the Trump and Biden administrations. Under Biden, ICE officials were instructed to consider the impact of enforcement action on families. Trump rescinded that guidance, which had prioritised the deportations of serious criminals. Instead, Trump broadened the scope of enforcement, including targeting migrants like Sanchez with standing deportation orders. Sanchez, who said she had no criminal record, is now just a few hundred miles from her daughter in Florida but a world apart. Worsening shortages of food, fuel and medicine on the communist-run island, just 90 miles (145 km) off Key West, have made life unbearable for many Cubans. The crisis has spurred a record-breaking exodus from the island of over one million people, or upwards of 10 per cent off the population, a predicament Cuba blames on US sanctions that contribute to strangling an already inefficient state-run economy. Sanchez said she now faced the "impossible" decision to remain apart from her infant daughter or bringing her to crisis-racked Cuba. "Everybody knows the situation here," she said. [[nid:717278]]
