Latest news with #WDSU
Axios
2 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Lesli Harris only New Orleans councilmember to run unopposed
As New Orleans City Councilwoman Lesli Harris watched the clock tick down to the end of qualifying earlier this month, she finally took a breath — and then started screaming — when it became clear no one else had stepped up to challenge her for District B leadership. Why it matters: Harris is New Orleans' sole city councilmember to run unopposed this election. What she's saying: "I'm happy that people thought that I was doing a good enough job not to run against me," she tells Axios New Orleans. "It's not just a vote of confidence for me personally," she adds. "It's for my team. ... They do the most on policy issues [and] constituent issues." Behind the scenes: That July moment felt especially like a weight lifted because Harris is still mourning the loss of her mother, who died in May. "We had just had a second-line for my mom, and I was like, can I just not?" she recalls. "There's a lot that's on my plate right now because of all that." Catch up quick: Then a first-time candidate, Harris defeated incumbent Jay Banks in 2021 in a runoff with 55% of the vote, according to WDSU. District B encompasses Broadmoor, Central City, a slice of Mid-City, Gert Town, the Warehouse District, Irish Channel and Garden District. Her wins have included securing $3 million in funding that allowed the city catch up on its yearslong backlog of DNA crime scene and assault kit evidence. She also created and then secured a public vote for the Housing Trust Fund to direct city funds toward affordable housing, and she championed new strategies to reduce New Orleans' unhoused population. Challenges have appeared too, including over her support for the River District redevelopment project, which she says is because of the affordable housing its developers have promised. She also sparred with Gov. Jeff Landry's administration when the state stepped over city leadership to move unhoused people out of downtown ahead of the Super Bowl. "They set up the temporary shelter that cost $19 million, and that was a huge waste of money," she says. "Hopefully his team has convinced him that's not the way to go [and] that the model that New Orleans is following is something that actually works." What we're watching: With Harris' race effectively over before it even began, she's focusing on what lies ahead for her next term. She's still pushing to get NOPD's own crime lab open, but it's not likely until 2027. When the Housing Trust Fund goes into effect in 2026, she's looking forward to shepherding it into existence, too. Plus, she says, "blight is huge for me." "What we're seeing now is, bless their heart, code enforcement is going out and demolishing a lot of these buildings that really could be ... brought back into commerce," she says. Instead, she wants to make it easier to "redevelop them rather than demolish them." For now, Harris says, she'll be watching her colleagues' and potential future colleagues' races closely, though she won't be throwing her support behind anyone in particular.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iranian grandmother released after being detained by ICE while gardening outside Louisiana home
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A woman who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 50 years and had no criminal record was detained outside of her Lakeview, La., home by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last month, much to the shock of her family and friends. After nearly three weeks in custody, her family confirmed she has been released, and a Republican lawmaker may be to thank. In June, Mandonna Kashanian's daughter Kaitlyn Milne told Nexstar's WGNO that her mother had been taken away by ICE agents while gardening outside her home. Sarah Gerig and her husband watched it all happen in real-time, claiming ICE agents gave no explanation. 'When … we saw her getting taken, I mean, it was one of our worst fears, but we were shocked,' Gerig said. 'I mean, it was in front of her house, and she, she was in her yard. My husband ran out to try to talk to her.' Kashanian's daughter, Kaitlynn Milne, says she was able to track her mother's phone to find out where she was: a jail in Hancock County, Miss., and then to detention centers in Jena and Basile. Kashanian came to the U.S. on a student visa when she was 17 years old. She reportedly applied for asylum but was denied. According to Milne, Kashanian was granted a stay of deportation in 1978, allowing her to stay in the U.S. under supervision. 'She checks in regularly,' Milne said last month. 'She had her next appointment on July 21. The only appointment that she might not have been able to walk through the door for was 2024 when they were saying no one can come in to make an appointment online.' ICE claims Kashanian was ordered by a judge to leave the U.S. and did not. On Tuesday, a family member confirmed to WGNO that she was released on Monday night. Neighbors share thoughts after Louisiana woman is released by ICE After a surge of community support for Kashanian, Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who represents Louisiana's 1st Congressional District, including the New Orleans suburbs, told local media outlet WDSU that he asked the Department of Homeland Security to give Kashanian 'a fair shake.' Scalise said Kashanian should be judged on 'her life's work' and role in her community. 'When she was picked up, we looked at it and said, 'Are they really looking at it the right way, objectively?'' Scalise told WDSU. 'And so they took a second look at it.' Scalise's intervention was 'absolutely crucial' to behind-the-scenes advocacy to secure Kashanian's release, her attorney Ken Mayeaux told The Associated Press. What happens next for Kashanian's legal status is still being worked out, he said. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in an emailed statement that 'the facts of this case have not changed.' 'Mandonna Kashanian is in this country illegally,' McLaughlin said. 'She exhausted all her legal options.' Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, a Republican who represents Kashanian's community, said she had been a 'devoted mother and wife, a caretaker, neighbor and dedicated volunteer' with Habitat for Humanity, her local school district and other organizations. Hantavirus, rabies exposures confirmed at Grand Canyon National Park More than 100 of Kashanian's neighbors wrote letters of support for her, which Hilferty told the AP that she and Scalise had shared with President Donald Trump's administration. 'She's just been an incredible volunteer and servant to our Lakeview community, everybody knows her because of all she gives and does,' said Connie Uddo, a neighbor of Kashanian's who leads the NOLA Tree Project where Kashanian and her husband have volunteered for years. Some neighbors wrote letters addressed to Trump expressing support for his immigration policies but saying that some people like Kashanian were being detained improperly and urging him to reconsider her case. 'She's meeting her obligations,' Milne told the AP following her detention. 'She's retirement age. She's not a threat. Who picks up a grandmother?' Other Iranians living in the U.S. for decades have also been picked up by immigration authorities, and U.S. military strikes on Iran have raised concerns that more may be taken into custody and deported. Iran was one of 12 countries subject to a U.S. travel ban that took effect this month. Immigration authorities are seeking to arrest 3,000 people a day under directives from the Trump administration. Musk's AI company scrubs inappropriate posts after Grok chatbot makes antisemitic comments Kashanian's attorney, Mayeaux, said he represents other clients who had built lives in the U.S. over decades and are now being detained and deported. 'There is still a tremendous amount of heartache that is happening for people,' Mayeaux said. 'The difference is they lived quiet lives and didn't have access to political power to change the outcomes in their cases.' The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Iranian grandmother released after being detained by ICE while gardening outside Louisiana home
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A woman who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 50 years and had no criminal record was detained outside of her Lakeview, La., home by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last month, much to the shock of her family and friends. After nearly three weeks in custody, her family confirmed she has been released, and a Republican lawmaker may be to thank. In June, Mandonna Kashanian's daughter Kaitlyn Milne told Nexstar's WGNO that her mother had been taken away by ICE agents while gardening outside her home. Sarah Gerig and her husband watched it all happen in real-time, claiming ICE agents gave no explanation. 'When … we saw her getting taken, I mean, it was one of our worst fears, but we were shocked,' Gerig said. 'I mean, it was in front of her house, and she, she was in her yard. My husband ran out to try to talk to her.' Kashanian's daughter, Kaitlynn Milne, says she was able to track her mother's phone to find out where she was: a jail in Hancock County, Miss., and then to detention centers in Jena and Basile. Kashanian came to the U.S. on a student visa when she was 17 years old. She reportedly applied for asylum but was denied. According to Milne, Kashanian was granted a stay of deportation in 1978, allowing her to stay in the U.S. under supervision. 'She checks in regularly,' Milne said last month. 'She had her next appointment on July 21. The only appointment that she might not have been able to walk through the door for was 2024 when they were saying no one can come in to make an appointment online.' ICE claims Kashanian was ordered by a judge to leave the U.S. and did not. On Tuesday, a family member confirmed to WGNO that she was released on Monday night. After a surge of community support for Kashanian, Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who represents Louisiana's 1st Congressional District, including the New Orleans suburbs, told local media outlet WDSU that he asked the Department of Homeland Security to give Kashanian 'a fair shake.' Scalise said Kashanian should be judged on 'her life's work' and role in her community. 'When she was picked up, we looked at it and said, 'Are they really looking at it the right way, objectively?'' Scalise told WDSU. 'And so they took a second look at it.' Scalise's intervention was 'absolutely crucial' to behind-the-scenes advocacy to secure Kashanian's release, her attorney Ken Mayeaux told The Associated Press. What happens next for Kashanian's legal status is still being worked out, he said. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in an emailed statement that 'the facts of this case have not changed.' 'Mandonna Kashanian is in this country illegally,' McLaughlin said. 'She exhausted all her legal options.' Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, a Republican who represents Kashanian's community, said she had been a 'devoted mother and wife, a caretaker, neighbor and dedicated volunteer' with Habitat for Humanity, her local school district and other organizations. More than 100 of Kashanian's neighbors wrote letters of support for her, which Hilferty told the AP that she and Scalise had shared with President Donald Trump's administration. 'She's just been an incredible volunteer and servant to our Lakeview community, everybody knows her because of all she gives and does,' said Connie Uddo, a neighbor of Kashanian's who leads the NOLA Tree Project where Kashanian and her husband have volunteered for years. Some neighbors wrote letters addressed to Trump expressing support for his immigration policies but saying that some people like Kashanian were being detained improperly and urging him to reconsider her case. 'She's meeting her obligations,' Milne told the AP following her detention. 'She's retirement age. She's not a threat. Who picks up a grandmother?' Other Iranians living in the U.S. for decades have also been picked up by immigration authorities, and U.S. military strikes on Iran have raised concerns that more may be taken into custody and deported. Iran was one of 12 countries subject to a U.S. travel ban that took effect this month. Immigration authorities are seeking to arrest 3,000 people a day under directives from the Trump administration. Kashanian's attorney, Mayeaux, said he represents other clients who had built lives in the U.S. over decades and are now being detained and deported. 'There is still a tremendous amount of heartache that is happening for people,' Mayeaux said. 'The difference is they lived quiet lives and didn't have access to political power to change the outcomes in their cases.' The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Boston Globe
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Iranian mother released from ICE detention after Republican House Majority Leader intervenes
After a surge of community support for Kashanian, Scalise, who represents Louisiana's 1st Congressional District, including the New Orleans suburbs, told media outlet WDSU that he asked the Department of Homeland Security to give Kashanian 'a fair shake.' Advertisement Scalise said Kashanian should be judged on 'her life's work' and role in her community. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'When she was picked up, we looked at it and said, 'Are they really looking at it the right way, objectively?'' Scalise told WDSU. 'And so they took a second look at it.' Scalise's office did not respond to a request for comment from the AP. Scalise's intervention was 'absolutely crucial' to behind-the-scenes advocacy to secure Kashanian's release, her attorney Ken Mayeaux told The Associated Press. What happens next for Kashanian's legal status is still being worked out, said. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in an emailed statement that 'the facts of this case have not changed.' 'Mandonna Kashanian is in this country illegally,' McLaughlin said. 'She exhausted all her legal options.' Advertisement Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, a Republican who represents Kashanian's community, said she had been a 'devoted mother and wife, a caretaker, neighbor and dedicated volunteer' with Habitat for Humanity, her local school district and other organizations. More than 100 of Kashanian's neighbors wrote letters of support for her, which Hilferty told the AP she and Scalise had shared with President Donald Trump's administration. 'She's just been an incredible volunteer and servant to our Lakeview community, everybody knows her because of all she gives and does,' said Connie Uddo, a neighbor of Kashanian's who leads the NOLA Tree Project where Kashanian and her husband have volunteered for years. Some neighbors wrote letters addressed to Trump expressing support for his immigration policies but saying that some people like Kashanian were being detained improperly and urging him to reconsider her case. Kashanian had arrived in the U.S. in 1978 on a student visa and unsuccessfully applied for asylum based on her father's support of the U.S.-backed shah. ICE New Orleans said in a June post on the social platform X that Kashanian had failed to depart the U.S. after the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld a deportation order in 1992. 'She was ordered by a judge to depart the U.S. and didn't,' the agency said. 'Shouldn't be a surprise we came knocking.' But Kashanian was allowed to remain with her husband and child as long as she checked in regularly with immigration authorities, her family said. For decades, she had 'faithfully and fully complied with those terms,' said Mayeaux, her attorney. She even managed to check in with authorities while displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Kashanian met her husband, Russell Milne while bartending as a student in the late 1980s. She filmed Persian cooking tutorials on YouTube and doted on the neighboring children. Advertisement Milne told the AP his family was 'extremely grateful' for all the support from their community and elected officials. 'She's meeting her obligations,' Milne told the AP following her detention. 'She's retirement age. She's not a threat. Who picks up a grandmother?' Other Iranians living in the U.S. for decades have also been picked up by immigration authorities, and U.S. military strikes on Iran have raised concerns that more may be taken into custody and deported. Iran was one of 12 countries subject to a U.S. travel ban that took effect this month. Immigration authorities are seeking to arrest 3,000 people a day under directives from the Trump administration. Kashanian's attorney Mayeaux said he represents other clients who had built lives in the U.S. over decades and are now being detained and deported. 'There is still a tremendous amount of heartache that is happening for people,' Mayeaux said. 'The difference is they lived quiet lives and didn't have access to political power to change the outcomes in their cases.'
San Francisco Chronicle
09-07-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Iranian mother released from ICE detention after Republican House Majority Leader intervenes
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An Iranian mother detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers has been released this week following advocacy from Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Mandonna 'Donna' Kashanian, 64, was detained by ICE officers last month as she gardened in the yard of her New Orleans home. She had been living in the United States for 47 years and her husband and daughter are both U.S. citizens. Kashanian had been allowed to stay in the U.S. as long as she checked in regularly with immigration authorities, as she had done without fail, her family and attorney said. After a surge of community support for Kashanian, Scalise, who represents Louisiana's First Congressional District, including the New Orleans suburbs, told media outlet WDSU that he asked the Department of Homeland Security to give Kashanian 'a fair shake.' Scalise said Kashanian should be judged on 'her life's work' and role in her community. 'When she was picked up, we looked at it and said, 'Are they really looking at it the right way, objectively?'' Scalise told WDSU. 'And so they took a second look at it.' Scalise's intervention was 'absolutely crucial' to behind-the-scenes advocacy to secure Kashanian's release, her attorney Ken Mayeaux told The Associated Press. What happens next for Kashanian's legal status is still being worked out, he added. Scalise's office did not respond to a request for comment from The AP. Kashanian had been a 'devoted mother and wife, a caretaker, neighbor and dedicated volunteer' with Habitat for Humanity, her local school district and other organizations, said Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, a Republican who represents Kashanian's community. More than 100 of Kashanian's neighbors wrote letters of support for her, which Hilferty told AP she and Scalise had shared with President Donald Trump's administration. 'She's just been an incredible volunteer and servant to our Lakeview community, everybody knows her because of all she gives and does,' said Connie Uddo, a neighbor of Kashanian's who leads the NOLA Tree Project where Kashanian and husband have volunteered for years. Some neighbors wrote letters addressed to Trump expressing support for his immigration policies but saying that some people like Kashanian were being detained improperly and urging him to reconsider her case. Kashanian had arrived in the U.S. in 1978 on a student visa and unsuccessfully applied for asylum based on her father's support of the U.S.-backed shah. ICE New Orleans said in a June post on X that Kashanian had failed to depart the U.S. after the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld a deportation order in 1992. 'She was ordered by a judge to depart the U.S. and didn't,' the agency said. 'Shouldn't be a surprise we came knocking.' But Kashanian was allowed to remain with her husband and child as long as she checked in regularly with immigration authorities, her family said. For decades, she had 'faithfully and fully complied with those terms,' said Mayeaux, her attorney. She even managed to check in with authorities while displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Russell Milne, Kashanian's husband, told AP his family was 'extremely grateful' for all the support from their community and elected officials. Kashanian met her husband while bartending as a student in the late 1980s. She volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, filmed Persian cooking tutorials on YouTube and doted on the neighboring children. 'She's meeting her obligations,' Milne told AP following her detention. 'She's retirement age. She's not a threat. Who picks up a grandmother?' The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately provide comment on Kashanian's release. Other Iranians living in the U.S. for decades have also been picked up by immigration authorities, and U.S. military strikes on Iran have raised concerns that more may be taken into custody and deported. Iran was one of 12 countries subject to a U.S. travel ban that took effect this month. Immigration authorities are seeking to arrest 3,000 people a day under directives from the Trump administration. Kashanian's attorney Mayeaux said he represents other clients who had built lives in the U.S. over decades and are now being detained and deported. 'There is still a tremendous amount of heartache that is happening for people,' Mayeaux said. "The difference is they lived quiet lives and didn't have access to political power to change the outcomes in their cases." ___
