Latest news with #criminals
Wall Street Journal
a day ago
- Wall Street Journal
The Criminal Enterprise Run by Monkeys
PECATU, Indonesia—At a cliffside temple on the tropical island of Bali, an unexpected group of criminals is running one of the world's most sophisticated scam operations. Every week, they steal dozens of phones, wallets and other valuables from tourists in broad daylight and exchange them for handsome rewards. It's been going on for decades and nobody's been able to stop it.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fewer than half of ICE arrests under Trump are convicted criminals
A woman cries after her husband is detained by federal agents during a mandatory immigration check-in in June in New York City. The Trump administration's arrests have been catching a smaller share of criminals overall, and a smaller share of people convicted of violent and drug crimes, than the Biden administration did in the same time frame last year. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Despite Trump administration rhetoric accusing Democrats of protecting violent criminals and drug-dealing immigrants, the administration's arrests have been catching a smaller share of criminals overall, and a smaller share of people convicted of violent and drug crimes, than the Biden administration did in the same time frame. While the Trump administration has caught more immigrants with convictions for drugs and violence, their share of the rising arrest numbers is smaller, as more people get swept up for minor traffic violations or strictly immigration crimes, according to a Stateline analysis. Forty percent of the nearly 112,000 arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from Jan. 20 through late June were of convicted criminals. That's compared with 53% of the nearly 51,000 arrests for same time period in 2024 under the Biden administration. Trump's deportations could cost 6M jobs, report finds The share of people convicted of violent crime fell from 10% to 7% and drug crimes from 9% to 5%, according to a Stateline analysis of data from the Deportation Data Project. The project, led by attorneys and professors in California, Maryland and New York, collects and posts public, anonymized U.S. government immigration enforcement datasets obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests. Some Democratic states are among those with the highest share of violent criminals in this year's ICE arrests: Hawaii (15%), Vermont (13%), and California and Nebraska (12%) — while some of the lowest shares were in more Republican states: Maine (2%), and Alabama, Montana and Wyoming (3%). Immigration attorneys see an increased push to arrest and detain immigrants for any type of violation or pending charge as President Donald Trump pushes for higher arrest and detention numbers to meet his campaign promise for mass deportation. Trump officials have called for 3,000 arrests a day, far more than the current average of 711 as of June and 321 a day during the same time period under Biden. The majority of recent ICE detentions involve people with no convictions. That's a pattern I find troubling. – Oregon Republican state Rep. Cyrus Javadi Arrests have accelerated since about mid-May, when government attorneys began asking to revoke bail and arrest people who show up for court hearings after being released at the border, said Vanessa Dojaquez-Torres, practice and policy counsel for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, which represents more than 16,000 immigration attorneys. 'We're not completely sure what the reasoning or the goal is behind some of these policies, other than they want detention numbers up,' Dojaquez-Torres said. 'They seem to have really been struggling to get their deportation numbers up, and so I think that's one of the reasons why we see a lot of these policies going into effect that are meant to kind of circumvent the immigration court process and due process.' Arrests of people convicted of violent crimes increased by 45% from about 5,300 to 7,700 compared with last year. For drug crimes, the increase was 21% — and they fell as a share of total arrests, from 9% under the Biden administration to 5% this year. If Trump wants more deportations, he'll need to target the construction industry Arrests for those not convicted of any crime nearly tripled to about 67,000, and increased from 47% to 60% of arrests. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defended ICE arrests Wednesday. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that the agency was 'targeting dangerous criminal illegal aliens and taking them off American streets. Violent thugs ICE arrested include child pedophiles, drug traffickers, and burglars.' In Oregon, arrests during the first part of last year increased from 51 under the Biden administration to 227 under the Trump administration, with those not convicted of any crime increasing from 34 to 137. Those with convictions for violent crime increased from 3 to 16. Even some Republicans are concerned with the new emphasis on non-criminals. 'The majority of recent ICE detentions involve people with no convictions. That's a pattern I find troubling, especially when it risks sweeping up people for things like expired tags or missed court dates,' said Oregon state Rep. Cyrus Javadi, a moderate Republican representing Tillamook and Clatsop counties. Nationally, nonviolent crimes have risen as a share of immigration arrests. The most common crime conviction for those arrested this year is driving while intoxicated, which was also the top offense last year under Biden. But this year it's closely followed by general traffic offenses, which rose to second place from sixth place, surpassing such crimes as assault and drug trafficking. More cities, counties join immigrant sanctuary lawsuit seeking to block Trump funding cuts Traffic offenses, outside of driving while intoxicated and hit and run, rose almost fourfold as the most serious conviction on record for those arrested, the largest increase in the top 10. Those offenses were followed by increases in the immigration crime of illegal entry, meaning crossing the border in secret, which tripled. The increase in traffic violations as a source of immigration arrests is a reason for cities to consider limiting traffic stops, said Daniela Gilbert, director of the Redefining Public Safety Initiative at the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit devoted to ending mass incarceration. 'It's an important point to consider intervening in so that there can be less interaction, and so ICE has less opportunity to continue its indiscriminate dragnet of enforcement,' Gilbert said. The institute argues in general that traffic stops should be limited to safety issues rather than low-level infractions such as expired registrations or single burned-out taillights, both because they do not improve public safety and because they disproportionately affect drivers of color. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Such policies limiting stops under some conditions are in place in 10 states and in cities in six other states, according to the institute. The most recent state polices took effect last year in California and Illinois, while a policy is set to take effect in October in Connecticut. The most recent city policies were in Denver and in East Lansing and Ypsilanti, Michigan. Six other states have considered legislation recently. Stateline reporter Tim Henderson can be reached at thenderson@ SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
Four carjacking suspects in custody after pursuit by state police ends in Chicago
Four people were taken into custody after a pursuit on the Eisenhower Expressway ended in Chicago Friday morning. Illinois State Police said they spotted a vehicle on I-290 that was involved in a carjacking around 4:30 a.m. It's unclear where the car was stolen from. After being chased by police, the suspects exited the expressway and then drove into an alley between Monroe and Madison where they crashed into concrete barricades. The four suspects attempted to flee on foot but were taken into custody. Investigation into the incident remains ongoing. No further information was immediately available.
Al Jazeera
5 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Is Trump using Africa as a ‘dumping ground' for criminals?
Activists and human rights groups have accused United States President Donald Trump of using African countries as a 'dumping ground' for criminals he wants to deport after five men were deported from the US to the tiny kingdom of Eswatini. On July 16, a deportation flight carrying five men from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba and Yemen, all of whom have been convicted of crimes in the US, landed in Eswatini, the last African country governed by a monarch with absolute power. The deportations were part of Trump's 'third country' plan to deport people whose own countries are unwilling to take them back. Eswatini is the second African nation that the US has deported criminals to. Also this month, Washington said it had sent eight 'uniquely barbaric monsters' to conflict-torn South Sudan. Last month, the US Supreme Court allowed the deportations of foreign nationals to unrelated third countries. Since then, international rights groups and civil society groups from African nations have raised alarms of human rights abuses. 'The US government sees us as a criminal dumpsite and undermines Emaswati [the people of Eswatini],' Wandile Dludlu, a pro-democracy activist and deputy president of the country's largest opposition movement, the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), told Al Jazeera. As a political party, PUDEMO is a banned organisation in Eswatini. So is Trump planning to use African nations as a 'dumping ground' for deportees? Who are the five men Trump deported to Eswatini? This month, Tricia McLaughlin, US Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, said the deportation flight to Eswatini had taken away 'individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back'. 'These depraved monsters have been terrorizing American communities but thanks to [Trump] they are off of American soil,' she wrote in a post on X. NEW: a safe third country deportation flight to Eswatini in Southern Africa has landed— This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back. These depraved monsters have been terrorizing American communities but thanks to @POTUS… — Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) July 16, 2025 Without sharing their names, McLaughlin confirmed the five were nationals from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba and Yemen. She said all were convicted criminals – including for offences of child rape, murder, robbery, gang ties and homicides – and had been given prison sentences as long as 25 years. What agreement has the Trump administration made with Eswatini? Trump rode to victory in last year's presidential election on the back of a campaign with mass deportations as its centrepiece. Since then, the Trump administration has been negotiating a third-country deportation agreement with several nations, including Eswatini, which will allow it to deport foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes who have been rejected by their home countries. While the exact terms remain classified, the agreement between Eswatini and the US reportedly emerged after 'months of robust high-level engagements', the kingdom's acting spokesperson, Thabile Mdluli, said. Mdluli also said the kingdom would collaborate with the White House and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) 'to facilitate the transit of these inmates to their countries of origin'. However, 'there are no timelines at present' for their repatriation, she told CNN in an interview. Daniel Akech, a senior analyst for South Sudan at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera that some African governments are agreeing to receive convicted deportees as a 'goodwill gesture, aiming to improve US ties and be in [Trump's] good books'. But he said they have also 'implicitly dismissed human rights concerns and the lack of transparency on how third nationals' safety is ensured'. Akech said the African Union and the United Nations could partner with receiving countries to monitor the process of US deportations 'to ensure that the deportees are protected and their living conditions are good'. 'The areas where these deportees stay could face conflicts, and this would require plans on how to ensure their safety or safe transfer within the country or outside,' Akech said. What do we know about Eswatini? The mountainous Southern African kingdom is a tiny landlocked nation bordering South Africa and Mozambique and is one of a handful of countries that are still absolute monarchies with absolute power residing with the king, currently King Mswati III. Under British colonial rule, which ended in 1968, the country was known as Swaziland. It was renamed by the king in 2018. Mswati has ruled Eswatini since 1986 when he turned 18, succeeding his father, Sobhuza II, who died in 1982. Now aged 57, Mswati has been criticised for suppressing political dissent. The World Bank said more than half of Eswatini's 1.2 million people live on less than $4 a day. The king is reported to have 11 wives, and his wealth is estimated at $200m to $500m, according to an Associated Press report. Eswatini's economy is dominated by agriculture and small-scale manufacturing as well as its sugar sector, which accounts for a substantial share of its export revenues. The country is one of Africa's largest sugar producers, exporting roughly $477m of sugar and sugar-related products in 2023 – about 23 percent of its total exports. What do people in Eswatini think about Trump's deportation plan? Regional leaders and activists said there is a good deal of anger about it. Dludlu described the 'dumping' of convicted criminals as 'distasteful and fraudulent conduct by His Majesty and his government in the face of the unprecedented public healthcare crisis' in the country. 'This is attracting indignation from Emaswati for naked abuse of their sovereignty and territorial integrity as a nation and people,' Dludlu told Al Jazeera. He said PUDEMO and its supporters demand that the government and the US 'reverse this absurd and illegal yet irrational decision to take criminals from the US when other nations seek fair trade, quality education and other meaningful exchanges'. Dludlu further noted that the incoming deportees will only add to the 'overcrowded prison facilities that are poorly run [in] dilapidated and outdated infrastructure'. Figures show that prisons in Eswatini operate at more than 170 percent of their capacity. Civil society groups – including the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, the Swaziland Rural Women's Assembly and other regional NGOs – have threatened legal proceedings against the Eswatini government over its acceptance of the five convicted criminals. They argued that the detentions violate Eswatini's own Correctional Services Act and other domestic laws and said there is no lawful basis for imprisoning foreign nationals who lack legal ties to the country. Chris Ogunmodede, a foreign affairs analyst familiar with African diplomatic circles, said there are several questions hovering over the agreement made with the Trump administration. These range from the legal justification used to authorise the deportees' transfers, whether the men were informed and given consular access, the duration of their detentions and the terms of the arrangement with the US. He added that Eswatini and South Sudan are 'smaller economies with no geopolitical weight' on which White House officials could easily 'impose their will'. What does the Eswatini government say? In a public statement, Mdluli said the government assured the people of the kingdom that the arrival of five third-country deportees from the US 'poses no security threat to the Nation'. It stated that the five prisoners would be housed in correctional facilities within isolated units 'where similar offenders are kept'. Addressing the bilateral discussions with the White House, she said the 'engagements considered every avenue, including rigorous risk assessments and careful consideration for the safety and security of citizens'. Which other African nations does Trump hope to negotiate deportation deals with? In addition to Eswatini and South Sudan, Trump has discussed third-country deportation deals with the leaders of Liberia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Gabon during a summit at the White House this month. Trump reportedly discussed migration, including the need for countries to accept the return of their nationals who do not have the right to stay in the US and the possibility of accepting deported citizens of third countries. Tom Homan, Trump's border tsar, said the Trump administration hoped to forge deals with 'many countries' to accept deported migrants. 'If there is a significant public threat or national security threat, there's one thing for sure: They're not walking the streets of this country. We'll find a third, safe nation to send them to, and we're doing it,' he said. Rwanda has confirmed it is in talks with the Trump administration for a similar deal while Nigeria said it had rejected pressure to make an agreement. Which other countries have considered a third-country deportation policy? United Kingdom The UK has explored third-country deportation policies as part of its efforts to manage irregular migration and asylum claims. Under the previous Conservative government, the UK partnered with Rwanda in 2022 and planned to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing with the UK committing 370 million pounds ($497m) in development funding over five years in exchange. The plan was first struck down by the UK Supreme Court in November 2023 for violating international human rights norms, given Rwanda's inadequate asylum system and human rights concerns. In response, the government enacted the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024, which declared Rwanda a 'safe country' and limited legal challenges to the policy. After the Labour Party's victory in the July 2024 elections, Prime Minister Keir Starmer swiftly terminated the Rwanda scheme. However, in May, Starmer said he was talking to 'a number of countries' about 'return hubs', where undocumented immigrants could be sent. Israel Similarly, Israel implemented a third-country deportation arrangement targeting African asylum seekers by sending them to countries like Rwanda and Uganda from 2013 to 2018. The government offered $3,500 per person to those agreeing to leave. In 2018, however, Israel's Supreme Court in effect dismantled the policy, ruling it unlawful in part due to the receiving countries' failure to guarantee protections and uphold international obligations under the Refugee Convention. Ogunmodede said the UK's and Israel's deals with African nations amounted to the 'outsourcing of the migration problem'. He added that now, the US under the Trump administration is 'using a carrot and stick approach to getting countries around the world to comply with the things that they want'.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Judge-supervised drug treatment sentences expanded
More criminals will get drug and alcohol treatment under the close supervision of a judge as a new type of sentence is will meet a judge weekly or monthly after being sentenced, to monitor their progress in what are known as Intensive Supervision Courts, modelled on a similar system of "problem-solving courts" in can still send offenders to prison if they stop complying with the order, and ministers acknowledge the option is only appropriate for a carefully-selected expansion is the first of a series of new measures being rolled out after a landmark sentencing review to tackle to prison overcrowding. Prisons Minister Lord Timpson told the BBC: "This is often tougher than going to prison."They're having to work every day to prove that they're not taking drugs, they're not drinking, and they are going through all the courses that we're putting them through."Pilot schemes of the system were introduced by the last Conservative government, but are seen by the Labour government as an important part of the future of sentencing. Lord Timpson said he was "clear that it's working, so we want to roll it out".Crown Court judges will be tasked with meeting the offenders under the new News was allowed to sit in on a hearing, which would normally be in private, taking place at one of the pilot schemes in Bristol Crown Court, Judge Moira Macmillan was reviewing the case of 28-year-old Kane Lawrenson. Lawrenson narrowly avoided prison in April after pleading guilty to using violence to secure entry. Instead, he was sentenced to a two-year intensive programme designed to stop him using has to see the judge regularly so she can check on his progress with his probation officer and his drugs time, he had received a very positive report and the judge was full of praise for him. "It's incredibly impressive," Judge Macmillan told him. "It's brilliant to see you looking so well."Much of the hearing was a one-to-one conversation between the judge and Lawrenson in which they maintained eye contact and often said he had occasionally slipped up in the last month but had managed 14 days completely clean. He added: "I'm feeling the most positive I have for years."The judge, who did not wear a wig for the relatively informal hearing, said "everyone has bumps in the road" and encouraged him to start thinking about his future. She said she did not need to see him again for four is all in stark contrast to Lawrenson's last seven years, in which he has been sent to prison four times. All of his offences - from reckless driving to supplying class A drugs - were linked to his own drug use. After his Intensive Supervision Court hearing, Lawrenson said he was in a "10 times better" place now than he was just a few months ago - when he was "pretty much using every single day"."I'm really excited for the future, to be honest."No longer am I waking up looking to see if there's a plate with residue on it, looking to see who can I get more off, or whatever. "Now I'm waking up thinking, right, let's have me protein shake. Let's have me bowl of oats. What gym am I going to?"Every day I can go to sleep and think, 'you've actually made something productive out of the day'. Like, 'you ain't just sat there sniffing line after line after line.'"A recent evaluation of the pilot schemes in Liverpool, Teeside and Birmingham found that convicted criminals with significant addiction issues on the schemes were receiving a clean drug test two-thirds of the time. The Ministry of Justice says this is "clear evidence that the model is working. "Asked about the extra money that the pilot schemes had cost, Lord Timpson said this had to be considered against "£53,000 a year for someone to be in prison". "That's an awful lot of money. "What we need to do is to make sure we can invest in certain offenders now, to make sure they don't spend years in prison and create further victims in the future."Zara McKee, who is Lawrenson's advanced recovery practitioner, said there was real evidence that people were offending less while on the scheme."Whether that be because they do feel there's more people kind of keeping a close kind of eye on them, so be it. "But I do think more of that is because they feel supported, and they are more genuinely inclined to want to make changes."
