Category Archives: US immigration

How the US government created a fake university to snare immigrant students

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Court documents reveal stunning scheme used to trap 161 foreign nationals; Ice maintains the students knew the school was fake

The University of Farmington website described a college that would prepare students to succeed in an “ever-globalizing economy.” Students would show up at campus wearing backpacks and asking questions about classes. The US government listed Farmington as eligible to enroll foreign students. The school president, whose LinkedIn page is still online, sent emails to students describing his institution as “a nationally accredited institution authorized to enroll international students.”

But it was all a sham to snare immigrants.

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House Democrats to file measure aimed at blocking Trump’s emergency declaration

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Lawmakers’ move, planned for Friday, sets up clash over presidential powers and immigration but is likely to fail

House Democrats will file a resolution Friday aimed at blocking the national emergency declaration that Donald Trump has issued to help finance his wall along the Southwest border, teeing up a clash over billions of dollars, immigration policy and the constitution’s separation of powers.

Though the effort seems almost certain to ultimately fall short – perhaps to a Trump veto – the resulting votes will let Democrats take a defiant stance against Trump that is sure to please liberal voters. They will also put some Republicans from swing districts and states in a difficult spot.

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Trump might have a solid case for emergency declaration, analysts say

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Though Trump himself suggested there is no real emergency, courts are unlikely to second-guess a presidents’ broad leeway

Many legal analysts who watched Donald Trump declare a national emergency over immigration on Friday thought the president had weak legal grounds for doing so. In particular, many thought Trump hurt his own case by admitting, right there in the White House Rose Garden: “I didn’t need to do this, but I’d rather do it much faster.”

“This quote should be the first sentence of the first paragraph of every complaint filed this afternoon,” tweeted George Conway, a top Washington lawyer and the husband of Trump aide Kellyanne Conway.

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16 US states sue over Trump border wall emergency declaration

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Coalition led by California accuses the president of ‘unilaterally robbing taxpayer funds’

A coalition of 16 US states led by California has launched legal action against Donald Trump’s administration over his decision to declare a national emergency in order to fund a wall along the Mexico border.

The lawsuit was filed on Monday in the US district court for the northern district of California after Trump invoked emergency powers on Friday when Congress declined his request for $5.7bn to help create his signature policy promise.

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Trump’s emergency: the arbitrary action of an instinctive autocrat | Simon Tisdall

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US president’s latest ploy is the product of an immature, egotistic mind, and is based on a lie

The phrase “national emergency” conjures up images of riots in the streets and burning cities, a disease pandemic killing millions, or an inter-planetary invasion by little green men from Mars.

Donald Trump’s national emergency, over his thwarted plans to build a border wall with Mexico, is prompted by none of these horrors. According to him, the safety and wellbeing of the world’s richest, most powerful country is threatened with utter destruction by penniless Guatemalans.

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Rapper 21 Savage did not talk about being British for fear of US deportation

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  • Star tells ABC mother brought him to the US when he was seven
  • Lawyers say application for new visa filed in 2017

The Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage did not talk about his British citizenship before because he didn’t want to get deported.

Related: 21 Savage is being detained, but he’s not a threat – except to white supremacy | Rashad Robinson and Jose Antonio Vargas

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Trump declares national emergency to bypass Congress over border wall funds – live news

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Trump announces emergency to bypass Congress and free up billions for long-promised border wall

Here’s Trump earlier, performing what is being referred to as both a “ditty” and a “sing-song”. The sound of the summer?

"We'll end up in the Supreme Court and hopefully get a fair shake and win in the Supreme Court just like the ban," said Trump, acknowledging his administration may get sued over the national emergency. https://t.co/rPePQTU8uT pic.twitter.com/QneaGmvvLv

A gag order for attorneys and witnesses has been issued in the case of Roger Stone by a federal judge in Washington DC.

Stone, a longtime friend and adviser to Donald Trump, was indicted last month on charges of lying to investigators, obstructing justice and witness tampering. He denies wrongdoing.

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Trump declares national emergency to build US-Mexico border wall

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Plan may divert billions from projects such as counterdrug efforts, has been condemned by Democrats and activists

Donald Trump has defied fierce criticism to announce that he is using emergency powers to bypass Congress and pursue the building of a wall on the US-Mexico border.

At a combative, rambling and at times incoherent press conference in the White House, the US president insisted he had no choice but to declare a national emergency to stop illegal immigrants spreading crime and drugs.

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National emergency: Trump’s ‘clear abuse of power’ faces torrent of lawsuits

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Declaration prompts dire warnings but fallout could be contained by successful legal challenge or resolution in Congress

As state attorneys general across the country threaten to sue the White House over Donald Trump’s declaration of a national immigration emergency on Friday, Democrats and Republicans insisted Trump was overstepping his powers, while legal analysts warned of a dangerous new phase of the Trump presidency.

Related: Trump declares national emergency to bypass Congress over border wall funds – live news

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Pelosi slams Trump’s national emergency over border wall – video

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Responding to Donald Trump's decision to declare a national emergency to fund his border wall with Mexico, House speaker Nancy Pelosi says he is setting a precedent that should be met with 'great unease and dismay' and the Democrats are considering making a legal challenge. 'You want to talk about a national emergency? Let’s talk about today,' Pelosi adds, noting that it is the first anniversary of the massacre at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school, in which 17 people died


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Trump poised to declare emergency as Congress approves shutdown deal

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President is expected to sign bill but has vowed emergency action to build border wall with Mexico

Donald Trump has vowed to declare a national emergency as a way of funding his long-promised border wall with Mexico, as Congress overwhelmingly approved a border security agreement that would prevent a second damaging government shutdown.

After days of uncertainty, Trump announced his intention to support the massive $333bn-spending package, which includes on a sliver of what he sought for a steel wall. The Senate moved quickly, approving the bill in a vote of 83-16. Hours later the House passed the legislation, 300-128. Trump is expected to seal the deal with his signature on Friday, while at the same time declaring a national emergency.

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Trump administration still separating families at border, advocates say

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Annunciation House shelter still receives calls each week about new cases of separations in El Paso, legal coordinator said

The Trump administration is still tearing young children away from their parents when they cross the US-Mexico border unlawfully, despite formally ending the policy of family separations last summer, according to immigration advocates in Texas.

Related: 'Inexplicable cruelty': US government sued over family separations at border

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Donald Trump v Beto O’Rourke: rival rallies on US border security – video report

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Donald Trump and potential presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke held rallies in El Paso, Texas, on Monday night offering their contrasting views on Trump's US-Mexico border wall. The president addressed his crowd in front of a big US flag along with three 'finish the wall' banners. Meanwhile nearby, O'Rourke told supporters El Paso was, 'safe not because of walls but in spite of walls'.

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Trump: ‘Just so you know, we’re building the wall anyway.’ – video

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Donald Trump's pursuit of a border wall continued as he spoke at a rally in El Paso, Texas. Banners reading 'Finish the wall' lined the El Paso County Coliseum as the president  spoke of how Democrats wanted to propose measures that would 'release of thousands of criminal illegal aliens'

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‘Inexplicable cruelty’: US government sued over family separations at border

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Eight immigrant families seek $6m each for children’s lasting trauma of Trump administration’s ‘zero-tolerance’ policy

Lawyers for eight immigrant families separated under Trump administration policy have filed claims against the US government, demanding $6m each in damages for what they describe as “inexplicable cruelty” and lasting trauma.

Related: US family separation crisis – in pictures

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Jitters mount as second US shutdown looms after talks stall over border wall

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Bipartisan negotiators are running out of time to reach a deal over Trump’s demand for a border wall

Bipartisan negotiators in Washington are running out of time to reach a deal over Donald Trump’s demand for a border wall after talks stalled, raising the prospect of another government shutdown starting on Friday.

Leaders from both main parties sitting on a 17-strong negotiating panel must reach a deal over the disputed border security issue by Monday if there is to be time for Congress to pass legislation and Trump to sign it before the latest deadline of 15 February. Should they fail to reach agreement within hours, federal agencies, already exhausted after the 35-day shutdown that ended last month having impacted 800,000 federal employees, will yet again start to close from Friday at midnight.

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Rapper 21 Savage arrested by US immigration – for being British

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  • Atlanta rapper held early on Sunday in Super Bowl city
  • Star is nominated for two awards at Grammys next week

The rapper 21 Savage was arrested in Atlanta early on Sunday morning by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice).

Related: 'I'm the gay Tupac': Jussie Smollett plays first concert since alleged attack

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Trump policy to deter asylum seekers is illegal, says Amnesty director

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‘Remain in Mexico’ policy is also a human rights violation that is ‘throwing the entire system into chaos’, said Margaret Huang

The Trump administration’s “remain in Mexico” policy aimed at deterring asylum seekers, especially at the southern border, is illegal and a human rights violation, the head of Amnesty International in the United States has said.

Related: Ice force-feeds immigrants inside Texas detention center

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What happened to the deal – and the refugees – surviving Australian and US politics? | Anne Richard

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I signed the agreement to resettle some of Australia’s refugees from Nauru and Manus Island in the US. I wanted to see how they are faring now

Two years ago, Australia’s then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull called to congratulate Donald Trump on his inauguration, and to elicit the new president’s support for continuing an agreement between Australia and the US. Australia had stopped thousands of asylum seekers from reaching its shores and had arranged to detain them on islands in the South Pacific; the US had agreed to resettle some in America. The transcript of the phone conversation makes clear that the deal was a top priority for Turnbull and an unwelcome surprise for Trump, who called it “a rotten deal”.

Related: US believed Australia would take more refugees in exchange for Nauru and Manus deal

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Migrants flee violence only to find more in Tijuana – Mexico’s murder capital

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Homicides in Tijuana have skyrocketed recently, returning the city to levels of hyper-violence it last saw a decade ago

This week, the Trump administration pushed ahead with its plan to return asylum seekers to Mexico while their cases are considered, moving the first group through San Diego’s San Ysidro crossing late on Friday.

Related: 'The US can't dump people in Mexico': Trump asylum policy in doubt

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