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Lawyer Who Defended Illegals Could Face Her Own Deportation

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After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2015, Esperanza Franco headed south to the border, where she worked defending immigrants who faced deportation. . .

Franco says her former employer’s mishandling of a work-visa application — she came here from Spain five years ago — has put her in danger of losing her legal status. She fears that in less than a month, she could end up being jailed in the same Arizona detention center where she has gone to visit clients. . .

The paradox of her situation is not lost on Franco, 28, who put her legal knowledge and Spanish-language skills to work in Tucson at the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, a nonprofit advocacy group. . .

“We were all disappointed, but the organization wasn’t at fault,” said executive director Lauren Dasse, who questioned whether Franco was making “false accusations” to hurt the agency.

“It’s really bizarre,” said Domenic Powell, a second-year Penn Law student and friend of Franco’s. “She’s really worried she’s going to be pulled away from the place where she can practice law, and from the mission she’s been on to get people out of detention.” (Read more from “Lawyer Who Defended Illegals Could Face Her Own Deportation” HERE)

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Liberals Vilify ICE for Arresting Illegal Alien Father… Turns out He’s Wanted for Murder in Mexico

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CBS2 News reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested an illegal alien soon-to-be dad as he stopped at the gas station on the way to the hospital with his pregnant wife. Shortly after the story broke, the article was updated to reflect that the man was actually wanted by Mexican authorities for murder. But, this new information didn’t stop the left from going apoplectic and labeling the agency as “heartless.” . . .

“A newborn is without his father Friday after immigration agents detained the man as he was taking his wife to deliver the baby,” the article began. . .

‘My husband needs to be here,’ Maria said. ‘He had to wait for his son for so long, and someone just took him away.’ Maria told CBS2 Arrona-Lara, who is from Mexico, has never been stopped by police, and that he’s never been in trouble with the law, not even for a ticket,” according to CBS 2.

But then, the story was updated to reflect something different. It turns out, Arrona-Lara has had prior run-ins with the law. Arrona-Lara is wanted for murder in Mexico.

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But, in comments given to the Daily Caller News Foundation ICE confirmed that the man is indeed wanted for murder. “Mr. Arrona-Lara was brought to ICE’s attention due to an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Mexico on homicide charges,” ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley told DCNF. (Read more from “Liberals Vilify ICE for Arresting Illegal Alien Father… Turns out He’s Wanted for Murder in Mexico” HERE)

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ICE Uncovers Major Ring of Businesses Using Illegal Alien Labor

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In a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid on Thursday, over a dozen people were arrested for hiring illegal immigrants for cheap labor.

Warrants were obtained for 11 of the businesses in Minnesota, Nebraska and Nevada, according to the Washington Times.

133 illegal immigrant workers were detained in the findings as well.

According to Kare 11 News, ICE agents carried out their search warrants on Christensen Farms locations in Appleton and Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, as well as in Atkinson, Nebraska. Several other Nebraska farms were also raided.

Minneapolis’ Star Tribune reports that “Christensen Farms is one of the largest pork producers in the country, with nearly 1,000 employees and firms in several Midwest states.”

ICE also reported that “they may also have been exploited as part of this alleged criminal conspiracy.”

More specifically, they predict that the illegal immigrant workers were coerced into working in rough conditions by force and by threat of being reported.

In addition, the migrants had to cash in their paychecks at a remittance business, where taxes were removed but not given to the government.

“These illegal aliens were allegedly required to cash their paychecks at an illegal remittance business for a fee, have tax money deducted from their pay even though this money was never paid to the government and were coerced to remain quiet about this criminal activity,” an ICE news release said.

“These targeted businesses were knowingly hiring illegal workers to unlawfully line their own pockets by cheating the workers, cheating the taxpayers, and cheating their business competitors,” Tracy J. Cormier, special agent in charge at Homeland Security Investigations in St. Paul, Minnesota, said.

Seventeen of these people were identified as the ring leaders. Arrests haven’t been made on a handful of them.

ICE reported that this raid was a part of a 15-month investigation of the companies who were accused of hiring immigrants illegally.

Those who were arrested have been placed in custody until their cases are processed.

Of the 133 illegal immigrant workers, some will remain in detention, but some will be released with a future court date.

This is with the hope that they will be deported when their case is finished.

One activist from the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Brad Sigal, found the raid cruel.

“You can’t just look at the Trump presidency and see this as an isolated case — that suddenly he cares about the rights of workers,” he said. “This is just one more attack on the workers, whose lives are going to be dramatically worsened by this.” (For more from the author of “ICE Uncovers Major Ring of Businesses Using Illegal Alien Labor” please click HERE)

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SWAT Brings out the Big Guns When Anti-ICE Protesters Try Blockading Federal Building

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By Conservative Tribune. The hot new thing to do on the left these days in response to President Donald Trump’s no-nonsense, “zero tolerance” policies on illegal immigration is to protest and call for the abolition of the agency tasked with upholding such laws, namely the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. . .

The latest gambit of this sort occurred this week in the Denver area as protesters set up camp on Sunday along the public sidewalk in front of the Centennial ICE facility in Aurora, Colorado, only to see their efforts busted up by police on Thursday, according to The Hill. . .

Unlike in Portland, where the local law enforcement agencies essentially “stood down” and allowed protesters to wreak havoc for weeks against the federal officials — leaving it almost entirely up to federal agents to clear out the area so the mess could be cleaned up — local law enforcement agencies in Colorado stepped up and provided an assist to their federal colleagues who were being harassed and targeted by the antics of the unlawfully assembled group.

The Denver Post reported that a SWAT team with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene late Thursday afternoon and began the process of detaching the protesters from each other and taking them into custody.

Armed with riot gear, rifles and power tools, the sheriff’s office SWAT team used those power tools to carefully cut through the cylinders and chains to separate the protesters that had stretched themselves across the entrance/exit of the facility, preventing anyone from coming or going in a vehicle, according to KDVR. (Read more from “SWAT Brings out the Big Guns When Anti-ICE Protesters Try Blockading Federal Building” HERE)

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Trump to Nominate Vitiello for Top Job at ICE

By The Washington Post. The White House announced Monday that President Trump intends to nominate Ronald D. ­Vitiello to head the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, potentially averting a confirmation showdown by choosing an experienced law enforcement official for the role.

Vitiello, a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol, was named acting director of ICE last month. Trump’s previous pick for the job, Thomas Homan, stepped down after his nomination process stalled and Republican leaders did not bring his confirmation up for a vote in the Senate. (Read more from “Trump to Nominate Vitiello for Top Job at ICE” HERE)

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11-Time Deportee Sentenced for Attacking Women in Sanctuary Oregon

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An illegal alien was sentenced to eight years in federal prison Monday for re-entering the United States illegally after previously being deported no less than 11 times.

Sergio Jose Martinez was arrested by police last year after he attacked two women in Portland, Ore., just one week after he had been released from jail where he was held for interfering with police and providing a false birthdate, the Associated Press reports.

In December, he was sentenced to 35 years in state prison for those attacks, pleading guilty to sodomy, kidnapping, sex abuse, and other charges.

Oregon was the first state in the nation to adopt “sanctuary state” policies, passing a law in 1987 that prevents law enforcement from detaining illegal immigrants who have not broken other U.S. laws. Law enforcement officials say that because of Oregon’s sanctuary state policy, police were forced to release Martinez, enabling him to commit his violent crimes. U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had issued an immigration detainer asking Oregon police to hold Martinez in jail, but he was ordered to be released by a court.

“He was released consistent with the orders of the court. No federal or state criminal warrants were present at the time he left our custody,” Sheriff Michael Reese said at the time.

Sanctuary state policies prevented this evil man from being held by police until ICE could deport him.

In November, voters in Oregon will have a direct say on whether the state keeps its sanctuary city policies, voting on a ballot measure to repeal the 1987 state law. (Read more from “11-Time Deportee Sentenced for Attacking Women in Sanctuary Oregon” HERE)

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Watch: ICE Official Has to Explain to Democrat Senator That Illegal Aliens Break the Law

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By The Daily Wire. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official had to explain to a Democrat senator during a hearing on Tuesday that illegal aliens are illegal aliens because they have broken federal immigration laws.

Matthew T. Albence, Executive Associate Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) at ICE had to inform Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) that illegal aliens face prosecution because they have broken the law. . .

“They have broken a law but only as deemed so by the president with his –” Hirono tried to claim.

“No ma’am,” Albence fired back. “They are there for violation of Title 8 of the U.S. Nationality Act. Okay. U.S.C. 1325. That’s illegal entry is both a criminal and civil violation. They are in those FRCs pending the outcome of that civil immigration process. They have broken the law. ”

(Read more from “Watch: ICE Official Has to Explain to Democrat Senator That Illegal Aliens Break the Law” HERE)

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ICE Agents Accuse Oregon Mayor of Abetting ‘Abolish ICE’ Protesters

By Fox News. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Monday accused an Oregon mayor of violating the Constitution after emboldening “Abolish ICE” protesters by ordering the police to stand down and openly expressing support for their cause.

The accusations were outlined in a cease-and-desist letter sent to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, saying he actively encouraged the protesters and their cause, while making sure Portland’s police wouldn’t crack down on them, thus creating “a zone of terror and lawlessness,” the Washington Times reported.

“When the mayor gave the order that police would not support ICE employees trapped in the facility, he turned the lives of our employees over to an angry mob,” Chris Crane, president of the National ICE Council, the organization that sent the cease-and-desist letter, told the newspaper.

The letter demands Wheeler to make an apology and ensure the city’s police will protect all citizens in need, including those working for a federal agency. A letter advises that the city could be sued if the mayor’s response isn’t adequate.

“The mayor stated publicly that he supported the protests, which were supposed to be about protecting immigrant families. But what about the moms and dads that we had working in that building? What about their kids?” Crane continued. “These are questions that we’ll be expecting the mayor and city of Portland to be answering in the days to come.” (Read more from “ICE Agents Accuse Oregon Mayor of Abetting ‘Abolish ICE’ Protesters” HERE)

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Governor Angers Muslim Group by Accusing Trump of Waging ‘Jihad’ on Illegal Aliens

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By Townhall. During a press brief in Puerto Rico Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) compared the current administration’s efforts to curb illegal immigration to Islamic Jihad.

“They are on a Jihad to deport as many people as they can who they believe are not in the United States legally,” Cuomo said.

“This administration is on a crusade against people who they do not consider original Americans, which is specious and hypocritical at best [because] unless you’re a member of a Native American tribe, then you’re really an immigrant to the United States.” . . .

On Tuesday, the Muslim Democratic Club of New York’s board secretary, Sadaf Mehdi issued a statement requesting an apology from Cuomo for his misuse of the word jihad.

“Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda is rooted in white nationalism, racism, and xenophobia. Governor Cuomo’s comparison of it to a ‘jihad’ only perpetuates the Islamophobic trope that acts of violence are somehow a Muslim invention,” the statement said. (Read more from “Governor Angers Muslim Group by Accusing Trump of Waging ‘Jihad’ on Illegal Aliens” HERE)

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DOJ Tells Agency to Use ‘Illegal Aliens’

By Numbers USA. The Department of Justice issued guidance this week, instructing U.S. attorneys offices to use the term “illegal alien” instead of “undocumented” when referring to a foreign national illegally residing in the U.S. The guidance states that the DOJ should use the term “illegal alien” because it is used in the U.S. Code to describe foreign nationals who reside in the country unlawfully.

“The word ‘undocumented’ is not based in U.S. code and should not be used to describe someone’s illegal presence in the country,” the email states.

The email goes on to say that when referring to a foreign national who is either residing in the country legally or with an unknown immigration status, offices should describe them by their country of citizenship. It adds that U.S. citizens or green card holders are to be described as a “resident” of the city or state they reside in and that the agency can refer to their citizenship or immigration status if it is pertinent to the factual record of the case. (Read more from “DOJ Tells Agency to Use ‘Illegal Aliens'” HERE)

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This Is What Deported Illegal Aliens Are Intentionally Doing With Their Children

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More than 100 illegal-alien parents who recently have been deported intentionally left their children behind in the United States, according to the head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. . .

“They might have a family member who that child can be placed with in the U.S., but that is the parent’s decision,” [Kevin McAleenan] said, according to Breitbart News.

The revelation comes amid emotional protests of the Trump administration’s policy of enforcing a law that requires children of adults being prosecuted for illegal entry to be temporarily housed in shelters apart from the parents. President Trump responded to the protests with an executive order that effectively reinstated the “catch-and-release” policy of trusting illegal immigrants to show up at a court hearing.

Jessica Vaughan, policy director at the Center for Immigration Studies, told Breitbart that the “whole point of bringing the kids was to get the kids into the United States to live with friends or [extended] family.” . . .

“The parents are willing participants in the criminal act of smuggling, willingly putting their children in this dangerous situation, and willingly separating themselves from their kids, and willingly remaining separated,” she said. (Read more from “This Is What Deported Illegal Aliens Are Intentionally Doing With Their Children” HERE)

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Judge Halts Deportations of Reunited Illegal Alien Families

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By ABC News. A federal judge on Monday ordered a temporary halt to deportations of immigrant families reunited after being separated at the border, as the Trump administration races to meet a July 26 deadline for putting more than 2,500 children back in their parents’ arms.

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw imposed a delay of at least a week after a request from the American Civil Liberties Union, which cited “persistent and increasing rumors … that mass deportations may be carried out imminently and immediately upon reunification.” . . .

The ACLU requested that parents have at least one week to decide whether to pursue asylum in the U.S. after they are reunited with their children. The judge held off on deciding that issue until the government outlines its objections in writing by next Monday. . .

The hearing in San Diego occurred as the government accelerated reunifications at eight unidentified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement locations. The families are scattered around the country, the adults at immigration detention centers, the children at shelters overseen by the government.

Annunciation House, a shelter in El Paso, said the government has begun transporting children in a “tremendous amount of airline flights” to El Paso and elsewhere. Director Ruben Garcia said he is preparing to take in as many as 100 reunified families a day. (Read more from “Judge Halts Deportations of Reunited Illegal Alien Families” HERE)

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40 Percent Vacancy: Feds Release Illegal Alien Families Instead of Filling Detention Centers

By Washington Times. The government pays for thousands of detention beds for illegal immigrant families, but nearly 40 percent of them were sitting unused in late June, even as the Department of Homeland Security was rushing to release parents and children into communities.

The empty beds were revealed in court documents late last month. Lawyers who monitor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s facilities said two major facilities were running well below capacity.

ICE’s biggest facility in Dilley, Texas, can hold 2,400 parents and children — but on June 27 and 28 it was at just 63 percent capacity, with 886 beds empty, the detainee logs showed.

Although the beds were empty, the government was still paying for them. (Read more from “40 Percent Vacancy: Feds Release Illegal Alien Families Instead of Filling Detention Centers” HERE)

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Fox Host Shocks Panel When He Drops Country Actually Influencing Elections

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By The Daily Caller. Fox News television host Tucker Carlson explained that the country that has had the greatest influence on the United States’ elections is actually Mexico for “packing our electorate” on The Five Monday night.

“It’s very hard at least for me, Tucker, to take that media response to this seriously. Since it’s always been at an incredible high pitch,” Greg Gutfeld, one of the show’s hosts said. “I’m wondering if this is because the media is blaming Putin for Hillary’s loss and they are constantly demanding their pound of flesh and nothing will ever be enough.”

“Of course they are trying to interfere in our affairs. They have a long time. Many countries do. Some more successfully than Russia like Mexico, which is routinely interfering in our elections by packing our electorate. I don’t understand why we need to believe that Russia is the primary issue of American political life,” Carlson responded. (Read more from “Fox Host Shocks Panel When He Drops Country Actually Influencing Elections” HERE)

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Rep. Diane Black: Ending Illegal Immigration Starts With Zero Tolerance

By Washington Examiner. We are a blessed and compassionate nation filled with people from all walks of life, backgrounds, and countries. That’s what makes America great.

But we’re a great nation because we were founded on the principle of law and order. And right now we have a problem.

When it comes to illegal immigration, many people don’t know that under current law, crossing the border illegally for the first time is classified as only a misdemeanor — with punishment equal to that of petty theft or public intoxication. When immigrants cross the border without going through the proper channels and designated areas, they are breaking the law. Plain and simple.

President Trump has been resoundingly clear on illegal immigration since he began his campaign: We must put American citizens first, fix the system, and secure the border. While I have introduced the Border Wall Trust Fund Act to fund the construction and maintenance of a barrier along our southern border, I believe the next step is to disincentivize illegal immigration from the very beginning.

The Zero Tolerance for Illegal Entry Act would establish a minimum prison sentence of one year and one day for unlawfully entering our country, making it a felony. The larger significance of this is that once you receive a felony conviction and you try to enter again, by legal means, you will not be able to obtain a green card. The goal of my bill is to provide a deterrent for breaking the law; hiring new judges and lawyers alone to prosecute criminals is not going to simply fix the issue. It’s going to be fixed by addressing the heart of the problem. (Read more from “Rep. Diane Black: Ending Illegal Immigration Starts With Zero Tolerance” HERE)

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