Sharp drop in illegal border crossings continues in February
March 15, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A sharp drop in illegal border crossings along the Southwest border that started in January after the Biden administration announced stricter immigration measures continued into February, the administration announced Wednesday.
Born after 9/11, Homeland Security turns 20 facing new tasks
March 1, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A federal agency born in the aftermath of Sept. 11 when the primary concern was stopping terrorists from entering the U.S. is changing to meet new challenges, said the secretary of homeland security as he marked its 20-year anniversary during a ceremony Wednesday.
$1M settlement in lawsuit over federal immigration raid
February 28, 2023 GMTKNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge has approved a settlement of more than $1 million in a class action lawsuit that challenged a federal immigration raid at an eastern Tennessee meatpacking plant where about 100 people were arrested.
Latino Republicans push back on party’s immigration agenda
February 28, 2023 GMTMIAMI (AP) — More than half of the residents in the slice of Miami that includes Little Havana were born abroad. And when Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar ran for reelection last year, she won by 15 percentage points.
Indiana lawmakers discard immigrant driving cards proposal
February 24, 2023 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana lawmakers have sidelined a proposal that would have allowed immigrants living in the country illegally to obtain state-issued cards giving them permission to drive.
A state Senate committee had endorsed the bill in early February.
How Biden asylum rule affects immigration, compares to Trump
February 22, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — As President Joe Biden's administration prepares for the end of regulations tied to the coronavirus pandemic that have severely limited the ability of asylum seekers to enter the U.S., it has proposed a rule that could dramatically alter who's allowed to claim asylum at the southern border.
Migrants seeking US sponsors find questionable offers online
February 11, 2023 GMTPedro Yudel Bruzon was looking for someone in the U.S. to support his effort to seek asylum when he landed on a Facebook page filled with posts demanding up to $10,000 for a financial sponsor.
DeSantis to run Disney district after ‘Don’t Say Gay’ feud
February 10, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will soon take control of Walt Disney World's self-governing district after Senate Republicans approved a bill Friday punishing the company over its opposition to the law critics call “Don't Say Gay.”
Proposal advances for Indiana driving cards for immigrants
February 7, 2023 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana lawmakers pushed ahead for the first time on Tuesday a proposal that would allow immigrants living in the country illegally to obtain state-issued cards giving them permission to drive.
DeSantis expected to control Disney district governing board
February 6, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis would take control over the board of a special governing district Walt Disney World operates in Florida under a bill introduced Monday, as the Republican governor punishes the company over its opposition to the so-called “Don't Say Gay” law.
Florida lawmakers to meet next week on Disney, immigration
February 4, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers will meet next week to complete a state takeover of Walt Disney World's self-governing district and debate proposals on immigration and election crimes, as Republican Gov.
Ex-Guatemalan police chief convicted of US visa fraud
January 30, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — A former Guatemalan police chief has been found guilty of lying on his U.S. immigration papers about a prior conviction for killing two political activists in his country, U.S. authorities said Monday.
Brazil’s Bolsonaro applies for 6-month U.S. visitor visa
January 30, 2023 GMTRIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has filed a request for a six-month visitor visa to stay in the U.S., indicating he may have no immediate intention of returning home, where legal issues await.
Inside McCarthy’s House: Famous friends and hard realities
January 28, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — In an almost forgotten slice of marbled real estate at the Capitol, the Kevin McCarthy era is taking shape in Congress.
It was here that the new House speaker was chatting last week with Donald Trump Jr.
Afghan soldier seeking US asylum freed from immigration hold
January 25, 2023 GMTHOUSTON (AP) — An Afghan soldier seeking U.S. asylum who was arrested while trying to cross the Mexico border has been freed and reunited with his brother after spending months in immigration detention, his attorney said Wednesday.
New Mexico bill would ban contracts for migration detention
January 25, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico legislators have introduced a bill that would prohibit local governments and state agencies from entering into contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and private detention facilities to detain immigrants in civil cases.
EXPLAINER: Novak Djokovic’s successful return to Australia
January 25, 2023 GMTMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic was still in the first set of his Australian Open quarterfinal against Andrey Rublev when the guy who would face the winner of that match, Tommy Paul, sat down for a news conference.
Afghan soldier seeks asylum after arrest at US-Mexico border
January 21, 2023 GMTHOUSTON (AP) — Abdul Wasi Safi kept documents detailing his time as an Afghan soldier who worked with the U.S. military close to him as he made the monthslong, treacherous journey from Brazil to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Missouri Treasurer Vivek Malek takes office
January 17, 2023 GMTJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Republican Treasurer Vivek Malek officially became Missouri's first non-white state officeholder during a Tuesday ceremony.
The 45-year-old attorney from the St. Louis suburb of Wildwood took the oath of office surrounded by family and at least 200 supporters.
Tirana protests UK official’s ‘verbal lynching’ of Albanians
January 16, 2023 GMTTIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania on Monday handed a verbal note to the British ambassador to Tirana to protest what it called a “verbal lynching” by a U.K. official in comments about Albanian immigrants in the country.
DHS policy protects migrant workers in labor investigations
January 13, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security on Friday announced a process by which migrant workers who witness or are victims of workplace labor violations can apply for protection from deportation, in a development applauded by labor and rights advocates who say it will protect migrant workers who expose abusive working conditions.
DeSantis tested on immigration as he weighs 2024 candidacy
January 12, 2023 GMTTAVERNIER, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent dozens of immigrants from Texas to an island off the Massachusetts coast last year in a high-profile effort to highlight illegal immigration on the eve of the midterm elections.
Haitians seizing on legal path to US rush to secure passport
January 11, 2023 GMTPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Hundreds of Haitians are flocking daily to the sole immigration office in Port-au-Prince, pressing against the bright blue gate as they strain to hear whether their name is called, hoping they will soon be chosen to live legally in the U.S.
Hobbs focuses on border, schools in 1st speech to lawmakers
January 10, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Monday praised President Joe Biden's weekend trip to the U.S.-Mexico border and his stepped-up efforts to combat illegal immigration.
A week after the newly elected Democrat took office, Hobbs looked for balance between get-tough border hawks and immigration advocates focused on a humanitarian approach in her first state of the state address to Arizona's Republican-controlled Legislature.
US law based on anti-Latino racism fuels immigration fight
January 9, 2023 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — As thousands of children were taken from their parents at the southern border during a Trump administration crackdown on illegal crossings, a federal public defender in San Diego set out to find new strategies to go after the longstanding deportation law fueling the family separations.
Biden inspects US-Mexico border in face of GOP criticism
January 9, 2023 GMTEL PASO, Texas (AP) — President Joe Biden walked a muddy stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border and inspected a busy port of entry Sunday on his first trip to the region after two years in office, a visit shadowed by the fraught politics of immigration as Republicans blame him for record numbers of migrants crossing into the country.
On eve of Biden’s border visit, migrants fear new rules
January 8, 2023 GMTEL PASO, Texas (AP) — Several hundred people marched through the streets of El Paso on Saturday afternoon, and when they arrived at a group of migrants huddling outside a church, they sang to them “no estan solos” — “you are not alone.”
Cubans crossing into US stunned to hear of new asylum limits
January 6, 2023 GMTYUMA, Ariz. (AP) — Migrants who entered the U.S. illegally under moonlit skies and waist-deep cold water Friday were devastated to learn they may be sent back to Mexico under expanded limits on the pursuit of asylum.
Border bishop takes lead role in Catholic migrant ministry
January 6, 2023 GMTEL PASO, Texas (AP) — With a cheerful “soy Marcos” – “I’m Mark,” in Spanish – Bishop Mark Seitz introduced himself to migrants eating soup in the shelter on the grounds of the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, less than two miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.
Force behind Arizona’s ‘show me your papers’ law dead at 75
January 6, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Russell Pearce, a Republican lawmaker who was the driving force behind Arizona's landmark 2010 immigration legislation known as the “show me your papers” law and other anti-immigrant measures, has died.
Biden toughens border, offers legal path for 30,000 a month
January 5, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday the U.S. would immediately begin turning away Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans who cross the border from Mexico illegally, his boldest move yet to confront the arrivals of migrants that have spiraled since he took office two years ago.
Biden intends to make his first visit to US-Mexico border
January 5, 2023 GMTHEBRON, Ky. (AP) — President Joe Biden intends to visit the U.S.-Mexico border — his first trip there since taking office — in connection with his meeting next week in Mexico City with the leaders of Mexico and Canada.
Massachusetts sheriff ends enforcement agreement with ICE
January 4, 2023 GMTBOSTON (AP) — The Barnstable County Sheriff's Office in Massachusetts is ending an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that gave deputies the authority to enforce federal immigration laws, civil rights attorneys said Wednesday.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sworn in for second term
January 3, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis sounded much like a 2024 presidential candidate as he was sworn in to a second term Tuesday, addressing national issues like immigration and inflation as much as highlighting his own plans for the state.
EXPLAINER: What happens if COVID asylum restrictions end?
December 28, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Since the pandemic began, the United States has been using a public health rule designed to limit the spread of disease to expel asylum-seekers on the southern border.
Title 42, as it’s called, has been used more than 2.5 million times to expel migrants since March 2020, although that number includes people who repeatedly attempted to cross the border.
US Supreme Court keeps asylum limits in place for now
December 28, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is keeping pandemic-era limits on asylum in place for now, dashing hopes of migrants who have been fleeing violence and inequality in Latin America and elsewhere to reach the United States.
Title 42 border rules confound Washington, migrants alike
December 23, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The drawn-out saga of Title 42, the set of emergency powers that allows border officials to quickly turn away migrants, has been chaotic at the U.S.-Mexico border. In Washington, it hasn't unfolded much better.
Sacramento sheriff settles suit over immigrant transfers
December 22, 2022 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Immigrant advocates have settled a lawsuit against Sacramento County that accused the sheriff's department of illegally turning over arrested immigrants to federal deportation authorities.
Danish lawmaker acquitted of EU funds fraud
December 21, 2022 GMTCOPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A right-wing Danish lawmaker was acquitted Wednesday of misusing European Union funds worth 98,835 kroner ($14,105) and falsifying documents.
A Copenhagen court found Morten Messerschmidt, who heads the once powerful Danish People’s Party, not guilty of making false statements about holding an EU conference in 2015 in order to receive EU funding.
High court temporarily blocks lifting of asylum restrictions
December 20, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is temporarily blocking an order that would lift pandemic-era restrictions on asylum seekers but the brief order leaves open the prospect that the restrictions in place since the coronavirus pandemic began and have been used to turn back hundreds of thousands of prospective asylum seekers could still expire on Wednesday.
NYC braces for more asylum seekers as federal rule expires
December 18, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams said his city is bracing for another influx of buses carrying thousands of migrants from the U.S. border with Mexico, as a Trump-era health edict is set to expire this week.
El Paso grapples with surge of migrants, braces for more
December 16, 2022 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities in El Paso, Texas, described a humanitarian crisis Thursday as they grapple with the daily release of roughly 1,600 migrants to local shelters and the streets of the border city amid preparations for even larger flows if Trump-era asylum restrictions end next week as scheduled.
EXPLAINER: Will immigration surge as asylum rule ends?
December 15, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Since the pandemic began, the United States has been using a public health rule designed to limit the spread of disease to expel asylum-seekers on the southern border.
Title 42, as it's called, has been used more than 2.5 million times to expel migrants since March 2020, although that number includes people who repeatedly attempted to cross the border.
Mexico shuts down large migrant camp in the south
December 13, 2022 GMTMEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican government has dismantled a massive migrant camp in the southern state of Oaxaca where tens of thousands migrants have obtained temporary transit documents on their way to the United States border.
Supreme Court takes case on immigration scam case
December 9, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Friday it will hear a case involving a scam that falsely promoted adult adoptions as a path to U.S. citizenship.
Florida grand jury calls for new laws on illegal immigration
December 9, 2022 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A statewide grand jury empaneled at the request of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has called for lawmakers to create new criminal penalties for harboring undocumented immigrants.
US asks appeals court to reverse deportation law ruling
December 9, 2022 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — The Justice Department on Thursday conceded that a 1929 law criminalizing entrance to the U.S. after deportation was motivated by racism but said subsequent revisions made it constitutional, as it urged an appellate court to overturn a Nevada judge’s landmark decision striking it down.
South Korean lawmakers raise concerns over Chinese voters
December 6, 2022 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Members of South Korea’s ruling conservative party have proposed a bill that would place tighter restrictions on the voting rights of foreign permanent residents in local elections, which they insist is necessary to protect the country’s democracy from being undermined by Chinese voters.
Longtime Arizona GOP Rep. Jim Kolbe dies at 80
December 4, 2022 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Jim Kolbe, a Republican congressman who represented a heavily Democratic region of Arizona for more than two decades and was a proponent of gay rights, has died. He was 80.
Both sides see high stakes in gay rights Supreme Court case
December 3, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is being warned about the potentially dire consequences of a case next week involving a Christian graphic artist who objects to designing wedding websites for same-sex couples.
Man held in Las Vegas Strip stabbings found unfit for trial
December 2, 2022 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — A man arrested for an October stabbing rampage that killed two people and wounded six others on a Las Vegas Strip sidewalk has been found unfit for trial, his lawyer said Friday.
Ex-bank manager sentenced for role in defrauding immigrants
December 2, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — A former bank manager has been sentenced to six months of home confinement for his role in a tax fraud scheme that targeted immigrants, particularly members of the Congolese community in the Boston area, federal prosecutors said.
Groups sue Florida officials over migrant relocation program
December 2, 2022 GMTMIAMI (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials are being sued in federal court by immigrant rights groups who challenge the constitutionality of the state's migrant relocation program.
The suit was filed Thursday by three groups — Florida Immigrant Coalition, Americans for Immigrant Justice and Hope Community Center — against DeSantis and state Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue.
Hong Kong publisher’s national security trial postponed
December 1, 2022 GMTHONG KONG (AP) — The trial of a Hong Kong newspaper publisher who was arrested in a crackdown on the city's pro-democracy movement was postponed Thursday after the territory's leader asked China to effectively block him from hiring a British defense lawyer.
Immigration agency leaks data on more than 6,000 detainees
December 1, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Wednesday that personal information of more than 6,000 people in its custody was inadvertently posted to its website for about five hours.
US Medal of Honor recipient Hiroshi Miyamura dies at 97
November 30, 2022 GMTPHOENIX, Ariz. (AP) — Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura, the son of Japanese immigrants who was awarded the U.S. Medal of Honor for holding off an attack to allow an American squad to withdraw during the Korean War, has died.
Spain insists no deaths on its soil during Melilla tragedy
November 30, 2022 GMTBARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s interior minister on Wednesday flatly rejected new media allegations of possible deaths on Spanish soil during a June storming by migrants of the border fence separating its north African enclave of Melilla from Morocco when at least 23 people died.
Spain: Nigerian stowaways found on ship’s rudder seek asylum
November 30, 2022 GMTBARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The three Nigerian stowaways found on an oil tanker's rudder after an 11-day ocean voyage from Lagos, Nigeria to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands are seeking asylum in Spain, a spokesperson for the Spanish government delegation in the Canaries said Wednesday.
Germany seeks to boost immigration of skilled workers
November 30, 2022 GMTBERLIN (AP) — The German government said Wednesday that it plans to ease entry rules for immigrants from outside the European Union to help meet Germany's demand for skilled workers.
Experts say Europe's biggest economy needs about 400,000 skilled immigrants each year as the country's ageing workforce shrinks, particularly to fill vacancies in the health care, IT and construction sectors.
Colombia asks for legal status for its people already in US
November 30, 2022 GMTBOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia wants the Biden administration to grant temporary legal status to its citizens now living in the United States, noting its own efforts to address regional migration by hosting 2 million Venezuelans who fled their homes.
Supreme Court wrestles with Biden’s deportation policy
November 29, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday wrestled with a politically tinged dispute over a Biden administration policy that would prioritize deportation of people in the country illegally who pose the greatest public safety risk.
Analysis: As Qatar World Cup unfolds, planet keeps spinning
November 29, 2022 GMTLONDON (AP) — Soccer — or football, to most of the global billions watching the World Cup this month — is not human society itself, with all its thorny issues. But at times, the game is a reflection of the entire planet — of nations, their disputes, their aspirations and those of a multitude of minority communities.
GOP’s new committee leaders prepare blitz of investigations
November 29, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are promising aggressive oversight of the Biden administration once they assume the majority next year, with a particular focus on the business dealings of presidential son Hunter Biden, illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border and the originations of COVID-19.
UK says 50 recently arrived migrants found with diphtheria
November 28, 2022 GMTLONDON (AP) — British health authorities have recorded 50 cases of diphtheria this year among recently arrived asylum seekers, including one man who died after falling sick at a crowded migrant center.
Smallest German governing party stalls on citizenship reform
November 28, 2022 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Senior members of the smallest party in Germany’s coalition government are seeking to hit the brakes on plans to ease rules for obtaining German citizenship, arguing Monday that the government must first do more to ensure that people in the country illegally are deported.
Mexican asylum seekers set their sights north — on Canada
November 27, 2022 GMTMONTREAL (AP) — Pedro Meraz says living in Colima, Mexico, was like living in a war zone, with shootings, burning cars and dismembered bodies being left outside of schools.
When his wife Rocio Gonzalez, a 28-year-old lawyer who worked with abused women, began receiving death threats from a cartel and the local authorities ignored her pleas for assistance, they knew they had to leave.
German government seeks to ease rules for naturalization
November 26, 2022 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Germany's socially liberal government is moving ahead with plans to ease the rules for obtaining citizenship in the European Union's most populous country, a drive that is being assailed by the conservative opposition.
Mexico’s domestic airline industry in shambles
November 25, 2022 GMTMEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s domestic airline industry is in shambles, plagued by safety problems, a ratings downgrade by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, and vandalism.
This week alone, passengers missed connections because thieves cut the fiber optic cables leading into the Mexico City airport, forcing immigration authorities to return to using slow paper forms.
Eccentric art flourishes along outskirts of Buenos Aires
November 24, 2022 GMTBUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Why build a rooftop water tank in the shape of a Teletubby? Or go to the effort of installing a replica of the Eiffel Tower atop a semi-abandoned building?
It's often difficult to explain the proliferation of unusual artwork dotting the vast urban belt of some 11 million people outside Argentina's capital of Buenos Aires.
EU-Med forum: South needs investment, immigration policies
November 24, 2022 GMTMADRID (AP) — More investment and polices regulating immigration are needed for countries on the southern Mediterranean basin that have been hit hard by the food and energy crisis brought on by Russia's war in Ukraine, the European Union's foreign policy chief said Thursday.
Dominican Republic expels 1,800 children to Haiti: UNICEF
November 23, 2022 GMTHAVANA (AP) — Dominican authorities have expelled at least 1,800 unaccompanied Haitian migrant children this year, sending them back to their crisis-stricken country, UNICEF said.
New Haven OKs monument to replace Columbus statue
November 23, 2022 GMTNEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A public monument representing the Italian-American immigrant experience was approved by the New Haven Board of Alders, replacing a Christopher Columbus statue that was removed in 2020 amid a climate of racial reckoning after the police killing of George Floyd.
Immigrants, DHS settle case seeking activist targeting info
November 22, 2022 GMTBURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has agreed to pay a Vermont-based immigrant advocacy organization $74,000 in legal fees to settle a lawsuit seeking information about whether advocates were being targeted by immigration agents because of their political activism.
Egypt, Greece sign deals on migrant rescues, agriculture
November 22, 2022 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Egypt and Greece signed two bilateral deals on Tuesday, including a pact to improve cooperation in migrant search and rescue missions across the Mediterranean Sea, officials said.
The deals, signed in Cairo, marked the second meeting the two countries’ foreign ministers in under two months after shared rival Turkey signed a controversial maritime and gas deal with one of Libya's two rival administrations.
States move to keep court from lifting Trump asylum policy
November 22, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A coalition of conservative-leaning states is making a last-ditch effort to keep in place a Trump-era public health rule that allows many asylum seekers to be turned away at the southern U.S.
Q&A: Padma Lakshmi donates to provide equal opportunities
November 22, 2022 GMTPadma Lakshmi's career has been filled with highlights, from creating the Hulu series “Taste the Nation” to hosting “Top Chef” to writing a best-selling memoir and numerous cookbooks. But one of her life's “seminal moments,” she says, was decidedly lower-profile.
Pope visits immigrant father’s hometown for birthday party
November 19, 2022 GMTPORTACOMARO, Italy (AP) — Pope Francis made a rare personal getaway Saturday, returning to his father’s birthplace in northern Italy for the first time since ascending the papacy to celebrate the 90th birthday of a second cousin who long knew him as simply “Giorgio.”
Ugandan activist living in Vermont gets deportation reprieve
November 18, 2022 GMTST. ALBANS, Vt. (AP) — Authorities in Vermont say a Ugandan activist who fled his home country after he says he was repeatedly tortured for his human rights work and would fear for his life if he was deported can stay another year.
Novak Djokovic has visa to play Australian Open in January
November 17, 2022 GMTCANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian government confirmed on Thursday that Novak Djokovic had been granted a visa to compete in the Australian Open in January a year after he was deported over his stance against COVID-19 vaccination.