International
DACA program celebrates 11 years in place amid legal turbulence
June 15 |
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA, which was established by the Barack Obama administration, turns 11 years old Thursday amid calls for permanent protective action.
“Only Congress can provide permanent and lasting stability for these young people and their families. Congress must act to protect our Dreamers,” President Joe Biden, who was vice president of the country at the time the program was instituted, said in written communication.
Since 2012, DACA has provided protections from deportation to some 800,000 people known as “Dreamers,” who entered the U.S. irregularly as children. This program does not offer legal residency status or a path to citizenship, however, it does allow them to have a work permit, driver’s license and social security.
“Dreamers are Americans. Many have spent most of their lives in the United States. They are our doctors, our teachers, and our small business owners,” he said.
Biden noted in his message that “the first version” of a legislative measure to regulate DACA was presented to Congress more than 20 years ago, and since then, it has been championed by coalitions and organizations. However, Biden said, “Congress has failed to act.”
Under the Donald Trump administration, repeated attempts were made to dismantle DACA. In 2017, the then-president assured that “DACA is a very, very difficult issue for me” and in noted that “(the beneficiaries) are here illegally.”
During the presidential campaign in 2016, Trump promised that he would end “the two executive amnesties” implemented by Obama, in reference to DACA and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans.
On July 16, 2021, a U.S. court ruled that DACA was “unlawful” and issued an order prohibiting the government from continuing to grant applications for the program. However, the nullification order was temporarily stayed.
Under this ruling, it was established that the program would not receive new applications, however, those approved prior to July 16 would continue to be eligible to renew DACA and their work permits.
Finally, on October 5, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals issued a decision upholding the declaration of illegality of the policy. However, it upheld the partial stay and remanded the case back to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to consider a final rule on implementation.
With this, the program remains in “limbo” according to organizations such as the National Immigration Law Center, which asserts that “it is another clear and serious reminder of the urgency for Congress to act quickly to provide a permanent legislative solution.”
International
Five Bodies Found in Ecuador as Police Probe Suspected Gang Turf War
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating the deaths of five people whose bodies were found inside a rural home, in what police believe may be linked to a territorial dispute between organized criminal groups.
The victims, aged between 21 and 30, were discovered Tuesday in the town of La Troncal, in the Andean province of Cañar. Police reported that two of the bodies were bound with wire, while a burned-out vehicle was found outside the residence.
Investigators said graffiti on the walls of the house included messages such as “Lobos territory” and “Lobos active,” suggesting a possible connection to the criminal organization known as Los Lobos.
Police believe the killings were likely the result of a conflict over territorial control between rival gangs.
The discovery came on the same day authorities arrested a former mayor in the neighboring province of Azuay. Officials identified him as the alleged main financial backer of Los Lobos, one of Ecuador’s most powerful criminal organizations.
Ecuador has experienced an unprecedented surge in violence in recent years, driven by criminal groups involved in drug trafficking, illegal mining, kidnapping, and extortion.
According to Insight Crime, the country recorded 51 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2025—equivalent to roughly one killing every hour—making it one of the most violent countries in Latin America.
International
Georgia Teen Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Deadly School Shooting
A Georgia teenager who killed four people in a 2024 school shooting was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to the attack.
Colt Gray, now 16, admitted to opening fire at Apalachee High School in Winder, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) northeast of Atlanta. He was 14 years old at the time of the shooting.
The attack claimed the lives of two students and two teachers, while nine other people were injured. Despite being a minor when the shooting occurred, Gray was prosecuted as an adult.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Nicholas Trimm acknowledged the failures of the teenager’s family but said they did not excuse his actions.
“Your parents failed you. Your family failed you. But that does not absolve you,” the judge said.
Trimm also rejected any suggestion that the shooting was motivated by bullying or personal grievances.
“You were not bullied at Apalachee. This was not driven by hate. You didn’t know anyone at that school. It was simply the desire to commit a notorious act,” he told Gray.
The case also led to the prosecution of the shooter’s father, Colin Gray, who was convicted in March of voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. The case marked one of the first instances in which a parent was held criminally responsible for a mass shooting carried out by their child.
Prosecutors said Colin Gray had given his son an AR-15-style rifle as a Christmas gift in 2023, despite being aware that the teenager had previously threatened to carry out a school shooting.
Authorities said the same rifle was used in the attack less than a year later. Months before the shooting, FBI investigators had alerted local law enforcement after receiving reports of online messages linked to the Gray family’s internet address that referenced plans for a school massacre.
The case reflects growing legal scrutiny in the United States over the responsibility of parents whose children commit acts of gun violence.
In a similar case, the parents of a Michigan teenager who killed four people at his high school in 2021 were convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2024 and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 to 15 years.
According to U.S. health authorities, firearms have been the leading cause of death among children and teenagers in the United States for several years.
International
Portuguese Authorities Seize 2.6 Tons of Cocaine Worth More Than $550 Million in Drug Bust
Italian financial police reported Monday that Portuguese authorities intercepted a speedboat carrying more than 2.6 tons of cocaine, with an estimated street value exceeding $550 million.
Four people — two Spanish nationals, one Albanian citizen, and a man from Gibraltar — were arrested in connection with the operation, according to Italian authorities.
The vessel was intercepted off the coast of Lisbon by Portugal’s maritime police following an investigation led by Italian authorities.
Italian financial police estimated that the seized shipment had a street value of approximately 500 million euros ($570 million), making it one of the largest drug seizures reported in the region in recent years.
Portuguese authorities said the interception took place on Thursday, about 90 kilometers (50 nautical miles) southwest of Cape Espichel, during an operation targeting international drug trafficking routes.
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