International

Registration for Biden’s migrant regularization plan will begin in August

Registration for the new plan for the regularization of migrants in the United States, which is estimated to benefit half a million people, will open on August 19, the White House announced on Wednesday.

The program, which was announced a month ago, will primarily benefit people who do not have legal status and are married to Americans and arrives in the middle of the electoral year in which migration management has become a central issue for voters.

From the date announced this Wednesday, people who want to take advantage of this program will be able to submit their applications and start the process to obtain a permanent residence in the United States without having to leave the country.

This White House announcement coincides with a visit by President Biden to Las Vegas, in the key state of Nevada, where he will give a speech at the organization’s annual conference in favor of the rights of United U.S. migrants.

The Latin vote is key for any candidate to achieve victory in Nevada, where 1 in 5 voters is Hispanic, according to data from the NALEO organization.

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The regularization plan is based on a legal figure known as “parole”, which is a temporary permit to stay in the United States, offering protection against deportation and, in this case, the possibility of obtaining a work permit.

With this permit, which will be valid for three years, migrants who entered the country irregularly and are married to U.S. citizens can apply for a residence permit and, eventually, citizenship.

In theory, undocumented people can obtain residence if they marry an American. However, to do so they must leave the country and go to an embassy, which carries the risk of being banned from entering again for periods of 3 to 10 years, in retaliation for having been in the United States without legal status.

This “parole” eliminates the need to leave the country and allows migrants to wait for the Government to grant them a residence permit without having to move away from their families for an indefinite period.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”