International

The White House defends deportations and discredits the judge who tries to stop them

The White House stood firm on Wednesday in the deportation policy applied under the Foreign Enemies Act and discredited the judge who has blocked them, James Boasberg, and the magistrates in general who try to stop the actions of US President Donald Trump.

“The judges of this country are acting wrongly. We have judges who act as party activists from the court. They try to impose policies on the president of the United States. They are clearly trying to stop the agenda of this Administration, and that is unacceptable,” said presidential spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

At her press conference, the White House spokeswoman stressed that the orders against her and against deportations will continue to fight in the courts.

“But it is incredibly evident that there is a concerted effort on the part of the extreme left to elect judges who clearly act as partisan activists from the judiciary in an attempt to thwart this president’s agenda. We will not allow that to happen,” he warned.

In his opinion, these judges are not only “usurping the will” of the president and the Executive, “but they are undermining the will of the American public, of tens of millions of Americans who duly chose” Trump to implement such policies.

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That is why he stressed that citizens “certainly” can expect the campaign of mass deportations to continue.
Trump invoked the Foreign Enemies Act over the weekend, a 1798 regulation that has not been used since World War II, to accelerate the deportations of alleged members of the transnational criminal gang Tren de Aragua.

The president argued that the US was suffering an “invasion” of that group, although he did not present evidence, and, despite the court order, he has already sent more than 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador, which offered to imprison them.

“We do not have any specifically planned flights, but we will continue with the mass deportations. The judge in this case tries to affirm that the president does not have the executive authority to deport foreign terrorists from our territory. That constitutes a flagrant abuse of power. This judge can’t, he doesn’t have that authority,” Leavitt concluded.

The spokeswoman refused to present the evidence that justifies the alleged membership of those people to the Aragua Train and said she trusted the agents who are dedicated to that work.

Trump and his close circle increased pressure against Boasberg on Wednesday after Republican Congressman Brandon Gill initiated the impeachment process in the House of Representatives.

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In the event that this first step is validated by that hemicycle, the prospects of success for an impeachment attempt are non-existent, according to experts, since the dismissal would only become effective if two-thirds of the Senate endorse what was approved by the Lower House, which would require the support of up to 14 Democratic senators.

International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

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The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.

International

Oil prices surge again as Middle East tensions persist

Oil prices climbed again on Friday for a second consecutive session, as markets remained concerned about a prolonged conflict in the Middle East with no tangible diplomatic progress.

North Sea Brent crude for May delivery rose 4.22% to close at $112.57 per barrel.

Meanwhile, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) approached the $100 mark, settling at $99.64, up 5.46%.

The decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to delay by ten days his ultimatum for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz failed to reassure market participants.

“It means there will be ten additional days of disruptions in the Middle East for crude and refined product flows,” said Andy Lipow, of Lipow Oil Associates.

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“For prices to come down, a resolution to the conflict is necessary,” Lipow added. “And even in the event of a ceasefire, it is not certain that Iran would allow oil shipments to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”

International

Young Spanish Woman Receives Euthanasia After Legal Battle, Sparking Debate

A 25-year-old Spanish woman, Noelia Castillo, received euthanasia on Thursday following a prolonged legal dispute with her father.

She passed away at a care center in Sant Pere de Ribes, about 40 kilometers from Barcelona, where she had been living for some time, according to Spanish media reports.

In an interview broadcast a day earlier on Antena 3, Castillo expressed her exhaustion after enduring prolonged suffering. She indicated that her decision was influenced by a combination of personal circumstances and health-related challenges, including family conflicts and a condition of paraplegia following a previous incident that left her with lasting physical consequences.

Spain legalized euthanasia in 2021, becoming one of the few countries that allow patients under strict conditions to seek medical assistance to end their lives in order to avoid what the law defines as unbearable suffering.

The case has reignited debate in Spain over the ethical, legal, and family dimensions surrounding euthanasia, as well as the broader issue of support for individuals in vulnerable situations.