International

A judge in the United States stops the deportation to El Salvador of a hundred Venezuelans

About 100 Venezuelan immigrants detained in Colorado cannot be deported to El Salvador after a judge ruled on Tuesday that the federal government cannot expel two of them without first reviewing their cases or giving them the opportunity for a hearing before a judge.

Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney ruled in favor of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which represents the two Venezuelans, aged 25 and 32, who were not identified.

The opinion affects the plan of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deport to El Salvador about 100 Venezuelan men currently housed in the detention center of the private company GEO in Aurora, east of Denver.

“For the first time in months we can breathe a sigh of relief,” said Laura Lunn, a lawyer for the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Defense Network, after the decision.

“Our community has been disproportionately attacked by the Department of Homeland Security and we have already lost too many neighbors, parents, partners and friends to this anarchy,” the lawyer said.

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In a hearing on Monday before Sweeney, federal government lawyers argued that a judicial restriction “would hinder the government’s ability to enforce immigration laws,” including “arresting, detaining and expelling foreigners who are illegally in the country and who may pose a danger to society.”

The judge dismissed that position, stressing that ACLU showed that immigrants “run the risk of being deported, perhaps unfairly” and that “they would suffer irreparable damage” if they were imprisoned in El Salvador.

According to court documents, both Venezuelans crossed the Mexican-American border in Texas “a few years ago,” as did about 40,000 of their compatriots from 2022 to 2024, who also arrived in Colorado.

In her order, Judge Sweeney forbade the federal government to move the two men to El Salvador and ordered them to stay in Colorado.

If transferred, they and other Venezuelans would have the right to request a judicial review and to receive legal information “in a language they understand”, that is, in this case, Spanish.

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Sweeney also stated that ACLU showed that its representatives would probably “suffer irreparable damage in the absence of a precautionary measure”, so he decided in favor of the ACLU “for the benefit of the public interest”.

In addition, he questioned the possible use of the Foreign Enemies Law to deport Venezuelans, although government lawyers told the judge on Monday that that law was not being used in this case.

Lawyer Lunn emphasized that the lawsuit in favor of Venezuelans does not ask for them to be released or granted asylum, but that their right to due process before a judge is guaranteed.

International

Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.

During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.

“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.

“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”

Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.

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On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.

International

Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition

he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.

Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.

The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”

International

Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may

The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.

The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”

The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”

Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.

The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.