International
Criticism of ICE in Florida for arresting a minor from Honduras and taking him away from a foster family
Congressmen and civil organizations criticized this Friday the Immigration and Customs Control Service (ICE) for handcuffing a 17-year-old Honduran teenager who was with a foster care family in Florida in possible violation of the law.
The Young Center for the Rights of Immigrant Children accused officials from the Florida State Department of Children and Families (DCF) of violating a 30-year rule that prohibits them from handing over an undocumented minor to migration authorities.
“Instead of protecting this young man and keeping him safe from damage, the state of Florida did the opposite by calling ICE, which then cruelly removed him from his foster home with handcuffs and shackles, and put him in immigration detention,” said Kelly Albinak Kribs, co-director of the organization, in a message.
The Young Center referred to an article published on Wednesday by the Miami Herald that reported that the authorities removed the young man, identified as Henry, from his foster family in Pensacola because members of Florida called ICE to take him.
The minor and his mother, who had already been deported, crossed the border to Texas, from where he traveled to Pensacola to look for work after being a victim of human trafficking for job search purposes.
After the case was disclosed, local congressmen sent a letter this Friday to Secretary Taylor Hatch, of the DCF, to demand that she clarify the collaboration between this department and ICE, considering that what happened was “unnecessary and unacceptable.”
“It is morally reprehensible to try to complete deportation quotas by focusing on vulnerable children under the protection of Florida. Florida is better than this, even if our Government is not,” wrote Representative Fentrice Driskell when sharing the letter she signed with more than a dozen colleagues.
State Senator Ileana García, co-founder of the organization ‘Latinas for Trump’, blamed Stephen Miller, one of the president’s main advisers and architect of anti-immigrant policies, for this type of event.
“Miller has included undocumented minors in the shelter system, many of them victims of human trafficking, in its efforts to desperately meet a weekly deportation quota. These individuals are being picked up in the homes of their foster parents. This is unacceptable, regardless of her status as a citizen,” the Republican wrote in X.
The controversy occurs while Florida is a leader in the execution of Trump’s immigration policy, since Governor Ron DeSantis has promoted agreements 287(g) that force the authorities of the 67 counties to work with ICE.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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