Latest news with #VictorAvila
Int'l Business Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
ICE Detains Man Returning From Visiting Air Force Son Despite Holding a Green Card for More Than 50 Years
A longtime green card holder is facing deportation after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) upon returning from an overseas trip to visit his son in the U.S. Air Force. Victor Avila, 66, and his wife landed in the Bay Area from Japan on May 7, when Avila was held back while passing through customs. He was detained at the airport for several weeks before he was transferred to an ICE detention center, his daughter, Carina Mejia, told 10 News. Now, ICE has initiated deportation proceedings against Avila. According to Meija, Avila served time in jail for a DUI and drug possession charge in 2009. "Two misdemeanors. Served all his time, paid all he had to pay," she told the outlet. "Since then, he's been a good man, a hard worker. Hasn't gotten into trouble, not one time." Avila has been a legal resident of the United States since 1967. A father of four and grandfather of six, Avila has worked as a legal assistant for 15 years at Kiwan & Chambers, a workers' compensation law firm in San Diego. Coworkers describe him as compassionate and dependable, launching fundraisers and writing letters to support his release. Immigration attorneys note a growing trend of ICE detaining longtime green card holders for old, nonviolent offenses. A hearing in Avila's deportation case is set for July 15. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise funds for Avila's legal defense. As of Friday, the campaign has raised more than $21,000, which his family hopes will help bring him home. Aung La N Sang is in Bangkok, Thailand for Martin Nguyen's bout at #ONEFightNight7 against short-notice opponent Leonardo Casotti. "The Burmese Python" will be working in Nguyen's corner as chief second this Saturday.
The Independent
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
ICE detains green card holder on return from Japan where he was visiting his Air Force member son
A 66-year-old green card holder is in custody in Bakersfield, California, after he was apprehended by ICE last month following a trip to Japan. Victor Avila, who first received his card in 1967, was arrested as he arrived in San Francisco with his wife after the pair had been in Asia to visit their son, a serving member of the US Air Force, according to a GoFundMe page that has been set up. In an interview with ABC San Diego, Vila's daughter, Carina, said that her mother, a US citizen, was allowed to pass through immigration control, but he was kept behind. Carina said that her father was first kept in an ICE office in the airport, 'in a room, sleeping on chairs.' He was later transferred to Bakersfield, some 230 miles from his home. His daughter added that her father received his green card immediately after first legally immigrating to the US with his family from Mexico. Avila, a legal assistant at a workers' compensation law firm, has a minor criminal record stemming from a 2009 arrest for DUI and drug possession, which saw him spend some time in prison. 'Two misdemeanors. Served all his time, paid all he had to pay. Since then, he has been a good man and a hard worker. Hasn't gotten into trouble, not one time. He's dedicated himself to his family,' Carina said. His green card has been renewed twice since then. His family has launched a campaign to secure his release, involving letter-writing and crowdfunding efforts. 'I've visited him several times. There are days he's hopeful, optimistic. Then there's days he mentally prepares himself for the worst. I want my dad back. I want my dad home,' Avila faces a court hearing on July 15. At the time of writing, Avila's GoFundMe page has raised $21,500. According to the most recent update on the page, ICE has initiated deportation proceedings against Avila. Protests over federal immigration enforcement raids have been flaring up around the country. Opponents of Trump's immigration policies took to the streets as part of the 'no kings' demonstrations Saturday that came as Trump held a massive parade in Washington for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. Saturday's protests were mostly peaceful. But police in Los Angeles used tear gas and crowd-control munitions to clear out protesters after the event ended. Officers in Portland, Oregon, also fired tear gas and projectiles to disperse a crowd that protested in front of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building well into the evening.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
ICE Detains Green Card-Holder Returning from Visit to Son in US Air Force
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Victor Avila, a 66-year-old green card holder who has lived in the United States since he was a teenager, was detained in May by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at San Francisco International Airport after returning from a trip to visit his son, a U.S. Air Force servicemember stationed in Japan, according to local reports and a GoFundMe page. Newsweek has reached out to ICE, CBP, and USCIS for comment via email on Wednesday. Why It Matters Avila's detention comes amid an immigration crackdown under the Trump administration. In addition to people residing in the country illegally, immigrants with valid documentation—including green cards and visas—have been detained and face legal jeopardy. President Donald Trump has pledged to carry out the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, and in the initial months of his second term, his administration has deported more than 100,000 people. Many migrants have been deported as a result of Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which grants the president authority to deport noncitizens without appearing before a judge, among other wartime authorities. What To Know Avila was detained May 7 at San Francisco International Airport after returning from Japan. The 66-year-old has been a legal permanent resident since 1967, when he immigrated to the United States from Mexico. He was returning from the trip with his wife, who had not been detained. According to a GoFundMe page, his wife, four children and six grandchildren are all U.S. citizens, including his son, who serves in the U.S. Air Force. (L): Federal agents move in to re-open the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Portland, Ore., on June 28, 2018. (R): Victor Avila from the GoFundMe page. (L): Federal agents move in to re-open the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Portland, Ore., on June 28, 2018. (R): Victor Avila from the GoFundMe page. Alex Milan Tracy/Sipa USA/AP Images A longtime resident of San Diego, Avila has worked as a legal assistant at the workers' compensation law firm Kiwan & Chambers APC for over a decade. Colleagues from the firm organized the fundraiser. Newsweek reached out to Avila's employer, Kiwan & Chambers APC, for comment via email on Wednesday. Avila's daughter, Carina Mejia, told local outlet ABC 10 News that her father was pulled over in 2009 and arrested for a DUI and drug possession misdemeanor. He served his time and paid the fines for the misdemeanors. She said he has been able to renew his green card two times since that arrest. In a Tuesday update, the organizers noted that Avila has been transferred to an ICE detention center outside of Bakersfield, California. The GoFundMe has raised over $20,000 for legal fees. What People Are Saying Carina Mejia, Avila's daughter, told local ABC 10 News: "He's a productive member of society. It was a nonviolent offense. He's paid his dues. Detaining him is very unjust...I want my dad back. I want my dad home." The GoFundMe states: "He is being held by ICE for a past nonviolent offense that occurred in 2009. Victor successfully completed his sentence, and that offense was deemed a misdemeanor. Now, many years later, he is caught in a legal nightmare which has resulted in detainment by ICE with no release in sight." What Happens Next Avila is scheduled to appear for a deportation hearing July 15 at a detention facility near Bakersfield.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE directed to find and remove unaccounted for migrant minors
(NewsNation) — Federal immigration agents are being tasked by the White House to track down and remove about 600,000 children who entered the United States illegally and without their parents or other adults since 2019. But the targets of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement search are, in many cases, teenagers who now may be scattered across several states. Roughly 61% of those being sought by federal agents are young men between the ages of 14 and 17, data shows, the majority of whom are from Guatemala (32%), Honduras (20%), Mexico (20%) and El Salvador (8%). 'Now, the pressure is on to identify these individuals and not to take it for granted that just because of their age, they're good to go,' Victor Avila, a former special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, told NewsNation. Inside Texas DPS' war on human, drug smuggling In many cases, Avila said that some of the unaccompanied minors who entered the U.S. lied about their age because assistant U.S. attorneys would decline to prosecute them because of their age in the past. The White House directive to ICE is part of the Trump administration's mass deportation mission. A memo sent to ICE agents outlines an unprecedented push to target migrant children, which will be carried out in four phases, the memo said. During his first term, Trump introduced a 'zero tolerance' policy that led to the separation of migrant children from their parents at the border. The children were sent to children's shelters run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, a government agency housed within the Department of Health and Human Services, while their parents were detained or deported. Of the 540,000 unaccompanied minors who entered the United States illegally during the Biden administration, about 470,000 were released to sponsors. According to data reviewed by NewsNation, about 3,000 migrant children who were released to a family member or a sponsor are living in Texas. The data shows that California and New York are also popular destinations. Congress has said that about 320,000 of the migrant minors are unaccounted for, meaning that phone calls placed to family members or sponsors were not answered or addresses provided for these migrants were not accurate. About 6,000 migrant children are in Health and Human Services custody and are spread out through 297 facilities. Diddy seeks to suppress evidence he claims was obtained illegally Individual ICE field offices will determine 'how to best locate, make contact, and serve immigration documents as appropriate for individual targets when conducting enforcement actions' involving unaccompanied children, the memo said. As well as enforcing immigration laws, the memo, entitled the 'Unaccompanied Alien Children Joint Initiative Field Implementation,' said the initiative aims to ensure that children are not victims of human trafficking or other exploitation. The memo said the children would be served a notice to appear in immigration court or deported if deportation orders were pending against them. Reuters contributed reporting to this story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
