Latest news with #WayneStateUniversity
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal prosecutors now charging immigrants who don't submit fingerprints under dormant 1940s law
Federal officials have begun carrying out President Donald Trump's orders to enforce a World War II-era criminal law that requires virtually all non-citizens in the country to register with and submit fingerprints to the government. Since April, law enforcement in Louisiana, Arizona, Montana, Alabama, Texas and Washington, D.C., have charged people with willful 'failure to register' under the Alien Registration Act, an offense most career federal public defenders have never encountered before. Many of those charged were already in jail and in ongoing deportation proceedings when prosecutors presented judges with the new charges against them. The registration provision in the law, which was passed in 1940 amid widespread public fear about immigrants' loyalty to the U.S., had been dormant for 75 years, but it is still on the books. Failure to register is considered a 'petty offense' — a misdemeanor with maximum penalties of six months imprisonment or a $1,000 fine. In reviving the law, the Trump administration may put undocumented immigrants in a catch-22. If they register, they must hand over detailed, incriminating information to the federal government — including how and when they entered the country. But knowingly refusing to register is also a crime, punishable by arrest or prosecution, on top of the ever-present threat of deportation. 'The sort of obvious reason to bring back registration in the first place is the hope that people will register, and therefore give themselves up effectively to the government because they already confessed illegal entry,' said Jonathan Weinberg, a Wayne State University law professor who has studied the registration law. But the Trump administration also has another goal. It says one purpose of the registration regime is to provoke undocumented immigrants to choose a third option: leave the country voluntarily, or, in the words of the Department of Homeland Security, compulsory 'mass self-deportation.' Those efforts, alongside the administration's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and a more aggressive approach to immigration raids, are meant to achieve a broader, overarching campaign promise: the largest deportation program in the history of America. 'For decades, this law has been ignored — not anymore,' the department said in a February announcement that it would enforce the law. The department called 'mass self-deportation' a 'safer path for aliens and law enforcement,' and said it saves U.S. taxpayer dollars. The Department of Homeland Security did not answer questions about its enforcement policies. The Alien Registration Act was passed in 1940, amid fears about immigrants' loyalties. A separate provision of the statute criminalizes advocacy for overthrowing the government. For about two decades, that provision was used to prosecute people who were accused of being either pro-fascist or pro-Communist. The registration provision, though, remained largely dormant, and had not been enforced in 75 years. It applies to non-citizens, regardless of legal status, who are in the U.S. for 30 days or longer. Certain categories of legal immigrants have already met the requirement. Immigrants who have filed applications to become permanent residents are considered registered by DHS, for example. And even some undocumented U.S. residents are already registered: U.S. residents who have received 'parole' — a form of humanitarian protection from deportation — are also considered registered. Still, DHS estimates that up to 3.2 million immigrants are currently unregistered and are affected by the new enforcement regime. The administration has created a new seven-page form that non-citizens must use. The form requires people, under penalty of perjury, to provide biographical details, contact information, details about any criminal history and the circumstances of how they entered the U.S. After DHS issued regulations to enforce the registration requirement in April, the administration announced that 47,000 undocumented immigrants had registered using the new form. The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights and other advocacy groups filed a lawsuit challenging Trump's move to revive the registration requirement in March. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, initially expressed skepticism toward the administration, saying in a recent hearing that officials had pulled a 'big switcheroo' on undocumented immigrants. But McFadden in April refused the plaintiffs' request to temporarily block the policy, saying the Coalition likely lacks the legal standing to sue because it has not shown that it would be harmed by the policy. The group has appealed McFadden's decision. In the meantime, the administration has begun to prosecute people for failure to register for the first time in seven decades. The prosecutions so far have stumbled. On May 19, a federal magistrate judge in Louisiana consolidated and dismissed five of the criminal cases, saying prosecutors had no probable cause to believe the defendants had intentionally refused to register. Judge Michael North wrote that the Alien Registration Act requires 'some level of subjective knowledge or bad intent' behind the choice not to register. The prosecutions, the judge wrote, are impermissible because most people are simply unaware of the law, and the government 'did not provide these Defendants — as well as millions of similarly situated individuals here without government permission — with a way to register' since 1950. But North also pointed out that the government may have an easier path to proving probable cause in the future, given that DHS created a new registration form in April. And government attorneys have appealed the five dismissed cases. The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana declined to comment on recent charges filed under the law. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said the office 'is aggressively pursuing criminals in the district and will use all criminal justice resources available to make D.C. safe and to carry out President Trump's and Attorney General Bondi's direction to support immigration enforcement." The other federal district attorneys whose offices filed charges did not respond to a request for comment. Michelle LaPointe, legal director at the American Immigration Council, an immigrants' rights advocacy group, said these initial cases are the 'tip of the iceberg.' LaPointe is among the attorneys representing the Coalition in its lawsuit against the administration. 'I don't expect them to abate just because there were some dismissals,' LaPointe said, pointing to North's statements about future charges. 'They have already stated that they intend to make prosecution of the few immigration-related criminal statutes a priority for DOJ, and it's very easy for them to at least charge, even if they're not always gonna be able to sustain their burden to secure a conviction.' Weinberg, the Wayne State law professor, agreed that the administration will likely continue attempting broad enforcement. 'If they bring a whole lot of prosecutions and end up losing all, they may step back,' Weinberg said. 'If they bring a whole lot and win a few, they'll say, 'Well, that's the basis on which we can move further'' and appeal — potentially all the way to the Supreme Court, he noted.
Politico
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Federal prosecutors now charging immigrants who don't submit fingerprints under dormant 1940s law
Federal officials have begun carrying out President Donald Trump's orders to enforce a World War II-era criminal law that requires virtually all non-citizens in the country to register with and submit fingerprints to the government. Since April, law enforcement in Louisiana, Arizona, Montana, Alabama, Texas and Washington, D.C., have charged people with willful 'failure to register' under the Alien Registration Act, an offense most career federal public defenders have never encountered before. Many of those charged were already in jail and in ongoing deportation proceedings when prosecutors presented judges with the new charges against them. The registration provision in the law, which was passed in 1940 amid widespread public fear about immigrants' loyalty to the U.S., had been dormant for 75 years, but it is still on the books. Failure to register is considered a 'petty offense' — a misdemeanor with maximum penalties of six months imprisonment or a $1,000 fine. In reviving the law, the Trump administration may put undocumented immigrants in a catch-22. If they register, they must hand over detailed, incriminating information to the federal government — including how and when they entered the country. But knowingly refusing to register is also a crime, punishable by arrest or prosecution, on top of the ever-present threat of deportation. 'The sort of obvious reason to bring back registration in the first place is the hope that people will register, and therefore give themselves up effectively to the government because they already confessed illegal entry,' said Jonathan Weinberg, a Wayne State University law professor who has studied the registration law. But the Trump administration also has another goal. It says one purpose of the registration regime is to provoke undocumented immigrants to choose a third option: leave the country voluntarily, or, in the words of the Department of Homeland Security, compulsory 'mass self-deportation.' Those efforts, alongside the administration's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and a more aggressive approach to immigration raids, are meant to achieve a broader, overarching campaign promise: the largest deportation program in the history of America. 'For decades, this law has been ignored — not anymore,' the department said in a February announcement that it would enforce the law. The department called 'mass self-deportation' a 'safer path for aliens and law enforcement,' and said it saves U.S. taxpayer dollars. The Department of Homeland Security did not answer questions about its enforcement policies. The Alien Registration Act was passed in 1940, amid fears about immigrants' loyalties. A separate provision of the statute criminalizes advocacy for overthrowing the government. For about two decades, that provision was used to prosecute people who were accused of being either pro-fascist or pro-Communist. The registration provision, though, remained largely dormant, and had not been enforced in 75 years. It applies to non-citizens, regardless of legal status, who are in the U.S. for 30 days or longer. Certain categories of legal immigrants have already met the requirement. Immigrants who have filed applications to become permanent residents are considered registered by DHS, for example. And even some undocumented U.S. residents are already registered: U.S. residents who have received 'parole' — a form of humanitarian protection from deportation — are also considered registered. Still, DHS estimates that up to 3.2 million immigrants are currently unregistered and are affected by the new enforcement regime. The administration has created a new seven-page form that non-citizens must use. The form requires people, under penalty of perjury, to provide biographical details, contact information, details about any criminal history and the circumstances of how they entered the U.S. After DHS issued regulations to enforce the registration requirement in April, the administration announced that 47,000 undocumented immigrants had registered using the new form. The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights and other advocacy groups filed a lawsuit challenging Trump's move to revive the registration requirement in March. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, initially expressed skepticism toward the administration, saying in a recent hearing that officials had pulled a 'big switcheroo' on undocumented immigrants. But McFadden in April refused the plaintiffs' request to temporarily block the policy, saying the Coalition likely lacks the legal standing to sue because it has not shown that it would be harmed by the policy. The group has appealed McFadden's decision. In the meantime, the administration has begun to prosecute people for failure to register for the first time in seven decades. The prosecutions so far have stumbled. On May 19, a federal magistrate judge in Louisiana consolidated and dismissed five of the criminal cases, saying prosecutors had no probable cause to believe the defendants had intentionally refused to register. Judge Michael North wrote that the Alien Registration Act requires 'some level of subjective knowledge or bad intent' behind the choice not to register. The prosecutions, the judge wrote, are impermissible because most people are simply unaware of the law, and the government 'did not provide these Defendants — as well as millions of similarly situated individuals here without government permission — with a way to register' since 1950. But North also pointed out that the government may have an easier path to proving probable cause in the future, given that DHS created a new registration form in April. And government attorneys have appealed the five dismissed cases. The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana declined to comment on recent charges filed under the law. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said the office 'is aggressively pursuing criminals in the district and will use all criminal justice resources available to make D.C. safe and to carry out President Trump's and Attorney General Bondi's direction to support immigration enforcement.' The other federal district attorneys whose offices filed charges did not respond to a request for comment. Michelle LaPointe, legal director at the American Immigration Council, an immigrants' rights advocacy group, said these initial cases are the 'tip of the iceberg.' LaPointe is among the attorneys representing the Coalition in its lawsuit against the administration. 'I don't expect them to abate just because there were some dismissals,' LaPointe said, pointing to North's statements about future charges. 'They have already stated that they intend to make prosecution of the few immigration-related criminal statutes a priority for DOJ, and it's very easy for them to at least charge, even if they're not always gonna be able to sustain their burden to secure a conviction.' Weinberg, the Wayne State law professor, agreed that the administration will likely continue attempting broad enforcement. 'If they bring a whole lot of prosecutions and end up losing all, they may step back,' Weinberg said. 'If they bring a whole lot and win a few, they'll say, 'Well, that's the basis on which we can move further'' and appeal — potentially all the way to the Supreme Court, he noted.
CBS News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Irma Clark-Coleman, former Michigan Senator and longtime local politician, has died
Irma Clark-Coleman, a Democrat whose political career included the Michigan state senate and house, died Tuesday. She was 88. "She will be greatly missed by her loving family, close friends, professional colleagues and those in the communities she diligently served," her family said in an Instagram post. "Let us be intentional in fervent prayer for the family as we solicit the gift of God's peace and comfort during this delicate time." Arrangements for a celebration of life and services are pending. Irma Clark-Coleman file photo Wayne County "I've never met anyone as driven to be of service than Irma and she leaves with us a legacy that demonstrates her commitment. My thoughts are with Irma's family and her countless other friends at this difficult time," Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said about his friend. Clark-Coleman was born in rural Georgia, then moved to Detroit, according to her biography on the Wayne County site. Clark-Coleman attended Pershing High School and was the first in her family to graduate from college, earning both bachelor's and master's degrees from Wayne State University. Her decades of government service started in 1967 with an entry-level job with the Wayne County Road Commission, working her way up to assistant public information director. She later was media relations director for Wayne County Executive Bill Lucas and press secretary to Wayne County executive Ed McNamara. During her last seven years with the county, she was also a member of the Detroit School Board. She retired in 1998 as a human relations director for Wayne County. Upon retirement, Clark-Coleman served as a Michigan House representative for District 11 and a Michigan senator for District 3. While in the House, her work included legislation aimed at improving educational standards and student opportunities. In the Senate, she sponsored legislation to strengthen high school graduation standards. She also worked on easing requirements for family members who wished to become legal foster parents or adopt children in their care. Her appointments include National Education Commission of the States, as well as the Cherry Commission on Higher Education. She is also a former member of the National School Board Association Board of Directors, Michigan Association of School Boards of Directors and National Alliance of Black School Educators. She held memberships with NAACP, Living Waters Church Board, Trade Union Leadership Council, and the Alpha Rho Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She was given numerous awards and honors during her life including the Michigan Girl Scouts "Tomorrow Power" award; Latino Community Mana de Michigan Adelita (sister) award; the American Business Women Association award; the Women of Wayne State University Alumni Association's 1997 Headliner award; and the Michigan Chronicle's 2016 Women of Excellence Award.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
New approach to domestic violence in Warren to help victims, hold suspects accountable
Domestic violence victims receiving in-person follow-up visits from police; offenders receiving court-ordered counseling as a condition of bond, and a dedicated court day for domestic violence cases are a few of the new ways Warren police and other partners are approaching domestic violence incidents in Michigan's third most populous city. The initiative is reflective of its name, Operation Cycle Break, and is an effort to break the cycle of domestic violence, reduce assaults, get help to victims and offenders and streamline the court process to resolve cases quicker in an effort to prevent more serious situations in Warren. Police Commissioner Eric Hawkins said a majority of major cases in the city, including many homicides, had a domestic violence nexus, with more than 9,000 domestic violence calls for service in the last two years. He and other stakeholders discussed details about the new initiative June 6 at Warren police headquarters. Hawkins said he believes this more proactive and wholistic approach will have a "profound" impact on the community and has seen some encouraging points in its first 30 days. Among them: Mandatory training for all officers with Turning Point Macomb. Eighty-eight percent of warrant authorizations for domestic incidents, a 33% increase in warrant authorizations for the same time period last year. More than 20 offenders have been mandated by the court to enroll in batterer intervention counseling as a condition of bond. Contact was made with about 80% of victims after an initial incident, making sure their needs are heard. Hawkins said 37 cases were victims who were unreachable by the court or prosecutor's office. In the past, those cases may have slipped through the cracks. Arrests were made in nearly 93% of cases where a warrant was authorized. "This past Wednesday alone, in court, (the new dedicated court day), all 12 domestic violence cases on the docket saw full participation, something that we've been told is very rare and may never happen, " Hawkins said. "Every victim had the chance to be heard, and all suspects were present and accounted for." Wayne State University will collect and review data about the strategy, providing information to refine and improve the effort. Warren Mayor Lori Stone said the idea is a result of "smart, forward-thinking public safety," with its core to break the cycle of abuse and educate and assist people to get the help they need. Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said the strategy confronts domestic violence head-on, provides early intervention, does not leave survivors behind and holds offenders accountable — an idea that he hopes other communities will implement. In 2023, he said, his office pursued more than 530 cases of domestic violence in the county, most for upper-level felonies, with cases trending the same way last year. "We're not making a difference. We're just going through the motions," he said, adding that he is optimistic the new initiative will change that. In 2019, Lucido said 29% of victims were receiving help. Now, he said, more than 65% of victims are getting help. Last year, he said, more than 5,000 victims were supported by the crime victim advocate program. The number of domestic violence incidents, offenders and victims has risen in Michigan from 2019 to 2023, according to Michigan State Police statistics, with 67,816 incidents in 2023 and 73,220 victims. Chief Judge John Chmura of Warren's 37th District Court said he has seen tens of thousands of domestic violence cases in his 29 years on the bench. What he hasn't seen are two new facets of this initiative, the first being a condition of bond for a defendant in a domestic violence case to get counseling. Chmura said the defendant will have to report to the court's probation department within 48 hours and be referred to a number of counseling centers to sign up for as a condition of bail. While counseling is not unusual in such cases, he said, it's not been required up front. "We've never seen anything like this," he said, adding that he hopes this will help break the cycle of violence. Chmura said the court also dedicated Wednesdays as the day to hear domestic violence cases. Any of the court's four judges can hear the cases, he said, and the hope is to get cases before a judge in 14 days or fewer. He said a defendant could be sent to jail if they don't do what is required. Sharman Davenport, president and CEO of Turning Point Macomb, said the need for this type of coordinated effort has become increasingly urgent. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, there has been a rise in the frequency and lethality of domestic violence in the county. She said the criminal justice path can be long and traumatic for survivors, and abusers can use threats to force survivors back into silence. She said she believes this effort will approach these barriers head-on by imbedding advocacy in the first interaction and reducing the time to hold offenders accountable, reducing intimidation time. Hawkins said police moved resources around within the department's existing budget to ensure officers can do the visitations. Turning Point Macomb is anticipating more cases, Davenport said, and will work within its budget to accommodate survivors as well continue to accept donations and have events to raise money for the services it provides. More: Oakland County sheriff's deputies found loaded weapons at high school graduation in Pontiac Police said the initiative will fill in gaps that occurred in the past, such as follow-ups only being done by phone, not in person; victims and offenders not being connected with resources they needed, and victims getting a court date letter in the mail up to 90 days after an incident. Also, there were not unannounced welfare checks for victims or suspects routinely conducted; lethality assessments were not being completed; batterer intervention counseling was not offered at bond, and case progress was not systemically monitored for effectiveness. Now, officers will be required to complete a multi-question lethality assessment to identify high-risk situations and prioritize response. Suspects will receive a letter informing them police will monitor their behavior post-custody as well as a pamphlet with local services to seek help. Within 10 days of an incident, detectives personally will follow-up with victims to ensure they are safe and that offenders are complying with no-contact orders. The Wednesday court dates also allow police, victim advocates and others to be present. If a defendant fails to appear, police will locate them and bring them to court. Contact Christina Hall: chall@ Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press. Submit a letter to the editor at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New strategy to tackle domestic violence announced in Warren
Toronto Sun
03-06-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Canadian steel industry warns of 'unrecoverable consequences' to U.S. double-tariff threat
Trump's latest tariff threats could come at a high cost for business and consumers on both sides of the border. Shown here, trucks cross the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. Photo by Dan Janisse / Windsor Star President Donald Trump's latest trade threat — this time to double already punishing 25 per cent tariffs on all U.S. steel and aluminum imports — would trigger 'unrecoverable consequences,' according to Canada's steel industry. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account But such a 50-per-cent added-on tax, announced to begin as soon as Wednesday, would also have dire repercussions for U.S. businesses and U.S. consumer prices, according to a Michigan business expert on global supply chain management. 'The impacts of these tariffs will create a huge ripple effect,' said Wayne State University assistant professor Jeffrey Rightmer, who has decades of industry experience in operations/supply chain management. 'The U.S. doesn't have the capacity to meet the demand. The (U.S. domestic) companies will also raise the prices because they can,' he told the Star. 'Steel consumers don't have any choice but to buy more expensive imported steel and aluminum.' Rightmer said American companies will still have to buy the more expensive metals, creating big tariff bills that could threaten the stability of smaller manufacturers in the supply chain. The United States imports about 25 per cent of its steel needs annually while it only produces 50 per cent of the aluminum it requires. Canada is the largest supplier of both imported metals to the U.S. and a 50 per cent tariff would be devastating for those industries. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Rightmer's prediction of rising prices was immediately validated, with market prices for aluminum, hot rolled coil steel and copper rising on Monday following Trump's end-of-week announcement. The cashflow problems that would likely develop from longer-term tariffs, he added, would be reminiscent of the financial crash that required government bailouts for GM and Chrysler and several U.S. banks. 'It'll be 2007-2008 all over again,' Rightmer said. 'Companies got cash-strapped and couldn't survive. 'Companies have to import some stuff because they can't get it here. They have seven to 10 days to pay their tariff bill. 'Lots of smaller companies have profit margins of just one or two per cent at best. The terms with their customers can be 30 to 90 days for payment, so they develop cash flow problems.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'A huge ripple effect.' Jeff Rightmer, Wayne State University assistant professor of global supply chain management in the Mike Ilitch School of Business. Photo by Photo courtesy of Jeff Rightmer / Windsor Star Rightmer said the Tier I suppliers will likely be able to handle things for a bit, but he expects to see bankruptcies among the Tier II and III suppliers. 'Some little companies won't even declare bankruptcy, they'll just go out of business,' Rightmer said. 'Bigger companies won't know that until the industry ramps up again and suddenly you can't get something from them you need.' Rightmer said companies are being hamstrung by the uncertainty created by Trump's tariff policies. The timeline to move an automotive assembly plant to the U.S. is three to five years and is even longer to build new steel mills and aluminum smelting plants. 'Executives making these decisions are asking, 'Can I just wait three to five years and we'll have a new president, a new Congress and maybe a new Senate and there could be a lot of change?'' Rightmer said. 'It's really a roll of the dice right now.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Rightner said the likely outcome of the doubling of tariffs will be net job losses in both Canada and the U.S. A 2020 study by Princeton and Columbia universities and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York looked at the impact of Trump's 25 per cent tariff on steel in 2018 during his first administration. For every job created in the U.S. steel industry there was a loss of 75 downstream jobs in steel-consuming industries. However, there's no escaping the fact a much higher 50 per cent tariff would be more devastating to Canadian shipments to the U.S. than the 38 per cent decline experienced in June 2018. Aluminum exports dropped 19 per cent in 2018 compared to 2017. A 50 per cent tariff would essentially close the U.S. market to Canadian firms, the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) said in a statement. The Canadian steel industry directly employs 23,000 Canadians, with the U.S. accounting for 50 per cent of its market. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Steel tariffs at this level will create mass disruption and negative consequences for our highly integrated steel supply chains and customers on both sides of the border,' said CSPA president and CEO Catherine Cobden. 'It is vital that the government of Canada responds immediately to fully reinstate retaliatory steel tariffs to match the American tariffs and to implement as quickly as possible new tariffs at our own borders to stop unfairly traded steel from entering Canada. 'This latest announcement from the Trump administration is a further blow to Canadian steel that will have unrecoverable consequences.' Jonathon Azzopardi, president of Laval International in Windsor is shown on March 11, 2025, next to a mould using steel sourced in United States for an American client who will build bathtubs. Photo by Dan Janisse / Windsor Star Laval International president Jonathon Azzopardi said a targeted response is required. He noted a reciprocal 50 per cent tariff on U.S. steel would only heap more misery on Canadian manufacturers. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I do not support matching reciprocal tariffs,' said Azzopardi, a former chair of the Canadian Association of Mold Makers whose Oldcastle-based firm ships the bulk of its production to the U.S. 'It's not the way to solve this problem. Get to Washington and get a deal done, nothing short of that is even worth talking about.' Read More One alternative the federal government has announced is requiring the use of Canadian steel and aluminum in any domestic infrastructure or defence project. That policy was greeted enthusiastically by the United Steelworkers Canada. 'The United Steelworkers (USW) welcomes the federal government's decision to require Canadian steel and aluminum in national infrastructure and defence projects,' USW national director Marty Warren said in a statement. 'This is a commitment Steelworkers have championed for many years. USW has consistently called for strong Buy Canadian policies to protect good jobs and rebuild domestic supply chains, especially in the face of a worsening trade war and unfair global competition.' Dwaddell@ Toronto & GTA Other Sports Ontario Soccer Golf
