All posts tagged: raids

The Chicago faith leaders who resisted Trump’s immigration raids

The Chicago faith leaders who resisted Trump’s immigration raids

Published by Sam Flores

Throughout last fall and the early part of winter, the city of Chicago felt like a war zone. In retrospect, those difficult weeks offered a preview of what would happen in Minneapolis just a few weeks later. Military transport helicopters flew overhead throughout the day and night. Heavily armed federal agents marched down Michigan Avenue wearing body armor and carrying assault rifles. In what the Trump administration termed Operation Midway Blitz, more than 3,000 people were reportedly detained or arrested by ICE officers and other agents of law enforcement. Many of those people still languish in detention centers, while many more have already been deported. More affluent and majority-white neighborhoods, in general, were spared these experiences. In those areas, daily life proceeds largely unchanged. But numerous U.S. citizens have been caught up in the administration’s mass deportation dragnets, which clearly seem to involve racial and ethnic profiling: Skin color, surname, accent and language are treated as prima facie evidence that a person may be undocumented and subject to immediate removal. Public opinion research has repeatedly …

In New York, fear of ICE raids casts shadow over Ramadan for West African Muslims

In New York, fear of ICE raids casts shadow over Ramadan for West African Muslims

Published by Sam Flores

NEW YORK (RNS) — Since the start of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting and prayer, once lively group chats among New York’s West African Muslims have grown quieter. Fearing immigration enforcement operations, mosques have scaled back gatherings — even encouraging some congregations to stay home. “Imams have warned congregants that it might be better for some people, if they have any issues with immigration status, to actually just conduct their prayers at home,” said Husein Yatabarry, executive director of the Muslim Community Network, which hosted “Know Your Rights” sessions ahead of the holy month. Like many Muslims across the country, members of New York’s West African community say this Ramadan has been overshadowed by fear of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and rising anti-Muslim rhetoric, complicating communal traditions and nightly gatherings at mosques for tarawih prayers. “They have to choose between their safety, their freedom, their livelihood versus their religious right to practice,” Yatabarry said. “Black and African Muslims, we’ve been a target in the Canal Street raids,” he added, referring to ICE sweeps …

Seven sentenced over series of smash-and-grab raids at luxury London shops | UK News

Seven sentenced over series of smash-and-grab raids at luxury London shops | UK News

Published by Sam Flores

Seven men have been sentenced for being part of a group that carried out a series of smash-and-grab raids at luxury stores across London. The defendants stole more than £100,000 worth of goods from several high-value stores over four months in 2025, the Metropolitan Police said. Using bricks, sledgehammers and a Ford Fiesta to ram into the doors of the shops, the robbers took watches, jewellery, fine art and safes containing cash, before using stolen vehicles as getaway cars. Across the group, five successful burglaries of shops in London were committed between May and July 2025, Kingston Crown Court previously heard, with a total of £146,356 worth of items stolen. The court heard there were also two unsuccessful burglaries on an apothecary in Marylebone and a watch shop in Westminster. The group consisted of Christopher Gibbs, 43; George O’Hare, 42; Paul Hughes, 42; Anthony Munday, 40; Lee James McCready, 46; Matthew Windrass, 50; and David Rigelsford, 37. McCready was on licence for murder committed in 2005 when he took part in a robbery during which …

Israel continues to strike Lebanon: At least 16 killed in raids on Nabi Chit

Israel continues to strike Lebanon: At least 16 killed in raids on Nabi Chit

Published by Sam Flores

Local media report that at least 26 people were killed overnight in Israeli airstrikes on the eastern town of Nabi Chit, a small mountain community in the Bekaa Valley with strong ties to Hezbollah’s leadership.Over the past week, Israel issued evacuation orders before launching heavy strikes on southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled the area. Morgan Aire reports. Keywords for this article Source link

Dozens of arrests as police seize weapons, drugs, cash and luxury goods in raids targeting drug supply in Liverpool | UK News

Dozens of arrests as police seize weapons, drugs, cash and luxury goods in raids targeting drug supply in Liverpool | UK News

Published by Sam Flores

The 7am wake-up call on Stanley Road in Liverpool came courtesy of the screech of a police angle-grinder and a shower of sparks. As officers cut their way through a heavy metal gate, sleepy faces peered from behind curtains in neighbouring houses. When the gate finally gave way, dozens of officers swarmed through and began to batter their way into a row of heavily-secured flats. Politics latest – MP reacts to husband’s arrest for alleged spying Image: Dozens of locations were targeted by officers. Pic: Merseyside Police The properties were suspected of being connected to the supply of drugs. A cannabis farm was found in one. Passengers on a bus hemmed in by police vehicles watched on patiently, a bemused greyhound roamed the backyard, one resident remonstrated with police for breaking down his door. “I’m calling my solicitor,” he yelled. The early morning drama was the opening act of a large-scale police operation in the Anfield area of Liverpool, locking down whole streets to target dozens of locations in a “sustained and relentless offensive against …

Back my asylum overhaul or risk Trump inspired ICE-style raids, warns Mahmood | Politics News

Back my asylum overhaul or risk Trump inspired ICE-style raids, warns Mahmood | Politics News

Published by Sam Flores

Shabana Mahmood is set to introduce new legislation to overhaul the UK’s asylum system as part a tougher approach to migration. The home secretary will say the generosity of the British asylum system is attracting people from across the world, funding human traffickers and encouraging false asylum claims, according to a government source, She is also expected to say the government must cut migration, or risk opening the door to the right, which would divide communities with the kind of ICE-style anti-immigration raids seen in the US. It is hoped her plans could help to blunt the appeal of Reform UK. But they are also likely to bring criticism from within Labour, as fall-out from party losing a safe seat to the Greens, as it came third in this week’s Gorton and Denton by-election. Ms Mahmood’s name and immigration policy was being highlighted as the blame game began in the aftermath of Labour’s defeat in the Manchester contest. You need javascript enabled to view this content Enable javascript to share Share Shabana Mahmood’s immigration policies …

After ICE raids, Ramadan in Minnesota is somber, but some hope it offers healing

After ICE raids, Ramadan in Minnesota is somber, but some hope it offers healing

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — For many Muslims in the Twin Cities, Ramadan feels somber after the federal immigration enforcement surge left many immigrant families wary of gathering.  But those who spoke with RNS are hoping the Islamic sacred month of fasting and charity, which began this week, will offer a sense of communal grounding and healing. Imam Abdisalam Adam, a leader at Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque in Minneapolis and an elementary school principal, said people are still cautious about gathering in large numbers at mosques because of the “unpredictability” of Immigration and Customs Enforcement action. He expects fewer people will attend nightly prayers at his Cedar-Riverside neighborhood mosque but said those who can participate in the month’s communal activities are seeking to process what’s happened in the state with others, leaning into spiritual practices for strength.  “The lessons of Ramadan are most relevant this year because of the fear and despair,” Adam said. “So definitely, people are tapping into their faith for grounding.” Many mosques will hold free, near daily iftars, or fast-breaking evening meals, for their members …

Israeli raids in occupied West Bank at start of Ramadan | Genocide

Israeli raids in occupied West Bank at start of Ramadan | Genocide

Published by Sam Flores

NewsFeed Israeli forces carried out violent raids across the occupied West Bank, detaining Palestinians and demolishing homes. A young man was killed by settlers in Mukhmas, Jerusalem, while restrictions on West Bank worshippers at Al-Aqsa added to tensions during Ramadan. Published On 19 Feb 202619 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Source link

Judge bars most ICE raids at a group of churches

Judge bars most ICE raids at a group of churches

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — A federal judge issued an order on Friday (Feb. 13) barring federal immigration enforcement agents from raiding certain churches except in a “true emergency,” handing a preliminary win to a growing number of faith groups that have sued President Donald Trump’s administration over its decision to end restrictions on raids at houses of worship. Judge F. Dennis Saylor of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction, siding mostly with the religious plaintiffs. The case, filed last July, centers on faith groups who argued their religious freedom — particularly rights guaranteed by the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act — had been violated by the president’s decision to rescind a 2011 internal government policy that discouraged immigration raids at “sensitive locations” such as hospitals, schools and churches.  Although the judge decided that three of the plaintiffs — a trio of regional Quaker groups — lacked standing, the injunction will apply to all the other plaintiffs, which include five regional synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in …

Amid ICE raids, Minneapolis rabbi and pastor show solidarity in action

Amid ICE raids, Minneapolis rabbi and pastor show solidarity in action

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — Amid a massive immigration crackdown in Minneapolis these past two months, hundreds of clergy joined crowds of demonstrators to protest the violent arrests and detentions of thousands of the city’s immigrants as well as the killing of two U.S. citizens. But apart from the demonstrations — often met with smoke grenades, tear gas and bullets lobbed by federal immigration agents in military gear — a Reform rabbi and a Lutheran pastor of a mostly Latino church found another way to resist federal immigration officers — by deepening their partnership, building relationships and extending solidarity. Rabbi Arielle Lekach-Rosenberg and Pastor Hierald Osorto were out on the streets demonstrating too. But in the wake of the deployment of as many 3,000 immigration enforcement agents in their city, they moved beyond public declarations. Over the past few weeks, they’ve held two joint prayer services — one at her synagogue, the other at his church. They are writing a play together. Last week, the two congregations announced they are jointly raising $1 million by Sunday (Feb. 22) …