Gov. Hochul suddenly eager to help deport criminal illegal aliens — but wants to keep other migrants in New York



Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York suddenly seems eager to help deport criminal illegal aliens under a second Trump administration but wants to help other migrants in her state stay put.

On Tuesday, Hochul held a press conference in Queens, where she was asked about the deportations President-elect Donald Trump has promised to conduct after taking office next month. In her response, Hochul pledged to be "the first to call ICE" on illegal aliens who commit other crimes.

"If someone breaks the law, I’ll be the first one to call up ICE and say, 'Get them out of here,'" she said.

"There are other people who commit crimes or are known to be criminals before they arrived here. When those are identified, I'll be the first one to help get rid of them," Hochul added. "I don't want them here. I don't want anybody terrorizing my citizens."

Assembly member Catalina Cruz ... a 'formerly undocumented' immigrant, rushed to Hochul's defense, insisting that Hochul really is a friend to illegal immigrants — or, as Cruz called them, 'law-abiding undocumented Americans.'

Though she spoke emphatically about the need to deport illegal aliens who broke the law to steal into the U.S. and then went on to commit other crimes, she switched to a more conciliatory tone when discussing other migrant groups living in New York. She noted the "difference in categories of individuals" and expressed interest in helping those granted Temporary Protected Status and those "with legal papers, like they came and they’re seeking asylum."

"I want them to get the proper work permits. I want them to keep their temporary protective status if that’s what they have. I want to make sure that they’re part of — contributing to society while they’re here," she explained, according to the National News Desk. "That’s separate from people who are criminals."

"Those who come here legally — we want to get them jobs. I have 460,000 open jobs in the State of New York."

Many New York activists and Democrats were shocked by Hochul's rhetoric regarding illegal immigrants.

Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, begged Hochul not to assist with Trump's "dangerous games." "Now more than ever we need leadership from Albany," he said. "We need New York’s elected officials to stand up for and defend all of our immigrant neighbors."

Assembly member Catalina Cruz, whom City & State New York described as a "formerly undocumented" immigrant, rushed to Hochul's defense, insisting that Hochul really is a friend to illegal immigrants — or, as Cruz called them, "law-abiding undocumented Americans."

"Given the work my office has done with this administration, I have no doubt that these statements lacked context and dimension," Cruz said in Hochul's defense. "I know that she will remain dedicated to advancing the goal of assisting those individuals and families that have come to New York with hopes and dreams of a better life for themselves and their families."

In the last several years, some 200,000 so-called "asylum-seekers" have moved to New York, and City & State New York reported that as of July, as many as 875,000 total "unauthorized" persons may be living there.

Citing the Institution on Taxation and Economic Policy, City & State New York claimed that the "undocumented" immigrants living in New York are "contributing to the state’s economy." However, the outlet made no mention of the billions of taxpayer dollars spent on housing and feeding them.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Haitians self-deporting from Springfield before Trump inauguration



Haitian immigrants are reportedly leaving Springfield, Ohio, "in droves" to pre-empt any deportation efforts under a second Trump administration.

The Dayton-area city of Springfield recently came under the national spotlight after Haitian immigrants living there reportedly mistreated animals, both wild and domesticated.

At the debate between President-elect Donald Trump and current border czar Kamala Harris in September, Trump famously asserted that Haitians in Springfield were eating family pets. Springfield residents have also reported horrific mistreatment of area wildlife to local police and their elected leaders.

'While we understand there are concerns that some of our Haitian immigrants may choose to leave our community in the wake of the election, ... Haitian residents who have made community connections ... are not leaving their home.'

Nonetheless, Springfield officials repeatedly insisted that they had not received any "credible" reports of animal abuse, and many legacy media outlets have relied on those official denials to characterize Trump's statements at the debate as "false" and "debunked."

Springfield citizens and others in Clark County, Ohio, have since signaled their support for Trump's view of things, voting overwhelmingly earlier this month to send Trump — who made mass deportations a central campaign issue — back to the White House.

In anticipation of Trump's inauguration in just a few weeks, some Haitian immigrants living in Springfield have already elected to leave the area, ostensibly in hopes of avoiding deportation.

Margery Koveleski, who has spent years helping Haitians settle in Ohio, now finds herself helping them leave, the Guardian reported. "Some folks don’t have credit cards or access to the internet, and they want to buy a bus ticket or a plane ticket, so we help them book a flight," she said.

Though these Haitians — many of whom are technically in the U.S. legally after the Biden-Harris administration liberally granted Temporary Protected Status to many immigrants who would otherwise be considered illegal — are leaving the Springfield area, they are not necessarily returning to their native country.

"The owner of one store is wondering if he should move back to New York or to Chicago — he says his business is way down," Koveleski told the Guardian.

Others have mentioned Boston, a logical destination for migrants with dubious immigration status since Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, both far-left Democrats, have already promised to protect illegal aliens from deportation.

Jacob Payen, co-founder of the Haitian Community Alliance, emphasized to the Guardian that Haitians are leaving Springfield as a direct result of Trump's pledge to deport illegal immigrants. "People are fully aware of the election result, and that is why they are leaving," he explained. "They are afraid of a mass deportation."

In a press release issued on Friday, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue did not deny that some Haitians will probably opt to leave the area. However, Rue then also cryptically added that most had established roots and therefore would not be "leaving their home."

"While we understand there are concerns that some of our Haitian immigrants may choose to leave our community in the wake of the election, as we know it today, Haitian residents who have made community connections whether through church affiliation, property purchases or have been contributing to our City through their employment or business ownership are not leaving their home," Rue wrote.

After commending Haitians and their manifold "contributions" to Springfield, Rue's statement added: "The City of Springfield also will continue to comply with the laws and regulations set forth by the federal government. We remain steadfast in our commitment to upholding federal law, as we have always done in the past. As such, we will continue to monitor and await further guidance on this matter as the Federal Administration transitions."

Blaze News reached out to the City of Springfield to clarify what Rue meant by Haitian migrants' "home" and his understanding of the federal statute regarding Temporary Protected Status but did not receive a response.

In their respective articles about Haitians leaving Springfield, both the Guardian and CBS News shared stories that painted deportation efforts as inhumane or potentially devastating to the area.

"I'm scared because my business in Haiti was bombed, I lost my mom," Ketlie Moise, a Haitian immigrant living in Springfield, told CBS News. "Someone come in the business, they shoot my mom with a gun, bomb my business. ... If I get deportation to go back to Haiti, for me especially, I'm going to die, I'm going to be dead."

"Because I work with Haitians to file their taxes — I see their W-2s and so on. If these people leave, that money is gone from the city and the local economy," Payen told the Guardian.

Indeed, the Guardian noted that "the Haitians who filled thousands of jobs at area packaging and auto plants have helped rejuvenate once-blighted neighborhoods and contributed to the local economy in myriad ways."

However, the outlet failed to mention that at least one area temp agency, First Diversity, is under fire for allegations of exploitation and even human trafficking, as Blaze News previously reported.

Investigative journalist Asra Nomani reported in the Jewish Journal: "Some of the whistleblowers cried, recounting their experiences working at First Diversity. Workers spoke of paychecks that never arrived, long hours with no overtime and promises of stability that quickly turned to dust. Some, like the 24-year-old woman and her mother, had their Social Security numbers allegedly stolen, while others found their I-9 forms and drug test results faked to keep them in the system."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

EXCLUSIVE: ‘A Planned Terror Attack’: House Republicans Target DHS For Accommodating Lebanese Nationals

Republican Texas Rep. Brian Babin and a group of House Republicans sent a letter Tuesday to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), slamming them over a recent announcement that Lebanese nationals inside the U.S. will now be eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and work authorization due to war in the Middle East. The Daily […]

Blaze News original: Biden-Harris immigration policy shell game — more 'lawful pathways' and less enforcement



One of the first orders of business for President Joe Biden (D) when he took office was to immediately undo former President Donald Trump's immigration policies, which included halting construction of the border wall. In fact, within his first year, Biden took nearly 300 immigration-related executive actions that have ultimately led to the nation's current unprecedented immigration crisis.

Perhaps even more damaging than leaving the nation's doors open to illegal immigration, Biden, along with his vice president and now the Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, spent the past three and a half years using the administration's executive powers to circumvent Congress and rapidly expand "lawful pathways," including parole programs, Temporary Protected Status, and the CBP One app.

The Biden-Harris administration has rolled out these executive actions under the guise of curbing illegal crossings by incentivizing foreign nationals to pursue so-called legal routes instead. However, while their measures may have slightly reduced southern border encounter numbers in recent months, they have ramped up questionably legal immigration nationwide.

As far as the current administration is concerned, these expanded immigration pathways have granted millions of foreign nationals legal status in the U.S.

However, with election season in full swing and immigration a top concern for a vast number of voters, the Biden-Harris turned Harris-Walz campaign is attempting to appear more moderate on immigration issues and distancing itself from its self-inflicted crisis by, among other things, touting its lowered border encounter stats while glossing over how its expanded pathways have allowed millions of lightly vetted foreign nationals to enter the country.

Background on pathway expansion

Until May 2023, Title 42 allowed the federal government to quickly expel illegal immigrants who had recently been in a country where COVID-19 was present. With the expulsion program set to end, the administration anticipated a significant spike in border crossings. As a way to mitigate that increase and "discourage irregular migration," the Biden-Harris administration's Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice issued "a final rule to incentivize the use of lawful pathways."

The administration sold its expanded pathways firstly as a "lawful" process that encouraged "safe" and "orderly" immigration into the U.S.

With the number of illegal border crossings over the first three years of Biden's presidency exceeding nine million, the expanded pathway measures provided ways for the administration to continue allowing foreign nationals to enter the country in large numbers while potentially reducing eye-popping encounter stats at the southwest border.

'CHNV program, which allows inadmissible Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans to fly in.'

In the summer of 2023, the Biden-Harris administration listed the ways it planned to increase so-called legal migration, including by "establishing country-specific and other available processes to seek parole for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit; expanding opportunities to enter for seasonal employment; putting in place a mechanism for migrants to schedule a time and place to arrive in a safe, orderly, and lawful manner at ports of entry via use of the CBP One mobile app; and expanding refugee processing in the Western Hemisphere."

Jessica Vaughan, the director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies, told Blaze News, "The most consequential, and unlawful, 'lawful pathway' used by the Biden administration has been the use of parole to allow about 5 million inadmissible migrants into the country who would not otherwise qualify either for asylum or a legal visa."

She noted that the administration's pathways have "taken several forms," including "catch-and-release at the border, the CBP One app to enable unqualified people from anywhere in the world to make an appointment to cross the border, and the CHNV program, which allows inadmissible Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans to fly in and settle where ever they like, and in the case of the Cubans and Haitians, immediately apply for welfare programs and enroll their kids in public schools at taxpayer expense."

CBP One mobile app

The Biden-Harris administration has significantly expanded Customs and Border Protection's CBP One application, which allows foreign nationals located in certain parts of Mexico to schedule an appointment at a port of entry to make an asylum claim. The catch-and-release policies under the current administration mean that applicants undergo a quick and abbreviated vetting process before they are released into the interior of the U.S. and provided with years-out court dates to later review the legitimacy of their asylum claims.

Under the Biden-Harris leadership, the mobile app has expanded eligibility territory, allowing foreign nationals to apply from Northern, Central, and some parts of Southern Mexico, thereby incentivizing individuals worldwide to travel to Mexico to schedule an appointment. CBP schedules 1,450 appointments per day.

A recent report from the DHS' Office of Inspector General revealed that the application lacks some capabilities to assist with vetting foreign nationals.

The application's limited vetting ability, coupled with overwhelmed federal immigration agents at the border forced to expedite the release of those requesting asylum, has allowed gang members and criminals to enter the country.

In just one recent example, two young men suspected to be members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were recently busted in Aurora, Colorado, for alleged ties to a shooting. According to reports, the men used the CBP One app to enter the U.S. in August.

The CHNV pathway

The administration's CHNV program allows 30,000 individuals per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to immigrate to the U.S. and receive a two-year work permit. It is worth noting that CHNV beneficiaries are being flown into the U.S. not necessarily from their country of origin. In fact, the CIS discovered that individuals have been flown from 77 countries into 45 international U.S. airports.

In recent weeks, the program has stirred up a firestorm of controversy after a report by the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate uncovered fraud among sponsors' applications. Foreign national beneficiaries must have a U.S.-based sponsor, also called a supporter — individual or entity — to be eligible for the program.

'The president and his border czar play a massive shell game.'

Those currently in the country on Temporary Protected Status or asylum can serve as supporters to CHNV beneficiaries, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services' website. In other words, beneficiaries do not require an American citizen sponsor to enter the country through this program, leaving it vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

The report found that some supporters had used the same Social Security numbers, addresses, and phone numbers hundreds of times. Additionally, approximately 3,000 sponsors had filed more than 100,000 forms. Some of those forms included phone numbers belonging to deceased individuals, addresses of storage units, and fake zip codes.

While news of the discovered fraud did not break until early August, the DHS reportedly paused the CHNV program in mid-July while investigating the findings.

Roughly a month and a half later, the Biden-Harris administration announced that it was rebooting the program, with the DHS claiming that it would conduct "additional vetting" of sponsors moving forward.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) urged the federal government to end the "clearly flawed" and "unlawful" program.

"The CHNV program, along with the use of the CBP One app at the Southwest border, has helped the president and his border czar play a massive shell game, encouraging otherwise inadmissible aliens to simply cross at ports of entry instead of between them," he stated following the administration's announcement.

A group of senators led by Ted Cruz (R-Texas) recently penned a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas also calling for the program's termination.

Cruz accused the DHS of continuing the program after implementing "stop-gap marginal improvements" that would not "solve the fundamental fraud, failure, and illegality of the CHNV program."

"This fundamentally flawed program must be permanently dismantled. The program has not only facilitated widespread fraud, but has also exposed serious vulnerabilities in our immigration system, leading to dire consequences for public safety. The tragic sexual assault and murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray by two Venezuelan illegal aliens indicates the dangers posed by the Biden-Harris administration's immigration policies," Cruz wrote in the letter.

The senators linked the CHNV program and the administration's expansion of TPS for Venezuelans to the "troubling rise in crime" and the increased presence of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang now operating in some areas of the U.S.

Furthermore, they accused the Biden-Harris administration of "creat[ing] a parallel immigration system without congressional approval."

'Keeping Families Together' program

In addition to implementing more pathways for foreign nationals to enter the U.S., the Biden-Harris administration has also promoted mass amnesty processes for those already in the country seeking permanent legal status.

The DHS announced the "Keeping Families Together" program in mid-August, calling it "a step toward ... Biden's commitment to promoting family unity in the immigration system."

If permitted to move forward, it would allow some illegal immigrants to "request parole in place under existing statutory authority." Those eligible for the program include spouses and stepchildren of American citizens. Spousal applicants must have lived in the U.S. since June 2014 and have been married to a citizen since June 2024. Stepchildren applicants must be under 21 years old and unmarried, have resided in the country since June 2024, and have an illegal alien parent married to a citizen.

'The Biden-Harris-Mayorkas schemes were deliberately created to circumvent the immigration laws.'

As part of the program, eligible individuals would be granted parole in place, allowing them to remain in the country while they request an adjustment of status.

USCIS' website states, "If granted parole, and if otherwise eligible, these noncitizens may apply for adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident without being required to leave the United States and be processed by a U.S. consulate overseas."

"DHS estimates that 500,000 noncitizen spouses of U.S. citizens could be eligible to access Keeping Families Together; on average, these noncitizens have resided in the United States for 23 years," it continues. "In addition, approximately 50,000 noncitizen stepchildren of U.S. citizens are estimated to be eligible to seek parole under Keeping Families Together."

Critics have called it a mass amnesty program.

Shortly after it was announced, 16 Republican-led states filed a lawsuit against the Biden-Harris administration to prevent the program from moving forward. The complaint claimed that the administration's estimate that it would extend legal status to up to 550,000 illegal aliens is "likely a significant underestimate," arguing that the number could be as high as 1.3 million.

The lawsuit, filed in partnership with America First Legal, read, "DHS has announced the creation of a program that effectively provides a new pathway to a green card and eventual citizenship ... to circumvent the process established by Congress to apply for permanent residency."

It stated, "This action incentivizes illegal immigration and will irreparably harm the Plaintiff States," which included Texas, Idaho, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming.

In response to the suit, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas granted a stay order, preventing the federal government from implementing the program at least until September 23 while the case is pending.

USCIS noted that it is still accepting applications for its "Keeping Families Together" program, including scheduling biometric appointments for applicants, but it is not currently granting any parole-in-place requests due to the ongoing lawsuit.

Final thoughts

The most troubling aspect of the Biden-Harris administration's open-borders policies has been the limited vetting processes that have allowed criminals from all over the world to slip into the country.

"Besides the huge expense to taxpayers, there is a human cost as well, as some of these individuals are violent gang members, deviants, and human traffickers, and they have caused incalculable harm in a number of communities around the country, from New York City to Aurora, Colorado, to Springfield, Ohio, to Nashville, Tennessee," Vaughan told Blaze News.

Despite the federal government's claims that every foreign national granted asylum or other form of parole has been thoroughly vetted, law enforcement officials' ability to access an individual's criminal background is extremely limited.

Immigration officials tasked with performing background checks on foreign nationals making asylum claims at the border are limited to U.S.-based background checks and Interpol.

Vaughan explained, "There is no meaningful vetting process. The only vetting that the immigration officers can do is to check if the migrant has a record here in the United States, and most of them have never been here before. We have next to no information on their background."

Vaughan confirmed to Blaze News that potential lawsuits against the administration's expanded pathways could have legal standing.

"The Biden-Harris-Mayorkas schemes were deliberately created to circumvent the immigration laws as Congress wrote them, and especially the numerical limits," she said. "The law explicitly prohibits using parole to allow defined categories of migrants to enter without a visa or after crossing illegally; it is permissible only on a case-by-case individual basis and only if it can be justified as a significant public benefit."

The administration's expanded pathways and asylum programs refer to 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(5), which states that the attorney general may "parole" a foreign national into the country "temporarily" but "only on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit." However, it notes, "Such parole of such alien shall not be regarded as an admission of the alien and when the purposes of such parole shall, in the opinion of the Attorney General, have been served the alien shall forthwith return or be returned to the custody from which he was paroled and thereafter his case shall continue to be dealt with in the same manner as that of any other applicant for admission to the United States."

Vaughan noted, "A lot of people are asking what possible public benefit has come from these policies, especially the families of people harmed by illegal migrants, or taxpayers seeing their hard-earned money spent on hotel rooms, Uber rides, pizza dinners, health care, schooling, and sometimes prosecution and incarceration of people who have no interest and no prospect of contributing to their community."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Lebanese nationals in US for laughably short length of time may get temporary protected status: Biden-Harris DHS



Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced on Thursday that the Biden-Harris administration has granted Temporary Protected Status to Lebanese nationals currently in the United States. The DHS cited "ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions" that it claims prevents nationals from returning to their home country safely.

"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing new actions to provide temporary immigration reprieve to eligible Lebanese nationals currently in the United States and allowing them the opportunity to request work authorization," the DHS wrote. "Included in today's announcement are details related to the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Lebanese nationals as previously announced in July, and a planned new Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Lebanon."

'11,000 Lebanese nationals will likely be eligible.'

The announcement from the administration comes after Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terror group operating in Lebanon, had launched thousands of rockets into Israel. Earlier this month, Israel started responding to those attacks with "limited, localized and targeted ground raids."

"Those approved for TPS will be able to remain in the country while the United States is in discussions to achieve a diplomatic resolution for lasting stability and security across the Israel-Lebanon border," the DHS wrote in its Thursday press release.

Lebanese nationals granted TPS status will be protected from deportation for 18 months and be eligible to obtain work authorization for the duration of their stay.

The administration also stated that the program would be available to "individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Lebanon."

To be eligible, individuals must have been "continuously residing in the United States since October 16, 2024."

In addition to the TPS program, the DHS also announced "a Special Student Relief Notice for F-1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is Lebanon." Eligible student will be able to request work authorization, work more hours, and reduce their coursework while maintaining F-1 status.

The DHS estimates that "11,000 Lebanese nationals will likely be eligible" will be eligible for the protections.

The Biden-Harris administration has come under fire for its use of TPS, previously opening the program to nationals from a number of countries, including Haiti, Venezuela, Syria, and Ukraine.

Earlier this year, the administration announced that it was extending TPS for Haitian nationals, allowing more than 300,000 individuals to remain in the country even longer — until February 2026. Venezuelan nationals in the U.S. under TPS are protected from any deportation efforts until well into 2025.

The Biden-Harris administration attempted to appear tougher on immigration early this month by stating that it does not plan to extend temporary legal status to the over 500,000 immigrants who entered the country through its controversial and questionably legal CHNV, Blaze News previously reported. The program has allowed 30,000 individuals per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to immigrate to the country.

However, just because the temporary legal status under this specific program will not be extended does not mean the foreign nationals will be forced to leave the country. In fact, Haitian and Venezuelan nationals may be eligible to remain under the current TPS program.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Another town in America's heartland stretched thin over influx of immigrants: 'We need some federal help'



Locals in the small town of Logansport, Indiana, are sounding the alarm about the community's overwhelmed resources due to a massive influx of foreign nationals who have arrived in the area over the past three years under the Biden-Harris administration.

The community's concerns mirror recent reports out of Springfield, Ohio, and Charleroi, Pennsylvania, two small cities that have experienced a significant increase in immigrant arrivals.

'We are a small rural community in Indiana who is facing challenges of a large increase in population.'

Residents in Logansport, a rural town with a population of 18,000, are pleading with the federal government to provide more resources to address their strained hospitals and school system.

While it is unclear how many immigrants have moved to the area over the past few years, one local business owner speculated that the number was "maybe more than 2,000," according to WXIN.

Mayor Chris Martin told the news outlet that others have stated that 5,000 Haitian nationals have moved to the area, but he noted that there is no way to be sure of the exact number.

Martin explained that he knows the influx is significant because there has been a 20-30% increase in demand for local services. He cited "traffic, school, and the hospital" as examples.

"The federal government has got to step in and help communities our size," Martin said. "We are a small rural community in Indiana who is facing challenges of a large increase in population."

Logansport Memorial Hospital told WXIN that the town is on pace for record-shattering birth rates. The hospital stated that it has been utilizing interpreter services to provide assistance to the foreign nationals.

The school system had 150 new students enrolled over the past three years. There are currently 207 Haitian students, compared to just 14 in 2021. New students from 11 other countries have also enrolled in the school system within the past few years.

Cass County Health Department Administrator Serenity Alter stated in September that many of the new students are unaccompanied minors.

"They fly from Haiti to Nicaragua, to Mexico, and then to the state they are flying to in the US," she stated. "Some have not seen their parents in seven years. It's an eye-opener."

"I don't think our school system can sustain what they are doing right now," Alter declared.

District Superintendent Michele Starkey disagreed, stating, "We can handle it."

"We are a public school, so we take in everyone who comes through the door and we meet them where they are no matter what," Starkey told WXIN.

The school district has even coordinated with students' schedules, allowing them to attend a few hours of classes each day so that they can work full shifts in the evenings.

"While it might be startling to some people, we have students that work second and third-shift jobs to help support their families," Starkey stated.

As far as why the foreign nationals have decided to make Logansport their home, some speculate it has something to do with the Tyson meatpacking plant.

The company did not respond to a request for comment from WXIN.

Dave Price, a Logansport resident, told Fox News this week, "We need some help here. We need some federal help."

"We had immigrants come in throughout the years to Logansport from the Mexico area, so we have a lot of Hispanics in the area which have acclimated very well, and they've grown their businesses, and they've earned the respect of Americans, and we've respected them in return," Price stated. "But what we're seeing now is a little different. It's coming from a Third World country coming into Logansport, and these individuals don't necessarily know the local laws or rules and how to behave here."

The mayor stated that he is considering declaring a state of emergency.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Americans in Ohio left in the dust after Biden-Harris immigration policies favor foreign nationals



The Biden-Harris administration’s open-border policies and expanded “lawful pathways” have wreaked havoc in many cities nationwide, including the small town of Tremont City, Ohio, within the Springfield metropolitan area.

The administration’s CHNV program has enabled otherwise inadmissible Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan nationals to fly into the United States and receive a two-year work permit. The program allows 30,000 individuals from these countries to enter the country each month.

Additionally, the Biden-Harris administration extended Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants through August next year.

Both of these programs have contributed to a flood of approximately 20,000 Haitian nationals arriving in Springfield, Ohio, and subsequently spilling over into nearby smaller municipalities, including Tremont City.

The administration’s actions have strained the village's resources, led to an increase in traffic accidents, and caused a housing shortage, according to local officials and residents who recently spoke to Blaze News’ Julio Rosas.

Tony Flood II, the mayor of Tremont City, told Rosas, “Words can’t describe how it makes me feel. I’m ashamed of leaders and leadership allowing this kind of stuff to just pretty much invade.”

“My wife works in downtown Springfield,” he continued. “My daughter works right beside her, and I’m scared to death that one of these days I’m going to get a phone call or a visit by a state trooper or something that they’ve been hit. They’ve been rolled over.”

He noted that the number of traffic accidents in the area, especially around Springfield, has increased since the city welcomed the new foreign national arrivals.

“Honestly, it pisses me off that we’ve allowed it to hit this point. I mean, there’s kids getting killed,” Flood added. Last year, an 11-year-old boy was killed and dozens of children were injured when a Haitian driver allegedly crashed into a school bus.

Tremont City Police Chief Chad Duncan told Blaze News that the town has experienced a “major influx” of Haitians.

He said, “None of them have a license, and if they do, they’re temporary permits. Obviously, you can’t drive on a temporary permit in the state of Ohio.”

According to the officer, the increase in accidents could easily “be prevented if everybody would get on the same page, all law enforcement, and start towing these vehicles.”

Duncan explained that the town's law enforcement resources are limited and strained due to the recent population boom.

“We don’t have the capability of keeping up with all of it,” he added, noting that the village has not been provided any additional resources.

Mark Sanders, a Tremont City resident, told Blaze News that the town has been on top of towing vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers, but he noted that Springfield has not. Sanders speculated that Springfield is trying to appear more welcoming and accommodating to the Haitian nationals by not towing the vehicles. He said that he has been hit twice and his mother-in-law once while driving on Tremont City roads.

“The police, they’re almost morally crushed because every day they show up to five, six, seven of these accidents,” Sanders continued. “It’s like the movie 'Groundhog Day.' It’s the same thing over and over.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Ohio AG wants to curb influx of immigrants in Springfield



The attorney general of Ohio has launched a probe to discover whether he has any legal means of limiting the number of immigrants the federal government relocates to his state.

On Monday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, announced in a press release that his office would investigate whether he has any "legal avenues to stop the federal government from sending an unlimited number of migrants to Ohio communities," Springfield in particular.

Springfield has recently drawn national attention after up to 15,000 Haitian immigrants moved there and made the city "their new home," the city website says. Other reports put the number closer to 20,000.

While the city notes that most of these immigrants enjoy legal "temporary protected status" under the auspices of the federal Immigration Parole Program, some of the city's 60,000 local residents and others in nearby towns have complained about major disruptions to the local economy and threats to public safety as a result of the immigrants.

— (@)

Yost's press release reiterated some of those complaints: "In addition to straining available resources, locals have complained of migrants causing car crashes, stealing property – including livestock, squatting in homes and killing wildlife for food."

Yost called the Biden-Harris administration's plans regarding immigrants "absurd."

"Springfield has swollen by more than a third due to migrants," he said in a statement. "How many people can they be expected to take? What are the limits to the federal government’s power? Could the federal government simply funnel into Ohio all the millions of migrants flooding in under the current administration’s watch?

"There’s got to be a limiting principle. We’re going to find a way to get this disaster in front of a federal judge."

Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted also drew attention to the issue, claiming on X that many of the Haitian immigrants have failed to assimilate and caused spikes in health care costs and in infectious diseases like tuberculosis.

"It doesn’t need to be done this way; it’s a choice made by the Biden administration," Husted wrote.

— (@)

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine also expressed frustration. "The federal government does not have a plan to give any support to the communities impacted by surges, and we have absolutely no indication that a plan is coming in the near future," he said Tuesday.

Though the state executive Republicans stand in agreement that the massive waves of immigration in their state are a problem, they also reiterated that immigrants in general are not.

"Many local residents expressed compassion for the Haitian refugees, explaining that they understand that Haiti is a terrible place to live right now and they understood why they would want to come to America," Husted insisted. "But it was also abundantly clear that local officials and citizens have little recourse and need help."

"The problem is not migrants; it is way, way too many migrants in a short period of time," Yost claimed.

DeWine also said he does not oppose the Temporary Protected Status program, the AP reported, but wants the federal government to provide more assistance. In the meantime, he has earmarked $2.5 million over the next two years to buttress the county health department and other private health care clinics.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

ROOKE: Kamala’s Campaign Has Serious Wound Festering That Could Kill Her Election Victory Chances

'she has helped oversee the destruction of the American way of life'

Biden shields Ukrainians in US from deportation with temporary protection during war



The Biden administration will temporarily shield tens of thousands of Ukrainians in the United States from deportation and grant them work permits for as long as they are unable to return to Ukraine because of the ongoing war with Russia, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Thursday.

According to the agency, any Ukrainian resident in the U.S. who has been here since March 1 or earlier is eligible for Temporary Protected Status for a period of 18 months. Ukrainians who arrived in the country after March 1 are ineligible for this designation, DHS said in a release.

The federal government's action comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine by land, air, and sea in what has become one of the largest wars in Europe since World War II. President Joe Biden strongly condemned Russia in his State of the Union address earlier this week, calling the attack "premeditated and unprovoked."

The president detailed economic sanctions the U.S. and European allies have placed on Russia in his address, and promised additional aid to the Ukrainian people during this conflict. He also announced that Russian flights would be cut off from American air space to "squeeze" the Russian economy as punishment for Putin's war.

Biden's administration has determined that the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine and "extraordinary and temporary conditions" will prevent Ukrainian nationals in the U.S. from returning home safely. The TPS designation for Ukrainians in America will grant them access to work permits and enable them to remain in the U.S. after their visas expire, for as long as the status lasts.

"Russia’s premeditated and unprovoked attack on Ukraine has resulted in an ongoing war, senseless violence, and Ukrainians forced to seek refuge in other countries," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a written statement.

Earlier Thursday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that it had paused deportation flights to Ukraine due to the "ongoing humanitarian crisis," Reuters reported.

Since the war began, more than 1 million Ukrainians have fled their country seeking refuge in European nations to the west. Half a million of these refugees are children, according to UNICEF, which said this could be the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II, CNN reported.

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said Thursday, "I have worked in refugee emergencies for almost 40 years, and rarely have I seen an exodus as rapid as this one."

"International solidarity has been heartwarming. But nothing -- nothing -- can replace the need for the guns to be silenced; for dialogue and diplomacy to succeed. Peace is the only way to halt this tragedy," Grandi added.