Immigrants

Florida hospitals question immigrants' legal status, Texas plans to follow

For three days, the staff of an Orlando medical clinic encouraged a woman with abdominal pain who called the triage line to go to the hospital. She resisted, scared of a 2023 Florida law that required hospitals to ask whether a patient was in the U.S. with legal permission. The clinic had worked hard to explain the limits of the law, which was part of Gov. Ron DeSantis' sweeping package of tighter immigration policies. The clinic posted signs and counseled patients: They could decline to answer the question and still receive care. Individual, identifying information wouldn't be reported to the state. We tried to explain this again and again and again, but the fear was real, Grace Medical Home CEO Stephanie Garris said, adding the woman finally did go to an emergency room for treatment. Texas will be the next to try a similar law for hospitals enrolled in state health plans, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. It takes effect Nov. 1 just before the end of a ...

Haitians in Ohio find solidarity at church after false pet-eating claims

For many Haitian immigrants, Sunday mornings in Springfield, Ohio, are spent joyfully worshipping God as they sing and pray in their native Creole. This Sunday, they needed that uplifting balm more than ever. Their community is reeling confused, frustrated, hurt from false accusations that they are eating their neighbour's cats and dogs. The now viral and highly politicised rumours are being fuelled by former president Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance and others, and violent threats against the community are upending daily life in their city. Jesus is with us in truth, and the truth is that Haitians are not eating pets and geese in Springfield, said the Rev. Carl Ruby, preaching at Central Christian Church. He invited community members to join his congregation in prayer and peaceful protest of the false rumours levelled against their Haitian neighbours. They also demanded an apology. It is truth that a retraction of these rumours will help to restore peace in Springfield,"

Trump falsely accuses immigrants in Ohio of eating pets in prez debate

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday amplified false rumors that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were abducting and eating pets, repeating during a televised debate the type of inflammatory and anti-immigrant rhetoric he has promoted throughout his campaigns. There is no evidence that Haitian immigrants in an Ohio community are doing that, officials say. But during the debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump specifically mentioned Springfield, Ohio, the town at the center of the claims, saying that immigrants were taking over the city. They're eating the dogs. They're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there, he said. Harris called Trump extreme and laughed after his comment. Debate moderators pointed out that city officials have said the claims are not true. Trump's comments echoed claims made by his campaign, including his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and other Republicans. The claims attracted attention this week when Vance posted on soc

India leads as top origin country and destination for Hindu migrants: Pew

At 47%, Christians make up the largest share of migrant population across the world, according to Pew Research Centre's analysis of global migrant religious composition

Jharkhand HC warns state govt about illegal immigration from Bangladesh

The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday directed the state government to take immediate action against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants entering the state through the Santhal Parganas. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Arun Kumar Rai gave the direction while hearing a PIL filed by one Daniel Danish. The court observed that illegal immigration will be on the rise in view of the present unstable situation in Bangladesh. The bench ordered the director of the intelligence bureau, director general of the BSF, chief election commissioner of India, and director general of the Unique Identification Authority of India to be made parties in the case. The court while issuing notices to them ordered them to file a response in the matter. The court also suggested that the government should conduct a sudden inspection of Aadhaar cards and voter identity cards. These drives will not only help in identifying the illegal settlers but will also deter others from

UK's worst unrest in 13 yrs: What led to riots; how's govt handling it?

UK riots: While 'far-right' groups are protesting against 'uncontrolled' immigration, asylum seekers are also holding counter-protests

Violent UK riots erupt over false far-right claims against asylum seekers

The United Kingdom is facing its worst riots in 13 years after far-right groups falsely claimed that an immigrant was responsible for the stabbing of three young girls last week

Brazilian govt apologises for post-WWII persecution of Japanese immigrants

The Brazilian government on Thursday apologized for human rights violations in the persecution and incarceration of Japanese immigrants in the years after World War II. I want to apologize on behalf of the Brazilian state for the persecution your ancestors suffered, for all the barbarities, atrocities, cruelties, tortures, prejudice, ignorance, xenophobia and racism, said Ene de Stutz e Almeida, president of the Amnesty Commission, an advisory board of Brazil's Ministry of Human Rights that analyzes amnesty and reparation requests to victims of political persecution in the country. The board approved the apology plea in a session in Brasilia attended by members of the Brazilian government and prominent members of the Japanese community. Flags of both countries were displayed on the table where the speakers sat. A report by the Amnesty Commission acknowledged that 172 immigrants were sent to a concentration camp off the coast of So Paulo, where they were mistreated and tortured from

Highlights of the day: Six dead, 1,500 tourists stranded as landslides, rain wreak havoc in Sikkim

Catch all the latest updates from around the world here

Kuwait fire: Situation will be clear as we reach there, says minister

"An Air Force plane is on standby. As soon as the bodies are identified, the kin will be informed and our Air Force plane will bring the bodies back..." the MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh said

Hindus not represented in USCIRF, says head of Indian diaspora body

Hindus, who constitute one percent of the American population and is the third largest religion of the world, has gone unpresented in the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, in the absence of which the USCIRF has been producing biased, unscientific and one-sided reports on India and Hindus, the head of a top Indian diaspora think-tank body said Friday. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Friday announced the appointment of three new members -- Maureen Ferguson, Vicky Hartzler, and Asif Mahmood and reappointments of Stephen Schneck and Eric Ueland to its commission. The term of the previous commissioners -- Abraham Cooper, David Curry, Frederick Davie, Mohamed Magid, Nury Turkel and Frank Wolf ended on May 14. Congratulations to the appointed member of the USCIRF. Leaders have missed a historic opportunity to appoint representation for diversity and the balance in the commission, representation of one of the largest faiths. One in every six

Indian Americans should run for office at all levels: Raja Krishnamoorthi

It's time for Indian Americans to run for office at all levels and never miss to vote, influential Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi told community members gathered here from across the country. We have to vote. Will everyone here vote in that coming election? Because we can talk politics all day, but doing politics is what matters. Remember, politics is not just a noun, it's a verb. And we have to do politics this year. We have to vote, Krishnamoorthi told a room full of eminent Indian Americans who had gathered in the American Capital for the annual summit of Indian American Impact, a Democratic think-tank. Secondly, we have to work on political causes bigger than ourselves. We have to support our local mandirs. We have to support our local mosques. We have to support our local not-for-profits. I hope you do that and you give generously. But we also have to work on political issues bigger than ourselves, said the Indian American Congressman, who represents the suburb of Chicago in th

India received $111 bn in remittances in 2022, highest by any country: UN

India received over USD 111 billion in remittances in 2022, the largest in the world, becoming the first country to reach and even surpass the USD 100 billion mark, the United Nations migration agency has said. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), in its World Migration Report 2024 launched Tuesday, said that in 2022, India, Mexico, China, the Philippines and France were the top five remittance recipient countries. "India was well above the rest, receiving more than USD 111 billion, the first country to reach and even surpass the USD 100 billion mark. Mexico was the second-largest remittance recipient in 2022, a position it also held in 2021 after overtaking China, which historically had been the second-biggest recipient after India, the report said. According to the report's data, India was the top country receiving remittances in 2010 (USD 53.48 billion), 2015 (USS 68.91 billion), and 2020 (USD 83.15 billion), with the remittances crossing the USD 100 billion mark t

Eminent Indian Americans commit $100 million for development of Amritsar

A group of eminent Indian-Americans have come together to announce a commitment of USD100 million for startups towards the socio-economic development of Amritsar, the first of its kind initiative for any Indian city by the diaspora. In collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), a group of eminent Indian-Americans and Indians living in the US had their first meeting in a Maryland suburb of Washington DC to announce the formation of Viksit Amritsar Initiative. The mega initiative, its founding members said, is inspired by former Indian envoy to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who after an illustrious diplomatic service, including the last four years in Washington DC, has returned to his home town with the mission of helping the city develop as one of the best in the world both in terms of economic and industrial growth but also as an attractive tourist destination from across the ...

Despite being country of immigrants, US immigration system broken: Thanedar

Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar said Tuesday that the US has a broken immigration system and should be replaced by an orderly process that benefits the US, its economy and helps create American jobs. America is a nation of immigrants and yet we have a broken immigration system, Thanedar said during a Congressional hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee on the Fiscal Year 2025 Department of Homeland Security Budget Request. In 1979, growing up in poverty, I was fortunate to have gotten admission into a PhD program in the United States to study. And that would have changed my life. And I went to the American embassy in Mumbai. Got there at 5 am in the morning, stood in line, only to be denied my student visa, he said. The embassy continued to deny it four more times. The fifth time, the visa got approved, only because the denying officer was on vacation to the United States. You know, our H-1B visas are an issue. Our immigration -- country quotas are creating such

Explained: Canada hikes permanent residency fees by 12 per cent

Canada granted a record 437,000 foreigners permanent residency in 2022. It seeks to bring in 1.45 million new permanent residents by 2025-end

US firm helping immigrants in detention to pay over $811 mn in lawsuit

A company that provides services for immigrants in federal detention was ordered Tuesday to pay more than $811 million in restitution and penalties in a lawsuit alleging it used deceptive and abusive tactics. Nexus Services must pay roughly $231 million in restitution as well as penalties of $13.8 million to New York, $7.1 million to Virginia and $3.4 million to Massachusetts, according to a judgement filed in federal court for the Western District of Virginia in Harrisonburg. The Virginia-based company, its subsidiary Libre by Nexus and its three executives must also each pay more than $111 million in civil penalties. This judgment is a victory for thousands of immigrant families who lost their life savings and were targeted and preyed on by Libre, New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. Libre exploited vulnerable immigrants and their families to pad its pockets, and that is illegal and unconscionable. James joined state attorneys general in Virginia and ...

Immigrants contribute to economy but there's worry over risks: US citizens

Americans are more worried about legal immigrants committing crimes in the U.S. than they were a few years ago, a change driven largely by increased concern among Republicans, while Democrats continue to see a broad range of benefits from immigration, a new poll shows. The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that substantial shares of U.S. adults believe that immigrants contribute to the country's economic growth, and offer important contributions to American culture. But when it comes to legal immigrants, U.S. adults see fewer major benefits than they did in the past, and more major risks. About 4 in 10 Americans say that when immigrants come to the U.S. legally, it's a major benefit for American companies to get the expertise of skilled workers in fields like science and technology. A similar share (38%) also say that legal immigrants contribute a major benefit by enriching American culture and values. Both those figures were down compared

Nationalism and democracy

In a thriving democracy, free and fair elections are vital, but so is strengthening constitutionally empowered institutions

Ireland's PM condemns anti-immigrant protesters who rampaged through Dublin

Ireland's prime minister on Friday condemned anti-immigrant protesters who rampaged through central Dublin after three young children were stabbed, saying the rioters simply wanted to cause chaos, not protect the country's way of life. Police arrested 34 people overnight after up to 500 people looted shops, set fire to vehicles and threw rocks at crowd control officers equipped with helmets and shields. The violence began after rumours circulated that a foreign national was responsible for the attack outside a Dublin school on Thursday afternoon. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Ireland's capital had endured two attacks one on innocent children and the other on our society and the rule of law. These criminals did not do what they did because they love Ireland, they did not do what they did because they wanted to protect Irish people, they did not do it out of any sense of patriotism, however warped, Varadkar told reporters on Friday morning. They did so because they're filled with