By Amanda Castro
Associate News Editor
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Arpineh Masihi, a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, has become an unlikely symbol of the administration's immigration crackdown, despite her loyalty to the president. Detained in late June as part of a surge in deportation operations, Masihi remains incarcerated at a federal facility in California. Her case has drawn attention for the apparent contradiction: a woman who praises the very policies that now threaten her deportation.
What to Know:
- Masihi, 39, was convicted of burglary in 2008 and had her green card revoked, but was allowed to remain in the U.S. due to her status as a Christian Armenian Iranian.
- She was detained during breakfast with her family after ICE agents arrived with a warrant.
- Her husband, Arthur Sahakyan, said: "I don't blame Trump, I blame Biden. It's his doing for open borders."
- Masihi has lived in California since age 3, owns a business, and is raising four U.S. citizen children.
- She was first held in a downtown LA facility she described as "inhumane," then transferred to Adelanto Detention Center.
- Despite her detention, Masihi told the BBC: "I will support [Trump] until the day I die. He's making America great again."
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Jul 10, 2025 at 04:10 PM EDT
ICE arrests four asylum seekers at San Francisco immigration court
Federal immigration agents arrested four men Thursday morning outside courtrooms at 630 Sansome St. in downtown San Francisco, according to eyewitness accounts from Mission Local. All four had appeared for routine asylum hearings when a Department of Homeland Security attorney moved to dismiss their cases, citing unspecified changes in circumstances.
Judge Patrick O'Brien gave the men a month to respond and seek legal counsel, but they were taken into custody immediately after the hearing — a tactic immigration attorneys say is increasingly used to expedite deportations. "No matter what you decide today, it's very likely you're not going to come back to this court," O'Brien told them.
None of the men had attorneys present, relying instead on a volunteer lawyer from the Bar Association of San Francisco's attorney-of-the-day program. The arrests follow a pattern of detentions at both court hearings and ICE check-ins, raising concerns among advocates about due process and transparency in immigration enforcement.
Jul 10, 2025 at 03:29 PM EDT
ICE employee quits: ‘Had to make a moral decision’
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A government attorney resigned over what he called a shift in Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) mission from safeguarding the nation to chasing deportation numbers.
Adam Boyd, a 33-year-old attorney, quit the ICE legal department last month, The Atlantic reported.
"We still need good attorneys at ICE. There are drug traffickers and national-security threats and human-rights violators in our country who need to be dealt with. But we are now focusing on numbers over all else," Boyd told the outlet.
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment.
Read the full story by Billal Rahman on Newsweek.
Jul 10, 2025 at 03:01 PM EDT
Palestinian activist freed after 104 days in immigration detention
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Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student and prominent voice in campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza, was released Friday after spending 104 days in federal immigration detention. His arrest in March marked the first under President Trump's crackdown on student demonstrators.
"Justice prevailed, but it's very long overdue," Khalil said outside the Louisiana facility where he had been held. "This shouldn't have taken three months."
Khalil, a legal U.S. resident, was never charged with a crime. His lawyers argued that the government's attempt to deport him over his political views violated the First Amendment. U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz agreed, calling Khalil neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community.
The Department of Homeland Security is appealing the release, citing a separate immigration judge's removal order. Khalil now faces new allegations of misrepresentation on his green card application, which he denies.
He has reunited with his wife and newborn son in New York and says he will continue advocating for Palestinian rights. "No one should be detained for protesting a genocide," he said.
Jul 10, 2025 at 02:21 PM EDT
Immigration sweeps and data sharing drive undocumented families out of California healthcare
Healthcare providers across Southern California say undocumented and mixed-status families are abandoning clinics and canceling appointments amid fears that their personal data is being shared with immigration authorities. The drop-off follows reports that Medi-Cal information was used to assist federal enforcement sweeps, prompting a lawsuit from California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 19 other states.
"In doing so, it has created a culture of fear that will lead to fewer people seeking vital emergency medical care," Bonta said.
Georgina Maldonado of the Community Health Initiative of Orange County said patients feel betrayed. "Our community is feeling violated," she told LAist. "We give so much... and here we are. Our information has been shared."
St. John's clinics report a 30% increase in cancellations since June 6, while Los Angeles General Medical Center's no-show rate has doubled. Providers warn that the shift to emergency rooms for basic care could drive up costs for insured patients.
Linda Nguy of the Western Center on Law and Poverty questioned the legality of the data sharing, saying, "The Department of Homeland Security has no place in the administration of Medicaid."
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors has asked for a full report on the impact and is exploring virtual care options to restore trust and access.
Jul 10, 2025 at 01:52 PM EDT
Trump supporter with green card who was in US since age 3 denied reentry
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Chris Landry, a Canadian national with a green card who has been living in New Hampshire since he was a toddler, was stopped at the Canadian border by immigration officials and denied reentry to the U.S. on Sunday.
New Hampshire's Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan's office told Newsweek their constituents services' team was in touch with Landry about the issue. "Helping constituents navigate federal agencies and processes is a core function of Senator Hassan's office," a spokesperson said.
Newsweek has reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and both of New Hampshire's senators for comment via email on Thursday.
Landry's denied reentry comes amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. President Donald Trump has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history. Much of his campaign rested on his immigration platform,
Immigrants residing in the country illegally and legally, with valid documentation such as green cards and visas, have been detained. Newsweek has reported dozens of cases involving green-card holders and applicants who were swept up in the immigration raids and various arrests.
A recent CBP warning, published July 9, 2025, said that "possessing a green card is a privilege, not a right" and that legal residents arriving at a port of entry with prior criminal convictions may be detained in advance of removal proceeding.
Read the full story by Mandy Taheri on Newsweek.
Jul 10, 2025 at 01:19 PM EDT
Former Secretary of State John Kerry says Trump ‘was right’ on border, faults Democrats for immigration missteps
In a candid interview on BBC's "Reflections" podcast, former Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged that President Donald Trump "was right" about the importance of securing the U.S. border, saying Democrats had failed to address immigration effectively during President Biden's tenure.
"The first thing any president should say... is, without a border protected, you don't have a nation," Kerry said. He added that he wished Biden had more forcefully emphasized law enforcement, noting, "We have a system. I wish President Biden had been heard more often saying, 'I'm going to enforce the law.'"
Kerry, who served as climate envoy under Biden and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, said he had personally warned Biden that the party had "missed" the immigration issue. "They just allowed the border to continue to be sieged," he said.
When BBC correspondent James Naughtie suggested Trump would likely tout Kerry's remarks as vindication, Kerry replied, "He was right. The problem is we all should have been right."
Jul 10, 2025 at 12:46 PM EDT
‘This ruling is a huge victory’: ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project
A federal judge in New Hampshire has blocked Trump's executive order restricting birthright citizenship, issuing a preliminary injunction and certifying a nationwide class of affected children. The ruling, delivered from the bench, halts enforcement of the order for seven days to allow time for appeal, but is expected to take effect before the July 27 implementation date.
"This ruling is a huge victory and will help protect the citizenship of all children born in the United States, as the Constitution intended," said Cody Wofsy of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, who argued the case.
Devon Chaffee of the ACLU of New Hampshire called the order "a blatant violation of the U.S. Constitution," adding, "No politician can decide who among those born in this country is worthy of citizenship."
Legal Defense Fund senior counsel Morenike Fajana said the decision "is a powerful affirmation of the 14th Amendment." At the same time, Aarti Kohli, director of the Asian Law Caucus, noted that "parents have lived in fear and uncertainty" since the order was announced.
"This ruling reaffirms that constitutional rights cannot be stripped away by executive decree," Kohli said.
The case, Barbara v. Donald J. Trump, was filed by a coalition of civil rights groups shortly after a Supreme Court decision narrowed the use of nationwide injunctions but allowed broad relief through class-action suits.
Jul 10, 2025 at 12:30 PM EDT
ICE takes down MS-13 kingpin on El Salvador’s “top 100” fugitives list
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Federal agents apprehended an MS-13 kingpin on El Salvador's "Top 100 Most Wanted" list in Nebraska on Wednesday.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) apprehended the man wanted for the "aggravated homicide of five victims, attempted aggravated homicide, deprivation of liberty and terrorist organization affiliation" in Omaha on July 9.
ICE did not release the man's name as of publication.
Newsweek has contacted ICE for comment via email.
Read the full story by Billal Rahman on Newsweek.
Jul 10, 2025 at 12:14 PM EDT
U.S. Labor Department restricts workforce aid to authorized workers
The U.S. Department of Labor announced new guidance Thursday barring undocumented immigrants from accessing federally funded workforce development programs. The directive, issued by the Employment and Training Administration, enforces Trump's executive order 14218 and requires all grantees to verify work authorization before offering services.
The updated policy replaces previous guidance under the Biden administration and applies to a wide range of programs, including WIOA Title I, YouthBuild, and the National Farmworker Jobs Program. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said the move ensures taxpayer-funded resources are reserved for legally authorized workers and reinforces the administration's commitment to border security.
Grantees must now update procedures and maintain documentation confirming eligibility, a shift aimed at protecting American jobs and aligning federal workforce efforts with immigration enforcement priorities.
Jul 10, 2025 at 12:12 PM EDT
San Bernardino diocese lifts Mass obligation amid immigration raid fears
The Diocese of San Bernardino has issued a rare dispensation allowing parishioners to skip Sunday and holy day Masses if they fear federal immigration enforcement. Bishop Alberto Rojas announced the decision in a letter Tuesday, citing "genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions" as a valid reason to miss services.
The move comes after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents reportedly detained individuals on church property and in public spaces across Southern California. Rojas urged Catholics to maintain a spiritual connection through prayer, Scripture, and online participation in Mass.
Jul 10, 2025 at 11:54 AM EDT
Federal judge weighs Maryland transfer for Abrego Garcia amid deportation fight
A federal judge in Maryland is set to hear arguments Thursday over whether Kilmar Abrego Garcia should be transferred from Tennessee to await trial on human smuggling charges, a move his legal team says is necessary to prevent another deportation attempt by the Trump administration.
Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national, was wrongfully deported in March despite a 2019 court order shielding him from removal due to gang threats in El Salvador. He was returned to the U.S. last month under pressure from the Supreme Court and now faces charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee, where he was found driving nine passengers without luggage.
His attorneys argue the charges are a pretext to justify the initial deportation and warn that immigration officials plan to send him to a third country if he's released from jail. Judge Paula Xinis, who is also overseeing a civil lawsuit filed by Abrego Garcia's wife, has questioned the government's shifting positions and is considering whether to order his transfer to Maryland, where he lived and worked for over a decade.
Jul 10, 2025 at 11:33 AM EDT
Hispanic support for Donald Trump’s deportations surges
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Support for President Donald Trump's deportations has surged among Hispanic voters in the space of two months, according to a new poll.
The survey, conducted by polling firm Cygnal between July 1 and 2, revealed that the percentage of Hispanic voters that strongly support the deportation of people in the United States illegally rose by 11 percent between May and July 2025.
The poll was conducted on 1,500 people and had a margin of error of +/- 2.51 percent.
Read the full story by Jordan King on Newsweek.
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