Month: August 2025

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Baltimore resident who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year, was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on Monday, days after his release from criminal custody. ICE officers refused to explain why he was detained again or to provide information about his whereabouts after being taken into custody.

According to his attorney, Abrego Garcia had gone to ICE’s Baltimore field office for a routine check-in, which was required as part of the conditions for his release from federal custody. The Department of Homeland Security said that Abrego Garcia is being processed for deportation to Uganda – one of several countries that has agreed under the Trump administration to receive deportees.

Just last week, Abrego Garcia had been reunited with his family following 160 days of separation.  Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, one of Abrego Garcia’s lawyers, said: “There was absolutely no reason to detain him today other than retaliation. This is punishment for exercising his constitutional right to fight these proceedings.”

Prosecutors had previously offered Abrego Garcia a plea deal that would have allowed him to serve prison time and then move freely in Costa Rica, but he declined, maintaining his innocence. Now, he once again faces deportation while awaiting trial in Tennessee on a federal human trafficking charge.

Abrego Garcia’s attorneys said in a court filing that despite assurances from Costa Rica that they would accept him, ICE informed them almost immediately after his release from pretrial detention that the government planned instead to deport him to Uganda.  They argued that “the only conclusion here is that DOJ, DHS, and ICE are working together to corner Mr. Abrego into choosing between pleading guilty and relative safety—or being sent to Uganda, where both his safety and liberty are at risk.”

Abrego Garcia was originally returned to the U.S. from an El Salvador detention center to face trafficking charges that stemmed from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee. Police there said he was speeding and transporting men who appeared to have no luggage. He has denied the charges, and his legal team has pushed to have the case thrown out, claiming it amounts to selective and retaliatory prosecution. Though he entered the U.S. without authorization, a 2019 immigration court ruling barred the government from deporting him back to El Salvador. Abrego Garcia is married to a U.S. citizen, and the couple has a child who is also a U.S. citizen.

Before going into the ICE office Monday morning, Abrego Garcia addressed the crowd of family members, advocates, and attorneys who had gathered in his support. He said in Spanish: “My name is Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and I want you to remember this: I am free, and I was able to reunite with my family. This was a miracle. I thank God and this community. I want to thank everyone who marched, spoke up, prayed, and fought on my behalf. Please don’t stop.”

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A massive fire continues to burn at a Louisiana plant following an explosion on Friday, prompting authorities to maintain an evacuation order for everyone living within a one-mile radius of the site.

The explosion occurred at Smitty’s Supply, a lubricant production facility located in Roseland, Tangipahoa Parish. According to its website, Smitty’s Supply manufactures and distributes lubricants, including motor oil, and employs about 400 people.  The incident was first reported just before 1 p.m. Friday, Parish President Robby Miller said. Soon after, officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for those nearby, later extending it to cover a one-mile radius.

According to Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Gerald Sticker, 42 people had taken shelter, with a total of approximately 800 residents impacted by the blast. The Louisiana State Police announced in a statement that crews reported that the blaze was about 90% contained as of Saturday night: “teams have worked tirelessly all day and will continue overnight to strengthen containment lines and assist with recovery.” Smaller secondary explosions continued overnight, which officials said was consistent with earlier activity since the fire began.

Deputies are keeping a perimeter around the area as firefighters continue battling the flames, with authorities warning residents to avoid direct exposure to soot from the fire, which is believed to include hydrocarbons and other combustible materials. Louisiana State Police Sgt. William Huggins advised residents to limit outdoor activity, wash their hands often, avoid touching their faces, and steer clear of soot whenever possible. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.

Officials are also investigating debris found in the Tangipahoa River and plan to test water samples to evaluate environmental impacts. The contents of the soot remain under review. Air monitoring results so far have shown readings “below an actionable threshold,” according to Huggins. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has been monitoring the area, but the cause of the explosion is still unknown.

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New York State Police have identified the five people killed after a tour bus returning from a trip to Niagara Falls overturned in upstate New York on Friday, injuring dozens of others.

New York State Police Trooper James O’Callaghan said during a press briefing that the deadly crash occurred on Interstate 90 in Pembroke, near Buffalo. The bus was traveling eastbound back to New York City after visiting Niagara Falls, carrying 54 people (including the driver and tour guide) when the “vehicle lost control, went into the median, over-corrected, and ended up in the ditch.” Multiple people were ejected or thrown around the bus when it overturned, with dozens hospitalized for their injuries, including several children. Passengers ranged in age from 1 to 74.

State police later identified those killed in the crash: Columbia University student Xie Hongzhuo, 22, of Beijing, China; Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhubani, India; Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey; Zhang Xiaolan, 55, of Jersey City, New Jersey; and Jian Mingli, 56, of Jersey City.

Columbia University said in a statement Saturday: “We are devastated by the death of one of our students, Xie Hongzhuo, in the tragic bus accident near Buffalo on Friday. This heartbreaking loss is felt deeply across our community. We are in close contact with her family and offering them our full support. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with her family, friends, and all who have been touched by this tragedy.”

Erie County Medical Center received 21 passengers who were hospitalized for injuries, and shared that 14 patients remained at the hospital as of Saturday afternoon in stable condition.

The cause of the collision is still under investigation, and did not involved any other vehicles. Authorities said that “it’s believed the operator became distracted, lost control, over-corrected and ended up on the right shoulder there. The bus operator was identified as 55-year-old Bin Shao of Flushing, New York, and police say that he had no signs of impairment, and the tour bus had no mechanical failure. No charges have been filed as of press time.

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