Tag: crime

‘Louisiana Lockup’ Detention Center Is Punishing Immigrants for the Same Crime Twice, New Lawsuit Says

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed suit on Monday, accusing Louisiana’s new immigration detention center, “Louisiana Lockup,” and the Trump administration of indefinitely locking up immigrant detainees in the facility and punishing immigrants for the same crime twice, in violation of the Double Jeopardy Clause.

The Louisiana facility opened on September 3, using the blueprint forged by Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz. After Republican Gov. Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency in July to expedite repairs to a section of the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana—a maximum-security prison notorious for violent and inhumane conditions—the state partnered with the Department of Homeland Security to add 416 immigrant detainee beds. 

“This facility is designed to hold the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens,” and is meant “to consolidate the most violent offenders into a single deportation and holding facility,” Landry said during a press conference on opening day. “Angola is the largest maximum-security prison in the country,” he continued, “with 18,000 acres bordered by the Mississippi River, swamps filled with alligators, and forests filled with bears.”

“If you don’t think that they belong somewhere like this,” Landry said, referring to the incoming immigrant detainees, “you got a problem.” 

But in the case of Oscar Amaya, a 34-year-old man who is currently detained at “Louisiana Lockup,” there may very well be a problem. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, argues that Amaya’s continued detention violates the Double Jeopardy Clause and is designed to punish him—again—for a prior conviction. 

Although immigration detention is a civil penalty, double jeopardy applies if the civil sanctions are applied punitively. As the complaint, reviewed by Reason, points out, the punitive nature of imprisonment in a place like Angola is no secret. Rather, both Landry and Trump administration officials seem to relish in the facility’s violent past. “This is not just a typical [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] ICE detention facility that you will see elsewhere in the country,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem proclaimed during the facility’s opening. “This is a facility that’s notorious.…Angola Prison is legendary.”

Amaya fled Honduran gang life in 2005 and worked in the United States “without incident” until 2016, according to the complaint. That year, he was arrested and later “convicted of attempted aggravated assault, possession of a weapon (knife) for unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon (knife).” Amaya was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, but was released after two years with good time credits. 

Keep reading

Under Trump, Criticism Is Now Criminal

After the killing of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump (9/10/25) escalated his war on free speech, calling for criminalizing criticism of himself:

It’s a long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible. For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals.

This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now. My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country.

To spell it out: “Demonizing”—which is to say, criticizing—people with whom you disagree is “directly responsible” for Kirk’s death. Note that this is about criticizing people that you disagree with—”you” presumably being one of “those on the radical left”—as Trump has built a wildly lucrative political career out of demonizing those he disagrees with, and he’s not about to stop now. It’s the “wonderful Americans” like Kirk whom you aren’t supposed to criticize.

Keep reading

Alleged Chicago Gang Member Charged for Putting Bounty on Border Patrol Chief

Federal authorities have charged an alleged Chicago gang member with plotting to kill a senior immigration enforcement officer spearheading a large-scale operation in the city.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Monday that Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, an alleged member of the Latin Kings gang, faces charges of soliciting fellow gang members and others to gather intelligence on the officer and offering $10,000 for his murder.

According to court documents unsealed the same day, the target of the alleged plot was Gregory Bovino, commander-at-large of the U.S. Border Patrol. Bovino has been leading federal enforcement operations in Chicago since mid-September, after previously overseeing a similar mission in Los Angeles as part of the Trump administration’s campaign to combat crimes committed by illegal immigrants in some of the nation’s largest cities.

Investigators said Espinoza Martinez used Snapchat to circulate a photo of Bovino, offering $2,000 for information leading to his capture. He later appeared to raise the offer to “10k if you take him down.”

DHS said it learned of these messages after receiving a screenshot from a source on Oct. 3. Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) identified Espinoza Martinez as the account holder and arrested him on Oct. 6 in Burr Ridge, a suburb 20 miles southwest of Chicago.

DHS said Martinez is from Mexico and entered the United States illegally at an unknown time.

Keep reading

Trump blocked from deploying National Guard in OR but can federalize troops, court says

 The 9th Circuit Court has granted an administrative stay on a temporary restraining order that had blocked the federalization and deployment of 200 Oregon National Guard members.

The administrative stay follows a Tuesday order from Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek telling guardsmen to demobilize and go home.

Wednesday’s order from the 9th Circuit judges keeps the Guard under federal control but blocks their deployment until the panel of judges can rule more broadly on the Trump administration’s request to overrule a district judge’s order that blocks the Guard’s deployment in Portland.

Arguments on the federal government’s appeal are scheduled for Thursday morning at 9 a.m.

The initial restraining order, issued on Oct. 4, was in response to a memorandum from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorizing the deployment.

Keep reading

Chicago Mayor Refuses to Answer If He Would Deport an Illegal Who Beat, Raped His Own Wife — Cracks Joke Instead

Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson emasculated himself by suggesting he wouldn’t deport an illegal alien who hypothetically beat up and raped his wife.

Johnson — who has been obstructing President Donald Trump’s efforts to rid his crime-infested city of violent illegal aliens — made the cowardly admission at a news conference Tuesday.

Reporter William Kelly teed up Johnson’s humiliating self-own by recounting a crime that occurred last month, in which an illegal alien from Nicaragua grabbed a woman on the street, bashed her head in, and raped her.

“If that had been your wife, Stacie, would you want ICE to deport … that illegal alien? Yes or no?” Kelly asked.

Instead of responding, Johnson made a snarky jab, claiming Kelly’s YouTube views had dropped recently.

Kelly quipped that his social-media views were much higher than the mayor’s.

The reporter then asked Johnson to answer his question.

“Answer the question as a man — not as a mayor — but as a man,” Kelly reiterated. “Would you want ICE to deport that rapist?”

Once again, Johnson refused to respond.

“No? Okay, that’s the answer,” Kelly said.

Keep reading

Man allegedly sprayed his own ‘HIV positive blood’ at hospital employees after removing IV

A hospital patient allegedly removed an IV from his arm and used his “HIV positive blood” as a weapon by spraying it into the eyes of medical personnel.

According to an arrest warrant obtained by Law&Crime, 25-year-old Kameron Gilchrist was being treated for diabetes at UNC Rex Hospital on March 21, 2025.

Gilchrist began spraying “his HIV positive blood at the victims’ eyes” by “removing his IV from his arm,” per the warrant. It was not made clear if the victims, both hospital employees, contracted HIV.

Gilchrist was not arrested until September because he was still receiving medical and psychiatric treatment at the time of the incident and could not immediately be arrested, per local outlet WRAL.

Keep reading

National Guard troops begin arriving in Chicago to help with crime despite governor’s opposition

Hundreds of National Guard troops began arriving in Chicago on Wednesday morning to help with the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce violent crime in the Illinois city, despite pushback from the state’s governor.

The National Guard deployment consisted of approximately 200 troops from Texas and 300 from the Illinois National Guard, according to U.S. Northern Command. The troops will be stationed in the city for 60 days.

“These forces will protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other U.S. Government personnel who are performing federal functions, including the enforcement of federal law, and to protect federal property,” Northern Command said in a statement. 

The troops will be under Northern Command’s control.

Chicago and Illinois have sued the Trump administration to prevent the deployment of the National Guard and the city and state leaders have furiously condemned federal law enforcement operations in Chicago. 

​“The brave men and women who serve in our national guards must not be used as political props,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said on Sunday. “This is a moment where every American must speak up and help stop this madness.”

Keep reading

HORROR: 64-Year-Old Man Beaten to Death on NYC Subway by Sword-Wielding Monster with 33 Prior Arrests

A 64-year-old man was beaten to death on a New York City subway on Tuesday by a sword-wielding monster with at least 33 prior arrests.

David Mazariegos, 25, beat a complete stranger to death on the subway in downtown Brooklyn because he didn’t like the way he looked at him.

According to reports, Mazariegos became angry after the unidentified victim held the subway doors open for him. The act of kindness set him off and he brutally beat the victim for more than 10 minutes.

Mazariegos repeatedly punched the victim in the face and stomped on his head more than a dozen times, according to The New York Post.

The attacker stole the victim’s wallet and took off on foot. He was later arrested in Times Square with a samurai sword.

Mazariegos did not have his sword drawn. It was attached to his backpack.

Keep reading

OUTRAGEOUS! Illegal Alien From El Salvador Gets Only One Year in Prison After Killing University of South Carolina Student

An illegal alien from El Salvador was sentenced to only one year in prison after he killed a University of South Carolina student in a hit-and-run crash.

On April 2, Rosali Fernandez-Cruz, 24, struck 21-year-old Nathaniel Baker, who was riding a motorcycle. Fernandez-Cruz reportedly did not yield, struck Baker and took off.

Baker’s family reportedly forgave Fernandez-Cruz and were consulted about the light sentence, Robert Kittle, spokesperson for the state attorney general’s office told Fox News.

A judge imposed a lenient sentence of only one year in prison.

The family did not want the case to be “politicized” or “publicized,” according to Kittle.

Fernandez-Cruz will be deported to El Salvador after he serves his sentence.

Fox News reported:

An illegal immigrant who pleaded guilty to killing a South Carolina college student in a hit-and-run will be released next year after completing his one-year sentence.

Rosali Fernandez-Cruz was admitted to the state Department of Corrections on Aug. 14, 2025, according to South Carolina Department of Corrections records.

His projected release date is March 2, 2026. Fernandez-Cruz pleaded guilty to hit-and-run resulting in death — the most serious charge against him — according to Robert Kittle, communications director for the state attorney general’s office, who spoke with Fox News Digital.

There was no plea agreement, and prosecutors informed the judge of other traffic-related charges against Fernandez-Cruz, Kittle said.

“The judge decided the sentence, which was one year,” he said.

Fernandez-Cruz, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, received the light sentence for the April 2 death of Nathaniel Baker, 21, in Columbia. Baker was a junior at the University of South Carolina and a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.

Keep reading

Illegal Alien Harbored in Chicago by Far-Left Gov. Pritzker Indicted for Running Human and Sex-Trafficking Ring in Ohio

A Chinese illegal alien living in Chicago under Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker’s sanctuary policies has been indicted for running a human and sex-trafficking ring across state lines.

A Marion County Grand Jury in Ohio has indicted Xiaoping Peng, 53, of Chicago, Illinois, on a list of serious felony charges tied to a prostitution and trafficking enterprise that operated out of a so-called “Chinese Spa” located at 1288 Delaware Avenue in Marion, Ohio, according to Marion County Now.

According to the news outlet citing authorities, Peng entered the United States illegally during the Biden administration and managed to remain in Chicago after filing an asylum claim—a loophole frequently exploited under the administration’s open-border policies.

Officials say Peng acted as a courier and recruiter, transporting female victims across state lines and collecting proceeds tied to sexual exploitation. The investigation uncovered that the operation trafficked women from Illinois to Ohio between March 6 and June 17, 2025.

When Marion police raided the spa, they discovered evidence of ongoing forced prostitution and human exploitation, including communications and financial trails linking Peng to multiple states.

Keep reading