Just have a minute? Here are the top stories you need to know about immigration. This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.
New York
Eddy Alexandre sentenced to 9 years in prison:
Alexandre defrauded thousands of investors through his cryptocurrency and foreign exchange platform, EminiFX, for over $248 million. Launched in September 2021, EminiFX lured investors with the promise of substantial weekly returns ranging from 5% to 9.99%.
Following his arrest on May 12, 2022, Alexandre faced a maximum sentence of 10 years, having pleaded guilty to one count of commodities fraud. During the legal proceedings, he confessed that EminiFX falsely advertised certain trading functions on its website and agreed to forfeit $248.8 million as part of the settlement.
Alexandre, 51, a Haitian citizen who arrived in the United States in 1998, could be deported after serving his sentence. — Read the full EminiFX story in the Documented article published in April 2023
Documented’s Correspondent for Caribbean Communities, Ralph Thomassaint Joseph, contributed reporting.
Documented’s audience and community director nominated as Institute of Nonprofit News emerging leader of the year:
Nicolás Ríos leads our newsroom engagement with Latino, Chinese and Caribbean immigrant audiences. He was nominated alongside leaders at El Tímpano, The Kansas City Defender, and Grist. — Read more
No protection for West African hair braiders injured on the job:
The physical work of braiding takes a toll on NYC workers, and they often can’t take time off to tend to injuries because braiders “need to be at work in order to get paid.” — Harper’s Bazaar
E-bike entrepreneur explains the dangers of using generic, unbranded batteries:
Delivery workers are among the people most vulnerable to battery malfunctions and fires. — Epicenter NYC
NYC withdraws pending contract with group running troubled migrant shelter exposed for mismanagement and sexual harassment:
The city is looking for another nonprofit to take over operations at the Friendly Motor Inn in The Bronx, which currently houses asylum seekers. — THE CITY
Asylum-seeker families decry sudden transfer from emergency shelter in Queens:
As the city grapples with housing a record 103,400 people in its shelter system, city officials have been relocating families from one shelter to another across the city. — City Limits
Around the U.S.
Legal organizations file lawsuit against Florida’s anti-immigrant law:
The federal lawsuit states that it is unconstitutional for a state to unilaterally regulate federal immigration and subject people to criminal punishment without fair notice. — Read the lawsuit here and organizations’ statements about it here
New study looks beyond immigration to reveal opinions on immigrants themselves:
Democrats held uniformly positive views of immigrants, while Republicans’ opinions were mixed. — New York University
New Florida law against immigrants affecting churches:
Pastors are saying members of their congregation have left or are planning to leave Florida, and one invited immigration lawyers to speak with parishioners. — Anabaptist World
Officers working for Gov. Abbott’s border security initiative ordered to push children into Rio Grande:
An email from a Texas DPS trooper shows troopers have been told not to give water to migrants. The trooper said “I believe we have stepped over a line into the inhumane.” — San Antonio Express News
Six people arrested in Mexico for alleged roles in transporting U.S. bound migrants:
Mexican authorities discovered 206 migrants abandoned in a tractor-trailer, including children, with some of the migrants presenting signs of dehydration. — Reuters
As many as 20,000 Chinese workers were recruited to build North America’s railways. Their descendants are still fighting for recognition:
The history of immigrants who laid foundations for North American rail travel is being told now by scholars, activists, and descendants of the workers. — National Geographic
Washington D.C.
500,000 immigrants have entered the U.S. under expanded parole program:
The Biden administration expanded use of the immigration parole authority, which lets federal officials authorize the entry of foreigners without visas. — CBS News
