Several legal developments involving immigration and law enforcement unfolded this week, including the dismissal of charges against two men accused of assaulting ICE officers, the not-guilty plea of journalist Don Lemon in a church protest case, and the dismissal of a deportation case against the father of three U.S. Marines. These events highlight ongoing legal battles and scrutiny surrounding immigration policies and enforcement.
In St. Paul, Minnesota, journalist Don Lemon, along with others, pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges stemming from a protest at a church where the pastor served as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official, according to CBS News. Lemon is facing charges of conspiracy against the right of religious freedom at a place of worship, as well as injuring, intimidating, and interfering with the exercise of religious freedom at a place of worship. Lemon's attorney, Joe Thompson, is also requesting the return of his client's seized cellphone from the Department of Homeland Security. Judge Douglas Micko urged federal prosecutors to return the phone during Friday's hearing, but they stated they were still processing a search warrant.
In a separate case in Minneapolis, the Justice Department dropped charges against two men accused of assaulting ICE officers, citing "newly discovered evidence" that was "materially inconsistent" with the original allegations, CBS News reported. The charges against the men, including one Venezuelan defendant who was shot in the leg by an officer, were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they cannot be reintroduced. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons stated that two officers had been placed on administrative leave after a review of video evidence indicated they provided "untruthful statements" in their sworn testimony.
Meanwhile, an immigration judge dismissed removal proceedings against Narciso Barranco, an undocumented father of three U.S. Marines, according to ABC News. Barranco was detained while at his landscaping job in California last summer, and his violent arrest was captured on video. His attorney, Lisa Ramirez, told ABC News that Barranco has a pending application for Parole in Place.
In other news, a Democratic congressional report released Friday estimated that the Trump administration's deportations last year cost taxpayers "upward of $40 million," with some third-country migrants costing more than $1 million each, ABC News reported. The 30-page report, the result of a ten-month review by Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, examined third-country deportations undertaken by the administration.
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