International

The United States Supreme Court gives Texas free rein to arrest and expel migrants

The Supreme Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday in favor of the state of Texas allowing it to enter into force of a law that allows the Police to arrest and expel migrants suspected of irregularly entering the United States.

The legislation, known as SB4, may enter into force while the arguments of a lawsuit filed by the Government of President Joe Biden and organizations defending migrants are heard.

The case reached the highest court after a legal battle undertaken by the Biden Administration and advocates of immigrants led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), who allege that the initiative is unconstitutional.

The plaintiffs had asked the Supreme Court to stop the implementation of the measure while the case was being settled in the Fifth Circuit of Appeals. On Monday, Judge Samuel Alito had blocked the law indefinitely, waiting for the plenary to vote on this request.

On Tuesday, the six conservative judges voted in favor of Texas, allowing the law to take effect while a final ruling is given in the case.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton applauded the high court’s decision in a message in X. “Texas has defeated the emergency motions of the Biden Administration and the ACLU,” and stressed that the law is already in force.

The law, one of the most drastic anti-immigrant measures in the history of the United States, makes it a misdemeanor that a foreigner “enters or attempts to enter the state from a foreign nation” irregularly. The offense becomes a serious crime, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, if the offender is a repeat offender.

The initiative also allows the state Justice to order the expulsion of people without legal process. Likewise, police officers will be able to arrest any individual they suspect that he entered the country illegally, and will have the discretionary power to expel him to Mexico instead of arresting him.

Initially, the measure promoted by the governor of Texas, Republican Greg Abbott, was supposed to enter into force on March 5, but a federal judge sided with the plaintiffs and banned it.

The Texas prosecutor, Ken Paxton, took the fight to the Fifth Circuit of Appeals where he obtained support, so the plaintiffs went to the Supreme Court to prevent the law from entering into force asking for an emergency motion, which was finally denied.

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Anand Balakrishnan, lead lawyer of the ACLU Immigrant Rights Project, described Tuesday’s decision as “disappointing.”

The lawyer added in a statement that the law “threatens the integrity of our nation’s immigration laws and the fundamental principles of due process” so they will continue to fight until they defeat it.

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International

Over 50 Civil Groups Urge House to Impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

More than 50 civil society organizations, including Latino collectives and migrant advocacy groups, on Tuesday urged the U.S. House of Representatives to open impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whom they accuse of leading a migration policy that is “violent, reckless, and contrary to the Constitution.”

The request was submitted through a letter sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson and other legislative leaders. In the document, the organizations argue that Noem has encouraged repressive practices that have left multiple victims and have “intentionally undermined the mission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).”

Among the signatories are Voto Latino, Freedom for Immigrants (FFI), Hispanic Federation, UnidosUS, and the Latino Victory Project. The groups emphasized that at least 187 lawmakers already support the impeachment initiative introduced in January by Representative Robin Kelly for alleged “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

The accusations include the alleged obstruction of congressional access to migrant detention centers and the excessive use of force, with at least 14 people shot since July 2025. They also cite three documented deaths, including those of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

The organizations further criticized the detention of migrant children, pointing to the case of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, arrested in Minnesota last month, which sparked nationwide controversy.

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They also denounced that operations carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have resulted in due process violations, unlawful detentions of Indigenous citizens, and disregard for court orders. According to the signatories, Noem has “dismantled” civil rights protections within the DHS and has shown a lack of understanding of constitutional principles such as habeas corpus.

Central America

Guatemala to Phase Out Longstanding Medical Cooperation Agreement with Cuba

Guatemala’s government announced on Tuesday that it will end this year a cooperation agreement with Cuba that has brought doctors from the Caribbean nation to work in the Central American country.

Guatemala’s Health Ministry told EFE that the program, which has been in place for nearly three decades, will be phased out progressively throughout 2026.

According to the same source, there are currently 412 Cubans in Guatemala under the agreement, including 333 physicians.

Cuban medical brigades assigned to Guatemala have traditionally been deployed to various regions of the country to provide primary health care to local communities.

“The decision follows a technical assessment aimed at strengthening the sustainability of the national workforce and consolidating the public health system’s own capacities,” the Guatemalan ministry said.

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Earlier this week, lawmaker Sonia Gutiérrez, from the left-wing Winaq party, warned that the move “could be an inhumane act that threatens the health and lives of the country’s most vulnerable populations,” given the historic importance of Cuban doctors in providing medical care.

For that reason, the legislator summoned Health Ministry authorities to Congress, as permitted by law, to provide further details about the decision.

Former human rights ombudsman Jordán Rodas Andrade also weighed in on social media, recalling that “for 27 years Cuban doctors have been the backbone of health care in Guatemala’s most neglected areas,” and stressing that “ending this agreement is an act of ingratitude that leaves the most vulnerable unprotected.”

President Bernardo Arévalo’s government told EFE that, in order to guarantee continued care, it will implement a gradual replacement plan that includes hiring national personnel.

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International

New York’s New Archbishop Names Óscar Romero as His Favorite Saint

Ronald Hicks, the newly appointed archbishop of New York, has revealed that his favorite saint is Salvadoran martyr Óscar Arnulfo Romero, who was assassinated in March 1980 during the country’s civil conflict.

In an interview with The Good News, Hicks once again expressed his affection for El Salvador and his admiration for Romero. A missionary since the beginning of his priesthood, Hicks lived in Mexico and later served in El Salvador from 2010 to 2015 as regional director of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, a network of homes for abandoned children based in Santa Ana.

During the interview, conducted on February 1, just days before formally taking office, Hicks said he still feels deeply connected to the country. “I left a little piece of my heart there,” he said, adding that his favorite Salvadoran food is pupusas revueltas.

His devotion to Romero is such that he even placed a small branch symbolizing the saint on his episcopal coats of arms, both in Chicago and now in New York.

On December 18, Pope Leo XIV named Hicks as the new archbishop of New York after Cardinal Timothy Dolan reached the age limit established by the Church to remain in the position.

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Hicks was installed on February 6 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in the Bronx. In his first interview in Spanish, he reaffirmed his closeness to the Hispanic community in the United States, saying he hopes to walk alongside them in their journey of faith.

“The most important message I have for everyone, whether from Venezuela or any other country, is that you have an archbishop who has a deep love for the Hispanic community and for Latino culture. It is not just words, it is real love. If part of the community is suffering, I am suffering. If part of the community is celebrating, I am celebrating too. What a joy, what a privilege it is for me to walk with the Hispanic people,” he told The Good News.

Known as “Father Ron” by the faithful he served in El Salvador, Hicks is regarded as a traditional prelate with a special concern for Hispanics, the marginalized and the poor. He speaks fluent Spanish, and many expect his experience in Central America to be valuable in strengthening ties with Latino communities in New York.

According to Catholic media, he was appointed archdiocesan vicar general in Chicago in 2015 and three years later became an auxiliary bishop there.

Although his current responsibilities limit his involvement, Hicks has maintained a relationship with Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos. His years in the “Pulgarcito de América,” as El Salvador is affectionately known, left a lasting mark on his ministry.