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Rhode Island
Rhode Island judge specializing in immigration law resigns after FBI raids office
FBI agents raided the law offices of immigration lawyer and Central Falls Municipal Court Judge Joseph Molina Flynn in Providence, Rhode Island, Thursday, though the reason for the raid has not yet been disclosed.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed that a court authorized the raid, though the spokesperson declined to comment further.
Molina Flynn’s office remained silent about the raid, declining to answer calls and emails from Fox News.
WPRI 12 reported that a warrant was executed at the office on Dorrance Street, and video of the warrant execution showed a line of black SUVs outside the building with agents walking into the building and walking out with boxes.
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Police and FBI agents raided Central Falls Municipal Court Judge Molina Flynn’s office in Providence, R.I., Thursday. (WPRI)
The station also reported that two sources familiar with the matter claimed the investigation into Molina Flynn started before President Donald Trump returned to the White House this week.
The law firm states on its site that the practice was founded in 2015 and focuses on immigration, family and criminal matters.
The site also notes that the judge was born in Medellin, Columbia, and arrived in the U.S. when he was just 9 years old on a tourist visa. He remained in the country and lived undocumented for 15 years before obtaining lawful permanent resident status, the site added.
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FBI agents raided a law office in Providence, R.I., Thursday, that specializes in immigration law. (iStock)
Molina Flynn attended Johnson and Wales University, then went on to University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor.
When reached for comment, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island told Fox, “Thank you for reaching out. Our office does not comment on media reporting.”
On Thursday, Molina Flynn resigned from his position as the municipal court judge for the City of Central Falls, a job he was appointed to in 2021.
The Providence Journal reported that Molina Flynn’s resignation was announced by Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera shortly after news of the raid broke.
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“I was deeply concerned to see the reports of an FBI search at the law office of Joseph Molina Flynn,” Rivera told the publication. “As the Central Falls community knows, transparency and accountability are priorities of mine. In an effort to uphold the integrity and focus of the municipal court, Judge Molina Flynn has officially resigned his position.”
CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island State Police are investigating a crash that happened on I-295 North in Cumberland Tuesday night.
The crash happened in the right lane near Exit 22 just before 9 p.m.
It’s unclear exactly what caused the crash or if anyone was injured.
12 News has reached out to Rhode Island State Police for more information but has not heard back.
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Scandals shake up Capitol Hill ahead of midterm elections
Congressional reporter Zachary Schermele dives into the latest scandals on Capitol Hill and how they’re shaking up politics ahead of midterms.
Rhode Island’s Democrat and Republican primary elections will officially be held on Wednesday, Sept. 9 this year, instead of the usual Tuesday election day.
Lawmakers passed the bill at the urging of state and local officials, who were concerned that an election day falling the day after Labor Day would not give them enough time to set up polls for the arrival of voters.
Gov. Dan McKee signed the bill on April 20, officially moving the primary day for 2026.
Which races will be on the ballot? The Republican and Democrat nominees for a swath of local offices – most notably governor but also lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Why was RI’s primary day moved?
At a hearing on the bill earlier this year, Randy Rossi, executive director of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns explained the “significant logistical and financial challenges” municipalities otherwise would have faced having an election the day after Labor Day.
“Beyond cost, municipalities face serious logistical challenges accessing and setting up more than 430 polling locations on a major federal holiday, a process that often requires many hours and access to facilities that are typically closed and unstaffed on Labor Day,” he said.
“Compounding these challenges, many municipalities conduct early voting in city or town halls that must also serve as primary day polling locations,” Rossi noted.
Without changes to current law, he said, “municipalities would be required to conduct early voting and primary day polling simultaneously, often in the same limited space and with the same poll workers, requiring additional staffing and facilities.”
By the time this legislative hearing took place in January, other states facing similar issues, including Massachusetts, had already adjusted their primary dates, “and Rhode Island itself has demonstrated that alternative scheduling can be successful, as occurred during the statewide Wednesday primary in 2018,” Rossi said.
EAST GREENWICH, R.I. (WPRI) — If you’re looking to satisfy you’re sweet tooth, look no further than Division Street.
Nothing Bundt Cakes opened its first Rhode Island bakery in East Greenwich earlier this month. The new bakery is situated within East Greenwich Square, which is also home to the Ocean State’s first Crumbl.
The bakery is known for its handcrafted specialty Bundt cakes, as well as smaller “Bundtlets,” and bite-sized “Bundtinis,” that come in a variety of flavors.
“There’s a strong sense of local pride, creativity, and community here that aligns perfectly with our values,” said Jake Williams, who owns the East Greenwich bakery. “We were drawn to the area’s vibrant small business culture and the opportunity to contribute something special.”
Nothing Bundt Cakes is also expected to open another bakery at Chapel View in Cranston later this year.
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