Louisiana
Louisiana attorney speaks on concerns from community over immigration policy changes
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana immigration attorneys like David Rozas are seeing an increased fear in migrant communities.
Over his 21 years at his firm, Rozas has been an attorney through different presidencies, each of which has brought changes to immigration policy. However, he says he has never seen this level of concern in the immigrant community.
“This is the most fear I have ever seen amongst the immigrant community from people who are residents, citizens, and non-immigrants who have not been able to adjust their status yet,” Rozas said.
He says those who have a criminal history and have crossed the border over the last two years should be worried about one of the executive orders that would allow for expedited removals.
“If you came to the border under the Biden policy, many people were getting paroled, and paroled in, and they would receive a parole date. Now, anybody under two years right now is under expedited ordered removal. If there’s no crime, no nothing, they came to the border and asked for asylum, they can be subjected to expedited ordered removal,” he said.
Another new order allows Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) to enter areas they were once denied, which Rosas says has led to bigger concerns and questions. He urges any immigrant who is in fear of being picked up to keep their personal information on them at all times and to know their rights.
“We have a right to due process. I think people who are immigrants need to have their documents with them they need to have a phone number for an immigration attorney. If it’s not us, it needs to be somebody else in the community, you can look it up – Google and find an immigration attorney and stick close together,” he said.
A state lawmaker whose district includes Iberville and nine other parishes will lead the way on the drawing of a new congressional map when the committee convenes Friday.
Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, will chair the hearings to draw a new congressional district map. He currently serves as chairman of the U.S. Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee.
On Wednesday, Kleinpeter said he has not worked on any maps. He is letting the committee members and the members of the Senate work on this with staff.
The move will come nine days after the U.S. Supreme Court on a 6-3 vote ruled one of Louisiana’s two majority-Black U.S. House districts unconstitutional.
“We can’t base it on race anymore, so the minority party is the Democrats,” he said. “The Democrats have migrated away from the New Orléans area, so we’re looking at Democrats versus Republicans, so the minority party — the Democrats — which means it’s more favored toward Baton Rouge.”
The move would work in favor of incumbent 6th District Congressman Cleo Fields, who was a candidate for the race which Gov. Jeff Lndry suspended in the wake of the Supreme Court decision.
The ruling stemmed from Louisiana vs. Callais – a consolidation of Robinson vs. Callais – that centered on racial gerrymandering and redistricting in the state of Louisiana following the 2020 United States census. The lead plaintiff, Phillip “Bert” Callais, is a resident of Brusly.
The Supreme Court vote came despite the African American population comprising nearly one-third of the state’s population.
According to the 2020 Census, the Black or African American population in Louisiana was approximately 1,464,023,representing 31.4%of the state’s total population. Louisiana has one of the highest percentages of Black residents in the United States, ranking second behind Mississippi.
The Baton Rouge district would likely be the area to undergo the remap, he said.
It amounts to an intricate balancing act.
“What far-right Republicans don’t understand is that with Congress maps, you have to be within 776, 280 votes – within 50 votes of the other districts,” Kleinpeter said. “It’s not like our legislative maps where you can be off by thousands … when you start changing a precinct, it can run down a rabbit hole chasing this precinct over here and over there.
“We can easily draw a really strong nine Republican and one strong Democrat, so if you start watering districts down you could wind up with a 4-2 map.”
Republicans currently have a two-vote super majority vote.
“But some Republican districts are strong and others are weak,” Kleinpeter said. “If you take 58 percent Democrats and put them in Republican districts, you could end up losing Republicans.
“Drawing congress maps is very difficult – you have the leader of the party, and you have the Speaker of the House you have to protect,” he said. “You don’t want to jeopardize their maps at hole.”
One other issue is looming for the state, Kleinpeter said.
“What people don’t understand is that we will have to do this all over again in five years, after the next census comes out,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll people by that time.”
The 2030 Census will play a key role in the process, but it still requires participation.
“I had plenty of next-door neighbors who didn’t want to fill out their census” he said. “I’m going to push to fill out their census. We miss out on federal money and potentially risk losing a seat. “
Neuty, the iconic Bucktown nutria visits the state capitol, with Myra Lacoste, Denny Lacoste, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, Dennis Lacoste Sr., and Louisiana state Senator J. Cameron Henry Jr. Neuty was an orphan, rescued by the Lacostes. In March 2023, LDWF agents attempted to confiscate the illegal pet.
VIDALIA, La. — Louisiana State Police arrested 18-year-old Gregory Steele early Sunday morning on two counts of vehicular homicide, one count of underage operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, one count vehicular negligent injuring and one count careless operation, according to Concordia Parish Jail records.
Steele, 18, a white male, was arrested in connection with an accident that occurred at approximately 1:54 a.m. on Sunday morning on Minorca Road in Vidalia. Two passengers in the vehicle were killed. Steele and another passenger were able to escape the vehicle.
-
San Francisco, CA1 minute agoCalifornia ‘Fans First’ bill aims to cap skyrocketing concert ticket prices
-
Dallas, TX7 minutes agoRanking Every Cowboys Position Group By Overall Talent and Depth
-
Miami, FL13 minutes agoSevere weather, flash flooding possible in South Florida on Tuesday
-
Boston, MA19 minutes agoCanvas reportedly reaches deal with hackers for stolen data – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
-
Denver, CO25 minutes agoFormer Denver Bronco Craig Morton, who became the first quarterback to start Super Bowl for 2 franchises, dies at 83
-
Seattle, WA31 minutes agoSeattle weather: 80s on the horizon before a long cooldown
-
San Diego, CA37 minutes agoOpinion: Proposed federal rule would hammer beauty industry
-
Milwaukee, WI43 minutes agoWhat the Bucks can learn from this year’s playoffs: Eastern Conference First Round