Southwest
Judge rules that Biden admin violated environmental law in halt of border wall construction
A federal judge ruled in favor of a southern border rancher who had argued that the Biden administration had violated environmental law in its “haste to reverse its predecessor’s border policies” in 2021.
An Arizona rancher, Steven Smith, was part of the lawsuit, Massachusetts Coalition for Immigration Reform et al. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, challenging the Biden administration. The suit claimed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had failed to conduct a mandatory review required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) before halting border wall construction, a key Trump-era project.
Under NEPA, a federal agency must conduct an Environmental Assessment to determine whether a federal action has the potential to cause significant effects on the human environment, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
After a two-day bench trial, Judge Trevor McFadden of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a ruling on Friday that Smith “suffered concrete and particularized injuries” as a result of DHS not meeting the requirements of NEPA.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WITH ‘TERRORISM TIES’ WILL CONTINUE TO EXPLOIT BORDER, HOMELAND SECURITY REPORT WARNS
Border fence construction materials sit unused on the U.S.-Mexico border south of Sierra Vista, Arizona, on Aug. 22. (Rebecca Noble)
The Trump-appointed judge also concluded that the actions taken by DHS, such as ending the “Remain in Mexico” policy, resulted in indirect effects relating to population growth.
Smith testified that migrant activity on his ranch had “dramatically increased” after President Biden was elected, and that he had begun seeing illegal immigrants on his property multiple times a month and finding trash on a daily basis.
Smith claimed that the trash left by the migrants has had negative impacts on the environment, as well as on his own cattle, which were eating the litter.
GAETZ TO INTRODUCE BILL CUTTING OFF FEDERAL AID TO GROUPS HELPING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ENTER US
The rancher also testified that water for cattle and other wildlife was a very scarce resource and that migrants were taking it from a trough on his land. According to court documents: “While this may aid thirsty trespassers, it causes Smith to lose ‘thousands and thousands of gallons of water,’ which ‘can take [him] days and days and days to regain.”
Border Patrol picks up a group of asylum seekers from an aid camp at the U.S.-Mexico border near Sasabe, Arizona, on March 13. (Justin Hamel)
The judge ruled that Smith, a Cochise County resident, “suffered tangible harms” caused by the migrant crisis and is entitled to relief after illegal immigrants “trespassed onto his land, stole his water, and trashed his property.”
“At trial, Smith proved as a matter of fact that his harms traced to migrants who reacted predictably to DHS’s decisions,” the ruling reads.
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About 20 people were detained Saturday during a large police response in Los Angeles’ Koreatown after authorities received reports of an armed man threatening people, officials said. Officers responded to the 3400 block of West 8th Street near Kingsley Drive on reports of an assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Los Angeles Police […]
A former Riverside County man was found guilty of sex trafficking a female victim and forcing her to engage in commercial sex acts along L.A.’s notorious Figueroa Corridor.
Elias Abdul Shabazz, 34, formerly of Perris, was found guilty by a jury following a five-day trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Prosecutors said Shabazz had led the victim to believe they were in a romantic relationship before he turned physically and sexually violent. He began demanding that the victim engage in commercial sex acts from May to October of 2021, court documents said.
He carried a handgun with him and, on occasion, was accused of using it to pistol-whip the victim. He also fired the gun at her feet while threatening to kill her, prosecutors said.
At trial, the victim said Shabazz demanded that she meet a daily quota of commercial sex proceeds and that she was terrified of the consequences of not meeting that quota.
She testified that Shabazz compelled her to work in the notorious Figueroa Corridor in South L.A., a dangerous area known for human trafficking and prostitution.
Shabazz had confiscated her identification card, Social Security card and birth certificate. He constantly monitored her cell phone to stop her from communicating with any friends or family.
“He also introduced her to addictive narcotics and controlled every aspect of her life, including when she ate, slept and showered,” prosecutors said.
In May 2025, Shabazz was arrested and has remained in federal custody. His last known address at the time was in Washington, D.C.
On June 26, 2026, Shabazz was found guilty of one count of coercing or enticing interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 6, where he faces 15 years to life in prison.
“Sex trafficking matters rank among the most tragic cases our office prosecutes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “This defendant will now face many years in a federal prison cell for his sick, disgusting, and disturbing behavior.”
“Elias Shabazz preyed on a vulnerable victim using physical and sexual violence and cruel psychological coercion to compel commercial sex acts for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “There is no place for this type of conduct in civilized society. We deeply respect the victim’s courage to face her trafficker in court. The Criminal Division will continue to bring these cases and try them.”
Anyone with information about human trafficking can report tips to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888
The star-studded feel-good giveback event of the summer has returned. KTLA 5 is teaming up once again with Project Angel Food for the annual “Lead with Love: Going the Distance” telethon to raise critical funds for medically tailored meals delivered to people living with serious illnesses throughout Los Angeles County. The seventh annual telethon airs […]
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