‘Hindus have been hypnotised’: Uddhav Thackeray slams PM Modi over Ram Mandir donation theft case
The former Maharashtra chief minister urged people to reclaim what he termed the true legacy of Hindutva and sought to position his faction of the Shiv Sena as the authentic inheritor of party founder Bal Thackeray’s politics.
Monsoon: Heavy rainfall in Delhi, Haryana, UP this week; Schools closed, flights disrupted in Mumbai; Check IMD forecast
Monsoon activity became more active across India on Sunday, with heavy rain restricting flight operations in Mumbai, triggering weather alerts in Kerala, Odisha and Jharkhand, and bringing widespread downpour to Delhi and neighbouring regions.
Lohagad Fort murder case: Ketan Agarwal’s grandfather dies of cardiac arrest
Ketan Agarwal had died after a fall from the Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18. Police have since arrested his fiancee Siya Goyal and her alleged boyfriend Chetan Chaudhary for allegedly killing him.
Newsom blames Trump for DOJ probe, but reports say investigation predates his administration
California Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s claims that President Donald Trump’s Justice Department launched a politically motivated “fishing expedition” against him are facing new scrutiny after multiple reports indicated key federal investigations predate Trump’s second administration. The timeline has emerged as a central point in the dispute. While Newsom argues the current Justice Department is weaponizing the investigations against a political rival, multiple news organizations, citing sources familiar with the matter, have reported that at least some of the investigative activity began before Trump returned to the White House. According to CalMatters, at least two criminal investigations involving Newsom’s orbit have been underway for about a year in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California. The outlet, citing a Justice Department source familiar with the matter, reported the investigations originated from whistleblowers and local complaints in Sacramento, while one inquiry involving former Newsom chief of staff Dana Williamson was opened during the Biden administration. CBS News, Axios, the Financial Times and The Guardian have also reported similar timelines, citing sources familiar with the investigations. Newsom has maintained that the current Justice Department has expanded or politicized the investigations, even as the reported chronology has fueled questions over whether the inquiries themselves originated under Trump’s administration. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEWSOM-LINKED CHARITIES REPORTEDLY CAUGHT IN DOJ’S SIGHTS The outlet also reported that one investigation involving Williamson was opened during the Biden administration. Williamson pleaded guilty earlier this year to corruption charges in a case that did not implicate Newsom. CBS News, Axios, the Financial Times and The Guardian have also reported, citing sources familiar with the investigations, that at least one federal inquiry began roughly a year ago and originated in California rather than at Justice Department headquarters in Washington. Despite that reported timeline, Newsom has maintained that the current Justice Department is weaponizing the investigations in retaliation for his criticism of Trump and his national political profile, describing the inquiry as a politically motivated “fishing expedition.” His administration has also sought records through the Freedom of Information Act in an effort to determine who ordered or directed the current investigation. ACTING AG TODD BLANCHE SAYS NEWSOM’S DOJ CLAIMS ARE NOT ‘GROUNDED IN FACT’ Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back on that characterization this week. While declining to comment on any ongoing investigations, Blanche told reporters he was “not sure [Newsom’s] words are in any way grounded in fact,” adding that the California governor “would have to address that.” Blanche did not confirm or deny whether any investigation exists. Newsom’s office responded by mocking Blanche on social media, posting a meme captioned, “Why you always lyin,” while the governor’s press office said, “Trump goons know that it’s not a crime to lie to a reporter.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER According to CalMatters, Newsom’s office contends federal prosecutors expanded their inquiries after failing to build a case from the Williamson investigation, broadening their scrutiny to include the governor’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the couple’s finances and their associates. The outlet reported investigators have examined the first partner’s tax filings, nonprofit organizations and certain behested payments, though it did not allege those payments were unlawful. Fox News Digital previously reported, citing federal sources, that investigators have opened inquiries involving Jennifer Siebel Newsom, but that Fox News had not learned of any federal investigation directly targeting Gov. Newsom himself. The Department of Justice, the White House and Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Top highlights from Trump’s late night July 4 address: ‘No dream in history is bigger’
President Donald Trump delivered a 37-minute speech for America’s 250th birthday after a weather delay in the dark of night that was lit up by a Guinness world-record-setting fireworks display stretching from July 4 into July 5 at Washington, D.C.’s National Mall. While thousands outlasted the rain and dodged nature’s thunderstorm light show, many Americans might have missed the president’s historic remarks. Here is a recap of some of the highlights. AMERICA’S NEXT 250 YEARS DEPEND ON PASSING FAITH AND FREEDOM TO OUR CHILDREN “In this country, we could achieve the wildest and most impossible dreams, and no dream in history is bigger or more incredible than the one that started on July 4, 1776,” Trump said. “The war for independence was launched by minutemen, farmers, blacksmiths, tradesmen who took up their muskets against the mightiest army on Earth, the most powerful army and unbeatable army – until they met us.” “No one made them do it. They fought because they knew that a free people must have a free country. Over 250 years, the world has seen the great empires, vast kingdoms, mighty nations and terrible tyrants: They came and they went, but after 2 1/2 centuries, this American republic still stands tall and strong,” the president added. TRUMP HAILS AMERICA AS ‘MOST EXCEPTIONAL NATION EVER TO EXIST’ IN MOUNT RUSHMORE SPEECH “Americans won the West and built the modern world, because America is a nation of winners, and today our country is winning again, and we’re winning like never before,” Trump said just before the midway point of the speech. “America is back and we want to keep America great.” “Together, we are also reasserting the truth that American strength and power is not something to be ashamed of. It is something that we are very, very proud of,” Trump continued. “This country has been the greatest force for peace and justice on earth in the last century. We defeated tyrants, demolished evil, and saved freedom again and again and again.” “There is no challenge Americans can not overcome,” Trump said before his concluding remarks. “There is no place we cannot go. There is no goal we cannot reach. And there is nothing that Americans cannot do.” “If you think that was easy, it wasn’t,” Trump began in an unscripted salute to the patient and devoted crowd. “And I want to thank everybody because they did the right thing. They saw lightning. And I said, ‘There’s no way; if we have to speak in front of one person at 4 in the morning, I’m going to be here.’ “There’s no way we can be deterred. And they estimated they had 375,000 people before everybody had to leave, and they now have 150,000 people. It’s the craziest thing anyone’s ever seen. “And I want to just thank you. And I feel so badly about some people. They left it; they couldn’t get back. But, you’re very special people, and we have a very special country. Thank you very much.” “They declare that all men are created equal; that they are endowed with sacred unalienable rights by the hand of our creator, and that among these are life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Trump said, “and signing their names to the roster of freedom.” “Those 56 patriots put everything at risk. Stepped onto the stage of destiny and seized a victory for the ages. And that’s what it was,” he said. “And this is an evening for the ages. I believe this is something very special. This is bigger than if we didn’t have the lightning blaring. We had lightning blaring. But this is bigger, little more inconvenient, but it’s bigger, I think, in its own way it’s more beautiful. From the beginning, we were a nation that live by the motto victory or death and live free or die.” “God bless the immortal patriots of 1776, and long live the cause of independence,” Trump said. “May it reign forever and ever and ever. We will always be on top. We will never let our country fall. We will always be the best.” “Our founders not only won our liberty, they secured it with the most righteous political document ever conceived: It’s called the Constitution of the United States,” Trump said. “Very special, and it’s because of their genius that we remain the finest people on the planet.” “We are honored to be joined by 11 Gold Star family members,” Trump said. “The Gold Star family – that is one of the great tributes. It’s one of the great honors, a tough honor. There’s nothing tougher than that. But these are amazing people.” “We’re going to be going to Mars very soon, and I think that’s something that we do have in my mind,” Trump said, hearkening to the historic John F. Kennedy going to the moon speech excerpt. “And we’re going to do the moon and we’re going to go from there. We’re going to go to Mars, and we’re going to continue to be way ahead.” “All these talks from the communists, they haven’t got a chance – not even a chance,” Trump said; a theme he reiterated multiple times in the speech. “We don’t want communists in our country. Never worked and it never will work.” Communism will always be “a loser,” Trump added later. “Our warriors did not fight communism on battlefields across the world only to have that menace rears its ugly head right back here in America. We’re not going to let it happen. We like to stop a threat like that immediately and before it begins,” Trump said. “It’s like a cancer. You got to cut it out. You got to cut it out fast.” Trump added a warning to potential future communist opposition around the globe. “The Stars and Stripes cast the hammer and sickle into oblivion before,” Trump said, “and we will do it again if necessary.” “I don’t think it’s going to be necessary. I think people have
Expert who fled Cuba warns of ‘vicious cycle’ that will lead to ‘communists in double digits’ in Congress
A national security expert who fled to the U.S. from Cuba is warning that one “vicious cycle” currently dominating American politics could lead to “communists in double digits” serving in Congress. Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation who fled communist Cuba in the 1970s, said in an interview with Fox News Digital that the socialist “threat is real now.” Gonzalez likened this trend to a “takeover of a host body, the Democratic Party,” saying, “It’s being taken over by body snatchers and they’re not able to mount any defense of it whatsoever even if they wanted to.” Under the current political environment, Gonzalez predicted, “We’re going to get communists in double digits in the House of Representatives at least, there’s no doubt of that.” BILL MAHER’S DIRE MIDTERM ELECTION WARNING TO DEMS AFTER ‘REALLY CRAZY’ SOCIALISTS WIN PRIMARIES Over the course of a year, New York City elected a socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, while three of his endorsed socialist congressional candidates — Brad Lander, Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier — defeated establishment Democrats, including two incumbents. On the other side of the country, Seattle elected a socialist mayor, Katie Wilson. Just this week, Colorado congressional candidate Melat Kiros defeated 15-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, further illustrating socialists’ ability to topple entrenched party figures. While these politicians identify as socialist, Gonzalez pointed out that to the authors of the communist manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, “there was no difference between socialism and communism, they were interchangeable.” “These people are communists, and when you catch them unawares, they actually say, ‘Oh, yeah, I know we want communism,’” he said. According to Gonzalez, the widespread success of socialist candidates in races across the U.S. is due to several factors, including the breakdown of immigrants assimilating to American culture, increased hatred of the U.S. and even White guilt combined with a real affordability crisis in cities like New York. “A very important component of this and one that conservatives sometimes forget is that a lot of these votes are White votes, White young kids who have come in from the suburbs, who feel guilty about a number of things,” he explained. SOCIALISM GOES WEST AS DSA-BACKED CHALLENGER OUSTS LONGTIME DEMOCRAT “They have gone to very expensive Ivy League schools and they’re trying to make a living in New York City without being a banker. And you can’t make a living in New York City if you’re not a banker, sorry, you’re going to have an affordability crisis.” This, Gonzalez said, makes socialist promises of handouts, such as free tuition, free bus fares and public-run grocery stores, an easy sell. “So, they end up voting for this. This is a very bad vicious cycle that is taking place and that is going to produce communism in this country if we’re not careful.” Meanwhile, Neetu Arnold, a young immigrant to the U.S. who now works as a policy analyst for the Manhattan Institute, emphasized that the socialist trend is not just isolated to cities like New York but becoming increasingly prevalent in cities across the U.S. “The rise in the socialism in America, it’s going to shape our politics. I think it’s going to make things more extreme,” Arnold said in an interview with Fox News Digital. DSA CO-CHAIR PUSHES BACK ON SOVIET UNION COMPARISONS, WANTS PRISONS TO BE ‘LESS NECESSARY’ “What the socialist candidates have tapped into are real frustrations and grievances, but the solutions that they’re offering is essentially more government involvement rather than trying to address the underlying problems,” she explained. “What a lot of younger people are finding out is that it’s not that easy to get housing. They’re in student debt, they are struggling to find stable jobs, and so the things that they were promised are not necessarily coming true.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER As a naturalized U.S. citizen, Arnold said she hopes both sides of the political aisle recognize that “socialist policies are a threat to the American way of life.” “In this country we value merit, we value wealth, and the ability to move upward in this society,” she said. “I’ve seen my life change before my eyes by being here in this country, by having the opportunities that I did, and that I saw for my family, and I think that was only possible because of free markets and the opportunities that we had in this country.” “Socialist policies essentially restrict what we are able to do,” Arnold continued. “So, I do take it seriously and I hope that Democrats, Republicans, they all take the rise of socialism seriously.”
9/11 Museum CEO reflects on lasting impact of terror attacks as America marks 250th birthday
As America marks its 250th anniversary, 9/11 Memorial and Museum President and CEO Elizabeth L. Hillman said this year’s milestone coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, highlighting the nation’s past and its resilience. “This year, America’s 250th birthday coincides with the 25th anniversary of 9/11, which means that what’s happening at our site is very much connected to the history of the country and to the recognition of this important milestone,” Hillman told Fox News Digital. “9/11 is an important part of our nation’s history, but especially now as the nation turns 250.” Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the terrorist attacks when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. SECRETS OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLEFIELDS EMERGE 250 YEARS AFTER AMERICA’S FOUNDING Hillman said it is more important than ever for future generations to learn about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to understand how they helped shape the nation and “where we are today.” “Now, 25 years have passed since that date, so if we don’t elevate 9/11 in the eyes of the 100 million Americans who were born since or were too young to remember 9/11 when it happened, we’ll lose the opportunity for them to understand what happened on that day and how the world came to heal, how the nation came together, and how this city and the other sites, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, worked to recover afterward,” she said. Hillman said the nation’s recovery after 9/11 shows that even after a devastating tragedy, people can come together, heal and rebuild. “I think everyone’s hungry for evidence that we can survive things that are difficult,” she said. “There’s nothing like 9/11 to help people realize, given how the nation has recovered since, that it is possible to persevere, to heal, to recover, even in the face of really unfathomable loss, and that’s what 9/11 has the chance to teach us.” Reflecting on the museum’s role, Hillman said the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks affected not only New York City but the entire country, calling the museum “a testament to the resilience of the city” and to “the perseverance that enabled us to actually rebuild.” 9/11 MUSEUM TO OFFER FREE ADMISSION FOR VETERANS AHEAD OF MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND “At the center of the rebuilt World Trade Center is a monument to the people who were killed that day and a testimony, really, to what we can do when we come together after that kind of catastrophe,” she said. This year, the museum opened “Our Flag Was Still There,” an exhibition featuring flags, artifacts and photographs that tell stories of resilience from first responders, veterans and Americans who lived through 9/11. The exhibit includes the Ground Zero flag raised by FDNY firefighters, the flag draped over the Pentagon by soldiers and firefighters, a flag raised over the last column of the South Tower, and one carried during the mission that killed Usama bin Laden. “It reveals how important the flag was in the healing and the coming together that happened after 9/11,” Hillman said. Hillman said commemorating 9/11 is especially important at a time when “many things seem to be splitting us apart.” TUNNEL TO TOWERS ANNOUNCES ‘STEEL ACROSS AMERICA’ TOUR TO MARK 25 YEARS SINCE 9/11 ATTACKS “The opportunity to bring people together around a symbol like the flag and around a symbol like the rebuilding of the World Trade Center after 9/11, it’s a great opportunity, especially right now,” she said. On July 4, Hillman said the museum placed an American flag at each victim’s name on the memorial, “to recognize how important the flag was as a symbol of the country on its birthday, but also of the recovery from 9/11 that happened and continues to happen now as we remember that day at this site.” Looking ahead to fall, Hillman said the museum will also start offering free admission to veterans whose “willingness to serve after 9/11” helped rebuild the World Trade Center and unite the nation. “If there’s one message that we feel we can elevate now that we couldn’t do 25 years ago because we didn’t know enough about what would happen afterward, it’s that so many people were inspired to serve their country, serving in the military,” she said.
Before the Boston Tea Party, there were New Hampshire’s Pine Tree Riots
NASHUA, N.H. – As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its independence, the actions of Massachusetts colonists in contributing to the outbreak of the American Revolution will once again be in the national spotlight. But Gov. Kelly Ayotte in neighboring New Hampshire, which was another of the 13 colonies that broke away from the British Empire, told Fox News Digital that the Pine Tree Riot in her state also deserves attention, as an event that may have inspired the Boston Tea Party a year and a half later. “Before the Boston Tea Party, we had the Pine Tree Riots here in New Hampshire. That’s because the British tried to come in and tax our pine trees and take them for their own, and we said no way,” Ayotte explained. CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS AMERICA 250 COVERAGE The riot was in opposition to a long-standing British policy preventing colonists from cutting down white pine trees larger than 12 inches in diameter in order to reserve them for Royal Navy use as masts on their ships. And it was significant because it demonstrated that colonists could defy British policies. “We were early joiners of the revolution, very, very proud of this nation,” the governor emphasized. “New Hampshire has a very special role in the history of this country.” Ayotte also noted that New Hampshire was “the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, so we were the deciding state to make sure that we had the Constitution,” and added that “we were the first state in the nation to draft our own Constitution.” The Pine Tree Riot and New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation state Constitution are highlighted in the state’s exhibition at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington D.C. ONE OF THE BIGGEST MYTHS ABOUT THE BOSTON TEA PARTY IS REVEALED “New Hampshire is so proud to be part of the fair on the National Mall. In fact, in that fair, we are displaying the history of New Hampshire. We have a video that’s running where we have prominent figures throughout our state, on both sides of the aisle, reading from the Declaration of Independence. We also talk about our history. We’ll be giving out some great New Hampshire maple syrup,” the governor said. Back home in the Granite State, Ayotte noted that “at our own Statehouse, we are going to have our visitors center open. We’re going to have some very special documents there.” They include one of the Dunlap Broadsides, which were the first printings of the Declaration of Independence, and one of the original 1823 William J. Stone engravings of the historic document. Cities and towns in New Hampshire have long taken a lead in celebrating the Fourth of July, with parades, fairs and fireworks, and other festivities, and this year is no different. Ayotte, a former U.S. senator and former state attorney general who is running for re-election this year, noted in her Fox News Digital interview ahead of the holiday that she would be marching in four Independence Day parades on July 3 and 4. “It’s going to be fantastic.” Fox News’ Kiera McDonald contributed to this report
America’s 250th celebration in nation’s capital boosted by iconic automaker’s 2-week tribute to innovation
WASHINGTON, DC – As dozens of travelers arrived at Union Station Wednesday morning, many stopped to photograph historic Ford Motor Co. cars, trucks, tractors and artifacts celebrating America’s 250th anniversary and the automaker’s role in shaping the nation. For two weeks, Ford is hosting “Driving America Forward: A Ford Experience at Union Station,” a free public exhibit showcasing vehicles and artifacts from the Ford Heritage Vault in Dearborn that trace the company’s legacy, from the Model T, the iconic mass-produced car, to a 1934 Ford pickup on loan from legendary late-night host Jay Leno. The exhibit, part of Ford’s marquee America 250 celebrations, features 10 vehicles displayed behind museum-quality glass, including a 1941 Ford GP prototype that helped lead to the military Jeep, a 1951 Ford 8N tractor, a 1954 F-100 from Virginia’s Red Truck Bakery and a 2026 Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula One car. Visitors can also create a free postcard at an interactive photo station and shop for Ford merchandise. “America’s celebrating its 250th anniversary,” Ted Ryan, Ford’s archives and heritage brand manager, told Fox News Digital. “We’ve been here for almost half of that journey, and we’ve had such a material impact on America.” HISTORIC BIG BOY STEAM LOCOMOTIVE DRAWS CROWDS AS AMERICA 250 TOUR HEADS EAST “Whether it’s industrializing, building the moving assembly line, mass transportation with the Model T, the best-selling car in the world for a number of years, or even the tractor that transformed farming. Ford has been there.” Ryan said the exhibit was designed to turn heads and reveal surprising stories about the company’s influence on American industry, transportation and pop culture over the past 123 years. “I was challenged to create an exhibit that would stop people in their tracks to take pictures or learn new facts about the Ford Motor Company,” he said. “So we have 10 amazing vehicles that go throughout our entire 124-year history… These are cars that are stopping people in their tracks, and then the exhibit cases are full of material that will tell people stories they don’t expect to hear.” LDS CHURCH CELEBRATES DELIVERING 6.5M MEALS ACROSS ALL 50 STATES FOR AMERICA250 ANNIVERSARY In a news release, Ryan said Union Station was a fitting location because it has “a particular kind of magic.” “For more than a century, it has served as the front door to the nation’s capital, a place where presidents have arrived to be inaugurated, where soldiers have shipped off to war, and where ordinary Americans, by the millions, have stepped off a train and into the heart of their democracy,” he wrote. But Ryan said Ford’s contributions to America go far beyond building cars. “Ford built Mission Control at Johnson Space Center,” he said. “We developed tracking beams for airplanes. Ford invented the mail sorter. Hopefully we’re teaching people about the critical role that Ford has played in America during half of its 250 years.” MINNESOTA BROTHERS LAUDED FOR PATRIOTISM AFTER RAISING $60K FOR VETERANS GROUP WITH LEMONADE STAND Ryan said the vehicles are meant to spark memories for visitors, whether they remind someone of their first car, a family road trip or a vehicle passed down through generations. “I hope people take wonderful photos of cars that remind them of vehicles Ford has produced that they fell in love with, and that they’ll leave with information they didn’t know ahead of time,” he said. Through wars, natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, Ryan said Ford has consistently stepped up to support the country through its “Answering the Call” initiative, which highlights the company’s long history of helping the nation during times of need. “Ford is always there and always will be there to answer the call whenever America or our local communities need us,” he said. As visitors walk through the exhibit, Ryan hopes they leave with a deeper appreciation for Ford. “America’s turning 250, and it’s a great time to celebrate,” he said. “Ford has been here for half of it, and we’re doing our best to tell our story and the role we’ve played in America.” The exhibit is open daily through July 14, with no tickets or registration required.
This immigrant served in the US military. Now he faces deportation
On Thursday morning, a small group of advocates gathered outside the United States federal courthouse in San Diego, California. One of them pointed to a poster of a young man in a US Navy uniform, three golden medals pinned to his chest. “This is my brother, Benito Miranda Hernandez, US Navy veteran,” said James Smith, the founder of Black Deported Veterans of America. Smith and the other advocates had organised the demonstration on behalf of Hernandez, who was miles away at that moment, stuck in an immigration detention facility. Brought from Mexico to the US as a baby, Hernandez had completed three tours of duty with the US military during the Iraq war. His military service was meant to be his path to citizenship. But now, Hernandez is among the immigrant veterans fighting deportation under US President Donald Trump. “These men and women were promised that they were going to get their citizenship if they served,” Smith said. “Help this brother come home.” Trump has pledged to prioritise immigrants with criminal records in his push for mass deportation. But advocates for US military members argue that veterans are particularly vulnerable, given their over-representation in prisons and jails. The majority have reported suffering from mental health problems after their service. Hernandez, for instance, said he struggled to reintegrate into civilian life after leaving the military. But on June 14, he had finally completed his years-long sentence for a drug conviction. As he waited for his mother, Maria Miranda, to pick him up, agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained him. Only afterwards did Miranda and her other son arrive. They spent hours that day looking for him, not knowing where he had gone. “He was doing things right,” Miranda told Al Jazeera in Spanish. “He had so many hopes, so many dreams.” Benito Miranda Hernandez stands outside the reentry programme where he recently worked, before he was detained by immigration officials in June [Anna Oakes/Al Jazeera] Hernandez has since been transferred to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego. He faces deportation, despite having received his green card for permanent residency earlier this year. He previously spoke to Al Jazeera about his experiences for an article published in April. Hernandez’s detention is part of a trend under the Trump administration. While the exact number of deported veterans is impossible to pin down – ICE has long failed to collect the veteran status of the people it detains, as is required – several advocates told Al Jazeera that they have been witnessing a rise in the deportations of US veterans during Trump’s second term. The New York Times reported in March that at least 34 veterans have been placed in deportation proceedings in the last year. Some cases have received media attention. But advocates say other immigrant veterans have avoided the spotlight, fearing it may have a negative impact on their immigration cases. “As the ICE raids continue and revamp across the country, there’s going to be people that are veterans that have not become US citizens that unfortunately will end up falling through the cracks,” said Robert Vivar, cofounder of the Tijuana-based Unified US Deported Veterans Resource Center. Veterans, like other immigrants across the country, have been detained while pursuing the mandatory steps in their immigration process, according to Danitza James, the president of Repatriate our Patriots, an advocacy group. They are often flagged for having outstanding warrants or criminal convictions that have not been vacated. James said she is in contact with about six veterans who had been detained by ICE in 2026 alone. “Our government, they don’t place any value in the service that our immigrants have,” James, who is herself a veteran and naturalised citizen, told Al Jazeera. “They honestly see us as disposable.” Danitza James, a former US military member, has led a push to repatriate deported veterans [Alejandro Cossio/Al Jazeera] For decades, the US military has recruited immigrants to enlist in its wars abroad to help address staffing shortages. Recruiters often tell immigrant enlisters that military service offers a shortcut to naturalised citizenship. In theory, it should. But while deployed, many immigrant soldiers, like Hernandez, have reported delays in the naturalisation process. By the time Hernandez was called for his citizenship interview in 2006, two years had passed since he finished his last deployment. He had a criminal conviction by that point – and his citizenship case was denied. The failure to protect immigrant veterans is representative of the government’s larger failures to reckon with its military policies, according to advocates like Smith. “The United States government is failing to take accountability for what they’ve created,” Smith told Al Jazeera. “You bring us in and strip us of part of our humanity so that we can kill without repercussions.” “Then, when you get out, there is no process that gets you ready to be in the civilian world.” Several bills to protect immigrant veterans are currently under consideration in Congress. But recruiters continue to target immigrant communities with the promise of expedited citizenship. The next steps for Hernandez are not yet clear. At Thursday’s rally, a lawyer with a local immigration nonprofit told Smith and other advocates that the group may be interested in helping with Hernandez’s case. In the meantime, Hernandez’s mother has been trying to keep his spirits up. Miranda takes his calls from the ICE detention centre and sees him during the facility’s visiting hours on Saturdays. But the two-hour drive from Anaheim to San Diego is difficult for her health. “On Saturday, when I saw him, he was very, very depressed,” Miranda told Al Jazeera. “He said, ‘I don’t want to cause you any more problems. I don’t want to upset you any more, Mom. I’m doing things right. I’m praying for myself,’” Miranda recalled, in tears. “They clipped the wings of a bird, and all the hopes he had. They threw them in the trash.” Adblock test (Why?)