Texas
Prosecutor says ICE agent appeared to intentionally strike man with vehicle in Houston
HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas prosecutor says a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent appeared to use a vehicle to intentionally strike a man who took off running in Houston and that an investigation opened by his office could result in criminal charges.
Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48, needed surgery for a broken leg after being hit by a car Saturday, said Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL Houston, an immigrant rights organization that is helping the man’s family.
The encounter has set off new criticism over immigration enforcement in Houston, where local prosecutors have also investigated a July fatal shooting by a federal immigration officer.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, a Democrat, expressed concern over surveillance footage that shows Parra Hernandez and another person jumping out of a white truck and running as a dark SUV pursues them. A vehicle strikes Parra Hernandez, who is seen on the ground seconds later.
“In a case like this, the most obvious criminal charge is aggravated assault with a deadly weapon,” Teare told FOX 26 Houston. “Meaning the car was used as a deadly weapon. And it certainly is what appears to have happened based on the surveillance footage.”
Tim Oberle, a spokesperson for ICE in Houston, said in a statement sent to The Texas Tribune on Saturday that “As ICE officers attempted to apprehend the illegal aliens, Miguel Parra-Hernandez ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck.”
Spokespersons for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday.
Parra Hernandez has been in the U.S. for 34 years and was on his way to work when the encounter began, according to Espinosa. Espinosa declined to share Parra Hernandez’s status.
He said he saw two ICE agents in Parra Hernandez’s room while visiting him at the hospital.
“He already had a surgery for the injury under his knee and now we’re waiting for swelling to go down in his ankle to be able to have a reconstructive surgery on his ankle,” Espinosa said.
Teare said ICE and DHS have not cooperated with his office during its investigation.
In July, Teare said DHS also ignored his request for information after an ICE officer fatally shot 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. The shooting was one of at least 10 deaths involving encounters with immigration officers since the start of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
Nevada
Lawyers: Recently unsealed report on coach Brian Flores contains ‘racial stereotypes’
A recently unsealed recruiting firm’s report on Brian Flores has multiple examples of “racial stereotypes” and amounts to unlawful retaliation for the coach’s discrimination lawsuit against the NFL, according to his lawyers.
The Korn Ferry report that was made public Tuesday — a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press — contains a list of six strengths and seven weaknesses which Flores’ attorneys say show the league still uses racial stereotypes in hiring and is unlawfully retaliating against the coach for his lawsuit against the league alleging racial discrimination.
The report, which was first published by Front Office Sports, was prepared in connection with the Las Vegas Raiders’ coaching vacancy in 2024. Flores is now the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.
“The recently unsealed documents demonstrate two unfortunate, but unsurprising, realities,” attorney Michael J. Willemin wrote in a statement. “First, that Mr. Flores’ decision to hold the league and its teams accountable for systemic race discrimination has been met with unlawful retaliation. Second, discrimination continues to play a significant role in the hiring process for NFL Head Coaches, as evidenced by the fact that the candidate profile prepared for the Raiders leans heavily on racial stereotypes. We and Mr. Flores are committed to eradicating the institutional racism and retaliation that permeates the league, its teams and their partners.”
The NFL didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
One of the strengths listed says Flores is a “polished and a good presenter despite growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn (same as Mike Tyson). He was able to build a strong friendship with a billionaire’s son which gave him opportunities to socialize and learn how to build relationships with white-collar and upper-class individuals.”
Brownsville is a predominately Black and Hispanic neighborhood in Brooklyn.
One of the negatives says Flores “can fool you with his polish upwards. Has little people skills, lacks self-awareness and can sometimes exhibit erratic behavior. (Former Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s) statements have opened the narrative that Brian was “pessimistic and adversarial” and his style “shattered his confidence.”
Other negatives listed included that Flores’ “personality is unpredictable” and that he “once threatened violence to his GM and made irrational demands during an ownership meeting.”
The report goes on to say that a long-term senior executive said Flores “may have changed since, but he was the worst hiring decision we’ve ever made.”
The final negative was that the ongoing litigation related to the coach’s discrimination case against the NFL could cause a distraction.
Flores, who is Black, sued the league and three teams in February 2022, alleging the league was “rife with racism” regarding its hiring practices when it comes to Black coaches. Flores had recently been fired from his head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins.
He was later joined in the lawsuit by fellow Black coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton.
Arizona
Supreme Court refuses to toss out fees for lawyers who sought hand count in Arizona election
PHOENIX (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to toss out $122,000 in legal costs that lawyers for former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake were ordered to pay for false and misleading statements they made in a lawsuit that sought to require a hand-count of all ballots in the 2022 midterm elections.
The nation’s highest court on Tuesday denied a request from Andrew D. Parker, an attorney who represented Lake in the lawsuit, to review a lower-court decision over the legal costs arising from the unsuccessful litigation.
The lawsuit by Lake and state lawmaker Mark Finchem sought to ban electronic tabulation devices. It was dismissed by a judge who found Lake and Finchem lacked standing to sue and that their lawsuit was filed too close to the election.
In 2022, Lake lost the governor’s race to Democrat Katie Hobbs and Finchem was defeated in the secretary of state’s race by Democrat Andrian Fontes. Both Republicans had promoted the narrative that the 2020 election was marred by fraud.
Maricopa County had sought sanctions against Lake, Finchem and their lawyers, alleging they broke a court rule by making unfounded allegations and by not conducting the necessary research before filing the lawsuit.
U.S. District Judge John Tuchi later concluded the lawsuit’s claims lacked an adequate basis in fact, that the standard inquiry attorneys must make before pressing litigation hadn’t been done and that the lawyers acted recklessly in seeking a court order based on frivolous claims.
The requirement to pay the legal fees applies to the lawyers who pressed the lawsuit, not to Lake and Finchem.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected appeals over the lawsuit’s dismissal and the awarding of the legal fees.
The Associated Press left phone and email messages Tuesday for Parker, whose firm is based in Minneapolis.
Earlier this year, Parker asked the Supreme Court to throw out the requirement to pay Maricopa County’s legal fees in the case, arguing such sanctions would deter attorneys from bringing aggressive or novel legal claims.
Maricopa County said lawyers for Lake and Finchem had disregarded a letter that identified false allegations they had made in their lawsuit and relied on some of those claims in a later court filing. The county’s attorneys said those who brought the lawsuit failed to present evidence to support their allegations and falsely alleged that Arizona didn’t use paper ballots and that its electronic voting systems hadn’t been subjected to expert analysis.
New York
U.S. halts prosecution of former CIA analyst accused of aiding South Korean intelligence
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has agreed not to prosecute a former CIA analyst who in 2024 was accused of serving as a secret agent for South Korea’s intelligence service, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
Federal prosecutors said Sue Mi Terry had shared nonpublic government information, facilitated access for South Korean officials to U.S. officials and accepted luxury gifts in exchange for advocating South Korean government positions during media appearances.
The Justice Department agreed Tuesday to put her prosecution on hold for a year, and then drop the charges altogether if Terry stays out of legal trouble. The deal comes weeks before Terry was set to stand trial in a Manhattan federal court on charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent.
Prosecutors did not explain in court documents why they decided not to move forward with her case, saying only that they determined that the interests of both Terry and the U.S. “will be best served by deferring prosecution.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.
Terry had maintained her innocence. Her attorney, Lee Wolosky, said Tuesday that Terry had “served her country loyally for many years” and was pleased with this result.
“We have consistently maintained that her interactions with South Korean officials were conducted in furtherance of U.S. interests and her work as a leading American specialist on North Korea and East Asia,” Wolosky said in a statement.
As part of her deal, Terry signed a document agreeing to certain facts of the case, including that she had shared notes with a South Korean intelligence officer from an off-the-record meeting she attended with then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in 2022.
The document also said she accepted designer handbags and coats from South Korea’s intelligence service for her work, which were collectively valued at about $9,245.
Prosecutor says ICE agent appeared to intentionally strike man with vehicle in Houston
HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas prosecutor says a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent appeared to use a vehicle to intentionally strike a man who took off running in Houston and that an investigation opened by his office could result in criminal charges.
Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48, needed surgery for a broken leg after being hit by a car Saturday, said Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL Houston, an immigrant rights organization that is helping the man’s family.
The encounter has set off new criticism over immigration enforcement in Houston, where local prosecutors have also investigated a July fatal shooting by a federal immigration officer.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, a Democrat, expressed concern over surveillance footage that shows Parra Hernandez and another person jumping out of a white truck and running as a dark SUV pursues them. A vehicle strikes Parra Hernandez, who is seen on the ground seconds later.
“In a case like this, the most obvious criminal charge is aggravated assault with a deadly weapon,” Teare told FOX 26 Houston. “Meaning the car was used as a deadly weapon. And it certainly is what appears to have happened based on the surveillance footage.”
Tim Oberle, a spokesperson for ICE in Houston, said in a statement sent to The Texas Tribune on Saturday that “As ICE officers attempted to apprehend the illegal aliens, Miguel Parra-Hernandez ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck.”
Spokespersons for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday.
Parra Hernandez has been in the U.S. for 34 years and was on his way to work when the encounter began, according to Espinosa. Espinosa declined to share Parra Hernandez’s status.
He said he saw two ICE agents in Parra Hernandez’s room while visiting him at the hospital.
“He already had a surgery for the injury under his knee and now we’re waiting for swelling to go down in his ankle to be able to have a reconstructive surgery on his ankle,” Espinosa said.
Teare said ICE and DHS have not cooperated with his office during its investigation.
In July, Teare said DHS also ignored his request for information after an ICE officer fatally shot 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. The shooting was one of at least 10 deaths involving encounters with immigration officers since the start of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
Nevada
Lawyers: Recently unsealed report on coach Brian Flores contains ‘racial stereotypes’
A recently unsealed recruiting firm’s report on Brian Flores has multiple examples of “racial stereotypes” and amounts to unlawful retaliation for the coach’s discrimination lawsuit against the NFL, according to his lawyers.
The Korn Ferry report that was made public Tuesday — a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press — contains a list of six strengths and seven weaknesses which Flores’ attorneys say show the league still uses racial stereotypes in hiring and is unlawfully retaliating against the coach for his lawsuit against the league alleging racial discrimination.
The report, which was first published by Front Office Sports, was prepared in connection with the Las Vegas Raiders’ coaching vacancy in 2024. Flores is now the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.
“The recently unsealed documents demonstrate two unfortunate, but unsurprising, realities,” attorney Michael J. Willemin wrote in a statement. “First, that Mr. Flores’ decision to hold the league and its teams accountable for systemic race discrimination has been met with unlawful retaliation. Second, discrimination continues to play a significant role in the hiring process for NFL Head Coaches, as evidenced by the fact that the candidate profile prepared for the Raiders leans heavily on racial stereotypes. We and Mr. Flores are committed to eradicating the institutional racism and retaliation that permeates the league, its teams and their partners.”
The NFL didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
One of the strengths listed says Flores is a “polished and a good presenter despite growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn (same as Mike Tyson). He was able to build a strong friendship with a billionaire’s son which gave him opportunities to socialize and learn how to build relationships with white-collar and upper-class individuals.”
Brownsville is a predominately Black and Hispanic neighborhood in Brooklyn.
One of the negatives says Flores “can fool you with his polish upwards. Has little people skills, lacks self-awareness and can sometimes exhibit erratic behavior. (Former Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s) statements have opened the narrative that Brian was “pessimistic and adversarial” and his style “shattered his confidence.”
Other negatives listed included that Flores’ “personality is unpredictable” and that he “once threatened violence to his GM and made irrational demands during an ownership meeting.”
The report goes on to say that a long-term senior executive said Flores “may have changed since, but he was the worst hiring decision we’ve ever made.”
The final negative was that the ongoing litigation related to the coach’s discrimination case against the NFL could cause a distraction.
Flores, who is Black, sued the league and three teams in February 2022, alleging the league was “rife with racism” regarding its hiring practices when it comes to Black coaches. Flores had recently been fired from his head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins.
He was later joined in the lawsuit by fellow Black coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton.
Arizona
Supreme Court refuses to toss out fees for lawyers who sought hand count in Arizona election
PHOENIX (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to toss out $122,000 in legal costs that lawyers for former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake were ordered to pay for false and misleading statements they made in a lawsuit that sought to require a hand-count of all ballots in the 2022 midterm elections.
The nation’s highest court on Tuesday denied a request from Andrew D. Parker, an attorney who represented Lake in the lawsuit, to review a lower-court decision over the legal costs arising from the unsuccessful litigation.
The lawsuit by Lake and state lawmaker Mark Finchem sought to ban electronic tabulation devices. It was dismissed by a judge who found Lake and Finchem lacked standing to sue and that their lawsuit was filed too close to the election.
In 2022, Lake lost the governor’s race to Democrat Katie Hobbs and Finchem was defeated in the secretary of state’s race by Democrat Andrian Fontes. Both Republicans had promoted the narrative that the 2020 election was marred by fraud.
Maricopa County had sought sanctions against Lake, Finchem and their lawyers, alleging they broke a court rule by making unfounded allegations and by not conducting the necessary research before filing the lawsuit.
U.S. District Judge John Tuchi later concluded the lawsuit’s claims lacked an adequate basis in fact, that the standard inquiry attorneys must make before pressing litigation hadn’t been done and that the lawyers acted recklessly in seeking a court order based on frivolous claims.
The requirement to pay the legal fees applies to the lawyers who pressed the lawsuit, not to Lake and Finchem.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected appeals over the lawsuit’s dismissal and the awarding of the legal fees.
The Associated Press left phone and email messages Tuesday for Parker, whose firm is based in Minneapolis.
Earlier this year, Parker asked the Supreme Court to throw out the requirement to pay Maricopa County’s legal fees in the case, arguing such sanctions would deter attorneys from bringing aggressive or novel legal claims.
Maricopa County said lawyers for Lake and Finchem had disregarded a letter that identified false allegations they had made in their lawsuit and relied on some of those claims in a later court filing. The county’s attorneys said those who brought the lawsuit failed to present evidence to support their allegations and falsely alleged that Arizona didn’t use paper ballots and that its electronic voting systems hadn’t been subjected to expert analysis.
New York
U.S. halts prosecution of former CIA analyst accused of aiding South Korean intelligence
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has agreed not to prosecute a former CIA analyst who in 2024 was accused of serving as a secret agent for South Korea’s intelligence service, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
Federal prosecutors said Sue Mi Terry had shared nonpublic government information, facilitated access for South Korean officials to U.S. officials and accepted luxury gifts in exchange for advocating South Korean government positions during media appearances.
The Justice Department agreed Tuesday to put her prosecution on hold for a year, and then drop the charges altogether if Terry stays out of legal trouble. The deal comes weeks before Terry was set to stand trial in a Manhattan federal court on charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent.
Prosecutors did not explain in court documents why they decided not to move forward with her case, saying only that they determined that the interests of both Terry and the U.S. “will be best served by deferring prosecution.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.
Terry had maintained her innocence. Her attorney, Lee Wolosky, said Tuesday that Terry had “served her country loyally for many years” and was pleased with this result.
“We have consistently maintained that her interactions with South Korean officials were conducted in furtherance of U.S. interests and her work as a leading American specialist on North Korea and East Asia,” Wolosky said in a statement.
As part of her deal, Terry signed a document agreeing to certain facts of the case, including that she had shared notes with a South Korean intelligence officer from an off-the-record meeting she attended with then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in 2022.
The document also said she accepted designer handbags and coats from South Korea’s intelligence service for her work, which were collectively valued at about $9,245.
