The Biden administration has ended the Title 42 pandemic-era rule, allowing an estimated 60,000 migrants to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said the U.S. had a plan in place for more than a year and a half, and that individuals will be taken into custody and removed quickly under traditional immigration authorities. Migrants were seen crossing the border in single file, with the bus flanked by members of the National Guard and Border Patrol.
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Imran Khan, Pakistan's former Prime Minister, was granted bail for two weeks on Friday after the Supreme Court ruled his arrest on corruption charges unlawful. This followed two days of deadly protests across the country, and the Islamabad High Court barred his re-arrest until at least May 17. Khan's supporters have been protesting against the government since his arrest, and the ruling marks a victory for him and his supporters. It is unclear what will happen after the two-week period.
Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old Marine veteran, has surrendered to the New York City Police Department to face criminal charges in connection with the death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old former Michael Jackson impersonator who was homeless. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has said that Penny is expected to be charged with second-degree manslaughter, and the incident has sparked outrage and calls for an investigation into the death of Neely. It has also prompted a national conversation about police brutality, the use of excessive force, and the role of bystanders in such situations.
U.S. Marshals have captured 24-year-old Nasir Grant, one of two inmates who escaped from a Philadelphia prison earlier this week. Grant was taken into custody while dressed as a woman, while the other inmate, 18-year-old Ameen Hurst, remains at large. The Philadelphia Department of Prisons has launched an investigation into how the escape went unnoticed for nearly 19 hours.
Trevor Daniel Jacob, a YouTuber pilot, has pleaded guilty to deliberately crashing his single-engine airplane in a California national forest in order to boost views for a sponsorship deal. He misled investigators about the location of the wreck and has agreed to promote a wallet in a YouTube video as part of the plea agreement. Jacob faces up to 20 years in federal prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 17, 2021.
Irina Tsybaneva, a 60-year-old woman from St. Petersburg, was given a two-year suspended sentence on Thursday for leaving a note on the grave of Russian President Vladimir Putin's parents that said they had "raised a freak and a killer." The court's decision is seen as a warning to those who would criticize the president, as the government has introduced a series of laws that restrict the activities of non-governmental organizations and media outlets.
On Thursday night, a group of migrants passed through Gate 42 at the El Paso border wall, just after the Biden administration officially ended the Title 42 policy. A lawsuit has been filed by the ACLU and other groups challenging the new Biden administration restriction on asylum, which took effect on Friday. Father Arturo Bañuelas was present to show solidarity with the migrants and to ensure their rights were respected. The Biden administration has stated that the new asylum rule is intended to deter illegal border crossings while also allowing for the processing of asylum claims.
On May 6, 2023, the Biden administration lifted pandemic-related asylum restrictions, leading to an influx of migrants attempting to cross into the United States from Mexico. This put a strain on the nation’s immigration system, but the Biden administration was dealt a legal setback when a federal judge temporarily blocked its attempt to release migrants more quickly when Border Patrol holding stations are full. The ruling came just hours before the Title 42 border restrictions expired, raising concerns about overcrowding in migrant facilities.