Two People Arrested Outside ExVice Pres.During Curfew/Fires and Criminals R Back

   

 By Brady Knox

Los Angeles police arrested two people outside of Vice President Kamala Harris's Southern California home during a curfew due to the deadly wildfires . 

The Los Angeles Police Department told KTLA that they arrested two individuals at Harris's Brentwood home at around 4:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, responding to a tip reporting a possible burglary. The two were arrested for a curfew violation, as the area was under an evacuation order, but they were soon released as there wasn't evidence showing they were intending to commit a crime. 

One law enforcement source familiar with the matter told KNBC that the duo "likely had no idea where they were."

Harris was not present at the time of the incident. The residence is usually guarded by the U.S. Secret Service, state, and local police, but it's unknown if this changed due to the evacuation order. 

The National Guard is assisting in patrolling the evacuation areas, which have a curfew of 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Dozens of suspected looters have been arrested during the fires so far. Over 150,000 citizens are under evacuation orders so far. 

Brentwood has become increasingly threatened by the Palisades fire, the first and largest of the wildfires consuming the Los Angeles area. The resumption of high Santa Anna winds on Monday could exacerbate the danger. 

The death toll from the fires has risen to 16. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth, and Hurst fires had scorched roughly 63 square miles, an area larger than San Francisco, and they destroyed over 12,300 structures.  Emergency personnel from nine other states have joined firefighting efforts, utilizing 1,354 fire engines and 84 aircraft. Over 14,000 emergency personnel have been mobilized. 

According to a preliminary estimate from AccuWeather, the wildfires are the costliest in U.S. history, with the damage being valued between $135 billion and $150 billion.

Washington Examiner

Also

 Arrested Immigrants with Criminal Records Released back to U.S.

President Donald Trump is trying to curb illegal immigration through arrest and deportation, but some illegal immigrants who were arrested have reportedly been released back into the country. 

The Department of Homeland Security, along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has touted daily arrest figures of immigrants since Trump was sworn in as president. However, while it has publicized some illegal immigrants being deported, some are being released into the United States under a monitoring program, according to a report from NBC News. 

The report says people being released are doing so under the Alternatives to Detention, an existing program that tracks immigrants through ankle monitors, wrist bands, or check-ins via phone call. 

The Washington Examiner reached out to ICE for comment on the report. 

The Trump administration said it has arrested more than 7,500 immigrants since Trump took office last month and has publicized several deportations of illegal immigrants to their home countries. A spokesperson for ICE told NBC News that cases in federal court could limit the agency's ability to detain people indefinitely pending deportation. 

“The agency’s federal law enforcement officers do everything they can to keep our communities safe,” the spokesperson said. “In some cases, ICE is required to release certain arrested aliens from custody.” 

The Trump administration has made public efforts to ensure countries accept their deported citizens, including a standoff with Colombia last month. The problem with Colombia accepting deportation flights was quickly resolved, with President Gustavo Petro later telling his citizens who were in the U.S. illegally to return to Colombia. 

Another country where the Trump administration secured an agreement for the return of deported illegal immigrants is Venezuela. Trump sent an envoy to meet with the Venezuelan leader last week, and following the meeting, he said Venezuela agreed to take back its citizens and facilitate the transposition of its illegal immigrants out of the U.S

By Jack Birle,