GREENSBORO, N.C. - It's a story that seems like it was ripped from the script of a TV movie, but for a North Carolina immigrant this tale of abuse sheds light on the many challenges immigrants face when the system breaks down. As part of a plea agreement, a Durham immigration officer admitted to threatening a woman with deportation if she did not have sex with him. The officer, Bedri Kulla, met the immigrant and single mother on a social networking website, where he claimed to be a flight attendant.

The woman's lawyer, Marty Rosenbluth, who is a staff attorney with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, says the woman was put in a drastic position.

"She quite innocently met him for coffee and when they met for coffee he pulls out this badge and says, 'Oh, I work for immigration and if you don't go on a date with me I'm going to have you deported.'"

Kulla, who himself is a naturalized U.S. citizen from Canada, lost his job and will be sentenced on August 12 after being found guilty of a federal civil rights violation and two counts of blackmail.

Rosenbluth said the story was hard to believe initially, but easy to prove since Kulla used his real picture on the social networking site, showed up at the woman's workplace, and sent multiple emails. At one point during his pursuit, Kulla appeared at the victim's place of work, holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a deportation notice in the other.

The Southern Coalition for Social Justice routinely handles immigration issues. Rosenbluth says it's not uncommon for people to take advantage of an immigrant's situation.

"It is a really clear cut example of how, you know, people just think they can do whatever they want to folks who are undocumented, but she stood up and said, 'No, I'm not going to be a victim, you're not going to do this to me.'"

The woman is now eligible for U.S. citizenship through a special provision for victims of crime.


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Texas is the epicenter of the U.S. immigration debate, and now faces a lawsuit over plans to jail those whose enter the state illegally.

The U.S. Department of Justice sued Texas last week over a new state law that allows state police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border without authorization.

The federal action follows a similar lawsuit filed by three other groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.

ACLU of Texas Senior Staff Attorney David Donatti said he believes regardless of citizenship, communities of color - including Latino, Black and Asian American - are already affected by the state's anti-immigrant rhetoric.

"The new laws are a dramatic escalation, even beyond what we have already seen in the state of Texas," said Donatti. "And so, Texas communities, rightfully, are very afraid."

The federal action is meant to prevent Texas from implementing the new law on March 5.

The Department of Justice argues it violates the U.S. Constitution, because only Congress has authority over immigration enforcement.

The new law would mean up to six months in jail - and repeat offenders could face a second-degree felony charge, with punishment of two to 20 years in prison.

Donatti said it's unfortunate the immigration issue has become politicized. He said he believes the conversation should be about why so many people are trying to enter the U.S, at the border in the first place.

"Why is it that people feel compelled to leave their homes, to take their families on treacherous journeys, to fight for their survival?" said Donatti. "And nothing in this bill addresses the human needs that these individuals face, or materially improves the circumstances that we Texans face."

In a second lawsuit filed last week, the New York City Mayor sued 17 Texas charter bus companies that have driven thousands of migrants from Texas to the Big Apple.

That suit seeks more than $700 million to cover the costs of caring for migrants transported to the city.




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A new report from the nonprofit advocacy group New Mexico Voices showed a guaranteed cash assistance program designed for immigrants improved work and school outcomes and allowed participants to pursue better jobs.

Like other nationwide studies, the report concluded a "Guaranteed Basic Income" also helped boost employment rates and housing security among immigrants.

Nichelle Gilbert, executive director of the Partnership for Community Action, said the 18-month pilot program began in March 2020 to help immigrant families during the pandemic who were ineligible for federal stimulus relief money.

"Many families were unable to access federal stimulus rebates, unemployment benefits or paid sick leave due to their immigration status," Gilbert explained. "Harming the long-term health and economic outcomes for families."

The state's pilot program included 330 mixed-immigration status households in both rural and urban communities. They received $500 a month for 12 months with no strings attached. New Mexico Voices for Children found mixed-status immigrant families are less likely to have health insurance, stable employment, savings, consistent housing and food security.

The report found the number of participants who reported having trouble paying their rent or mortgage on time almost every month decreased by 35% after the 12-month pilot.

Marcela Diaz, executive director of the immigrant-based organization Somos Un Pueblo Unido, said although the state's Guaranteed Basic Income program was specifically created to help low-income immigrants, she expects other states to follow New Mexico's lead.

"There is a movement," Diaz observed. "We're starting to see a lot of state funding and city and county funding around the country start these GPI pilots."

Families taking part in the pilot said they also noticed a change in their children, with 9% of families saying their child was on track to complete their grade level and graduate; even higher among rural families.

Pascal "Shakoure" Charpentier was born on an army base in Germany and has called New York City home for three decades, but he might not be able to much longer.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is trying to deport him for being a Haitian immigrant, despite having never been to Haiti. Federal agents arrested Shakoure in 2020 and held him without bail in a New Jersey detention center. He has since been released.

Prosecutors claim a felony charge from his youth, for which he served prison time, warrants his deportation. He has presented evidence proving his naturalized status, but prosecutors are dismissing it. For now, he is forced to wear an ankle monitor, which he said has become a barrier in his life.

"The type of engagements I have on a professional level, that can be for one, quite disruptive because when the unit needs to be charged, it just makes an announcement," Charpentier explained. "It beeps several times. There's an announcement that the battery needs to be charged."

He has asked for a downgrade of the ankle monitor to a less obtrusive option, although his requests have gone unanswered. One of his attorneys, Jessica Rofé, said it's uncertain how much information could satisfy Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But Charpentier noted their own documents can prove his case since they show his life in this country. He is hoping the case can end by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul granting him clemency.

His is not an uncommon story.

Karim Golding, organizer for Freedom to Thrive, faced a similar situation. Being from Jamaica, he first entered the U.S. when he was about nine years old with his mother. He was arrested on drug and gun charges, for which he was sentenced to federal prison. But then he was transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. While he was released and had his conviction overturned, Golding said the implications of it still linger.

"I still have to ask if I want to leave the state of New York or the tri-state [area]," Golding pointed out. "I have to ask permission. Pascal has an ankle monitor. I had an ankle monitor for 18 months prior to having my case overturned, and still have different levels of supervision that I still have to deal with. We're still incarcerated, we're not free."

He said people like he and Charpentier still have to fight their cases on a day-to-day basis. Golding argued rehabilitation needs to be explored as a viable option for people in such situations. He added people need to be better educated about the law so the first place they see in the U.S. is not a jail cell.


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