FIRST ON FOX: An immigration program meant to provide permanent legal status to undocumented migrant children who experience abuse or neglect was, under the Biden administration, offered mostly to illegal immigrants older than age 18, many of whom had criminal records, according to a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report obtained by Fox News Digital. 

A Trump administration review of the special immigrant juvenile petition program found that between fiscal year 2020 and fiscal year 2024, 198,414 special immigrant juvenile petitions were approved. And in fiscal year 2024, 52% of special immigrant juvenile petitioners were over the age of 18 through a loophole that allowed classification to be offered up to age 21. 

Of those petitioners, 60% were male. Massachusetts, New York, Maryland and California are hot spots, states where courts routinely approve special immigrant juvenile predicate orders for legal adults, often based solely on affidavits.

Affidavits alone, often written by the petitioner or a petitioner’s lawyer, are used to claim abandonment or neglect. Judges may sign off without hearings.

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Misuse of the program didn’t just occur under Biden. Since 2013, more than 600 MS-13 gang members applied for the special immigrant juvenile visa, according to the DHS report, and more than 500 of them were approved. 

The report also identified 853 known or suspected gang members who filed special immigrant juvenile petitions, most of whom were approved.

At least 120 of those petitioning for special immigrant juvenile visas since 2013 have been arrested for murder, and more than 200 of those who had their visas approved were convicted of sex offenses and required to register on the National Sex Offender Registry. 

Many petitioners filed when they were older than age 18 and qualified because they were raised with one natural parent and claimed the other parent was not involved in their life, «abandonment,» or did not financially support them, «neglect,» according to the report. 

More than 100 known or suspected members of the 18th Street gang, a criminal group with origins in California and Mexico, had special immigrant juvenile petitions approved since 2013, and dozens of others suspected of involvement in the Tren de Aragua, Sureño and Norteño gangs had approved special immigrant juvenile visas, according to the report. 

The Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras accounted for approximately 73.6% of all filings within the special immigrant juvenile program from 2014 to 2024. 

In 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received a petition from a 19-year-old suspected of plotting an Islamic State terror attack in the U.S. after he requested another adult be appointed his legal guardian. 

But the new report found that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services decided against interviewing or requiring biometrics for those under the age of 18. Even for those 18 and older, only 36% were asked to submit biometrics. 

An Ecuadorian migrant child walks through the river Nov. 20, 2022, in Darién Gap, Colombia. (Jan Sochor/Getty Images)

Since fiscal year 2013, nearly 20,000 special immigrant juvenile petitioners submitted conflicting birth dates, with 18,407 appearing over the age of 21 based on prior records — the program age cutoff. 

Fraud may be widespread in countries with weak documentation systems, like Bangladesh, Somalia and Yemen, where birth certificates are easily falsified, the report said. 

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«Criminal aliens are infiltrating the U.S. through a program meant to protect abused, neglected or abandoned alien children,» said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman Matthew J. Tragesser. «This report exposes how the open border lobby and activist judges are exploiting loopholes in the name of aiding helpless children.»

More than 600 MS-13 gang members applied for the SIJ visa, according to the DHS report, and over 500 of them were approved.  (John Alle/Santa Monica Coalition)

In June, the Citizenship and Immigration Services office stopped offering deferred immigration enforcement for special immigrant juveniles. The office said it is looking at new ways to «ensure the SIJ classification remains available for the juveniles it was intended to protect.»

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Congress first established the program in 1990 to allow young unlawful immigrants that a court has determined cannot reunify with parents due to abuse or neglect to apply for special immigrant juvenile classification, lawful permanent resident status and have an eventual path to U.S. citizenship. But, by law, there are no criminal bars or good moral character requirements for special immigrant juvenile petition approval.

Russia and Ukraine took aim at corresponding Black Sea resort cities early Thursday morning, just hours after ceasefire talks in Turkey once again failed to deliver results. 

The major Russian resort city of Sochi was rocked by a Ukrainian drone strike that began around 1 a.m. and lasted until 3 a.m., where one person was reportedly killed and another injured, according to Ukrainian media outlet the Kyiv Independent, though the Ukrainian military has not commented on the incident. 

An oil depot in the Krasnodar Krai region where Sochi is located was also struck, though the extent of the damage remains unclear.

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Kyiv has routinely levied strikes at Russian territory as Moscow continues to pummel not only the eastern frontlines of Ukraine, but civilian populations across the country. 

What Ukraine may have been targeting in Sochi remains unclear, though the city is home to some of Russia’s most favored vacation locations as well as the infamous Soviet-era palace used by the Kremlin leaders as a retreat, and allegedly housed Russian President Vladimir Putin during the COVID pandemic – though it was reportedly demolished in 2024 over Ukrainian strike concerns.

Russia also hit the Ukrainian port city of Odessa – which has been repeatedly targeted in the three-year-long war – in early morning strikes in what Ukraine’s State Emergency Service described as «another hellish night» as a nine-story residential building was struck.

«The residents from the 5th to the 8th floors lost their homes,» the emergency management body said in a statement posted to Telegram. «There is a risk of structural collapse.»

Emergency rescue teams evacuated 38 people, including five who were trapped in their apartments. 

At least four people were injured in the overnight strikes, according to Reuters, and fires were reported to have raged in other parts of the city as well. 

Russia launched a terrifying assault on the Ukrainian Black Sea city Odessa, hitting a nine-floor residential building and destroying the iconic Privoz Market, which has existed since 1827, on July 24, 2025. (East2West via Ukraine Ministry of Defense)

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«Overnight, russian forces launched a massive attack on Odesa. As a result of an attack, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, the Pryvoz market, caught fire,» Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said in a post on X. «Also, multiple civilian targets were damaged, including the residential high-rise, a two-story building, a gas station, and even a UNESCO-protected architectural monument in the city center. 

«Once again, Russians target civilian cities – there is zero military gain from these strikes,» the ministry added. «Ukraine needs more air defense systems to protect our people from such terror.»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said on Thursday that «dozens» of civilians in Kharkiv, including children, were injured in an overnight attack by Russian glide bombs.

«These are utterly senseless strikes with no military purpose whatsoever,» Zelenskyy said. «And we see that this is Russia’s only intention – to continue aggression and killings. 

«That is precisely why we need support in defense – strong air defenses, expanded weapons production. All of this will help save lives,» he added. 

While Ukraine’s Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal met with NATO officials this week to discuss ramping up defensive aid and counter capabilities, attempted ceasefire talks in Istanbul between delegations from Moscow and Kyiv again failed to achieve any results, though future POW swaps were again discussed.

Zelenskyy took to X to voice his frustration at the continued Russian attacks despite Ukrainian efforts to secure a ceasefire, and said, «Yesterday, at the meeting in Istanbul, the proposal for an immediate and full ceasefire was reiterated to the Russian side.» 

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Vladimir Medinskiy, advisor to President Vladimir Putin, speaks to the press at the Ciragan Palace following the third round of peace talks hosted by Turkey in Istanbul on July 23, 2025. (Abdulhamid Hosbas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

«In response, Russian drones struck residential buildings and the Pryvoz market in Odesa, apartment blocks in Cherkasy, energy infrastructure in the Kharkiv region, a university gym in Zaporizhzhia. Donetsk, Sumy, and Mykolaiv regions were all under strikes as well,» he added.  «In total, there were 103 attack drones, mostly ‘Shaheds’, and four missiles.»

President Donald Trump last week gave Putin 50 days to enter into a ceasefire or face stiff sanctions, though some have expressed concern that the threat of sanctions will not be enough to deter his war ambitions. 

Un argentino que planeaba autodeportarse de los Estados Unidos fue detenido el 3 de julio en el centro de detención migratorio conocido como “Alligator Alcatraz” de la Florida. Se trata de Fernando Artese, de 63 años, que vive en ese país junto a su esposa e hija.

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Fuentes diplomáticas argentinas confirmaron a TN que Artese fue detenido en ese centro migratorio levantado en los Everglades. En su caso intervinieron las embajadas de Argentina e Italia, ya que Artese tiene doble nacionalidad. Sin embargo, la agencia de noticias italianas ANSA luego informó que fue trasladado a otro centro, también en Florida, conocido como Krome.

Fernando Artese planeaba volver a la Argentina en un motorhome

Artese vive en Florida desde hace una década. Ahora planeaba volver a la Argentina junto a su familia en un viaje por las Américas a bordo de un motorhome. Incluso, proyectaba documentar el periplo en un canal de YouTube al que bautizó Argentinomades, informó CNN en Español.

Pero el viaje quedó trunco a apenas unos kilómetros del punto de partida. La casa rodante fue detenida en un control policial en la zona de Jupiter Beach, en Florida.

Artese tenía su licencia de conducir vencida. En el control, las autoridades detectaron que su estatus migratorio era irregular.

Entonces fue enviado al cuestionado centro de detención conocido como “Alligator Alcatraz” inaugurado por Donald Trump el 1 de julio pasado.

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“Fue duro tomar la decisión (de volver a la Argentina) porque llevamos muchos años (en Estados Unidos) y se habían logrado muchas cosas. Pero veíamos que la proyección para la familia era mala y, cuando asumió Donald Trump, confirmamos que era el momento justo para hacerlo”, dijo su esposa, Mónica Riviera a CNN en Español.

Tanto la mujer como su hija tienen un estatus migratorio legal a partir de una visa de estudiante de la mujer.

Quién es Fernando Artese

Artese llegó a EE.UU. desde las islas Canarias, España, en 2015. Según fuentes diplomáticas argentinas, ingresó al país con su pasaporte italiano.

El hombre y su esposa habían emigrado primero a España durante la crisis del 2001. Vivieron en Madrid durante 10 años. Allí incluso nació su hija, Carla. Luego, se mudaron a las Islas Canarias hasta que decidieron trasladarse a los Estados Unidos.

Artese viajó primero con una visa obtenido con el Sistema Electrónico para la Autorización de Viaje (ESTA) por su condición de italiano. Los ciudadanos de ese país europeo no necesitan visa para entrar como turistas al país y permanecer durante 90 días. Después de ese plazo, su residencia fue irregular.

Una vez en la Florida, instaló con la ayuda de su cuñado, que vivía en Estados Unidos, una empresa de cámaras de seguridad y alarmas. Poco después llegaron su esposa e hija con una visa de estudios.

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Su esposa contó que “Fernando accionó sin pensar, sin saber que con la visa ESTA luego no iba a poder cambiar su estatus migratorio”. Finalmente, ante la fuerte presión migratoria del gobierno de Trump, la familia decidió autodeportarse.

“Nosotros queríamos irnos y así como queremos hacerlo ahora”, contó. Pero fueron detenidos el 25 de junio por una patrulla. “Están buscando gente que puedan ser trabajadores y que asocian que pueden ser latinos. Están rastreando a la gente. Mi hija vio por los espejos cómo se lo llevaban esposado, fue una película de terror”, señaló.

Según la mujer, su esposo quedó detenido en el condado de Martin. Pero como es considerado un inmigrante indocumentado su caso fue derivado al Servicio de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE). Allí lo trasladaron a “Alligator Alcatraz”.

Cómo fue su paso por Alligator Alcatraz

Artese fue derivada a Alligator Alcatraz el 3 de julio. Desde allí pudo comunicarse a diario con su esposa. Según contó la mujer, le comentó que la comida diaria es mínima, tan solo una manzana, una barra de cereal, una bolsita de papas fritas y un sándwich con una sola rebanada de mortadela y otra de queso.

“No hay acceso libre al comedor ni posibilidad de elegir cuándo comer. Hay días en los que no se puede dormir del hambre”, aseguró.

En su relato, afirmó: “A veces los despiertan a las dos de la mañana para bañarse, con agua que puede estar hirviendo y, al volver, el aire acondicionado está al máximo. Muchos, como Fernando, ya presentan síntomas como dolor de garganta. La presencia de personas con covid sin ningún tipo de aislamiento agrava aún más las condiciones de salud dentro del lugar”, indicó.

Además, Riveira denunció un trato humillante. “Para salir de su celda, deben caminar con las manos en la nuca, como si fueran criminales peligrosos. Lo más doloroso es que muchos de los que están allí no cometieron ningún delito. Son trabajadores que emigraron para darles un mejor futuro a sus familias. En el caso de Fernando, montó una empresa, prosperó y aportó al país. Sin embargo, hoy está encerrado como si fuera lo peor de lo peor”, enfatizó.

Este jueves, la agencia ANSA informó que tanto Artese como otro ciudadano italiano, Gaetano Cateno Mirabella Costa, fueron trasladados al centro de detención de Krome, de Miami.