WASHINGTON (AP) —The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities including Kansas State University, the University of Kansas and Wichita State University, is requesting a meeting with the State Department, alarmed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">the Trump administration’s widening crackdown</a>&nbsp;will persuade sought-after foreign students to stay away from the United States.

College officials say the new, harsher tactics and vague justifications being used to push some students out of the country will have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-international-student-enrollment-trump-fd8b6b8f298629bbcc7339568b1c76f3">much broader consequences</a>.

America’s universities have long been seen as a top destination for the world’s brightest minds — and they’ve brought important tuition revenue and research breakthroughs to U.S. colleges. But international students also have other options, said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association of international educators.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A crackdown on foreign students is alarming colleges, who say the Trump administration is using new tactics and vague justifications to push some students out of the country.

College officials worry the new approach will keep foreigners from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-international-student-enrollment-trump-fd8b6b8f298629bbcc7339568b1c76f3">wanting to study</a>&nbsp;in the U.S.

Students stripped of their entry visas are receiving orders from the Department of Homeland Security to leave the country immediately — a break from past practice that often permitted them to stay and complete their studies.

Some students have been targeted over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-foreign-students-campus-gaza-protests-deportation-9e2d4abc1c158454da1f68c01062c9ef">pro-Palestinian activism</a>&nbsp;or criminal infractions — or even traffic violations. Others have been left wondering how they ran afoul of the government.

At Minnesota State University in Mankato, President Edward Inch told the campus Wednesday that visas had been revoked for five international students for unclear reasons.

He said school officials learned about the revocations when they ran a status check in a database of international students after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/university-of-minnesota-graduate-student-detained-ice-f71f517521a2567c795343092ef4e0b2">detention of a Turkish student</a>&nbsp;at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The State Department said the detention was related to a drunken driving conviction.

“These are troubling times, and this situation is unlike any we have navigated before,” Inch wrote in a letter to campus.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;campaigned on a promise to deport foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, and federal agents started by detaining Columbia graduate student&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/columbia-university-protester-mahmoud-khalil-immigration-arrest-5ae6eeb3ac95f190a505abebc4ee0944">Mahmoud Khalil</a>, a green-card-holder and Palestinian activist who was prominent in protests at Columbia last year. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week students are being targeted for involvement in protests along with others tied to “potential criminal activity.”

In the past two weeks, the government apparently has widened its crackdown. Officials from colleges around the country have discovered international students have had their entry visas revoked and, in many cases, their legal residency status terminated by authorities without notice — including students at Arizona State, Cornell, North Carolina State, the University of Oregon, the University of Texas and the University of Colorado.

Some of the students are working to leave the country on their own, but students at Tufts and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/campus-protests-immigration-alireza-doroudi-alabama-ae498838deb04b22864ef485a71bac27">University of Alabama</a>&nbsp;have been detained by immigration authorities — in the Tufts case, even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rumeysa-ozturk-deportation-tufts-massachusetts-student-1dd330bef8fb44b05f9818c0020728a0">before the university knew</a>&nbsp;the student’s legal status had changed.

Feds bypass colleges to move against students

In this new wave of enforcement, school officials say the federal government is quietly deleting foreigners’ student records instead of going through colleges, as was done in the past.

Students are being ordered to leave the country with a suddenness that universities have rarely seen, said Miriam Feldblum, president and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.

In the past, when international students have had entry visas revoked, they generally have been allowed to keep legal residency status. They could stay in the country to study, but would need to renew their visa if they left the U.S. and wanted to return. Now, increasing numbers of students are having their legal status terminated, exposing them to the risk of being arrested.

“None of this is regular practice,” Feldblum said.

At North Carolina State University, two students from Saudi Arabia left the U.S. after learning their legal status as students was terminated, the university said. N.C. State said it will work with the students to complete their semester from outside the country.

Philip Vasto, who lived with one of the students, said his roommate, in graduate school for engineering management, was apolitical and did not attend protests against the war in Gaza. When the government told his roommate his student status had been terminated, it did not give a reason, Vasto said.

Since returning to Saudi Arabia, Vasto said his former roommate’s top concern is getting into another university.

“He’s made his peace with it,” he said. “He doesn’t want to allow it to steal his peace any further.”

Database checks turn up students in jeopardy

At the University of Texas at Austin, staff checking a federal database discovered two people on student visas had their permission to be in the U.S. terminated, a person familiar with the situation said. The person declined to be identified for fear of retaliation.

One of the people, from India, had their legal status terminated April 3. The federal system indicated the person had been identified in a criminal records check “and/or has had their visa revoked.” The other person, from Lebanon, had their legal status terminated March 28 due to a criminal records check, according to the federal database.

Both people were graduates remaining in the U.S. on student visas, using an option allowing people to gain professional experience after completing coursework. Both were employed full time and apparently had not violated requirements for pursuing work experience, the person familiar with the situation said.

Some students have had visas revoked by the State Department under an obscure law barring noncitizens whose presence could have “serious adverse foreign policy consequences.” Trump invoked the law in a January order demanding action against campus antisemitism.

But some students targeted in recent weeks have had no clear link to political activism. Some have been ordered to leave over misdemeanor crimes or traffic infractions, Feldblum said. In some cases, students were targeted for infractions that had been previously reported to the government.

Some of the alleged infractions would not have drawn scrutiny in the past and will likely be a test of students’ First Amendment rights as cases work their way through court, said Michelle Mittelstadt, director of public affairs at the Migration Policy Institute.

“In some ways, what the administration is doing is really retroactive,” she said. “Rather than saying, ‘This is going to be the standard that we’re applying going forward,’ they’re going back and vetting students based on past expressions or past behavior.”

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities is requesting a meeting with the State Department over the issue. It’s unclear whether more visas are being revoked than usual, but officials fear a chilling effect on international exchange.

Many of the association’s members have recently seen at least one student have their visas revoked, said Bernie Burrola, a vice president at the group. With little information from the government, colleges have been interviewing students or searching social media for a connection to political activism.

“The universities can’t seem to find anything that seems to be related to Gaza or social media posts or protests,” Burrola said. “Some of these are sponsored students by foreign governments, where they specifically are very hesitant to get involved in protests.”

There’s no clear thread indicating which students are being targeted, but some have been from the Middle East and China, he said.

“We should not take for granted that that’s just the way things are and will always be,” she said.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities including Kansas State University, the University of Kansas and Wichita State University, is requesting a meeting with the State Department, alarmed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">the Trump administration’s widening crackdown</a>&nbsp;will persuade sought-after foreign students to stay away from the United States.College officials say the new, harsher tactics and vague justifications being used to push some students out of the country will have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-international-student-enrollment-trump-fd8b6b8f298629bbcc7339568b1c76f3">much broader consequences</a>.America’s universities have long been seen as a top destination for the world’s brightest minds — and they’ve brought important tuition revenue and research breakthroughs to U.S. colleges. But international students also have other options, said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association of international educators.-------------------WASHINGTON (AP) — A crackdown on foreign students is alarming colleges, who say the Trump administration is using new tactics and vague justifications to push some students out of the country.College officials worry the new approach will keep foreigners from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-international-student-enrollment-trump-fd8b6b8f298629bbcc7339568b1c76f3">wanting to study</a>&nbsp;in the U.S.Students stripped of their entry visas are receiving orders from the Department of Homeland Security to leave the country immediately — a break from past practice that often permitted them to stay and complete their studies.Some students have been targeted over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-foreign-students-campus-gaza-protests-deportation-9e2d4abc1c158454da1f68c01062c9ef">pro-Palestinian activism</a>&nbsp;or criminal infractions — or even traffic violations. Others have been left wondering how they ran afoul of the government.At Minnesota State University in Mankato, President Edward Inch told the campus Wednesday that visas had been revoked for five international students for unclear reasons.He said school officials learned about the revocations when they ran a status check in a database of international students after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/university-of-minnesota-graduate-student-detained-ice-f71f517521a2567c795343092ef4e0b2">detention of a Turkish student</a>&nbsp;at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The State Department said the detention was related to a drunken driving conviction.“These are troubling times, and this situation is unlike any we have navigated before,” Inch wrote in a letter to campus.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;campaigned on a promise to deport foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, and federal agents started by detaining Columbia graduate student&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/columbia-university-protester-mahmoud-khalil-immigration-arrest-5ae6eeb3ac95f190a505abebc4ee0944">Mahmoud Khalil</a>, a green-card-holder and Palestinian activist who was prominent in protests at Columbia last year. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week students are being targeted for involvement in protests along with others tied to “potential criminal activity.”In the past two weeks, the government apparently has widened its crackdown. Officials from colleges around the country have discovered international students have had their entry visas revoked and, in many cases, their legal residency status terminated by authorities without notice — including students at Arizona State, Cornell, North Carolina State, the University of Oregon, the University of Texas and the University of Colorado.Some of the students are working to leave the country on their own, but students at Tufts and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/campus-protests-immigration-alireza-doroudi-alabama-ae498838deb04b22864ef485a71bac27">University of Alabama</a>&nbsp;have been detained by immigration authorities — in the Tufts case, even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rumeysa-ozturk-deportation-tufts-massachusetts-student-1dd330bef8fb44b05f9818c0020728a0">before the university knew</a>&nbsp;the student’s legal status had changed.<h2>Feds bypass colleges to move against students</h2>In this new wave of enforcement, school officials say the federal government is quietly deleting foreigners’ student records instead of going through colleges, as was done in the past.Students are being ordered to leave the country with a suddenness that universities have rarely seen, said Miriam Feldblum, president and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.In the past, when international students have had entry visas revoked, they generally have been allowed to keep legal residency status. They could stay in the country to study, but would need to renew their visa if they left the U.S. and wanted to return. Now, increasing numbers of students are having their legal status terminated, exposing them to the risk of being arrested.“None of this is regular practice,” Feldblum said.At North Carolina State University, two students from Saudi Arabia left the U.S. after learning their legal status as students was terminated, the university said. N.C. State said it will work with the students to complete their semester from outside the country.Philip Vasto, who lived with one of the students, said his roommate, in graduate school for engineering management, was apolitical and did not attend protests against the war in Gaza. When the government told his roommate his student status had been terminated, it did not give a reason, Vasto said.Since returning to Saudi Arabia, Vasto said his former roommate’s top concern is getting into another university.“He’s made his peace with it,” he said. “He doesn’t want to allow it to steal his peace any further.”<h2>Database checks turn up students in jeopardy</h2>At the University of Texas at Austin, staff checking a federal database discovered two people on student visas had their permission to be in the U.S. terminated, a person familiar with the situation said. The person declined to be identified for fear of retaliation.One of the people, from India, had their legal status terminated April 3. The federal system indicated the person had been identified in a criminal records check “and/or has had their visa revoked.” The other person, from Lebanon, had their legal status terminated March 28 due to a criminal records check, according to the federal database.Both people were graduates remaining in the U.S. on student visas, using an option allowing people to gain professional experience after completing coursework. Both were employed full time and apparently had not violated requirements for pursuing work experience, the person familiar with the situation said.Some students have had visas revoked by the State Department under an obscure law barring noncitizens whose presence could have “serious adverse foreign policy consequences.” Trump invoked the law in a January order demanding action against campus antisemitism.But some students targeted in recent weeks have had no clear link to political activism. Some have been ordered to leave over misdemeanor crimes or traffic infractions, Feldblum said. In some cases, students were targeted for infractions that had been previously reported to the government.Some of the alleged infractions would not have drawn scrutiny in the past and will likely be a test of students’ First Amendment rights as cases work their way through court, said Michelle Mittelstadt, director of public affairs at the Migration Policy Institute.“In some ways, what the administration is doing is really retroactive,” she said. “Rather than saying, ‘This is going to be the standard that we’re applying going forward,’ they’re going back and vetting students based on past expressions or past behavior.”The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities is requesting a meeting with the State Department over the issue. It’s unclear whether more visas are being revoked than usual, but officials fear a chilling effect on international exchange.Many of the association’s members have recently seen at least one student have their visas revoked, said Bernie Burrola, a vice president at the group. With little information from the government, colleges have been interviewing students or searching social media for a connection to political activism.“The universities can’t seem to find anything that seems to be related to Gaza or social media posts or protests,” Burrola said. “Some of these are sponsored students by foreign governments, where they specifically are very hesitant to get involved in protests.”There’s no clear thread indicating which students are being targeted, but some have been from the Middle East and China, he said.America’s universities have long been seen as a top destination for the world’s brightest minds — and they’ve brought important tuition revenue and research breakthroughs to U.S. colleges. But international students also have other options, said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association of international educators.“We should not take for granted that that’s just the way things are and will always be,” she said.<h2>___</h2>

College officials worry crackdown tactics will turn foreign students away

A lawsuit challenging the deportation has been filed in a Texas court against U.S. Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and other government officials

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">MARY SANCHEZ</a>&nbsp;-

Evenezer Cortez Martinez wanted to pay respects to a beloved grandfather who died last fall.

He ended up deported, sent back to Mexico, a country the 39-year-old Kansas husband and father left at the age of 4.

“Everything was approved, and I arrived here with no problem,” said Cortez Martinez, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uscis.gov/DACA" target="_blank">DACA</a>&nbsp;recipient, in a phone interview from Cuernavaca, a city south of Mexico City.

On March 23, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials stopped Cortez Martinez at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport as he presented documents to board a flight back to Kansas City.

He was held, questioned and put on a flight to Mexico City that evening.

“I asked them, ‘Can I just call my lawyer and try to see if I can work things out,’” Cortez Martinez said. “They said, ‘No, you don’t have that option.’”

His attorney argues otherwise, filing a case Wednesday, April 2, with a Texas federal court.

“How many others are out there that this has also happened to, but who didn’t have the ability to get counsel?” said&nbsp;<a href="https://sharma-crawford.com/" target="_blank">Rekha Sharma-Crawford</a>, the Kansas City-based attorney who filed the case in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Texas. “The law is on his side.”

<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uDXHrV0N6Lc4Eelx7CwU5TeP3fD9myeQ/view" target="_blank">The case</a>&nbsp;could become a test of the limits of the Trump administration’s reach.

Advocates argue the administration’s zeal to deport is increasingly overstepping, scooping up immigrants, even those legally present, and not allowing due process.

The lawsuit seeks “declaratory, injunctive and mandamus relief to find that Defendants actions were arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law.”

It’s filed against the U.S. Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and other government officials.

U.S. Immigration officials do not generally comment on specific cases.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/04/01/nx-s1-5339698/green-card-holders-detained-border-crackdown" target="_blank">in a statement released to NPR</a>&nbsp;recently, Customs and Border Protection argued it was merely enforcing the law.

“Those who violate these laws will be processed, detained, and removed as required,” CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham said in the statement.

Customs agents in Dallas told Cortez Martinez that he had been ordered removed in absentia on June 11, 2024, and that his documents to travel had been issued in error.

Cortez Martinez said he had never been notified of a removal order, which is the legal term for what most people colloquially refer to as deportation.

The Roeland Park, Kansas, resident is staying with the one Mexico relative he knows, an uncle.

Cortez Martinez is believed to be the first Kansas City-area case of a DACA&nbsp; (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient caught in the Trump administration’s vow to deport millions of people.

The latest Trump plan is called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline" target="_blank">Operation Take Back America</a>.

The lawsuit argues that Cortez Martinez has the right to appear before an immigration judge.

“Under current regulations, a holder of an Advance Parole document cannot be barred from the country (removed) without a formal removal hearing before an Immigration Judge,” the suit states.

Advance parole is the process Cortez Martinez went through, with the aid of an attorney, to travel outside of the U.S. as a DACA recipient.

His recurring two-year renewals of DACA had been approved by the government like clockwork. His current DACA is valid until October 2026.

DACA was designed by the Obama administration in 2012. It was meant to be a carveout for immigrants known as “Dreamers,” those who’d been brought to the U.S. as young children, without legal status.

DACA is a temporary reprieve from deportation. It also allows for work authorization and for people to apply for travel outside of the country, through advance parole.

The removal order the government cited is from June 2024.

“He’s not hiding, Sharma-Crawford said. “He’s doing everything that he’s supposed to be doing.”

Cortez Martinez has lived in the Kansas City area for nearly 20 years.

His wife, child and stepchildren are anxiously waiting for his return to their suburban home.

Cortez Martinez’s case is the first deportation of a Kansas City-area DACA recipient that Nubia Estefes is aware of occurring.

“It’s one of our fears,” said Estefes, executive director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksmoda.org/daca" target="_blank">Kansas Missouri Dream Alliance</a>, an advocacy group for “Dreamers.”

Before Trump took office, a few other area DACA recipients traveled back to their birth nations on the same documents that Cortez Martinez used, advance parole.

The trips were taken with counsel by attorneys, to ensure that nothing could be resurrected in their history as a rationale for deportation, Estefes said.

“It’s personal discretion on the part of the officers,” she said of the scrutiny that occurs at Customs.

News stories that even documented people have been deported are alarming the immigrant community.

“We’re definitely siding with the cautious side,” Estefes said. “If you don’t have to go, if it’s not life or death, I would suggest you wait it out.”

<a href="https://www.elcentroinc.com/advocacy-3/daca-clinics/" target="_blank">El Centro</a>, a Kansas social service agency, is also&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/03/14/schools-look-to-landmark-supreme-court-ruling-to-protect-undocumented-immigrant-students-from-ice/" target="_blank">advising immigrants to be careful</a>.

Justin Gust, vice president of community engagement, said the agency is continuing the help with DACA renewal applications.

But even immigrants who are legal permanent residents are being advised to take precautions, especially when traveling.

“It just seems like everything is unknown these days,” Gust said. “What was a protected status, or a protected issue, is no longer protected.”

People are disabling face recognition or a thumbprint to open their cellphone, as a safeguard against having their data combed for anything a customs agent might deem offensive to the Trump administration’s goals.

“We’re advising people that they really do need to talk to their lawyer first and don’t go just to go, because you definitely need to know that you can come back,” Gust said.

A beloved grandfather, hazy memory of Mexico

Cortez Martinez’s sole memory of his native Mexico is a limited one, possibly bolstered more by family stories than a true memory.

Cornelio Martinez Dominguez owned a panaderia, a bakery.

“I’ve been told that every time the bread was ready, I’d run to my grandpa,” Cortez Martinez said.

Through the years, he spoke with his grandfather by phone. But he’d never returned to Mexico.

Sharma-Crawford first contacted the CBP Watch Commander at the Dallas Fort Worth airport, seeing if the office would intervene.

“There are real questions if he was properly notified,” she said of Martinez’s order of removal.

Still, the existence of the order wouldn’t negate his right to be granted advance parole, she said.

Sharma-Crawford suspects that the Trump administration has begun re-calendaring removal cases that had previously been closed.

“I never got any notice,” Cortez Martinez said of the removal order. “I never got any citations to go see a judge.”

Cortez Martinez received the approval to travel from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in early March. The document is valid until April 14, 2025, according to the lawsuit.

Still, he had been initially hesitant to take the trip.

He only considered doing so, as his grandfather’s health worsened.

In November, his grandfather died before the paperwork was approved.

The visit was shortened to a three-day excursion, just enough time to reach the cemetery a few hours outside of Mexico City, and then return to Kansas City.

“That’s the grandpa I wanted to be able to say goodbye to,” Cortez Martinez said.

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/03/kansas-man-deported-after-visiting-grandfathers-grave-in-mexico/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743775932922.png" alt="A family photo of Evenezer Cortez Martinez, pictured on the far right, with his wife and children. The Roeland Park family is now awaiting a federal lawsuit filed on his behalf. Despite having DACA status and permission to travel, the husband and father was detained, deported and denied entry back to the U.S. after a trip to Mexico (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption>A family photo of Evenezer Cortez Martinez, pictured on the far right, with his wife and children. The Roeland Park family is now awaiting a federal lawsuit filed on his behalf. Despite having DACA status and permission to travel, the husband and father was detained, deported and denied entry back to the U.S. after a trip to Mexico (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A lawsuit challenging the deportation has been filed in a Texas court against U.S. Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and other government officials</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">MARY SANCHEZ</a>&nbsp;-Evenezer Cortez Martinez wanted to pay respects to a beloved grandfather who died last fall.He ended up deported, sent back to Mexico, a country the 39-year-old Kansas husband and father left at the age of 4.“Everything was approved, and I arrived here with no problem,” said Cortez Martinez, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uscis.gov/DACA" target="_blank">DACA</a>&nbsp;recipient, in a phone interview from Cuernavaca, a city south of Mexico City.On March 23, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials stopped Cortez Martinez at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport as he presented documents to board a flight back to Kansas City.He was held, questioned and put on a flight to Mexico City that evening.“I asked them, ‘Can I just call my lawyer and try to see if I can work things out,’” Cortez Martinez said. “They said, ‘No, you don’t have that option.’”His attorney argues otherwise, filing a case Wednesday, April 2, with a Texas federal court.“How many others are out there that this has also happened to, but who didn’t have the ability to get counsel?” said&nbsp;<a href="https://sharma-crawford.com/" target="_blank">Rekha Sharma-Crawford</a>, the Kansas City-based attorney who filed the case in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Texas. “The law is on his side.”<h2>Potential test case</h2><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uDXHrV0N6Lc4Eelx7CwU5TeP3fD9myeQ/view" target="_blank">The case</a>&nbsp;could become a test of the limits of the Trump administration’s reach.Advocates argue the administration’s zeal to deport is increasingly overstepping, scooping up immigrants, even those legally present, and not allowing due process.The lawsuit seeks “declaratory, injunctive and mandamus relief to find that Defendants actions were arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law.”It’s filed against the U.S. Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and other government officials.U.S. Immigration officials do not generally comment on specific cases.But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/04/01/nx-s1-5339698/green-card-holders-detained-border-crackdown" target="_blank">in a statement released to NPR</a>&nbsp;recently, Customs and Border Protection argued it was merely enforcing the law.“Those who violate these laws will be processed, detained, and removed as required,” CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham said in the statement.Customs agents in Dallas told Cortez Martinez that he had been ordered removed in absentia on June 11, 2024, and that his documents to travel had been issued in error.Cortez Martinez said he had never been notified of a removal order, which is the legal term for what most people colloquially refer to as deportation.The Roeland Park, Kansas, resident is staying with the one Mexico relative he knows, an uncle.Cortez Martinez is believed to be the first Kansas City-area case of a DACA&nbsp; (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient caught in the Trump administration’s vow to deport millions of people.The latest Trump plan is called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline" target="_blank">Operation Take Back America</a>.The lawsuit argues that Cortez Martinez has the right to appear before an immigration judge.“Under current regulations, a holder of an Advance Parole document cannot be barred from the country (removed) without a formal removal hearing before an Immigration Judge,” the suit states.Advance parole is the process Cortez Martinez went through, with the aid of an attorney, to travel outside of the U.S. as a DACA recipient.His recurring two-year renewals of DACA had been approved by the government like clockwork. His current DACA is valid until October 2026.DACA was designed by the Obama administration in 2012. It was meant to be a carveout for immigrants known as “Dreamers,” those who’d been brought to the U.S. as young children, without legal status.DACA is a temporary reprieve from deportation. It also allows for work authorization and for people to apply for travel outside of the country, through advance parole.The removal order the government cited is from June 2024.“He’s not hiding, Sharma-Crawford said. “He’s doing everything that he’s supposed to be doing.”Cortez Martinez has lived in the Kansas City area for nearly 20 years.His wife, child and stepchildren are anxiously waiting for his return to their suburban home.<h2>Rising immigrant fears of being deported</h2>Cortez Martinez’s case is the first deportation of a Kansas City-area DACA recipient that Nubia Estefes is aware of occurring.“It’s one of our fears,” said Estefes, executive director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksmoda.org/daca" target="_blank">Kansas Missouri Dream Alliance</a>, an advocacy group for “Dreamers.”Before Trump took office, a few other area DACA recipients traveled back to their birth nations on the same documents that Cortez Martinez used, advance parole.The trips were taken with counsel by attorneys, to ensure that nothing could be resurrected in their history as a rationale for deportation, Estefes said.“It’s personal discretion on the part of the officers,” she said of the scrutiny that occurs at Customs.News stories that even documented people have been deported are alarming the immigrant community.“We’re definitely siding with the cautious side,” Estefes said. “If you don’t have to go, if it’s not life or death, I would suggest you wait it out.”<a href="https://www.elcentroinc.com/advocacy-3/daca-clinics/" target="_blank">El Centro</a>, a Kansas social service agency, is also&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/03/14/schools-look-to-landmark-supreme-court-ruling-to-protect-undocumented-immigrant-students-from-ice/" target="_blank">advising immigrants to be careful</a>.Justin Gust, vice president of community engagement, said the agency is continuing the help with DACA renewal applications.But even immigrants who are legal permanent residents are being advised to take precautions, especially when traveling.“It just seems like everything is unknown these days,” Gust said. “What was a protected status, or a protected issue, is no longer protected.”People are disabling face recognition or a thumbprint to open their cellphone, as a safeguard against having their data combed for anything a customs agent might deem offensive to the Trump administration’s goals.“We’re advising people that they really do need to talk to their lawyer first and don’t go just to go, because you definitely need to know that you can come back,” Gust said.<h2>A beloved grandfather, hazy memory of Mexico</h2>Cortez Martinez’s sole memory of his native Mexico is a limited one, possibly bolstered more by family stories than a true memory.But his grandfather is central.Cornelio Martinez Dominguez owned a panaderia, a bakery.“I’ve been told that every time the bread was ready, I’d run to my grandpa,” Cortez Martinez said.Through the years, he spoke with his grandfather by phone. But he’d never returned to Mexico.Sharma-Crawford first contacted the CBP Watch Commander at the Dallas Fort Worth airport, seeing if the office would intervene.She did not receive a reply.“There are real questions if he was properly notified,” she said of Martinez’s order of removal.Still, the existence of the order wouldn’t negate his right to be granted advance parole, she said.Sharma-Crawford suspects that the Trump administration has begun re-calendaring removal cases that had previously been closed.“I never got any notice,” Cortez Martinez said of the removal order. “I never got any citations to go see a judge.”Cortez Martinez received the approval to travel from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in early March. The document is valid until April 14, 2025, according to the lawsuit.Still, he had been initially hesitant to take the trip.He only considered doing so, as his grandfather’s health worsened.In November, his grandfather died before the paperwork was approved.The visit was shortened to a three-day excursion, just enough time to reach the cemetery a few hours outside of Mexico City, and then return to Kansas City.“That’s the grandpa I wanted to be able to say goodbye to,” Cortez Martinez said.This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/03/kansas-man-deported-after-visiting-grandfathers-grave-in-mexico/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

Kansas City area man deported after visiting grandfather’s grave in Mexico

Children’s Mercy Kansas City&nbsp; announce a comprehensive $152 million expansion plan for Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas (CMHK) aimed at enhancing patient care and improving access to existing services and new clinical programs, according to a media release from the hospital.&nbsp;

“As the only freestanding pediatric hospital in the state of Kansas, this expansion will allow for even more families to have access to world-class care closer to home,” said Alejandro Quiroga, MD, MBA, CEO &amp; President, Children’s Mercy. "We're really excited about this project because it shows how dedicated we are to giving the best care possible to our community. By bringing all our outpatient services together, improving our hospital facilities, and creating a modern, connected campus, we're making sure we can meet the growing needs of patients and families in the region.”&nbsp;

The first phase of the project, already underway, is the expansion of surgical services which includes the renovation of the Sterile Processing Department and the addition of new pre-op, post-op, and procedural spaces. Construction is set to be complete by summer 2026.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We have teams of nationally recognized surgeons and proceduralists. The addition of new procedures rooms and expanded facilities will allow CMHK to meet the growing demand for procedural services in specialties such as ENT, Orthopedics and Gastroenterology,” said Shawn St. Peter, MD, Senior Vice President, Surgeon-in-Chief, Children’s Mercy.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The expansion project also includes:&nbsp;

“We listened to the needs of physicians and families in this community and the expansion of our Kansas hospital strengthens our capacity to serve the growing pediatric population,” said Amy Fallon, MPH, PhD, President of Regional Operations, Children’s Mercy. “This is more than just adding rooms or advancing technology; it’s about deepening our commitment and reaffirming our dedication to delivering top-quality, accessible health care to every child that needs it.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The community is invited to be part of this initiative. Philanthropic gifts will advance this renovation to improve the health of all children and families, bringing expert care closer to home.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743709952900.png" alt="Children's Mercy Renderings provided by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hdrinc?__cft__[0]=AZVJPlaGVfpaostW4hN6qAczNWPuzGNM2jVgwWD60UXwLJl4tvu9vXBZOkQwXTeSa0ZN3s5hZr0ohJJah4PlpBSK-ZJg03kDA2FWOAzxXSUcnOfVrlReujZMmp3KpCJniHdmsGugzpEo-8O7_f3FktNgSvkGoFQ3NXAKXEH3yyfrcHRn12UovzBnYjOq9eX-N54&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">HDR</a>" />
 <figcaption>Children's Mercy Renderings provided by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hdrinc?__cft__[0]=AZVJPlaGVfpaostW4hN6qAczNWPuzGNM2jVgwWD60UXwLJl4tvu9vXBZOkQwXTeSa0ZN3s5hZr0ohJJah4PlpBSK-ZJg03kDA2FWOAzxXSUcnOfVrlReujZMmp3KpCJniHdmsGugzpEo-8O7_f3FktNgSvkGoFQ3NXAKXEH3yyfrcHRn12UovzBnYjOq9eX-N54&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">HDR</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Children’s Mercy Kansas City&nbsp; announce a comprehensive $152 million expansion plan for Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas (CMHK) aimed at enhancing patient care and improving access to existing services and new clinical programs, according to a media release from the hospital.&nbsp;“As the only freestanding pediatric hospital in the state of Kansas, this expansion will allow for even more families to have access to world-class care closer to home,” said Alejandro Quiroga, MD, MBA, CEO &amp; President, Children’s Mercy. "We're really excited about this project because it shows how dedicated we are to giving the best care possible to our community. By bringing all our outpatient services together, improving our hospital facilities, and creating a modern, connected campus, we're making sure we can meet the growing needs of patients and families in the region.”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743710012719.png" alt="Children's Mercy Renderings provided by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hdrinc?__cft__[0]=AZVJPlaGVfpaostW4hN6qAczNWPuzGNM2jVgwWD60UXwLJl4tvu9vXBZOkQwXTeSa0ZN3s5hZr0ohJJah4PlpBSK-ZJg03kDA2FWOAzxXSUcnOfVrlReujZMmp3KpCJniHdmsGugzpEo-8O7_f3FktNgSvkGoFQ3NXAKXEH3yyfrcHRn12UovzBnYjOq9eX-N54&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">HDR</a>&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Children's Mercy Renderings provided by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hdrinc?__cft__[0]=AZVJPlaGVfpaostW4hN6qAczNWPuzGNM2jVgwWD60UXwLJl4tvu9vXBZOkQwXTeSa0ZN3s5hZr0ohJJah4PlpBSK-ZJg03kDA2FWOAzxXSUcnOfVrlReujZMmp3KpCJniHdmsGugzpEo-8O7_f3FktNgSvkGoFQ3NXAKXEH3yyfrcHRn12UovzBnYjOq9eX-N54&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">HDR</a>&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>The first phase of the project, already underway, is the expansion of surgical services which includes the renovation of the Sterile Processing Department and the addition of new pre-op, post-op, and procedural spaces. Construction is set to be complete by summer 2026.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We have teams of nationally recognized surgeons and proceduralists. The addition of new procedures rooms and expanded facilities will allow CMHK to meet the growing demand for procedural services in specialties such as ENT, Orthopedics and Gastroenterology,” said Shawn St. Peter, MD, Senior Vice President, Surgeon-in-Chief, Children’s Mercy.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743710105263.png" alt="Children's Mercy Renderings provided by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hdrinc?__cft__[0]=AZVJPlaGVfpaostW4hN6qAczNWPuzGNM2jVgwWD60UXwLJl4tvu9vXBZOkQwXTeSa0ZN3s5hZr0ohJJah4PlpBSK-ZJg03kDA2FWOAzxXSUcnOfVrlReujZMmp3KpCJniHdmsGugzpEo-8O7_f3FktNgSvkGoFQ3NXAKXEH3yyfrcHRn12UovzBnYjOq9eX-N54&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">HDR</a>" />
 <figcaption>Children's Mercy Renderings provided by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hdrinc?__cft__[0]=AZVJPlaGVfpaostW4hN6qAczNWPuzGNM2jVgwWD60UXwLJl4tvu9vXBZOkQwXTeSa0ZN3s5hZr0ohJJah4PlpBSK-ZJg03kDA2FWOAzxXSUcnOfVrlReujZMmp3KpCJniHdmsGugzpEo-8O7_f3FktNgSvkGoFQ3NXAKXEH3yyfrcHRn12UovzBnYjOq9eX-N54&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">HDR</a></figcaption>
 </figure>The expansion project also includes:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>New Medical Office Building (MOB):&nbsp;A state-of-the-art facility to consolidate outpatient services currently spread across multiple locations, providing a seamless and connected experience for patients and families. The MOB is scheduled to open in the Summer of 2027.&nbsp;</li><li>Hospital Renovations:&nbsp;Upgrades to the hospital space vacated by the consolidation of outpatient services, enhancing the overall patient and staff experience. These renovations are expected to be completed by the Summer of 2029.&nbsp;</li><li>New Service Offerings: Introduction of new programs such as Inpatient Rehab, Intensive Outpatient Programs, an expanded GI Motility program and a Neuroscience Center of Excellence.&nbsp;</li><li>Parking and Exterior Updates:&nbsp;Modern parking structures, new entrances, and exterior improvements to facilitate better wayfinding and accessibility. (Parking and Emergency services will still be accessible throughout construction.)&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>“We listened to the needs of physicians and families in this community and the expansion of our Kansas hospital strengthens our capacity to serve the growing pediatric population,” said Amy Fallon, MPH, PhD, President of Regional Operations, Children’s Mercy. “This is more than just adding rooms or advancing technology; it’s about deepening our commitment and reaffirming our dedication to delivering top-quality, accessible health care to every child that needs it.”&nbsp;&nbsp;The community is invited to be part of this initiative. Philanthropic gifts will advance this renovation to improve the health of all children and families, bringing expert care closer to home.&nbsp;

Children’s Mercy Kansas announces multi-million dollar expansion

SHAWNEE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 1:30a.m. Saturday in Shawnee County.

According to Topeka Police Lt. Ron Ekis, a vehicle was traveling on a portion of Interstate 70 that was blocked off and under construction. The vehicle traveled off the Interstate overpass near 2nd and S. Kansas Avenue.

Medical personnel pronounced the driver deceased on scene. No other vehicles were involved, and the driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle. 

Police have not released the name of the driver or additional details.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 1:30a.m. Saturday in Shawnee County.According to Topeka Police Lt. Ron Ekis, a vehicle was traveling on a portion of Interstate 70 that was blocked off and under construction. The vehicle traveled off the Interstate overpass near 2nd and S. Kansas Avenue.Medical personnel pronounced the driver deceased on scene. No other vehicles were involved, and the driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Police have not released the name of the driver or additional details.

Fatal crash: Vehicle traveled off I-70 overpass in blocked off construction zone 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans plugged away overnight and into early Saturday morning to approve their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.budget.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/senate_amendment_h_con_res_14.pdf">multitrillion-dollar tax breaks and spending cuts framework</a>, hurtling past hardened Democratic opposition toward what&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;calls the “big, beautiful bill” that's central to his agenda.

The vote, 51-48, fell along mostly party lines, but with sharp dissent from two prominent GOP senators. It could not have come at a more difficult political moment. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/trump-tariff-bombshells-have-echoes-in-past-us-economic-policies-60b175c030cd422bbf494d4d100bdccd">U.S. economy is churning</a>&nbsp;after Trump's vast tariff scheme&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/market-rates-trump-tariffs-d86db525c370e9da834e6dfb76e23b86">sent stocks plummeting</a>, and experts are warning of soaring costs for consumers at home and threats of a potential recession. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky both voted against.&nbsp; Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-trump-tax-cuts-0e1c1cf43e10b55ba8c1f3e20d16b153">with a nod from Trump</a>, GOP leaders held on, determined to march ahead. Approval paves the way for Republicans, in the months ahead, to try to power a tax cut bill through both chambers of Congress over the objections of Democrats, just as they did in Trump’s first term with unified party control in Washington.

“Let the voting begin," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Friday night.

The evening kicked off what's called vote-a-rama as Democrats were intent on making the effort as politically painful as possible, with action on some two dozen amendments to the package that GOP senators will have to defend before next year’s midterm elections.

Among them were proposals to ban tax breaks for the super-wealthy, end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-republicans-senate-house-2409e9ff50290edac738ad6e4e8e78b9">Trump's tariffs,</a>&nbsp;clip his efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-doge-c4c8e4f4766dee7dfff4d24161e0cf3f">shrink</a>&nbsp;the federal government and protect Medicaid, Social Security and other services. One, in response to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/the-atlantic-releases-the-signal-chat-showing-hegseths-detailed-attack-plans-against-the-houthis/">Trump national security team's use of Signal</a>, sought to prohibit military officials from using any commercial messaging application to transmit war plans. They all failed, though a GOP amendment to protect Medicare and Medicaid was accepted.

Democrats accused Republicans of laying the groundwork for cutting key safety net programs to help pay for more than $5 trillion tax cuts they say disproportionately benefit the rich.

“Trump's policies are a disaster," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, as is Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. “Republicans could snuff it out tonight, if they wanted.”

The Republicans framed their work as preventing a tax increase for most American families, arguing that unless Congress acts, the individual and estate tax cuts that Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">passed</a>&nbsp;in 2017 will expire at the end of this year.

The Senate package pulls in other GOP priorities — including $175 billion to bolster Trump's mass deportation effort, which is running short of cash, and another $175 billion for the Pentagon to build up the military — from an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-trump-tax-cuts-deportations-48f6565ccb0fd6002734dbb5c3c3ffb7">earlier budget effort</a>.

Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2 ranking GOP senator, said voters gave Republicans a mission in November, and the Senate budget plan delivers.

“It fulfills our promises to secure the border, to rebuild our economy and to restore peace through strength,” Barrasso said.

The framework now goes to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., could bring it up for a vote as soon as next week as he works toward a final product by Memorial Day.

The House and Senate need to resolve their differences. The House Republicans had already approved their version, with $4.5 trillion in tax breaks over 10 years and some $2 trillion in budget cuts pointed at changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other programs, and some have panned the Senate's approach.

Throughout the day, the debate was generally one-sided, as Democrats took full advantage of the all-night voting frenzy. Pizza was wheeled in on a cart, for Republicans. Tacos, for Democrats.

Republicans used their majority to swat back the Democrats' amendments, often in rambunctious voice votes. A few Democratic proposals, however, did draw some GOP support, including those to protect health care, Social Security and the bargaining rights of federal workers, a potential sign of unrest ahead.

Collins said she voted against the full package because potential Medicaid cuts in the underlying House bill “would be very detrimental to a lot of families and disabled individuals and seniors in my state.”

And Paul questioned the math being used by his colleagues that he said would pile on the debt load. “Something's fishy,” he said.

One Republican, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, expressed his own misgivings about tax breaks adding to the federal deficits and said he has assurances that Trump officials would seek the cuts elsewhere.

“This vote isn’t taking place in a vacuum,” he said, a nod to the turmoil over Trump’s tariffs.

One crucial challenge ahead will be for the House to accept the way the Senate’s budget plan allows for extending the tax cuts under a scoring method that treats them as not adding to future deficits, something many House Republicans reject. A new estimate from the Joint Committee on Taxation projects the tax breaks will add $5.5 trillion over the next decade when including interest, and $4.6 trillion not including interest.

On top of that, the senators added an additional $1.5 trillion that would allow some of Trump’s campaign promises, such as no taxes on tips, Social Security benefits and overtime, swelling the overall the price tag to $7 trillion.

Republicans are also looking to increase the $10,000 deduction for state and local taxes, something that lawmakers from states such as New York, California and New Jersey say is necessary for their support.

The House and Senate are also at odds over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-cbo-federal-default-borrowing-treasury-4487cd96c611bd1645a5ab099ca8fcd5">increasing the debt limit</a>&nbsp;to allow more borrowing. The House had boosted the debt limit by $4 trillion in its plan, but the Senate upped it to $5 trillion to push any further votes on the matter until after next year’s midterm elections.

The Senate calls for just $4 billion in spending cuts, but GOP leadership emphasizes that's a low floor and that committees will be on the hunt for far more.

Already, the GOP leaders are confronting concerns from fiscal hawks in deep red states and congressional districts who want trillions of dollars in spending cuts to help pay for the tax breaks. At the same time, dozens of lawmakers in swing districts and states are worried about what those cuts will mean for their constituents, and for their reelection chances.

The GOP leadership has encouraged members to just get a budget plan over the finish line, saying they have time to work out the tough questions of which tax breaks and spending cuts to include.

Extending the the 2017 breaks would cut taxes for about three-quarters of households but raise them for about 10%. In 2027, about 45% of the benefit of all the tax cuts would go to those making roughly $450,000 or more,&nbsp;<a href="https://taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/those-making-450000-and-would-get-nearly-half-benefit-extending-tcja">according</a>&nbsp;to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, which analyzes tax issues.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743821102619.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall was the presiding officer during a portion of the late night session -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall was the presiding officer during a portion of the late night session -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans plugged away overnight and into early Saturday morning to approve their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.budget.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/senate_amendment_h_con_res_14.pdf">multitrillion-dollar tax breaks and spending cuts framework</a>, hurtling past hardened Democratic opposition toward what&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;calls the “big, beautiful bill” that's central to his agenda.The vote, 51-48, fell along mostly party lines, but with sharp dissent from two prominent GOP senators. It could not have come at a more difficult political moment. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/trump-tariff-bombshells-have-echoes-in-past-us-economic-policies-60b175c030cd422bbf494d4d100bdccd">U.S. economy is churning</a>&nbsp;after Trump's vast tariff scheme&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/market-rates-trump-tariffs-d86db525c370e9da834e6dfb76e23b86">sent stocks plummeting</a>, and experts are warning of soaring costs for consumers at home and threats of a potential recession. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky both voted against.&nbsp; Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743863063041.png" alt="A crowded Senate floor at 1:27a.m. CDT Saturday&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>A crowded Senate floor at 1:27a.m. CDT Saturday&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-trump-tax-cuts-0e1c1cf43e10b55ba8c1f3e20d16b153">with a nod from Trump</a>, GOP leaders held on, determined to march ahead. Approval paves the way for Republicans, in the months ahead, to try to power a tax cut bill through both chambers of Congress over the objections of Democrats, just as they did in Trump’s first term with unified party control in Washington.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743821021436.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall was the presiding officer during a portion of the late night session -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall was the presiding officer during a portion of the late night session -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>“Let the voting begin," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Friday night.The evening kicked off what's called vote-a-rama as Democrats were intent on making the effort as politically painful as possible, with action on some two dozen amendments to the package that GOP senators will have to defend before next year’s midterm elections.Among them were proposals to ban tax breaks for the super-wealthy, end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-republicans-senate-house-2409e9ff50290edac738ad6e4e8e78b9">Trump's tariffs,</a>&nbsp;clip his efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-doge-c4c8e4f4766dee7dfff4d24161e0cf3f">shrink</a>&nbsp;the federal government and protect Medicaid, Social Security and other services. One, in response to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/the-atlantic-releases-the-signal-chat-showing-hegseths-detailed-attack-plans-against-the-houthis/">Trump national security team's use of Signal</a>, sought to prohibit military officials from using any commercial messaging application to transmit war plans. They all failed, though a GOP amendment to protect Medicare and Medicaid was accepted.Democrats accused Republicans of laying the groundwork for cutting key safety net programs to help pay for more than $5 trillion tax cuts they say disproportionately benefit the rich.“Trump's policies are a disaster," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, as is Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. “Republicans could snuff it out tonight, if they wanted.”The Republicans framed their work as preventing a tax increase for most American families, arguing that unless Congress acts, the individual and estate tax cuts that Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">passed</a>&nbsp;in 2017 will expire at the end of this year.The Senate package pulls in other GOP priorities — including $175 billion to bolster Trump's mass deportation effort, which is running short of cash, and another $175 billion for the Pentagon to build up the military — from an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-trump-tax-cuts-deportations-48f6565ccb0fd6002734dbb5c3c3ffb7">earlier budget effort</a>.Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2 ranking GOP senator, said voters gave Republicans a mission in November, and the Senate budget plan delivers.“It fulfills our promises to secure the border, to rebuild our economy and to restore peace through strength,” Barrasso said.The framework now goes to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., could bring it up for a vote as soon as next week as he works toward a final product by Memorial Day.The House and Senate need to resolve their differences. The House Republicans had already approved their version, with $4.5 trillion in tax breaks over 10 years and some $2 trillion in budget cuts pointed at changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other programs, and some have panned the Senate's approach.Throughout the day, the debate was generally one-sided, as Democrats took full advantage of the all-night voting frenzy. Pizza was wheeled in on a cart, for Republicans. Tacos, for Democrats.Republicans used their majority to swat back the Democrats' amendments, often in rambunctious voice votes. A few Democratic proposals, however, did draw some GOP support, including those to protect health care, Social Security and the bargaining rights of federal workers, a potential sign of unrest ahead.Collins said she voted against the full package because potential Medicaid cuts in the underlying House bill “would be very detrimental to a lot of families and disabled individuals and seniors in my state.”And Paul questioned the math being used by his colleagues that he said would pile on the debt load. “Something's fishy,” he said.One Republican, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, expressed his own misgivings about tax breaks adding to the federal deficits and said he has assurances that Trump officials would seek the cuts elsewhere.“This vote isn’t taking place in a vacuum,” he said, a nod to the turmoil over Trump’s tariffs.One crucial challenge ahead will be for the House to accept the way the Senate’s budget plan allows for extending the tax cuts under a scoring method that treats them as not adding to future deficits, something many House Republicans reject. A new estimate from the Joint Committee on Taxation projects the tax breaks will add $5.5 trillion over the next decade when including interest, and $4.6 trillion not including interest.On top of that, the senators added an additional $1.5 trillion that would allow some of Trump’s campaign promises, such as no taxes on tips, Social Security benefits and overtime, swelling the overall the price tag to $7 trillion.Republicans are also looking to increase the $10,000 deduction for state and local taxes, something that lawmakers from states such as New York, California and New Jersey say is necessary for their support.The House and Senate are also at odds over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-cbo-federal-default-borrowing-treasury-4487cd96c611bd1645a5ab099ca8fcd5">increasing the debt limit</a>&nbsp;to allow more borrowing. The House had boosted the debt limit by $4 trillion in its plan, but the Senate upped it to $5 trillion to push any further votes on the matter until after next year’s midterm elections.The Senate calls for just $4 billion in spending cuts, but GOP leadership emphasizes that's a low floor and that committees will be on the hunt for far more.Already, the GOP leaders are confronting concerns from fiscal hawks in deep red states and congressional districts who want trillions of dollars in spending cuts to help pay for the tax breaks. At the same time, dozens of lawmakers in swing districts and states are worried about what those cuts will mean for their constituents, and for their reelection chances.The GOP leadership has encouraged members to just get a budget plan over the finish line, saying they have time to work out the tough questions of which tax breaks and spending cuts to include.Extending the the 2017 breaks would cut taxes for about three-quarters of households but raise them for about 10%. In 2027, about 45% of the benefit of all the tax cuts would go to those making roughly $450,000 or more,&nbsp;<a href="https://taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/those-making-450000-and-would-get-nearly-half-benefit-extending-tcja">according</a>&nbsp;to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, which analyzes tax issues.

Moran, Marshall help Senate OK framework for Trump's tax breaks and spending cuts 

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a woman's suspicious death this week in Kansas City determined the death was a homicide. Police now believe the death was a murder suicide.

Just after 7p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to check welfare call at a residence in the 9000 block of Blue Ridge in Kansas City, Missouri, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

First responders were directed inside a residence where they located a woman later identified as 67-year-old&nbsp;Shelli Perrey unresponsive and deceased. Her injuries were unknown. Officers preserved the scene and called for detectives due to the suspicious nature of the incident.

Overnight, detectives were notified by the medical examiner of a preliminary finding of homicide in this case.&nbsp;

Through investigation detectives were able to identify a subject of interest, a man with whom Perrey was in an ongoing relationship. Later in the day on April 2, Detectives were able to locate the subject's vehicle near Kansas City International Airport. The subject, later identified as 60-year-old Joel Thomas was located inside the vehicle, deceased by apparent suicide, according to Becchina.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a woman's suspicious death this week in Kansas City determined the death was a homicide. Police now believe the death was a murder suicide.Just after 7p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to check welfare call at a residence in the 9000 block of Blue Ridge in Kansas City, Missouri, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.First responders were directed inside a residence where they located a woman later identified as 67-year-old&nbsp;Shelli Perrey unresponsive and deceased. Her injuries were unknown. Officers preserved the scene and called for detectives due to the suspicious nature of the incident.Overnight, detectives were notified by the medical examiner of a preliminary finding of homicide in this case.&nbsp;Through investigation detectives were able to identify a subject of interest, a man with whom Perrey was in an ongoing relationship. Later in the day on April 2, Detectives were able to locate the subject's vehicle near Kansas City International Airport. The subject, later identified as 60-year-old Joel Thomas was located inside the vehicle, deceased by apparent suicide, according to Becchina.

Police ID KC woman in suspicious death ruled a homicide

WASHINGTON — U.S. forces are in the third week of constant attacks against&nbsp;the Iranian-backed Houthis&nbsp;in Yemen.&nbsp; On Friday evening President Trump used social media to share a video of a recent air strike on the terrorists.

"These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack. Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis," The President wrote.

The new campaign of airstrikes started after&nbsp;the rebels threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships&nbsp;again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip.&nbsp;

The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones,&nbsp;sinking two vessels&nbsp;and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships, though none has been hit so far.

WASHINGTON — U.S. forces are in the third week of constant attacks against&nbsp;the Iranian-backed Houthis&nbsp;in Yemen.&nbsp; On Friday evening President Trump used social media to share a video of a recent air strike on the terrorists."These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack. Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis," The President wrote.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack. Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis! They will never sink our ships again! <a href="https://t.co/lEzfyDgWP5">pic.twitter.com/lEzfyDgWP5</a>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1908300360810479821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"They will never sink our ships again!"The new campaign of airstrikes started after&nbsp;the rebels threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships&nbsp;again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip.&nbsp;The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones,&nbsp;sinking two vessels&nbsp;and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships, though none has been hit so far.The AP contributed to this report.

President Trump shares video of attack on Houthi rebels

SENECA, Kan. (AP) — An Oklahoma man has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting a Catholic priest at a church rectory in northeast Kansas, authorities said Friday.

Officers called to the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca on Thursday afternoon found Arul Carasala with gunshot wounds outside the rectory, the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NemahaSO/#">a Facebook post</a>. The 57-year-old priest was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he died.

Sheriff’s deputies and officers with the Seneca Police Department later arrested Gary Hermesch of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hermesch, 66, was charged Friday and held in the Nemaha County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond, County Attorney Brad Lippert said Friday in a written statement.

The charging complaint says that Hermesch “intentionally and with premeditation” killed Carasala, Lippert said. Lippert did not return phone and email messages Friday seeking more information.

Authorities have not released a possible motive for the shooting or said whether the suspect and the priest knew each other.

Kris Anderson, the parish’s director of religious education, told the AP on Thursday through tears that she knew few details.

“From what we know, an older man walked up to him (Carasala) and shot him three times,” she said.

The priest's death left people in shock in Seneca, a city of about 2,100 where Carasala had been the pastor at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church since 2011,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.saintspeterandpaul-seneca.com/meet-our-pastor/">according to his profile</a>&nbsp;on the parish website.

Carasala was ordained as a priest in 1994 for the Diocese of Cuddapah, located on the southeast coast of his native India. He had served in Kansas since 2004, including as pastor of five Kansas parishes, after he was invited to visit by Archbishop James P. Keleher. Carasala became a U.S. citizen in 2011, while retaining his status as an overseas citizen of India.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/archkck">said in a Facebook post</a>&nbsp;that there was no ongoing threat to the community, but that he recognized the “pain and shock” the priest’s death had brought to the community.

“This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend,” he wrote.

Seneca is about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of Topeka, about 90 miles&nbsp; northwest of Kansas City and about 300 miles north of Tulsa.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743787979111.png" alt="Outside the church in Seneca-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Outside the church in Seneca-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SENECA, Kan. (AP) — An Oklahoma man has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting a Catholic priest at a church rectory in northeast Kansas, authorities said Friday.Officers called to the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca on Thursday afternoon found Arul Carasala with gunshot wounds outside the rectory, the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NemahaSO/#">a Facebook post</a>. The 57-year-old priest was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he died.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743796540386.png" alt="Hermesch photo Nemaha Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Hermesch photo Nemaha Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Sheriff’s deputies and officers with the Seneca Police Department later arrested Gary Hermesch of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hermesch, 66, was charged Friday and held in the Nemaha County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond, County Attorney Brad Lippert said Friday in a written statement.The charging complaint says that Hermesch “intentionally and with premeditation” killed Carasala, Lippert said. Lippert did not return phone and email messages Friday seeking more information.Authorities have not released a possible motive for the shooting or said whether the suspect and the priest knew each other.Kris Anderson, the parish’s director of religious education, told the AP on Thursday through tears that she knew few details.“From what we know, an older man walked up to him (Carasala) and shot him three times,” she said.The priest's death left people in shock in Seneca, a city of about 2,100 where Carasala had been the pastor at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church since 2011,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.saintspeterandpaul-seneca.com/meet-our-pastor/">according to his profile</a>&nbsp;on the parish website.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743721682115.png" alt="-Father Arul Carasala-photo courtesy Saints Peter &amp; Paul Parish" />
 <figcaption>-Father Arul Carasala-photo courtesy Saints Peter &amp; Paul Parish</figcaption>
 </figure>Carasala was ordained as a priest in 1994 for the Diocese of Cuddapah, located on the southeast coast of his native India. He had served in Kansas since 2004, including as pastor of five Kansas parishes, after he was invited to visit by Archbishop James P. Keleher. Carasala became a U.S. citizen in 2011, while retaining his status as an overseas citizen of India.Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/archkck">said in a Facebook post</a>&nbsp;that there was no ongoing threat to the community, but that he recognized the “pain and shock” the priest’s death had brought to the community.“This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend,” he wrote.Seneca is about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of Topeka, about 90 miles&nbsp; northwest of Kansas City and about 300 miles north of Tulsa.

Suspect charged with murder in shooting of a beloved Kansas priest

TOPEKA – A Kansas man was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison for his involvement in manufacturing child sexual abuse materials.

According to court documents, Taylor Mullen, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.

Mullen is the fourth person sentenced in a case involving two separate conspiracies both led by Joel Womochil, 39, the former chief of police in the Marion County community of Burns. 

Womochil pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography. In March, he was sentenced to 720 months in prison.

In 2021, Mullen and his girlfriend Jessica Quave, 38, created videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit behavior with a child under six years old and sent the videos to Womochil.

Quave pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child - production of child pornography. She was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Another conspiracy in 2019 took place between Womochil and Denise Renee Sandman, 40, of Indiana. After meeting Womochil online, Sandmann agreed to create images of a child under the age

of five engaged in sexually explicit conduct and send the images to Womochil, which he saved to his hard drive.

Sandmann pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography and one count of sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography. She was sentenced to 720 months in prison.

“We are grateful to the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security

Investigations for securing the overwhelming evidence against these child predators which led to guilty pleas and ultimately long prison sentences for their crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard.

The Butler County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692237873123.png" alt="Womochil photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Womochil photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA – A Kansas man was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison for his involvement in manufacturing child sexual abuse materials.According to court documents, Taylor Mullen, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743794344309.png" alt="Mullen from his original arrest in the case in Nemaha Co. in 2023" />
 <figcaption>Mullen from his original arrest in the case in Nemaha Co. in 2023</figcaption>
 </figure>Mullen is the fourth person sentenced in a case involving two separate conspiracies both led by Joel Womochil, 39, the former chief of police in the Marion County community of Burns. Womochil pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography. In March, he was sentenced to 720 months in prison.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743794641609.png" alt="Quave photo Harvey Co." />
 <figcaption>Quave photo Harvey Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>In 2021, Mullen and his girlfriend Jessica Quave, 38, created videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit behavior with a child under six years old and sent the videos to Womochil.Quave pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child - production of child pornography. She was sentenced to 30 years in prison.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743794586991.png" alt="Sandman photo Harvey Co" />
 <figcaption>Sandman photo Harvey Co</figcaption>
 </figure>Another conspiracy in 2019 took place between Womochil and Denise Renee Sandman, 40, of Indiana. After meeting Womochil online, Sandmann agreed to create images of a child under the ageof five engaged in sexually explicit conduct and send the images to Womochil, which he saved to his hard drive.Sandmann pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography and one count of sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography. She was sentenced to 720 months in prison.“We are grateful to the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland SecurityInvestigations for securing the overwhelming evidence against these child predators which led to guilty pleas and ultimately long prison sentences for their crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard.The Butler County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.

DOJ: New details of Kansas child sexual abuse conspiracy 

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

Just after 9a.m. Friday, Police were dispatched to a shooting in the 6300 block of E. 102 Terrace in Kansas City, Missouri, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Neighbors in the area heard the sound of shots and looked outside and saw a victim down in the street. On arrival officers located a woman shooting victim down in the street near a vehicle in front of a residence. Officers called for EMS who responded and transported the victim to the hospital for treatment. At the hospital, medical staff pronounced her deceased. 

Preliminary information indicates that the victim was in front of the residence near a vehicle when she had an interaction with an unknown suspect(s) in the street that led to shots being fired striking her.

Police have not released the victim's name or reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743787952762.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just after 9a.m. Friday, Police were dispatched to a shooting in the 6300 block of E. 102 Terrace in Kansas City, Missouri, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.Neighbors in the area heard the sound of shots and looked outside and saw a victim down in the street. On arrival officers located a woman shooting victim down in the street near a vehicle in front of a residence. Officers called for EMS who responded and transported the victim to the hospital for treatment. At the hospital, medical staff pronounced her deceased. Preliminary information indicates that the victim was in front of the residence near a vehicle when she had an interaction with an unknown suspect(s) in the street that led to shots being fired striking her.Police have not released the victim's name or reported an arrest.

Homicide: Neighbors heard gunshots, found woman on KC street

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/theodore-mccarrick-ex-cardinal-scandal-989fb97f4f0cad8c4926e8cb795ba2bf">Theodore McCarrick,</a>&nbsp;a once-powerful Catholic cardinal who was defrocked by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;in 2019 after a Vatican investigation determined he had molested adults and children, has died. He was 94.

Archbishop of Washington Robert McElroy issued a statement Friday confirming McCarrick's death a day earlier but provided no details. His statement focused on those McCarrick abused.

“At this moment I am especially mindful of those who he harmed during the course of his priestly ministry," McElroy said. "Through their enduring pain, may we remain steadfast in our prayers for them and for all victims of sexual abuse.”

In recent court proceedings, it was disclosed that McCarrick had been diagnosed with dementia. He had been living in Missouri, and Vatican News reported he died there.

The McCarrick scandal created&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7ddab5d7ca7a4ac8843209489cbc23a7">a crisis of credibility</a>&nbsp;for the church, primarily because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fc54d28d965b4efaa4c100f4e7c52bb0">there was evidence</a>&nbsp;Vatican and U.S. church leaders knew he slept with seminarians but turned a blind eye as McCarrick rose to the top of the U.S. church as an adept fundraiser who advised three popes.

The Vatican's report on its investigation put the lion’s share of blame on a dead saint: Pope John Paul II, who appointed McCarrick archbishop of Washington, D.C., in 2000, despite having commissioned an inquiry that confirmed he slept with seminarians.

The report found that John Paul believed McCarrick’s last-minute, handwritten denial in which he wrote: “I have made mistakes and may have sometimes lacked in prudence, but in the seventy years of my life I have never had sexual relations with any person, male or female, young or old, cleric or lay."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627579902766.png" alt="-Disgraced former Catholic cardinal Theodore McCarrick moved to the St. Fidelis Friary in Victoria, Kansas in 2018. He moved from Northwest Kansas in January 2020 Credit: US Institute of Peace. CC BY NC" />
 <figcaption>-Disgraced former Catholic cardinal Theodore McCarrick moved to the St. Fidelis Friary in Victoria, Kansas in 2018. He moved from Northwest Kansas in January 2020 Credit: US Institute of Peace. CC BY NC</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/theodore-mccarrick-ex-cardinal-scandal-989fb97f4f0cad8c4926e8cb795ba2bf">Theodore McCarrick,</a>&nbsp;a once-powerful Catholic cardinal who was defrocked by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;in 2019 after a Vatican investigation determined he had molested adults and children, has died. He was 94.Archbishop of Washington Robert McElroy issued a statement Friday confirming McCarrick's death a day earlier but provided no details. His statement focused on those McCarrick abused.“At this moment I am especially mindful of those who he harmed during the course of his priestly ministry," McElroy said. "Through their enduring pain, may we remain steadfast in our prayers for them and for all victims of sexual abuse.”In recent court proceedings, it was disclosed that McCarrick had been diagnosed with dementia. He had been living in Missouri, and Vatican News reported he died there.The McCarrick scandal created&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7ddab5d7ca7a4ac8843209489cbc23a7">a crisis of credibility</a>&nbsp;for the church, primarily because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fc54d28d965b4efaa4c100f4e7c52bb0">there was evidence</a>&nbsp;Vatican and U.S. church leaders knew he slept with seminarians but turned a blind eye as McCarrick rose to the top of the U.S. church as an adept fundraiser who advised three popes.The Vatican's report on its investigation put the lion’s share of blame on a dead saint: Pope John Paul II, who appointed McCarrick archbishop of Washington, D.C., in 2000, despite having commissioned an inquiry that confirmed he slept with seminarians.The report found that John Paul believed McCarrick’s last-minute, handwritten denial in which he wrote: “I have made mistakes and may have sometimes lacked in prudence, but in the seventy years of my life I have never had sexual relations with any person, male or female, young or old, cleric or lay."Over several decades, bishops, cardinals and popes dismissed or downplayed reports of McCarrick’s misconduct with young men as he rose through the ranks to become a cardinal and archbishop, according to the investigation.The report contained heartbreaking testimony from people who tried to raise the alarm about McCarrick’s inappropriate behavior, including with children, in the mid-1980s.While the findings provided new details about what the Vatican knew and when, it didn’t directly blame or admit that the church’s internal “old boys club” culture allowed McCarrick’s behavior to continue unchecked.Cardinals and bishops have long been considered beyond reproach. Claims of homosexual behavior are used to discredit or blackmail prelates that they often are dismissed as rumor. There also has been a widespread but unspoken tolerance of sexually active men in what is supposed to be a celibate priesthood.The report drew on documents from Vatican departments, U.S. dioceses and seminaries and the Vatican’s U.S. Embassy. Investigators interviewed 90 people, including McCarrick’s victims, former seminarians and priests, and officials from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, responded to McCarrick’s death expressing frustration that the ex-cardinal, although defrocked, never stood trial for “the vast harm he inflicted."“McCarrick may be dead, but his many victims are not,” said Peter Isely, a founding member of SNAP. “We are still here, still living with the harm he caused — and with the church’s failure to stop him. ”McCarrick, who was the archbishop of Washington from 2000 to 2006, was one of the highest-ranking U.S. church officials accused in a sexual abuse scandal that has seen thousands of priests implicated. He traveled widely, was a gifted fundraiser and spoke multiple languages.He was a priest in New York City from 1958, when he was ordained, until 1981, when he became bishop of Metuchen, New Jersey. He was archbishop of Newark from 1986 until 2000 and was elevated to cardinal in 2001.