The Supreme Court will hear arguments over the Trump administration's push to end legal protections for people fleeing war and natural disaster from countries around the world, including Haiti and Syria. The justices refused to immediately lift the protections for hundreds of thousands of people Monday, allowing them to live and work in the U.S. legally for now. The court is expected to hear the case next month. The conservative-majority court has sided with the Trump administration on the issue before and allowed the end of similar legal protections for a total of 600,000 people from Venezuela while lawsuits play out, exposing them to potential deportation.
By ARIEL FERNÁNDEZ, ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ and JOHN MYERS JR. Associated Press
Communities across the northern Caribbean are dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. In Jamaica, emergency relief efforts are underway as residents clear roads and assess damage. The storm has left many without homes, power or communication. Authorities have confirmed at least four deaths, and thousands remain in shelters. In Cuba, heavy equipment is clearing roads and the military is assisting isolated communities. No deaths have been reported there but significant damage has occurred. In Haiti, dozens were dead or missing after catastrophic flooding. The storm tied records for Atlantic hurricanes making landfall when it hit Jamaica.
By ARIEL FERNÁNDEZ, ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ, JOHN MYERS JR. and EVENS SANON Associated Press
Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of destruction across Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica. The storm made landfall Tuesday in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds reaching 185 miles per hour. Officials say at least 23 people have died across Haiti. In Cuba, officials report collapsed houses and blocked roads, with 735,000 people in shelters. Jamaica faces widespread power outages and communication blackouts. The U.S. is sending rescue teams to assist. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel warns of significant damage, urging people not to underestimate the storm's power.
By DÁNICA COTO, JOHN MYERS JR. and EVENS SANON Associated Press
Tropical Storm Melissa is nearly stationary in the central Caribbean, with forecasters warning it could soon strengthen and brush past Jamaica as a powerful hurricane. Catastrophic flooding and landslides are likely in southern Haiti in the coming days. U.S. forecasters said the storm's slow movement will mean days of exposure to heavy rain and strong winds, which will worsen flooding and other dangers. Melissa had 60 mph winds early Friday. It could strengthen into a hurricane Saturday and a major hurricane later in the weekend. Authorities were opening shelters and making other preparations in Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary legal protections that have granted more than 1 million people from Haiti and Venezuela the right to live and work in the United States. The ruling Friday by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen of San Francisco for the plaintiffs means 600,000 Venezuelans whose temporary protections expired in April or whose protections were about to expire Sept. 10 have status to stay and work in the United States. It also keeps protections for about 500,000 Haitians. Chen said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's actions in terminating and vacating three extensions granted by the previous administration exceeded her statutory authority and were arbitrary and capricious.
By COLLEEN LONG and CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN Associated Press
U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have pledged their resolve to promote prosperity for people through the hemisphere as they opened wide-ranging talks in Mexico City. They were discussing the fragile security situation in Haiti, North American trade, political unrest in Brazil and more on the sidelines of the North American Leaders Summit. Biden and Trudeau met one-on-one before a three-way meeting later Tuesday with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The U.S. and Canadian leaders had a warm exchange during a brief appearance before reporters, which stood in stark contrast to a more brusque exchange between Biden and López Obrador on Monday.
