USA

Federal Agents Raid Hindu Temple In Robbinsville New Jersey after Lawsuit Alleges Human Trafficking and Forced Labor

FBI agents raided a Robbinsville, New Jersey, Hindu temple over allegations of forced labor after a lawsuit alleged hundreds of workers from India suffered torturous treatment. It is believed that there are still workers on the property, but some did leave when offered by federal agents.

A “masterpiece of exquisite Indian design and workmanship” is how the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is described on its website. Tuesday, federal agents entered the masterpiece after a lawsuit filed against the Hindu temple that alleged labor and immigration law violations. “They were brought in as religious workers, in fact they were not religious workers and they certainly were not volunteers,” Patricia Kakaleck, an attorney at Kakaleck Law, said.

Kakaleck represents six ex temple workers in a suit that involves at least 200 low-caste men allegedly lured from India to New Jersey by the Hindu temple in in Robbinsville NJ, lawsuit alleges men from marginalized communities were lured to the U.S. and temple was forcing them to work nearly 90 hours a week for around $1 an hour.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court, accuses Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, a Hindu sect known as BAPS, and its leaders of “shocking violations,” including forced labor, trafficking and wage theft.

“It was just an extremely traumatic and isolating experience,” said Patricia Kakalec, an attorney representing the workers. “I’ve represented migrant farmworkers, I’ve done low-wage worker cases, and this is really quite shocking.”

The FBI said in a statement that it was at the temple “on court-authorized law enforcement activity” and that it had no further comment. The Homeland Security Investigations division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined to comment.

The lawsuit, filed by six workers in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, says more than 200 Indian nationals worked at the temple in Robbinsville would be part of the class.

The organization, its related entities and several other people are accused of recruiting the men to come to New Jersey and help build the temple, forced to workfor around 87 hours a week for $450 a month, or around $1.20 an hour. The suit says the defendants lured low-caste men and members of other marginalized communities to work at the temple, which is still under construction.

Passports were confiscated, and workers were confined to the guarded compound, the suit alleges. Kakalec said that the situation was a “labor trafficking” case” and that the workers were “constantly monitored” with dozens of cameras and threatened with fines for breaking rules.

Local News

Video: Deer crashes through window and roams Alabama elementary school classroom

On video, a deer was captured crashing through a classroom window at an elementary school in Alabama and then wandering around among the desks. According to Evergreen Elementary School, the incident occurred on February 11, and the “unexpected intrusion” was not hurt. The school posted on Facebook that they had an “unexpected intruder” this weekend. It was undoubtedly interested in seeing all the great things happening in their school. ALASKA WOMAN IS KOMBLED BY HUGE MOOSE AFTER SLEEPING UP ON HIM. The facility claims that the deer left after “a couple of hours.” BUDWEISER CYDESDALES GET TANGLED UP DURING TEXAS STOKES AND RODEO SHOW “It struggled for a few minutes learning to walk on our waxed flooring,” Evergreen Elementary School stated. CLICK HERE TO GET FOX NEWS APP Video footage shows the deer sliding around on the ground as it moves around the desks of children inside the classroom.

Local News

Texas school administrator seems to have thrown a 14-year-old boy in the wall

A mother who was concerned released surveillance video that shows a school administrator throwing a boy, 14 years old, into a wall at Round Rock High School. The incident occurred at GOALS Learning Center on April 29, a school for students with a primary disorder of emotional disturbance. Tatiana Alfano, the mother, said that she received an email and a call from the school stating that her son was defiant and had struck his head when he fell. Quintin Proctor, Quintin’s son, insisted that Quintin was actually thrown into a wall by the school administrator. His mother was shocked to receive surveillance video from the school two week later.
Just before he tried to leave, the student was standing in a corridor.
(Round Rock Independent Schools District via Fox 7 Austin) The video shows Proctor in a hallway along with two female teachers as well as the male administrator. Fox 7 Austin reported that Proctor had been brought to the “cool down area” after yelling at his teachers. Proctor tried to follow the two teachers as they left. The administrator grabbed Proctor and threw him against the wall. WILD BRAWL BREAKS OUT at the END OF ARIZONA HOST SCHOOL BASKETBALL GAMES: ‘IT WAS UGLY.’Proctor jumped up several times and raised his arm as if he was going for a punch. But he never did. The teachers later took him down a different corridor. Proctor said that he didn’t know what to think when he hit the wall. Fox 7 Austin echoed this statement.
Quintin Proctor claims he was shoved by an administrator against a wall.
(Round Rock Independent Schools District via Fox 7 Austin). A spokesperson for Round Rock Independent Schools District stated that the administrator was no longer on campus at GOALS Learning Center. Jenny LaCoste Caputo, the spokesperson for Round Rock Independent School District, stated that the incident was thoroughly investigated by the district. She also reported it to all appropriate state agencies. “The staff member is currently employed at the district, but is not on a campus. He is assigned to special projects in Central Administration.
The 14-year old hit his head against the wall.
(Round Rock Independent Schools District via Fox 7 Austin). His mom said that she shared the surveillance video because she has heard similar stories from other families. “What happened to Quintin isn’t unusual or exceptional or rare. It’s just that we have footage of it because these events are usually happening behind closed doors. So now it’s grown and it’s larger,” Alfano explained to Fox 7 Austin. “We must do right by all the kids. This shouldn’t be happening.”

Local News

Ex-Honduran congressman who lives in NY is sentenced to 30 years in international drug conspiracy

A federal judge in New York sentenced Fredy Renan Najera Montoya, a former Honduran congressman, to 30 years imprisonment for his involvement in a large-scale drug trade operation. Prosecutors claimed that Najera Montoya had imported more than 30 tonnes of cocaine into the United States. He had also pleaded guilty previously to conspiracy to import cocaine and a weapons offense. The sentence was handed down by U.S District Judge Paul Gardephe. Najera, 46, was also ordered to forfeit $39 Million and pay a $10,000,000 fine.
Fredy Renan Najera (46), was ordered to forfeit $39 Million and pay $10 Million in fines for his involvement in a drug trafficking ring.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, Najera distributed more than 30 tons cocaine from the Honduran region he represented between 2008 and 2015. According to the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, Najera helped distribute more than 30 tons of cocaine from the region of Honduras that he represented in his government role between 2008 and 2015.

USA

Florida residents react to timing of evacuation orders after Hurricane Ian

Officials in Lee County, Florida, are facing criticism over why the first mandatory evacuations weren’t ordered until a day before Ian’s landfall, despite an emergency plan suggesting evacuations should have happened earlier. CNN’s Carlos Suarez reports, and Jim Atterholt, a Fort Myers Beach Town Council member, joins Jake Tapper to discuss.

States (US)

Via Teleconference 9:37 A.M. EDT MODERATOR: Thank you to everyone for joining our press call this morning on the release of Mark Frerichs. As a reminder of the ground rules, this call is being held on background, attributable to “senior administration officials,” and the contents are embargoed until the end of the call. For your awareness but not…
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