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  • Letters to the Editor | Jan. 21, 2026

    Letters to the Editor | Jan. 21, 2026

    Fighting words

    During a recent CBS News interview, Sen. Dave McCormick — who was appearing with Sen. John Fetterman — drew a sharp distinction between violent language and physical violence, and I found myself in rare agreement with him. After all, that is exactly what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, when Donald Trump and his minions spewed violent language that stoked a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol, where they physically injured law enforcement officers. And, to the extent our dear senator was referring to actions in Minneapolis, I will remind him that the last words Renee Good spoke were, “I’m not mad at you,” which is about as nonviolent a statement as one could utter — but an agent still shot her three times. So, in the case of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calm words still provoke violence.

    Steve Morley, Philadelphia

    . . .

    I am appalled by comments made by both of Pennsylvania’s U.S. senators, John Fetterman and Dave McCormick, during their recent interview with CBS News.

    McCormick complained that protesters were “dehumanizing” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents by comparing them to Hitler. Fetterman said, “ICE has a job to do, as well,” and that everyone doesn’t have to agree on the tactics.

    Our senators have got this completely wrong. The protesters are out there confronting ICE because of heavily armed, masked agents who are dehumanizing immigrants, invading their homes and workplaces without warrants, manhandling pregnant women, deporting children with cancer, arresting immigrants in courthouses when they show up for the very hearings they are required to attend to attain legal status here, and allegedly depriving them of contact with their families and attorneys.

    Both Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden deported more people than Donald Trump did in his first term, without the fuss and protests now accompanying the “jobs” of ICE agents, because they did it legally and followed international and U.S. law. Almost all of those deported were recent arrivals or convicted criminals, not people who peacefully made their homes here and contributed positively to their communities.

    Trump wants the public to see ICE treating immigrants brutally, and has posted many videos on U.S. Department of Homeland Security websites as a display of what he sees as his unstoppable power — just in case the public was missing the point.

    Most Americans want ICE to follow the law, obtain court-issued warrants, stop detaining and beating U.S. citizens caught up in its roundups, and allow immigrants to have the due process the Constitution affords to everyone, citizens and noncitizens alike. We want ICE agents to take off the masks and display their badges. And we want the shootings to stop — and justice for the senseless execution of Renee Nicole Good.

    Jodine Mayberry, Brookhaven

    . . .

    I must respond to something Brian Fitzpatrick said in an interview with Philadelphia Magazine, as reported recently in The Inquirer. Mr. Fitzpatrick is quoted as saying, “[W]e’ve seen the weaponization of the Justice Department now, I believe, in two administrations.” Statements like that are exactly why Fitzpatrick has to go. It is not “weaponization” when egregious behavior is confronted by law enforcement authorities and criminal and civil charges are brought to stop that behavior. Donald Trump was convicted in civil court of sexually abusing a woman. Mr. Trump was convicted of cheating the state of New York out of millions of dollars of tax revenue. We all saw dozens of boxes of United States government documents, many of them highly classified, stored in bathrooms and hallways at Mar-a-Lago, after they were illegally removed by Trump from the White House. And even Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) assumed the U.S. Department of Justice would bring charges against Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. At Trump’s second impeachment, McConnell said that, even though Trump could not be impeached, he was “still liable to be tried and punished in ordinary tribunals of justice.”

    To imply that Trump or his Jan. 6 insurrectionists were unfairly targeted is a grave misrepresentation of our justice system. The fact that Fitzpatrick cannot — or will not — acknowledge that justice must be done disqualifies him from being a member of the House of Representatives.

    Michael Walsh, Elkins Park

    Love thy neighbor

    The Inquirer recently reported that a Norristown day center serving the city’s homeless population is itself in need of a new home. The day center was forced out of its current location and has been blocked from its new location over residents’ superfluous concerns about “loitering.” The fact that Norristown needs this center says something about our faltering economy, but this particular story says more about the failures of our culture — and each of us individually. The idea that we should “love thy neighbor” goes back to antiquity. Yet, Norristown residents demonstrated active disdain for their less fortunate neighbors by depriving them of much-needed support. Unfortunately, the NIMBYs of Norristown are not unique. Every day, Philadelphians turn a blind eye to our struggling, homeless neighbors living in Center City. Too many of us fail to empathize with those who are less fortunate than ourselves, and even more of us fail to offer help. Our collective lack of compassion is an evil that spreads through the body politic, infecting each of us. We must be better. The only way we can redeem ourselves is through action. We must actively love those less fortunate than ourselves, otherwise we contribute to the suffering of our neighbors.

    Owen Castle, Philadelphia

    Shift subsidies

    I appreciated your editorial regarding the administration’s energy policies, but it’s not just that fossil fuels are “promoted.” It’s that the government is using our tax dollars to make the air we breathe dirtier and the weather we live in more dangerous.

    The U.S. provides an estimated $35 billion annually in subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, more than we give to the 10 biggest recipients of foreign aid combined. At the same time, support for clean energy is being slashed.

    This makes no sense when solar has become the cheapest form of electricity. A local business is installing solar panels that will cut my energy bill in half. If the federal government reallocated subsidies away from people like Dallas Cowboys owner (and fossil fuel billionaire) Jerry Jones and toward regular Americans like you and me, we could empower 54 million households to do the same.

    Joe Pelusi, Rydal

    Lower the temperature

    President Donald Trump has been threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy the military to Minneapolis to quell the unrest. But when I look at the streets of Minneapolis these last few weeks, it feels like the military is already there: thousands of heavily armed federal agents are using tear gas, flash-bangs, pepper spray, and guns to intimidate (even kill, in one case) unarmed protesters exercising their constitutional right to express themselves. The presence of masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and their heavy-handed tactics is what’s causing the unrest and fear, not the city residents. Remove ICE and the temperature will lower quickly. Sending in the military will have the opposite effect and is exactly what is not needed.

    Stephen Kunz, Phoenixville, spkunz@aol.com

    Admirable vs. abominable

    Albert Schweitzer was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952. This gifted scientist, musician, and doctor gave up a prosperous life to found humanitarian clinics where there were none. Finding Schweitzer in what was then known as French Equatorial Africa, Norman Cousins, editor of the then-influential magazine Saturday Review, asked him what the most important thing was that he had learned during his lifetime. Schweitzer responded after delivering a baby in a nearby village that the most important thing he had learned was that each person at birth contains a “cathedral within — a vast, precious, sacred cathedral!” Schweitzer sets a high standard for recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. Donald Trump accuses the Minneapolis immigrants from Somalia (people he describes as “garbage”) of fraud. His recent acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to María Corina Machado is fraud at the highest level. He should return it to her immediately. His motive for MAWA (Make America White Again) is in sharp contrast to Schweitzer’s “cathedral within!”

    Terry Furin, Philadelphia

    Patient in spirit

    I was so happy to read recently that Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have reported double-digit increases in their profits. Does anyone know when that will trickle down to me?

    Dale Cochran, Downingtown

    Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.

  • Dear Abby | Wife finally tired of being told to whom she can talk

    DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married for 40 years and share the same friendships — joint, his and mine. We have camped, hosted parties and traveled with the same friends. My problem is my husband says I’m not allowed to speak privately with the males in our group unless I first confirm with him what I’m talking about. He also gives me the third degree about my visits with the wives, mainly to find out if their husbands were around.

    In all our married years, I have never given him reason to think there’s anything going on between me and anyone else. I have always held him in high regard. I consider him to be somebody with honesty and integrity, and I love him wholeheartedly.

    Where in the world does he get off trying to order me around and think that I can’t ask a question of his friends, or visit with his friends and their wives without asking his permission? This has been a longtime situation between us, and I’m tired of it — almost to the point of leaving him and enjoying what’s left of my life in peace with all kinds of people and relationships. Please help.

    — PUT IN A CORNER IN OREGON

    DEAR PUT: Why didn’t you write to me about this 39 years ago? Your husband may be a man with “honesty and integrity,” but he is also someone with bottomless insecurities and an insatiable need to control you. I am surprised it has taken 40 years of this for you to finally say to yourself, “Enough!” I would recommend marriage counseling for the two of you, but I seriously question his ability to change. Counseling for you alone might give you the courage to draw the line.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: After I found the courage to leave my abusive marriage, it has been difficult. My family refuses to accept that a woman could have actually abused a man, and they are very skeptical. Even after my mother and sister attended therapy with me, they still question my honesty, something that has never been questioned before. Still, I have an amazing 9-year-old daughter from the marriage. She is part of the reason I had to leave her mother: There was no way I could model acceptance of that abuse after her mother refused to seek help. I tried.

    Now, two years later, I’m in a healthy relationship — with another man. While my daughter is overjoyed because he treats both of us well, my family continues to attack me, even saying they were no longer going to speak to me. They say this is why I left my ex, even though it is not true. (I didn’t anticipate this either.)

    My mother, who refuses to talk to me, recently let me know she wants to take me to court for the right to see my daughter. My daughter no longer wants to spend any time with her after seeing how she has treated me. I don’t think allowing visitation would be in my daughter’s best interest. Should I be worried?

    — UNRESOLVED IN OHIO

    DEAR UNRESOLVED: Not every state has laws on the books that govern grandparents’ rights. Ohio, where you reside, is one of those that does. Because your question is legal in nature, and you are rightly worried, the person you should ask would be a lawyer familiar with family law. I understand why you are worried, and you have my sympathy.

  • Horoscopes: Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). You honor someone by giving them a gift that shows you were listening to who they are, what they like and what they need. Bonus: You’re also paying attention to who they were and where they’re headed. Witnessing means more than you could know.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Today feels like a pop quiz from the universe. The lesson arrives as if guided by fate. Something you experienced or learned in the past becomes relevant again, and you can apply it here. Trust that you have the skills, insight and perspective to ace this.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Some people play every game like it is a long game, and those are the ones you want on your side. The gracious and the generous may lose a play or two, but they always win in the end. The real prize is integrity.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). The ability to read a room comes to those who have been in many rooms and been many people, too. You’ll do your best with it today and keep getting better with time and experience.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). No, you’re not making it up. The things filling your day are actually necessary to your current role. Although, you might consider whether your ideal role is something else entirely, and thus worthy of a different routine.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Playfulness happens when there is room for it. If a person can be playful, even when the situation is serious, it’s because their psyche is expansive, their emotional range as wide as a field. This is who you are today.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). What if the thing you’ve been avoiding is exactly the thing that changes everything for the better? Instead of seeing it as a chore, see it as a gamble. Once upon a time, something you almost didn’t do opened a world to you, and it’s about to happen again.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Intensity is so easy for you to create, wield and deal with. That’s why you’re fascinated by restraint. You observe, and life opens to you. You press or pry, and it closes. What matters will surface in its own time.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’re in a friendly mood today. The more inclusive you are, the more people you’ll know. The more people you know, the easier it is to connect with the person who will help you solve a problem.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Knowing what’s good for you and getting more of it is wonderful. What’s less wonderful is finding out that what you like isn’t all that good for you. Luckily, in today’s case, substitutions abound.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). There are always pros and cons to consider. For instance, taller people have farther to fall, the richer have more to lose and the powerful few at the top are vulnerable to being conquered by the power of many at the bottom. You’ll look at all sides of an issue today.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Your work will get the attention it deserves. You may not know exactly what to make of the feedback, but things are still settling in. For now, it’s very good just to get the exposure.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 21). Welcome to your Year of the Evolving Love Story. People, places and projects receive your enthusiasm and heart, and wonderful feelings boomerang back to you, sending you sailing on clouds. More highlights: You’ll lead where you once followed. You’ll cash in on what’s been growing in value for years. A problem is fixed once and for all, freeing your time and energy. Aries and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 17, 32, 20, 18 and 25.

  • 76ers fall to Suns, 116-110, despite 25 points from VJ Edgecombe

    76ers fall to Suns, 116-110, despite 25 points from VJ Edgecombe

    PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Devin Booker scored 27 points and Jalen Green added 12 points in his return to the lineup as the Phoenix Suns beat the 76ers 116-110 on Tuesday night in a matchup of teams playing the second game of a back-to-back.

    Grayson Allen and Jordan Goodwin scored 16 points apiece, and former Villanova star Collin Gillespie and Oso Ighodaro each added 12 as the Suns won their third straight game and for the 12th time in 16 games.

    Paul George out Tuesday vs. Suns with left knee injury management

    Rookie VJ Edgecombe led the 76ers with 25 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 21 points, and Tyrese Maxey added 20. Andre Drummond finished with eight points and 15 rebounds for the Sixers, who lost for the fourth time in six games.

    Philadelphia was without Joel Embiid (right ankle injury management) and Paul George (left knee injury management).

    Green played in just his third game of the season, and his first since Nov. 8, because of a right hamstring injury. He is in his first season with the Suns, arriving in the offseason as part of the trade in which Kevin Durant was sent to the Houston Rockets.

    Green came off the bench to score seven points in nine minutes in the first half, and went on to shoot 4 for 11 from the field, including 2 for 4 from distance, in 20 minutes, with three assists and two rebounds.

    The Suns, coming off a win over Brooklyn on Monday, got 13 points from Booker, 10 from Ighodaro, and were perfect on 13 shots from the free-throw line on the way to a 57-53 lead at the break.

    The Sixers, who beat Indiana on Monday, opened the second half with a 13-2 run for a 66-59 lead. The Suns tied it at 68 and built a 97-84 lead by the end of the third period. Phoenix extended its lead to 103-86 with 9 minutes, 37 seconds left in the fourth after Sixers coach Nick Nurse received a technical foul for contesting a call. Philadelphia chipped away down the stretch, but never really threatened.

    Up next

    The Sixers host Houston on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP) in the fifth game of a six-game homestand.

  • Carlos Beltran, Andruw Jones voted into Hall of Fame; Chase Utley could be next in 2027

    Carlos Beltran, Andruw Jones voted into Hall of Fame; Chase Utley could be next in 2027

    Now batting in Cooperstown … Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones.

    On deck … Chase Utley?

    Beltrán and Jones were elected Tuesday to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, an anticipated outcome after the center fielders fell short last year by 19 and 35 votes, respectively. Beltrán’s name was checked on 84.2% and Jones’ on 78.4% of ballots cast by 425 members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

    Despite its status as a glamour position, center field has been underrepresented in the Hall of Fame for nearly a half-century. Since 1981, only two full-time center fielders received the three-quarter majority needed for election by the writers: Kirby Puckett in 2001 and Ken Griffey Jr. in 2016.

    Who’s next? Sizing up the Hall of Fame chances for four Phillies on the ballot.

    Beltrán and Jones will join slugging former second baseman Jeff Kent, elected last month by a special committee, at the July 26 induction ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y. And as soon as the Class of 2026 was set, the focus shifted to next year’s voting cycle.

    Will it be Utley’s turn?

    In his third year on the ballot, the Phillies’ iconic second baseman made another leap in the vote totals, climbing to 59.1% from 39.8% last year and 28.8% in 2024. Utley picked up 94 votes from last year, the third-largest gain after pitchers Félix Hernández (plus-115) and Andy Pettitte (plus-96).

    Based on those trends, Utley could be positioned to rise above the 75% threshold next year, though 2028 might be more realistic. Utley’s surge is similar to, but slightly ahead of former Phillies third baseman Scott Rolen, who went from 35.3% in 2020 to 52.9% in 2021, 63.2% in 2022, and finally 76.3% in 2023.

    Chase Utley picked up 94 votes from last year, the third-largest gain after pitchers Félix Hernández (plus-115) and Andy Pettitte (plus-96).

    Utley was among four prominent ex-Phillies on the ballot, including two teammates from the 2008 World Series champions.

    • Jimmy Rollins made his biggest jump in five voting cycles but still has a long way to go. Rollins reached 25.4%, up from 18% last year.
    • Cole Hamels made a strong debut on the ballot at 23.8% at a time when many voters are considering adjusting their standards for contemporary starting pitchers. Hernández, for example, vaulted to 46.1%, more than double his first-year result (20.6%).
    • Bobby Abreu bounced to 30.8% in his seventh year on the ballot, up from 19.5% last year. But with only three more voting cycles remaining, he’s still far from 75%.

    Although Utley’s candidacy already built momentum, it’s possible it got a tail wind from the election of Kent, who failed to reach 75% in 10 tries on the writers’ ballot. Utley could get another boost next year from Buster Posey’s first appearance on the ballot.

    Posey, a seven-time All-Star catcher and three-time World Series champion, figures to receive strong consideration despite getting only 1,500 career hits. The writers hadn’t elected a player with fewer than 2,000 career hits since Ralph Kiner in 1975 until Jones got in with 1,933. Utley finished with 1,885.

    Otherwise, Utley’s candidacy is rooted in a peak that lasted at least six seasons and as many as 10, depending on the voter’s perspective. From 2005 to 2014, he had a 127 OPS-plus and ranked second among second basemen in extra-base hits behind Robinson Canó, who was suspended twice for failing a drug test. Utley also had the second-most wins above replacement of any player, trailing only Albert Pujols.

    It took four years for Beltrán to clear the 75% mark. The delay was a referendum on neither his two-way greatness nor his postseason brilliance but rather his role in the illegal sign-stealing scheme that aided the Astros’ 2017 World Series title in Beltrán’s 20th and final season.

    But Beltran was a nine-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner. He was among four players to reach 2,700 hits, 400 homers, and 300 steals, joining Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, and Alex Rodríguez.

    Jones waited nine years to get elected, largely because of his sharp decline after his age-30 season and domestic violence charges filed against him in 2012. His candidacy appeared to stall over the last two years, but he made the jump from 66.2% last year.

    A 10-time Gold Glove winner, Jones hit 434 career homers in 17 major league seasons.

  • Paul George out Tuesday vs. Suns with left knee injury management

    Paul George out Tuesday vs. Suns with left knee injury management

    Paul George will miss Tuesday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns at Xfinity Mobile Arena with left knee injury management.

    This comes after the 76ers forward missed Monday’s 113-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers with the same designation. George is averaging 15.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 23 games. Tuesday’s game will mark the 19th game (of 42) that he has missed this season. George missed the start of the season after recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in the offseason.

    Sixers center Joel Embiid (right ankle injury management) is also sidelined due to not being cleared to play on both nights of back-to-backs. The 7-foot-2, 280-pounder finished with a game-high 30 points on Monday.

    With the star duo out, Andre Drummond and Kelly Oubre Jr. join Dominick Barlow, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe in Tuesday’s starting lineup.

  • The reeling Flyers needed a spark Monday. Bobby Brink provided it in his first game back from a concussion.

    The reeling Flyers needed a spark Monday. Bobby Brink provided it in his first game back from a concussion.

    SANDY, Utah ― Was Bobby Brink the Flyers’ good luck charm?

    Without Brink, the Flyers lost six straight. After he returned Monday, they snapped the skid and beat the Vegas Golden Knights, a team that was on a seven-game heater.

    “I don’t think we changed anything,” he said Tuesday after the Flyers had a high-tempo practice at the Utah Mammoth’s practice facility near the picturesque Wasatch Mountains. “Sometimes you’re going to go through tough stretches [and] you play a long season. The way we were playing worked for us earlier in the year; it’ll work again. So, I think we showed that [Monday] night, didn’t change a thing, and it worked out for us.”

    Flyers takeaways from ‘a gutsy win’ against the Golden Knights

    While Brink will, of course, not take any credit for being a catalyst, the coach did think his return helped boost the Flyers’ game.

    “Really, really well,” Rick Tocchet said of Brink’s game.

    “Bobby, for a guy that’s been out for a couple of weeks with that injury … I just like his speed to the middle. I mean, it’s noticeable when you’re on the bench, when you have those guys that can carry that puck with speed, separate, and transport the puck. We missed that speed from him.”

    That injury was a concussion.

    The Flyers forward missed the entire six-game losing streak after getting blindsided by Jansen Harkins in the first period of the Flyers’ 5-2 victory against the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 6.

    It was the first time in his hockey career that he dealt with this type of injury.

    “A concussion is never easy,” he said Tuesday. “It’s a different type of injury than a lot of, maybe arms and legs and stuff. But the medical staff was good to me, and we got through it, and now I’m back playing.”

    Concussion recovery is not a straight line. Steps and milestones must be met in a graded return-to-play progression before one can put a game jersey back on.

    “Just slowly kind of work up to game-level again,” he said of the ramping-up process. “Try to keep the symptoms to the least amount that you can and try not to elevate them as you’re working. Work on some vision stuff and balance, and try to rewire the brain to make it feel good again.”

    Bobby Brink missed six games with a concussion after taking a blindside hit against Anaheim on Jan. 6.

    According to the NHL’s concussion evaluation and management protocol, a player can only return when he does not have symptoms at rest, the symptoms do not return when he exerts himself at an NHL game’s pace, and the team’s doctors confirm he has returned to neurological and neurocognitive baselines.

    Although Tocchet said they may monitor his ice time because of the injury, Brink skated 13 minutes, 28 seconds Monday, including more than two minutes on the power play. Tocchet did say some of his cut-back ice time was due to the exorbitant amount of penalties (seven) the Flyers took in the game. Brink had one shot on goal, two missed shots, and blocked two more.

    Travis Konecny scores twice, Flyers snap six-game losing streak with 2-1 win at Vegas

    And he was back on a line with Matvei Michkov and Noah Cates.

    The trio played together in nine games before Brink got hurt, beginning on Dec. 16 in Montreal. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers scored five goals and allowed one with a 64.63% expected goal share. On Monday, when they were on the ice against the Golden Knights, the Flyers had seven shot attempts and allowed eight. They outshot the opposition 4-2, but allowed two scoring chances.

    “It’s never fun sitting and watching, so it was good to be able to kind of come back and get in the game and go to battle with the guys,” Brink said.

    Brink has 11 goals and 20 points in 42 games this season. The 24-year-old is one goal away from tying his career high set last season in 79 games and is shooting a career-best 15.3%. He is tied with Cates for the team lead in game-winning goals and has four points on the power play.

    Breakaways

    Forward Sean Couturier did not participate in Tuesday’s practice. “Maintenance day,” Tocchet said. “Just wanted to give him a rest.” … Goalie Dan Vladař did not participate in practice but did skate on his own on the other rink in Utah during the team’s practice time. Vladař was placed on injured reserve on Monday after suffering an undisclosed injury in the Flyers’ loss to the Buffalo Sabres last Wednesday. … Asked about Rodrigo Ābols, Tocchet didn’t want to say he would be out for months, “but it was a pretty tough injury.” Ābols was injured Saturday against the New York Rangers when he appeared to get his right toe stuck in the ice along the boards in the offensive zone, and his ankle buckled. He was unable to put weight on the leg as he was helped off. One of the first players named to Latvia’s team for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, he was replaced on the nation’s roster on Sunday.

  • Disabled Delaware immigrant ordered back to Ecuador at climactic hearing on Tuesday

    Disabled Delaware immigrant ordered back to Ecuador at climactic hearing on Tuesday

    A disabled Ecuadorian immigrant who was arrested and detained by ICE after he flagged down an officer in September was ordered back to his homeland on Tuesday.

    Victor Acurio Suarez, who is 52 but childlike and unable to live on his own, was issued an order of voluntary departure by Immigration Judge Dennis Ryan.

    That is not the same as an order of deportation, but for migrants in detention it has the same practical effect. If Acurio Suarez were to refuse to leave voluntarily, the order would convert to a deportation order, which carries consequences including fines and a bar on reentry.

    “It’s not good news,” his attorney, Kaley Miller-Schaeffer, said shortly after the video hearing concluded.

    She plans to quickly appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals, which can review decisions by immigration judges. It is uncertain if an appeal would be successful.

    The judge denied her client’s request for asylum, which can be granted to migrants who could face persecution in their home countries because of their race, religion, nationality, politics, or membership in a particular social group. Acurio Suarez was beaten by gangs who preyed upon his disabilities, his attorney said.

    Miller-Schaeffer said she was not able to speak with her client after the ruling. His brother, Lenin Acurio Suarez, was still processing the decision, she said.

    Lenin Acurio Suarez holds a photograph of his brother, Victor, at his home on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025 in Seaford. Victor was arrested by ICE in Seaford, De.

    Victor Acurio Suarez’s case drew support from Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, who wrote to the judge that it would be “cruel” and “egregious” to deliver the Seaford resident to gang violence. Meyer also advocated for Acurio Suarez in social media posts, calling his arrest and detention “deeply disturbing” and arguing that with no criminal history, not even a traffic violation, Acurio Suarez “poses no threat to public safety.”

    The governor’s office did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Tuesday.

    Acurio Suarez has long been cared for by his brother, Lenin Acurio Suarez, who said in an interview last month that Victor Acurio Suarez did not realize he was in immigration custody when he was taken to the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania. He thought he was on vacation, provided with three free meals a day and allowed to buy snacks and kick a soccer ball.

    He was arrested on Sept. 22 in a Lowe’s parking lot near the brothers’ home in Seaford when he tried to flag down a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, apparently thinking the officer could help him find work.

    In the past, someone with Acurio Suarez’s profile might have been allowed to live at home as the case moved forward in immigration court. That has changed as President Donald Trump has pressed his mass-deportation agenda, and mandatory detention policies have swelled the number of people in custody.

    His case, Miller-Schaeffer said earlier, is a prime example of how Trump administration policy shifts have encouraged ICE to detain even the most vulnerable and to treat potential discretionary relief as irrelevant in a bid to boost deportations. Her Sept. 30 request to have Acurio Suarez released to the care of his brother while his immigration case went forward was denied.

    A medical assessment submitted for his asylum application said Acurio Suarez has autism and aphasia, a language disorder that affects his ability to produce or understand speech.

    David W. Baron, the doctor who did the assessment, said Acurio Suarez cannot safely live on his own. He requires supervision to perform daily hygiene activities or cook and has a hard time communicating his needs to others, a condition made worse by being in an unfamiliar setting while in detention, where he does not have access to the support needed for his neurocognitive disabilities.

    At an earlier court hearing, Miller-Schaeffer said, she watched as Acurio Suarez struggled to answer basic questions. He told the judge he didn’t know if he had an attorney or know what an attorney does.

    His ability to testify was so limited, she said, that the judge allowed his brother to take the stand to explain his sibling’s experience and situation.

    Acurio Suarez can recall big events in his life, she said. He remembers being beaten by gangs, but he couldn’t tell you exactly when that occurred.

    He worked at odd jobs in Ecuador before coming to this country.

    Records show that on Aug. 2, 2021, the brothers were stopped by the U.S. Border Patrol as they tried to enter the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas.

    Lenin Acurio Suarez was issued a notice to appear in court and released, and his immigration case was later dismissed.

    Victor Acurio Suarez was ordered deported and subsequently returned to Ecuador on Sept. 24. Three days later, for reasons that are unclear, the deportation order was found to have been issued incorrectly, and Acurio Suarez was brought back by authorities to the U.S.

    In October 2021, he was granted temporary permission to stay in the country. He had filed his asylum case by the time that permission expired a year later.

    Last year, according to an ICE report, on Sept. 22 an ICE team was conducting operations in Seaford, a southern Delaware city of 9,000 where 13% of the population is foreign-born.

    The ICE officer wrote that he was looking for a place to park in the Lowe’s lot when a man in paint-stained clothing, Acurio Suarez, approached him. Acurio Suarez waved his hand, signaling the officer to come to him, according to the ICE report.

    The officer kept going, then stopped his car and watched Acurio Suarez from another lot. Acurio Suarez tried to hail other cars, and could be seen talking to people who were loading lumber onto a trailer in the parking lot, he said.

    It looked as if Acurio Suarez was trying to find daily work, which is why he tried to get the ICE officer to stop his vehicle, the report said.

    It is common for undocumented immigrants seeking a day’s pay to wait in the parking lots of big home-improvement stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot, hoping to connect with building contractors who need laborers.

    Lenin Acurio Suarez said his brother cannot hold a full-time job, and is able only to handle small tasks, provided someone is beside him giving directions.

    A second ICE officer arrived, and both parked their cars near where Acurio Suarez had left his lunch box. Acurio Suarez walked back toward the officers, and one of the agents approached and questioned him.

    Acurio Suarez told the agents he had no identification or immigration documents and was placed in handcuffs.

  • Why is a Pennsylvania school celebrating Indiana’s national title? It’s more than the name.

    Why is a Pennsylvania school celebrating Indiana’s national title? It’s more than the name.

    Despite sharing half a name, Indiana University of Pennsylvania has no connection to Indiana University (located in Bloomington, Ind.). So why are some IUP alumni celebrating after the other Indiana won its first football national championship on Monday night in Miami?

    The answer is Curt Cignetti. Before Cignetti’s Indiana team completed arguably the most improbable undefeated season in the history of the sport with a 27-21 win over the Hurricanes on their home field, Cignetti was the coach at Division II IUP.

    Cignetti left his spot on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama in 2011 to take the IUP job, which was his first head coaching job. Cignetti’s father, Frank Cignetti Sr., played football at IUP and spent 20 seasons as the school’s head coach before retiring in 2005.

    Curt Cignetti’s path to the CFP national championship included a stop at Temple and lessons from John Chaney

    Curt Cignetti amassed a 53-17 record in six seasons with the Crimson Hawks, departing in 2016 to become the head coach at FCS Elon. Two of Cignetti’s assistants at Indiana, offensive coordinator Michael Shanahan and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, were on staff with Cignetti at IUP.

    So while the Hoosiers and the Crimson Hawks are not connected in any official capacity, IUP fans have plenty of reason to celebrate the Hoosiers’ perfect season. Cignetti even gave a nod to his IUP roots while on the podium with ESPN.

    “Back when I was waxing the staff table at IUP, Thanksgiving weekend and the school was shut down for the playoffs, did I ever think something like this was possible?” Cignetti said. “Probably not. But if you keep your nose down in life and keep working, anything is possible.”

    The school shared a video clip of Cignetti’s podium remarks on its official Facebook page.

    “Congratulations Coach Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers!” IUP’s post read. “We are so proud to be a part of your story!”

    Many members of the IUP community took to social media to express their excitement about the Crimson Hawks being represented on college football’s biggest stage.

    “My freshman year at IUP was Curt Cignetti’s final season coaching our D2 football program,” Seth Woolcock posted on X. “The field there is named after his dad. This guy is Western PA born & raised. Watching him take IU to the Natty is the greatest sports feat of my lifetime.”

    A few posters pointed out that Cignetti is not the only prominent coach to spend time at IUP. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni spent three years coaching wide receivers for the Crimson Hawks before joining the pro ranks in 2009.

    “We wake up this morning to the fact that the winning head coaches of the most recent CFP and the Super Bowl were once coaches at IUP,” Matt Burglund posted on X on Tuesday morning.

    Nick Sirianni’s relative, Pete, made the same connection between Cignetti and the Eagles coach. Pete’s post references IUP alum Ben McAdoo’s unsuccessful stint as head coach of the New York Giants, acknowledging that “the IUP Difference only works for some.”

    IUP had connections to both sides of Monday night’s title game, as Miami’s athletic director, Dan Radakovich, played football for the Crimson Hawks and graduated from IUP in 1980. Cignetti’s connection to the school seemed to overpower any Miami favoritism among IUP fans.

    “Our Pick?” the IUP Alumni Association wrote in a Monday morning Facebook post. “I-N-D-I-A-N-A all the way!”

  • Philadelphia building trades unions will loan $50M to help redevelop the dilapidated Brith Sholom House

    Philadelphia building trades unions will loan $50M to help redevelop the dilapidated Brith Sholom House

    A coalition of building trades unions will lend the Philadelphia Housing Authority $50 million out of its pension fund to help finance the redevelopment of Brith Sholom House, a dilapidated senior apartment complex in West Philadelphia.

    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and her longtime political ally Ryan N. Boyer, the business manager of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, announced the arrangement Tuesday and framed it as a first-of-its-kind approach to expanding the city’s affordable housing stock.

    Under the terms of the deal, PHA will repay the building trades over 15 years at a 4.5% interest rate. PHA President and CEO Kelvin Jeremiah called it a good deal for taxpayers as banks and traditional financing institutions are lending at higher rates.

    The city is guaranteeing the loan. Parker said the outcome will be 336 units of affordable housing for seniors on fixed incomes. Members of the building trades unions will perform the work at the site.

    “This isn’t an investment for the building trades,” Boyer said. “It’s a down payment on our city’s future.”

    Boyer, one of the most powerful nonelected political figures in the state, has been a longtime ally to Parker and much of City Council. The trades unions poured millions into Parker’s run for mayor in 2023 and have remained largely in lockstep with her. Boyer led the mayor’s transition team and has been a key voice on her signature housing plan, which stands to generate thousands of construction jobs.

    The trades’ $50 million investment comes in addition to the $99.6 million that the housing authority is spending on a gut rehabilitation of the Wynnefield apartment complex, bringing the total cost of the project to $150 million.

    A protestor carries a sign to protest the living conditions at Brith Sholom House apartments, in Philadelphia, on Friday, April 12, 2024.

    Jeremiah said he has been “shocked and dismayed” by the conditions at Brith Sholom, which was so neglected under its previous owners that tenants were forced to move out.

    Work will begin late this year and is expected to take about 20 months to complete, Jeremiah said, meaning tenants may not be able to move back in until 2028. He had previously estimated a timeline that would have allowed residents to return this year.

    Brith Sholom fell into disrepair under its previous owners, the New Jersey-based Puretz family. A 2024 Inquirer investigation found that members of the family became one of the nation’s largest affordable housing purveyors by buying up old buildings, saddling them with debt, and then defaulting on loans.

    At Brith Sholom, the Puretz family profited while defaulting on a $36 million mortgage and amassing dozens of code violations. Residents — who organized to save their homes — complained of deteriorating infrastructure, threats of utility shutoffs, squatters, and severe pest infestations.

    In a bid to preserve the building and reuse it in part as subsidized housing, PHA acquired Brith Sholom House in August 2024 for $24 million.

    In addition to the price of the acquisition, Jeremiah estimated in 2024 that the cost of rehabilitating the building would be an additional $30 million to $40 million. PHA said then that the remaining 111 elderly residents in the 360-unit building would be able to remain in place.

    Three months later, Jeremiah informed the tenants that Brith Sholom was in such ragged shape that they would have to be moved out to repair the building. Some units were so badly damaged that PHA could not fix them.

    Following the acquisition of Brith Sholom, PHA has embarked on an ambitious $6.3 billion, 10-year plan that includes the purchase of 4,000 other privately held apartments. In the face of a glut of market-rate multifamily properties, many developers have struggled to charge the rents they need to pay back their loans — and the housing authority has been able to purchase buildings from such companies across the city.

    City Council President Kenyatta Johnson speaks during a news conference about the plan to redevelop Brith Sholom. At right is Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.

    Parker also said the investment at Brith Sholom is part of her signature housing initiative, called Housing Opportunities Made Easy, or H.O.M.E. The mayor — who has promised to build, redevelop, and preserve more than 30,000 units of housing — is in the midst of continued negotiations with City Council over H.O.M.E.’s first-year budget.

    Council in December gave initial approval to changes to legislation related to Parker’s housing initiative, which set income eligibility thresholds for two housing programs funded by H.O.M.E.’s bond proceeds. Parker wanted a higher threshold so middle-class residents could access the programs, while Council’s version aims to prioritize poorer Philadelphians.

    Council could take a final vote on the related legislation as early as Thursday, when lawmakers return to session following their winter break.

    Philly Council votes against Mayor Parker’s vision for her signature housing plan, signaling a win for progressives

    Throughout the contentious process, Parker has said her administration is committed to affordable housing for lower-income Philadelphians. The collaboration with PHA to remake Brith Sholom, she said, is part of that effort.

    “It’s not just for one particular constituency,” Parker said Tuesday about her overarching housing plan. “I’m personally on a mission to save Philly rowhomes. We’re trying to address our housing crisis and doing it for Philadelphians from all walks of life.”

    Parker was joined at the news conference Tuesday by Council President Kenyatta Johnson, despite the two being at odds over the H.O.M.E. legislation in recent months. Johnson praised the mayor’s leadership and said the financing arrangement for Brith Sholom is remedying a “miscarriage of justice.”

    “This is the type of work that helps those most in need,” Johnson said, “which is our seniors, who deserve to live out the twilight of their lives in dignity.”