Koh Samui French Zoo Owner Sought After Deportation Order Issued

The Pakistani-American community has received a major recognition in California, with the state Senate unanimously approving a resolution honoring its contributions to the state’s economy, culture and social life. The resolution also highlights the long-standing relationship between Pakistan and the United States, placing particular emphasis on the role Pakistani-Americans have played in strengthening ties between the two countries. Introduced by State Senator Melissa Hurtado, the resolution recognises the achievements of Pakistani-Americans across different fields and acknowledges their contribution to California’s continued development. A similar resolution reported by California authorities and Pakistani diplomatic sources was unanimously approved by the Senate, underscoring the community’s growing presence and influence in the state. Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, welcomed the unanimous approval and expressed gratitude to Senator Hurtado for her leadership and efforts in recognising the Pakistani-American community. The ambassador also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening people-to-people contacts and building on positive developments in Pakistan-US relations. The resolution also recognises the role of Pakistani-American entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders in promoting economic cooperation. Their involvement in business and investment, particularly in technology and other emerging sectors, has helped create opportunities for stronger commercial links between Pakistan and the United States. Sheikh’s engagement with California comes as Pakistani officials seek to expand economic, political and community-level ties with the state. During his visit, he met with state lawmakers and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation. The recognition carries significance beyond the Pakistani-American community itself. California is one of the world’s largest economic centres and home to a diverse population, making acknowledgement by its legislature an important symbol of the community’s growing role. The resolution also praised Ambassador Sheikh’s efforts to promote Pakistan-US relations. For Pakistani-Americans, the Senate’s recognition represents more than a ceremonial gesture. It highlights decades of community participation, professional success and cultural engagement while offering a fresh opportunity to deepen connections between California and Pakistan. The development is expected to further encourage people-to-people, economic and cultural exchanges between the two sides.

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders seeking to restrict birthright citizenship, renewing his administration’s challenge to a constitutional provision just weeks after the Supreme Court rejected his earlier attempt. The new orders, signed on Thursday, take a narrower approach than Trump’s previous directive and focus on specific categories of children born in the United States. The administration argues that the measures fall outside the scope of the Supreme Court’s June 30 ruling. Birthright citizenship has been a central issue in Trump’s immigration agenda, with the White House particularly targeting what it describes as “birth tourism” — a practice in which pregnant foreign nationals travel to the US to give birth so their children can obtain American citizenship. At the signing ceremony in the Oval Office, White House aide Stephen Miller said the administration was formally moving to end the practice, declaring that “birth tourism” was banned under the new orders. The executive orders also seek to restrict citizenship rights for children born to certain foreign government employees and children of people classified as “alien enemies.” They could potentially have implications for people born in US territories if Congress approves proposed legislation seeking to end automatic citizenship there. Trump’s latest move comes only weeks after the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against his earlier attempt to restrict birthright citizenship. His first executive order, issued in 2025, instructed federal agencies not to recognise citizenship for children born in the US when neither parent was an American citizen or lawful permanent resident. The 14th Amendment has traditionally been interpreted as guaranteeing citizenship to people born on US soil, with limited exceptions including children of foreign diplomats and members of an enemy occupying force. Trump criticised the Supreme Court ruling, calling it a “very unfortunate decision” and arguing that businesses and individuals were exploiting the citizenship system through birth tourism. However, legal experts and immigrant rights groups have questioned whether the new orders can withstand judicial scrutiny. The American Civil Liberties Union predicted that the administration’s latest effort would fail in court, while advocates accused Trump of attempting to bypass the Supreme Court. Deborah Fleischaker of UnidosUS said the high court had recently reaffirmed that birthright citizenship was a constitutional guarantee and argued that presidents could not alter it through executive action. The 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause states that all persons born or naturalised in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction are US citizens. The Supreme Court’s June ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, reaffirmed the principle that citizenship represents the right to participate fully in the country’s political community. The latest orders are therefore expected to trigger another legal battle, potentially putting Trump’s immigration policies and the constitutional interpretation of birthright citizenship back before the courts.