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Virginia jobs caught in cross-border dispute over company’s operations in Mexico | Virginia

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-25 13:01:00

(The Center Square) – A U.S.-based construction materials company, with operations supporting thousands of jobs in Virginia, is at the center of a growing trade dispute as lawmakers urge the Mexican government to reconsider actions they say undermine investor confidence and violate international agreements.

In a recent letter to Mexican Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., expressed their concern over the government’s efforts to expropriate property from the company.

“Vulcan Materials Company, a global leader in construction materials based in Alabama, has been operating in Mexico for over three decades… supporting thousands of jobs in Mexico and across Virginia and Tennessee,” the senators wrote.

Vulcan Materials Company, which supplies construction aggregates used in projects across the United States, has operated in Mexico for over 30 years. The U.S. Senators said that the Mexican government’s disruption of Vulcan’s operations may violate protections established under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

The trade tensions follow recent efforts in Congress to address property seizures abroad. Hagerty also introduced the Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2024, which would identify property in foreign ports controlled by U.S. persons and restrict access to those ports if the property is nationalized or expropriated without due process.

The senators also emphasized that these actions “undermine efforts to strengthen these ties, as they create a perception of unpredictability toward foreign investments.”

They further warned that the Mexican government’s actions are “a critical blow to investor confidence under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.”

The letter urges the Mexican government to “reconsider its actions against Vulcan and to work with the company toward a resolution that respects the rights of foreign investors and Mexico’s commitments under international agreements.”

The senators highlighted the importance of a stable investment environment.

“By doing so, Mexico would demonstrate its commitment to honoring the principles of respect, transparency, and legal certainty that foster a stable and welcoming environment for all businesses,” the senators wrote.

They also noted that “Vulcan remains ready and willing to negotiate… to reach an amicable solution” and encouraged them to “cease unfounded public accusations against the company as you work to resolve the issue.”

They closed the letter by expressing that they are ready to “work with you to strengthen the bonds between our countries” and their hope that the Mexican government will “take the necessary steps to address our bipartisan concerns.”

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News from the South - Tennessee News Feed

Fireworks will light up this Fourth of July. Next year could be different if tariff talks fizzle

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wpln.org – Tony Gonzalez – 2025-07-01 04:31:00

SUMMARY: Fireworks for U.S. Fourth of July celebrations rely heavily on imports from China, which produces 99% of consumer and 90% of professional fireworks used in the country. The ongoing U.S.-China trade war and tariffs threaten to increase costs, creating uncertainty for small businesses and volunteer groups that fund local fireworks shows. Despite a temporary 90-day tariff pause, industry experts warn prices could soar, forcing show organizers to potentially shorten displays or substitute cheaper fireworks. Annual fundraising efforts, like those at Elephant Butte Lake State Park in New Mexico, remain crucial to maintaining traditions that celebrate national pride and community spirit.

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Garcia to remain in federal custody until July 16 hearing | Tennessee

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-06-30 15:55:00


Kilmar Abrego Garcia remains in federal custody following a Monday ruling by Magistrate Barbara D. Holmes. Garcia faces federal human smuggling charges related to a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop where he was caught driving an SUV with eight passengers, suspected of smuggling them for money. Garcia sought release, citing conflicting government statements about potential removal to a third country before trial. Holmes noted these conflicting positions and decided Garcia will stay detained until a July 16 hearing. He is to be held separately from other inmates and given private access to his defense counsel. Garcia was recently returned to the U.S. after deportation to El Salvador.

(The Center Square) – Kilmar Abrego Garcia is not getting out of jail for now.

The Monday ruling from federal Magistrate Barbara D. Holmes comes at the request of Garcia, who is facing federal charges of human smuggling. Garcia is concerned “based on purported conflicting statements by the government, specifically that it intends to remove Abrego to a third country upon his return to DHS custody following release in this case and that it would ensure Abrego is not removed before trial on the instant criminal charges,” Holmes said in the ruling.

Holmes previously said that Garcia should be released but acknowledged that he would likely remain in federal custody. In her ruling Monday, Holmes said she considered the “perceived conflicting positions taken by the government regarding whether it will deport Abrego pending final disposition of this case including the further review by the District Judge of the government’s request for pretrial detention.”

The ruling means Garcia will be held in federal custody until a July 16 hearing.

“He shall, to the extent practicable, be held separately from persons awaiting or serving sentences or being held in custody pending appeal and he shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity for private consultation with defense counsel,” Holmes said in her ruling.

Garcia was returned to the U.S. after being deported to El Salvador to stand trial on charges of “alien smuggling” and “conspiracy to commit alien smuggling.”

The smuggling charges stem from a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop. Garcia was driving an SUV with eight passengers. One of the officers believed that he was smuggling them, remarking in a video of the traffic stop that he was “hauling these people for money.”

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Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article presents a straightforward report on the federal magistrate’s ruling regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s detention without promoting or endorsing any political viewpoint. The language used is factual and neutral, focusing on legal proceedings and specific court statements without commentary or emotionally charged phrasing. It describes the charges, court decisions, and events sequentially without framing the issue through a particular ideological lens. Thus, the content adheres to neutral, factual reporting rather than expressing or implying a political bias.

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Judge again delays Abrego Garcia’s release from Tennessee jail over deportation concerns

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www.wkrn.com – TRAVIS LOLLER and BEN FINLEY, Associated Press – 2025-06-30 15:06:00

SUMMARY: Kilmar Abrego Garcia remains jailed in Tennessee amid concerns he could be deported before trial on human smuggling charges. His lawyers highlighted conflicting statements from the Trump administration about his immigration status, fearing immediate deportation despite pending charges. Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March, violating a 2019 judge’s order due to credible gang threats. The administration returned him to face charges, which his attorneys call baseless. Although a judge ruled he is neither a flight risk nor a danger, concerns over ICE’s authority to deport him have delayed his release. A July hearing will reconsider his detention.

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