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Experts say Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil can’t be deported without due process

(NEW YORK) -- The detaining of Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University student and Palestinian activist who possessed a green card, has raised questions about the deportation risks faced by lawful permanent residents amid the Trump administration's escalating crackdown on immigration.

President Donald Trump's administration, which has alleged that Khalil was a supporter of Hamas, has said it has the authority to deport Khalil under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

"Secretary [Marco] Rubio reserves the right to revoke the visa of Mahmoud Khalil under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Secretary of State has the right to revoke a green card or a visa for individuals who are adversarial to the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States of America," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press conference this week.

Khalil, whose detention has sparked protests this week, is married to an American citizen who is eight months pregnant.

Under the Immigration Nationality Act, which experts say is rarely invoked, the government can charge a green card holder as being deportable without being convicted of a crime if there are reasonable grounds to believe they engaged in certain criminal or terrorist activities.

But experts and immigration attorneys ABC News spoke with said the statute does not give the secretary of state the power to deport green card holders like Khalil without going through a procedure.

"The way the statute is constructed, it doesn't mean that Secretary Rubio can just say, 'Oh, I determined this, and therefore we're just going to deport you out of the country,'" said Greg Chen of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. "You would still need to go through a process."

After the federal government invokes the statute, individuals like Khalil are entitled to argue their case before an immigration judge. Khalil is set to appear before an immigration judge later this month in Louisiana.

"There are some due process and protective procedures that the person is entitled to," Chen said, "including being given a notice of the charges, and an opportunity to confront that evidence and to bring his or her own evidence in response."

Chen told ABC News that typically it can take months or even years for immigration cases to "go from start to finish" -- but because of Khalil's "unique circumstances," a judge can prioritize a case and expedite the process.

Experts told ABC News there are a number of reasons why an individual could lose their green card, including marriage fraud, immigration fraud, violent crimes and other offenses.

Andrew Nietor, an immigration attorney, told ABC News said that while there are cases where the government invokes the Immigration and Nationality Act for certain green card holders with criminal convictions, he said he has never seen a case like Khalil's.

"I've never seen this ground of deportation invoked," Nietor said. "It's almost always a green card holder who is almost always in deportation proceedings because of some type of criminal conviction."

When an organization fails in its mission, the employees lose their jobs.

The headquarters of the U.S. Department of Eduction, which were ordered closed for the day for what officials described as security reasons amid large-scale layoffs, are seen Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

The Left – which for this discussion includes most Democratic members of Congress, most of the media, and the top leaders at the country’s teachers’ unions – is aghast that the Trump administration just laid off about 1,300 employees at the Department of Education. That’s roughly half the staff.

National Education Association president Becky Pringle’s statement was predictably apocalyptic and predictably predictable. She said:

Firing – without cause – nearly half of the Department of Education staff means they are getting rid of the dedicated public servants who help ensure our nation’s students have access to the programs and resources to keep class sizes down and expand learning opportunities for students so they can grow into their full brilliance. The Trump administration has abandoned students, parents, and educators across the nation.”

Will someone help me here? Can someone please show me how the Department of Education has been helping American students grow into their “full brilliance?” Because the data I read says that reading, math scores and overall educational attainment scores have been in freefall since the Department of Education was created under Jimmy Carter in 1979.

Most Americans alive today don’t remember when American public education was the envy of the world. American public schools, under the control of the citizens in the communities that they served (that’s why we persist in calling them “independent” school districts in Texas), did an amazing job turning out young adults that were competent in math, English, history, geography, and the basic sciences.

That was then.

America now ranks fourth in the world – behind Luxembourg, Norway and Iceland – in education spending per pupil yet ranks a dismal 31^st in student achievement.

Emblazoned at the top of the Department of Education website you’ll see the words, “Fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.” The part about “equal access” harkens back to the vestiges of discrimination against black students that still existed in 1979. Let’s leave that discussion for another time and for now agree that “fostering educational excellence” is simply not happening.

What is happening is that the Department of Education is passing out money. Gobs of it. Just for the exercise I clicked on the “Grants and Programs” tab on the department website. That’s where I found the link to the “Asian American and Pacific Islander Data Disaggregation Initiative.” (No, I have no idea what that means.)

So, I dug a little deeper and learned that this program works, “…in consortia with local educational agencies to obtain and evaluate disaggregated data on English Learner AAPI subpopulations…” (Rule of thumb. If a federal program can’t be explained in plain English, the program is very likely a total waste of money.)

But with due respect to “data disaggregation” and all, the Department of Education cost $268 billion in 2024 and yet American kids can’t read or do math at grade level. Since its establishment in 1979, the DOE has, by any objective measure, failed to improve education in America.

If half the employees just got laid off, we should ask, “When will the rest get their pink slips?”

Dakota Johnson filmed on set of Colleen Hoover’s ‘Verity’ film adaption

Jason Howard/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images via Getty Images

Dakota Johnson was spotted on the streets of New York City filming for the upcoming movie Verity.

Johnson was spotted on the streets of Manhattan on March 12 surrounded by film crews while shooting the film adaption of Colleen Hoover's popular novel of the same name.

In photos and a video from the shoot, Johnson dons a long beige peacoat and headphones while walking down 41st Street.

In another photo Johnson can be seen getting splashed with what appears to be a red substance on the street.

Also spotted in the photographs is Josh Hartnett, who is slated to star alongside Johnson in the film.

As previously announced, Anne Hathaway is set to star in the film as the movie's namesake character, bestselling author Verity Crawford, with Hartnett playing her husband, Jeremy Crawford, and Johnson playing a struggling writer named Lowen Ashleigh.

The official synopsis reads, "Lowen Ashleigh (Johnson) is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford (Hartnett), husband of best-selling thriller author Verity Crawford (Hathaway), has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series that his wife is unable to finish after a mysterious accident."

"Upon arrival at the lavish Crawford estate, Lowen slowly learns that things are not exactly as they seem with the discovery of a secret, unfinished manuscript that may divulge chilling admissions about the family's past," the synopsis continues. "As Lowen ingratiates herself with Jeremy and his young son Crew, she must discern if Verity's writings are merely lurid works of fiction or an ominous warning by a deranged psychopath."

Michael Showalter is slated to direct the project for Amazon MGM Studios.

Maintenance hole explosion at Texas Tech University causes fires, outages and cancels classes

LUBBOCK (AP) — The power started to come back on Thursday at the Texas Tech University campus in Lubbock several hours after an explosion inside a maintenance hole set off fires and power outages, leading school officials to issue evacuation orders for several buildings and cancel classes for the rest of the week, university police said.

The explosion happened Wednesday evening at the Engineering Key section of campus, which was evacuated. Students were advised Thursday to avoid the area until further notice.

“I heard an explosion and then saw a smoke ring, almost like a cartoon or something,” doctoral degree student Robert Gauthreaux III told KCBD-TV. “It traveled about 200 feet in the air.”

Gauthreaux said he went inside the architecture building, which lost power. He said he and others tried to help someone who was trapped inside an elevator.

Power was being shut down to the entire campus while repairs were underway, said Caitlynn Jeffries, a spokesperson for the university’s police department. She asked that all public and unofficial personnel avoid campus.

“You can go ahead and go home for spring break. We are closing school down for the next couple days,” Jeffries said at a news media briefing.

Firefighters responded to campus about 7 p.m. for a possible gas leak, Lubbock Fire Rescue Capt. Jon Tunnell said at the briefing. They found “multiple manhole covers with active fire and smoke issuing from them,” he said.

No injuries were reported, Tunnell said.

An alert from the university sent to the campus community before the news conference had described the explosion as occurring at a substation.

Videos circulating on social media and TV stations showed a heavy presence of firefighters on campus and fire and smoke coming out of at least one maintenance hole cover.

It wasn’t clear what might have caused the explosion.

There are more than 40,000 students at Texas Tech, and the school sits on 1,800 acres (728 hectares) in West Texas.

Dad gunned down in Southern California home invasion, 13-year-old son calls 911

(LOS ANGELES) -- Authorities are searching for the man who broke into a Los Angeles-area house and gunned down a father while his wife and son were home, officials said.

The 61-year-old victim was attacked at about 6:26 p.m. Tuesday at his home in Arcadia, about 8 miles east of Pasadena, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office said.

The 13-year-old son and his mother were pulling into their driveway when the intruder "approached them and forced them into the home" where there was a "confrontation" between the intruder and the father, sheriff’s Lt. Steven De Jong told Los Angeles ABC station KABC.

It's not clear if the boy and his mom witnessed the shooting, but De Jong called it a "very frightening situation for the entire family."

The 13-year-old son called 911 to report that his dad was shot by an intruder, De Jong said.

A motive is not known, but De Jong said "it appears that this is possibly personally motivated, from my preliminary inspection of the crime scene."

"This individual that made entry into the house engaged the male victim," he explained. "So it appears that maybe he was the intended target."

A "couple" weapons were recovered at the house, but it's not clear if they belonged to the suspect or the family, he said.

It's possible the dad "armed himself and attempted to defend himself," De Jong said.

No arrests have been made, according to the sheriff's office.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's homicide bureau at 323-890-5500.

98 protesters arrested at Trump Tower sit-in for detained activist Mahmoud Khalil

Alex Segre/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

(NEW YORK) -- At least 98 people were arrested Thursday at a protest in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan that called for the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil -- the pro-Palestinian activist and green card holder arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement this week.

Protesters are facing charges of trespass and resisting arrest, according to the New York Police Department.

Hundreds of Jewish protesters wearing "Not in Our Name" t-shirts staged a sit-in in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan. Protesters entered the lobby in two groups, including many who entered the public lobby area in civilian clothes hiding their protest gear underneath, according to police.

The NYPD said it is familiar with this protest group and its tactics. As in other Trump Tower incidents, police were only called to the public lobby area once Trump’s security deemed it necessary

The protesters carried banners in support of Khalil, who was a leader of protests against the war in Gaza at Columbia University, that said "Jews say Free Mahmoud & Free Palestine" and "Fight Nazis Not Students."

"As Jews of conscience, we know our history and we know where this leads. This is what fascists do as they cement control. This moment requires all people of conscience to take bold action to resist state violence and repression. Free Mahmoud now," Jane Hirschmann, a Jewish New Yorker whose grandfather and uncle were abducted by the Nazis during Hitler's rise to power, said in a statement.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations also announced it is filing a federal lawsuit on behalf of Khalil and other students against Columbia University and the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce over the committee's request to disclose thousands of student records.

Khalil, who has not been charged with a crime, is currently being held in Louisiana after being detained in New York earlier this week.

His wife, who is 8 months pregnant, said the couple have been preparing for the arrival of their baby.

"Mahmoud has been ripped away from me for no reason at all. I am pleading with the world to continue to speak up against his unjust and horrific detention by the Trump administration," she said in a statement to ABC News on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump's administration has alleged that Khalil -- who was a leader of the pro-Palestinian encampment protests on Columbia's campus -- was a supporter of Hamas. Baher Azmy, one of Khalil's lawyers, called his client's alleged alignment with Hamas "false and preposterous."

"Setting aside the false and preposterous premise that advocating on behalf of Palestinian human rights and to plead with public officials to stop an ongoing genocide constitutes alignment with Hamas, his speech is absolutely protected by the Constitution, and it should be chilling to everyone that the United States government could punish or try to deport someone because they disapprove of the speech they're engaged in," Azmy told ABC News on Monday.

The administration has not provided any evidence showing Khalil's alleged support for the militant group.

‘Black Mirror’ season 7 trailer shows off ‘USS Callister’ sequel

Black Mirror is coming back for more.

Netflix has released the trailer for season 7 of the sci-fi anthology series. The show returns to the streamer on April 10.

Notably, season 7 finds Black Mirror revisiting characters from a past season for the first time. The seventh season will mark the return of characters from the popular season 4 episode "USS Callister." This means Cristin Milioti and other key actors from that episode will return to continue their virtual voyage.

Milioti returns to her character Nanette Cole, a computer programmer who was sucked into a video game. Billy Magnussen, Milanka Brooks, Osy Ikhile and Jimmi Simpson will all also reprise their roles.

As for new actors joining the show, Michele Austin, Ben Bailey Smith, Asim Chaudhry, Josh Finan, James Nelson-Joyce, Will Poulter, Jay Simpson and Michael Workéyè are being added to the Black Mirror family.

Previously announced season 7 cast members include Awkwafina, Peter Capaldi, Emma Corrin, Patsy Ferran, Paul Giamatti, Lewis Gribben, Osy Ikhile, Rashida Jones, Siena Kelly, Rosy McEwen, Chris O’Dowd, Issa Rae, Paul G. Raymond, Tracee Ellis Ross and Harriet Walter.

Black Mirror was created by Charlie Brooker. He executive produces the show alongside Jessica Rhoades and Annabel Jones.

California man sentenced for cryptocurrency money laundering

TYLER – A California man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a cryptocurrency money laundering conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. John Khuu, 29, of San Francisco, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on March 12, 2025. According to information presented in court, Khuu conspired with others to launder the proceeds of his drug trafficking organization through cryptocurrency. Khuu illegally imported counterfeit pharmaceutical and MDMA (“ecstasy”) pills from Germany then distributed them to customers across the United States, primarily on dark web markets (DWMs). Customers paid for their purchases by transferring cryptocurrency, usually Bitcoin (BTC), from their DWM customer accounts to one of Khuu’s vendor accounts. Khuu and his co-conspirators traded the BTC for U.S. currency and laundered and transmitted the proceeds through hundreds of transactions and dozens of financial accounts. Continue reading California man sentenced for cryptocurrency money laundering

Immigrants fuel growth in major US urban counties

HOUSTON (AP) – Immigrants kept the largest urban counties in the U.S. growing last year.

Core counties in the Houston, Miami and Phoenix metropolitan areas grew more than any others in the country primarily because of people moving in from outside the United States, according to population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau released Thursday.

Without the international migration, Harris County, Texas, Miami-Dade County, Florida, and Maricopa County, Arizona, would have had nobody moving there last year. That’s because more people already living in the country moved out of than into those counties. Miami-Dade County would have lost population without the immigrants, since the number of births outpacing deaths wasn’t enough to overcome the tens of thousands of residents who moved out.

Immigration in 2024 drove the overall U.S. population growth to its fastest rate in 23 years as the nation surpassed 340 million residents. The Census Bureau changed how it counted immigrants last year by including more people who were admitted to the U.S. for humanitarian, and often temporary, reasons.

“A substantial excess of births over deaths has long been the primary driver of U.S. population growth, but as this surplus dwindled in the last four years immigration provided the bulk of the nation’s population increase,” Kenneth Johnson, a senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire, said in an email.
Domestic vs. international migrants

The 2024 estimates reflect a continued dissonance this decade between where current U.S. residents and immigrants choose to live. Immigrants last year moved to the urban cores of metro areas, while those already living in the country preferred counties in the far suburban reaches of metro areas.

The most popular counties for international migrants last year were Miami-Dade and Harris counties, followed by Los Angeles County and Cook County, Illinois, which is home to Chicago.

The most popular counties for domestic residents last year were Montgomery County, Texas, north of Houston; Pinal County, Arizona, southwest of Phoenix; and Pasco County, Florida, northeast of Tampa. Also at the top ranks were Polk County, Florida, located between Orlando and Tampa, and Collin County, Texas, in the far northern suburbs of metro Dallas.
New York is on the rebound

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in 2020, the New York metro area and others with some of the densest populations in the U.S. lost tens of thousands of residents to relocation.

But the region has been on the rebound since the pandemic subsided. The New York metro area — the largest in the U.S. with 19.9 million people — added more people than any other metropolitan area in the country last year. As 147,000 residents moved out, nearly 288,000 immigrants moved in, including tens of thousands who arrived on buses provided by the state of Texas. San Francisco and Washington, D.C., are other metro areas that have gained population through international migration, after initially losing them during the pandemic.

The New York metro area also had the nation’s largest natural growth last year, with nearly 214,000 births outpacing 141,000 deaths.

South Florida last year jumped two spots over metro Washington and metro Atlanta to become the sixth most populous metropolitan area in the United States. Metropolitan Charlotte, North Carolina, bypassed metro Baltimore for the 21st spot. Among counties, Tarrant County, Texas, home to Fort Worth, leapfrogged over San Bernardino County in South California as the nation’s 15th most populous county.

Deaths outpace births
in two-thirds of U.S. counties

Nearly two-thirds of the United States’ 3,144 counties grew last year. At the same, deaths outpaced births in two-thirds of U.S. counties, reflecting the reliance on immigration for growth throughout the United States in the years since the start of the pandemic. Nationwide, last year’s natural growth was less than half the average gain of 1.2 million people that the country experienced in the five years before the pandemic, Johnson said.

“These recent levels of natural decrease are unprecedented,” Johnson said.

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s sister receives bomb threat: Police

Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

(CHARLESTON, S.C.) -- The sister of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett was recently targeted with a bomb threat, the Charleston, South Carolina, Police Department said on Wednesday.

Over the weekend, an executive assistant at the Charleston County Sheriff's Department received an email just before midnight on March 8 with "a threat of a potential explosive device in a mailbox" at the home of Amanda Coney Williams, the sheriff's department said in a statement to ABC News.

The employee only works during the week, so she did not see the email until Monday morning, the sheriff's department said. After discovering the email, she notified Sheriff Carl Ritchie "within five minutes of arriving to work," to which Ritchie forwarded the email to the Charleston Police Department.

"Using a 1x8-inch threaded galvanized pipe, end caps, a kitchen timer, some wires, metal clips and homemade black powder, I've constructed a pipe bomb which I recently placed in Amy Coney Barrett's sister's mailbox at her home," according to the email obtained by the Charleston Police Department.

The email also said the "device's detonation will be triggered as soon as the mailbox is next opened," with the suspect signing off the email with "Free Palestine," police said.

Officers arrived at the residence at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Monday and inspected the mailbox, police said.

CPD's Explosive Device Team along with local fire and emergency medical services crews were also on the scene, according to police.

The incident was determined to be a false alarm, police said.

Investigators spoke to David Williams, the husband of Amanda Coney Williams, who said he was not sure who would target their residence, but stated "an unknown person possibly related to the sender of the email had attempted pizza deliveries to some households related to Amy Coney Barrett, sometime over the weekend," police said on Wednesday.

The investigation is still active, police said.

Justice Barrett was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020 during President Donald Trump's first term. She is a devout Catholic, mother of seven children and was the youngest Supreme Court nominee since Clarence Thomas in 1991.

Lunar eclipse visible tonight

TYLER – Our news partners at KETK report a total lunar eclipse will be visible for all of the United States Thursday Night & Friday Morning. The moon will be in its full moon phase and appear as a distinct reddish color in the skies over East Texas Thursday night. The Eclipse will begin around midnight central Daylight Time (CDT). The total lunar eclipse will be between 1:30 AM CDT and 2:30 AM CDT. You don’t need any special equipment like a telescope. We could see cloud cover in East Texas Thursday Night. However, there will be cloud breaks every so often for this stargazing treat. A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth passes between the sun and moon and earth’s shadow is cast directly on the surface of the moon. The moon will appear a reddish color and described as a “blood moon.” The last total lunar eclipse was visible in the United States on November 8th, 2022, the next lunar event won’t be visible in North America until March 2026.

Nikki Glaser returning to host the Golden Globes in 2026

The Golden Globes are doubling down on Nikki Glaser.

The comedian will officially return to host the 83rd annual awards ceremony in January 2026. It will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Glaser became the first woman to host the Golden Globes solo as she took on the role of host at the 2025 ceremony, which was broadcast on Jan. 5.

“Hosting the Golden Globes this year was without a doubt the most fun I have ever had in my career,” Glaser said in a press release. “I can’t wait to do it again, and this time in front of the team from The White Lotus who will finally recognize my talent and cast me in season four as a Scandinavian pilates instructor with a shadowy past.”

Helen Hoehne, the president of the Golden Globes, expressed excitement at the thought of Glaser returning to host.

“Nikki Glaser brought a refreshing spark and fearless wit to the Golden Globes stage this year. Her sharp humor, and bold presence set the tone for an unforgettable night, making the ceremony feel vibrant and most of all fun," Hoehne said.

Longview company lays off 68 employees

LONGVIEW – HATCO in Longview laid off 68 employees in late February after discovering issues at the facility were far more extensive than anticipated, according to our news partners at KETK. HATCO said due to the discovered issues, they were unable to safely continue operations and closed the Longview facility located at 302 Huntsman Way on Feb. 27, laying off 68 employees. While the company initially budgeted to repair the issues, the cost of the repairs was far more than what they were able to afford. According to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, HAVCO was required to provide employees 60 days notice of facility closure unless an exception applies. “Due to the unexpected and unforeseen nature of the facility issues, an exception applies and we are unable to provide such notice,” HAVCO said. Continue reading Longview company lays off 68 employees

New York steakhouse owner says he’ll sue after Dan Patrick eats a ‘Texas’ strip

HOUSTON – The Houston Chronicle reports Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick took to X Tuesday evening to tout the first-ever “Texas Strip” served with “Gulf of America shrimp,” a move which one New York steakhouse owner said he’ll be taking the state to court over. Patrick’s Texas-themed dinner, which cost $99, came after he announced plans to introduce a resolution in the Texas Senate to officially rename the popular steak cut after the Lone Star State. Rebranding the New York strip as the “Texas” strip, he said, would help the state’s cattle ranchers market their beef across the nation. While Patrick said Texas’ cattle industry “sure liked the idea,” Todd Shapiro, owner of the War Room Tavern in Albany, New York, said he will file a lawsuit in the coming weeks over the proposed name change.

“We have a big beef with your lieutenant governor,” Shapiro said. “They’re trying to take away something that’s part of our heritage. People grew up having a New York strip. People all over the country, they eat a New York strip. It’s part of the New York culture.” According to the Little Cattle Company, a Texas-based beef supplier, the New York strip got its name in the late 19th century after it was added to the menu at Delmonico’s, an upscale New York City restaurant that still exists today. Bob’s Steak and Chop House, where Patrick said he was served the “Texas” strip, still refers to it as the New York strip on its website. Bob’s also doesn’t source its beef from Texas, which is the largest produce of beef of any U.S. state, according to a 2022 report from the United States Department of Agriculture. Beef served at its locations, which range from Texas to Arizona, is purchased through “the Chicago-based Stock Yards Meat Packing Company,” according to the website for Bob’s Steak and Chop House. But Patrick said Texas should benefit from the cut’s branding, not “liberal” New York. “Liberal New York shouldn’t get the credit for our hard-working ranchers,” Patrick said in a late February post on X. “We promote the Texas brand on everything made or grown in Texas because it benefits our economy and jobs.”

Europe saw highest number of measles cases last year in more than 25 years: WHO

(LONDON) -- Europe saw the highest number of measles cases last year in more than 25 years, according to a new report published Thursday from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

There were an estimated 127,350 measles cases in the European region last year, which is double the number of cases for 2023 and the highest number since 1997. The region consists of 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia.

Children under 5 years old accounted for more than 40% of cases in the region, and more than half of the cases required hospitalization, according to the report. Additionally, a total of 38 deaths were reported based on preliminary numbers.

The European region accounted for one-third of all measles cases globally last year, with 500,000 people missing their first dose of the measles vaccine.

"Measles is back, and it's a wake-up call. Without high vaccination rates, there is no health security," Dr. Hans P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said in a press release. "As we shape our new regional health strategy for Europe and Central Asia, we cannot afford to lose ground. Every country must step up efforts to reach under-vaccinated communities. The measles virus never rests -- and neither can we."

It comes as global vaccination rates for measles have been on the decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a higher number of cases and outbreaks worldwide.

A WHO report published last year found a 20% increase in measles cases between 2022 and 2023 -- infecting a total of 10.3 million people globally in the latter year.

More than 22 million children missed their routine measles vaccine in 2023. Only 83% of children received their first measles dose that year, and only 74% received their second dose.

A threshold of 95% vaccination coverage is needed to prevent outbreaks from occurring, according to the WHO.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is dealing with its worst measles outbreak since 2019. More than 250 cases have been reported in an outbreak in Texas and New Mexico, which is close to the 285 total measles cases reported in the entirety of last year nationwide.

Almost all of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or in individuals whose vaccination status is unknown, health officials said.

Two likely measles deaths have been reported so far in the U.S. One is a confirmed death associated with measles, while the other occurred in a New Mexico resident who tested positive for measles after dying and the cause of death remains under investigation.

The death in Texas of an unvaccinated school-aged child was the first measles death recorded in the U.S. in a decade, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Similarly to global rates, CDC data showed U.S. vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years.

During the 2023–24 school year, just. 92.7% of kindergartners met vaccination requirements for the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine, according to an October 2024 CDC report. The report also found that exemptions from school vaccination requirements increased to 3.3% from 3% the year before.