Prepared for the Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Editorial Note: The DHS Daily Briefing is a collection of news articles related to Department’s mission. The inclusion of particular stories is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse the political viewpoints or affiliations included in news coverage.

CBS News [4/27/2025 7:56 PM, Nicole Sganga, 51661K] reports two people were arrested this weekend in connection with the Easter Sunday theft of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse, authorities confirmed Sunday. The first suspect was arrested in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, according to the U.S. Secret Service. Noem said Sunday that the man was in the country illegally. She called the suspect a "career criminal," but did not specify any more details about the individual’s immigration status. Mario Bustamante Leiva, 49, has been arrested and charged with two counts of robbery. He also faces additional charges for an offense being investigated by the United States Secret Service, authorities said. Matt McCool, the Secret Service special agent in charge at the Washington field office, said the "investigation revealed alleged criminal activity, including potential device and credit card fraud" by the suspect, but the incident "had no protective nexus" to Noem’s position as Secretary of Homeland Security. "The defendant was taken into custody without incident in the District of Columbia," McCool said. The Secret Service also confirmed a second suspect was arrested in Miami on Sunday by its agents and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. The person has not been identified but authorities say both suspects were in the U.S. illegally and the second suspect is being held on an immigration detainer. Noem’s purse was stolen on Sunday, April 21, from a Washington, D.C. restaurant. According to three law enforcement sources, her bag contained a number of sensitive personal items, including Noem’s driver’s license, passport, DHS access badge, checks and roughly $3,000 in cash. Noem’s cell phone was not in the purse, but credit cards, makeup and medication were among the items stolen. Investigators say security footage showed the suspect was wearing a mask and Noem’s purse was placed against her foot underneath her seat. Axios [4/27/2025 7:55 PM, Rebecca Falconer, 13163K] reports Mario Bustamante Leiva, 49, was "charged with two counts of Robbery (Stealth)" and "faces additional charges for an offense" that the USSS is investigating, per a Sunday Metropolitan Police Department statement. The second suspect’s name will be released once charges are formally filed, Guglielmi said in his email. "He currently remains detained by immigration and customs enforcement in Florida," Guglielmi added. ABC News [4/27/2025 6:43 PM, Luke Barr, 34586K] reports that the Secret Service said the defendant arrested in D.C., who it didn’t identify, is a serial offender and said the theft "had no protective nexus to Secretary Noem or her role as Secretary of Homeland Security." It also said its investigation revealed alleged potential device and credit card fraud and would maintain jurisdiction over the case. The person arrested in Miami is believed to be a co-conspirator with the first person in a pattern of thefts and robberies in D.C. and is believed to be the primary defendant in stealing Noem’s bag, the Secret Service said. The person is being held on an immigration detainer and their name will be released when charges are finalized, the Secret Service said. The AP [4/27/2025 3:36 PM, Staff, 5269K] reports that the Metropolitan Police Department said the suspect was connected to two other purse thefts in Washington restaurants earlier this month through video evidence. The suspect was charged with robbery for the other incidents. The Secret Service is investigating the Noem theft and will present its findings in federal court. There was no indication of criminal charges being filed against the suspect as of Sunday. FOX News [4/27/2025 7:20 PM, Stepheny Price, 46189K] reports "Thank you to Secret Service and ICE and our law enforcement partners for finding and arresting the criminal who stole my bag on Easter Sunday as I shared a meal with my family at a Washington DC restaurant," Noem’s spokesperson shared in a statement with Fox News Digital. Noem said, "This individual is a career criminal who has been in our country illegally for years.” The Secret Service spokesperson said that they determined the theft was not targeted and had nothing to do with "Secretary Noem or her role as Secretary of Homeland Security.” Retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor Paul Mauro told Fox News Digital he agreed with the Secret Service and believes that this theft was not targeted specifically at Noem, but rather motivated by the luxury bag itself.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [4/27/2025 4:03 PM, Minho Kim, 153395K]
Bloomberg [4/27/2025 2:36 PM, Mark Schoifet, 16228K]
The Hill [4/27/2025 3:35 PM, Sarah Fortinsky, 12829K]
Breitbart [4/27/2025 10:44 AM, Amy Furr, 2923K]
NBC News [4/27/2025 7:07 PM, Laura Strickler, Jonathan Dienst, Ted Oberg, and Rebecca Cohen, 44742K]
Newsweek [4/27/2025 7:37 AM, Kate Plummer, 3973K]
NewsMax [4/27/2025 8:28 AM, Eric Macl, 5000K]
USA Today [4/27/2025 2:32 PM, Savannah Kuchar, 75858K]
Daily Caller [4/27/2025 6:39 PM, John Oyewale, 1082K]
Washington Examiner [4/27/2025 9:36 AM, Annabella Rosciglione, 2296K]
Washington Times [4/27/2025 12:41 PM, Matt Delaney, 1814K]

The Washington Post [4/27/2025 9:19 PM, Derek Hawkins, Peter Hermann, Olivia George and David Nakamura, 31735K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem has cast herself as the Trump administration’s immigration enforcer, donning tactical gear and holding a rifle as she vows to protect the public from dangerous criminals who she says are in the country illegally. On Sunday, authorities announced they had arrested an undocumented immigrant in Washington in connection with an alleged crime against an unlikely victim: Noem, herself. A second suspect was arrested in Florida and is being held on an immigration detainer as charges are finalized, the Secret Service announced Sunday evening. D.C. police said a suspect in multiple robberies was taken into custody at a motel on Georgia Avenue in Northwest Washington and could face charges for the theft of Noem’s purse at a local restaurant on April 20. The bag included her driver’s license, medication, keys, checks, Department of Homeland Security badge, passport and $3,000 in cash. Authorities said they had charged Mario Bustamante Leiva, 49, with two counts of robbery in unrelated incidents that took place in recent weeks. One happened just blocks from the Capital Burger restaurant on Seventh Street NW where Noem reported her purse was stolen while she was dining with her family, police said. The Secret Service is waiting until charges are filed to release the name of the second suspect. In a statement, the agency described the person as a “co-conspirator" who was “linked to a pattern of robberies and thefts in Washington, D.C.” The New York Post [4/27/2025 4:07 PM, Joe Marino, Jennie Taer and Ronny Reyes, 54903K] reports Mario Bustamante-Leiva, who is in the US illegally, is believed to be part of a large East Coast robbery organization. Cops later arrested a second suspect — another illegal migrant — in Miami and are holding him on a deportation notice while finalizing charges, according to sources. The two suspects allegedly work together as a pair and have committed similar robbery schemes across the country, the sources said. "Thank you to @SecretService @ICEgov and our law enforcement partners for finding and arresting the criminal who stole my bag on Easter Sunday as I shared a meal with my family at a Washington DC restaurant," Noem wrote on X. "This individual is a career criminal who has been in our country illegally for years," she added. "Unfortunately, so many families in this country have been made victims by crime, and that’s why President Trump is working every single day to make America safe and get these criminal aliens off of our streets.”

New York Times [4/28/2025 3:30 AM, Rachel Nostrant, 330K] reports a 4-year-old and a 7-year-old with U.S. citizenship were deported alongside their mother to Honduras last week, the family’s lawyer said, adding to the recent string of American citizens caught in the cross hairs of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The children and their mother were put on a flight to Honduras on Friday, the same day another child with U.S. citizenship, a 2-year-old girl, was sent to that country with her undocumented mother. Lawyers for both families said the mothers were not given an option to leave their children in the United States before they were deported. In the case of the 2-year-old, whose 11-year-old sibling was also sent to Honduras, a federal judge in Louisiana expressed concern that the administration had deported the American child against the wishes of her father, who remained in the country. But President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, denied that any American child was deported. Speaking about the 2-year-old’s case on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Mr. Homan said that federal immigration agents gave her mother a choice of whether to be deported with or without her child, and that she had left the country with her daughter at her discretion. The children are from two different families who were living in Louisiana. The mother of the 2-year-old is pregnant, and the 4-year-old, a boy, has a rare form of late-stage cancer, the families’ lawyers said. They said the boy had no access to his medications or his doctors while he was in custody with his 7-year-old sister and mother. The moves come as the Trump administration has ramped up its immigration enforcement and mass deportation efforts. In Florida last week, nearly 800 immigrants were arrested in an operation involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and state law enforcement officials. A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, said on Sunday that it was common for parents who face deportation to want to be removed with their children, noting that the mother of the 2-year-old had made that choice. “We take our responsibility to protect children seriously and will continue to work with federal law enforcement to ensure that children are safe and protected,” Ms. McLaughlin said. Both families were detained earlier last week during routine check-ins with ICE. They were in the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, a probationary program that allows people undergoing immigration proceedings to stay in the country.

The Washington Post [4/27/2025 8:58 PM, Mariana Alfaro, 31735K] reports Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, insisted Sunday that the Trump administration did not “deport” American children to Honduras — arguing that the White House sent the children to the country because their mothers, who were being deported, wished to bring them. Early Friday, three U.S. citizen children from two families were removed from the United States with their mothers by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. One of them is a 4-year-old with Stage 4 cancer who was sent without medication or the ability to contact their doctors, a lawyer for the child’s family said. The others are 2 and 7 years old. The children’s situations have intensified concerns that the Trump administration is carrying out deportations in a way that violates the legal rights of both citizens and noncitizens. Speaking to CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Homan said Sunday that he’s not aware of any specifics in the case of the 4-year-old citizen with cancer, but he dismissed the use of the word “deported” to describe the removal of the American children from the country. “No U.S. citizen child was deported,” Homan said. “Deported means ordered by an immigration judge.” Homan insisted that the Trump administration doesn’t “deport U.S. citizen children,” emphasizing instead that the mothers may have wanted to take the children with them when facing deportation. If someone chooses to come to the U.S. without the proper documentation and have a child, Homan said, “that’s on you, that’s not on this administration.” Having a child in the United States “is not a get-out-of-jail-free card,” he added. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking Sunday to NBC’s “Meet the Press,” blamed the parents for the fate of the three American children, arguing that it is “up to” the parents whether the kids stay in the country or go, regardless of their citizenship. “If those children are U.S. citizens, they can come back into the United States if their father or someone here … wants to assume them,” he added. CBS News [4/27/2025 5:57 PM, Kaia Hubbard, 51661K] Video: HERE reports Louisiana Federal District Court Judge Terry Doughty wrote in an order Friday that there was a "strong suspicion that the Government just deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process," after the 2-year-old was sent to Honduras with her mother and 11-year-old sister. But Homan said "the judge was due process," adding on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that the two-year-old’s mother "had due process at great taxpayer expense and was ordered by an immigration judge after those hearings, so she had due process.” Doughty, who was appointed by President Trump during his first term, sought to arrange a phone call with the mother of the two-year-old on Friday, but Justice Department lawyers informed him that a call with the child’s mother would not be possible, according to court documents. Meanwhile, the two-year-old’s father tried to petition the court to have the child’s legal custody temporarily transferred to a relative who is a U.S. citizen. When asked by Brennan about the timeframe and process allowed, Homan reiterated that "there was due process.” "The two-year-old went with the mom. The mom signed the paper, saying ‘I want my two-year-old to go with me,’" Homan said. "That’s a parent’s decision, it’s not a government decision.” The two-year-old is among three children who are American citizens who were deported removed Friday with their mothers from the U.S. to Honduras, according to court documents reviewed by CBS News. Homan disputed the characterization, saying "we don’t deport U.S. citizens," while adding that in these cases, "the mother chose to take the children with her.” "This is parenting 101," Homan said. "You can decide to take that child with you, or you can decide to leave a child here with a relative or another spouse.” The New York Post [4/27/2025 5:17 PM, Ryan King, 54903K] reports "Children aren’t deported," Homan said on CBS News’ "Face the Nation.” "The mother chose to take the children with her," he said of a recent case. "[If] you’re here illegally, and you choose to have a US citizen child, that’s on you" on what to do if you get deported. "That’s not on this administration," he said. Rubio also complained about the media coverage of children getting sent back to their deported parents’ country of origin. "You guys make it sound like [US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents kicked down the door and grabbed a 2-year-old and threw him on an airplane. That’s misleading. That’s just not true," he said on NBC News’ "Meet the Press.” Last week, a Trump-appointed federal judge in Louisiana raised concerns that the administration sent a 2-year-old back to Honduras alongside her deported mother "with no meaningful process," despite the father’s wishes to keep her in the US. Responding to an emergency petition from the child’s father, Judge Terry Doughty griped that "the court doesn’t know that" it was actually the mother’s "wishes that the child be deported with her." Doughty also stressed that it’s "illegal and unconstitutional to deport" a US citizen. "I disagree with the judge. It was due process," Homan said. "That female had due process at great taxpayer expense and was ordered by an immigration judge after those hearings.

Washington Examiner [4/27/2025 11:48 AM, Jenny Goldsberry, 2296K] reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the recent deportation of U.S.-born children to illegal immigrant mothers on NBC News’s Meet the Press on Sunday. Three children from at least two different families were deported with their mothers this last week. Rubio took issue with the reporting on their cases. "On the headline, that’s a misleading headline. Three U.S. citizens, ages four, seven, and two were not deported. Their mothers, who were illegally in this country, were deported. The children went with their mothers," Rubio said. "You guys make it sound like ICE agents kicked down the door and grabbed the two-year-old and threw them on an airplane. That’s misleading. That’s just not true.” Rubio made it clear that these children still have the opportunity to "come back to their father or someone who wants to assume them.” "Again, if someone is in this country unlawfully, illegally, that person gets deported. If that person is with a two-year-old child or has a two-year-old child and says I want to take my child with me, then you have two choices. You can say yes, of course, you can take your child whether they’re a citizen or not because it’s your child, or say yes, you can go, but your child must stay behind. And then your headlines would read: ‘U.S. holding hostage 2-year-old, 4-year-old, 7-year-old while mother deported.’ So the parents make that choice," Rubio said. "That’s up to the families to decide where the children go. Children go with their parents.” At least one girl, referred to in court documents as V.M.L., has a father who is a U.S. citizen who attempted to petition a judge to let the child stay with him rather than go to Honduras with her mother. He was unsuccessful due to the timeline between her apprehension by ICE officers and ultimate deportation, which happened last week. According to the ACLU, all the children’s cases demonstrate "due process concerns.”

FOX News [4/27/2025 7:00 PM, David Spector, 46189K] reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied claims that three minor U.S. citizens, all under ten years old – and one with stage IV cancer, were deported without due process, calling the accusations "misleading.” Washington Post reported that three American citizens from two different families, aged two, four and seven, were deported along with their mothers from a Louisiana facility on Friday. The report alleged that the four-year-old child is suffering from stage-4 cancer and that the mother had no way of contacting their doctors, according to the family’s lawyer. Rubio pushed back against the claims that the children were deported, instead asserting that the children’s mothers, who were not in the country legally, opted to take their children with them. "That’s a misleading headline. Three U.S. citizens, aged 4, 7 and 2 were not deported. Their mothers were legally deported, and the children went with their mothers. They can come back to their father or someone who wants to assume them. Ultimately, it was the mothers who were here illegally. You guys make it sound like ICE kicked down the door and grabbed the child and threw them on an airplane, and it’s misleading and that is not true," Rubio said. Trump appointee U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty, however, did not believe the federal government’s claims that the children were not in fact deported. In response to an emergency order filed Thursday night by the father of the two-year-old girl, the judge issued an order expressing his "strong suspicion that the government just deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process." The toddler had accompanied her mother to an immigration meeting that would allow her to remain in their community called an Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, the family’s lawyers claimed. "The government contends that this is all okay because the mother wishes that the child be deported with her, but the court doesn’t know that," Doughty wrote.

Reported similarly:
USA Today [4/27/2025 2:29 PM, Savannah Kuchar, 75858K] r

NBC News [4/27/2025 9:27 PM, Doha Madani, 44742K] reports two U.S. citizen children were sent on their mother’s deportation flight to Honduras without the opportunity to speak with attorneys, leaving a 4-year-old boy with Stage 4 cancer without access to his medication, according to the National Immigration Project. Gracie Willis, an attorney with the organization, told NBC News that the boy and his 7-year-old sister were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday. They were taken to El Paso, Texas, and flown to Honduras first thing Friday morning, Willis said. The 4-year-old boy, who was actively receiving treatment for a rare form of cancer, was flown to Honduras without his medication, according to Willis and the National Immigration Project. Attorneys were preparing a habeas corpus petition when the children were taken out of the U.S. on an ICE charter flight before the petition could be filed, Willis said. Attorney Erin Hebert, who Willis said is representing the family, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. In a press release by the National Immigration Project, Hebert called the removal of U.S. children “illegal, unconstitutional, and immoral.” “The speed, brutality, and clandestine manner in which these children were deported is beyond unconscionable, and every official responsible for it should be held accountable,” Hebert said. Willis is representing a similar case involving the mother of a 2-year-old U.S. citizen who was deported with her child on Friday. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty ordered a hearing in the case, saying it appeared that the government removed a U.S. citizen with “no meaningful due process.” Representatives for ICE did not immediately respond to a NBC News request for comment. In the case of the 2-year-old, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the parent made the decision to take the child with them to Honduras. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged the children’s citizenship status on Sunday in an interview with MSNBC’s "Meet the Press," saying that while everyone on U.S. soil is entitled to due process, individuals in the country illegally "have no right to be here.”

CNN [4/27/2025 4:50 PM, Dakin Andone, 908K] reports three children who are US citizens were deported to Honduras with their mothers last week, including a 4-year-old receiving treatment for metastatic cancer, according to the families’ attorneys and civil rights and immigration advocacy organizations. In one case, a mother was deported with her 2-year-old, while the other involves another mother deported with her 4- and 7-year-olds, the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Project, among other organizations, said in a news release Friday. All were detained when the women attended routine meetings with officials in Louisiana as part of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, or ISAP, according to their attorneys and court records. Taken together, the families’ advocates say their removals from the United States underscore concerns about a lack of due process amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. "We are seeing in real time due process eroded," said Gracie Willis, a lawyer and the raids response coordinator at the National Immigration Project, who represents the 2-year-old through a family friend acting as the petitioner in the ongoing court case. "That is deeply concerning and these cases are an illustration of that.” CNN has reached out to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment. CNN previously reported on the case of the 2-year-old — identified in court records as V.M.L. — who was taken into custody by ICE Tuesday with her mother and 11-year-old sister while "attending a routine check-in," according to an emergency petition filed in federal court. The judge said the mother was undocumented but set a hearing for May 16 regarding the child’s deportation, noting "It is illegal and unconstitutional to deport, detain for deportation, or recommend deportation of a U.S. citizen," citing a 2012 deportation case.

New York Times [4/27/2025 7:32 PM, Rachel Nostrant, 153395K] reports a 4-year-old and a 7-year-old with U.S. citizenship were deported alongside their mother to Honduras last week, the family’s lawyer said, adding to the recent string of American citizens caught in the cross hairs of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The children and their mother were put on a flight to Honduras on Friday, the same day another child with U.S. citizenship, a 2-year-old girl, was sent to that country with her undocumented mother. Lawyers for both families said the mothers were not given an option to leave their children in the United States before they were deported. In the case of the 2-year-old, whose 11-year-old sibling was also sent to Honduras, a federal judge in Louisiana expressed concern that the administration had deported the American child against the wishes of her father, who remained in the country. But President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, denied that any American child was deported. Speaking about the 2-year-old’s case on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Mr. Homan said that federal immigration agents gave her mother a choice of whether to be deported with or without her child, and that she had left the country with her daughter at her discretion. The children are from two different families who were living in Louisiana. The mother of the 2-year-old is pregnant, and the 4-year-old, a boy, has a rare form of late-stage cancer, the families’ lawyers said. They said the boy had no access to his medications or his doctors while he was in custody with his 7-year-old sister and mother. A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, said on Sunday that it was common for parents who face deportation to want to be removed with their children, noting that the mother of the 2-year-old had made that choice. “We take our responsibility to protect children seriously and will continue to work with federal law enforcement to ensure that children are safe and protected,” Ms. McLaughlin said.

AP [4/27/2025 8:33 AM, Will Weissert, 48304K] reports that, cracking down on illegal immigration was the anthem of Trump’s campaign, and it is the issue where he has the greatest support. He has followed through by implementing some of the hardest-line immigration policies in the nation’s history, even as the promised mass deportations have yet to materialize. Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport migrants with limited due process, then used it to send hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members to a mega-prison in El Salvador in defiance of a court order. His administration has balked at the Supreme Court’s order, issued with no noted dissents, that it must work to return Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia after he was wrongly deported to El Salvador. Trump sent troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and temporarily deported migrants using military flights. He declared gangs foreign terrorist organizations and barred migrants arriving at the southern border from seeking asylum in the United States. Officials converted a Biden-era app known as CBP One, which about 900,000 people had used to schedule appointments to legally enter the U.S., into a mechanism for urging migrants to self-deport. The administration pledged to end birthright citizenship for people who were born in the U.S., while proposing "gold cards" that would allow foreigners to buy American citizenship for $5 million. Officials have sought to expel migrants from many countries who had been given temporary legal status, and they canceled the Social Security numbers that some had been legally issued by moving them to lists of dead people.

Breitbart [4/27/2025 12:48 PM, Lowell Cauffiel, 2923K] reports U.S. Rep. Henry Cueller, a Texas Democrat and a Mexican American, says his party is losing credibility with its advocacy of an illegal immigrant the Trump administration alleges is a violent MS-13 member. "This is not the right issue to talk about due process," Cuellar told the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio. "This is not the right case. This is not the right person to be saying that we need to bring him back to the United States.” The Texas lawmaker is speaking of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the 29-year-old illegal immigrant deported in March to a prison in El Salvador. The Salvadoran has become a cause célèbre among progressive lawmakers and legacy media who portrayed him as a "Maryland man" and tracked every detail of his case while largely ignoring victims of violent crimes perpetrated by alien criminals. Homeland Security officials allege Abrego Garcia is affiliated with the violent MS-13 gang, took part in human trafficking, and sports tattoos on his fingers that symbolize the violent gang. The agency also publicized court documents of a protective order granted to his wife after she alleged instances of domestic violence. She has since recanted the charges Despite being subject to two deportation orders, supporters of Abrego Garcia claim he was denied "due process" after his 2025 deportation was described in court as an "administrative error.” Cueller, however, said support for the Salvadoran, which has included visits to his prison by some Democrat lawmakers, is a political loser.

CBS News [4/27/2025 6:08 PM, Scott MacFarlane, 51661K] reports CBS News has obtained a list of 365 federal grant programs halted this week by the Justice Department, disrupting programs to help victims of hate crime and sex trafficking, children who’ve suffered violence, and refugees. The department also paused programs aimed at reducing school shootings, efforts to combat domestic terror and an Emmett Till cold case initiative in the Southeast. At least some of the grants were halted in memos sent Tuesday to nonprofit organizations by the Justice Department. The memos alerted program operators that the projects no longer "effectuate" Justice Department priorities. The cancellation of the federal grants caused disruptions at some nonprofit programs, according to organization leaders who spoke with CBS News. The head of a nonprofit that helps youth crime victims in Oakland, California, called the funding freeze a "devastating blow.” Nancy Smith told CBS News she made plans to lay off 10 employees from her national "Activating Change" nonprofit, which helps provide sign language interpreters and legal aid to crime victims with disabilities and hearing impairments. Smith said 40% of her budget disappeared overnight. The list was provided by a federal source with knowledge about the agency’s funding of federal grant programs. The Justice Department told CBS News at least two of the grant funds, however, for the National Center for Victims of Crime in Maryland and The National Network to End Domestic Violence in Washington, D.C., have been restored since last week’s memo was sent.

Bloomberg Government [4/27/2025 9:17 PM, Ellen M. Gilmer, 75K] reports the Department of Homeland Security is halting policies that allowed some employees to work flexible arrangements, giving workers less than a day’s notice to start a five-day, in-person schedule. "All employees are expected to report to their assigned duty station five days a week, beginning tomorrow April 28, 2025," says an internal email obtained by Bloomberg Government. Employees received the email Sunday, and some got calls from their managers. The move is the administration’s latest effort to end flexible and remote work arrangements that some officials have criticized as inefficient. It’s also the latest hit to a federal workforce that’s .

AP [4/28/2025 1:43 AM, Jake Offenhartz, 34586K] reports a Brooklyn woman said she feared for her life as she was chased, kicked, spit at and pelted with objects by a mob of Orthodox Jewish men who mistook her as a participant in a protest against Israel’s far-right security minister. The assault, recorded by a bystander, unfolded Thursday near the global headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Crown Heights, where an appearance by Itamar Ben-Gvir set off clashes between pro-Palestinian activists and members of the neighborhood’s large Orthodox Jewish community. The woman, a neighborhood resident in her 30s, told The Associated Press she learned of the protest after hearing police helicopters over her apartment. She walked over to investigate around 10:30 p.m. but by then the protest had mostly disbursed. Not wanting to be filmed, she covered her face with a scarf. “As soon as I pulled up my scarf, a group of 100 men came over immediately and encircled me,” said the woman, who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because she feared for her safety. “They were shouting at me, threatening to rape me, chanting ‘death to Arabs.’ I thought the police would protect me from the mob, but they did nothing to intervene,” she said. As the chants grew in intensity, a lone police officer tried to escort her to safety. They were followed for blocks by hundreds of men and boys jeering in Hebrew and English. Video shows two of the men kicking her in the back, another hurling a traffic cone into her head and a fourth pushing a trash can into her. “This is America,” one of the men can be heard saying. “We got Israel. We got an Army now.” At one point, she and the police officer were nearly cornered against a building, the video shows. “I felt sheer terror,” the woman recalled. “I realized at that point that I couldn’t lead this mob of men to my home. I had nowhere to go. I didn’t know what to do. I was just terrified.” After several blocks, the officer hustled the woman into a police vehicle, prompting one man to yell, “Get her!” The crowd erupted in cheers as she was driven away. The woman, a lifelong New Yorker, said she was left with bruises and mentally shaken by the episode, which she said police should investigate as an act of hate. “I’m afraid to move around the neighborhood where I’ve lived for a decade,” she told the AP. “It doesn’t seem like anyone in any position of power really cares.”

Washington Examiner [4/27/2025 1:15 PM, Annabella Rosciglione, 2296K] reports the spouse of an active-duty Coast Guardsman was arrested this week by federal immigration enforcement inside the family residential section of the U.S. Naval Air Station in Key West, Florida. “The spouse is not a member of the Coast Guard and was detained by Homeland Security Investigations pursuant to a lawful removal order,” said Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Steve Roth in a statement confirming Thursday’s arrest. “The Coast Guard works closely with HSI and others to enforce federal laws, including on immigration.” The married couple was moving into U.S. government housing at the nearby Naval Air Station. The woman’s work visa expired around 2017, and she was marked for removal from the U.S. a few years later, according to the Associated Press. She and the Coast Guardsman got married earlier this year. The woman’s name was flagged as an issue during a routine security screening required for base access. Base personnel then contacted the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Reported similarly:
Yahoo News [4/27/2025 2:19 PM, Nicholas Slayton, 52868K]

CNN [4/27/2025 2:00 PM, Kaanita Iyer, 908K] reports a peer of the Wisconsin judge who the FBI arrested for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid federal immigration enforcement said her arrest is meant to intimidate the judiciary by the Trump administration. "I think they’re trying to send a message to chill the judiciary," Wisconsin Appellate Judge Pedro Colón said in a Saturday interview with CNN’s Kyung Lah, adding, "It speaks more I think to the politics and sort of the symbolic gestures of power by people who don’t really appreciate the Constitution, don’t really appreciate the rule of law.” "They want to create circumstances and a culture where people are unsettled about their rights, about their duties and about the way we go about our jobs," Colón continued. Colón’s comments came a day after the FBI charged Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan with obstruction and concealing the individual from arrest. Colón said he’s known Dugan for more than 15 years through the legal community, and described her as "an unbiased, ethical judge.” Since President Donald Trump took office this year, his administration has cracked down on immigration and Dugan’s arrest underscores its aggressive approach to immigration enforcement. According to court documents, witnesses said Dugan confronted plainclothes federal agents on April 18 who were attempting to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican immigrant who had been deported from the United States in 2013. Flores-Ruiz was set to be in Dugan’s courtroom for an unrelated case. Dugan allegedly demanded that the agents leave a public hallway in the courthouse and said they required a different type of warrant to make the arrest, according to the documents. She then allegedly directed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to leave through a "jury door," which leads to a nonpublic area of the courthouse, court documents say. Colón, a sitting judge, said Dugan’s arrest is an example of the Trump administration wanting the judicial system to "essentially succumb to their power and their policy priorities independent of Constitutional rights and what other rights people have.”

Breitbart [4/27/2025 5:16 PM, Amy Furr, 2923K] reports a leftist judge in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, is threatening a courtroom boycott after a fellow judge was accused of shielding an illegal alien from federal authorities. Judge Monica Isham on Saturday issued a strongly worded email to judges across her state, laying out her plans, Fox News reported Sunday. "If there is no guidance for us and no support for us, I will refuse to hold court in Branch 2 in Sawyer County. I will not put myself or my staff who may feel compelled to help me or my community in harms way," her email stated. The judge explained she did not plan on working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents regarding illegal aliens. "I have no intention of allowing anyone to be taken out of my courtroom by ICE and sent to a concentration camp, especially without due process, as BOTH of the constitutions we swore to support require," she added. In a social media post on Saturday, Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) shared images of Isham’s email. "Monica Isham is choosing to protect illegal aliens over the law. She should resign or be removed," he wrote in the caption of the post: The news comes after Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested Friday "after she allegedly guided a previously deported illegal migrant away from federal ICE officers who expected to arrest him after his assault hearing in her courtroom," Breitbart News reported. The article referred to her as a "former Democrat activist.” The illegal alien, identified as Eduardo Flores-Ruiz of Mexico, has a history of violent criminal charges: The Fox article also noted that "Dugan has worked with legal aid organizations and as executive director of Catholic Charities in the past. She was elected to Branch 31 of the Circuit Court in 2016 and ran unopposed in the 2022 election. She primarily oversees cases in its misdemeanor division, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.” In January, Breitbart News reported that Catholic Charities of Milwaukee urged illegals to refuse to comply with legal orders of ICE authorities. "According to the ICE website, ‘ICE has the general authority to detain aliens who are subject to removal or removal proceedings,’" the outlet said.

FOX News [4/27/2025 7:18 AM, Anders Hagstrom , 46189K] reports a Wisconsin judge is threatening not to hold court in protest of federal authorities arresting her fellow judge Hannah Dugan last week. Judge Monica Isham made the announcement in an email to judges across the state on Saturday. Her email, titled "Guidance Requested or I Refuse to Hold Court," made clear she had no intention of working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "If there is no guidance for us and no support for us, I will refuse to hold court in Branch 2 in Sawyer County. I will not put myself or my staff who may feel compelled to help me or my community in harms way," Isham wrote, according to a copy of the email obtained by Wisconsin Right Now. "I have no intention of allowing anyone to be taken out of my courtroom by ICE and sent to a concentration camp, especially without due process, as BOTH of the constitutions we swore to support require. Should I start raising bail money?" Isham wrote, referring to the Wisconsin state constitution as well. "If this costs me my job or gets me arrested then at least I know I did the right thing," she added. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon reacted to Isham’s ultimatum on social media, saying the threat was "problematic.” Dugan was arrested and charged with obstruction of an official proceeding on Friday after evidence came to light that she had shielded the migrant from ICE agents, according to a criminal complaint. She was also charged with concealing an individual to prevent discovery and arrest.

Washington Examiner [4/27/2025 12:12 PM, Staff, 2296K] reports Texas Department of Public Safety officers continue to find missing children and arrest those on its criminal illegal immigrant most wanted list. With April being "Child Abuse Prevention Month," DPS troopers have rescued more than 600 children through its Interdiction for the Protection of Children (IPC) Program, DPS said. IPC officers are trained "to identify victims of exploitation, missing children, crimes against children and high-risk threats against children," DPS said. Through Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security mission, Operation Lone Star, DPS troopers rescued more than 900 children illegally brought into the U.S. in Texas alone under the Biden administration, the Center Square reported. So far this year, DPS and other agencies have arrested 21 Texas 10 Most Wanted fugitives, sex offenders and others, including six sex offenders and seven criminal illegal immigrants – with $25,000 in rewards being paid for tips that yielded arrests, DPS said.

FOX News [4/28/2025 5:00 AM, John Yoo, 46189K] reports some federal trial judges have thrown opposition to President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda into high gear. They seek to trigger a confrontation between the president and the Supreme Court despite efforts by both to compromise. Worse yet, they are drawing the federal courts beyond their areas of competence and interfering with the president’s authority in foreign affairs and national security. The justices should step in to make clear that federal courts must pay due deference to the executive’s constitutional responsibilities, while President Trump should re-affirm that even illegal aliens receive due – albeit limited – process. The latest salvo came this week from Maryland federal Judge Paula Xinis, who is hearing the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal alien whom the Trump administration mistakenly sent to El Salvador. Earlier this month, Xinis had commanded the Trump administration to immediately produce Garcia in court, even though he was no longer under the control of the United States. Her rash order prompted the Supreme Court to intercede. The justices called upon the Trump administration to "facilitate" Garcia’s return, and to inform the trial court of its efforts, but also cautioned Xinis to pay "due regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs.” The Supreme Court’s order should have headed off a crisis between the President and Judge Xinis. It followed a similar move by the justices in reviewing Judge James Boasberg’s ruling that the Trump administration had no authority to send 137 suspected Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. That laws allows the president to detain and expel citizens of a country with which we are at war or which launches an invasion or "predatory incursion" of the United States. Even though Boasberg and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rushed to find that no declared war or invasion by Venezuela had occurred, the justices found that those courts had jurisdiction over the case, and held that the illegal aliens’ due process rights would have to be vindicated by federal judges in Texas or Louisiana, where they last had been present in the United States. The Supreme Court’s caution that lower court judges respect the president’s responsibility to conduct foreign affairs made for common sense. Federal courts cannot order the president to send special forces abroad to seize Garcia or anyone else held in El Salvador’s terrorist jails, nor can it dictate to the president how to conduct diplomacy. Nevertheless, Judge Xinis directed this week that the Trump administration "take all available steps" to return Garcia "as soon as possible." On appeal, Judge J. Harvie Wilkins of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals excoriated the Trump administration for not cooperating with Judge Xinis and raised the possibility that the Trump administration could deport even U.S. citizens, claim error, but then do nothing to seek their return. Despite Judge Wilkinson’s advice to both branches to reach a compromise, Judge Xinis has proceeded to command the Trump administration to explain, under oath, its diplomatic efforts to free Garcia. This shows little respect for the caution, urged by the Supreme Court, not to intrude into the executive branch’s authority over foreign affairs. Will Xinis next demand that communications between the State Department and El Salvador be produced in open court? Will she sanction the government unless U.S. embassy staff travel to her Maryland courtroom and testify about their meetings with El Salvadorean officials? Perhaps she will want to set the United States negotiating positions and offers.

CBS’ Face The Nation [4/27/2025 12:18 PM, Staff, 4535K] reports in CBS polling there is some support for the President’s policies. Overall border crossings are at the lowest monthly level seen, just over 7000 migrants came across in March and were apprehended, but given the fact that funding from Congress is still being waited on, does border czar, Tom Homan think that’s going to handicap the ability to carry out these policies? "I think we’ve been very successful, and we got we got the most secure border in the history of this nation, and President Trump was able to accomplish that in seven weeks. That’s something that Joe Biden didn’t- wouldn’t do in four years. But yeah, the more money we have, the more we can do. The border’s more secure it’s ever been in the history of this nation. But we need more funding for interior operations- ICE operations, to arrest those public safety threats, national security threats and others from the United States. Again, the numbers about three times higher than they were during the Biden administration, as far as ICE arrests in the interior, but with more money we can do more," Homan states.

NBC’s Meet the Press [4/27/2025 11:14 AM, Staff, 2430K] reports President Trump is about to mark his 100th day in office. It comes as a key campaign promise is to end the war in Ukraine, and against the backdrop of that extraordinary meeting between President Trump and President Zelenskyy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is asked "Is Russia and Ukraine now closer to a deal in the wake of that meeting?" Secretary Rubio had this to say, "I think they’re closer in general than they’ve been any time in the last three years, but it’s still not there. And, as I said and he has said and others have said, he’s done an extraordinary job. At the highest levels of our government, the president has put out everybody you can imagine: Ambassador Witkoff, myself, the national security advisor, the vice president, been involved and engaged in this effort to bring the two sides closer so we can have path to peace. By the way, that’s something that should be celebrated. He’s trying to end a three-year war that has no military solution, where every day people are dying, especially on the Ukrainian side, in many cases civilians and children, as we’ve seen the images over the last few weeks. He’s trying to bring this war to an end. And we’ve made real progress. But those last couple steps of this journey were always going to be the hardest ones, and it needs to happen soon. We cannot continue, as I said, to dedicate time and resources to this effort if it’s not going to come to fruition. So the last week has really been about figuring out how close are these sides really and are they close enough that this merits a – a continued investment of our time as a mediator in this regard."

NBC’s Meet the Press [4/27/2025 11:14 AM, Staff, 2430K] reports President Trump said he has spoken directly with President Xi Jinping. Chinese officials though say that no talks have taken place about a trade war. Has President Trump spoken to President Xi after imposing those 145% tariffs? "Just like the previous answer I think I’m not going to be commenting on who talked to who and what they talked about because obviously this is also a high-stakes negotiation. The fundamental fact is this: For 30-something years the Chinese have gotten away with unfair trade practices. Not just unfair, outrageously unfair trade practices. Just very simple: Chinese companies can do whatever they want in America. American companies can only do what the Chinese allow them to do in China, and it’s very limited. And every year it gets more and more limited. They flood – not just us, but they flood the world with exports but they push back against any imports. They are 100% favorable – unfairly favorable to their companies and unfair to ours. They steal our intellectual property. They reverse engineer things they get a hold of. I mean, it’s on and on and on unfair. And they’ve been allowed to get away with it. And finally, almost too late really but finally, we have a president that stood up to it. And it’s not just us that needs to be standing up to it, by the way. Europe is concerned about the number of electric cars that China tried to dump on them. China’s had trade problems with Canada and with others. This needs to stop. And so the bottom line is that the president is dealing with something that should’ve been dealt with a very long time ago, and it was almost too late," Secretary Rubio states. When asked for clarification if the call with China happened Rubio had no comment to make on it.

CBS’ Face The Nation [4/27/2025 12:18 PM, Staff, 4535K] reports others in the Russian government have proposed that the U.S. and Russia could work together in the Arctic. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is "Are there specific areas of discussion for cooperating right now? Instead of answering the question he expresses irritation with hostess Brennan, "You always want me to disclose things which might be discussed by respective officials of Russia and the United States, by those who are responsible for trade, economic cooperation, investments and so on and so forth," Lavrov comments. On the specific things President Trump has said in public is that the U.S. could work with Ukraine to operate the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, Zaporizhzhia. Russians control that area right now. Lavrov is asked if he agrees with President Trump’s public statements that the best security would be for the U.S. and Ukraine to operate that together? "No, we never received such an offer. And if we do, we would explain that the power station Zaporizhzhia power - nuclear power station is run by the Russian Federation state cooperation called Rosatam (ph). It is being under monitoring of the IAAA personnel located on the site. And if not for the Ukrainian regular attempts to attack the station, and to create a nuclear disaster for Europe, and for Ukraine as well, the safety requirements are fully implemented. And it is in very good hands. No, we - we never received such an offer. And if we do, we would explain that the power station Zaporizhzhia power - nuclear power station is run by the Russian Federation state cooperation called Rosatam (ph). It is being under monitoring of the IAAA personnel located on the site. And if not for the Ukrainian regular attempts to attack the station, and to create a nuclear disaster for Europe, and for Ukraine as well, the safety requirements are fully implemented. And it is in very good hands," Lavrov states. Hostess Brennan seeking clarification asks if his response was a "no", Lavrov had this to say, "No, I don’t think any change is conceivable. As I said, we did not receive any proposal which would be specific."

FOX News Sunday [4/27/2025 9:57 AM, Staff] reports Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., weighs in on the state of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, why Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and whether the Trump administration is in compliance regarding the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

CNN [4/28/2025 5:00 AM, Michelle Watson, 908K] reports that, across the United States, local agencies have become immigration enforcers under a federal program officials say strengthens public safety, but critics warn spreads fear, erodes trust and threatens the fabric of immigrant communities. Known as the 287(g) program, it was created under the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act and allows ICE to authorize state and local law enforcement officers to perform specific immigration enforcement duties under ICE’s supervision. The program is seen by some as a way to rev up President Donald Trump’s effort on illegal immigration as the Department of Justice moves to prosecute state and local officials accused of impeding that effort. The program, which has seen increased use during Trump’s second term as part of his effort to fulfill a campaign promise to address immigration, has been in existence for almost 30 years and was once the focal point of a lawsuit against one of America’s most notorious sheriffs. Through the 287(g) program, ICE can partner with local agencies through three models: the Jail Enforcement Model, the Task Force Model and the Warrant Service Officer program, according to ICE. "The Jail Enforcement Model allows your officers to identify and process removable aliens currently in your jail or detention facility who have pending or active criminal charges while they’re in your custody," according to ICE. The Task Force Model allows local officers, under ICE oversight, to enforce certain immigration laws during routine policing. The Warrant Service Officer Program trains local law enforcement officers – something ICE says it bears the entire cost of – to serve administrative immigration warrants on detainees in their custody. State law enforcement agencies wanting to participate in the program must enter into memorandums of agreement with ICE, according to the act, before participating in the program. Memorandums of Agreement are arrangements made between the Department of Homeland Security and local law enforcement agencies, granting certain state and local officers federal immigration enforcement powers such entering data into ICE’s database and case management system, interviewing people about their immigration status, accessing DHS databases and issuing immigration detainers, the American Immigration Council says.

Harvard Crimson [4/28/2025 1:05 AM, Megan L. Blonigen, 722K] reports Massachusetts lawmakers detailed the “harrowing” living conditions of detained Tufts and Columbia students after visiting their Louisiana detention center last week. But Immigration Customs and Enforcement officials rebuked their claims as “unequivocally false” in a statement to The Crimson. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Representatives Ayanna S. Pressley (D-Mass.) and Jim P. McGovern (D-Mass.) visited Rümeysa Öztürk and Mahmoud Khalil to “demand answers, shine a light on this damning violation of their constitutional rights, and call for their immediate release,” Pressley said in a statement. ICE agents detained Öztürk, a Tufts Ph.D. student and Fulbright scholar, in March after her visa was revoked by the State Department. Khalil, a Columbia student and pro-Palestine activist, was also detained by ICE agents in March. The lawmakers visited the students in Louisiana to see the “appalling conditions in which the Administration and a private, for-profit prison are keeping detainees.” “The public has a right to know what is happening at these for-profit detention centers,” the lawmakers wrote in a joint statement. “The Trump administration is using taxpayer money to detain people without charge and fund abuses that DHS’s own inspector general has well documented.” A senior DHS official denied these claims in a statement to The Crimson, saying that Öztürk was put in contact with her lawyer “within hours of her arrival at the facility.” “Daily inspections are conducted by the facility administrator, and there have been no reports or documented complaints of rodent activity,” the official wrote. “ICE has also provided Ms. Ozturk with prompt medical care and services, and she has not filed any grievances regarding delayed medical care.”

New York Times [4/28/2025 3:30 AM, Hamed Aleaziz, 330K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, along with state law enforcement officials, arrested about 780 immigrants in Florida in an operation this week, according to ICE data obtained by New York Times. The operation began on Monday and targeted undocumented immigrants with final deportation orders, according to an ICE official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the operation. The officers picked up more than 275 migrants with final removal orders, the data showed. ABC News and Fox News earlier reported news of the arrests, which took place over four days. It was the latest move by the Trump administration to seek to accelerate deportations of undocumented immigrants, which have so far been well below the administration’s goals. Since President Trump took office, ICE officials have worked with various federal agencies to conduct raids across the United States. The effort this week in Florida was the first to be conducted as part of a formal arrangement with state law enforcement known as a 287(g) agreement, according to the official. The Trump administration has sought to recruit local authorities to help in immigration operations in an effort to speed deportations. The administration has resumed collateral arrests during such operations, which allows officers to pick up migrants who were not initially targeted but were around an individual who was sought by ICE. Generally, people must have received an order of removal from an immigration judge before they are deported, a process that can take weeks or stretch into years. But since the start of 2024, 70 percent of these removal orders were issued to someone who did not attend their hearing before a judge, according to a Times analysis of court records. “It’s going to break up families,” said Tessa Petit, the executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said of the arrests this week. “And that is not the welcoming state that Florida has been for immigrants for decades.” Given the scale of the operation, Ms. Petit said, there is a chance that many of those arrested were in the country on some sort of legal status and did not possess criminal records. The raids represented the biggest escalation of immigration enforcement in Florida since Mr. Trump took office, Ms. Petit said, adding that they were much more reflective of the president’s mass deportation promises.

The Hill [4/27/2025 7:03 PM, Sarah Fortinsky, 12829K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Florida law enforcement agencies announced over the weekend that they made nearly 800 arrests in a multi-day immigration enforcement operation. ICE touted “Operation Tidal Wave” as a “highly successful operation,” pointing to the unique partnership between local and federal authorities. “In a first-of-its-kind partnership between state and federal partners, ICE Miami and Florida law enforcement arrested nearly 800 illegal aliens this week during the first four days of #OperationTidalWave — a massive, multi-agency, immigration enforcement crackdown,” ICE said in a post on its official X account along with photos from the operation. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) also praised the joint effort in a post Saturday, calling it “an example of FL and [the Department of Homeland Security] partnering to deliver big results on immigration enforcement and deportations.” “Florida is leading the nation in active cooperation with the Trump administration for immigration enforcement and deportation operations!” DeSantis said in a separate X post. The operation leans on ICE’s 287(g) program, which enables ICE to deputize local law enforcement agencies to help enforce federal immigration law. CNN [4/27/2025 3:41 PM, Karina Tsui and Zoe Sottile, 22131K] reports that the massive number of reported arrests comes amid President Donald Trump’s ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration and as the Department of Justice moves to prosecute state and local officials accused of impeding that effort. DeSantis and other Republican leaders in Florida have pushed local officials in the state to sign agreements with ICE under the 287(g) Program, which allows local authorities to be trained by and partner with ICE to enforce aspects of US immigration law. Florida leaders have warned that state law allows for the removal of officials who refuse to cooperate with the federal government’s immigration efforts. Statewide agencies, including the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida State Guard, the Florida Department of Agricultural Law Enforcement and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, all signed collaboration agreements with ICE, according to an announcement by DeSantis in February. In all, more than 200 state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies across Florida have entered into collaboration agreements with ICE, and more than 70 others have agreements pending, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security.

NewsMax [4/27/2025 2:06 PM, Eric Mack, 4998K] reports "Operation Tidal Wave," four days of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids working with Florida’s local law enforcement in a "first of its kind" arrangement, has netted nearly 800 illegals for arrest. "I think the main reason why this operation is significant is because it’s the first of its kind," acting ICE Director Todd Lyons told ABC News. "It’s one that not only we’ve been doing what we have, but we have surged all our federal partners together along with Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement [and] Removal Operations, which are all the enforcement arms of ICE, but we’re also using all our 287 (g) partners in the state of Florida. "We’re using state, local, and county law enforcement agencies to assist us in our operations.” Under ICE’s 287(g) authority, handshaking enforcement efforts between federal immigration law and locals in the red state of Florida is showing America and Democrat-run states and sanctuary cities the way of a "‘whole of government’ approach," according to Lyons. "So this is one of the first large-scale missions we’ve done like this ever," Lyons said. "We brought a ‘whole government’ approach with cooperative jurisdictions that want to help ICE secure communities in neighborhoods and remove public safety threats from our neighborhoods.” ICE’s 287 (g) deputizes state and local officials to arrest illegals and nearly 230 Florida law enforcement agencies have signed 287 (g) agreements, according to the report.

USA Today [4/27/2025 1:22 PM, John Bacon and Charlie Whitehead, 75858K] reports almost 800 people have been arrested in the first few days of Operation Tidal Wave, a multi-agency immigration enforcement crackdown in Florida, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities announced. ICE called the effort a "first-of-its-kind partnership" involving state and federal agencies and local law enforcement. The agency, in a statement Saturday, lauded local police agencies for providing "extraordinary support" for the crackdown that began April 21. "This is a warning to all criminal illegal aliens: We’re coming for you," Homeland Security Secretary Krisiti Noem wrote in a social media post. "@DHSgov, @ICEgov, and our state partners will hunt you down, arrest and deport you. That’s a promise." All 67 Florida county sheriffs already agreed to partner with ICE. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called Operation Tidal Wave an example of the "big results on immigration enforcement an deportations" that federal, state and local agencies can accomplish by working together. Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said the operation was a "major success" and that more such crackdowns are planned in coming months. "Almost 800 aliens including MS-13 gang members, including convicted murders, rapists, all these people are now off our streets who have otherwise been acting with impunity and terrorizing U.S. communities," McLaughlin said on Fox News. "You are going to be seeing this throughout the country." The Tampa Free Press [4/27/2025 8:26 AM, Mike Jenkins, 76K] reports that, speaking on Fox News Saturday evening, McLaughlin described the operation, dubbed “Operation Tidal Wave,” as a “preview” of similar actions to come across the United States. McLaughlin emphasized the success of the sweep and highlighted the use of 287(g) authorities, which empower state and local law enforcement to assist in immigration enforcement. “This was a major success, it was a large-scale operation. And to your point, this is a preview of what is to come throughout the nation,” McLaughlin stated. “We have partnerships under 287(g) authorities that Secretary [of Homeland Security Kristi] Noem signed, and this empowers state and local law enforcement to actually be able to use their enforcement authority to carry out immigration enforcement.” Section 287(g), enacted in 1996, allows ICE to delegate certain immigration enforcement functions to state and local law enforcement agencies. McLaughlin detailed the types of individuals apprehended during ‘Operation Tidal Wave.’ “What that means is they can actually make arrests and clean up our streets get these criminal aliens off our streets,” McLaughlin said. “So, like you said, almost 800 aliens including MS-13 gang members, convicted murderers, rapists, all of these people are now off of our streets who otherwise have been acting with impunity and terrorizing U.S. communities. You are going to be seeing this throughout the country, and I think that Americans are going to be really thrilled with the results under this administration in the next 100 days.” Among those arrested were Ramon Ciro Castaneda and Carlos Perez-Perez, members of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), both under “Final Orders of Removal,” according to information provided by the Department of Homeland Security. “This success and massive operation is a window into what is to come throughout the country for the next 100 days of the Trump administration,” McLaughlin said. “Our state and local law enforcement are heroes as we execute on the president’s mandate to secure the border, remove illegal aliens and make America safe.”

Reported similarly:
Latin Times [4/27/2025 12:08 PM, Brian Slupski, 1500K]

Houston Chronicle [4/27/2025 7:00 AM, Tanya Babbar, 1769K] reports Alexa Sendukas, managing attorney at the Galveston-Houston Immigration Project, said in recent weeks, 18 of her clients sponsoring unaccompanied children have reported ICE officers in plain clothes have visited or called their homes, prompting fear and concern they are being targeted for deportation. The visits have also been reported in recent weeks across the U.S as an effort to crack down on potential human trafficking, The Washington Post reported. Sendukas said the visits — which in some cases, clients have told her involved ICE agents asking sponsors for their immigration status — are concerning because sponsors and their homes have already gone through rigorous vetting by contractors part of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Most clients have reported that four ICE officers visit their homes, with 3 men and 1 woman, and ask varying questions, from asking how the child is doing in school to wanting to speak to the child and see their bedroom, Sendukas said. She added all the unaccompanied minors have already had removal orders dimissed through immigration court, or are in proceeding to have them dismissed. But the immigration status of the children’s sponsors, whom the immigration project does not represent, is not entirely known, Sendukas said. "If ICE does go after undocumented sponsors, we’re looking at the next version of family separation, and it will be devastating," she said. "We have young children who are going to be irreparably harmed.” The Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to the Chronicle Friday that DHS is leading welfare checks to ensure children are not being exploited. "The previous administration allowed many of these children who came across the border unaccompanied to be placed with sponsors who were actually smugglers and sex traffickers," McLaughlin said. "Unlike the previous administration, President Trump and Secretary Noem take the responsibility to protect children seriously and will continue to work with federal law enforcement to reunite children with their families.”

The New York Times [4/28/2025 3:30 AM, Eduardo Medina, 330K] reports federal agents raided an underground nightclub in Colorado early Sunday morning and detained more than 100 people who they said were undocumented immigrants, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The raid occurred at a club in Colorado Springs, about 70 miles south of Denver. Federal officials said there were more than 200 people inside the club at the time, including 114 who were in the country illegally. More than a dozen active-duty members of the U.S. military were detained as well, they said. Officials said agents found weapons and illicit drugs inside the nightclub, including cocaine, methamphetamine and a mixture of powdered drugs known as pink cocaine. Jonathan C. Pullen, the DEA Rocky Mountain Division special agent in charge, said in a news conference that the club had been under law enforcement surveillance for months and that “drug trafficking, prostitution and crimes of violence” had been taking place inside the club. Mr. Pullen said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement took custody of the immigrants detained at the club. He said the members of the military were “running security at the club and involved in some of these crimes.” The service members were handed over to the criminal investigation division of the U.S. Army. A spokeswoman for Fort Carson, an Army post in Colorado, said in a statement on Sunday night that “there were some Fort Carson service members present at the location during” the raid. “Each person involved in this incident is presumed innocent until proven guilty. We will look at everyone’s situation on a case-by-case basis,” the spokeswoman said. “Illegal activities of any kind do not represent our military values.” Mr. Pullen said that during the investigation of the club, law enforcement officers saw members of the Hell’s Angels, MS-13 and Tren de Aragua gangs inside the club. “I don’t have the information about whether those members were there tonight, but we’re still working through a lot of that, because we have so many people in custody,” Mr. Pullen said. The Hill [4/28/2025 12:23 AM, Jesse Byrnes, 12829K] reports Pullen said "a few" were detained on outstanding warrants, while most were turned away. "Only those here illegally or those with warrants were taken into custody. Most partygoers were eventually released," DEA Rocky Mountain wrote in a post on social media platform X. About 300 law enforcement agents participated in the raid, according to Pullen. Ten federal agencies as well as the local sheriff’s office and police department assisted with the raid. President Trump touted the raid in a post on his platform Truth Social while seeking to tie the enforcement effort to some of his more controversial deportation moves that have sparked battles with various courts across the country, including the Supreme Court. "A big Raid last night on some of the worst people illegally in our Country — Drug Dealers, Murderers, and other Violent Criminals, of all shapes and sizes, and Judges don’t want to send them back to where they came from. If we don’t win this battle at the Supreme Court, our Country, as we know it, is FINISHED! It will be a Crime ridden MESS. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump posted, along with video of agents confronting fleeing patrons. Pullen said authorities were investigating the club for "a number of months" before conducting Sunday’s raid. "This morning [DEA] apprehended over 100 illegal aliens at an underground night club frequented by Tda and MS-13 terrorists," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X, referring to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the international gang MS-13. The DEA said weapons and illicit drugs were recovered in the raid. Bondi said cocaine, meth and pink cocaine were seized. Two people were arrested on existing warrants, she said. Among those encountered by law enforcement were "more than a dozen active duty military" who were patrons or security at the nightclub, the DEA said in a social media post. Some service members of Fort Carson, an Army post in Colorado Springs, were present at the nightclub, a spokeswoman told New York Times on Sunday night. "Each person involved in this incident is presumed innocent until proven guilty. We will look at everyone’s situation on a case-by-case basis," the spokeswoman told the Times. "Illegal activities of any kind do not represent our military values.” The DEA special agent indicated the Army Criminal Investigation Division would be involved in the investigation. A spokesperson for the Army post did not immediately return The Hill’s request for comment late Sunday. NBC News [4/27/2025 11:28 PM, Dennis Romero, 44742K] reports that the DEA posted video of the moments before the raid on social media. It shows law enforcement officers in tactical gear surrounding the location and features audio of warnings in English and Spanish to those inside to exit peacefully. Pullen alleged the club, in what appears to be a strip mall, was a location for drug deals and sex workers. Events there had been under surveillance by law enforcement for months, he said. "What was happening inside was significant drug trafficking, prostitution, crimes of violence," Pullen said. "We seized a number of guns in there.” He indicated the investigation that led to the raid was ongoing, saying authorities "actually have a few other operations pending" across the city. President Donald Trump posted video of part of the raid to his Truth Social account and alleged some of those rounded up are murderers and other violent criminals. The DEA has not identified anyone accused of murder among those detained. Trump characterized it as "a big raid last night on some of the worst people illegally in our country.” Bondi said on X that members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, as well as of the Los Angeles-founded MS-13 gang, were detained. Both gangs have been repeatedly named as violent threats to the United States as the Trump administration forges ahead with its crackdown on illegal immigration.

Reported similarly:
NPR [4/27/2025 1:51 PM, Joe Hernandez, 29983K]
AP [4/26/2025 8:04 PM, John Raby, 48304K]
Reuters [4/27/2025 6:30 PM, Kanishka Singh, 41523K]
CBS News [4/27/2025 8:03 PM, Austen Erblat, 51661K] Video: HERE
CNN [4/27/2025 9:10 PM, Chris Boyette, 908K]
FOX News [4/27/2025 3:58 PM, Danielle Wallace, et al., 46189K]
NewsNation [4/27/2025 8:01 PM, Jacob Factor, 6866K]
USA Today [4/27/2025 7:35 PM, Thao Nguyen, 75858K]
Univision [4/27/2025 7:19 PM, Staff, 5325K]
Washington Examiner [4/27/2025 3:17 PM, Annabella Rosciglione, 2296K]

ABC News [4/27/2025 7:40 PM, Luke Barr, Alex Presha, Erica Morris, and Megan Forrester, 34586K] reports the Drug Enforcement Administration said it detained more than 200 people -- including members of the military -- at an unlicensed underground nightclub in Colorado on Sunday, officials told ABC News. Officials said among those that were detained were active-duty military members. DEA Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen said that alleged members of gangs, including Tren de Aragua and MS-13, were present at the venue. At approximately 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, officials conducted a "multi-agency enforcement operation" at what they called an underground nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division posted a video on X showing the operation underway on Sunday morning. Of the hundreds of people inside the nightclub, at least 114 were migrants that DEA officials said were in the country illegally. They are now in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. Close to 300 people were inside the nightclub and 114 illegal migrants were taken into custody, with most from Central and South America, officials said. "Drugs and weapons have also been seized at this underground nightclub," the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division said on X. The operation was led by the DEA and involved around 10 federal agencies along with the local sheriff’s department, officials said. The investigation took several months and included undercover operations, officials said. Authorities said they used drones, a helicopter and an armored vehicle for the operation. The Army confirmed that service members from Fort Carson, Colorado, were present at the club and that it is conducting a joint investigation with DEA. The Army would not say how many service members were allegedly involved, whether any were arrested or remain in custody, or if they were charged.

Daily Wire [4/27/2025 4:13 PM, Virginia Kruta, 4672K] reports the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) Rocky Mountain Division led a multi-agency raid early Sunday morning, swarming a nightclub that was being used as a base for Tren de Aragua gang members, and coming out with over 100 illegal immigrants in custody. The DEA shared video from the raid, which included assistance from the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department, during which they also recovered weapons and drugs. "#DEA Rocky Mountain led a multi-agency enforcement operation along with our local and federal partners early this morning. @DHSGov has taken more than 100 illegal aliens into custody. Drugs and weapons have also been seized at this underground nightclub in Colorado Springs," the caption read. Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff and adviser to President Donald Trump, added, "Early this morning, DOJ and DHS launched a joint raid of an illegal alien underground nightclub used by TDA in Colorado. More to come …" In the hours since, additional reports have filled in some key details about who was involved in the raid - and who was apprehended. Attorney General Pam Bondi explained, "This morning @DEAHQ apprehended over 100 illegal aliens at an underground night club frequented by Tda and MS-13 terrorists. Cocaine, meth, and pink cocaine was seized. 2 people were also arrested on existing warrants. As we approach his 100 days in office @POTUS Trump’s directive to make America safe again is achieving results!" Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin added, "Spotted in this video helping make arrests of illegal aliens at this Colorado underground nightclub. US Postal Service police IRS Criminal Investigations Along with ICE, DEA, & FBI. Trump admin taking a whole of federal gov approach to bring in every agency for deportations." "The party is OVER. Law and order has returned. Under the leadership of @POTUS Trump and @Sec_Noem, we are taking a whole of government approach to removing criminal illegal aliens from American communities," the official DHS account posted. The news of the Colorado Springs raid comes just days after a four-day multi-agency operation in Florida - referred to as Operation Tidal Wave - netted the captures of some 800 illegal aliens.

Axios [4/28/2025 12:54 AM, Rebecca Falconer and Russell Contreras, 13163K] reports authorities arrested over 100 suspected undocumented immigrants in a federal raid on a Colorado nightclub that saw guns and drugs including methamphetamine and pink cocaine seized early Sunday, officials said. The big picture: President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed the raid on the Colorado Springs club, some 70 miles south of Denver, as the administration faces criticism over the arrest of a judge in an immigration case and U.S. citizen children being sent to Honduras with their deported mothers. Driving the news: The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Rocky Mountain Division said some "200 people were inside — at least 114 in the U.S. illegally." DEA Rocky Mountain Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen told reporters there had been "undercover surveillance" on this "underground nightclub" for months and members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, MS-13 and the Hells Angels had been seen there. "I don’t have the information about whether those members were there tonight, but we’re still working through a lot of that, because we have so many people in custody," he said. Zoom in: Pullen said investigators had observed "significant drug trafficking, prostitution, crimes of violence," adding: "We had active-duty service members who were running security at the club and involved in some of these crimes." A spokesperson for Fort Carson, an Army post in Colorado, confirmed in a media statement "there were some Fort Carson service members present at the location during the operation." The spokesperson added each person involved in the case was presumed innocent until proven guilty and the Army "will look at everyone’s situation on a case-by-case basis." What they’re saying: "A big Raid last night on some of the worst people illegally in our Country — Drug Dealers, Murderers, and other Violent Criminals, of all shapes and sizes, and Judges don’t want to send them back to where they came from," Trump said on his Truth Social platform. "If we don’t win this battle at the Supreme Court, our Country, as we know it, is FINISHED! It will be a Crime ridden MESS. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Reality check: Only 1.17% of fiscal year 2025 new cases sought deportation orders based on any alleged criminal activity of the immigrant, apart from possible illegal entry, according to Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) analysis of court records to the end of March. Immigrants commit fewer crimes than their U.S.-born counterparts, studies show. But Trump and others have elevated individual cases that support their claims, like the death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley. Less than 0.5% of the 1.8 million cases in immigration courts during the past fiscal year (involving about 8,400 people) included deportation orders for alleged crimes other than entering the U.S. illegally, an Axios review of government data found.

Telemundo [4/27/2025 7:00 PM, Jessica Gallegos, 34K] reports a San Francisco Bay Area immigration attorney is doing his part after a two-year-old U.S. citizen, her sister and mother were deported to Honduras. The 2-year-old was initially detained with her undocumented mother at a scheduled meeting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New Orleans, but was later deported “without meaningful process,” according to a federal judge in Louisiana. “This case is unique because this girl was an American citizen, even though the administration is going to say that the mother was asking for the girl to go with her to Honduras, there is evidence here that the father is trying to say that the girl will not be returned to Honduras,” said Hugo Salazar, an immigration attorney. This new case is the most recent that opposes the judicial system to the immigration policy of Donald Trump’s administration, which leads to massive expulsions of migrants residing irregularly in the country.

Breitbart [4/28/2025 3:54 AM, Paul Bois, 2923K] reports a New York man has been charged by federal authorities for allegedly concealing his role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide to gain U.S. citizenship. "Faustin Nsabumukunzi, 65, was charged with hiding from US authorities his role as a local leader in Rwanda when the genocide began in 1994," reported CNN. "An estimated 800,000 Tutsis were killed during the three-month-long genocide. The indictment of the Bridgehampton man was unsealed in Central Islip on Long Island.” "At an initial court appearance, Nsabumukunzi pleaded not guilty to visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud and was released on $250,000 bail. The bail package requires home detention and GPS monitoring, but he will be allowed to continue working as a gardener," it added. Nsabumukunzi’s lawyer, Evan Sugar, denied the charges and referred to his client as a "law-abiding beekeeper and gardener who has lived on Long Island for more than two decades," adding that he was "a victim of the Rwandan genocide who lost scores of family members and friends to the violence.” Sugar said Nsabumukunzi earned refugee status and permanent residence to the United States due to the alleged persecution he faced during the genocide. However, prosecutors say that witnesses have alleged Nsabumukunzi would falsely assure Tutsis that they would be protected during public meetings while privately urging Hutus to slaughter them. Witnesses also allege he encouraged Hutus to rape Tutsi women. "Prosecutors said that when the charges were described to Nsabumukunzi as he was arrested Thursday morning, he responded: ‘I know I’m finished,’" noted CNN.

FOX News [4/27/2025 8:37 AM, Elizabeth Elkind and Kelly Phares, 46189K] reports House Republicans are carving out $68.8 billion for President Donald Trump’s border wall and to hire more agents in the field amid talks on a massive bill to advance the commander-in-chief’s agenda. While Trump spent much of his first term focused on a physical barrier between the U.S. and Mexico, the legislation now under consideration seeks to modernize the task with $46.5 billion for an integrated "border barrier system," according to details first viewed by Fox News Digital. It would incorporate physical fencing along with updated surveillance tools, roads, and lighting. The bill also aims to pay $5 billion for new facilities and personnel for Customs and Border Protection (CBP), something the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sought since Trump came back to the White House. It would specifically dedicate $4.1 billion to fund new front-line personnel to patrol the border, while also incentivizing new and current CBP staff with retention bonuses, among other measures – for which $2 billion is dedicated. It would also put $813 million into modernizing CBP’s existing fleet of vehicles, with its current tech falling prey to mechanical issues and high maintenance costs. The bill also seeks $2.7 billion to fund an array of modern technology that agents could use to crack down on illegal immigration at the border, including ground sensors, drones, radar, and remote surveillance technology, among other items. For people caught crossing illegally, it would fund $673 million in upgrades to the U.S.’s current biometrics system aimed at tracking those illegal migrants. Just over $1 billion in funding for new and updated air and maritime platforms is also included. The legislation also puts millions toward threat-assessment and logistical planning for multiple upcoming international events in the U.S. – $1 billion for the 2028 Summer Olympics, and $625 million for the coming World Cup soccer championships. Other funding items include $1 million to commemorate American victims of illegal immigrant crime, and $500 million to specifically crack down on cartel drug smuggling at the border. Trump administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and immigration czar Tom Homan, have emphasized the need for more funding to carry out the president’s agenda. DHS sent a memo to House and Senate Republicans earlier this month warning that failure to pass the legislation "will undo all the Trump Administration’s Massive Successes.”

Reported similarly:
Bloomberg Government [4/27/2025 10:02 AM, Ellen M. Gilmer, 75K]
NewsMax [4/27/2025 11:04 AM, Eric Mack, 4998K]

CNBC [4/27/2025 10:00 AM, Greg Iacurci, 35400K] reports the deadline for U.S. travelers to get a Real ID is fast approaching — and those who don’t have one may not be able to board flights within the U.S. The Real ID card is an optional, upgraded driver’s license or state identification card that is issued by a state driver’s licensing agency and marked with a star. The good news: There are other forms of identification U.S. travelers can use — such as a valid U.S. passport, passport card, permanent resident card, or certain Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler cards — if they can’t get a Real ID by the deadline, May 7. “There are workarounds people can use,” said John Breyault, a travel expert at the National Consumers League, a consumer advocacy group. “Most people already have the ability to travel, whether they have a Real ID or not.” Travelers can skirt the requirement to present a Real ID card if they have other types of approved identification. Experts said the most common among them are: a passport or passport card; a Global Entry card; an enhanced driver’s license issued by Washington state, Michigan, Minnesota, New York or Vermont; or a permanent resident card, also known as a green card.

FOX News [4/27/2025 12:00 PM, Deirdre Heavey and Elizabeth Elkind, 46189K] reports President Donald Trump’s administration has signaled there will be no REAL ID exceptions after Kentucky lawmakers requested a deadline extension. The Trump administration confirmed in a statement to Fox News Digital that states will need to comply by the May 7 deadline, despite Kentucky’s delay request, as a 20-year standoff between state and federal governments comes to a head with REAL ID’s real deadline. "Beginning on May 7, passengers will need a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification to fly, like a passport or military ID. TSA is committed to enforcing the law, as directed by Congress.” "Non-compliant passengers may expect wait times or additional measures at airports. If you are an illegal alien without a REAL ID, the only way you will be permitted to fly is if you are self-deporting," a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spokesperson said when asked if extensions were on the table. Kentucky lawmakers, including Kentucky’s Senate Transportation Committee Chair Jimmy Higdon and 27 state senate leaders, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on April 17 requesting a delay on REAL ID enforcement, citing concerns among Kentuckians "who are still unable to access driver’s licensing services due to limited appointment availability and long lines for walk-ins.” "This simple request is to protect Kentuckians from bureaucratic burdens," Higdon said. "Rural residents, seniors, and families still have hurdles in front of them, and in a lot of cases, may not be aware of their options. Only about 40 percent of our residents have a REAL ID, but I would also like more time to help Kentuckians understand that they may not need a REAL ID. Kentucky has made a good-faith effort, but we just aren’t there yet.” The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – a longtime opponent of REAL ID implementation – called it "discriminatory, expensive, burdensome, invasive, and ultimately counterproductive" in 2007 as disapproval grew nationwide. By 2009, at least 25 states had enacted legislation opposing the REAL ID Act. While deadlines have shifted and implementation plans rolled out, Kentucky’s letter revealed states continue to panic over the REAL ID deadline as Americans line up at their local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and make appointments to secure their enhanced identification.

ABC News [4/27/2025 12:17 PM, Kyle Reiman and Megan Forrester, 34586K] reports more than 50 million Americans are on alert for severe weather that could bring devastating winds, large hail and tornadoes to parts of the Midwest on Monday. This new storm system will emerge around the Rockies late Sunday into early Monday and then move east toward the Midwest. The highest severe weather threat is centered around north-central Iowa, with portions of southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin under a moderate risk. Other parts of the Midwest, including areas from eastern Kansas to northern Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, are also under an enhanced risk. A tornado outbreak is likely across portions of the Midwest on Monday, with some tornadoes possibly being strong to intense, according to the Storm Prediction Center. The storm will come in two rounds, the first starting early to late Monday morning and the second beginning early Monday afternoon into Tuesday. Storms will develop up and down the central U.S. as the system moves east.

USA Today [4/28/2025 5:05 AM, Doyle Rice, 75858K] reports a severe weather outbreak is possible on Monday, April 28, forecasters warned, the first day of what could be a multiple-day siege of stormy weather over the central, eastern and southern states. "The atmosphere will be very conducive for severe weather," the National Weather Service said. A "widespread, significant" threat will develop April 28, especially in the afternoon and evening, according to an online forecast from Weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. Strong tornadoes, large hail, and high winds are all possible dangers. AccuWeather said the storms are likely to organize along an advancing cold front from the eastern part of the Dakotas, Minnesota and western Wisconsin to west-central Texas. Iowa and southern Minnesota could be in the crosshairs of a moderate risk of severe weather that includes tornadoes. Cities like Minneapolis, Des Moines, and Kansas City are all in the line of fire, Dolce said. "Tornadoes, some possibly strong (EF2 or greater damage), as well as large hail and damaging winds, are all possible threats," he said. EF2 tornadoes have wind speeds of up to 135 mph, the weather service said. On Tuesday, April 29, all modes of severe weather – hail, high winds and a few tornadoes – are possible as the front advances eastward from the Plains to the Great Lakes and the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, said AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski in an online forecast. Cities at greatest risk April 29 include Dallas-Fort Worth, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, Dolce said, "The potential for flash flooding from heavy rain is also in play," he said. By Wednesday, April 30, AccuWeather’s Sosnowski said the potential for severe thunderstorms will extend to parts of the Northeast and the lower portion of the Mississippi Valley.

NBC News [4/27/2025 2:50 PM, Viola Flowers and Christine Rapp, 44742K] reports at least one person has died in southwest Oklahoma after flash flooding hit the region, with authorities warning people to stay off the roads as severe weather warnings continue. "Emergency responders reported witnessing a vehicle drive into standing water earlier today," the Lawton Police Department said in a statement Saturday. "Responders were not able to safely get to the submerged vehicle.” The investigation into the death is ongoing, officials said Saturday. The dive team assisted in recovery of the victim and the family has been notified, authorities said. The identity of the victim has not been released. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt thanked first responders on Saturday. "Thank you to our wonderful first responders who’ve been executing water rescues all day due to flooding from heavy rain," he wrote in a post on X. "Oklahomans, be extra careful when driving and don’t try to drive through flooded roads. Stay weather aware!". Lawton city officials said water began to recede in some areas on Sunday afternoon. Further south, in Walters, Oklahoma, Cotton County Emergency Management issued a public notice urging all residents to evacuate flood zone areas. Floodwaters are expected to rise through midafternoon Sunday, authorities said. Emergency management is working to secure more sand and sandbags for residents.

CBS 13 Bangor [4/27/2025 5:39 PM, Staff, 572K] reports the Coast Guard is proposing removing more than 100 navigation buoys from Maine waters. According to the Bangor Daily News, it includes 40 buoys in Penobscot Bay and a dozen around Mount Desert Island. The buoys that could be removed mark things like harbor entrances and hazards. The BDN reports the Coast Guard is proposing this to modernize the buoys. The Coast Guard says many of the buoys pre-date modern GPS systems. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
WGME-TV CBS Bangor [4/27/2025 5:39 PM, Staff, 126906K] Video: HERE

CBS 13 Bangor [4/27/2025 5:37 PM, Staff, 572K] reports the Coast Guard says a man is dead and another is injured after an incident aboard a boat from Maine. The Coast Guard reportedly got a distress call around 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon from a fishing vessel "25 to Life" about 25 miles off the coast of Nahant, Massachusetts. The call reported that a piece of snapped rope had hit two crewmembers, according to the Coast Guard. Officials reportedly got to the boat and took the two individuals to the hospital. The Coast Guard says one of them, 26-year-old Jaxson Marston, later died from his injuries.

ABC News [4/28/2025 12:52 AM, Darren Reynolds and T. Michelle Murphy, 31638K] reports one person was killed and multiple people were injured when a boat struck the Clearwater Ferry in Clearwater, Florida, on Sunday evening. All of the injured individuals were people on the ferry, according to the Clearwater Police Department. There were 45 people aboard the ferry, including two crew members, when it was hit by a passing boat, police said. "It’s been declared a mass casualty incident by the fire department due to the number of injuries. All local hospitals have been notified," Clearwater PD wrote in a post on X on Sunday night. "Multiple trauma alerts have been called with helicopters transporting two of the more seriously injured," the post continued. The Coast Guard says there were six people on board the recreational boat, which left the scene. Authorities said it was later found by a responding agency. "The boat that fled the scene has been identified by another law enforcement agency," Clearwater PD said. However, further details about the second vessel involved in the incident have not yet been made available. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be taking the lead on the crash investigation, police said. CBS News [4/28/2025 12:24 AM, Jordan Freiman, 52225K] reports that according to police, a Clearwater Ferry carrying 45 people, including two crew members, was hit by another boat, which fled the scene of the crash. The other boat, a private recreational vessel that was carrying six people, has been identified, the Coast Guard said. The ferry "came to rest on a sandbar just south of the Memorial Causeway bridge," police said. All the passengers, including those who were injured, have been taken off the ferry. CNN [4/28/2025 3:45 AM, Hanna Park, 22131K] reports that the United States Coast Guard said it was notified of the collision and that crews from the Station Sand Key and partner agencies were on the scene. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be leading the investigation into the crash, Clearwater police said.

Reported similarly:
AP [4/28/2025 4:29 AM, Staff, 29983K]
NBC News [4/28/2025 12:18 AM, Rebecca Cohen, 44742K]
FOX News [4/28/2025 2:04 AM, Elizabeth Pritchett, 46189K]

Marine Link [4/27/2025 7:53 PM, Staff, 94K] reports the US Coast Guard, operator Spectrum OpCo and the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office (LOSCO) have established a Unified Command in response to an oil and gas mixture release in a marsh environment near the Garden Island Bay Production Facility company’s well in Plaquemines Parish, southeast of New Orleans, Louisiana. An overflight by an LOSCO aircrew on Saturday confirmed the presence of crude oil. The operator is implementing its federal and state approved emergency oil spill response plan. There have been no reports of injuries or wildlife impacts. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

Reported similarly:
Maritime Executive [4/27/2025 8:05 PM, Staff, 325K]

Hawaii News Now [4/28/2025 2:15 AM, Staff] reports a kayaker has gone missing near Keauhou Sunday. Jared Willeford, 42, was last seen launching his kayak the area at around 8 a.m. at the Keauhou boat ramp wearing orange bib pants. The U.S. Coast Guard said it was notified by the Hawaii County Fire Department dispatch about an unmanned yellow kayak 400-yards offshore at around 10 a.m. Willeford’s family and HFD confirmed that his truck and trailer are still at the boat ramp. The Coast Guard said it is working with the county’s fire department in the search, and has deployed a HC-130 Hercules and MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from USCG Air Station Barbers Point, alongside the USCG Cutter Oliver Berry.

Reported similarly:
ABC 4 Honolulu [4/28/2025 3:22 AM, Kimber Collins]
Yahoo News [4/28/25 12:59 m, Cameron Macedonio, 59943K]

BigIslandNow [4/27/2025 5:51 PM, Tiffany DeMasters, 94K] reports Hawai’i Island police are again renewing their request for information regarding a woman from Pāhoa who was reported missing in July 2023. Shanice Ogata-Staudinger, 30, got separated from a relative while out picking opihi on July 9, 2023, in the area of Kahakai Boulevard and Papio Street in Pāhoa, at a spot commonly known as "Hau Bush." According to Hawai’i Island police, Ogata-Staudinger failed to return to the prearranged meeting spot later that day. She has not been seen or heard from by her family since, and they are concerned for her welfare. At the time of her disappearance, emergency personnel conducted an extensive area search, including police with a scent-discriminating canine, the Hawai’i Fire Department’s helicopter, and the United States Coast Guard. However, Ogata-Staudinger was not located.

FOX News [4/27/2025 6:30 PM, Stepheny Price, 46189K] reports one person is dead and 11 others wounded after a gunman opened fire in the middle of a popular tourist spot in Myrtle Beach on Saturday night, according to law enforcement officials. The Myrtle Beach Police Department shared that the shooting happened just before midnight on Saturday, in the heart of the city’s famed entertainment district, when officers noticed a "disturbance involving multiple individuals.” During the altercation, officers reported that a person opened fire. "At that time, based on the immediate threat, one of our officers responded by discharging their firearm," officials shared in an update on their department’s Facebook page. Police said 11 individuals were injured and are receiving medical treatment. The individual shot during the officer’s response has died from his injuries. Horry County Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard confirmed the identity of the person shot to News13 as 18-year-old Jerrius Davis of Bennettsville. The officer involved in the shooting was not injured, officials said. Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune told News13 that the swift action taken by the officer prevented further tragedy. "Our officer saw what happened, and when he saw that an altercation was taking place and a gun was being shot, the officer responded very quickly and, in my opinion, saved lives," Bethune told the outlet. "Last night could have been so much worse.” Bethune added that she was on Ocean Boulevard about an hour before the shooting happened and wouldn’t have been if she felt unsafe. "This was an isolated incident. We had a huge crowd on the boulevard late last night, and we can’t always control what people are going to do, but we also can’t just shut ourselves in and do nothing," Bethune said. "This is a great place to visit. It’s not an unsafe place at all. And I’m not making light of what happened in any way.” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., also shared her thoughts and said that she was "devastated" to hear about the "tragic shooting.” "Devastated by the tragic shooting in Myrtle Beach. Our hearts are torn apart for the victims and their families," Mace wrote in a post on X. "South Carolina stands strong, and we will not tolerate violence of any sort in our communities. God bless the first responders on the scene," she continued. The police department said, "Our hearts and continued prayers are with all those affected, as well as their loved ones during this difficult time.”

USA Today [4/28/2025 12:09 AM, Thao Nguyen, 75858K] reports at least one person is dead and six others were injured after a shooting at a small university in northeastern North Carolina early April 27, authorities said. The shooting occurred at the center of Elizabeth City State University’s campus following Yard Fest, a school spirit event that is part of the university’s weeklong Viking Fest celebration, according to a statement from the university. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said the shooting took place at around 12:30 a.m. A 24-year-old man, who was not a student at the school, was pronounced dead, the university said. His identity was not immediately released pending notification of his next of kin. Four people — including three students — sustained gunshot wounds, according to the university. Two other students were injured during the "subsequent commotion," the university said. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening, according to the university, and all victims were transported to a local medical center for treatment. The shooting prompted a campus lockdown, and the university issued a shelter-in-place order for all students. The lockdown was later lifted, and the school said it increased police patrols across campus as a precaution. The Elizabeth City State University Police Department, along with the Elizabeth City Police Department, Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office, Camden County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, responded to the incident, according to the school. "The (North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation) is currently on the scene, gathering evidence and collaborating with local authorities," the agency said in a statement. "As this is an ongoing investigation, information is currently limited.” The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is asking for the public’s assistance in the investigation and has urged anyone with information, videos, or pictures of the event to contact the agency or the Elizabeth City State University Police Department. Elizabeth City State University is a public, historically Black university in Elizabeth City, about 26 miles south of the North Carolina and Virginia state border. The university, which is also a member of the University of North Carolina System, had 2,261 students enrolled as of fall 2024.

FOX News [4/27/2025 6:41 PM, Breanne Deppisch and Diana Stancy, 46189K] reports Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz reiterated the administration’s support for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Sunday, saying they "couldn’t be prouder" of his early months in the role, despite a wave of high-profile controversies and resignations that have embroiled the department in recent weeks. Speaking to Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday, Waltz was pressed about the alleged dysfunction inside the Pentagon’s top ranks— and whether, in his view, the current Pentagon is equipped to deliver on lofty foreign policy goals, including helping broker a negotiated settlement in Russia’s war in Ukraine. "Can you do this in what appears to be a chaotic, weakened Defense Department?" Bartiromo asked Waltz on "Sunday Morning Futures," citing reports of chaos and dysfunction, including recent firings of Hegseth’s top aides, and reports he has been threatening polygraph tests for some staffers at the department. "I’ll tell you about a weakened Pentagon," Waltz fired back. "That was one that had a Defense Secretary that disappeared for two weeks just last year, and nobody knew about it.” In contrast to his predecessor, Waltz said Hegseth is "leading from the front" at the Defense Department, and praised what he described as Hegseth’s early efforts to reform the Pentagon. "He is leading the charge, and he has no tolerance for leaking," Waltz said, dismissing the alleged chaos or dysfunction as a "media narrative," and one he vowed they "are going to power through.”

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [4/27/2025 4:13 PM, Callie Patteson, 2296K]

FOX News [4/28/2025 4:00 AM, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, 46189K] reports China is steadily expanding in the Bahamas through projects that blur economic development and geopolitical aims, an expert warned. "The People’s Republic of China has been making diplomatic, economic and even military and quasi-military inroads into the Caribbean, South and Central America for the past couple of decades," retired Rear Adm. Peter Brown, former Homeland Security advisor to President Donald Trump, told Fox News Digital. Brown pointed to the rise in dual-use infrastructure projects along the Bahamas coastline, which is located just 50 miles off the coast of Florida. "It doesn’t take a lot of imagination for the People’s Republic of China to use its commercial footprint in the Bahamas to monitor, exploit and perhaps even do worse to [the] U.S.," he said. Pointing to the Chinese-controlled British Colonial Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas, Brown said that its location directly across from the U.S. Embassy could give way to intelligence gathering on U.S. personnel. "It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to think that additional electronics were put in there with the purpose and the task of keeping an eye not only on the U.S. Embassy itself, but also the U.S. Embassy visitors," he said. The hotel is owned by a Chinese company, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, which has raised geopolitical concerns given its location. Fox News Digital has reached out to the British Colonial Hotel for comment. China has invested heavily in the Bahamas through a range of additional high-profile projects, including a $40 million grant for a national stadium, a $3 billion mega-port in Freeport, and $40 million for the North Abaco Port and Little Abaco Bridge. Additionally, China EXIM Bank provided over $54 million in loans to construct a four-lane highway and nearly $3 billion to finance the development of the Baha Mar Resort.

The Hill [4/27/2025 10:27 AM, Tara Suter, 12829K] reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that the “only solution” for the war in Ukraine is a negotiation where both Russia and Ukraine “give up something.” “There is no military solution to this war,” Rubio told NBC News’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press.” “The only solution to this war is a negotiated settlement where both sides are going to have to give up something they claim to want, and are going to have to give the other side something they wish they didn’t.” “That’s how you end wars, and that’s what we’re trying to achieve here so more people won’t die,” he added. Since President Trump’s return to office a few months ago, his administration has pushed to end the war in Ukraine, talking with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump and Zelensky met Saturday in Rome prior to the funeral of Pope Francis, who died last week.

New York Times [4/27/2025 1:48 PM, Kim Barker, 153395K] reports President Trump’s standing among Ukrainians is practically on life support. But many cheered one statement he made on Saturday after meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, questioning why President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia would continue to pummel Ukraine as the United States is trying to broker peace talks. “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social after meeting with Mr. Zelensky on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral, adding that Mr. Putin may need to be “dealt with differently” — with more sanctions. The day’s events were a victory of sorts for Mr. Zelensky and Ukraine at a critical juncture in the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The United States has been pushing Ukraine to accept a peace plan that seems in part a gift to Moscow. The proposal would force Kyiv to abandon its aspirations of joining NATO, offer Ukraine only vague security guarantees, and see the United States officially recognizing Crimea as Russian. Ukraine has rejected that deal, which the Trump administration had described as its final offer. But now, Ukrainians see a small glimmer of hope that Mr. Trump will not try to force Ukraine into a lopsided peace plan. It first emerged in the fallout from a massive Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s capital early Thursday that killed 12 people and injured almost 90. “Vladimir, STOP!” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social, in a rare rebuke of Mr. Putin.

Daily Wire [4/27/2025 3:06 PM, Virginia Kruta, 4672K] reports President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that he had three requirements for Russian President Vladimir Putin, all of which he expected to be met in order to stop the bloodshed and end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Trump spoke to the press at the airport in Morristown, New Jersey, as he prepared to board Air Force One and return to the White House after a long weekend trip that included his attendance at the funeral for the late Pope Francis as well as a one-on-one meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Reporters began with questions about the meeting with Zelensky at the Vatican - which, after their highly-publicized Oval Office blowout, was much less dramatic - and Trump said that the pair had had a "good meeting." "We had a good meeting, it was a nice meeting - it was a beautiful meeting, I tell you , it was the nicest office I’ve ever seen," Trump said. "It was a beautiful scene. He was very - he wants to do something good for his country. He thinks he’s doing a good job, he’s working hard, we’ll see what happens." Trump went on to say that Zelensky had told him that "he needs more weapons, but he’s been saying that for three years. He needs more weapons and we’re going to see what happens with respect to Russia because, Russia, I’ve been surprised and disappointed that they did the bombing of those places after discussions." The follow-up question moved on to Trump’s plans with regard to Russia, and a reporter asked him, "What do you want Vladimir Putin to do?" "Well, I want him to stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal. We have the confines of a deal, I believe," Trump replied. "And I want him to sign it and be done with it, and just go back to life."

NewsMax [4/27/2025 8:44 AM, Staff, 4998K] reports Russian investigators have filed terrorism charges against a Ukrainian citizen suspected of killing a senior Russian military officer near Moscow, Interfax news agency reported on Sunday. The Kremlin has blamed Kyiv for Friday’s car bomb that killed 59-year-old Yaroslav Moskalik, the latest in a series of Russian military officers and pro-war figures to be assassinated since the start of the war in Ukraine. Ukraine has not commented on the incident. Interfax, citing Russia’s Investigative Committee, said the suspect, Ignat Kuzin, had pleaded guilty to killing Moskalik and had said he was recruited by Ukraine’s security services. Moskalik, who was deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of Russia’s General Staff, was killed on Friday in the town of Balashikha, hours before U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff was due to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on ending the Ukraine war. The Investigative Committee said Russian authorities were trying to identify others who might have been involved in the killing of Moskalik.

CNN [4/28/2025 3:34 AM, Nectar Gan and Kathleen Magramo, 908K] reports China and the Philippines have each unfurled their national flags on tiny sandbars in the South China Sea, staking competing sovereignty claims in strategic waters seen as a potential flashpoint for global conflict. The rival photo opportunities unfolded on Sandy Cay, a string of three uninhabited sandbars which lie near a Philippine military outpost in the disputed Spratly Islands. The release of the images comes as US and Philippine forces hold their largest-ever annual joint military drills in nearby waters – and just weeks after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to enhance America’s military alliance with the Philippines to “reestablish deterrence” to counter “China’s aggression” in the region - during his first trip to Asia. Bracketed by China and several Southeast Asian nations, parts of the vital South China Sea are claimed by multiple governments, but Beijing has asserted ownership over almost all of the waterway, in defiance of an international court ruling. Over the past two decades, China has occupied a number of obscure reefs and atolls far from its shoreline across the South China Sea, building up military installations, including runways and ports. The public relations wrestling match over Sandy Cay risks further stoking long-running tensions between the Philippines and China. It also poses a key test to the Trump administration on how it will respond, especially as key cabinet officials have repeatedly emphasized the need for the US to focus its attention and resources on countering China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region. The latest maritime dispute surfaced last week, when China’s state-controlled media claimed that China Coast Guard “implemented maritime control” and “exercised sovereign jurisdiction” over Tiexian Reef – the Chinese name for Sandy Cay – in mid-April. A photo aired on China’s state broadcaster Saturday showed four Chinese officers in black uniforms walking along the white sandbar as a fifth officer held an inflatable boat by the water. Another photo showed four officers holding up a Chinese flag in what the broadcaster described as “a show of sovereignty.”

Reported similarly:
Washington Post [4/28/2025 4:06 AM, Katrina Northrop and Lyric Li, 31735K]
AP [4/28/2025 3:37 AM, Staff, 48304K]

Reuters [4/28/2025 4:16 AM, Karen Lema, 41523K] reports the Philippines said on Monday there was no truth to news reports that Beijing has seized control of a disputed reef in the South China Sea, after its personnel landed on the unoccupied sandbars and found no Chinese presence there. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Friday said its coast guard had landed on Sandy Cay as part of maritime control operations to exercise its sovereignty. It did not say China was occupying the feature. CCTV showed pictures of four coast guard personnel in black combat gear holding a Chinese flag after arriving on Sandy Cay on an inflatable dinghy. Philippine National Security Council spokesperson Jonathan Malaya on Monday said news reports of China seizing Sandy Cay were false as a Philippine team had visited the sandbars on Sunday and found nobody there. "We are here to debunk that and to assure the public that we have not lost the Pagasa Cays," Malaya said, using the Filipino name for the sandbars, calling the reports "irresponsible". Ties between China and the U.S. ally the Philippines are significantly strained amid heated spats over disputed parts of the South China Sea, where Beijing has deployed an armada of coast guard to reinforce its claim to sovereignty over almost the entire waterway. The Philippines is vexed by what it calls Beijing’s "aggressive" conduct and the permanent presence in its exclusive economic zone of Chinese coast guard and what Manila considers a militia of fishing vessels under its control. Sandy Cay is close to Thitu Island, the largest and most strategically important of the nine features the Philippines occupies in the Spratly archipelago, where Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and China also have a presence, opens new tab collectively on dozens of features ranging from reefs and rocks to islands, natural and artificial. China’s manmade islands include runways, ports and missile systems. The Philippines on Sunday said it observed near Thitu Island what it called the illegal presence of Chinese coast guard and militia vessels. China’s foreign ministry said on Monday it "resolutely upholds the seriousness" of a 2002 declaration with its Southeast Asian neighbours on conduct in the South China Sea, which included not occupying more uninhabited features after Malaya reminded Beijing it was bound by it.

{End of Report} RETURN TO TOP