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.

The New York Times [12/12/2025 3:03 AM, Madeleine Ngo, 330K] reports Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, drew sharp questions from Democratic lawmakers on Thursday about the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, with some members calling on her to resign. The hearing, held by the House Homeland Security Committee, typically takes place annually and focuses on “worldwide threats” to the United States. But most of the focus on Thursday was on the Trump administration’s escalating immigration efforts, and instances in which immigrants with no criminal records and U.S. citizens have been caught up in enforcement actions. Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the highest-ranking Democrat on the panel, opened the hearing by urging Ms. Noem to resign from her post. He later pressed Ms. Noem on who gave asylum to the Afghan national charged with shooting two National Guard members in Washington. “Your D.H.S. approved the asylum application,” Mr. Thompson told her. Ms. Noem repeatedly said that the vetting of the suspect occurred during the Biden administration. During their exchange, Mr. Thompson called the shooting an “unfortunate accident,” prompting Ms. Noem to retort that it was “a terrorist attack.” He subsequently called it an “unfortunate situation.” During another tense exchange, Representative Shri Thanedar, Democrat of Michigan, told Ms. Noem that he was “sick of your lies” and asked if she would resign. “Sir, I will consider your asking me to resign as an endorsement of my work,” Ms. Noem responded. “Thank you very much.” The hearing came at a pivotal time for immigration policy. Trump administration officials have pledged to purge people in the country unlawfully. The Department of Homeland Security has also made changes to the legal immigration system since last month’s shooting of the two National Guard members, which left one dead. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan who received asylum in April, has been charged in the attack. Mr. Lakanwal has pleaded not guilty. Since then, the Trump administration has halted the ability of Afghans to obtain visas, paused decisions on asylum applications and vowed to review the more than 50,000 asylum applications that were approved during the Biden administration. It has also paused immigration applications submitted by foreign nationals from the 19 countries subject to the president’s travel ban. [Editorial note: consult video at source link] The Hill [12/11/2025 9:49 AM, Staff, 12595K] reports Noem last week said the Trump administration is looking to expand its travel ban to more than 30 countries in the wake of a shooting last month in Washington. One National Guard soldier was killed and another injured after being shot not far from the White House while deployed to the nation’s capital amid President Trump’s crackdown on crime. Trump ramped up his immigration enforcement efforts after the incident, including implementing the travel ban and launching a review of green cards held by citizens of about 19 countries. The hearing was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EST. [Editorial note: consult video at source link] The Washington Post [12/11/2025 1:35 PM, Staff, 32099K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem’s appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee on Thursday morning was billed as a discussion about global threats the United States faces, but her role in the Trump administration’s immigration policies is in the spotlight. She defended her oversight of the president’s mass deportation campaign, including signing off on sending more than 130 Venezuelan men to a Salvadoran megaprison this year under the Alien Enemies Act. Noem took lawmakers’ questions for about two hours before departing mid-hearing, saying she had to attend a meeting for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s review council. Republican lawmakers largely praised Noem and the administration’s actions, while Democrats leveled accusations that her agency has resisted oversight and been untruthful. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (Mississippi), the top Democrat on the committee, ended a blistering critique of Noem’s tenure by calling on her to resign rather than “wasting your time and ours with more corruption, lies and lawlessness.” The Washington Post [12/11/2025 5:13 PM, Marianne LeVine, 24149K] reports Democrats pressed her to explain why scores of U.S. citizens have been detained during immigration enforcement operations and highlighted cases of immigrants who have lived in the United States for decades being deported — including some who served in the U.S. military. Protesters interrupted Noem’s opening remarks, with one shouting, "Get ICE off our streets, stop terrorizing our communities" — a reference to Immigration and Customs Enforcement — before being escorted out of the hearing room. The appearance marked Noem’s second before the committee, and the hearing, nominally focused on national security threats, quickly veered into a referendum on her leadership amid mounting public scrutiny, and waning support, for the Department of Homeland Security’s hard-line immigration enforcement tactics. Democrats were further angered after Noem left the hearing early to oversee a meeting of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which falls under DHS. However, that meeting was postponed. A DHS spokesperson said Noem did not learn of the meeting’s cancellation until after she had left.

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Politico [12/11/2025 4:01 PM, Eric Bazail-Eimil, Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing, and Daniella Cheslow, 2100K] reports immigration dominated today’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing on threats to the U.S., but its three witnesses — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent and senior FBI official Michael Glasheen — also offered some insights into other outside threats the Trump administration is prioritizing. Your host was in the room for all of the acrimonious exchanges and the creative efforts to protest the administration’s policies — some from Democratic lawmakers and some from demonstrators attempting to interrupt the hearing. Kent claimed that officials have identified 2,000 Afghans and 16,000 others in the U.S. with ties to terror groups following November’s National Guard shooting. Noem and Kent blamed the Biden administration for lax vetting. “That is why we were so aggressive at making sure that we’re going out and doing investigative work, finding those violent criminals, finding those people who shouldn’t be in this country to begin with, and those that want to go after and harm our American citizens,” Noem said. Glasheen warned that Iran is still plotting “attacks against former government officials in retaliation for the January 2020 death of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps” chief Qasem Soleimani. It’s a sign that Iran’s desire for vengeance hasn’t been stanched by Israeli and U.S. strikes earlier this year, nor by Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah. Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) had a simple question for Glasheen: What rogue actor was the biggest priority for the FBI right now? Glasheen answered Antifa, the ill-defined leftist activist ideology the administration has focused resources on in recent months. Several Republicans asked Noem how the administration will combat the threats drones pose to U.S. national security, especially as the U.S. plans to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and other global sporting events. Noem said the administration is investing $1.5 billion in drone and counter-drone technology and plans to aggressively respond to the threat drones pose to these events. And she added that her department won’t just track drones. “We don’t want just to detect, we don’t want to just monitor, we need to mitigate. We need to take these drones down,” Noem said.

FOX News [12/11/2025 2:26 PM, Leo Briceno, 40621K] reports a Homeland Security hearing focused on America’s international threats turned into a shouting match on Thursday morning when Democratic lawmakers hurled accusations at DHS Secretary Kristi Noem of abandoning America’s largest city and violating asylum law. Rep. Timothy Kennedy, D-N.Y., said Noem had decided to reduce New York City’s security funding for politically motivated reasons. "It’s unconscionable: $134 million in Urban Area Security Initiative funding for the City of New York. What compelled you to knowingly make our cities less safe with these funding cuts?" Kennedy said, referring to the Trump administration’s reductions to some of the city’s anti-terror transit security programs. "What compels you, your mayor and your governor, to release thousands of criminals on the streets rather than to turn them over to ICE?" Noem retorted. The House of Representatives’ hearing on Thursday, titled "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland," provided lawmakers the opportunity to ask Noem and other administration officials about the country’s greatest security threats. Instead, Kennedy argued that by focusing on other priorities and by trimming the urban area security fund, Noem and Trump had opened the city up to security vulnerabilities. "You should resign immediately," Kennedy said. His attacks echoed the frustrations of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who earlier this year similarly blasted the reduction in the city’s funds. "The shocking actions of Washington Republicans to slash these funds and defund the police put New York City at risk," Hochul said in a press release. The funding referred to by Kennedy was reinstated when a Manhattan federal judge ordered the administration to unlock that funding in October. Noem pushed back on the characterization that the Trump administration had cut the legs out of critical funding from New York, noting that New York City hadn’t utilized those funds at the time of their withholding. "New York did not spend [the funds] — they did not spend," Noem said as Kennedy continued to shout over her.

Breitbart [12/11/2025 2:33 PM, Staff, 2416K] reports Democratic lawmakers called for US Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem’s resignation Thursday as she defended the Trump administration’s mass deportation program at a fiery congressional hearing. "You promised America that you would go after the worst of the worst," Democratic Representative Seth Magaziner said. But the vast immigration crackdown launched under Republican President Donald Trump has swept up veterans of the US military, their relatives, pregnant women, children and even some American citizens, Magaziner said. "There are many problems with your leadership but the biggest problem is this: You don’t seem to know how to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys," he told the House Homeland Security Committee hearing, which was interrupted by demonstrators on several occasions. The panel’s ranking Democrat Bennie Thompson said Noem has "diverted resources from critical Homeland Security agencies and programs to carry out an extreme immigration agenda.". "Black and brown Americans in particular, have been racially profiled, detained and locked up," Thompson said. "So rather than sitting here and wasting your time and ours with more corruption, lies and lawlessness, I call on you to resign," he said. While Democrats on the committee lambasted Noem and the Trump administration, Republicans praised her department for securing the US-Mexico border and rounding up undocumented migrants for deportation. Noem defended the tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and accused the administration of Democrat Joe Biden of allowing "millions of people to come into our country illegally.".

Politico [12/11/2025 2:13 PM, Eric Bazail-Eimil, 13586K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem offered an uncompromising defense of the administration’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement before lawmakers on Thursday, as questions swirl about her future in the Trump administration. In her opening remarks at the House Homeland Security Committee’s annual threats hearing, Noem argued that the number of people who have left the United States voluntarily since President Donald Trump took office shows that the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement is working. “Under President Trump’s leadership, DHS is securing our borders, we’re restoring the rule of law, and we’re protecting the homeland,” Noem said. “We have sent a strong message to criminal illegal aliens that we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will deport you.” In the face of criticism from Democrats about alleged misconduct on the part of U.S. immigration officers, Noem also defended the conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, arguing that Democrats were unfairly villainizing immigration officials and contributing to violence against them and their families. The hearing, an annual occasion which sees Homeland Security secretaries and FBI and NCTC directors testify before congressional committees about the threats the country faces, came at a particularly precarious moment for Noem. While Trump reiterated confidence in Noem on Wednesday, Trump allies have floated the names of several potential replacements as frustrations have boiled over in recent months with how DHS has spent money intended to boost the government’s deportation efforts and how DHS has managed federal disaster relief money. Democrats took advantage of the rare appearance by Noem on Capitol Hill to re-up allegations that Noem gave a $220 million contract to a firm tied to the spouse of DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin and argue that immigration enforcement officers have violated the civil rights and due process of unauthorized immigrants and U.S. citizens alike. Ranking member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and other Democrats called on Noem to resign, arguing that her tenure has been marked by incompetence, corruption and other malfeasance. Democrats also noted it was only Noem’s second appearance before the House committee and one of the few times a DHS official had testified before the committee, as they slammed DHS for a lack of transparency with Congress. Thompson claimed that it had been very difficult to secure DHS officials as witnesses for hearings. “Never in the history of the committee has a secretary of Homeland Security hidden from congressional oversight like you and your department have, Secretary Noem,” Thompson said at the start of the hearing.

Telemundo Washington DC [12/11/2025 10:42 PM, Staff, 61K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stood defiantly in defense of President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies Thursday during a House committee hearing, calling migrants a serious threat to the nation and justifying a crackdown that has included widespread arrests, deportations, and a breakneck pace of restrictions on foreigners. Noem, who heads the central agency in Trump’s approach to immigration, received support from Republicans on the panel, but faced strong questioning from Democrats, including many who called for her resignation over the mass deportation agenda. The Homeland Security Secretary’s testimony was immediately interrupted by protesters who shouted demands for her to stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and "end the deportations," and followed her down the halls as she left the hearing early for another engagement, chanting, "Shame on you!" Even so, Noem promised that she “will not back down”. “What keeps me up at night is that we don’t necessarily know all the people who are in this country, who they are and what their intentions are,” he stressed. The hearing was Noem’s first public appearance before Congress in months, testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee on "Global Threats to the Homeland," and it quickly turned heated as she emphasized the enormous role she believed immigration played in those threats. It focused heavily on the Trump administration’s immigration policies, whereas in previous years the hearings had centered on issues such as cybersecurity, terrorism, China, and border security. Congressman Bennie Thompson, the ranking Democrat on the panel, said Noem has diverted vast taxpayer resources to carry out Trump’s "extreme" immigration agenda and has failed to provide basic answers when Congress conducts its oversight. “I ask that you resign,” the Mississippi congressman said. “Do a real service to the country.” Trump returned to power in January with what he says is a mandate to reshape immigration in the United States, claiming that the country is under an invasion.

(B) FOX 10 News at 11am [12/11/2025 12:05 PM, Staff] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is on Capitol Hill today facing questions from lawmakers who claim the agency is not just targeting violent criminals. Congress focused on problems at the domestic level at the annual worldwide threats hearing. According to Noem, ICE has deported more than 200,000 people since President Trump returned to office. Data published by UC Berkeley shows more than a third had no criminal records. Noem was also asked about ongoing US strikes against alleged drug smuggling boast and the threat of drones at the FIFA World Cup and Olympics. Unsatisfied with her leadership, several Democrats want Noem to resign. She and the White House are rejecting rumors that her days at DHS are numbered. Noem is also facing a potential contempt charge for defying a federal judge’s order on migrant flights to El Salvador.

ABC News [12/12/2025 1:32 AM, Luke Barr, 30493K] reports Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem found herself in the hot seat on Capitol Hill on Thursday, defending herself from Democrats who sharply questioned the Trump administration’s hardline immigration actions. In one notable exchange, Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., asked Noem if DHS had deported any military veterans -- and she said the department has not. Magaziner then referred to a tablet with a man named Sae Joon Park on the screen, joining the hearing by Zoom. Magaziner said Park is a Purple Heart recipient who was shot twice while serving with the U.S. Army in Panama in 1989, who was deported to Korea by the Trump administration. "Like many veterans, he struggled with PTSD and substance abuse after his service," Magaziner said. "He was arrested in the 1990s for some minor drug offenses, nothing serious. He never hurt anyone besides himself, and he’s been clean and sober for 14 years.” When asked if she would thank Park for his service, Noem responded to the congressman, "Sir, I’m grateful for every single person that has served our country and follows our laws.” A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson later said Magaziner failed to mention that Park had a criminal history, although the congressman did address that in his remarks. "In 2010 an immigration judge issued him an order of removal. Park’s appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals that same month was dismissed by the Board in April 2011," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in the statement. "With no legal basis to remain in the U.S. and a final order of removal, Park was allowed to self-deport to Korea.” In response to a question from Magaziner, Noem committed to reviewing Park’s case. Magaziner also introduced a military veteran named Jim Brown, from Troy, Missouri, who was sitting in the gallery behind Noem. Browns’s wife -- a native of Ireland -- has lived in the U.S. for 48 years before being detained and facing deportation, the congressman said. Her only criminal record was writing two bad checks totaling $80 several years ago, Magaziner said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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CBS News [12/11/2025 6:27 PM, Staff, 39474K] Video: HERE reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified Thursday at a House hearing on global threats facing the U.S. However, she spent a lot of time on several contentious exchanges with Democrats over immigration. CBS News national security contributor Sam Vinograd joins with analysis.

NewsMax [12/11/2025 7:13 PM, Michael Katz, 4109K] reports Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, was sharply rebuked Thursday for calling the ambush-style shootings that killed one National Guardsman and critically injured another in Washington, D.C., on the night before Thanksgiving an "unfortunate situation.". Thompson was questioning Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on worldwide threats to the United States. The hearing aired live on Newsmax and on the Newsmax2 free online streaming platform. "Madam Secretary, you and the gentleman from NCTC [Joseph Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center] referenced the unfortunate accident that occurred with the National Guardsman being killed," Thompson said when beginning a line of questioning. Noem became irate and said, "You think that was an unfortunate accident? It was a terrorist attack.". Thompson, who led the House select committee that investigated the events of Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol, said, "Look, I’ll get it straight and you can respond.". "He shot our National Guardsmen in the head," Noem interrupted, referring to the suspected gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national. Thompson then called it an "unfortunate situation," but said Noem had blamed the attack solely on former President Joe Biden. The Daily Caller [12/11/2025 11:55 AM, Jason Cohen, 835K] reports Thompson’s downplaying of the tragedy, which resulted in West Virginia National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom’s death, occurred during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem immediately questioned Thompson’s wording and Republican Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles subsequently accused the Democrat of being "disrespectful." "Madam Secretary, you and the gentleman from NCTC [National Counterterrorism Center] reference the unfortunate accident that occurred with the National Guardsman being killed," Thompson said. "You think that was an unfortunate accident? It was a terrorist attack," Noem responded. "He shot our National Guardsman in the head.". Thompson then called it "an unfortunate situation" and criticized Noem for blaming the murder on former President Joe Biden, despite President Donald Trump’s administration reportedly extending the alleged shooter’s asylum in April. The murder was allegedly carried out by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who entered the nation in September 2021 after the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Lakanwal previously worked with the CIA and was admitted into the U.S. under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome, which resettled Afghans who had assisted American forces. Noem highlighted these facts about Lakanwal’s entrance into the U.S. and said the Biden administration was responsible for a vetting failure. After some back-and-forth, Thompson’s time expired and Ogles interjected. "Point of order, Mr. Chairman. That was a murder that took place in D.C. It was not an unfortunate incident," the Republican said. "And those comments are effing disrespectful!". The Chairman, Republican New York Rep. Andrew Garbarino, ruled Ogles’ point of order invalid. Lakanwal also allegedly shot Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who wound up in critical condition on Nov. 26. Since then, there have been hopeful updates about his recovery.

FOX News [12/11/2025 12:34 PM, Charles Creitz, 40621K] Video: HERE reports the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee was lambasted, almost immediately, for referring to the shooting of two West Virginia National Guardsmen in Washington as an "unfortunate accident" during a hearing Thursday. On Thanksgiving Eve, WVNG Spc. Sarah Beckstrom of Webster County was killed and Andrew Wolfe of Berkeley County was gravely wounded allegedly by Rahmanullah Lakanwal – an Afghan refugee living in Bellingham, Washington. During the "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland" hearing, Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi pivoted to Homeland Security Kristi Noem after sparring with FBI Operations Director Michael Glasheen about the whereabouts of Antifa’s headquarters, to ask who approved Lakanwal’s vetting. "Madam Secretary, you and the gentleman from NCTC (Joe Kent) reference the unfortunate accident that occurred with the National Guardsman being killed," Thompson told Noem. The secretary shot back: "You think that was an unfortunate accident? It was a terrorist attack.". Thompson waved his hand up to gesture toward Noem, replying: "I’ll get it straight – then you can respond." Noem replied: "He shot our national guardsmen in the head." Thompson appeared to wince before turning to Chairman Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., to ask him to direct Noem to let him finish his question: "It was an unfortunate situation, but you blamed it solely on Joe Biden. I want you to know who approved the asylum application for this same person." Noem countered that Lakanwal was one of thousands of Afghans admitted through Biden’s "Operation Allies Welcome" and "Operation Allies Refuge," programs that her predecessor Alejandro Mayorkas repeatedly claimed had undergone full vetting. "I want to remind everybody in Congress. We follow the law, and every asylum is supposed to have a check-in every single year, and the Biden administration failed to do that – they vetted this individual, allowed them into our country, and did not do due diligence."[Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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FOX News [12/11/2025 11:48 AM, Ashley Carnahan, 40621K] Video: HERE reports Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign Thursday during opening remarks at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland.". "You have systematically dismantled the Department of Homeland Security, put your own interests above the department, and violated the law. You are making America less safe," said Thompson. "So rather than sitting here and wasting your time and ours with more corruption, lies and lawlessness, I call on you to resign. Do a real service to the country and just resign. That is, if President Trump doesn’t fire you first.". As Noem was giving her opening statement, several protesters against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) interrupted, yelling, "Get ICE off our streets," and, "Stop terrorizing our community.". The protesters were escorted out by Capitol Police and detained outside the hearing room. Noem, who was joined at the hearing by National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent and Michael Glasheen, the operations director of the National Security Branch of the FBI, said one of her grandchildren, who was in the audience, was crying a little during Thompson’s remarks. "I don’t think she agreed with him," Noem said jokingly. She touted the work DHS has done to secure the southern border and protect the U.S. "DHS is eradicating transnational organized crime and the stopping of deadly drugs from continuing to be funneled into our communities," she told lawmakers. "We’re ending illegal immigration, returning sanity back to our immigration system, and we’re defending against cyberattacks against our critical infrastructure.". The former South Dakota governor, speaking about the global threats facing the country — including those posed by domestic extremists and radical Islamic terrorism — said the U.S. should brace for heightened risks as it prepares to host major events in 2026 such as the World Cup and the nation’s 250th birthday. "These large-scale events will be potential targets for a range of bad actors, and they come with an increased level of risk. DHS is using every tool and authority we have to ensure the safety of U.S. citizens, and our visitors can enjoy next year’s events," Noem added. Rumors had swirled in recent days that President Donald Trump was considering replacing her as head of DHS. Trump pushed back on those rumors on Wednesday, telling reporters that Noem has been "fantastic." Noem also addressed the rumors, speaking to Fox News prior to Thursday’s hearing. "Oh, that’s absolutely not true," she said. "President Trump and I are doing wonderfully. I’m so proud to work for him, and I’m going to continue to serve at his pleasure.". [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CBS News [12/11/2025 11:18 AM, Staff, 39474K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified before a House committee on worldwide threats. Protesters interrupted Noem’s opening statement on Thursday. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CNN [12/11/2025 11:18 AM, Kameryn Griesser, 18595K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was interrupted by protesters holding anti-ICE signs during her Thursday testimony before the House on threats to national security. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [12/11/2025 11:17 AM, Leo Briceno, 40621K] Video: HERE reports that, no sooner had DHS Secretary Kristi Noem started briefing lawmakers on the greatest threats facing the U.S. on Thursday, two protesters launched into a disturbance that briefly held up the committee’s discussions. "End deportations!" yelled the protester, who was dressed like a priest and carrying a crucifix. "The power of Christ compels you!". The protester was briefly reminded that interruption of congressional business is a criminal offense, but the protester continued. Security soon escorted the disrupter from the room, but before they had left the room, a second protester began shouting. "Get ICE off our streets! Stop terrorizing your community!" the second disrupter said, standing and waving a sign. Security also escorted him out of the room. Noem brushed off the moment before continuing with her opening statement. "Under President Trump’s leadership, DHS is securing our borders. We’re restoring the rule of law and we’re protecting the homeland. DHS is eradicating transnational organized crime and the stopping of deadly drugs from continuing to be funneled into our communities. We’re ending illegal immigration [and] returning sanity back to our immigration system," Noem said. The House of Representatives’ hearing on Thursday, titled, "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland," provided lawmakers the opportunity to ask Noem and other administration officials about the country’s greatest security threats. Noem, who has spearheaded the country’s efforts to secure the border, has said that one untracked illegal immigrants who entered the country under the Biden administration pose a major threat. Other officials reinforced that belief on Thursday. "The No. 1 threat that we have right now, in my view, is the fact that we don’t know who came into our country in the last four years of Biden’s open borders," National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent told the committee. Under the Trump administration, the U.S. has deported over two million illegal immigrants, according to DHS tracking. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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NewsNation [12/11/2025 4:06 PM, Joe Khalil, Sean Noone, 8017K] reports Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was confronted by protesters Thursday who trailed her down the halls as she left the hearing early for another engagement, chanting, "Shame on you!" Noem, who heads the agency central to President Donald Trump’s approach to immigration, received backup from Republicans on the panel but faced fierce questioning from Democrats — including many who called for her resignation over the mass deportation agenda. Noem was accused of misleading committee members when she said she was departing the hearing early to attend another meeting that was actually canceled. It’s an assertion denied by Noem’s office, which said she only found out her meeting was canceled after she left the witness table. Several Democrats repeatedly told Noem flatly that she was "lying" to them and to the public. They presented cases of U.S. citizens being detained in immigration operations and families of American military veterans being torn apart by deportations of loved ones who have not committed serious crimes or other violations.

FOX News [12/11/2025 9:21 PM, Staff, 40621K] reports former House Speaker Newt Gingrich discusses Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s contentious congressional hearing and deportation efforts under the Trump administration on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’[Editorial note: consult video at source link]

The Hill [12/11/2025 4:27 PM, Rebecca Beitsch, 12595K] reports an annual hearing to review the threats facing the U.S. ended with an effort by Democrats to subpoena Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after she exited the hearing early. The "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland" hearing was a deviation from past events in many respects. FBI Director Kash Patel did not testify, instead sending a stand-in, while Noem was heckled by protesters as she left the hearing an hour early. While she said she was leaving to attend a different meeting, that event was canceled, prompting Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee to suggest she may have misled the panel. That sparked their subpoena bid to compel her return. And while the hearing traditionally has had a greater focus on threats posed by terrorism and extremism, Trump administration officials spent much of the time issuing warnings about immigration. Noem and Joe Kent, a former congressional candidate now running the National Counterterrorism Center, both highlighted immigration from Afghanistan as among the threats facing the homeland after an Afghan who served in a U.S.-backed unit shot two National Guard members, killing one. Noem defended the Trump administration’s immigration policies, once again describing high immigration levels as an "invasion" and listing the risks of immigration as the greatest threat facing the country. Noem was confronted at the hearing by guests invited by Democrats who were intended to highlight the risk of Trump administration immigration policies. Noem left the "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland" hearing early, telling the committee she had to depart to attend a meeting of the FEMA Council as the Trump administration seeks to diminish the role of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Noem left the witness table a few minutes after noon for the FEMA Council meeting that was slated to begin at 1 p.m., which The Hill independently verified had been canceled.

NewsMax [12/11/2025 3:56 PM, Solange Reyner, 4109K] reports Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., is pushing the House Judiciary Committee to conduct a complete investigation into Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s "unlawful and potentially impeachable actions." Ramirez’s letter to House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., pressed the lawmakers "to conduct a complete investigation into Secretary Noem’s "unlawful and potentially impeachable actions." Noem, who oversees the DHS, which includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the main federal bodies carrying out deportations and immigration enforcement under Trump’s agenda, has defended the hardline immigration approach, including escalated arrests and deportations, in high-profile congressional hearings. She argues illegal aliens pose a threat and that strict enforcement is necessary. Under her leadership DHS has pushed to speed up deportation processes, including expanded expedited removal, new tracking tech, and outreach intended to pressure people to leave voluntarily. Those moves aim to make deportations faster and less dependent on lengthy court proceedings. Noem has faced criticism and lawsuits over deportation tactics, including cases in which veterans and U.S. citizens were caught up in raids, and for blocking access to legal support for immigrants in removal proceedings. Axios [12/11/2025 10:00 AM, Andrew Solender, 12972K] reports that House Democrats are increasingly turning to impeachment as their go-to cudgel against not only President Trump himself, but many of his Cabinet officials. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week on a litany of charges mostly related to his efforts to roll back public health measures. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) filed articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week over Signalgate and a reported double-tap strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat in the Caribbean. In a letter to Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Ramirez demanded a "complete investigation into Secretary Noem’s unlawful and potentially impeachable actions." The letter accuses Noem of "unethical behavior," pointing to reports that a firm tied to the DHS secretary allegedly received DHS contract money and that the Coast Guard spent $172 million to buy her two private jets. It also alleges she made "false and misleading" statements to Congress about DHS and ICE operations and accuses her of undermining the separation of powers by ignoring court orders. "Secretary Noem has established a clear pattern of lawless behavior, mirrored in the behavior of rank and file members of her leadership team," Ramirez wrote. "When taken together, her actions violate her oath of office." Republicans are highly unlikely to accede to her request, with Jordan spokesperson Russell Dye telling Axios: "This might be the most ridiculous and toothless letter ever written." A spokesperson for Raskin declined to immediately comment. DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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AP [12/11/2025 1:40 PM, Staff, 31753K] Video: HERE
Axios [12/11/2025 1:00 PM, Herb Scribner, 12972K]

Washington Examiner [12/11/2025 1:22 PM, David Zimmermann, 1394K] reports that House Democrats are increasingly taking aim at Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem as they criticize the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policies during a Thursday hearing, where lawmakers called for her impeachment and resignation multiple times. Noem testified before the House Homeland Security Committee about worldwide threats facing the nation. Democrats took the opportunity to chastise the Cabinet secretary for leading the Department of Homeland Security in carrying out the president’s mass deportation agenda. During her line of questioning, Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) alleged that Noem misused resources appropriated by Congress, engaged in unethical behavior, made false and misleading statements to Congress, and evaded congressional oversight. The congresswoman cited these reasons to justify why Noem should exit office, either willingly or involuntarily. "Your options are limited. Either you’re going to resign, Trump’s going to fire you, or you will be impeached," Ramirez said, noting she already handed a resignation request to Noem months ago. The Illinois Democrat took her pressure on Noem one step further by asking the House Judiciary Committee to open an impeachment investigation into the DHS chief. When asked by Ramirez if she would be able to commit to a meeting, Noem answered that she would. The congresswoman requested a meeting with her in October to demand answers amid the DHS immigration operation in Chicago. At the start of the hearing, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) called for Noem’s resignation in a fiery statement.

FOX News [12/11/2025 8:12 AM, Rachel Wolf Fox, 40621K] reports President Donald Trump pushed back on a rumor that he was looking to replace Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and told reporters that he believes she has been "fantastic.". "I read a story recently that I’m unhappy with Kristi — I’m so happy with her... We have a border that’s the best border in the history of our country. Why would I be unhappy? She’s fantastic, actually," Trump told reporters during a roundtable with business leaders on Wednesday. The president’s remarks follow a recent report from MS NOW stating that a White House official said that Noem was on "very thin ice." The report claimed that Trump was looking to replace Noem as early as January, and that White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller was leading the push to replace her. According to the report, Miller and other White House officials were frustrated with Noem because they were displeased with the pace at which she was working to build new detention centers. Additionally, the report claimed that several governors had called Trump to voice complaints about Noem’s handling of FEMA and disaster relief funds. On Monday, the White House firmly denied the report and accused MS NOW of running a false narrative. "Everything about this is total Fake News. Secretary Noem is doing a great job implementing the President’s agenda and making America safe again. MS Now continues to beclown themselves by inventing narratives that simply are not true," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin also weighed in on the report in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, saying, "I can’t speak for the president, but I’ve seen more credible reporting on Big Foot."

FOX News [12/11/2025 12:24 PM, Rachel Wolf, 40621K] reports that federal authorities have launched a first-of-its-kind task force in New York aimed at tackling transnational organized crime. Homeland Security Investigations New York Special Agent in charge Ricky Patel announced the formation of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) New York on Wednesday at a news conference alongside leaders from several law enforcement agencies. "This task force is the first of its kind. Using a whole-of-government approach, through a unified framework, the HSTFs serve as a model for protecting the homeland from evolving threats presented by transnational organized crime," Patel said. "The mission of the HSTF is to identify and target for prosecution transnational criminal organizations engaged in diverse criminal schemes involving a myriad of federal violations, both within the United States and throughout the world." Patel said the crimes included homicide, human trafficking, money laundering, kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking and weapons trafficking. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said at the news conference that while crime in New York has dropped overall, it remains "way above where it should be," especially in vulnerable communities. He credited law enforcement personnel for the lowered crime rate. The U.S. attorney went on to detail law enforcement agencies’ achievements over the last year. This included investigations and charges related to "murders, shootings, stabbings, sex trafficking and narcotics distribution by Tren de Aragua and many other brutally violent gangs." Clayton also said that over a dozen narco-terrorists and members of state-sponsored drug cartels had been charged.

Breitbart [12/11/2025 3:53 PM, Warner Todd Huston, 2416K] reports Assistant Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Director Tricia McLaughlin is flaming the Washington Post for leaving out of its reporting that the government will save $279 million by operating its own fleet of planes used to deport illegal migrants. McLaughlin responded on Wednesday to an X comment by the Post’s Dan Eggen who was touting the paper’s report that DHS has contracted with suppliers to raise its own fleet of Boeing 737s to ferry deported migrants back to their home countries. Eggen also noted that up to now, DHS has relied on charter companies to supply the flights. But nowhere did the Post story mention the DHS cost-benefit analysis that assembling its own fleet of planes will save the government millions of dollars. The paper’s story reported that DHS is planning to put $140 million towards purchasing six Boeing 737 airplanes to use for deportations. The article included McLaughlin’s quote that the new fleet of planes would save money "by allowing ICE to operate more effectively, including by using more efficient flight patterns." However, it appears that the Post did not include McLaughlin’s estimation that the savings could amount to $279 million.

AP [12/11/2025 3:12 PM, Meg Kinnard, 2983K] reports that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday linked the seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela to the Trump administration’s counterdrug efforts in Latin America as tensions escalate with the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Noem’s assertion, which came during her testimony to the House Homeland Security Committee, provided the Republican administration’s most thorough assessment so far of why it took control of the vessel on Wednesday. Incredibly unusual, the use of U.S. forces to seize a merchant ship was a sharp escalation in the administration’s pressure campaign on Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the United States. Trump officials added to it Thursday by imposing sanctions on three of Maduro’s nephews. The Venezuelan leader discussed the rising tensions with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin reaffirmed his support for Maduro’s policy of "protecting national interests and sovereignty in the face of growing external pressure." Asked to delineate the U.S. Coast Guard’s role in the tanker seizure, Noem called it "a successful operation directed by the president to ensure that we’re pushing back on a regime that is systematically covering and flooding our country with deadly drugs and killing our next generation of Americans." Noem went on to lay out the "lethal doses of cocaine" she said had been kept from entering the U.S. as a result.

NBC News [12/11/2025 5:12 PM, Doha Madani, 34509K] reports the Trump administration plans to hold the oil tanker it seized in waters near Venezuela at an American port in Texas but release the crew once the vessel docks, according to two U.S. officials. The officials said the tanker was seized in international waters. The American personnel on board the tanker have been interviewing the crew and offered for the U.S. to facilitate their travel from the ship after it arrives at a port in Galveston, Texas, the officials said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that the U.S. would seize the oil on the tanker after it goes through a “legal process” to do so. The U.S. seized the vessel, a large tanker known as the Skipper, on Wednesday during a joint operation by the Coast Guard and the Navy at President Donald Trump’s direction as part of his effort to ratchet up the pressure on the Venezuelan regime. It comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela, with the Trump administration bombing alleged drug-smuggling vessels and building up military assets in the region. Trump also has threatened that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s days in power are numbered. The administration has said the tanker is used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. Leavitt called it “a sanctioned shadow vessel, known for carrying black market sanctioned oil” to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the U.S. has designated a foreign terrorist organization. The administration has provided few details about the tanker, the fate of its crew or the legal rationale it used to seize the vessel. Prosecutors for the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Columbia have been leading the investigation that led to the seizure, according to a spokesperson for the office. The spokesperson said the search warrant and the accompanying affidavit authorizing the seizure remain under seal in U.S. District Court in Washington. The U.S. attorney’s office as of Thursday had not been given a timetable to unseal the warrant package, the spokesperson said. A federal judge signed the warrant several weeks ago, a separate federal law enforcement official said. Unsealing the warrant and the accompanying affidavit would provide details of the legal rationale for seizing the vessel. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that the operation was led by the Coast Guard with support from the Defense and Justice departments, as well as the FBI. “It was a successful operation directed by the president to ensure that we’re pushing back on a regime that is systematically covering and flooding our country with deadly drugs and killing our next generation of Americans,” Noem said at a congressional hearing Thursday.

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FOX News [12/11/2025 10:32 AM, Staff, 40621K]
NewsMax [12/11/2025 1:23 PM, Solange Reyner, 4109K]
OutKick [12/11/2025 10:10 AM, Davud Hookstead]

The Washington Post [12/11/2025 7:01 PM, Samantha Schmidt, Karen DeYoung, Meg Kelly and Matt Viser, 24149K] reports the seizure this week of the oil tanker Skipper off the coast of Venezuela appeared to signal a new stage in the Trump administration’s effort to oust President Nicolás Maduro by strangling with sanctions and military pressure an economy that relies heavily on overseas oil sales, primarily to China. As part of the campaign, the United States is likely to capture more sanctioned oil vessels off the Venezuelan coast, according to three people familiar with the administration’s plans. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, asked about the effort Thursday, said the administration is “executing on the president’s sanction policies and the sanction policies of the United States” but declined to share details. Six other oil tankers, and the companies to which they’re registered, were added to the list of sanctioned vessels. The Treasury Department said the ships "have engaged in deceptive and unsafe shipping practices and continue to provide financial resources that fuel Maduro’s corrupt narco-terrorist regime." The Daily Caller [12/11/2025 6:14 PM, Wallace White, 835K] reports that at Thursday’s briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the DOJ obtained a warrant for Wednesday’s operation because the vessel was "a sanctioned shadow vessel known for carrying black-market oil" for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). More interdictions are expected to target ships carrying Venezuelan oil to other U.S.-sanctioned nations in the coming weeks, according to Reuters. The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security have been planning the seizures for months, and have compiled a target list of specific vessels, sources familiar with the details said in comments to Reuters. Leavitt did not offer any specifics on future operations, when asked at the briefing, but did say that the United States is "not going to stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black market oil, the proceeds of which will fuel narco-terrorism of rogue and illegitimate regimes around the world.". U.S. forces have slowly been ramping up their presence in the southern Caribbean near Venezuela’s coast for months, fueling speculation of a looming full-scale operation to topple Maduro. President Donald Trump told Politico that Maduro’s "days are numbered, in an interview published Tuesday.

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ABC News [12/11/2025 9:46 PM, Staff, 30493K]

Daily Wire [12/11/2025 4:10 AM, Zach Jewell, 2494K] reports the Venezuelan socialist government accused the United States of committing "blatant theft" and "international piracy" after American forces, in coordination with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, took control of an oil tanker near the Venezuelan coast on Wednesday. The Trump administration said that the oil tanker was involved in an "illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations" and would regularly transport oil from Venezuela and Iran. The Venezuelan government, led by dictator Nicolás Maduro, condemned the United States and said on Wednesday that the seizure was part of President Donald Trump’s "long-standing plan to seize [Venezuelan] resources." "The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela denounces and strongly repudiates what constitutes a blatant theft and an act of international piracy, publicly announced by the President of the United States, who confessed to the assault on an oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea," the socialist government said. Maduro has remained defiant following pressure from Trump and has attempted to rally his country against the United States. Earlier on Wednesday, Maduro spoke at a rally and told Venezuelans to be prepared to act like "warriors" and "smash the teeth of the North American empire if necessary," the Guardian reported. Maduro has kept a tight grip on Venezuela after declaring himself the winner of the 2024 presidential election despite evidence showing that he lost. Trump confirmed the oil tanker seizure after he was asked about the news by Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan.

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ABC News [12/11/2025 6:01 PM, Staff, 30493K] Video: HERE
Washington Times [12/11/2025 10:15 AM, Jeff Mordock, 852K]

FOX News [12/11/2025 12:32 PM, Staff, 40621K] reports Fox News contributor Brett Velicovich joins ‘The Faulkner Focus’ to weigh in on the U.S. seizure of a Iranian oil tanker and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s hearing on ‘Worldwide Threats to the Homeland.’[Editorial note: consult video at source link]

The Hill [12/11/2025 10:30 AM, Krystal Kauffman, 12595K] reports that a few months ago, most Americans were not thinking about Venezuela at all. Then, something alarming happened. Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host and current secretary of Defense, publicly suggested that a small Venezuelan boat in the Caribbean should be destroyed. Soon after, reports surfaced that U.S. forces had blown apart several boats near Venezuelan waters. The Trump administration made loud claims of narcoterrorism, but no evidence of seized drugs was ever shown to the public. Despite that lack of proof, the rhetoric stuck. It grew louder. And so did the military presence. The United States has now positioned its largest aircraft carrier near Venezuela’s coast, along with aircraft, troops and restricted airspace. That is not what a focused, limited counter-drug mission looks like — especially when federal data shows Venezuela is not a significant source of narcotics entering the United States. Something else is driving this escalation. It is minerals, not drugs. Those who doubt the centrality of minerals to U.S. strategy should consider the recent agreement between Washington and Kyiv, which granted U.S. entities preferential access to Ukraine’s mineral reserves as partial repayment for wartime assistance. Whatever one thinks about that arrangement, one thing is clear: minerals are emerging as geopolitical currency. And Venezuela has the kind of mineral wealth — $1.36 trillion, according to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — that can shape the next century.

The New York Times [12/11/2025 7:38 PM, Nicholas Nehamas, et al., 135475K] reports the United States on Thursday issued new sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector and on members of President Nicolás Maduro’s family, while taking steps to keep tens of millions of dollars’ worth of oil from a large tanker that U.S. forces seized off the country’s coast. Venezuela’s economy depends on oil and has been hurt by U.S. sanctions, leading Mr. Maduro’s government to smuggle and sell crude through a web of tankers and middlemen. The new sanctions target three nephews of the wife of Mr. Maduro and six shipping companies. Separately, the Trump administration is seeking the legal authority to seize the oil from the Skipper, a tanker that U.S. forces boarded and took possession of on Wednesday in international waters near Venezuela, according to Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary. The oil had come from a state-owned Venezuelan company. American authorities have so far obtained a seizure warrant for the tanker — saying that it had been used in the past to smuggle Iranian oil — but not for the cargo currently on board. “There is a legal process for the seizure of that oil, and that legal process will be followed,” Ms. Leavitt told reporters at the White House on Thursday. Together, the sanctions and the seizure of the Skipper represent a new front in President Trump’s campaign to destabilize Mr. Maduro’s regime. Mr. Trump has accused Mr. Maduro of operating a “narcoterrorist” cartel and has authorized a series of deadly military strikes against boats that he has said, without publicly providing evidence, are smuggling drugs. Many current and former officials in Washington say the military buildup in the region is ultimately aimed at regime change. Later in the day, Mr. Trump suggested that immigration was one of the factors that prompted the tanker seizure, saying that Venezuela had “allowed millions of people to come into our country.” And he reiterated past warnings about a greater escalation. “It’s going to be starting on land pretty soon,” he said of strikes in Venezuela. CNN [12/12/2025 5:08 AM, Michael Rios, Lex Harvey, Sandi Sidhu, and Isaac Yee, 18595K] reports the United States has announced new sanctions on shipping companies and vessels it says help move Venezuelan oil, putting more pressure on a major prop of President Nicolas Maduro’s regime a day after it seized a sanctioned tanker likely carrying millions of dollars’ worth of oil off the country’s coast. Three nephews of Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, as well as another Maduro-affiliated businessman were also named in the sanctions list released on Thursday by the US Treasury. Two of the sanctioned nephews were previously convicted of drug trafficking charges in the US before being released in a prisoner swap. The Treasury said the six vessels were engaged in “deceptive and unsafe shipping practices” that provided financial resources to Maduro’s government. Four of the vessels are Panama-flagged. The other two are Cook Islands and Hong Kong-flagged. The move further escalates the Trump administration’s months-long pressure campaign on Venezuela that has included moving thousands of troops and a carrier strike group into the Caribbean, strikes on suspected drug boats and repeated threats against Maduro. On Wednesday armed US personnel seized an oil tanker in international waters off the Venezuelan coast that had allegedly been involved in an “illicit oil shipping network” supporting countries such as Venezuela and Iran, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi. The seizure of the tanker and the latest sanctions on companies and ships accused of helping to move Venezuelan oil could inject uncertainty into those operations, said Muyu Xu, a senior oil analyst at trade intelligence firm Kpler. “What we need to watch out the next few days is whether the loadings will get delayed, whether they (Venezuela) will see less tankers going to the Caribbean,” she told CNN. “In order to attract these vessels, they (Venezuela) probably need to pay higher freight rates for the ship owners.”

Breitbart [12/11/2025 9:06 PM, Staff, 2416K] reports U.S. Treasury Department officials sanctioned three members of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s extended family and others for allegedly trafficking drugs and illicit oil. Three nephews of Maduro’s wife, a Venezuelan businessman and six shipping companies and associated vessels were sanctioned on Thursday. "Nicolas Maduro and his criminal associates in Venezuela are flooding the United States with drugs that are poisoning the American people," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a news release announcing the sanctions. "These sanctions undo the Biden Administration’s failed attempt to make a deal with Maduro, enabling his dictatorial and brutal control at the expense of the Venezuelan and American people," Bessent continued. "Under President Trump’s leadership, Treasury is holding the regime and its circle of cronies and companies accountable for its continued crimes.” Two of three sanctioned nephews of Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, are identified as Efrain Antonio Campo Flores and Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas. They are narco-traffickers and "known popularly as the ‘narco-nephews,’" according to the Treasury Department. Both were arrested in Haiti in 2015 and accused of arranging the transportation of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine to the United States. They were convicted in 2016, but President Joe Biden pardoned them in 2022, and they have resumed their narco-trafficking activities, according to the Treasury Department. A third nephew, Carlos Erik Malpica Flores, is a former "national treasurer of Venezuela" and a vice president of state-owned Venezuelan oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA. He was sanctioned by the United States in 2017, but the Biden administration removed the sanction in 2022 amid a failed effort to resume democratic elections in Venezuela. Despite existing sanctions against Venezuelan oil, Biden in 2023 signed an agreement allowing the limited sale of Venezuelan oil to buyers in the United States, the BBC reported. The Treasury Department has restored the sanctions against him as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to pressure the Maduro regime to end its allegedly illegal and illicit activities. The United States also has sanctioned Maduro, Cilia Flores and other members of the Maduro family. Joining them is Ramon Carretero Napolitano of Panama for allegedly arranging valuable contracts with the Maduro regime, including shipping petroleum products on behalf of the Venezuelan government. Two helicopters carrying special operations personnel, 10 members of the Coast Guard and 10 Marines participated in the operation to seize the vessel in accordance with a warrant. The Coast Guard’s Maritime Security and Response team led the effort, as required by federal law, and was supported by Navy personnel. The Coast Guard led the operation because it has jurisdiction over such seizures.

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CNN [12/11/2025 8:09 PM, Michael Rios, 606K]
Univision [12/11/2025 4:27 PM, Staff, 5004K]

NewsMax [12/11/2025 6:59 PM, Staff, 4109K] reports President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that the United States will soon begin strikes to interdict narcotics shipments moving overland from Venezuela en route to the United States. Trump said the move is necessary to protect American communities from the cartel-driven drug pipelines that Washington says have flourished under Nicolás Maduro’s collapsing socialist regime. The announcement followed a surge in regional tensions after American forces seized a sanctioned Venezuelan oil tanker off the country’s coast Wednesday. The move was the largest maritime interdiction of its kind, officials told Reuters. Federal security agencies told Reuters the vessel was tied to an illicit oil-moving scheme involving Venezuelan and Iranian networks that have long operated outside international law. News outlets including CNBC reported that sources familiar with ongoing deliberations believe additional tankers may soon be seized in similar fashion as the administration intensifies pressure on Maduro’s shrinking oil trade. Time magazine reported that the initial operation was conducted jointly by the FBI, Homeland Security, the Coast Guard and U.S. military personnel in a show of force designed to sever financial channels that sustain criminal groups across the hemisphere. The planned overland strikes would build on a series of interdictions in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, where American forces have hit multiple vessels believed to be moving narcotics toward the United States, according to Reuters and The Associated Press.

New York Post [12/12/2025 3:03 AM, Greg Wehner, 42219K] reports Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro warned that his country must "stand like warriors … ready to smash the teeth of the North American empire" Wednesday, a moment that coincided with the US seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast. Maduro delivered the remarks while holding the sword of Simón Bolívar at a rally where video showed him singing and dancing to a recording of American singer Bobby McFerrin’s late-80s hit, "Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Maduro told supporters that Venezuelans must stay alert as tensions with Washington escalate. "In these times, things have to be different, but we must always stand like warriors, women and men," he said in a translated interpretation. "With one eye wide open — and the other one too — working, producing, building, keeping everything running, and ready to smash the teeth of the North American empire if necessary, from Bolivar’s homeland.” President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the US had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, sharply escalating tensions with Caracas. The tanker was taken for allegedly transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi. Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry condemned the move in an official statement, calling it "a brazen robbery and an act of international piracy" and accusing Trump of openly pursuing a plan to "take Venezuelan oil without paying anything in return.” The ministry said the action fits into what it described as a longstanding US effort to plunder the country’s natural resources and compared the episode to the loss of Citgo Petroleum Corp., which Caracas claims was seized through "fraudulent judicial mechanisms.” The statement argued that "the true reasons for the prolonged aggression against Venezuela" have nothing to do with migration, drug trafficking, democracy, or human rights, insisting "it has always been about our natural resources, our oil, our energy.” It also accused Washington of using the tanker incident to distract from what it described as the failure of political efforts in Oslo by groups seeking Maduro’s removal. Caracas urged Venezuelans to "remain firm in defense of the homeland" and called on the international community to reject what it described as "vandalistic, illegal and unprecedented aggression.”

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Politico [12/11/2025 6:35 PM, Leo Shane III and Meredith Lee Hill, 2100K] reports House Speaker Mike Johnson said the military’s decision to attack an alleged drug-smuggling vessel for a second time to kill survivors of an initial strike was “entirely appropriate” and followed Defense Department rules. Following a classified briefing with military officials on Thursday, Johnson told reporters that the military strike in September has been “overly politicized.” Congressional Democrats have called for the full video of the strike to be released to the public, to help determine whether war crimes were committed when incapacitated combatants were killed. And Senate leaders have said they still have significant questions about the operation, and will continue to push for more information from military leaders in coming days. But House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) has said he does not feel like further investigation is warranted. Johnson said the political firestorm distracts from the Trump administration’s goal of stopping drugs from being transported to the United States. “This is a straightforward case,” he said. “Narco terrorists were caught in the process of smuggling deadly drugs and throughout the United States. The individuals on that vessel were not helpless castaways. They were drug runners on a capsized drug boat and by all indications, attempting to recover it so they could continue pushing drugs to kill Americans.” So far, only a select few House and Senate leaders have viewed the video during classified briefings. Most Republicans have insisted the video shows proper military actions and response. Several Democrats have called the video “disturbing” and problematic.

Breitbart [12/11/2025 7:02 PM, Pam Key, 2416K] reports Thursday on CNN’s “News Central,” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) said the Trump administration’s military strikes on alleged drug boats and the U.S. Coast Guard seizing an oil tanker in the Caribbean were “insane.” Lieu said, “The administration struck a drug boat on September 2nd that wasn’t even carrying Fentanyl, wasn’t even headed the United States and now they seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. We need congressional oversight and unfortunately the House Republicans are simply rubber stamps for this administration. and so we need to understand why the administration has these misplaced priorities. “ He continued, “Why are we even doing these things in Venezuela without congressional authorization? Congress has not voted for war with Venezuela. We haven’t even voted for an authorization for the use of military force and now we’re striking alleged drug boats and seizing oil tankers. This is insane. We need congressional oversight, and the administration needs to come to Congress and get authorization to take these actions.”

The Hill [12/11/2025 1:54 PM, Ryan Mancini, 12595K] reports Cuba’s top diplomat on Wednesday called the U.S. Coast Guard’s recent seizure of an oil tanker an “aggressive escalation” amid growing tensions between the Trump administration and Venezuela. “We condemn the vile act of piracy and the seizure by that country’s military forces of a vessel carrying Venezuelan oil, which contravenes the rules of free trade and freedom of navigation, in open violation of International Law,” Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla posted on the social platform X. In a subsequent post on X, Parrilla shared a statement from the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, which branded the seizing of the tanker an “act of piracy.” The Coast Guard led an operation on Wednesday to board and seize the vessel. Coast Guard members hopped on a helicopter from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford — the Pentagon’s largest aircraft carrier, which stationed in the Caribbean earlier this year — and boarded the tanker. Attorney General Pam Bondi a posted video of the seizure and said the tanker was used to “transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.” After President Trump announced the seizure, he did not elaborate on why other than to say the tanker “was seized for a very good reason.” The president suggested that the oil aboard the tanker now belongs to the U.S. Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s government also alleged the Coast Guard engaged in an act of piracy and accused Trump of orchestrating a “deliberate plan to plunder our energy resources,” according to a translated statement.

Breitbart [12/11/2025 9:50 AM, Frances Martel, 2416K] reports the Islamist terror state of Iran accused the United States of "piracy" on Thursday in response to President Donald Trump revealing that U.S. authorities had seized a crude oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea accused of transporting sanctioned oil from Iran and its ally Venezuela. Iran’s embassy in Caracas issued an infuriated statement on Thursday claiming the Trump administration was engaging in the "promotion of anarchism" through increased activities against the illicit drug trade and other activities funding state sponsors of terrorism, such as Iran and Cuba, in the Caribbean Sea, which borders the United States. The Caribbean Sea is about 6,000 miles from Iran at its closest point, though the Islamist regime and its terror proxies have succeeded in expanding Iranian influence in the region in the past two decades, largely through its relationship with socialist Venezuela. "The illegal move by the U.S. government to seize a Venezuelan oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea without any justified or legal reason constitutes a blatant violation of international laws and regulations," the Iranian embassy in Caracas proclaimed, "including the inviolable principle of freedom of the seas and navigation. "‘Piracy in the Caribbean Sea’ is the most appropriate title for this unlawful and unjustified move by the U.S., which seeks to achieve its goals by resorting to illegitimate measures, violation of national sovereignty, infringement of others’ rights, and the promotion of anarchism," the statement concluded, according to the Iranian news outlet Tasnim. The "supreme leader" of the Iranian terror state, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, made a public appearance on Thursday in which he did not specifically address the seized oil tanker but warned that the United States and its allies were trying to change the repressive Islamist culture imposed by his regime on his people. His remarks were part of a larger event marking the birthday of one of Mohammed’s daughters, Fatemeh Zahra. "For a hundred years they have tried to rewrite who we are — our religion, our history, our culture," Khamenei claimed, according to a translation by the independent news organization Iran International. "The Islamic Revolution cleared that away, but the pressure continues. And resisting this pressure is essential.". "Sometimes it is about expanding territory," he claimed, citing "what the Americans are doing with some Latin American countries.". "Western designs can also aim at extracting commodities," he continued. "They apply pressure so they can take a country’s underground resources — its oil, for example.". Venezuela is believed to be home to the world’s largest known oil reserves, second to Texas. President Trump announced the seizure of the oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Thursday evening in comments to reporters. "We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela. Large tanker, very large," he said. "Largest one ever seized in action. And, other things are happening. So, you’ll be seeing that later. And you’ll be talking about that later with some other people.". Trump offered few details about the incident, instead stating only that the U.S. seized the vessel "for a very good reason" and that, following its capture, "We keep it, I guess.". Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a more detailed statement shortly thereafter, sharing it on social media alongside video of the capture. Bondi clarified that the seizure followed the issuance of a warrant and that the ship was believed to be involved in the illicit shipment of Iranian oil, as well as Venezuelan activities — specifying the tanker was "used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.". "For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations," she explained. "This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely — and our investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil continues.".

New York Times [12/12/2025 3:03 AM, Alan Feuer, 330K] reports a federal judge on Thursday released Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia from immigration custody, saying that the Trump administration had detained him for nearly four months “without lawful authority” despite repeated vows to re-expel him from the country. The ruling by the judge, Paula Xinis, was a stinging defeat for the administration, which had often promised that Mr. Abrego Garcia would never walk free on U.S. soil. It was also the latest twist in a long and byzantine saga that, over the past year, transformed him from an unknown migrant living in Maryland who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador in March into one of the best-known symbols of President Trump’s aggressive deportation agenda. Judge Xinis’s ruling, issued in Federal District Court in Maryland, meant that Mr. Abrego Garcia would be both free from custody and, at least for now, out from under the immediate shadow of being deported from the country yet again. But while the ruling was a stern rebuke of how Trump officials have handled his multiple, intersecting cases, it is unlikely to be the final word. The Justice Department is likely to appeal the decision, and administration officials could also seek to open a new immigration proceeding against him. Moreover, Mr. Abrego Garcia is still facing separate criminal charges of smuggling undocumented immigrants in a different court altogether in Nashville. Still, Andrew Rossman, one of his lawyers, hailed Judge Xinis’s ruling. “Today’s decision granting Mr. Abrego Garcia’s release is a victory not just for one Maryland man but for everyone,” Mr. Rossman said. “We’re gratified by the court’s ruling upholding due process and the rule of law.” Mr. Abrego Garcia was formally released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday afternoon, and was on his way back to his family in Maryland in the evening, his lawyers said. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, pushed back against the judge’s ruling during a news conference. “The White House, the administration, oppose this activism from a judge who is really acting as a judicial activist, which unfortunately we have seen in many cases across the country,” she said. “Abrego Garcia is present in our country illegally.” In her 31-page decision, Judge Xinis said she had little choice but to release Mr. Abrego Garcia, pointing to a remarkable but often overlooked fact about the case: The Trump administration had never obtained a valid final order for his removal from the United States. The lack of a removal order, Judge Xinis said, meant that the government had been holding Mr. Abrego Garcia without legal authority.

The AP [12/12/2025 12:09 AM, Staff, 31753K] reports Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran citizen with an American wife and child who has lived in Maryland for years. He immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager to join his brother, who had become a U.S. citizen. In 2019, an immigration judge granted him protection from being deported back to his home country, where he faces danger from a gang that targeted his family. While he was allowed to live and work in the U.S. under ICE supervision, he was not given residency status. Earlier this year, he was mistakenly deported and held in a notoriously brutal Salvadoran prison despite having no criminal record. Facing mounting public pressure and a court order, Trump’s Republican administration brought him back to the U.S. in June, but only after issuing an arrest warrant on human smuggling charges in Tennessee. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges and asked a federal judge there to dismiss them. In her order releasing Abrego Garcia, Xinis wrote that federal authorities "did not just stonewall" the court, "They affirmatively misled the tribunal." Xinis also rejected the government’s argument that she lacked jurisdiction to intervene on a final removal order for Abrego Garcia, because she found no final order had been filed. ICE freed Abrego Garcia from Moshannon Valley Processing Center, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh, on Thursday just before the deadline Xinis gave the government to provide an update on Abrego Garcia’s release. He returned home to Maryland a few hours later. The Department of Homeland Security sharply criticized Xinis’ order and vowed to appeal, calling the ruling "naked judicial activism" by a judge appointed during the Obama administration. "This order lacks any valid legal basis, and we will continue to fight this tooth and nail in the courts," said Tricia McLaughlin, the department’s assistant secretary.

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Reuters [12/11/2025 1:50 PM, Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart, 36480K] reports that the deployment of U.S. troops to cities around the United States has cost more than $340 million, a U.S. Senator said on Thursday, highlighting the expense of President Donald Trump’s use of the military in the Democratic-led cities. Trump has deployed National Guard troops to Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Oregon, and Memphis, Tennessee, though some of those deployments have been paused as they face legal challenges. Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois said the deployments had so far cost $341.3 million, and that did not include the cost of the thousands of other troops deployed along the U.S. border with Mexico. "These costs are tabulated in more than taxpayer dollars and cannot be overstated," Duckworth, herself a combat veteran, said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Duckworth’s office said she had received the cost estimates from the Trump administration. More than 2,000 National Guard troops have been in Washington D.C. since Trump’s initial deployment in August, part of the president’s contentious immigration and crime crackdown. Rather than begin a wind-down, Trump, a Republican, ordered 500 more troops to Washington after the shooting of two members of the West Virginia National Guard, which officials described as a "targeted" attack. One of the two guard members died from her injuries.

FOX News [12/11/2025 12:00 PM, Charles Creitz, 40621K] reports that the SHIELD Act — Safeguarding Homeland Immigration Enforcement from Local Detention — would bar local police from arresting federal agents, a response to recent Democratic claims that state and local officials should be able to intervene. Efforts from the left to stymie President Donald Trump’s "mass deportation" endeavor have often been tied up in court, such as when Obama-appointed Judge William Orrick threw cold water on a prior effort to strip sanctuary cities of federal funding. On Friday, House Budget Committee chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, will introduce the SHIELD Act, which he told Fox News Digital will "stand up for the rule of law and push back on far-left radicals by cutting off every federal dollar to any jurisdiction that obstructs or prosecutes our officers — even once — carrying out their critical security responsibilities." "I’m proud to lead the fight to support our federal officers and hold lawless politicians who undermine the safety and security of the United States fully accountable," Arrington said. Similar efforts — including the Trump administration’s bid to penalize sanctuary cities that Orrick blocked — came from the executive branch, while Arrington’s proposal would create a new law.

USA Today [12/11/2025 5:43 PM, N’dea Yancey-Bragg, 67103K] reports a monthslong effort by the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops under federal control in U.S. cities keeps evolving amid a barrage of legal challenges. The deployments have ramped up and down in cities including Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago, Portland and Memphis. The administration often cited crime and protests as reasons for the deployments over the legal objections of local leaders. Trial courts around the country have ruled the deployments are illegal and unwarranted, but the administration has challenged these rulings in appeals courts, often resulting in orders blocking the deployments being put on hold. All eyes are currently on the U.S. Supreme Court, which is expected to weigh in on whether Trump can deploy the National Guard in Chicago while the case progresses. It’s a decision that likely won’t put an end to the litigation, but could have implications for other cities, according to Joseph Nunn, a legal expert on National Guard deployments with the Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Program. Meanwhile, the status of the Guard deployments has been constantly in flux with many now remaining under federal control but unable to be deployed as the legal battles play out.

ABC News [12/11/2025 9:29 AM, Luis Martinez, 30493K] reports a report prepared by Democratic members of Congress says the Pentagon has diverted at least $2 billion of its own funds to support the Trump administration’s immigration operations, negatively impacting what they say is the U.S. military’s readiness. Separately, a response from Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to questions posed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., that was shared with ABC News disclosed that two major military exercises were canceled this year and a third was scaled back as a result of the deployment of military forces to immigration operations. Caine said that both the "Vibrant Response" exercise scheduled for April and May, as well as a rotation by the 10th Mountain Division at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, over the summer were canceled because of the deployment. The large-scale national "Ardent Sentry" exercise in March that U.S. Northern Command uses to train responses to chemical, radiological, biological and nuclear incidents was also "Descoped" according to Caine’s response. In a statement to ABC News about the report, the Pentagon said with a $1 trillion budget it’s able to carry out multiple missions simultaneously. Compiled from open source information and reprogramming requests made by the Pentagon to Congress, the review of Pentagon border funding by Democrats in Congress found that $1.3 billion of that amount had been diverted to pay for the deployment of troops and resources to the Southwest border with Mexico. The report cited a Pentagon request to Congress in late May to reprogram $200 million in funds approved for worldwide military construction projects to construct a 30-foot-high steel bollard barrier along a 20-mile stretch of the border near Yuma, Arizona. The diverted funds were originally slated to pay for the construction of new military facilities, including military housing, and two elementary schools run by the DOD’s Education Activity (DODEA) at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and Stuttgart, Germany. The deployment of active duty forces to the Southwest Border began in January shortly after the start of President Donald Trump’s second term with more than 7,000 personnel assigned to support federal law enforcement agencies operating along the border. Since April, the Trump administration has designated military zones covering large swaths of the border where U.S. forces have the authority to temporarily detain any migrants trespassing what are now considered to be extensions of military bases. On Wednesday, the Interior Department announced that a fourth National Defense Area had been established along California’s border with Mexico. Previous NDA designations stretched along the border in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Washington Examiner [12/11/2025 2:44 PM, Mike Brest, 1394K] reports a senior military leader told lawmakers that he had not been given orders to target “the enemy within,” a reference to language President Donald Trump used earlier this year. Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of U.S. Northern Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee he has “not been tasked to do anything” against whom Trump described in a late September address to senior military officers as “the enemy within.” He appeared in front of the committee on Thursday for a hearing on the president’s deployment of the National Guard to several U.S. cities, including Los Angeles; Chicago; Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Memphis, Tennessee. Guillot, who was in the audience for Trump’s speech, was asked about the president’s previous remarks multiple times. “The president essentially indicated that you should be prepared to conduct military operations in the United States against this enemy within,” Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on Thursday. “Are you doing that?” “Sir, I have not been tasked to do anything that reflects what you just said,” Guillot said, adding that he does “not have any indication of an enemy within.” Trump, in his address to hundreds of senior military officers at Quantico on Sept. 30, said he told Secretary of War Pete Hegseth that the military “should use some of these dangerous cities [in the U.S.] as training grounds for our military, National Guard.”

The Washington Examiner [12/11/2025 2:03 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 1394K] reports the top U.S. counterterrorism official testified on Thursday that the federal government is aware of 18,000 people on the FBI terrorism watch list who were brought into the country during the Biden administration’s botched 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. National Counterterrorism Center Director Joseph Kent told lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee that the center recently arrived at an "alarming" conclusion about who the United States let into the country four years ago. "NCTC has identified around 18,000 known and suspected terrorists that the Biden administration let come into our country," Kent said. "We’ve identified 2,000 of that group … who have ties to terrorist organizations," Kent said. "That is probably the top terrorist threat that we face right now. And that doesn’t include the individuals who came here illegally through the open border. That number alarmingly remains unknown at this time.". During the Biden administration, more than 10 million non-U.S. citizens attempted to enter the country illegally or were denied admission at a port of entry along the southern border. Roughly half of those who attempted to walk across the border illegally were ultimately released into the U.S. "The No. 1 threat that we have right now, in my view, is the fact that we don’t know who came into our country in the last four years of Biden’s open borders," Kent said. The New York Post [12/11/2025 3:50 PM, Josh Christenson, 42219K] reports Kent pointed out in the House hearing that the accused National Guard shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was “just one of 88,000” Afghans — and his counterterrorism office has since “identified 2,000 of that group of 88,000 who have ties to terrorist organizations.” Stunningly, Kent claimed that the remaining 16,000 with terror ties doesn’t even include migrants “who came here illegally through the open border.” The Trump administration recently warned Americans that the US was at “heightened risk of terrorist attacks,” Kent said, noting risks from “terrorists, pretty much of all stripes, but in particular from ISIS and from al-Qaeda.” The thousands of known and suspected terrorists are also implementing a “new playbook” that is “decentralized,” according to the NCTC director, like “the attacks of Oct. 7.”

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Washington Examiner [12/12/2025 4:21 AM, Daniel Ross Goodman, 1394K] reports on a crisp autumn afternoon on Nov. 26, two blocks from the White House, the crack of gunfire shattered the routine of National Guard troops Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe. Beckstrom, a 20-year-old enlistee from West Virginia deployed to bolster federal law enforcement, succumbed to her wounds hours later. Wolfe, shot in the leg and torso, fought for his life in a Washington hospital. The suspect is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden-era evacuation effort, and secured asylum in April 2025. Lakanwal, a former CIA-backed paramilitary fighter, had no prior criminal record but carried the scars of a war-torn homeland. The attack ignited a firestorm. President Donald Trump, addressing the nation from Palm Beach, Florida, on Thanksgiving evening, decried it as “an act of evil, an act of hatred, and an act of terror.” Within days, his administration unleashed the most sweeping immigration restrictions since his first term. Asylum processing ground to a halt nationwide. Visas for Afghans ceased. Applications from nationals of 19 “high-risk” countries, mostly in the Middle East and Africa, froze, pending exhaustive reviews. Trump vowed a “permanent pause” on migration from “all Third World Countries,” framing it as a national security imperative to reclaim America’s sovereignty from former President Joe Biden’s “illegal admissions.”

Breitbart [12/11/2025 11:50 PM, Ian Hanchett, 2416K] reports that, on Thursday’s broadcast of MS NOW’s “The Last Word,” Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) talked about National Guard deployments and said that “it’s Donald Trump’s M.O. to try to fan the flames, try to escalate tensions, and justify further escalation on his part.” And “we’ve seen what’s happened in and around Washington, D.C., in and around Chicago, in and around Portland, in and around Memphis, they’re in New Orleans now. They continue this campaign of terror under the guise of public safety and immigration enforcement.” Padilla said, “[W]e tried to sound the alarm back in June, what was happening in Los Angeles was wrong. The federalization and the deployment of state National Guard troops into a state, against the governor’s wishes, into a city, over the objections of — not just the local mayor, local elected leadership — but the local sheriff, the local police department, is practically unprecedented. We knew it would be ineffective. In fact, it was counterproductive.” He continued, “But it’s Donald Trump’s M.O. to try to fan the flames, try to escalate tensions, and justify further escalation on his part. I came back to Washington after that press conference and warned my colleagues, if they can do this in Los Angeles, they can do it anywhere in the country on any issue they choose to try to quelch dissent. And sadly, we’ve seen what’s happened in and around Washington, D.C., in and around Chicago, in and around Portland, in and around Memphis, they’re in New Orleans now. They continue this campaign of terror under the guise of public safety and immigration enforcement. We know it’s anything but. And, case by case, legal victory by legal victory, we’re going to rein this back in.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Post [12/11/2025 12:32 PM, Samuel Chamberlain, 42219K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, are barely on speaking terms due to a deep-seated feud between the faces of the administration’s border crackdown. Despite the simmering tension, neither official is in danger of losing their job, according to a Thursday report by Axios. "Kristi’s doing a great job," Trump reportedly told an adviser recently who relayed the conversation to the outlet. "Her and Tom don’t get along, but they’re doing great." "Trump is like that," this person explained. "He kind of likes people competing against each other. He thinks it makes the product better." A second White House adviser who dislikes Noem was more blunt: "He’s happy with his cabinet. Do I wish Kristi was gone? Absolutely. But that ain’t happening. At least, not that he’ll tell me." The origin of the rift between Noem, 54, and Homan, 64, is unclear, but Axios reported that career immigration officials have bristled at Noem’s approach to running DHS — including fronting ads promoting initiatives like the CBP Home self-deportation app.

AP [12/11/2025 11:03 AM, Gisela Salomon, 852K] reports that President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy split more than 5,000 children from their families at the Mexico border during his first term, when images of babies and toddlers taken from the arms of mothers sparked global condemnation. Seven years later, families are being separated but in a much different way. With illegal border crossings at their lowest levels in seven decades, a push for mass deportations is dividing families of mixed legal status inside the U.S. Federal officials and their local law enforcement partners are detaining tens of thousands of asylum-seekers and migrants. Detainees are moved repeatedly, then deported, or held in poor conditions for weeks or months before asking to go home. The federal government was holding an average of more than 66,000 people in November, the highest on record. During the first Trump administration, families were forcibly separated at the border and authorities struggled to find children in a vast shelter system because government computer systems weren’t linked. Now parents inside the United States are being arrested by immigration authorities and separated from their families during prolonged detention. Or, they choose to have their children remain in the U.S. after an adult is deported, many after years or decades here.

FOX News [12/11/2025 3:00 PM, Louis Casiano, 40621K] reports a twice-deported Honduran man linked to the stabbing of a passenger on a Charlotte, North Carolina, light rail train has been federally charged, the Justice Department said Thursday. Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia, 33, is charged with one count of illegal reentry by a removed alien and one count of committing an act of violence on a mass transportation system. Solorzano, who has a violent criminal history in the United States, was deported in March 2018 before illegally reentering through the southern border in Texas in March 2021, Fox News Digital previously reported. He was deported a second time by the Biden administration and reentered illegally as a "got-away" at an unknown time and location. Solorzano was arrested last week after allegedly stabbing Kenyon Kareem-Shemar Dobie on the light rail system during an argument. Prior to the Dec. 5 attack, he allegedly broke into a railroad car "with the intent to commit a felony" while carrying a large fixed-blade knife, authorities said. While intoxicated, he challenged Dobie to a fight, cursing and shouting at others and using "unintelligible and slurred words," according to court documents. He was arrested by responding Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers as he walked away from the scene. Dobie was taken to a hospital with a stab wound to the upper left chest and survived, police said. Solorzano faces state charges of attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with serious injury, breaking/entering a motor vehicle, carrying a concealed weapon and intoxicated/disruptive behavior, according to multiple Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources and arrest warrants obtained by Fox News Digital. If convicted, Solorzano faces up to life in prison.

AP [12/11/2025 5:09 PM, Erik Verduzco and Gary D. Robertson, 31753K] reports the man accused of killing a Ukrainian refugee on a commuter train in North Carolina’s largest city appeared in court on a federal count Thursday, hours before the government announced a similar charge against a different man for an unrelated, non-fatal stabbing on the same light rail system. Decarlos Brown Jr. and his attorneys made an initial court appearance in a Charlotte courtroom on the count of causing death on a mass transportation system. Shackled from his hands and ankles and wearing a jumpsuit, Brown kept his head up looking at U.S. District Judge Susan Rodriguez as she read the charge against him. Authorities accuse Brown, 35, of stabbing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail car in August, in an apparently random attack captured on video. Brown is also charged with first-degree murder for Zarutska’s death in state court, but federal prosecutors stepped in after growing questions about why Brown was on the street despite more than a dozen prior criminal arrests. Like the state case, Brown could face life in prison or the death penalty if convicted in federal court.

FOX News [12/11/2025 9:35 PM, Staff, 40621K] reports USBP Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino comments on the consequences of the Biden administration border crisis and threats against ICE agents on ‘Hannity.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [12/11/2025 12:13 PM, Madison Colombo, 40621K] Video: HERE reports red states are stepping up to support the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Border Patrol officials have launched Operation Catahoula Crunch in Louisiana, with significant backing from local law enforcement. Border Patrol says the sweep has led to about 150 arrests so far, aided by more than 20 Louisiana law enforcement agencies. Officials argue the operation shows what’s possible when local leaders actively support immigration enforcement. Border chief Greg Bovino highlighted the difference in cooperation during this operation. He said past anti-law enforcement rhetoric from Democratic leaders put agents at risk. "If you look at places like California, that’s Gov. Newsom, Chicago, that’s Gov. Pritzker, Mayor Johnson, and then in North Carolina, Gov. Stein. They said some very vile and contemptible things about the Border Patrol, about ICE agents, and our allied law enforcement teams," Bovino told Fox News’ Brooke Taylor. "What that does is that empowers their weaker-minded constituents to perhaps take up violence against us when normally, otherwise, they wouldn’t," he added. The Department of Homeland Security has released information on many illegal immigrants arrested as part of the crackdown. Those taken into custody have included migrants convicted of rape, human smuggling, strangulation, domestic abuse and other crimes. "President Trump and Secretary Noem have made it abundantly clear: criminal illegal aliens are NOT welcome in the U.S., even if liberal activists think they are," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote in a statement released Monday. "We will continue going after the worst of the worst across this nation until EVERY criminal illegal alien is arrested.". Bovino and DHS have criticized state leaders whom they claim have made enforcement more difficult, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Pritzker has been among the governors pushing back on federal immigration actions. On Tuesday, he signed a bill aimed at protecting illegal immigrants in Illinois from deportation. It created new safeguards at locations including courthouses, hospitals, college campuses and other public facilities. "Illinois — in the face of cruelty and intimidation — has chosen solidarity and support. Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, and Gregory Bovino have tried to appeal to our lesser instincts. But the best of us are standing up to the worst of them," Pritzker wrote in a press release Wednesday.

Chicago Tribune [12/11/2025 6:00 AM, Laura Turbay and Rebecca Johnson, 4829K] reports roughly 2,400 miles from where her nephew faced an hourslong standoff with ICE agents in Elgin last Saturday, Genesis Adriana Gutierrez Morales’ voice shook in Maracaibo, Venezuela, with sadness and rage at the words from authorities she said tarnished her nephew’s name. "I don’t have the words to describe the frustration that you feel as family, of not being able to do anything, to be far away from him and not be able to help him," Morales, 35, said in Spanish in a phone interview with the Tribune. "And I’m angered by all the things they’re saying about him that are false, angered that they are smearing his name when I know that does not represent him." Morales describes Luis Jesus Acosta Gutierrez as an "incredibly hardworking" man with a huge heart. The Department of Homeland Security says he’s a suspected member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, an accusation the department has routinely leveled at Venezuelans detained during President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The narrative put forth by the Department of Homeland Security claiming Acosta Gutierrez is a suspected member of a criminal gang shook Morales. She questioned the lack of evidence from authorities presenting the claim. "He has never belonged to any criminal gang," Morales said. "There’s no evidence, there is absolutely nothing." When asked about evidence of Acosta Gutierrez’s alleged affiliation to the Tren de Aragua gang, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist group as of this year, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, "DHS intelligence assessments go well beyond just gang affiliate tattoos and social media." "We are confident in our law enforcement’s intelligence, and we aren’t going to share intelligence reports and undermine national security every time a gang member denies he is one. That would be insane," McLaughlin said.

Telemundo52 [12/11/2025 6:02 PM, Helen Jeong, 76K] reports Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced Thursday that federal agents arrested more than 10,000 undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles. Noem did not specify when the arrests occurred, but immigration enforcement measures began on a large scale on June 3, when three workplaces in downtown Los Angeles were raided. NBC Los Angeles could not independently confirm how many of the 10,000 people had criminal records, although the Trump administration has boasted of "taking murderers, rapists, gang members, drug dealers and other violent criminals living in the country without legal status off the streets and sending them back." According to new data received by NBC News this week, more than a third of the people arrested by immigration officials during the first nine months of the Trump administration had no criminal record.

FOX News [12/11/2025 6:41 PM, Peter Pinedo, 40621K] Video: HERE reports as Minnesota continues to reel from a massive fraud scheme involving the state’s Somali community, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary McLaughlin gave a scathing response to Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s request for the agency to "reassess" its immigration enforcement strategy. In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Walz said he was writing with "serious concern" regarding arrests of U.S. citizens made by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis. McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that "instead of trying to spread misinformation, Tim Walz should focus on protecting American lives and thanking the brave men and women of DHS law enforcement who are risking their lives to make communities in his state safer." "Yes, U.S. citizens who assault and obstruct law enforcement have been arrested," she went on, adding, "There is a growing and disturbing trend of agitators and rioters obstructing the arrest of illegal aliens and assaulting our brave law enforcement. Our officers are facing a more than 1050% increase in assaults and an 8000% increase in death threats." "Obstructing law enforcement is not protesting; it is a crime," said McLaughlin. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Chicago Tribune [12/11/2025 8:22 PM, Jason Meisner, 4829K] reports a federal appeals court in Chicago issued a mixed opinion Thursday in a high-profile immigration case, blocking the immediate release of hundreds of people detained during Operation Midway Blitz, but allowing the extension of a consent decree governing so-called warrantless arrests. The 2-1 split opinion from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings overstepped his authority in ordering the release of people arrested with “I-200” warrants that agents filled out in the field. The appeals court said Cummings also erred in issuing a blanket order granting bond to other detainees who’d been arrested without judicially approved warrants, saying that each individual needed to be assessed for potential danger to the community. “After all, this is not the bargain the Defendants agreed to, and the Consent Decree carefully maps out what the district judge can or cannot order, balancing Defendants’ immigration enforcement responsibilities … and the need to maintain public safety,” the majority opinion stated. The appellate ruling did, however, find that the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump had improperly categorized all immigration arrestees as subject to mandatory detention, regardless of their individual circumstances or lack of criminal background. And, in upholding the extension of the consent decree until February, the majority opinion said Cummings “cited multiple instances where (immigration officials) had failed to comply with the Consent Decree while making warrantless arrests” and “also relied on the unilateral proclamation by a DHS senior official … that DHS would no longer comply with the Consent Decree,” referring to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “Accordingly, we cannot say that the district court abused its discretion when finding that Defendants’ substantial non-compliance with the Consent Decree constituted a significant change in circumstances that warranted a modification,” the majority opinion stated.

Washington Examiner [12/11/2025 6:41 PM, Jack Birle, 1394K] reports a full jury was selected Thursday in federal court for the trial of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, who is set to face jurors next week for allegedly obstructing the arrest of an illegal immigrant before her court. Dugan pleaded not guilty to two charges of obstruction earlier this year, after the Justice Department alleged she helped an illegal immigrant evade federal immigration officers who appeared at her court to arrest the illegal immigrant in April. Jury selection concluded after roughly six hours of questioning prospective jurors from eastern Wisconsin. The 14 jurors selected included nine men and four women, according to local Milwaukee news station WITI. Two of the 14 jurors seated are alternates. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman had the jury sworn in, then called the court into recess until Monday at 9 a.m. local time, when the trial is slated to begin. The Justice Department has said it expects to call 25 to 28 witnesses during the trial. Dugan’s lawyers had attempted to introduce statements Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel made about her case, but Adelman denied the request. Adelman did, however, permit Dugan’s lawyers to discuss other immigration arrests in the Milwaukee area as part of its defense during the trial. The trial is scheduled to begin in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin with opening statements on Monday. The indicted Milwaukee judge is accused of allowing Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an illegal immigrant who appeared before her court, and his lawyer to exit her courtroom via a back door after federal immigration agents appeared at the courthouse to arrest him. Flores-Ruiz was arrested by federal authorities shortly after leaving the courthouse through the back door, while Dugan was arrested in a highly publicized fashion roughly a week later in April.

Bloomberg [12/11/2025 6:33 PM, Zach C. Cohen, 803K] reports congress cleared legislation Thursday giving taxpayers impacted by natural disasters or terrorism extra time to claim tax credits and refunds when their filing deadlines are extended, sending the bill to President Donald Trump’s desk before the next filing season begins. The Senate unanimously passed Rep. Greg Murphy’s (R-N.C.) H.R. 1491 without a roll call vote along with other uncontroversial bills as the chamber prepares to close its doors for the year.

Bloomberg [12/11/2025 1:44 PM, Mark Gongloff, 18207K] reports Otto von Bismarck allegedly once said, "God has a special providence for fools, drunkards, and the United States of America," which is funny but of course not true. You could fill several libraries with the names of all the fools and drunkards who came to bad ends, and luck even seems to be running out for the US of A — though in at least one key way it was fortunate this year, despite some deeply foolish policy. It seems bound to test that luck again in 2026. For the first time in a decade, the US dodged landfall by a hurricane this year, with several Category 5 monsters wreaking havoc just offshore in the Caribbean or spinning harmlessly out to sea. The nation thus avoided a Hurricane Katrina-like catastrophe at a time when the Federal Emergency Management Agency was basically on autopilot. Also, that autopilot was Hal 9000. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly said FEMA shouldn’t exist, tapped a blustering absentee, David Richardson, to run the agency just ahead of hurricane season. Richardson is a war veteran, novelist and aspiring comedian, but had zero experience in natural-disaster management. He artfully compensated for his lack of qualifications by just not bothering to manage much of anything, which may help explain why he left the job after six months. FEMA Chief of Staff Karen Evans is now running the agency. Like Richardson, she lacks disaster-management experience, contrary to the requirements of federal law that Trump has circumvented by naming a series of “acting” directors. And soon her de facto second-in-command, running the vitally important Office of Response and Recovery, will be conspiracy theorist Gregg Phillips, independent journalist Marisa Kabas reported this week.

The Hill [12/11/2025 9:00 AM, Nolan Rappaport, 12595K] reports you think you’ve found a shortcut to legal U.S. residency? Think again. Filing a visa petition or adjustment of status application for an immigrant spouse on the basis of a sham marriage can have very serious consequences. A marriage is considered a "sham" if the primary reason for the marriage is to get an immigration benefit. Our elected representatives in Congress have passed civil and criminal sanctions to deter people from using sham marriages to evade immigration laws. And the Trump administration is serious about enforcing these sanctions. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph B. Edlow announced a few months ago that the agency is "declaring an all-out war on immigration fraud. We will relentlessly pursue everyone involved in undermining the integrity of our immigration system and laws." The agency usually does not look into other reasons for marriages. It can accept a marriage for immigration purposes if it is valid legally and the parties did not enter into it primarily for an immigration benefit. Sham marriages are attractive to immigrants seeking lawful permanent resident status because of the benefits such a union can provide. Immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens are not subject to the 480,000 worldwide level of family-sponsored immigrants. Spouses of legal permanent residents receive preferential treatment with respect to their place in the line of immigrants who are waiting for the availability of a visa. The wait for a family-sponsored visa can be very long. But it is a federal crime to knowingly enter into a marriage "for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws." A conviction for this offense can result in imprisonment for up to five years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. These penalties apply to both spouses — the immigrant and the citizen or legal permanent resident. Congress has established civil immigration penalties too. For example, the law states that no petition will be approved for any alien who, in the attorney general’s opinion, has previously "entered into" a marriage "for the purpose of evading the immigration laws." Sham marriages also make immigrant spouses inadmissible if they seek to procure visas or admission "by fraud or willfully misrepresenting a material fact." Permanent residency status based on a recent marriage is conditional. It can be terminated if the Department of Homeland Security determines within the first two years of status that it was based on a sham marriage. The immigrant spouse may be deportable for procuring a visa by fraud.

The Hill [12/11/2025 7:30 AM, Brian Almon, 12595K] reports on a Tuesday evening in November, an Idaho family experienced the nightmare that every parent dreads. Eight-year-old Mora Gerety was struck and killed by a truck while crossing the street on Boise’s North End — arguably the most expensive and most liberal residential neighborhood in all Idaho. When news broke that the driver, Elvin Ramos-Caballero, had been taken into custody for an outstanding warrant by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the rhetoric escalated immediately. Local Democrats avoided mentioning the driver’s immigration status altogether. Boise Mayor Lauren McLean (D) issued a bland statement calling for safer streets — in fairness, a major local issue for some time. The Ada County Highway District, which manages those streets, has been working to reduce traffic lanes on several North End streets to create more room for pedestrians and cyclists. Conservative activists argued that the driver should never have been in the country — that the tragedy highlighted lax immigration enforcement. A local newscaster, Brian Holmes, denounced such claims on social media, attacking "racist idiots" for a "baseless narrative." His post drew national attention from major right-wing influencers, and he soon deleted his X account. I don’t want to dwell on the tragedy itself. Whatever the cause, a family is now enduring unimaginable pain, living through Thanksgiving and the Christmas season without their daughter. As a parent, I cannot imagine anything worse, and it does no honor to her memory to exploit the situation for political ends. Even so, the incident underscores a growing divide in Idaho and the nation over immigration. Although Idaho is a deep-red state, many Republican leaders here hold views on illegal immigration that differ sharply from those of rank-and-file voters. And although President Trump campaigned on mass deportations, many Idaho Republicans continue to push for expanded visa programs and even an immigration amnesty.

Breitbart [12/11/2025 10:56 AM, John Binder, 2416K] reports President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is celebrating a "record-breaking achievement" in immigration enforcement, touting that more than 2.5 million illegal aliens have left the United States since the president took office in late January. This week, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had successfully deported more than 605,000 illegal aliens from the U.S. since January 20 — noting the majority are illegal aliens with pending criminal charges or criminal convictions. In addition, Noem said almost two million illegal aliens have now self-deported from the U.S. during the same period, as she again encouraged millions more illegal aliens to do so using the agency’s "CBP Home" mobile app to secure a free flight and $1,000 stipend. "The Trump Administration is shattering historic records with more than 2.5 million illegal aliens leaving the U.S. DHS has deported more than 605,000 illegal aliens and another 1.9 million have self-deported," DHS’s Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. DHS officials similarly said that the agency had arrested close to 600,000 illegal aliens since Trump took office for his second term. "Illegal aliens are hearing our message to leave now," McLaughlin said. "They know if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return.". By subscribing, you agree to our terms of use & privacy policy. You will receive email marketing messages from Breitbart News Network to the email you provide. You may unsubscribe at any time. The Trump administration’s fierce immigration crackdown has been, likely most significantly, a boon for Americans in the housing market. For six consecutive months, for instance, DHS has not released a single illegal alien into the U.S. from the southern border — a statistic that is being felt by Americans looking to buy homes and see their rents reduced after years of sky-high prices. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner noted recently that, coinciding with the massive drop in illegal immigration, there have been four consecutive months of rent decreases. "The connection between illegal immigration and skyrocketing housing costs is as clear as day," Vice President JD Vance said. "We are proud to be moving in the right direction. Still so much to do.". In September, economists in Denmark published research that found mass immigration hugely drives up rents and home prices for the local population. "… a one percentage point increase in the local immigration influx over a five-year horizon relative to the local population in the base year 1995 leads to an average increase of approximately 6 percent and 11 percent in private rental prices and house prices at the municipal level, respectively, during the same period," researchers found. Last year, Center for Immigration Studies researcher Steven Camarota revealed a similar statistic to Congress, stating that "a 5-percentage-point increase in the recent immigrant share of a metro area’s population is associated with a 12-percent increase in the average U.S.-born household’s rent, relative to their income.".

Reuters [12/11/2025 8:46 AM, Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke, 36480K] reports the email from a U.S. immigration officer presented Kelly and Yerson Vargas with a stark choice: accept deportation to their native Colombia or risk being charged with a crime and separated from their 6-year-old daughter, Maria Paola. The Vargases, held at a Texas detention center, had already received a deportation order and been pressured to board flights to Colombia. They had resisted because they had submitted visa applications as victims of human trafficking, saying they faced forced labor and death threats from cartel members in Mexico as they transited to the U.S. In the October 31 email, the immigration officer threatened to prosecute them for failure to comply with the deportation order, a rarely used statute that could lead to 10 years in prison. Their case illustrates how U.S. President Donald Trump’s vast immigration crackdown is increasingly relying on threats to separate families and other aggressive tactics to pressure people into accepting deportation - even if they have submitted legal claims that in previous administrations would have allowed them to stay in the country, according to immigrants, attorneys, current and former officials and court records reviewed by Reuters. These tactics include threats of jail sentences for resisting a deportation order or crossing the border illegally - crimes that previously were rarely prosecuted AND would lead to separation from children - as well as prolonged detention with no opportunity to seek release and deportation to far-flung third countries, Reuters found. White House border czar Tom Homan defended the Trump administration’s approach. "We’re using every tool in the toolbox," Homan told Reuters in an interview. "Everything we’re doing is legal." The Vargases chose to abandon their visa applications and board a deportation flight in November rather than risk being split up, with Maria Paola placed in a federal shelter system for unaccompanied migrant children. U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the family had been issued a deportation order in 2024, been denied on appeal, and received full due process. She did not comment on the visa application for victims of human trafficking. When asked about the Vargas case and another family threatened with federal charges and separation, McLaughlin said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers don’t "threaten" people and appropriately informed them they could face federal charges.

NewsMax [12/11/2025 10:10 PM, Jim Thomas, 4109K] reports the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday accused Washington Post of a glaring omission in its coverage of the Trump administration’s new deportation jet fleet. DHS said that the purchase is projected to save taxpayers millions, a claim officials argued is central to understanding the policy’s cost and scope. DHS confirmed Wednesday that its initiative to purchase and operate a dedicated fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft for Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation flights is projected to save U.S. taxpayers $279 million. Assistant DHS Director Tricia McLaughlin responded to a social media post about the Post article by saying the newspaper "forgot to include" the cost savings in its reporting. McLaughlin wrote on X, Wednesday: "*Somehow* the @washingtonpost forgot to include anywhere in their story that this new initiative will save the US taxpayer $279 MILLION. I guess they didn’t want the public to know? "These planes will allow ICE to operate more effectively, including by using more efficient flight patterns.” McLaughlin also said that "President [Donald] Trump and @Sec_Noem are committed to quickly and efficiently getting criminal illegal aliens OUT of our country.” Washington Post reported that the Department of Homeland Security signed a nearly $140 million contract to acquire six Boeing 737 aircraft to build its own deportation fleet, ending reliance on charter contracts for some repatriation flights. The administration’s broader immigration enforcement agenda has been backed by a substantial $170 billion congressional funding increase, which included support for enhanced border security, expanded detention space, and other enforcement measures. Officials have maintained that the shift to a government-owned fleet aims to reduce long-term costs compared with chartering outside carriers. The new jet fleet is part of that broader effort to modernize enforcement logistics and reduce reliance on external service providers. DHS officials have generally said that owning aircraft rather than leasing them will enable more predictable scheduling, better cost control, and greater internal oversight.

FOX News [12/11/2025 1:16 PM, Greg Norman, 40621K] reports that a Republican senator warned lawmakers Thursday of a "powder keg" in the U.S. as people "villainize" Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and condone the behavior of anti-ICE protesters. Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri made the remark as the Senate Committee on Armed Services gathered on Capitol Hill for a hearing about the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops across the U.S. "You’ve seen a 1,000% increase in assaults on ICE officers. So to my Democrat colleagues who want to have this hearing, we got to be honest about what’s actually happening out there. This rhetoric is making it open season on law enforcement. And it is incredibly dangerous," Schmitt said. "So when we villainize ICE agents who have family members, who are husbands, who are mothers, who are simply enforcing the laws that... Congress has passed over the years. This is insane. And the condoning of people blocking off vehicles from, you know, enforcing the law, these ICE agents, this is a powder keg. It’s a powder keg," he added. Schmitt said he is "very thankful for the men and women who are serving this country, who are protecting those agents, who are protecting federal assets. And the president’s well within his authority to do it." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [12/11/2025 7:43 PM, Paul Bois, 2416K] reports singer SZA has rebuked the White House for using one her songs in a pro-ICE, dismissing it as rage bait both "evil" and "boring.". The White House used SZA’s song "Big Boy, originally used in an 2022 Saturday Night Live sketch, to promote Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations. "We heard it’s cuffing szn," the White House posted on social media in reference to the song’s lyrics. "Bad news for criminal illegal aliens. Great news for America.". "White House rage baiting artists for free promo is PEAK DARK ..inhumanity +shock and aw tactics," she wrote. "Evil n Boring.". SZA’s manager Punch also chimed in on X. "Trying to provoke [artists] to respond in order to help spread propaganda and political agendas is nasty business. Knock it off," Punch wrote. In a statement to Variety, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson commented, "Thank you, SZA, for drawing even more attention to the tremendous work America’s ICE officers are doing by arresting dangerous criminal illegal aliens from American communities.".

AP [12/12/2025 2:04 AM, Leah Willingham and Laura Bargfeld, 2416K] reports one baby Jesus lays in a manger in the snow, wrapped in a silver emergency blanket with his wrists zip-tied. Mary stands nearby outside the Lake Street Church in Evanston, Illinois, wearing a plastic gas mask and flanked by Roman soldiers in tactical vests labeled “ICE.” In another Chicago suburb, not far from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility that has drawn protests over detentions, a sign at the manger outside the Urban Village Church says “Due to ICE activity in our community the Holy Family is in hiding.” And more than a thousand miles away, the Christ child went missing from a nativity scene at St. Susanna Parish in Dedham, Massachusetts, replaced by a hand-painted sign: “ICE was here.” These and other stark reimaginings of Christ’s birth are drawing praise and outrage as churches turn the Christmas tableau into a commentary on federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. Their creators say they are placing the ancient story in a contemporary frame, portraying the Holy Family as refugees to reflect on the fear of separation and deportation that many families — including their own parishioners — are experiencing today. Supporters of the displays say the Bible is on their side, but critics call the scenes sacrilegious and politically divisive, accusing the churches of abusing sacred imagery and some arguing they should lose their tax-exempt status. The archdiocese in Massachusetts ordered that the manger must be “restored to its proper sacred purpose.” The debate comes as immigration enforcement intensifies in states and cities whose leaders object to the immigration crackdown. In September alone, a combined total of at least 2,000 people were arrested in Illinois and Massachusetts, according to federal arrest figures released by immigration authorities. For churches, Christmas is a time “when we have public art out on the lawn and we get an opportunity to say something,” said Rev. Michael Woolf, senior minister at Lake Street. Another nativity scene created by the Baptist congregation one recent year showed Jesus in rubble — a “plea for peace” in Gaza, he said. St. Susanna parishioners locked baby Jesus in a cage in 2018 to protest how President Donald Trump’s first administration was separating families at the border. Another year, they depicted the infant floating in water polluted with plastic to highlight climate change. Boston Archbishop Richard Henning ordered this year’s display taken down. As of Thursday, Father Steve Josoma was seeking a meeting and had yet to comply. “The people of God have the right to expect that, when they come to church, they will encounter genuine opportunities for prayer and Catholic worship — not divisive political messaging,” a diocesan spokesperson said. Some Catholic activists want the priest punished. “This is really a grave scandal for Catholics, and I think he’s playing with fire,” said C.J. Doyle, director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts. “The archbishop can remove him as pastor, suspend him from active ministry — he can even close the parish and sell the property right out from under him.”

NewsMax [12/11/2025 11:28 AM, Jim Mishler, 4109K] reports that New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is defending a video he released on Sunday that urged residents to understand their rights if confronted by federal immigration agents. The video, posted on X, framed the city as a place where more than 3 million immigrants deserve protection. A self-described democratic socialist, Mamdani said ICE attempted a Canal Street raid and that New Yorkers must know how to respond when approached by federal officers. He told viewers that ICE cannot enter private spaces without a judicial warrant signed by a judge. He warned that agents may present misleading paperwork and insisted that residents have the right to say they do not consent to entry and to remain silent. Mamdani said New Yorkers are legally allowed to film ICE as long as they do not interfere with an arrest. He urged calm behavior and reminded residents of their constitutional right to protest. After criticism from federal officials, Mamdani defended the video in a Wednesday interview with MS Now. He said his administration will resist President Donald Trump’s expanded immigration crackdown and will hold any ICE officer who violates city law accountable. Mamdani said New York’s sanctuary laws will remain intact and that the NYPD will not assist ICE in immigration enforcement. He said the city does not need ICE or National Guard involvement to keep residents safe. The dispute escalated after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem criticized his rights guidance video during a Fox News interview. Noem said Mamdani’s comments may have violated the Constitution and said federal officials were reviewing the matter with the Department of Justice.

Daily Caller [12/11/2025 11:11 AM, Harold Hutchison, 835K] reports Democratic Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani of New York City defended giving advice on resisting United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Wednesday, saying he was informing New Yorkers “of their rights.” Mamdani posted a video on X Sunday, instructing residents on how to obstruct ICE agents and claiming that a “warrant of removal” that is used to take illegal immigrants whose deportation has been ordered into custody, was invalid. Mamdani doubled down when asked about it by MS NOW reporter Jacob Soboroff. “Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security Secretary, said this week that, in response to that video you put out about knowing your rights, what to do if ICE comes knocking on your door, if you were mayor, you could have been violating the Constitution of the United States, and that she intimated that the Department of Justice might be looking into it,” Soboroff told Mamdani. “What’s your response to Kristi Noem?” “I’m proud to inform people of their rights, and I can’t think of a more American thing to do than to speak about the protections that we all have under the law,” Mamdani claimed. On Nov. 29, rioters in New York City attempted to thwart an operation by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE facilities in Chicago and Portland, Oregon, have been the scene of multiple riots as opposition to the agency’s operations targeting illegal immigrants intensified. During ICE operations in Chicago, agents were reportedly attacked by multiple assailants who used cars to ram vehicles. The Department of Homeland Security said in a Sept. 26 post on X there had been several violent attacks on an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois. In Portland, Oregon, violent protesters reportedly attacked conservative journalists covering the riots at the ICE facility and also reportedly planned to use lasers against aircraft used by federal law enforcement agencies. Two people were killed during a Sept. 24 shooting targeting an ICE facility in the Dallas area, when a gunman, who committed suicide, opened fire at the facility. In Texas, there were at least two previous incidents when shots were fired at ICE or Border Patrol facilities in July, with ten people being charged with attempted murder and conspiracy in connection with the incident in Alvarado, Texas.

Washington Examiner [12/11/2025 10:16 AM, Emily Hallas, 1394K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security rolled out a campaign on Wednesday targeting criminals "with ties" to New York City. The DHS’s Homeland Security Investigations agency and the FBI are co-leading the task force, branded as the "first-of-its-kind" effort that is being aided by a host of agencies ranging from the New York Police Department to the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which is headed by Tulsi Gabbard. Homeland Security Task Force New York will work with local, state, and federal officials to dismantle and prosecute criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations in New York and throughout the U.S., according to the Trump administration. "The historic collaboration of this Task Force strengthens the mission to protect our citizens by standing between our Districts and the transnational criminal organizations, human smugglers, and cybercriminals who target us with drug trafficking, violence, and economic harm," U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr. said in a press release announcing the task force. HSTF New York will primarily focus on investigating groups designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, "combining the full strength of the investigative and intelligence forces of the U.S. government," according to the DHS. The department said one key component of the new task force will be the ability to combine information from intelligence community partners with law enforcement investigations. Doing so will "increase our effectiveness in combating and dismantling the threat," the Trump administration said.

Washington Times [12/11/2025 2:32 PM, Matt Delaney, 852K] reports an illegal immigrant from El Salvador on Thursday pleaded guilty to murder in the 2024 carjacking of a woman in Loudoun County in which he ran over the victim with her own vehicle. Jose Ulises Aguilar-Martinez, 19, faces up to life in prison after entering the guilty plea on murder, robbery causing death and other charges in a Loudoun County Circuit Court. The conviction stems from the July 2024 slaying of 54-year-old Melody Waldecker in Sterling. Waldecker, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they captured the killer after a brief chase. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said Aguilar-Martinez had a California driver’s license and was living in Virginia. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a detainer for Aguilar-Martinez shortly after his arrest, but added that their request would be on hold pending the outcome of his criminal case. Aguilar-Martinez will return to court in March for his sentencing hearing.

Daily Caller [12/11/2025 11:43 AM, Derek VanBuskirk, 835K] reports a three-time illegal alien allegedly stabbed a man who reportedly tried stopping him from harassing an elderly woman on a North Carolina light rail Friday, and officials arrested the male victim on unrelated charges Wednesday. Twenty-four-year-old Kenyon Dobie stood up to Honduran national Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia, who allegedly yelled, "I’m about to show you who I really am" at an older woman, Dobie told WRAL News from his hospital bed. "I guess it’s better off that it happened to me and not an older person," Dobie said. The arrest warrant said Solorzano was disruptive and intoxicated, and he allegedly challenged Dobie to a fight after shouting "unintelligible and slurred words," WRAL reported. Dobie intervened and told Solorzano to leave everyone alone, but Solorzano allegedly grabbed his hands and stabbed him as Dobie tried to grab Solorzano, according to WRAL. Dobie claimed he took the knife out and started coughing blood before ultimately passing out as Solarzano allegedly fled the scene, Dobie told WRAL. "Luckily I survived but my body has taken plenty damage. Have a tube running from my chest to a machine pumping blood out of my lungs. Please pray and help me with a better recovery," Dobie’s GoFundMe says, having raised over $100,000 in donations. Solorzano was charged with attempted first-degree murder, and he was previously arrested for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, destroying evidence, resisting arrest, using a false ID, and he has convictions for robbery and illegal re-entry, according to Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Tricia McLaughlin. Solorzano was first removed from the U.S. in 2018, and he was apprehended illegally crossing the border again in 2021. He eventually returned to the U.S. illegally for a third time at an unknown date and location, McLaughlin stated. "[Immigration and Customs Enforcement] lodged a detainer to ensure this criminal illegal is not released back into North Carolina neighborhoods. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the county will honor the detainer since they have a history of not cooperating with [ICE]," McLaughlin said. For an unrelated alleged incident, Dobie was charged Wednesday with assault inflicting serious bodily injury, assault on a pregnant female and communicating threats, according to WBTV. Arrest warrants alleged Dobie punched a pregnant woman with whom he was in a relationship with and threatened to kill the woman’s children, among other individuals, according to WRAL.

Breitbart [12/11/2025 10:57 AM, Bob Price, 2416K] reports federal immigration teams in New Orleans this week arrested dozens of criminal aliens accused of violent and predatory crimes, including rapists, thieves, human smugglers, domestic abusers, and child endangerers. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said the operation was part of a nationwide push to dismantle sanctuary protections and remove "the worst of the worst" from American communities, underscoring President Trump’s directive to prioritize public safety in deportation efforts. "DHS law enforcement continues to arrest rapists, thieves, human smugglers, domestic abusers, and child endangerers who sought sanctuary in New Orleans. Well, those days are over," said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "President Trump and Secretary Noem have made it abundantly clear: criminal illegal aliens are NOT welcome in the U.S., even if liberal activists think they are.". DHS officials provided details about the types of criminal aliens recently arrested, including, Jorge Vierra-Serrano, convicted for forcible rape and aggravated battery, and previously arrested for aggravated battery and a traffic offense. Officials described Vierra-Serrano as a criminal, an illegal alien, and a convicted rapist from Cuba who attempted to evade justice by taking advantage of sanctuary laws. Hander Bladimar Monrroy-Santiago, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, living in the U.S. illegally since 2022 on an expired work visa and previously arrested for smuggling of a person. Darlin Perdomo-Rodriguez, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras who has twice entered the country illegally, and previously arrested for simple battery, strangulation, and domestic abuse of a child. Anthony Jose Sarria-Gutierrez, a criminal illegal alien from Nicaragua, who is a known member of the 18th Street Gang and previously arrested for contributions to the delinquency of a juvenile. Carlos Arturo Padilla-Meza, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras, with a final order of removal from 2013, convicted of domestic battery and previously arrested for a traffic offense. Willian Orlando Zuniga-Euceda, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras, previously arrested for domestic abuse—battery, domestic abuse—child endangerment, and resisting arrest by failing to identify. Andres Vladimir Prieto-Rencoret, a criminal illegal alien from Chile, previously arrested for theft, aggravated flight from officer, and a child passenger restraint system violation. Ingres Estel Hernandez-Murillo, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras, convicted of domestic abuse battery and previously arrested for trespassing. McLaughlin concluded her remarks, saying, "We will continue going after the worst of the worst across this nation until EVERY criminal illegal alien is arrested.".

New York Times [12/12/2025 3:03 AM, Minho Kim, 330K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement told a nonprofit watchdog this week that it had found “no records” of body camera footage produced during its sweeping immigration enforcement operation in Chicago, raising concerns that it was skirting laws intended to ensure transparency and accountability. The assertion, contained in a response to a public information request from the Freedom of the Press Foundation, contradicted the Trump administration’s sworn court testimony and the fact that it had previously submitted video footage to a judge. The response also raised questions about whether the administration is fully complying with a court order that required the use of body cameras in the monthslong operation, which has included a string of allegations of excessive force. “Sometimes a no response is more telling than having records” from a public information request, said Anne Weismann, who oversaw records litigations at the Justice Department at the end of her two decades at the department. “And this may be one of those cases.” In a letter dated Tuesday, ICE told the Freedom of the Press Foundation that “no records responsive to your request were found.” The foundation had requested “all body-worn camera footage” taken as part of “Operation Midway Blitz,” which was announced in September. Judge Sara L. Ellis, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, had mandated that agents, including ones at ICE, wear body cameras beginning in October. Experts in public records laws say such a response is a troubling sign that the Trump administration may be trying to evade public oversight mechanisms. Its immigration enforcement agencies are accused of violating civil liberties and state laws while they strive to meet the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation goal of one million people per year. The response “indicates that ICE continues to feel increasing impunity” as an agency “exempt from accountability,” said Lauren Harper, who advocates for government transparency at the nonprofit. “It is extremely implausible that ICE does not have any of this footage — it just strikes me as beyond the pale.” Neither ICE, in its letter, nor the Department of Homeland Security, in a response to questions from New York Times, directly explained why the letter said there were no records of body camera footage even though administration lawyers had submitted such clips to Judge Ellis. ICE’s letter implied that such records might be shielded, citing some exemptions to open records laws, including ones on national security, ongoing criminal investigations and information that can expose government informants’ identities. Ms. Weismann said the requested records did not qualify for such exemptions “under any reasonable interpretation.”

Chicago Tribune [12/11/2025 5:48 PM, Gloria Casas, 4829K] reports Elgin police said they have no evidence that people threw "rocks and bottles" at ICE agents during an hours-long effort to take a man into custody last weekend or that Elgin police officers "refused to help protect law enforcement." The police department is conducting its own investigation into the allegations made Monday by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about what they experienced as they conducted a federal immigration enforcement operation on Dec. 6 in the 1600 block of Maple Lane, including physical attacks on agents. It is also investigating complaints made by residents about the actions of ICE agents. In a statement about the preliminary findings posted on Facebook early Thursday morning, the police department said body camera footage from all of its officers at the scene has been reviewed and there was one incident documented in which a water bottle was thrown at an ICE vehicle. Body camera footage also shows "some federal agents, while walking to their vehicles, were simultaneously deploying what appears to be crowd control munitions," the statement said. No agents told police at the scene that they had been struck by any objects. The police department received more than 50 calls related to the incident in which Luis Jesus Acosta Gutierrez, whom ICE officials say is a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, after he allegedly rammed an ICE agent’s vehicle into a tree in the 1600 block of West Highland Avenue, escaped from an ICE vehicle and later held agents at bay during a standoff at the Maple Avenue apartment. Eight police reports have been made and are being investigated in reference to incidents related to the crash and standoff, including people being struck by pepper balls and exposed to "other chemical irritants" and from ICE agents, including one from the crash. The police investigation is ongoing, he said.

NBC News [12/11/2025 6:32 PM, Gabe Gutierrez and Susan Kroll, 34509K] reports in what’s become an increasingly volatile deployment, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have made more than 400 arrests in Minnesota since so-called Operation Metro Surge began this month, an ICE spokesperson said. NBC News was granted exclusive access to the operation Wednesday in the frigid Twin Cities, where the wind chill dropped well below freezing. "The frigid temperatures means that people aren’t out and about as much, so it makes it a little tougher," said Marcos Charles, the acting executive associate director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. Details of the federal surge, which include around 100 ICE agents from around the country, had been sparse, prompting backlash, protests and threats. ICE requested that NBC News conceal the identities of most of its agents, who said protestors had tried to block in their vehicles at scenes and had aggressively tailed them, even attaching Apple AirTags to their vehicles to track their movements. Throughout the day, NBC News witnessed multiple protestors going up to unmarked ICE vehicles and blowing whistles at the agents. One agent related an anecdote of an ICE agent’s evading a tailing car by using his military ID to enter a military base. On Wednesday, agents left their staging area at a federal building in St. Paul by 6 a.m. The first target was a Somali immigrant who ICE said had been in the U.S. illegally since 2019 and had a previous conviction for criminal sexual conduct. The agents, in several vehicles, surrounded a home outside Minneapolis — and waited. Within the hour, they made contact with someone inside the home: the man’s wife, who claimed he was staying elsewhere. Agents moved on to their next target, another Somali immigrant, but couldn’t locate him. "It is not an operation targeting the Somali community," Charles said. "We’re looking for people that are here illegally.". On Wednesday, Minneapolis’ mayor and police chief alleged at a news conference that ICE agents wrongfully arrested a U.S. citizen because he looked Somali. Standing alongside the city leaders, Mubashir, 20, who wanted to be identified only by his first name, said he was on his lunch break Tuesday when a masked man running full speed tackled him and pushed him into a restaurant. "The agent then, at one point, he never identified himself, he didn’t say, ‘ICE, stop.’ I feel like I was getting assaulted, I was getting kidnapped," Mubashir said. DHS said ICE officers were speaking to someone nearby who they suspected was in the country illegally. "At that time, a second male individual walked out of a nearby restaurant, turned around, and fled from law enforcement," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to NBC News. "Having reasonable suspicion--as protected under the U.S. Constitution--officers gave chase and caught up with the individual, who violently resisted officers and refused to answer questions.". She added that the officers "temporarily detained" the person because a large crowd had gathered, presenting a threat to the officers’ safety. "Once officers finished their questioning, he was promptly released," McLaughlin wrote. "Allegations that DHS law enforcement officers engage in ‘racial profiling’ are disgusting, reckless, and categorically FALSE. What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is if they are illegally in the U.S.—NOT their skin color, race, or ethnicity. Under the fourth amendment of the U.S. Constitution, DHS law enforcement uses ‘reasonable suspicion’ to make arrests. If and when we do encounter individuals subject to arrest, our law enforcement is trained to ask a series of well-determined questions to determine status and removability.".

Univision [12/11/2025 9:01 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports Mubashir was on the street taking a break from work when he was detained by ICE agents in Minneapolis. The city’s mayor, Jacob Frey, denounced the young man’s detention based on his appearance. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [12/11/2025 6:15 PM, Olivia Rondeau, 2416K] reports an illegal alien MS-13 gang member wanted in his home country of Honduras for a quadruple homicide has been arrested in Nebraska by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), agency officials told Breitbart News. Gerson Emir Cuadra Soto allegedly bribed his way out of Honduran prison after being linked to the July 2022 killing of Said Lobo Bonilla, the son of former Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa, and three other victims. He and two co-defendants in the assassination ring were set free after paying $125,000 to government officials, according to an affidavit obtained by Fox News. Cuadra Soto, known as "Fantasma" within MS-13, is then alleged to have entered the United States later that year by illegally crossing the southern border. He then obtained a California driver’s license in his true identity, DHS said. A collaboration between Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other law enforcement officials resulted in the arrest on December 8 of Cuadra Soto in Grand Island, Nebraska. Despite Cuadra Soto’s arrest on immigration charges, the FBI’s Houston office "continues to investigate him for his alleged role as an MS-13 leader," Fox News noted.

Daily Wire [12/11/2025 4:56 AM, Jennie Taer, 2494K] reports sanctuary authorities set free a twice-deported illegal immigrant with a rap sheet who allegedly caused a six-car pileup involving a school bus in Washington state last week, The Daily Wire has learned. Mexican illegal immigrant Juan Hernandez-Santos, 40, allegedly lost control of his semi-truck and jackknifed into traffic in Lacey, Washington, last Thursday, sending four people to the hospital, according to authorities. The illegal immigrant already had a lengthy rap sheet of DUIs and other concerning offenses before the crash occurred. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer with local authorities in Washington, who ignored their request and set the illegal immigrant free, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire. Here’s a look at the crash on I-5 NB that has all lanes blocked near Martin Way in @CityofLacey. We expect this to be a lengthy incident. Use alternate routes until we’re able to clear the scene. Real time travel info at https://t.co/HUGa1WTJfY pic.twitter.com/ndasvBq9gz. "This dangerous illegal alien has a criminal history including multiple DUIs, possessing a controlled substance, and two prior removals from the U.S. He was a walking public safety threat and illegally was driving an 18-wheeler when he caused a six car pile-up involving a school bus on the highway in Washington," Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement shared with The Daily Wire. "Thankfully, no children were in the bus. This story could have had a very different tragic ending. The sanctuary politicians in Washington failed once again to protect American citizens by refusing to honor our ICE arrest detainer," she said. Hernandez-Santos was first deported in 2005 and again in 2006, DHS said. He later snuck back into the United States undetected. The Mexican national was arrested in 2008 in Los Angeles for driving without a license and then a month later for a DUI and hit-and-run with property damage, according to DHS. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance in 2018 before being arrested in 2020 in Los Angeles for his second DUI, DHS said. The illegal immigrant behind the wheel didn’t have a commercial driver’s license, insurance, or a valid medical card, authorities said. "In this situation, there is a lot of negligence involved," State Trooper Kameron Watts said in a statement. "We actually dispatched some commercial vehicle enforcement officers to the scene to do a full-blown inspection of the truck itself and the paperwork all semi-truck drivers are supposed to have on them.". Several recent crashes, some fatal, involving illegal immigrants driving trucks, have sparked a national crackdown. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has assisted local authorities in several states to pull over and detain illegal immigrant truckers driving through weigh stations as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign. Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation is threatening to withhold federal funding to Democratic-run states that hand out commercial driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. The agency has also instituted stricter requirements, including mandatory English language training.

Univision [12/12/2025 2:08 AM, Staff, 5004K] reports that, starting January 1, 2026, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and other law enforcement officers in California will no longer be allowed to conceal their identity under masks or face coverings during official operations. This measure, driven by state law SB 627—known as the "No Secret Police Act"—marks an important milestone in the battle for police transparency in the most populous state in the U.S., amid growing tensions with Donald Trump’s federal administration. The legislation, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2025, responds directly to the disguised immigration raids that have spread panic among Latino and immigrant communities in recent months. Under the new regime, all agents—local, state, and federal—must display visible identification, including their name or badge number and the name of their agency, with limited exceptions only for high-security situations, such as undercover operations. January 1, 2026, will not only mark the beginning of a new year, but also the trigger for a possible constitutional clash. The Trump administration sued California on November 17, 2025, arguing that SB 627 violates the Supremacy Clause of the federal Constitution by interfering with the operations of national agencies such as ICE. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County—home to nearly one-third of the state’s immigrant population—joined the offensive on December 10 with a local ordinance approved 4-0 by the Board of Supervisors. This measure, which will take effect on January 8, 2026, extends the ban to unincorporated areas of the county and requires immediate compliance policies. "It’s a step toward accountability in every interaction with the public," said Supervisor Hilda Solis, co-author of the proposal.

Reuters [12/11/2025 2:10 PM, Ted Hesson and David Shepardson, 36480K] reports a U.S. travel association, a top Democrat, and would-be travelers from Europe and Australia are bristling at President Donald Trump’s new plan to require many foreign visitors using the visa waiver program to provide social media handles used over the past five years. The change, announced in a U.S. government notice this week and expected to take effect on February 8, would require travelers from countries in the visa waiver program to submit the social media data. Applicants for immigrant and non-immigrant visas have been required to share that information since 2019. The Trump administration has taken a range of steps to tighten vetting of foreigners entering the U.S. The requirement for additional information stemmed from a Trump executive order issued on January 20 calling for visitors to the U.S. to be "vetted and screened to the maximum degree," according to the notice published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The visa waiver program allows travelers from 42 countries, mostly in Europe, to visit the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa. They must complete an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) form, which under the change would require social media handles. The U.S. would also require all email addresses used over the last 10 years and names, birth dates, residences and birthplaces of parents, siblings, children and spouses, the notice said, which is open for public comment for 60 days.

NPR [12/11/2025 5:44 PM, Andrew Schneider, 28013K] Audio: HERE reports the Trump administration indefinitely suspended the processing of immigration requests for Afghans, potentially setting back tens of thousands of Afghans seeking asylum or other paths to citizenship.

ABC News [12/11/2025 8:03 PM, Selina Wang, 30493K] reports President Donald Trump announced that his "gold card" immigration plan has officially launched – a system the administration claims will fast-track residency and citizenship for wealthy immigrants for $1 million or more. "Very excitingly, for me and for the country, we’ve just launched the Trump gold card. About 30 minutes from now, the site goes up and all funds go to the United States government," Trump said at a roundtable with business leaders. The website, which is now live and accepting applications, states: "For a $15,000 DHS processing fee and, after background approval, a contribution of $1 million, receive U.S. residency in record time with the Trump Gold Card.". Trump described the card as "somewhat like a green card, but with big advantage," adding that companies will now be able to "buy a card and keep that person in the United States," including graduates from top schools like "Wharton School of Finance, Stern Business School, Harvard and MIT.". Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the program could generate billions of dollars for the U.S. Treasury. "Obviously, they have to be perfect, people in America," Lutnick added. "Having passed the vetting after five years, they’ll be available to become citizens.". The announcement comes as Trump has announced sweeping new restrictions on immigration. He has claimed he would suspend immigration from all "Third World Countries" and that he would halt all decisions on asylum applications following the shooting of the two National Guard troops last month in Washington, D.C.

FOX News [12/11/2025 7:23 PM, Alec Schemmel, 40621K] reports the new "Trump Gold Card" will include the same vetting process any typical visa applicant must go through, except it’s going to cost a hefty fee. Under the new pay-to-play immigration framework launched Wednesday, individuals will be allowed to obtain lawful entry into the United States, assuming they can pay — and pass — the $15,000 vetting process and have an extra $1 million to fork over. Businesses will also be allowed to participate, costing them $2 million per person. At an economic roundtable at the White House Wednesday, President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick previewed the new Trump Gold Card program ahead of its launch later that same day. "So, for an individual it’s $1 million. And for a corporation it’s $2 million," Lutnick said. "And, as the president said, for a corporation, they spend $2 million, they can then have an employee — fully vetted, the best vetting the government has ever done — $15,000 vetting to make sure these people absolutely qualify to be in America, absolutely qualify. And then the company can keep them here, and they have a path to citizenship. "Obviously, they have to be perfect people in America and, having passed the vetting after five years, they’ll be available to become citizens. And then the corporation can put someone else on the card. So, for a company that can keep putting people on the card, one person per card, and for an individual, it’s $1 million, and it’s a gift to the United States of America to … help America be great again under Donald Trump.". Trump followed up, saying "it’s really two gifts," noting that not only will it bring "billions" in revenue to the United States, but it will also help the country retain "some tremendous people" that would otherwise be forced to leave the United States. Just the $15,000 vetting cost of the Trump Gold Card for individuals dwarfs the typical application and administrative fees for a visa or green card. "This landmark program fulfills President Trump’s promise to attract the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and investors to America while guaranteeing they have skin in the game," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said of the new program. "The Department of Homeland Security is working closely with the Department of Commerce to facilitate the rollout of President Trump’s Gold Card program.".

CBS News [12/11/2025 4:48 PM, Aimee Picchi, 39474K] reports President Trump is touting his administration’s new "gold card" visa as a fast track for foreigners who are willing and able to pay $1 million for the right to immigrate to the U.S. Applications for the new visa went live on Wednesday afternoon, with the government website for the gold card saying the process can be completed in a matter of weeks after applicants file their paperwork. Mr. Trump unveiled the gold card initiative in February, promoting it as an expedited path for wealthy foreigners to secure legal residency and as a way to generate government revenue. The term riffs on the "green card," which grants permanent residency status to noncitizens so they can live and work in the U.S. indefinitely. The program also includes a $2 million gold card for corporations that want to secure visas for workers, as well as a $5 million platinum card that allows foreigners to spend up to 270 days in the U.S. without being required to pay federal income tax on non-U.S. income. But, he added, the gold card visa is likely to be a "niche program," given the cost, although it could help attract some highly skilled foreign workers or entrepreneurs to the U.S.

USA Today [12/11/2025 1:18 PM, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, 67103K] reports that sorry Lady Liberty – no unwashed masses need apply. Foreign elites awash with cash and looking to "unlock life in America" now have the golden opportunity to pay less than initially thought for a visa and a path to citizenship, according to the newly revamped trumpcard.gov website which debuted on Dec. 10. President Donald Trump’s long-touted "Trump Gold Card" which he said back in February would cost $5 million, is now on offer for the low, low price of $1 million. "THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT’S TRUMP GOLD CARD IS HERE TODAY!," wrote Trump on Truth Social on Dec. 10. "A direct path to Citizenship for all qualified and vetted people. SO EXCITING! Our Great American Companies can finally keep their invaluable Talent." For a $5 million contribution, foreign high-rollers can now also avail of a "Platinum Card," which comes with the ability to spend up to 270 days in the U.S. without being subject to U.S. taxes on non-U.S. income. The first step to apply requires a non-refundable $15,000 processing fee to the Department of Homeland Security. The applicants will then be vetted and approved by the DHS and following a $1 million donation can expect to receive U.S. residency in "record time," according to the website. There’s also a remedy for corporations looking to procure foreign talent. But that would require a $2 million gift. While Trump has defended H-1B visas, which corporations utilize to bring in foreign skilled workers, he’s made it harder for companies by increasing the application cost to $100,000.

(B) CBS 21 News at 12 [12/11/2025 12:06 PM, Staff] reports that yesterday, a website launched for an expedited visa program dubbed Trump Gold Card. They are selling for at least $1 million to expedite visas for visitors who provide a substantial benefit to the US. Companies can also pay to sponsor a foreign worker they want to bring to the United States.

Los Angeles Times [12/11/2025 6:00 AM, Itzel Luna, 14862K] reports Alex immigrated to the U.S. as a toddler and has long felt haunted by his undocumented status. In 2017, when he turned 15, he was finally old enough to apply for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, only for it to slip from his grasp right before he started the paperwork, when it was rescinded by the Trump administration. Then, in 2020, Alex was set to graduate at the top of his class and had racked up a slew of college acceptances, including a full ride to Harvard University. He ultimately declined because of his status, worried about travel restrictions. Instead, he enrolled in a nearby University of California campus. "It was almost like the system was taunting me," said Alex, who is now a Cal State University graduate student and chose to use his middle name for fear of being targeted by immigration authorities. "No matter how you excel, the system always comes back to haunt you, to remind you that you did all of that, and yet you really don’t have a choice.". A promise of work authorization and deportation protection pulled a generation of undocumented youth out of the shadows when DACA first went into effect in 2012. Yet, hundreds of thousands of today’s students like Alex are largely left out because of the ongoing legal battle that has largely frozen applications since 2017. These students’ lives are further upended by the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement strategy this year. DACA recipients and international students have been targeted, which has cast a cloud over higher education attainment for undocumented youth with even less protections.

FOX News [12/11/2025 12:35 PM, Ashley J. DiMella , Kelly McGreal, 40621K] Video: HERE reports a pilot program has been launched at the Orlando International Airport (MCO) in Florida to help streamline the international departure process. The Enhanced Passenger Processing (EPP) program identifies passengers through biometric facial comparison. Travelers can get their faces scanned, as opposed to having to pull out identification documents for review. Partnering with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the 90-day pilot program will be tested in conjunction with three movement-tracking technology companies on select flights. Multiple passengers can board their international flights at the same time, due to the facial recognition cameras on the jetway. Photographs are matched with government records and are deleted within 12 hours, according to the program. Beginning Dec. 26, non-U.S. citizens will be required to use the biometric system — while U.S. citizens may opt out of it. CBP official Diane Sabatino said in a press conference that enhanced passenger screening has already reduced times for travelers at Orlando by 43%. "When we think about just a couple of seconds that they don’t have to get their passport, put bags down, move things — this is important to the efficiency of the entire process and not just to CBP, right?". She added, "The time that’s spent in the [inspection services] with Customs and Border Protection also translates to the impact of the timing that they have in other parts of this travel continuum." About 155,695 passengers pass through the Orlando airport daily, according to MCO data. In September of this year, 293,697 passengers enplaned on international flights, according to the same source. The Department of Homeland Security issued new guidance requiring foreign nationals — including green card holders and other non-U.S. citizens living legally in the country — to be photographed when they enter or leave the United States. CBP currently employs facial recognition at airport checkpoints, but the updated rule will broaden its use to cover every U.S. entry and exit point — by air, land and sea. Fox News Digital reached out to the CBP and MCO for comment. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

USA Today [12/12/2025 3:01 AM, Kathleen Wong, 67103K] reports many people view their phones and personal devices as private, but it can be a different story at U.S. borders. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has long held the right to search through the devices of those trying to enter the country, but a January executive order by the Trump administration aimed at increasing national security led to heightened vetting. Now, some travelers may be wondering whether the content on their phones or social media profiles could get them denied entry. Earlier this year, several U.S. legal residents were detained or deported following information found on their cellphones during border control searches. On Dec. 10, the Department of Homeland Security proposed a series of new screening measures to verify the identities of foreign travelers using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), including mandatory selfies and a review of a visa applicant’s social media history over the past five years, if approved. Under these increased measures, travelers are facing more scrutiny from immigration and border control officers, including searches of their electronic devices by CBP. Historically, these electronic device searches have been "almost negligible," according to Susanne Heubel, senior counsel at New York-based immigration law firm Harter Secrest & Emery LLP. While there seemed to be a spike in early 2025 as the order took effect, many travelers will find that they can enter the U.S. without issue. However, Heubel recently told USA TODAY that she found the proposed social media vetting concerning if someone’s visa could be denied based on their public opinion. "For people who are careful with their social media, it should not be a problem, but we are already seeing delays in visa applications due to appointment rescheduling by the U.S. consular post and simply more vetting, which increases the adjudication time," she said.

UPI [12/11/2025 5:33 PM, Mark Moran, 2416K] reports U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists intercepted a potentially destructive bark beetle from the Ivory Coast at the Detroit Metropolitan airport, the agency announced Thursday. "The approximately 3-millimeter beetle was found within partially dry bark brought for medicinal purposes during a routine inspection of a passenger at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport in transit to Texas," CBP said in a press release. It was the first interception of the species Ctonoxylon spinifer Eggers in the United States, the USDA confirmed in October. The beetle and the bark it was nestled in were seized by CBP for further study, the release said. The passenger was released without incident.

NewsNation [12/11/2025 9:14 PM, Ali Bradley, 8017K] reports a migrant illegally in the U.S. died Thursday in an officer-involved shooting after a confrontation between drug smugglers and Border Patrol agents at the southern border, NewsNation has learned. The incident occurred around 4:15 p.m. local time near Rio Grande City, Texas, Border Patrol said. Sources tell NewsNation smugglers from Mexico were moving narcotics across the river when federal agents intervened. One agent discharged his firearm, sources said. Texas state authorities said a suspect who was shot was pronounced dead at Starr County Memorial Hospital. The person who died was a migrant in the country illegally, sources said. The agent was not injured. The Texas Rangers are investigating.

FOX News [12/11/2025 8:01 PM, Alexandra Koch, et al., 40621K] reports a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed a suspected cartel smuggler on Thursday after he came across the Rio Grande in Starr County, Texas, Fox News has confirmed. The suspected smuggler assaulted the agent, who fired his weapon in self defense, killing the man, according to three border law enforcement sources. The agent is okay. The Starr County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Texas Rangers are investigating an officer-involved shooting involving the U.S. Border Patrol where one suspect was shot and later pronounced deceased at Starr County Memorial Hospital. The Starr County Sheriff’s Office said Border Patrol agents were "involved in a struggle prior to the shooting," which was confirmed at about 5:30 p.m. Starr County deputies are securing the scene.

The Hill [12/11/2025 11:43 AM, Ryan Mancini, 12595K] reports that the Trump administration will add a militarized zone in California along its border with Mexico as part of President Trump’s crackdown on unlawful migrant crossings, the Department of the Interior stated Wednesday. The department will transfer the jurisdiction of about 760 acres of public land in San Diego and Imperial Counties to the U.S. Navy, the Interior Department said in a statement. The Navy will use the land to establish the militarized zone for its border security operations. "The withdrawal area stretches from the western boundary of the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area to about one mile west of the California–Arizona state line," the statement read. "This corridor is one of the highest traffic regions for unlawful crossings along the southern border, creating significant national security challenges and contributing to environmental degradation." Former President Theodore Roosevelt reserved the spot of land in 1907 for "border protection purposes," the Interior Department said. "The Department of the Interior and the U.S. Navy coordinated closely to ensure the action is both lawful and targeted, reinforcing the historic role public lands have played in safeguarding national sovereignty," the department added. The new militarized zone "delivers" on Trump’s push for "securing our border and restoring American sovereignty," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in the statement. The Pentagon has established militarized zones in New Mexico, Texas and Arizona.

Reported similarly:
Los Angeles Times [12/11/2025 6:35 PM, Ruben Vives, 14862K]

CNN [12/11/2025 5:26 PM, Gabe Cohen, 18595K] reports White House officials abruptly postponed the final meeting of a Trump-created task force charged with shaping the future of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, roughly two hours before it was set to begin on Thursday, according to three sources familiar with the decision. Members of the FEMA Review Council, all appointed by the Trump administration, had been expected to vote on a final draft report recommending sweeping changes to FEMA, before sending it to the president for review. But in recent days, White House officials reviewed the report and objected to its recommendations, arguing it lacked sufficient procedural changes that could be implemented before the end of Trump’s term, two sources said. One White House official told CNN that the meeting was cancelled "because White House officials had not been fully briefed on the latest draft of the report, despite some officials at DHS thinking they had been." Efforts to halt the meeting escalated Wednesday night, according to a source, coinciding with CNN’s exclusive reporting on the council’s recommendations, which included proposals to cut FEMA’s workforce in half, rename the agency, shift most disaster aid to a block grant system, and raise the threshold for states to qualify for disaster assistance. The proposal did not include a plan to eliminate the agency, as President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees FEMA, have repeatedly vowed to do. Noem, who co-chairs the FEMA Review Council, pushed back against the White House’s concerns and attempted to move forward with the meeting, the source said. By noon Thursday, however, the White House had overruled her and postponed it. Noem appeared unaware of the cancellation when, minutes after the meeting was postponed, she told a House committee — where she was testifying — that she needed to leave early to co-chair the FEMA council meeting. Roll Call [12/11/2025 5:40 PM, Chris Johnson, 548K] reports that a White House official said the meeting was canceled Thursday morning while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, a co-chair of the FEMA Review Council, was testifying because White House officials had not been fully briefed on the latest draft of the report, despite some officials at DHS thinking they had been. Noem appeared unaware the meeting would be cancelled while testifying at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing. NewsMax [12/11/2025 3:11 PM, James Morley III, 4109K] reports that the DHS hearing, which touched on cybersecurity, terrorism, and China, primarily focused on the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and the tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Reports then quickly circulated that the White House had canceled the FEMA meeting that was to give insight into how the agency was to be reformed. The FEMA Review Council, established by President Donald Trump to address concerns about federal disaster response, is led by Noem and War Secretary Pete Hegseth. The council consists of 10 members, including Republican officials, an experienced FEMA leader, and an insurance executive. The Washington Post [12/11/2025 5:30 PM, Brianna Sacks and Isaac Arnsdorf, 24149K] reports that White House officials canceled the meeting because they had not been fully briefed on the latest draft of the report, despite some officials at the Department of Homeland Security thinking they had been, and wanted to vet it more, according to a senior administration official, who like others in this article spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter. There were also concerns that the report didn’t offer enough concrete, specific and procedural changes and instructions on how to actually reform the agency, according to a person familiar with the report. DHS and FEMA referred requests for comment to the White House. The White House did not respond to immediate requests for comment Thursday. Trump, who has been highly critical of FEMA, appointed the council in part to address criticism of the way the federal government responds to natural disasters, according to people involved in the process. The 10-member panel, led by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is composed of Republican state and local elected officials, a veteran FEMA official and an insurance CEO.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [12/11/2025 6:06 PM, Scott Dance, 135475K]
Politico [12/11/2025 4:32 PM, Thomas Frank, 2100K]
The Hill [12/11/2025 2:35 PM, Rachel Frazin, 12595K]
AP [12/11/2025 6:07 PM, Gabriela Aoun Angueira]
Washington Examiner [12/11/2025 6:12 PM, Brady Knox, 1394K]

The Hill [12/11/2025 2:23 PM, Rebecca Beitsch, 12595K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was accused of misleading House Homeland Security Committee members when she said she was departing a Thursday hearing early to attend another meeting that was actually canceled. It’s an assertion denied by Noem’s office, which said she only found out her meeting was canceled after she left the witness table. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) moved to subpoena Noem to reappear before the panel, saying she shirked her duties and may have even lied about needing to attend a meeting of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Council convened to determine the future of the disaster agency. Beyond putting Noem in hot water with the committee’s Democrats, the cancellation raises questions about the Trump administration’s plans to diminish FEMA and give more power to states to respond to disasters. “I understand on good information that the FEMA Council meeting was canceled so there was no need for her to go,” Thompson said, referencing a meeting to determine the future of the agency. “She was a liar with no respect for congressional oversight.” Noem left the witness table a few minutes after noon for the FEMA Council meeting that was slated to begin at 1 p.m., which The Hill independently verified has been canceled. Thompson mentioned Noem also spent time in the committee’s anteroom after leaving the witness table, suggesting she did not immediately head to her next meeting. “The Secretary found out at 12:26pm that the meeting was cancelled,” a DHS spokesperson said. Noem said earlier in the hearing that she would need to leave to attend the FEMA Council meeting. “I have to actually leave this hearing early, because the FEMA Review Council is giving their report today on suggestions for changes to FEMA. I have to co-chair it, but I will be leaving soon to have to go do that,” Noem said.

Reuters [12/11/2025 4:14 PM, Nate Raymond, 36480K] reports a federal judge ruled on Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration unlawfully terminated a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant program designed to protect states and communities against natural disasters before they occur. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston sided with 20 mostly Democratic-led states in finding that the Republican president’s administration lacked authority to end the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program and use money Congress approved to support it for other purposes. The agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, announced in April it would end the program, calling it wasteful, ineffective and politicized. But Stearns, who was appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton, said the administration’s action amounted to an "unlawful executive encroachment on the prerogative of Congress to appropriate funds for a specific and compelling purpose." On Thursday, he blocked the program from being canceled without approval of Congress and ordered FEMA to promptly take all steps necessary to reverse its termination. The New York Times [12/11/2025 6:08 PM, Scott Dance, 135475K] reports Richard G. Stearns, a U.S. District Court judge appointed by President Bill Clinton, said the administration’s decision to cancel the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program was unlawful, citing statutes concerning federal appropriations and FEMA’s legal responsibility to help reduce the damage from disasters. A group of 22 states sued FEMA in July, three months after the administration canceled the grant program and called it “yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program.” The agency said in April that it was canceling all applications to the program for fiscal years 2020-23 and that if grant funds had not been distributed, they would be returned to a larger fund used for FEMA’s disaster recovery work or to the U.S. Treasury. In their lawsuit, the states argued that the roughly $4.5 billion the program had invested in extreme weather resiliency projects along with similar programs had prevented $150 billion in disaster damage over two decades. In the months since the program ended, emergency managers have expressed concern that state governments and philanthropic organizations cannot fill the void created by the federal pullback, especially as disasters become more frequent and destructive.

AP [12/11/2025 9:01 PM, Gabriela Aoun Angueira, 31753K] reports a federal judge in Massachusetts on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to restore billions of dollars in canceled FEMA disaster mitigation funding, siding with 22 states and the District of Columbia that sued over the canceled grants this summer. President Donald Trump’s administration said in April it was "ending" the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which helped communities with predisaster projects to harden infrastructure and improve resilience against the increasing threats of climate change. The administration called the program "wasteful and ineffective" and said it would halt $3.6 billion in funding awarded but not yet paid and would not award $882 million in grants for the following fiscal year. The program’s disruption upended projects across hundreds of communities in both Republican- and Democratic-led states, thwarting plans to improve stormwater drainage, harden electrical lines and even help relocate households living in areas most vulnerable to disasters. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told The Associated Press Thursday that DHS "has not terminated BRIC," but did not elaborate on the program’s status. "The Biden Administration abandoned true mitigation and used BRIC as a green new deal slush fund," the spokesperson said, referring to a Democratic plan to combat climate change. "It’s unfortunate that an activist judge either didn’t understand that or didn’t care.” The order comes at a time of profound uncertainty over FEMA’s future and on the same day that a long-awaited meeting of the FEMA Review Council to present a report recommending reforms to the agency was abruptly canceled by the White House because it had not been fully briefed on the latest version of the report, according to a White House official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Congress funded BRIC during the first Trump administration through the 2018 Disaster Recovery Reform Act, and FEMA launched the program in 2020. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act made an additional $1 billion available for BRIC over five years, though only about $133 million had been delivered to communities by April, according to FEMA. The program was criticized by some for being difficult to access for rural and less wealthy communities due to a complicated application process and cost-sharing requirements. But even Republican lawmakers like Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana opposed the cancellations and called for BRIC’s reinstatement. "It protects families and saves taxpayer dollars in the long-run," Cassidy said on the Senate floor a week after the funding cancellation. "That’s efficient in my book.”

New York Times [12/12/2025 3:03 AM, Campbell Robertson, 330K] reports the morning after the flood, the volunteers showed up. The streets of Westernport, Md., had been buried in mud. The elementary school had been swamped, as had the firehouse, the town hall, the municipal garage and scores of homes. All of the city employees had lost their personal vehicles. Sewer and water lines were wrecked. Books from the library, also ruined, were scattered in the muck all over town. With so much destruction from the flooding in May, Westernport, which lies along the Potomac about 120 miles upriver from Washington, D.C., needed government help. So in June, state officials submitted a request for about $16 million to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The response was blunt: denied. Communities across the country are finding that FEMA has become much less willing to fund disaster repair and recovery under the Trump administration. Assistance has been delayed in some places; in others, aid has come in much smaller amounts than local officials had expected. Disappointment in government is not a new feeling in Allegany County, where Westernport is. Part of a working-class region in the mountains of western Maryland, the area had long struggled as mills closed, jobs disappeared and poverty spread. Many residents and local officials say their troubles have drawn little attention in the state capital or from Washington. If anything, some insist, the decisions made in those places, on matters like regulation and environmental policy, have just made things harder. That discontent is in part why, six months before the flood, the county voted for Donald Trump by a margin of 40 percentage points, in a state that his opponent, Kamala Harris, won overall by nearly 30 points. “They thought he was going to take care of the little person,” said Bill Kenny, 82, who for decades ran a grocery store in Westernport that his father opened in the 1920s. “Because that’s what he said.” When FEMA denied the request for help, many in Allegany County assumed that there had been a bureaucratic misunderstanding. The state appealed, and local and state officials compiled a more thorough damage report, detailing a cost estimate — $33.7 million — that was more than a fifth of the county’s annual budget, and far above the statutory threshold to be eligible for federal assistance. In a statement, FEMA said the agency was required by law to review requests closely and to “consider the unique circumstances of disaster-caused damages as well as state and local capacity.” It continued, “This decision, just like all disaster requests, was based on policy, not politics.”

FOX News [12/11/2025 7:10 PM, Preston Mizell, 40621K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced $1 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding to Georgia for recovery projects and efforts related to 2024’s Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Debby, as well as healthcare facilities and "emergency protective measures" the state took during the pandemic. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the significant amount of federal funding will help Georgia communities "rebuild stronger" and will ensure accountability. "This investment will repair and restore critical public infrastructure across Georgia, including schools, public safety facilities, utilities, and community services," Noem told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Georgia communities are rebuilding stronger, and today’s approvals show this Administration’s commitment to streamlining assistance and ensuring accountability.". The move comes as the Trump administration looks to restructure FEMA amid scrutiny on both the campaign trail and since the president took office.

Reported similarly:
Reuters [12/11/2025 6:58 PM, Christian Martinez and Bhargav Acharya, 36480K]

NPR [12/12/2025 4:50 AM, Casey Martin, 34837K] reports about 100,000 people have been placed under evacuation orders due to historic flooding in the Skagit Valley, a densely populated agricultural hub north of Seattle, Washington. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

AP [12/12/2025 1:59 AM, Cedar Attanasio and Claire Rush, 19051K] reports days of torrential rain in Washington state has caused historic floods that have stranded families on rooftops, washed over bridges and ripped at least two homes from their foundations, and experts warned that even more flooding expected Friday could be catastrophic. Washington is under a state of emergency and evacuation orders are in place for tens of thousands of residents. Gov. Bob Ferguson on Thursday urged everyone to follow evacuation instructions as yet another river neared record levels. “I understand that many in our state have experienced significant floods in the past,” he said on the social platform X. “However, we’re looking at a historic situation.” About 78,000 residents of a major agricultural region north of Seattle were ordered to evacuate the floodplain of the Skagit River, which was expected to crest Friday morning. The floods were impacting large parts of the state, with several bridges flooded and some major roads inundated or washed out. Some roads had no alternate routes and no estimated reopening time, including a large part of state Route 410. A landslide blocked part of Interstate 90 east of Seattle, with photos showing vehicles trapped by tree trunks, branches, mud and standing water. In the north near the U.S.-Canada border, the cities of Sumas, Nooksack and Everson were evacuated after being inundated. The border crossing at Sumas was closed and Amtrak suspended trains between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. Sumas Mayor Bruce Bosch said much of the city has been “devastated” by the high waters just four years after a similar flood. The Snohomish River surged nearly a foot (30 centimeters) higher than its record Thursday in the picturesque city that shares its name, while the Skagit River rose just above its record Thursday night in Mount Vernon, according to the National Water Prediction Service. Earlier Thursday, the Skagit just missed its previous record as flooding surged through the mountain town of Concrete. The waters stopped just short of getting inside Mariah Brosa’s raised riverfront home in Concrete, but the raging river still slapped debris against her home and totaled her fiancé’s work car, she said. “I didn’t think it would come this high,” she said. Flooding from the Skagit has long plagued Mount Vernon, the largest city in Skagit County with some 35,000 residents. Flooding in 2003 displaced hundreds of people. A floodwall that protects downtown passed a major test in 2021, when the river crested near record levels. Water was at the foot of the floodwall as of late Thursday morning, Mayor Peter Donovan said. In nearby Burlington, officials hoped dikes and other systems would protect their community from catastrophe, said Michael Lumpkin, with the police department. Authorities across Washington state in recent days have rescued people from cars and homes after an atmospheric river soaked the region. Helicopters rescued two families on Thursday from the roofs of homes in Sumas that had been flooded by about 15 feet (4.6 meters) of water, while the city’s fire station had 3 feet (91 centimeters) of water, according Frank Cain JR., battalion chief for Whatcom County Fire District 14. In nearby Welcome, erosion from the floodwaters caused at least two houses to collapse into the Nooksack River, he said. No one was inside at the time. In a football field in Snoqualmie, a herd of elk swam and waded through neck-high water. East of Seattle, residents along Issaquah Creek used water pumps as rushing floodwaters filled yards Thursday morning. Yellow tape blocked off a hazardous area along the creek.

NBC News [12/11/2025 7:25 PM, Staff, 34509K] Video: HERE reports the threat is far from over for millions in the Pacific Northwest. An unprecedented number of evacuations have been ordered and rescues are underway. Neighborhoods are inundated by the flooding water. NBC News’ Camila Bernal reports from the storm zone.

NBC News [12/11/2025 7:54 PM, Evan Bush, 34509K] reports that was how John Perry, the mayor of Everson, Washington, described what it felt like to watch as floodwater from the Nooksack River began to inundate the streets, homes and businesses of his community for the second time in about four years. Washington state is once again in the midst of getting hammered by torrential rains and swelling rivers. Communities that have barely recovered from the last major series of storms now face another long rebuilding process. Everson had just recently finished remodeling City Hall. Now, it was underwater again. “It’s pretty discouraging,” Perry said. “Our businesses downtown got hit really hard. We’re anticipating probably similar or more extensive damage than in ‘21.” About 100,000 people have been asked to evacuate their homes in Washington as a series of atmospheric river storms drenched the state this week, causing mudslides and shuttering highways. More than a dozen Washington rivers were expected to experience major flooding from Wednesday through Friday, according to the National Weather Service. More flooding is expected elsewhere. State officials said dikes could fail near the town of Mount Vernon, which is southwest of Everson, as the Skagit River approaches a potentially record-setting crest. Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state emergency Wednesday, requested a federal disaster declaration and called in the Washington National Guard. “The situation is extremely unpredictable,” Ferguson said at a news briefing Thursday. “The flooding levels we’re looking at are potentially historic in nature.” Ferguson said more than 30 major highways had been closed. No deaths had been reported as of Thursday evening, though there have been several water rescues. Even though days of flooding are ahead, Washington officials say the toll of the deluge is too much for the state to handle on its own. Ferguson said Thursday he had not yet heard whether the Trump administration would approve his expedited federal disaster declaration. Approval would enable people to seek individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for things like housing and home repairs. It would also allow state and local governments to seek federal assistance to remove debris and repair roads, bridges, water facilities and other infrastructure. Ferguson said he made his case to FEMA’s leaders Wednesday. In a letter Thursday, Washington’s congressional delegation, including Republican Reps. Dan Newhouse and Michael Baumgartner, urged President Donald Trump to approve an expedited disaster request.

CNN [12/11/2025 12:21 PM, Betsy Klein, 18595K] reports that after demolishing the White House’s East Wing, President Donald Trump is now eying four federal buildings for the same treatment and is circumventing a key government agency with his plans, according to a historic preservationist raising the alarm. Mydelle "Mina" Wright, a former senior official at the General Services Administration, wrote in a sworn court declaration this week that the White House is "acting on its own and not through the GSA," which oversees government property, to solicit bids "to analyze and recommend for demolition four historic federal buildings in DC." The administration, though, asserted in a court filing that the government was contemplating transferring ownership of the buildings, not destroying them. The buildings in question — many of which feature architectural styles that don’t fit Trump’s stated preferences — include the Robert C. Weaver Building, which serves as headquarters of the Department of Housing and Urban Development; the New Deal-era Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building; the GSA Regional Office Building; and the Liberty Loan Building, although the GSA announced plans to dispose of that building last year, which could include transferring control to a new owner. In a court filing Wednesday evening responding to the declaration, the Trump administration called Wright’s assertions "impermissible and factually inaccurate." "It is based on hearsay, not personal knowledge, and it is wrong," principal deputy assistant attorney general Adam Gustafson and deputy chief Marissa Piropato wrote.

Stars and Stripes [12/11/2025 1:47 PM, Justine Lofton, 1358K] reports winter is here, and ice is forming on the northern Great Lakes, prompting the start of ice-breaking season on Lake Superior. The U.S. Coast Guard launched Operation Taconite at 1 p.m. on Wednesday with one icebreaker assigned so far, according to a news release. This is the USCG’s largest domestic ice breaking operation, encompassing Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, the St. Marys River, the Straits of Mackinac and the Georgian Bay. USCG Cutter SPAR is the first ship assigned to the operation. SPAR will break ice on western Lake Superior between the ports of Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis. Additional icebreakers will be assigned as ice coverage expands. Some commercial waterways may close to protect the marine environment, and to ensure safety for cross-channel traffic such as ferries and island residents who use natural ice bridges to commute to the mainland. The Coast Guard recommends all recreational ice users plan their activities carefully, use caution on the ice and stay clear from shipping channels.

Homeland Preparedness News [12/11/2025 7:55 AM, Liz Carey] reports the U.S. Coast Guard’s Operation Pacific Viper has seized more than 150,000 pounds of cocaine since its launch in early August. Officials said the operation has accelerated counter drug operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean where Central and South American narcotics traffic flows through. Using cutters, aircraft and tactical teams, the Coast Guard has intercepted, seized and disrupted shipments of cocaine and other bulk illicit drugs, officials said. Operation Pacific Viper works to counter narco-terrorism and disrupt Foreign Terrorist Organizations, Transnational Criminal Organizations and cartels attempting to smuggle cocaine and other drugs into the U.S. The agency said 80 percent of all U.S.-bound narcotics seizures occur at sea. “Operation Pacific Viper has proven to be a crucial weapon in the fight against foreign drug traffickers and cartels in Latin America and has sent a clear message that we will disrupt, dismantle and destroy their deadly business exploits wherever we find them,” U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. “In cutting off the flow of these deadly drugs, the Coast Guard is saving countless American lives and delivering on President Trump’s promise to Make America Safe Again and reestablish our maritime dominance.” On Dec. 2, the Coast Guard Cutter Munro seized more than 2,000 pounds of cocaine in a single interdiction after using disabling fire on a heavily laden go-fast vessel, the agency said. The seizure marked the largest at-sea interdiction since March 2007. In November, the Coast Guard Cutter James executed four seizures in 10 days, netting 19,819 pounds of cocaine. “This milestone is a testament to the vigilance and tenacity of our crews,” said Adm. Kevin Lunday, the Coast Guard’s acting commandant. “When we say we own the sea, it reflects our relentless pursuit to securing the maritime domain and disrupting the criminal networks that threaten our communities.”

Telemundo [12/11/2025 9:59 PM, Staff, 182K] reports the Coast Guard reported on Thursday the rescue of a passenger from the Celebrity Apex cruise ship, 24 nautical miles north of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. According to a press release, the cruise ship departed from Port Canaveral, Florida. The 65-year-old man suffered a medical emergency, it was reported. Coast Guard watchmen in Sector San Juan received a communication from the Celebrity Apex at 1:37 a.m. on Thursday requesting the evacuation of the patient. The watchmen coordinated the launch of an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Borinquen Air Station. Once over the vessel, the crew deployed a rescue swimmer aboard the cruise ship to assess the situation and work with the ship’s personnel on evacuation preparations. The Coast Guard aircrew lowered a rescue stretcher to the cruise ship’s deck, which was used to hoist the patient aboard. A rescue basket was also used to lift the patient’s wife into the helicopter, it was reported. After the rescue swimmer was recovered, the patient and his wife were transported to Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they were met by emergency medical services personnel and transferred to the Centro Médico Hospital in San Juan. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CyberSccop [12/11/2025 7:11 AM, Diana Kelley, 122K] reports global cybersecurity agencies have issued the first unified guidance on applying artificial intelligence (AI) within critical infrastructure, signaling a major shift from theoretical debate to practical guardrails for safety and reliability. The release of joint guidance on Principles for the Secure Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Operational Technology marks a meaningful milestone for critical infrastructure security because major global cybersecurity agencies, including CISA, the FBI, the NSA, the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre, and other partners, have aligned on a shared direction. As AI adoption accelerates across operational environments, this document moves us from theory to practice. It acknowledges AI’s promise while making clear that it also “introduces significant risks—such as operational technology (OT) process models drifting over time or safety-process bypasses” that operators must actively manage to ensure reliability. The guidance draws a firm distinction between safety and security, emphasizing that large language models should be used to make safety decisions for OT environments and urges operators to adopt push-based architectures with strong architectural boundaries, maintain human-in-the-loop oversight, and demand transparency from vendors embedding AI into industrial systems. It frames AI as an adviser rather than a controller, reinforcing that resilience depends on skilled operators, clear validation procedures, and visibility into how AI models interact with the physical world. A central contribution of this guidance is its clear distinction between safety and security in the AI era. Protecting the integrity and availability of systems is not the same as preventing physical harm, and AI complicates this relationship in ways many CISOs are now expected to navigate. The guidance recognizes that AI’s non-deterministic nature can lead to unpredictable behaviors or hallucinations. This is why it draws an explicit line: “AI such as LLMs almost certainly should not be used to make safety decisions for OT environments.”

Industrial Cyber [12/11/2025 7:55 PM, Staff] reports transnational cybersecurity agencies expanded on a May joint cybersecurity advisory warning about pro-Russia hacktivists targeting U.S. and global critical infrastructure, including sectors such as water and wastewater systems, food and agriculture, and energy. The agencies assess that pro-Russia hacktivist groups are conducting less sophisticated, lower-impact attacks against critical infrastructure entities, compared to advanced persistent threat (APT) groups. These attacks use minimally secured, internet-facing virtual network computing (VNC) connections to infiltrate or gain access to OT (operational technology) control devices within critical infrastructure systems. “Pro-Russia hacktivist groups—Cyber Army of Russia Reborn (CARR), Z-Pentest, NoName057(16), Sector16, and affiliated groups—are capitalizing on the widespread prevalence of accessible VNC devices to execute attacks against critical infrastructure entities, resulting in varying degrees of impact, including physical damage,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA), and international partners, assessed in a Wednesday advisory. They also urge organizations to act now, citing coordinated threat activity and a growing pattern of opportunistic attacks across essential sectors. “Russian-affiliated cyber actors continue to engage in malicious activity aimed at disrupting U.S. and allied critical infrastructure,” Madhu Gottumukkala, CISA acting director, said in a media statement. “As the nation’s cyber defense agency, CISA—alongside our U.S. and international partners—urges all organizations to act now: review this joint advisory and implement the recommended mitigations to strengthen critical infrastructure defenses against these opportunistic threats.” “CISA is laser-focused on helping critical infrastructure operators strengthen their defenses against real and evolving cyber threats,” according to Nick Andersen, CISA’s executive assistant director for cybersecurity. “The pro-Russia hacktivist groups highlighted in this advisory have demonstrated intent and capability to inflict tangible harm on vulnerable systems. In addition to implementing the recommended mitigations and rigorously validating their security controls, we are calling upon all OT device manufacturers to prioritize secure-by-design principles—because building in security from the start is essential to reducing risk and safeguarding the nation’s most vital systems.” “No matter where it originates, the FBI will not tolerate malicious cyber activity from pro-Russia hacktivist groups, particularly when it threatens critical infrastructure such as energy systems, water treatment facilities, and American farms,” said Brett Leatherman, FBI Cyber Division assistant director. “The FBI is committed to holding these actors accountable, and we urge industry partners to review the joint advisory and implement the recommended safeguards.” The advisory highlighted that pro-Russia hacktivist groups employ easily disseminated and replicated TTPs across various entities, increasing the likelihood of widespread adoption and escalating the frequency of intrusions. These groups have limited capabilities, frequently misunderstanding the processes they aim to disrupt. Their apparent low level of technical knowledge results in haphazard attacks where actors intend to cause physical damage but cannot accurately anticipate the actual impact. Despite these limitations, the authoring organizations have observed that these groups willfully cause actual harm to vulnerable critical infrastructure.

Reuters [12/11/2025 3:40 PM, Jana Winter and Ted Hesson, 36480K] reports a top FBI official called the anti-fascist movement antifa the biggest domestic terrorism threat to the U.S. during a congressional hearing on Thursday, but struggled to answer detailed questions about the unstructured far-left campaign. Michael Glasheen, operations director of the FBI’s National Security Branch, said antifa was the agency’s "primary concern" and "the most immediate violent threat that we’re facing.". Glasheen did not answer a question from the top Democrat at the hearing, U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson, about the group’s location. When asked about the number of members, Glasheen said it was "very fluid" and that "investigations are active.". "Sir, you wouldn’t come to this committee to say something that you can’t prove," Thompson said to Glasheen. "I know you wouldn’t do that. But you did.". An FBI spokesperson defended Glasheen’s response, saying the agency "is aggressively pursuing violent actors of Antifa as well as their networks and funding sources.". President Donald Trump, a Republican, in September designated antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, although s that antifa is better viewed as an anti-fascist, anti-white supremacy ideology than a hierarchical entity. The exchange underscored the partisan divide at the annual hearing on "worldwide threats" before the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee. Glasheen testified alongside Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The FBI director typically testifies at the annual hearing but Director Kash Patel did not attend. Glasheen said later in the hearing that the FBI had 70 active antifa investigations and related arrests were up 171% this year. Noem called the defense of people who break immigration laws "shameful" and said lawmakers should change U.S. laws if they don’t like them.

Washington Examiner [12/11/2025 1:48 PM, Emily Hallas, 1394K] reports Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo this month advising federal agents to expand operations targeting alleged domestic terrorists. The Justice Department’s memo, dated Dec. 4, appeared to mark a significant extension of the government’s blueprint to squelch suspected domestic terrorism, as well as broadening the scope of people who could be detained under the new blueprint. The memo, obtained by the Washington Examiner, includes a directive for the FBI, "consistent with applicable law," to compile a list of groups or entities engaged in acts that may constitute" domestic terrorism. Bondi additionally ordered the FBI, which falls under the DOJ, to establish "a cash reward system" to encourage the public to report suspected domestic terrorist activity, saying people should be incentivized to provide information that leads to the "successful identification and arrest of individuals in the leadership of domestic terrorist organizations.". The memo also ordered the FBI to revise its Digital Media Tipline to allow "citizen journalists" to submit media documentation of "suspected acts of domestic terrorism" to federal law enforcement online. And it suggested those who have participated in "violent efforts" against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, doxxed ICE, or participated in the "potential unlawful targeting of Supreme Court justices at their homes," would be among those now scrutinized by the government. The FBI must work with the DOJ to investigate such incidents that took place "from the past five years," according to Bondi. "Political violence has no place in this country, and this Department of Justice will investigate, identify, and root out any individual or violent extremist group attempting to commit or promote this heinous activity," a spokesperson from the Justice Department said. Regarding expanding targets for alleged domestic terrorists, the memo reads: "For too long, rampant criminal conduct rising to the level of domestic terrorism—e.g., organized doxing of law enforcement, mass rioting and destruction in our cities, violent efforts to shut down immigration enforcement, targeting of public officials, or other political actors, etc.—has been tolerated. For some culpable actors, such as certain Antifa-aligned extremists, their animating principle is adherence to the types of extreme viewpoints on immigration, radical gender ideology, and anti-American sentiment listed below, with a willingness to use violence against law-abiding citizenry to serve those beliefs.". Now, the DOJ says that federal law enforcement "will prioritize this threat.".

FOX News [12/11/2025 8:35 PM, Greg Wehner, 40621K] reports the Trump administration is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a Los Choneros leader, a gang the State Department designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in September. The State Department’s Narcotics Reward Program announced the reward Thursday for Ecuadorian fugitive Francisco Manuel Bermúdez Cagua, also known as "Churron," as the gang he belongs to is allegedly responsible for trafficking drugs and firearms into the U.S. and carrying out extreme acts of violence. The 29-year-old is charged with international cocaine distribution conspiracy, international cocaine distribution and using firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, according to a superseding indictment filed in the Eastern District of New York. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York brought the charges, and the superseding indictment was unsealed in June. "As alleged, Bermúdez Cagua is a top lieutenant within the leadership of Los Choneros, an extremely violent foreign terrorist organization responsible for pumping drugs into the United States, causing harm to our communities, and wreaking havoc in his homeland of Ecuador," U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York said. "The significant reward being offered by the State Department underscores our resolve to bring Los Choneros’s leadership to justice in a U.S. courthouse and eradicate such organizations.” Co-conspirator José Adolfo Macías Villamar, also known as "Fito," 46, was extradited to New York in July 2025. The Department of Justice said he is an Ecuadorian citizen who also faces international drug trafficking and firearms charges. Darío Javier Peñafiel Nieto, also known as "Topo," 35, is a co-conspirator in the superseding indictment and is currently in custody in Ecuador. "We will use every tool in our arsenal to stop the brutal criminals who are trafficking deadly drugs into our country," Chris Landberg of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs said. "We are offering a reward of up to $5 million under the Narcotics Rewards Program for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Bermúdez Cagua.” The indictment alleges that Los Choneros was one of the most violent transnational criminal organizations operating out of Ecuador. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Blaze [12/11/2025 1:03 PM, Staff, 1442K] reports that EPIC City, the Islamic all-inclusive development being planned in Texas by the East Plano Islamic Center, may have rebranded to "the Meadow" in order to hide the agenda — but recent actions taken by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton may be shutting down the compound for good. "It’s appearing less and less likely that they’re ever going to break ground, especially since at the end of last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that he is suing just about everyone involved," BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says on "Come and Take It.". Paxton is suing the East Plano Islamic Center, Community Capital Partners, and the individual leaders for "securities violations after alleging that they are engaged in an illegal land development scheme." "He’s suing all of them. He said, ‘You get a lawsuit, and you get a lawsuit, and you get a lawsuit. You’re all getting lawsuits,’" Gonzales says. "Because you guys need to understand very clearly: We’re not doing this here. Not in Texas." "There are a lot of problems within my state that I want to make sure get fixed, okay, but one thing that it feels a whole hell of a lot like we are all aligned on is, ‘You’re not turning my state into an unrecognizable third-world country,’ and ‘You’re not turning my state into a Muslim-majority area,’" she continues. And one of the many reasons Gonzales feels so strongly about this is because Islam is growing rapidly in other areas — and we have all been able to see the outcome.

DailySignal [12/11/2025 9:49 AM, Virginia Allen, 549K] reports that the U.S. was one of the original founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949, but one member of Congress says it is time for the U.S. to exit the "Cold War relic." "We should withdraw from NATO and use that money to defend our own country, not socialist countries," according to Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has introduced a bill to remove the U.S. from NATO. "NATO was created to counter the Soviet Union, which collapsed over thirty years ago. Since then, U.S. participation has cost taxpayers trillions of dollars and continues to risk U.S. involvement in foreign wars," Massie said. "Our Constitution did not authorize permanent foreign entanglements, something our Founding Fathers explicitly warned us against," the congressman continued. "America should not be the world’s security blanket—especially when wealthy countries refuse to pay for their own defense." Specifically, the NATO Act, which Massie introduced Wednesday, would require the president to notify NATO that the U.S. is using the authority in Article 13 of the treaty to withdraw from NATO. The bill draws the conclusion that the original purpose for NATO, to stand against the aggression of the Soviet Union, no longer aligns with U.S. national security interests, and further asserts that European members of NATO are capable of using their own economies and militaries to defend themselves.

Bloomberg [12/11/2025 6:57 PM, Hadriana Lowenkron, 18207K] reports President Donald Trump said the US would be willing to contribute assistance to Ukraine as part of a security agreement to end the war with Russia, but continued to express frustration with the pace of talks. “Yeah, we would help,” Trump told reporters Thursday in the Oval Office. “We would help with security, because it’s, I think, a necessary factor in getting it done.” Still, he expressed disappointment that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had not more readily signed off on an American peace plan, adding to pressure on officials in Kyiv who pushed back on an earlier US proposal seen as too accommodating to Moscow. “I thought that we were very close with Russia to having a deal. I thought we were very close with Ukraine having a deal, in fact, other than President Zelenskiy,” Trump said. His comments came after his spokeswoman described him as “extremely frustrated with both sides of this war” and “sick of meetings just for the sake of meeting.” “He doesn’t want any more talk. He wants action,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday. Leavitt was noncommittal on whether the US would send anyone to a meeting over the weekend between Ukraine and several European nations on the latest US offer, which is a slimmed-down version of a previous 28-point plan that would have demanded massive concessions from Ukraine. Trump said his interest was in getting the conflict “settled.”

Bloomberg Law [12/11/2025 3:09 PM, Andrew Kreighbaum, 91K] reports a federal appeals court denied a challenge to a Texas law restricting land purchases by foreign nationals from countries including China after finding a plaintiff lacked standing. The plaintiff, Peng Wang, is not domiciled in China so couldn’t bring a lawsuit to block SB 17, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled Thursday. The law is one of multiple bans passed by states on real estate acquisitions by certain immigrants, citing national security concerns.

Breitbart [12/11/2025 1:43 PM, Christian K. Caruzo, 2416K] reports Nobel Peace Prize Laureate María Corina Machado revealed on Thursday that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump helped her escape from Venezuela towards Norway. Machado arrived in Oslo on Wednesday after spending over a year in hiding facing constant threats from the socialist Maduro regime. Machado has an active arrest warrant on her person under dubious "treason" charges; the regime long ago banned her from leaving her country. The Venezuelan opposition leader was slated to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on Wednesday, but was unable to arrive at the ceremony on time. Her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa Machado, received the award on her behalf and delivered Machado’s speech in English. Hours later, Machado reunited with her family. On Thursday morning, Machado held her first two press conferences since leaving Venezuela — first, one with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and, moments later, a second one with The Nobel Peace Prize Committee. Although Machado did not disclose details on how she was able to leave Venezuela with the help of the United States, the Wall Street Journal, citing a "person close to the operation," claimed on Thursday that Machado began her escape from Venezuela on Monday afternoon and, with the use of a wig and a disguise, "slipped through ten military checkpoints to reach a fishing boat bound for Curaçao and a private jet headed to Norway.". The operation, the Wall Street Journal said, had been in the works "for about two months" and was carried out by a Venezuelan network that has helped other people flee the country. The group reportedly informed the U.S. military before they set out. "We coordinated that she was going to leave by a specific area so that they would not blow up the boat," the source reportedly said. The Wall Street Journal further claimed that although the Trump administration was aware of the operation, "the extent of its involvement was unclear.

NewsMax [12/11/2025 5:39 PM, John Gizzi, 4109K] reports the recent record of executions of opponents of the theocratic regime in Iran has fueled the latest calls for its overthrow by prominent Democrat and Republican leaders in the U.S. At a standing-room-only meeting hosted by the Organization of Iranian-American Communities, prominent Americans from Ben Carson, secretary of housing and urban development in President Donald Trump’s first term, to Democrat Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire called for the end to the 46-year-old Islamic Republic of Iran. Retired Gen. James Jones, onetime U.S. Marine Corps commandant and national security adviser to former President Barack Obama, was the first to say that "1,192 [Iranians] were hanged in the last year, and 56 of them were women.". "That is the highest number of executions in Iran in 30 years," Jones said, adding that 2,360 executions have occurred since Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian took office in July 2024. "And there are now 18 Iranians on death row for cooperating with opposition groups," he said. Jones’ call for the overthrow of the regime was echoed by Shaheen, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "Despite a crumbling economy, Iran continues to have many executions, nuclear threats, and [is] supplying Russia’s war machine," she said.

FOX News [12/11/2025 12:53 PM, Max Bacall, 40621K] reports that former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., warned that the U.S. risks ceding global leadership on artificial intelligence to China, calling the AI race a matter of national security that the nation has "got to win.". "China is doing everything it can to dominate AI globally, and they will program the AI with Chinese values," Sinema said on "Fox & Friends" Thursday. "And President Trump is 100% right. We’ve got to double down and make sure that American values are the values of the world, and that we control this global AI agenda. And that’s why these data centers are so important all across the country." Sinema argued the U.S. needs to quickly expand domestic data centers and invest in AI infrastructure. "We have got to win that race," she said. Sinema pushed back on concerns that AI may take American jobs, drawing a comparison between today’s "AI revolution" and the "internet revolution" of the 1990s. She maintained the internet has made life more convenient, productive and efficient, despite anxieties that it would "ruin jobs" or "take control." "People think, ‘Oh, the robots are gonna take over.’ But what they’re maybe not thinking about is how it’s enhancing their lives already," she said, pointing to AI-optimized firetruck and school bus routes as early examples of how communities are already benefiting from the new technology.

Washington Examiner [12/12/2025 4:39 AM, Tiana Lowe Doescher, 1394K] reports President Donald Trump’s administration is asking Americans and international allies of the United States to make sacrifices. Trump, trying to fulfill his longtime promise of fighting the Chinese Communist Party’s existential threat, has imposed the highest tariff rates in a century on U.S. consumers and pressured allies to wrap up wars against Russia and Iranian proxies, lest they lose U.S. military support. Some of these sacrifices, such as insisting that NATO allies fulfill their legal obligation to increase their defense spending, are not just noble but wildly overdue. Others, such as the quartertrillion-dollar tariff bill charged to Americans, are a much more onerous tax. But the whole point of Trump’s national security project, from the untested mercantilist economics to the very real threat of abandoning Ukraine, was supposed to serve the greater good of challenging the CCP. Instead, Trump allowed Nvidia to cash out and cater to the Chinese, exchanging short-term private profit for long-term global peril. After a lengthy lobbying effort by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to allow the AI chip industry leader to export its H200 semiconductors to China, Trump finally gave the green light to the $4.4 trillion tech giant, with the stipulation that the U.S. government gets 25% of the sales.

New York Times [12/12/2025 12:01 AM, Lily Kuo, 135475K] reports that, in its rivalry with the United States, China has racked up a series of wins in recent weeks. The Trump administration has softened its criticism of China’s Communist Party in a strategy document. It has reopened a channel for high-end chip sales that Washington once treated as untouchable. And President Trump has held his tongue as a key U.S. ally in Asia faces Chinese intimidation for backing Taiwan. For Beijing, the shifts in Washington’s approach suggest that Mr. Trump has less of an appetite for confronting China over ideology, technology and diplomacy. Some commentators in China have hailed these developments as irrefutable signs of American decline and Chinese ascendancy. Mr. Trump’s decision on Monday to allow some advanced chips to be sold to China, the prominent Chinese technology executive Zhou Hongyi said on social media, showed how China’s unstoppable technological rise had “pushed the United States against a wall.” The Global Times, a Communist Party newspaper, pointed to the White House’s new national security strategy, which focuses more on the Western Hemisphere than China, as “evidence of the U.S. acknowledging its relative decline in power.” Washington has realized “it cannot afford the costs of prolonged confrontation” with China, the nationalist blog Jiuwanli similarly concluded. And Mr. Trump has remained publicly silent as China has mounted a pressure campaign against Japan, a U.S. ally, over that country’s support for Taiwan. Beijing has summoned Japanese diplomats, canceled flights, curbed tourism and stepped up military flights near Japanese airspace, including with Russia, to highlight its displeasure. This is Mr. Trump’s more transactional diplomacy in action, according to Chinese analysts. In this less hawkish, more pragmatic approach, China is seen not as a threat to U.S. supremacy that must be contained, but as a major nation to be negotiated with. Xin Qiang, a U.S.-China expert at Fudan University in Shanghai, said that the strategy showed that the Trump administration had finally realized that “trying to change China by playing the ideological card is neither possible nor feasible.” “At least since Trump took office in his second term, he hasn’t shown a strong ideological drive in his China policy. It’s what we call ‘profit-driven,’” he said, adding that this was good for China.

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