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 [2/13/2025 3:28 AM, Luis Ferré-Sadurní, 740K] reports the Trump administration quickly made good on its vow to claw back federal funding meant to cover some of the costs of housing migrants borne by New York City, unilaterally reversing the transfer of $80 million that the Federal Emergency Management Agency made to the city last week. City leaders said on Wednesday that they noticed $80 million had suddenly gone missing from city bank accounts. Shortly after, the Department of Homeland Security, which houses FEMA, confirmed that the money had been taken back on Tuesday, a significant escalation of President Trump’s attempts to freeze or reverse funding that had previously been appropriated by Congress. The clawback occurred one day after Elon Musk targeted the FEMA funds in a post on X, inciting a Republican uproar over the use of federal dollars to shelter migrants and prompting the Trump administration to fire four FEMA officials involved in the transfer. City officials questioned the legality of the move, which appeared to be among the first known instances of the Trump administration seizing back congressionally appropriated funds from a locality. Liz Garcia, a spokeswoman for Mayor Eric Adams, said that City Hall had communicated with the White House and had requested an emergency meeting with FEMA to “try and resolve the matter as quickly as possible.” She added that City Hall was conducting an “internal investigation into how this occurred,” and that the city’s Law Department was “already exploring various litigation options.” The federal government is typically allowed to recoup funds already dispersed through grants if the payments are deemed improper or in violation of the grant agreement, though the process can be lengthy and administratively burdensome for agencies, according to the Congressional Research Service. “I have clawed back the full payment that FEMA deep state activists unilaterally gave to N.Y.C. migrant hotels,” Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said on X. “Mark my words: there will not be a single penny spent that goes against the interest and safety of the American people.” The Washington Post [2/12/2025 8:47 PM, Brianna Sacks, Scott Dance and Brady Dennis, 40736K] reports that on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security said it had terminated four officials, including Mary Comans, FEMA’s chief financial officer, for “circumventing leadership to unilaterally make egregious payments for luxury NYC hotels for migrants.” The “egregious payments” are part of a DHS grant program that houses migrants in hotels and other facilities, which Trump initiated during his first presidency and that FEMA now oversees. The program uses money from Customs and Border Protection, repays communities for shelter costs and has nothing to do with disaster relief. While Trump heavily relied on FEMA during his first presidency, especially for the covid-19 pandemic, he zeroed in on the agency after Hurricane Helene pummeled western North Carolina in the final chapter of his presidential campaign. He repeatedly accused the agency of misappropriating funds and taking money from disaster victims to house immigrants — without offering any evidence. Elon Musk, who owns X, amplified Trump and other right-wing accounts’ false claims to millions of followers. For the last few months, Trump, Musk and other officials have continued to target FEMA. Politico [2/12/2025 5:58 PM, Ali Bianco and Cris Seda Chabrier] reports Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the funding pullback Wednesday, saying that FEMA was "funding the Roosevelt Hotel that serves as a Tren de Aragua base of operations," referencing the Venezuelan gang that has become a fixture of Trump’s deportation plans. An additional $37 million that had been awarded — but not yet invoiced by the city — has also been frozen, according to Lander. He added that he couldn’t identify which bank held the money, or how the federal government could withdraw the funds, saying it is "terrifying" the government has the access to seize the funds. The AP [2/12/2025 5:23 PM, Michael Casey and Jake Offenhartz, 47097K] reports that gone is a $59 million grant that the administration challenged earlier in the week and another award for $21.5 million, City Comptroller Brad Lander said. The money was discovered to be missing overnight, and Lander said no one in his office had been aware that the federal government had access to the city’s bank account. Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, said city officials had contacted the White House about getting back the money, are seeking an emergency meeting with FEMA and exploring legal options. Adams said he would discuss the matter with President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, when they meet in New York on Thursday. It’s the first big test for Adams’ relationship with Trump’s team after the U.S. Justice Department on Monday directed federal prosecutors in Manhattan to drop corruption charges against the mayor, with a top official saying the administration wanted Adams free to aid the Republican president’s immigration agenda. The grants were applied for and awarded during the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden but were not disbursed until last week, the city said. The Washington Examiner [2/12/2025 5:03 PM, Ross O’Keefe, 2365K] reports New York City’s deputy press secretary, Liz Garcia, previously said the city was in the clear and did nothing wrong in requesting emergency funding from FEMA to help cover billions of dollars in costs related to housing, feeding, and caring for 223,000 illegal immigrants who passed through its halls. The city said it never paid luxury hotel rates, that the funding was appropriated by Congress during the previous administration, and the majority of people housed were families. New York City said it applied for these non-disaster relief funds in April 2024, and FEMA allocated them last year. Of the $59.3 million that the city received, $19 million was for direct hotel costs, while the balances were for services provided, such as food and congregate shelters and services.

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The AP [2/12/2025 1:40 PM, Michael Casey, 47097K] reports that a federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Trump administration can continue efforts to withhold tens of millions of dollars meant to cover hotel costs for migrants in New York City. U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island ruled that the government’s bid to withhold Federal Emergency Management Agency money sent to New York to house migrants was not subject to an order, still in effect, that’s aimed at preventing a sweeping Trump administration pause on federal funding. "Because the Defendants are seeking to terminate funding ‘on the basis of the applicable authorizing statutes, regulations, and terms,’" McConnell said, he "sees no need for further clarification." He denied a motion for an emergency hearing on the issue and affirmed a temporary restraining order preventing the funding freeze. On Monday, Elon Musk, the head of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, posted on X that his team had discovered payments used to house migrants in "luxury hotels" with money intended for disaster relief. Musk and DOGE have consolidated control over much of the federal government and are working to cut costs and shrink the workforce. On Tuesday, four federal employees were fired, with Department of Homeland Security officials saying they circumvented leadership to make the transactions. The New York Times [2/12/2025 5:47 PM, Christopher Flavelle and Luis Ferré-Sadurní, 161405K] reports John J. McConnell Jr. of U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, made clear that his order had no bearing on the legality of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to halt payments across the government. Judge McConnell had previously ordered the administration to lift that broader payment freeze. That order remains in effect. Mr. Musk, the billionaire leading the Trump administration’s effort to shrink the federal government, said in a social media post on Monday morning that the money provided through the program “is meant for American disaster relief.” On Tuesday, FEMA fired four employees for their work disbursing federal funds under the migrant shelter program. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, said that the four employees had been terminated “for circumventing leadership to unilaterally make egregious payments for luxury N.Y.C. hotels for migrants.” Also on Tuesday, Cameron Hamilton, the acting head of FEMA, asked the court for permission to freeze funding that the agency was providing to New York through the Shelter and Services Program. New York was using “a substantial portion” of its funding under that program to house migrants at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, Mr. Hamilton wrote to the court. He said FEMA believed, based on news reports, that a Venezuelan gang had taken over the hotel, using it as a “base of operations to plan a variety of crimes,” including gun and drug sales and sex trafficking. In his order Wednesday, Judge McConnell wrote that FEMA did not need his permission to halt payments to New York under the program. Nothing in his previous orders “prevents the defendants from continuing to use routine processes,” Judge McConnell wrote.

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The Wall Street Journal [2/12/2025 4:56 PM, Jess Bravin] reports the American Civil Liberties Union sued the Trump administration Wednesday for access to migrants transported from the U.S. mainland to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, arguing that the government is denying rights the detainees may have under the Constitution and federal law. “Immigrants held at Guantánamo have effectively disappeared into a black box and cannot contact or communicate with their family or attorneys,” the lawsuit says. Filed in a Washington, D.C., federal court on behalf of relatives of three Venezuelan men taken to Guantanamo, along with four immigrant-rights groups, the suit seeks immediate access for attorneys by video and telephone, followed by in-person visits. One of those relatives, Angela Carolina Sequer, said her son, Yoiker David Sequer, sought asylum in the U.S. in September 2024, but in January was ordered deported. She last spoke to him by phone on Feb. 8 when he was held at a lockup in El Paso, Texas, the lawsuit says. She later was told her son was transferred to Guantanamo. The other two relatives are sisters of men who were held in Texas facilities. They recognized their brothers in news photos of noncitizens transported to Guantanamo, the lawsuit says. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s database “currently states only that detainees suspected of being transferred to Guantanamo are in ‘Florida,’ and instructs the user to contact the local ICE Field Office, which has provided no further information,” the lawsuit says. A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency, disputed some of the allegations, saying migrants held at Guantanamo have access to phones to speak with attorneys. The Trump administration has announced plans to send about 30,000 noncitizens slated for deportation to the offshore prison, relieving pressure on ICE facilities on the mainland. Migrant transport flights to Guantanamo began last week, even as Marines worked to build shelter for additional prisoners. Officials in Washington are looking for ways to secure funding for the massive capital project. Reuters [2/12/2025 4:04 PM, Ted Hesson, 2717K] reports that the lawsuit follows a letter sent by ACLU and other civil and immigrant rights groups to top Trump officials last week, demanding a way to speak to detainees. "Shipping immigrants off to Guantanamo without access to lawyers or the outside world cannot be reconciled with our country’s laws or principles," said Lee Gelernt, ACLU lawyer and lead counsel on the case. "It will now be up to the courts to reaffirm that the rule of law governs our nation."

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NBC News [2/12/2025 5:13 PM, Julia Ainsley and Courtney Kube, 57114K] reports the Trump administration is considering tapping into Defense Department funding to hire contractors, a move that would vastly expand the scale and scope of immigrant arrests and deportations in the U.S., according to three sources familiar with the matter. The defense contracts would allow civilian-run companies to quickly and rapidly expand temporary detention facilities, such as those that house migrants in tents, as well as to staff those facilities and provide transportation between arrest locations and detention areas. Such a move could also increase the number of airplanes available used to deport immigrants, as well as staff for the flights, the sources said. Border czar Tom Homan has already tapped agents from the FBI; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and others to help support Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in making immigrant arrests. But the pace of arrests and deportations has failed to meet Homan’s expectations, and President Donald Trump’s. NBC News previously reported that Trump, who promised to deport "millions and millions" in his inaugural address and made mass deportations a key campaign promise, has recently been "angry" with what he sees as a low number of migrants being deported. And the two top officials in ICE’s enforcement division were recently demoted and reassigned, three separate sources familiar told NBC News. One factor has been ICE’s budget. The agency was already facing a shortfall even before the Trump administration came into office and began its deportation push. With Defense Department funding, however, the amount of money available for detention would expand greatly. The three sources familiar with the planning say the Trump administration is exploring what are known as LOGCAP contracts, or Logistics Civil Augmentation Program, which allow the Pentagon to quickly issue contracts to support logistics of any operation.

USA Today [2/12/2025 2:41 PM, Erin Mansfield, 89965K] reports that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is asking the Internal Revenue Service for help in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Noem made the request to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a letter last week, saying she needed their help to comply with a Trump executive order on border security. The order told the department to "take all appropriate action" to supplement its current workers to "secure the southern border and enforce immigration laws." Noem said they are already receiving help from the Department Justice, the Texas National Guard, and the Texas Attorney General’s office. The IRS has a criminal investigation division of 3,000 people that serves as the agency’s law enforcement arm and includes about 2,100 special agents who investigate financial crimes like tax fraud and money laundering. Noem wrote that her department needed help investigating companies that employ unauthorized immigrants, dismantling financial networks that support human smuggling organizations, and seizing assets tied to immigration-related offenses. Other needs included apprehension, monitoring, detention, and removal of unauthorized immigrants.

Newsweek [2/12/2025 5:59 PM, Jesus Mesa, 56005K] reports the U.S. military has stepped up its aerial surveillance of Mexican drug cartels, carrying out at least 18 spy plane missions over the Southwestern U.S. and international airspace near Mexico’s Baja California peninsula in the past two weeks, according to U.S. officials and open-source tracking data. The increased surveillance coincides with Trump’s push to classify drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations (FTO), a move that would give the U.S. government greater legal authority to take military action against them. The U.S. has deployed advanced surveillance aircraft to monitor cartel activity, including Navy P-8 Poseidon planes, U-2 spy planes and RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft. Mexico’s Defense Ministry initially denied any U.S. surveillance activity but later acknowledged two reconnaissance missions, on January 31 and February 3. However, U.S. military sources told CNN that at least 18 missions had taken place in that same period. The increased U.S. involvement in cartel operations has strained relations between Washington and Mexico City. Despite these tensions, Sheinbaum’s government recently agreed to deploy 10,000 troops to the northern border to curb fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration.

CBS 7 [2/12/2025 6:24 PM, Isabella Garriga, 11K] Video: HERE reports as immigration policies continue to evolve, scammers are preying on fear and confusion within Hispanic communities. Using advanced technology and AI-driven deception, these fraudsters make their schemes more convincing, often impersonating trusted officials and professionals. Immigration attorney Alma Rosa Nieto has seen firsthand how scammers exploit vulnerable individuals seeking legal help. "Scams against the immigrant community have been around for decades. However, yes, there is a spike now with all the issues that we’re having—with people being very afraid and looking for solutions and looking for help," Nieto said. According to Ramon Nieves, a spokesperson for the Truecaller app, scammers typically ask for $200 to $500, amounts small enough to avoid raising suspicion while still ensuring a quick payout. "I’m here as an attorney or as a public notary, and I know that you have a case that I can help you with. I can take that away from you, but send over $200, and we’ll take care of it. Even an IRS agent says, ‘Hey, we have an order of deportation, but I can take that away if you send X amount of money,’" Nieves explained. Technology is making these scams more advanced and difficult to detect. Artificial intelligence and social media have allowed scammers to clone voices, create fake profiles, and even hijack the identities of real professionals. "There’s a spike with AI, a spike with social media, a spike in in-person scams—it’s all over the place. They’re using my picture, they’re using my platform, charging people for consultations, and even pretending to take on cases. Unfortunately, they’re even using my voice, so it’s terrifying," Nieto said. Thankfully, there are ways to fight back. Apps like Truecaller help identify fraudulent calls by using verified databases and AI-driven algorithms to flag suspicious numbers.

Reuters [2/12/2025 11:03 PM, Nate Raymond and Karen Freifeld, 36472K] reports tens of thousands of U.S. civil servants were cleared to take a buyout from Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday after a federal judge ruled the unprecedented downsizing effort could proceed. About 75,000 workers have signed up for the buyout, said a spokesperson for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, equal to 3% of the civilian workforce. Trump’s administration has promised to pay their salaries through October without requiring them to work, though unions have warned the offer is not trustworthy. Unions representing federal workers had sued to stop the program, and had delayed it for six days while U.S. District Judge George O’Toole in Boston considered the issue. But the judge ruled on Wednesday, opens new tab that the unions did not have legal standing to bring the lawsuit and said the issue needed to be tackled in other forums before landing in court. The administration said the program is now closed to new applicants. "There is no longer any doubt: the Deferred Resignation Program was both legal and a valuable option for federal employees," the Office of Personnel Management said in a statement. Unions involved in the dispute did not immediately say whether they would appeal the judge’s decision or pursue other options. "Today’s ruling is a setback in the fight for dignity and fairness for public servants. But it’s not the end of that fight," said Everett Kelly, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 800,000 federal workers.

NBC News [2/12/2025 1:03 PM, Sahil Kapur, Melanie Zanona, and Kyle Stewart, 50804K] reports that House Republicans released a budget resolution Wednesday that calls for cutting taxes by up to $4.5 trillion and sets a goal of slashing federal spending by $2 trillion. The blueprint comes one day before the House Budget Committee is scheduled to consider it. If it’s approved by the panel and the full House chamber, the Republicans can get started on crafting a massive party-line bill to pass President Donald Trump’s agenda. On immigration and border security funding, a top Trump priority, the resolution grants the Judiciary Committee, which oversees immigration policy, $110 billion. That’s less than the Senate budget resolution, which grants the Judiciary Committee $175 billion for immigration enforcement. The resolution also would raise the debt limit by $4 trillion ahead of an expected deadline later this year for Congress to act or risk an economically calamitous default on the country’s obligations. It adds that the "goal of this concurrent resolution to reduce mandatory spending by $2 trillion" — referring to the part of the U.S. budget that includes Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP benefits and more. If the House fails to find $2 trillion in deficit reduction, the resolution says the Ways & Means Committee’s mandate of $4.5 trillion "should be reduced by a commensurate amount to offset the difference." House conservatives have demanded steeper cuts.

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Reuters [2/12/2025 7:22 PM, Raphael Satter and A.J. Vicens, 57114K] reports layoffs at the U.S. General Services Administration, the agency which manages the federal government’s real estate portfolio, began on Wednesday, according to three people familiar with the matter. The layoffs affect probationary employees, who are being called up individually and pressured into either resigning or facing being put on leave and then terminated, two of the three people said. Two of the sources said that more than 100 people were affected. In a statement, GSA said that, "From the beginning of this administration, GSA’s leadership has been committed to supporting the administration’s initiatives to right size the federal workforce" and that the agency "remains committed to ensuring a respectful and dignified process for our agency personnel during this transformation." The GSA oversees most government contracts, manages federal property, and oversees several basic federal government functions. The Technology Transformation Services division is responsible for FedRAMP, which sets cybersecurity standards for government contractors, and Login.gov, which ordinary citizens use to access their Social Security statements online.

Washington Post [2/12/2025 10:46 AM, Lisa Rein, 40736K] reports that a group of federal inspectors general ousted by the White House last month sued the Trump administration on Wednesday, claiming that their firings were carried out illegally. By dismissing the watchdogs in two-sentence emails, the administration violated a federal law requiring it to inform Congress with 30 days’ notice and provide in writing “substantive rationale” for the firings, says the 32-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs are eight of the 17 Senate-confirmed inspectors general fired four days into President Donald Trump’s term, for what the White House cited as “changing priorities.” They are seeking reinstatement to their positions conducting oversight of waste, fraud and abuse at the departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, Education, Agriculture, Labor and State, and the Small Business Administration. The fired inspectors general who joined the suit are Rob Storch (Defense), Michael Missal (VA), Christi Grimm (HHS), Sandra Bruce (Education), Phyllis Fong (Agriculture), Larry Turner (Labor), Cardell Richardson (State) and Hannibal “Mike” Ware (SBA). The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.

Newsweek [2/12/2025 2:52 PM, Monica Sager and Gabe Whisnant, 56005K] reports that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized court rulings against President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday, claiming they stem from "judicial activists" whose decisions pose a "constitutional crisis.” "Many outlets in this room have been fear-mongering people into believing there is a constitutional crisis taking place here at the White House," Leavitt said. "I’ve been hearing those words a lot lately. But in fact, the real constitutional crisis is taking place within our judicial branch, where district court judges in liberal districts across the country are abusing their power to unilaterally lock President Trump’s basic executive authority." Federal judges have temporarily blocked many of Trump’s actions regarding immigration, federal spending, and other issues, setting the stage for a protracted legal battle and raising alarm over the looming power struggle between the executive and judicial branches. At Trump’s request, acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman issued a policy guidance that instructs the Department of Justice to take action against so-called "sanctuary cities" that prevent the arrest of illegal immigrants. A group of Chicago-based immigrant groups filed a lawsuit in late January, stating that the attorney general’s guidance violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the First Amendment. Attorneys general from 22 states also filed a lawsuit arguing that Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents violates the 14th Amendment.

The Hill [2/12/2025 2:19 PM, Brett Samuels, 16346K] reports that the White House on Wednesday sought to turn around claims from Democrats that there was a looming "constitutional crisis" if President Trump defied court orders, arguing that the real "crisis" was the result of federal judges blocking the president’s agenda. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused media outlets of "fearmongering" with headlines about a constitutional crisis. The term has been thrown out by Democrats including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and constitutional scholars who have raised concerns about Trump and his allies defying court orders. "In fact, the real constitutional crisis is taking place within our judicial branch, where district court judges in liberal districts across the country are abusing their power to unilaterally block President Trump’s basic executive authority," Leavitt said. "We believe these judges are acting as judicial activists rather than honest arbiters of the law.” She cited a dozen injunctions in the past two weeks against orders issued by the Trump administration. She decried those who issued those injunctions as "liberal judges," though some of the judges involved were appointed by former President George W. Bush and Trump himself. "This is part of a larger concerted effort by Democrat activists, and nothing more than a continuation of the weaponization of justice against President Trump," Leavitt said.

Wall Street Journal [2/12/2025 9:27 PM, Victoria Albert, Sadie Gurman and Michelle Hackman] reports the Trump administration stepped up its immigration fight against New York on Wednesday, announcing a lawsuit against senior state officials and clawing back millions in federal funding earmarked for migrants. In her first news conference as attorney general, Pam Bondi said the department was suing New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, state Attorney General Letitia James and commissioner of the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles, Mark Schroeder, for what she said was their failure to enforce federal immigration laws. “This is a new DOJ,” Bondi said, flanked by federal agents wearing raid jackets. “New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops. It stops today.” A spokesperson for Hochul said she supports deporting criminals but said the governor “believes that law-abiding families should not be targets, and will coordinate with federal authorities who have a judicial warrant.” Trump campaigned on the promise of undertaking a massive deportation effort of people unlawfully living in the U.S. He also, at the direction of billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, has been targeting federal funding that goes against his agenda, including money that was already allocated by Congress. On Wednesday, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said the federal government had pulled back $80 million intended to help pay for migrant housing and services. “Let’s be clear: This is highway robbery,” Lander said. The money at issue in New York City was a payment through FEMA’s Shelter and Services program, a funding stream Congress set up to help cities, states and nonprofits across the country deal with an influx of migration. Since 2022, tens of thousands of migrants have arrived in New York. Trump officials object to that money on the grounds that it reimburses cities with sanctuary policies they oppose, such as declining to cooperate with federal immigration authorities on arrests. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she had revoked funds sent by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to house migrants in city hotels. “Mark my words: there will not be a single penny spent that goes against the interest and safety of the American people,” she said in a post on X. The funding gained national attention on Monday after Musk tweeted that FEMA “sent $59M LAST WEEK to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants.”

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Yahoo! News [2/12/2025 10:16 AM, Emily Rahhal, 57114K] reports that Tom Homan is coming to New York City on Thursday to meet with Mayor Eric Adams to discuss ongoing ICE efforts. Homan told radio show "Cats & Cosby" he is coming to the city and expects to discuss collaboration between the NYPD and federal officers. "I’m coming up there Thursday to meet with the mayor, either he comes to the table or we go around him," Homan told Cats & Cosby. "I’m hoping we come to an agreement where his officers can help my officers in removing these public safety threats." Homan said he’s hoping to return to D.C. with a "great agreement." "He’s all in on arresting public safety threats that are here illegally," Homan said. Adams met with Homan in December and said the two "have the same desire" to deport migrants who commit violent crimes in New York City. "We have the same desire to go after those who have committed repeated violent acts among innocent New Yorkers and among migrants and asylum seekers. That’s what I heard from him. I was pleased to hear that because we share the same desire," Adams said at the time. Adams has faced criticism from elected officials and advocates who say he is failing to protect New Yorkers.

CBS Miami [2/12/2025 11:28 PM, Staff, 52225K] reports undocumented immigrants convicted of first-degree murder or raping children would face mandatory death sentences under bills advanced Wednesday by key House and Senate committees. The bills are part of a suite of measures state lawmakers are slated to vote on Thursday during a special legislative session centered on boosting President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The death-penalty provision is included in bills (HB 3C and SB 4-C) that also would make it a misdemeanor for undocumented immigrants over age 18 to "knowingly" enter Florida "after entering the United States by eluding or avoiding examination or inspection by immigration officers." The proposal would carry a nine-month jail sentence for first-time violators. Second-time offenders would face felony charges carrying a minimum sentence of a year and a day behind bars. The Republican-controlled House Budget Committee approved the House version of the bill in a 22-8, straight party-line vote. House Democrats questioned the constitutionality of the proposed requirement for the death penalty. Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, pointed to a House staff analysis that said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that mandatory death sentences are unconstitutional. Rep. Sam Garrison, a Fleming Island Republican and attorney who is helping sponsor the bill, acknowledged the issue would be litigated but said nothing in the bill "erodes the rights" of people in the criminal-justice system. He argued that the death penalty proposal targets people who commit the "worst of the worst crimes." Under current law, juries make recommendations to judges about whether to sentence defendants to death. The process includes looking at what are known as "aggravating" and "mitigating" factors in determining whether a defendant should be sentenced to death. During debate Wednesday in the Senate Appropriations Committee, Brevard County Republican Randy Fine defended the proposed death-penalty requirement, citing the murder of Augusta University student Laken Riley by an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela. Sen. Barbara Sharief, a Broward County Democrat, argued that applying the death penalty based on immigration status violates constitutional guarantees of equal protection and fairness. She also pointed to Florida’s history of wrongful convictions and racial disparities in capital sentencing.

CBS News [2/12/2025 7:29 PM, Jack Fink, 52225K] Video: HERE repots with billions of dollars on the line, Gov. Greg Abbott is back in Washington, D.C. for the second straight week. The governor is pushing for Congress to pay back Texas taxpayers for the state’s efforts to secure the border. Late Wednesday afternoon, Abbott met with the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson for the second time in a month. Abbott said he is feeling pretty good that Congress will approve his request for the state to get reimbursed for the $11.1 billion the state spent to secure the border. Earlier Wednesday afternoon, the governor met with members of the Texas Congressional delegation to discuss this as well. "I’m going to be meeting with the speaker once again today," said Abbott. "I met with him a couple of weeks ago, and what I can tell you is this, and that is the council, the people that have been working with us behind the scenes, whether it be the Department of Homeland Security and the White House, and the Speaker’s leadership, they’ve all been working, to work towards getting this mission accomplished, so I’m feeling pretty good about it.” The governor is also returning to the White House on Thursday, but unlike last week, he won’t meet with President Trump. Abbott said that if Congress pays back the state, they will receive about 70 miles of border wall that either has already been built or is in the process of being completed, along with other barriers state National Guard members have put into place. The governor also offered the federal government 4,000 jail cells in state prisons to detain migrants who entered the U.S. illegally and 2,400 beds to house U.S. troops and federal agents at two newly built military bases the state built. Republican members of Congress said the state is justified in making its request. "I think it makes sense that, at this time, the relatively small price stage of $11 billion to reimburse the taxpayers of Texas for doing the federal government’s job," said U.S. Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-6th Congressional District. "The time is right to do that. I think the administration would be enthusiastic to do so, and especially at a time in which we’re taking care of disasters all across the country this is but a small, small piece of the pie.”

CBS News [2/12/2025 3:15 PM, Kerry Breen] reports two Navy pilots are safe after a military fighter jet crashed in the San Diego Bay in California, officials said Wednesday. Two Navy officials told CBS News that both pilots ejected from the plane. It crashed around 10:17 a.m. local time. They were the only people aboard the aircraft, which a Navy official identified as an EA-18G Growler, a variant of the F/A-18F Super Hornet. The crash was near Naval Air Station North Island, home to Naval Base Coronado. The crew was rescued by a fishing vessel only a minute after they entered the water, the Coast Guard told CBS News. The pilots were then transferred to a small U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations boat that was on the scene when the incident occurred, the Coast Guard said. Both pilots were reported to be in stable condition, the Coast Guard said. They were taken to an area hospital.

Reported similarly:
AP [2/12/2025 2:43 PM, Tara Copp, 47097K]
Reuters [2/12/2025 3:20 PM, Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart, 48128K]
FOX News [2/12/2025 3:07 PM, Alexandra Koch, 49889K]
Newsweek [2/12/2025 4:33 PM, Jon Jackson, 56005K]

AP [2/13/2025 12:13 AM, Megan Janetsky, 33392K] reports that, when Angelica Delgado took a one-way flight to Mexico as she fled Cuba in December, she was set on seeking asylum in the United States. But after President Donald Trump effectively slammed the door on asylum-seekers crossing the U.S. border when he took office last month, the 23-year-old recalibrated her plans. She decided she would seek protection in Mexico. “Like almost all Cubans, our objective was to go to the United States,” she said. “It wasn’t in our plans to stay, but now we have to face reality.” Amid a clampdown on asylum under Trump and tightening restrictions in recent years under the Biden administration, Delgado is among a growing number of migrants from across the world to ditch — or at least pause — their ambitions of reaching the U.S., and focus instead on building a life in Mexico. Migrants trying to apply for asylum in Mexico in January more than tripled compared to the monthly average from the previous year, according to an international official with knowledge of the numbers who was not authorized to discuss them publicly. Mexico’s refugee agency has not yet published figures for January. “All of these policies Trump is pushing are leading more people to seek international protection in Mexico,” said Andrés Ramírez, former director of the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid, which processes asylum cases. Delgado was among hundreds of migrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti, Afghanistan and other countries gathering outside the refugee agency in Mexico City after Trump unleashed executive orders last month meant to slash access to asylum and militarize the border. The Associated Press spoke to around a half-dozen people who had asylum appointments in the U.S. through the Biden-era app, CBP One, that Trump canceled on Inauguration Day. They were left stranded on the Mexican side of the border, their dreams of a legal pathway into the U.S. snuffed.

CBS News [2/12/2025 6:44 AM, Staff, 52225K]
U.S. military aircraft may have spied on drug cartels during recent flights near Mexican territory, the government said Tuesday. Mexico was aware of two such U.S. military flights in late January and early February that were in international airspace, Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla told a news conference. Asked whether the aircraft had spied on Mexican drug traffickers, the general said: "We can’t rule it out because we don’t know what they did." The plane that Mexico observed flying near its territory did not violate national airspace and kept its tracking devices on, in compliance with international regulations, Trevilla said. Any intelligence gathered from Mexican territory would have to be shared under agreements between the two countries, he said. CNN reported on Monday that the US military had "significantly increased" its aerial surveillance of the cartels over the past two weeks. It said that spy planes, including Navy P-8s, had flown at least 18 missions over U.S. territory and in international airspace around Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, passing near the cartel stronghold of Sinaloa on one occasion. One of President Donald Trump’s first actions after taking office in January was to designate drug cartels as terrorist organizations. Mexico this month began moving more troops to its northern border to tackle illegal migration and drug smuggling under an agreement that saw Mr. Trump pause tariffs on Mexican goods. Earlier this month, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum angrily rejected an accusation by the United States Saturday that her government has an alliance with drug cartels. "We categorically reject the slander made by the White House against the Mexican government about alliances with criminal organizations," Sheinbaum wrote on social media. "If there is such an alliance anywhere, it is in the U.S. gun shops that sell high-powered weapons to these criminal groups," she added.

New York Times [2/12/2025 9:50 PM, Carol Rosenberg, Charlie Savage, 6595K] reports dozens of Venezuelan migrants sent by the Trump administration to the U.S. military base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, are being guarded by troops rather than civilian immigration officers, according to people familiar with the operation. While the Trump administration has portrayed the detainees as legally in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, military guards and medics are doing the work, the people said. The Trump administration has not released the migrants’ names, although at least two have been identified by their relatives through pictures released of the first flight. By not disclosing the migrants’ identities, the government has prevented their relatives from learning where they are being held and complicated lawyers’ efforts to challenge their detention. Spokespeople for the Homeland Security and Defense Departments have been unwilling or unable to answer detailed questions about what is happening to the migrants at the base. But New York Times has obtained the names of 53 men who are being held in Camp 6, a prison building where until recently the military held Al Qaeda suspects. The Times has published the list. A week after the first 10 men arrived from detention in Texas, the specifics of their status remains unknown. Officials for the Defense and Homeland Security Departments have said little about them other than their nationality. They’ve also described some as gang members, without offering evidence. On Wednesday, Tricia McLaughlin, a homeland security spokeswoman, said that the agency had sent nearly 100 people to Guantánamo Bay, and that each had final deportation orders. All of them were considered to have “committed a crime by entering the United States illegally,” and the group included “violent gang members and other high-threat illegal aliens,” she said.

The Hill [2/12/2025 1:00 PM, Bill Frelick, 16346K] reports that a slew of executive orders in the first week of Donald Trump’s second presidential term are predicated on his proclamation that "an invasion is ongoing at the southern border." He has invoked emergency powers on this basis. We are already witnessing the shutdown of asylum processing at the border, the deployment of the military to seal the border, the first arrests of Trump’s promised "mass deportations" and the transfer of migrants to the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Putting aside the obvious fact that no foreign country is mounting an attack on the United States, even the more metaphorical notion of an invasion of undocumented foreigners is simply not true. Even Homeland Security’s implementation of a memo for the executive orders has acknowledged "a major reduction" in recent border crossings. Many of the people who entered the U.S. unlawfully during the past decade, including many families with children, promptly presented themselves to the first Border Patrol agents they encountered. Not intending to do any harm, they crossed the border illegally because of the lack of legal pathways. The numbers were large, but it was not an "invasion."

The Hill [2/12/2025 11:30 AM, Mondaire Jones, 16346K] reports that Artificial intelligence, while present in virtually every aspect of our daily lives, is far from perfect. That matters especially when its application impacts civil rights. Take, for example, facial recognition technology, a type of AI that can scan massive datasets of facial images to determine whether two images belong to the same person. The U.S. government, realizing this enormous power, has adopted, deployed and facilitated the proliferation of facial recognition across law enforcement, homeland security and even public housing. Then we published a bipartisan report last fall acknowledging the technology’s utility in solving crimes, combating terror threats and locating missing children. However, the report also highlights the grave risks that facial recognition poses to the civil rights of all Americans. The report is significant not just for its contributions to an under-studied field, but also for the rare consensus it garnered at an agency evenly divided among Democratic and Republican appointees. This shows that the civil rights concerns about AI are not partisan. Facial recognition technology is a system of interdependent components trained largely on images of white people, resulting in models that are worse at accurately recognizing non-white people in real-world settings. The facial recognition system can still interpret data from underrepresented groups, but with higher error rates.

AP [2/12/2025 4:02 PM, Rebecca Santana] reports two top immigration enforcement officials have been reassigned amid frustrations in the Trump administration about the pace of immigration arrests, according to two officials with knowledge of the moves. Staff members at Immigration and Customs Enforcement were informed Tuesday evening that two top officials in the agency responsible for finding and removing immigrants in the country illegally — Russell Hott and Peter Berg — had been reassigned, according to a Department of Homeland Security official and an administration official. The Department of Homeland Security said ICE "needs a culture of accountability that it has been starved of for the past four years." Berg will return to the ICE office in St. Paul, Minnesota, according to the Homeland Security official who spoke to the AP. Hott will return to ICE’s Washington field office, according to The Washington Post, which was first to report the reassignments. Todd Lyons, who was recently the top immigration enforcement official in the Boston area, will assume the top position at Enforcement and Removal Operations, and his deputy will be Garrett Ripa, the officials told the AP. They said no reason was given for the reshuffle. But it came the day President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said he was unsatisfied with the pace of immigration arrests and with recent releases of people from immigration custody.

ABC News [2/12/2025 8:45 PM, Byron Pitts, Melissa Adan, Matt Gutman, Stephanie Ramos, Terry Moran, Mireya Villarreal, Alex Perez, Victor Oquendo, Mola Lenghi, Matt Rivers, Kayna Whitworth, and Sean Keane, 33392K] reports immigration has always been the lifeblood of America, helping to create a unique melting pot of culture and history. However, the fight over who belongs, and who does not, is as old as the country itself. Since his inauguration last month, President Donald Trump has been testing the limits of his power through a flurry of executive orders. He’s working to deliver on his campaign promise to crack down on immigration by targeting areas like birthright citizenship and refugee status. Deportations are ramping up, even as border crossings are down. The administration is going so far as to use Guantanamo Bay -- the military base in Cuba -- to house the influx of arrested migrants. Correspondents from ABC News deployed across the nation to see what impact the Trump administration’s crackdown is having across America. Last Wednesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids began in an apartment building in the early morning hours. Working with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and FBI agents, they knocked on doors, stopped cars and took multiple people into custody. It was just one of multiple immigration enforcement operations happening throughout the Denver area that day. Law enforcement said publicly that they were targeting the most dangerous undocumented individuals. However, people ABC News spoke with said agents went door to door, questioning residents at every unit -- more than a hundred in total -- demanding identification and asking if drugs were inside. While large-scale operations like this can net arrests, residents said going door to door created unreasonable panic and fear for everyone involved. The enforcement actions have also created tension in the communities surrounding U.S. ports of entry along the southern border, especially in Texas. These ports are the economic lifeblood of their regions, both by water and by land, but they are also where Border Patrol is focused on stopping the flow of both migrants and illegal drugs.

CBS Austin [2/12/2025 3:29 PM, Austin Denean, 581K] reports federal agents are continuing the crackdown on illegal immigration targeting people across the country with a criminal record and starting deportation proceedings as the Trump administration seeks to ramp up removals. More than 8,000 people were arrested pending deportation during the first two weeks of Trump’s second presidency as the administration shuffles federal law enforcement resources around to focus on immigration enforcement. While the administration awaits more funding and resources from Congress, it has said it is focused on arresting migrants who pose a risk to public safety and have ties to criminal organizations. ICE has highlighted the arrests of gang members, suspected members of terrorist groups and others with violent crime charges against them. Agents have also arrested multiple migrants suspected or convicted of sex crimes and started deportation proceedings. Border czar Tom Homan told NewsNation on Tuesday that he is not satisfied with the level of ICE arrests.

CBS Austin [2/12/2025 5:56 PM, Kristine Frazao, 581K] reports there are growing signs the Trump administration’s crackdown isn’t only on illegal immigration, but on those tasked with carrying out the mission to stop it. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed two top ICE officials were removed from their jobs and reassigned, despite enforcement arrests being three times higher than last year, according to the White House.

MSNBC [2/12/2025 2:38 PM, Ja’han Jones, 57114K] reports that several officials handpicked by Donald Trump to serve in his administration have attacked the media in recent days over coverage of the president’s anti-immigration policies. Last week, Brendan Carr, the conservative attack dog Trump tapped to lead the Federal Communications Commission, announced that his agency is investigating the San Francisco radio station KCBS — owned by radio conglomerate Audacy — after it broadcast federal immigration agents’ live locations last month. This particular report has garnered a lot of backlash in conservative media circles, where people framed the release of the details as a potentially unlawful act of betrayal. Carr told Fox News last week that he believes the report put U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents’ lives in danger by reporting on their "live locations" and unmarked vehicles. He suggested Democrats who’ve encouraged protests against Trump have created a climate of antipathy toward immigration officials that’s put them at risk. However, Carr didn’t name a single Democratic official who’s called for violence — or even unlawful interference — in ICE activities. It’s worth noting that Carr’s claims of media inhibiting immigration enforcement or putting officials at risk have been repeated by other officials in Trump’s administration.

Miami Herald [2/12/2025 1:22 PM, Lauren Costantino, 6595K] reports that their faith traditions may be different but leaders from a variety of denominations — Baptist, Conservative Jewish, Episcopalian, Evangelical, Mennonite, Quaker and more — are uniting over a lawsuit that challenges the Trump administration’s recent policy that gives immigration enforcement officers more leeway in "sensitive areas," including places of worship. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP) at Georgetown Law on behalf of 27 religious groups, argues that the Trump administration’s recent decision to rescind a federal policy that discouraged immigration enforcement actions in churches, schools and other "sensitive locations," infringes on their religious freedoms. The Christian and Jewish denominations argue that last month’s directive — which came with a strongly worded warning from the Department of Homeland Security that "Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest," — infringes on the religious freedoms of their congregants.

CBS Detroit [2/12/2025 7:07 PM, Elle Meyers, 52225K] Video: HERE reports in a party-line vote, Michigan House Republicans implemented a new rule to discourage sanctuary cities. House Rule 19 prohibits any state funding outside of normal budgetary spending from going to a county, city, village or township that has a policy in place to not cooperate with immigration and customs enforcement (ICE). "In my opinion, H.R. 19 was nothing more than a power grab by our House Republicans here," said Rep. Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton. "This is a blatant attempt by the speaker to start controlling which local municipalities can receive state funds under the guise of immigration.” "We just want to try and disincentivize that type of behavior from some of these rogue type of municipalities or counties," said Rep. Joe Aragona, R-Clinton Township. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, Michigan has only one city officially designated as a sanctuary city and a handful of counties, such as Kalamazoo, Washtenaw and Kent. Puri tells CBS News Detroit he sees the new rule as intentionally vague. "This is causing a tremendous amount of chaos and confusion for us to kind of kind of figure out what exactly is going on," he said. However, Aragona says he sees this new rule as fiscal competency. He said the new rule doesn’t impact a city or county’s regular funding; it would apply to any special state grant funding, which is a smaller pot of money.

ABC News [2/12/2025 12:50 PM, Aaron Katersky, 33392K] reports that authorities in New York City are searching for a man who allegedly impersonated a federal immigration enforcement agent before trying to rape a 51-year-old woman in broad daylight, according to police sources. The victim was waiting for a cab outside a Brooklyn CityMD just before 11 a.m. Tuesday when the suspect approached and said he was an ICE agent and needed to talk to her, according to police sources. The man allegedly forced her into a basement stairwell, punched her and tried to rape her, the NYPD said. He took her phone, her purse and a chain before fleeing the scene, police said. The woman suffered lacerations to her face, bruising and scratches, and was hospitalized in stable condition, police sad. The suspect never showed any identification, according to police sources. [Editorial note: consult video at source link] CBS New York [2/12/2025 6:33 PM, Zinnia Maldonado, 52225K] Video: HERE that the attack has left many people in the area uneasy. Attacker identified himself as "Immigration," sources say. The NYPD said the man attempted to rape a 51-year-old woman who was initially standing in the lobby at 135 Montague St. Sources say when he approached the woman he said "Immigration," adding he did not hold up a badge or any type of identification. Investigators said the woman, who does not live in the neighborhood, was waiting for a cab at around 11 a.m. when the man forced her into a basement stairwell, where he punched her and then stole her chain, phone and purse. She suffered multiple cuts and bruises, but managed to escape. Univision [2/12/2025 5:11 PM, Staff, 7281K] reports that individuals in several states have begun posing as ICE agents and harassing people using racial bias amid the federal government’s tightening of anti-immigrant policies following the return of Donald Trump to the presidency. Three of these individuals were arrested by authorities in separate cases in the states of North Carolina, South Carolina and Pennsylvania, after allegedly impersonating ICE agents, generating fear and confusion in the communities where they carried out their actions.

Yahoo! News [2/12/2025 6:03 PM, Ariana Baio, 57114K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement is planning to increase its online monitoring initiatives to observe any negative sentiments people make online and collect information on individuals who make threats against ICE personnel or facilities. Citing an "increased level of external threat activity" directed at senior leaders, personnel and facilities on social media and online posting, the agency put out a request for information back in November seeking companies who can help monitor comments online. In a 15-page statement of objectives, ICE said it seeks a company that can scour social media, open-source online databases, the dark web and the deep web to find potential threats and identify them to the agency using geolocation, psychological profiles, facial recognition technology and more. This means a person who is consistently making negative remarks about ICE on social media or posting about a specific person in immigration law enforcement can be monitored by the government agency. Already, ICE has a $5.5 million contract, for a service with an identical name, with a DC-based security and intelligence contractor called Barbaricum but it is set to expire in March. The statement of objectives and request for information were posted to a government contracting website in November after Donald Trump won the presidential election with promises to enact an aggressive mass deportation plan. However, it asked for responses before January 6, 2025 – two weeks before Trump took office. It is unclear if the objectives and request resulted in any official contract. The Independent has asked ICE for more information.

Yahoo! News [2/12/2025 6:34 PM, Staff, 57114K] reports police arrested a local man Tuesday when he arrived at a business expecting to meet a minor for a sexual relationship, according to a Lewiston Police Department Facebook post. Luke Johnson, 48, was charged with attempted gross sexual assault, solicitation of a child and sexual exploitation of a minor after he was arrested following an undercover investigation. Johnson was transported to the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn where he is being held on a $15,000 cash bail. Johnson, believing he was communicating with a minor child, scheduled an encounter expecting to meet a minor for a sexual relationship but instead was greeted by an undercover police Tuesday, the post said. He was arrested without incident when he arrived at a local business. Lewiston Police Department worked with the Department of Homeland Security investigators who were assisted by the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department and Auburn Police Department.

FOX News [2/12/2025 9:27 PM, Greg Wehner, 57114K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has apprehended an illegal alien from Guatemala in Massachusetts, who was charged with multiple counts of child rape. ICE said 49-year-old Jose Fernando-Perez was taken into custody in Framingham, Massachusetts on Feb. 2. He had previously been charged with three counts of forcible rape of a child and three counts of aggravated rape of a child. "Jose Fernando-Perez has been charged with some horrific crimes against a minor in our commonwealth," ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde said. "He is exactly the type of alien we are targeting with our ‘worst first’ policy. He posed a significant danger to the children of Massachusetts, and we will not tolerate such a threat to our community." According to ICE, Fernando entered the U.S. illegally at an unknown date and location, without being inspected, admitted or paroled by an immigration official. In December 2005, Fernando was arraigned in Lynn District Court for leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and for having inaccurate license plates attached to the vehicle. He was ultimately convicted of the charges on Oct. 19, 2012. He was arraigned again in Lynn District Court on April 19, 2022, but this time for rape of a child by force. The court dismissed the case because of an indictment in the superior court, ICE noted. On May 16, 2022, ICE lodged an immigration detainer against Fernando with the Essex County House of Correction, though the Essex County Superior Court ignored the detainer and released him on pretrial conditions on Oct. 6, 2022. On Feb. 2, Fernando was apprehended, and since then, ICE officers have served him with a notice to appear before an immigration judge with the Department of Justice. ICE said Fernando currently remains in custody. Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Maura Gov. Maura Healey said in November that her state police will "absolutely not" be cooperating with President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts, warning that she will use "every tool in the toolbox" to "protect" residents in the blue state. But last month, she changed her tune, noting that her state is not a sanctuary state, despite a 2017 ruling by the state Supreme Judicial Court that severely limits law enforcement cooperation with ICE.

UPI [2/12/2025 7:07 PM, Allen Cone, 6595K] reports eight Venezuelan gang members have been indicted in connection with sex trafficking women from South America to Tennessee, the U.S. Department of Justice said. The family affair operated an illegal commercial sex and sex trafficking enterprise out of motels in Nashville, Tenn., from July 2022 through March 2024, DOJ said Tuesday after the indictment was unsealed. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday announced a ninth suspect, a 39-year-old woman, was arrested in Texas. None of the defendants have legal status in the United States and they remain in detention in Nashville with an immigration detainer. All eight are charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation for prostitution and conspiracy to commit interstate, and foreign travel or transportation in racketeering enterprises. The maximum sentence for these three crimes is five years in prison. Three face a sex trafficking conspiracy charge, which carries a maximum punishment of life in prison: Yilibeth del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera, 51; Yuribetzi Del Valle Gomez Machuca, 39; Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero, 35. Mota-Rivero also faces a charge of possession of a firearm by an undocumented person, which has a maximum sentence of five years. The other five indicted were Wilmarys Del Valle Manzano Solorzano, 22; Frankyanna Del Valle Romero-Rivero, 30; Endrik Alexander Morales-Rivero, 25; Jesus Enrique Castillo Rodriguez, 24; and Ariannys Beatriz Gutierrez-Carrillo, 24.

Reported similarly:
Telemundo Amarillo [2/12/2025 4:36 PM, Staff, 1K]

Yahoo! News [2/12/2025 11:44 AM, Staff, 57114K] reports that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the arrests of 17 people accused of technology-facilitated crimes against children. Operation Byte Down involved the GBI and 33 law enforcement agencies in Georgia. Through Operation Byte Down, suspects were arrested for various child exploitation charges, including sharing child pornography and contact or attempted contact with a minor for sex. The GBI said they found 13 children living in homes where online child sexual exploitation occurred, with one of the suspects admitting to current or prior hands-on sexual offenses against a child. Investigators seized 361 electronic devices, including phones, tablets, computers, hard drives and various data storage devices. More arrests are possible. Anyone with information about other cases of child exploitation can call the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit at 404-270-8870 or report the tip online. Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling 1-800-597-8477, submitting a tip online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Yahoo! News [2/12/2025 10:58 AM, Kyler Swaim, 57114K] reports that Arkansas State Police on Wednesday released the results of Operation VOICE, a human trafficking operation that took place in Fort Smith in January. ASP said in a news release that 12 adults believed to be victims of human trafficking were offered services and another 32 victims were identified as part of Operation VOICE (Victims’ Opportunity for Independence, Care, and Empowerment). A suspected trafficker was also identified. Members of the Arkansas Human Trafficking Council along with ASP conducted a single-day operation, which focused on providing victims with essential services, including food, lodging, medical assistance, counseling, therapy, and drug rehabilitation. ASP said in the release that before and during Operation VOICE, intelligence analysts and law enforcement officers worked to identify victims. Two children were also removed from exploitative, vulnerable, and unstable conditions in preparation for the operation, ASP said. ASP said the operation was made possible with the coordinated efforts of the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, Fort Smith Police Department, Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Arkansas Fusion Center.

Univision [2/12/2025 6:30 PM, Staff, 7281K] reports the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service expelled a Hispanic who had been deported six times and had a long criminal record on February 10. ICE transported Jesús Álvarez Sinecio, a 32-year-old Mexican citizen, from the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, to the Port of Laredo, where he was released in Mexico. Álvarez was expelled from the country by U.S. immigration officials in November 2013, May 2015, May 2018, October 2018 and November 2019. Alvarez has been convicted of several criminal offences, including aggravated assault on a family member, a foreigner in possession of a firearm, driving under the influence of alcohol, illegal entry and illegal re-entry. "By mocking our law system, their actions put everyone in the community at risk," said the director of ICE’s Houston Field Office of Execution and Expulsion Operations, Bret Bradford.

FOX News [2/12/2025 3:04 PM, Michael Lee, Adam Shaw, 49889K] reports authorities in Aurora, Colorado, had traced a surge in Venezuelan-linked crime as early as the summer of 2023 in two apartment blocks, new emails show, nearly a year before the rise of Tren de Aragua (TdA) activity came to light. Emails obtained by America First Legal and provided to Fox News Digital show communications between state and local officials about the threat posed by Venezuelan nationals, including those who may have ties to the bloodthirsty Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang.

FOX News [2/13/2025 2:36 AM, Elizabeth Pritchett, 49889K] reports Colorado’s largest public school district is the first in America to sue the Trump administration over fears of ICE raids taking place on school grounds. Denver Public Schools filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for its decision to remove a policy designating schools – and other areas, like churches – as sensitive locations, therefore restricting immigration enforcement. The policy was enacted in 2011 under former President Barack Obama. The school system argues that rescinding the policy has caused schools to devote time and resources to teaching students and staff how to remain safe from immigration enforcement. "DPS is hindered in fulfilling its mission of providing education and life services to the students who are refraining from attending DPS schools for fear of immigration enforcement actions occurring on DPS school grounds," the lawsuit states, according to The Associated Press. The school system also argued that attendance has significantly declined since the decision. Adhering to his campaign promise to deport illegal aliens by the masses, President Donald Trump lifted the ICE-restricting policy shortly after taking office last month. Since Jan. 20, ICE has arrested and deported thousands of people in the U.S. illegally – most of them being criminals with convictions in the U.S. or their home countries. Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan has been leading the charge and has stated repeatedly that ICE is going after "the worst, first.” The goal of the lawsuit is for the Trump administration to hopefully reinstate the policy banning immigration enforcement activities from taking place at schools, though no ICE raids have taken place on school grounds. Denver Public Schools has trained staff on how to handle ICE officers if they show up at school, telling them to deny agents entry if they don’t have a warrant signed by a judge. "Parents across Denver enroll their children in public schools believing that while at school, their children will be educated and enriched without fear the government will enforce immigration laws on those premises," the lawsuit said, via The AP. The lawsuit also stated that there were more than 90,000 students in the Denver Public Schools system during the 2023-2024 school year, and approximately 4,000 were immigrants. Denver has seen a massive population jump in recent years as the city predicts nearly 43,000 people have arrived in the area from the southern border, the lawsuit said.

FOX News [2/13/2025 1:30 AM, Christina Shaw, 49889K] reports the DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division said 10 of Colorado’s worst drug criminals were arrested under "Operation Return to Sender" and handed over to immigration enforcement. Their efforts have led to the arrest of more than 90 people over the past 16 days. DEA RMFD said on social media that at least three of those arrested were part of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA). The 10 suspects whose photos were provided are some of the most serious criminals arrested, but a DEA spokesperson said there are worse offenders in the remaining 80-some suspects. The 10 have been placed in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and will likely face deportation. Not all 90 people arrested were undocumented citizens and their cases cannot be discussed due to ongoing investigations. They face charges ranging from kidnapping to fentanyl distribution to child sexual assault. At least four of those arrested were taken into custody during an ICE raid at a makeshift nightclub in January. DEA Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen said he is working daily with law enforcement partners to keep Americans safe. Pullen told Fox News that law enforcement agencies have been told to work together since President Donald Trump took office. "We are collaborating in ways we never have before. We are taking the information in DEA’s tank and ICE’s tank and HSI’s tank and the FBI and are putting it all together and we are collaborating [in] ways we have never seen before in my entire career.” Since Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, ICE raids have detained thousands of illegal aliens nationwide. The Trump administration has pushed ICE to increase the number of arrests per day from a few hundred to at least 1,200, according to a previous report by Fox News Digital. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Yahoo! News [2/13/2025 12:34 AM, Jesus Baltazar, 57114K] reports a community of horse trainers and groomers who live and work at the Frontera Training Center in Sunland Park, New Mexico, report having been approached and questioned by federal immigration officials at the private property Tuesday morning. “They asked if we lived here, we said ‘yes.’ They asked for documentation and if we were U.S. citizens, and we said ‘yes.’ And then they wanted us to let them go into our house, that’s when we refused,” said Efren Aguilar Jr., a resident at the property and a U.S. citizen. Aguilar said he and his roommates stepped outside of their house when a neighbor from one of the next-door barns told them there were “ICE” agents outside going from barn to barn questioning their neighbors and searching the property. Aguilar captured on camera the moment when ICE and U.S. Border Patrol agents approached and questioned him and his two other roommates at the front porch of their home about their immigration status. Aguilar said the federal officers tried pressuring them into allowing them to search their home. “Once we refused that, we were surrounded by them. There was a man with firearms walking around the house and stuff, which I think was very unnecessary,” Aguilar said. Pedro Zuviate Rivas Jr., a horse groomer at the property, Aguilar’s roommate, and a U.S. citizen, said he had just arrived home from work looking to rest from a long day. The last thing he expected was the intense and troubling experience of being interrogated outside his own home. “I think it’s logical to think it was racism. They looked at us and approached us. It’s not like we gave them a reason to approach us. In the house we live in, we are all workers. At that moment I was not wearing a hat, I looked bald. I was dirty from work. I’m brown. They approached us just based on those traits,” Zuviate said. Aguilar and Zuviate said the federal officers remained at the property for about an hour before leaving. They said they heard that a couple of colleagues were arrested at the property that day. The ramped-up immigration enforcement efforts in the Borderland and across the country, like the one Aguilar and Zuviate experienced, have been making the rounds on social media.

Newsweek [2/12/2025 1:39 PM, Dan Gooding, 56005K] reports that an illegal immigrant with a known criminal history was arrested on homicide charges in Washington state following a monthslong investigation into the death of a male bystander in a drive-by shooting. Francisco J. Gallegos-Barbosa, 29, was detained by the Auburn Police Department on February 5. He has reportedly been deported from the United States previously and has links to the Rancho San Pedro gang. Newsweek reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for comment via email Wednesday. Auburn Police Department’s investigation began on September 3, 2024, when officers were called out to a welfare check in the city, which turned into a murder investigation. They found 35-year-old Travis Jones with a fatal gunshot wound. The victim was thought to be an innocent bystander in a gang-related drive-by shooting. Cops analyzed multiple shell casings from the scene, as well as surveillance footage, and identified Gallegos-Barbosa as the driver of the vehicle seen speeding past Jones when the shooting happened. The suspect had also sent multiple messages with other suspects, discussing the shooting and his awareness that police were looking for him, police said. Officers caught up with him on February 5, and he was charged with second-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.

FOX News [2/12/2025 11:45 AM, Aubrie Spady, 49889K] reports that Republican lawmakers are seeking to end a government program that "undermines national security" by allowing a "faceless computer code" to randomly distribute visas to migrants through a lottery system, Fox News Digital has learned. The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program), which is run by the State Department, holds an annual lottery where up to 55,000 green cards are given out to immigrants who are then granted permanent resident status through a randomized draw. The program has been in political debate for years among lawmakers who have raised national security concerns over randomly choosing migrants to receive residency rather than going through a merit-based selection process. On Wednesday, Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga. introduced the Security and Fairness Enhancement for America Act of 2025, shared first with Fox News Digital, that aims to end the visa lottery and eliminate the ability for lottery winners to immediately sponsor family members for preferential green cards. "The Diversity Visa Program is a needless exercise in government virtue signaling. We’ve opened our country up to an almost endless system of chain migration while throwing a dart at the globe and letting faceless computer code determine a path to citizenship for 50,000 immigrants," Collins said in a statement.

NPR [2/12/2025 5:32 PM, Ximena Bustillo, 35747K] Audio: HERE reports White House actions to pause refugee resettlement and funds to NGOs have stranded hundreds of organizations and thousands of refugees legally on U.S. soil.

AP [2/12/2025 9:49 PM, Susan Haigh, 47097K] reports that, while U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced legal action Wednesday against New York officials over a 2019 state law allowing immigrants to obtain state-issued driver’s licenses regardless of legal status, the Empire State isn’t alone in having such a mandate on the books. At least 19 states and the District of Columbia have enacted similar laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. They’re often called “Green Light” or “Drive Only License” laws and some have been in effect for decades. The details of these laws can differ by state, including whether a driver’s information can be shared with federal authorities - a key sticking point for Bondi, who called New York’s law a “green light to illegal immigration.” As part of President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration campaign promises, Bondi announced at her first news conference the federal government planned to sue New York Attorney General Letitia James and Gov. Kathy Hochul over the state’s Green Light Law. While the legislation was enacted in part to help improve public safety on the roads and make it easier for the immigrant drivers to get insurance, there’s a provision Bondi said requires the state’s motor vehicles commissioner to inform license-holders when a federal immigration agency has requested their information. “It’s tipping off an illegal alien and it’s unconstitutional.” she said. “And that’s why we filed this lawsuit.” Besides New York, other states with drive-only laws include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington, which has the oldest one. It dates back to 1993 and allows people without Social Security numbers to provide alternative documentation to show proof of residence, such as a utility bill or a tax identification number. Minnesota has one of the most recent laws. In 2023, requirements for applicants to show a legal presence were removed, affecting an estimated 81,000 people. While they’re not asked for proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residence status, applicants must provide identifying documents such as an unexpired foreign passport or a certified birth certificate issued by a foreign jurisdiction.

FOX News [2/12/2025 1:04 PM, Gabriel Hays, 49889K] reports that a San Francisco lawyer who filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s crackdown on sanctuary cities argued that President Trump’s polices regarding immigration make Americans "less safe." In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu announced his lawsuit against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown – filed on behalf of San Francisco officials and those in other sanctuary cities across America. He also defended sanctuary city policies, saying they make America safer, while stating that Trump’s attempts to punish these cities do the opposite. "So let me just take a moment and explain what sanctuary policies are about. When communities trust law enforcement, victims and witnesses of crime come forward, arrests are made, criminals are taken off the streets. When the opposite happens, trust is eroded. People are fearful to report. We are all less safe." The attorney told CNN anchor Kate Bolduan that since Inauguration Day 2025, the Trump administration has "doubled down" on its attempts to slash federal funding from sanctuary cities that it had implemented in its first term. President Trump has also ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to make criminal arrests in left-leaning "sanctuary" cities, including Philadelphia, Boston, Denver and Washington, D.C., since getting into office. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Telemundo51.com [2/12/2025 5:50 PM, Ana Cuervo, 283K] reports concern is growing among Venezuelans protected by Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which is set to expire in April. As the deadline approaches, thousands of beneficiaries face uncertainty about their legal future, continued employment, and fear of possible deportation. Meanwhile, community leaders and local representatives in cities with a high concentration of Venezuelan immigrants, such as Doral, have begun to mobilize in search of lasting solutions beyond a temporary extension. The debate over the future of TPS has generated a climate of misinformation and fear among the Venezuelan community in Florida. Adding to this concern is the possibility that local police forces could become involved in the enforcement of state and federal immigration laws, something that is still under discussion in Tallahassee.

AP [2/12/2025 4:50 PM, Jim Morris] reports the man appointed by the Canadian government to help stop fentanyl from entering the United States said his goal is to totally eliminate the drug crossing the border. The move was partly in response to President Donald Trump saying the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants into the U.S. was a reason for threatening to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods – with an exception of 10% on energy. Brosseau said his job will be to work to integrate the different levels of law enforcement. Figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) show the agency seized 19.5 kilograms (43 pounds) of fentanyl at the northern border last year. That compares to 9,570 kilograms (21,098 pounds) at the southwestern border. Brosseau said he plans on meeting with Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, and other U.S. officials soon.

Yahoo! News [2/12/2025 6:50 PM, Paul Feely, 57114K] reports Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Lebanon Municipal Airport detected a firearm during passenger security screening this week, the first such detection at a New Hampshire airport this year. TSA officers detected the firearm in a male passenger’s backpack during screening Tuesday afternoon, officials said. TSA officers contacted Lebanon police, who took possession of the loaded 9mm firearm. The 26-year-old passenger told screeners he forgot he had the firearm on him. TSA officials said gun owners should visit the TSA website for instructions on how to properly travel with a firearm. TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. A typical first offense for carrying a loaded gun into a checkpoint is $3,000 and can go as high as $15,000 depending on any mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits, because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane.

Axios [2/12/2025 5:30 AM, Andrew Freedman, 16349K]
Elon Musk’s budgetary chainsaw is looming over U.S. disaster prediction and response agencies — just as climate change is making certain types of extreme weather events more common and intense. Why it matters: Cutting the Federal Emergency Management Agency — possibly entirely — and slashing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s budget and mission amid a parade of climate disasters could have disastrous consequences. Between the lines: NOAA’s mission is broad and intricately linked with FEMA and state emergency management agencies. NOAA is responsible for flying into hurricanes to measure their strength and improve predictions. Its National Weather Service forecasts weather across the U.S. and its territories and collects the majority of ocean and atmospheric observations worldwide on a daily basis. The combination of Project 2025’s prescription for NOAA, along with news reports of coming, steep staff cuts — so far unsubstantiated — has left the agency’s staff demoralized. The nomination of Neil Jacobs, a meteorologist specializing in computer modeling, to run NOAA has also been met with a mix of relief and anxiety, given that he was in charge during Trump 1.0 and the "Sharpiegate" scandal. Zoom in: After scrutinizing NOAA, members of the Musk-led DOGE team have reportedly turned their attention to examining FEMA’s programs and IT systems. On Tuesday, President Trump posted on Truth Social that "FEMA should be terminated." The disaster management agency, part of the Homeland Security Department, has been in the crosshairs since staff were accused of avoiding giving aid to Republicans in the wake of Hurricane Helene. "Where were the concerns for deadly consequences when FEMA directed employees not to help certain people in North Carolina — was that not deadly?" Harrison Fields, principal deputy press secretary at the White House, told Axios in response to concerns over potential cuts to these agencies. Erasing the agency would require congressional action. Trump envisions states taking the lead in responding to their own disasters. "The people voted for major government reform. And that’s what people are going to get," Musk said in an Oval Office appearance with Trump on Tuesday. What they’re saying: "Honestly, the next disaster to happen, you know, who are you calling?" Pete Gaynor, FEMA administrator during Trump’s first term and currently an advisor to Bright Harbor, told Axios in an interview. Gaynor said there is widespread agreement that the agency needs reform in how it helps people recover from disasters, but he added that its preparedness and disaster response functions are in high demand and well-executed. "We need a national effort to reform FEMA," Gaynor said. "I don’t think anyone is arguing with the president on that, even people at FEMA," he said.

FOX News [2/12/2025 6:45 AM, Staff, 49889K]
Center for Immigration Studies resident fellow Andrew Arthur breaks down how the border crisis overwhelmed FEMA’s ability to disperse funds.

Newsweek [2/12/2025 1:51 PM, Anna Skinner, 56005K] reports that National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists are warning people in several major cities of heavy snow and "difficult" travel as a winter storm treks across the Great Lakes region. Heavy snow is expected to hit Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Chicago, Illinois; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Detroit, Michigan; in time for evening rush hour on Wednesday as a winter storm moves across the region. Winter storm warnings are already in place advising people of difficult travel conditions. Much of the central and eastern U.S. is under either a winter storm warning or a winter weather advisory as heavy snow and significant ice impacts the region. The winter weather is particularly affecting several major cities, prompting NWS meteorologists to issue warnings for people traveling in those areas. The Milwaukee forecast region is expecting up to 9 inches of snow, according to a winter storm warning. The warning is in place until 3 a.m. Thursday. The local NWS office warned that hazardous travel conditions were possible, especially during the Wednesday evening commute. In Chicago, a winter weather advisory is in effect until 3 a.m. local time on Thursday. Up to 6 inches of snow is expected, and the snowfall rates could be "possibly heavy at times."

AP [2/12/2025 12:39 PM, Gary D. Robertson, 33392K] reports that North Carolina House members advanced Wednesday a Republican package to boost state recovery funding after Hurricane Helene as committees fleshed out details on how best to spend another $500 million to address the historic flooding. The House’s budget-writing committee voted for the latest spending proposal, which would emphasize repairs for damaged homes, private bridges and roads, assistance to farmers who lost crops and rebuilding infrastructure adjacent used by small businesses. GOP House leaders had unveiled a version last week, but several amendments adjusted the measure in a special Helene recovery committee on Tuesday. A House floor vote is expected next week, said Rep. John Bell, the House rules chairman and co-chairman of the recovery committee. The package remains less than half of the $1.07 billion that new Democratic Gov. Josh Stein sought in new recovery spending earlier this month from legislators. Stein’s package contains several initiatives the House plan currently lacks, including money to recompense local governments in the mountains for lost or spent revenues and for two business grant programs designed to help small businesses directly.

Washington Examiner [2/12/2025 12:29 PM, Jenny Goldsberry, 2365K] reports that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) welcomed the opportunity for Florida to take over for the Federal Emergency Management Agency in responding to its own state emergencies. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to examine a revamping of FEMA. A new council on the subject is slated to meet on March 20 and provide a full report to Trump by July 20. DeSantis implied he’d be in favor of dismantling the agency altogether. "So if you just eliminated the FEMA bureaucracy, and when these disasters happen, you said we are going to block grant a certain amount of money to the states and let us administer it, you could give me 75 cents on the dollar, and that money will go further to help my people than running it through this cumbersome bureaucracy of FEMA," DeSantis said on Fox News’s The Ingraham Angle Tuesday. "So, yes, we could administer it better. We would be able to do it far cheaper than FEMA does." "It’s interesting. When these storms happen, we do the prep at the state and local level, we do the response search and rescue, help with the power restoration, and all the key things, and people are happy with that in Florida. It’s then when they have to start dealing with FEMA and how that interacts with local government that people just want to pull their hair out," DeSantis said. "So I think the president is right: eliminate the bureaucracy, block grant us the money. It will save taxpayer dollars, but it will actually benefit people in need more."

Yahoo! News [2/12/2025 2:16 PM, Jessica Skropanic, 57114K] reports that a moderate earthquake, followed by three smaller quakes, shook California’s Northern Coast in Humboldt County Tuesday night, after that morning’s 4.1 magnitude quake already fraying nerves. Those quakes happened two months after a strong temblor caused a tsunami warning. The largest quake — magnitude 4.5 — was reported at 8:33 p.m. off the coast near Petrolia, south of Eureka, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Concentrated in Humboldt County, it shook the coast north of Eureka to the Mendocino County border, according to USGS maps. Three smaller quakes followed throughout the night, the last (3.0 or stronger) reverberating at 1:22 a.m. Wednesday., the USGS reported. Those four earthquakes followed a 4.1 magnitude temblor that hit the same area in the middle of the night on Tuesday, at 12:13 a.m., according to Southern California Earthquake Data Center. People in Arcata, about 28 miles north of Ferndale, reported on social media they felt the earthquakes shake their couches and beds into the night. Others reported felling the earth move in McKinleyville and Blue Lake, several miles north and east of Arcata.

Miami Herald [2/12/2025 4:14 PM, Sara Schilling, 6595K] reports a volcano near Alaska’s most populous city is showing signs it could be headed toward an eruption, officials said. Mount Spurr, which sits about 75 miles west of Anchorage, has seen "volcanic unrest" for the last 10 months, including an increasing number of earthquakes, according to a Feb. 6 statement from the Alaska Volcano Observatory. The unrest suggests "that an eruption is possible," officials said. Since April, the number of earthquakes under the volcano has increased from 30 a week on average to 125 a week, officials said. The observatory "has located over 2,700 earthquakes during the unrest episode thus far," according to officials, who said the largest of them was a magnitude 2.9 quake on Jan. 2. If an eruption does happen, it likely will be at the Crater Peak vent, which erupted in 1953 and 1992, the observatory said.

Boston 25 News [2/12/2025 5:54 PM, Bryan Lambert] reports shoppers at an Abington grocery store are asked to be on alert after three credit card skimming devices were found in checkout aisles this week. Staff at Trucchi’s supermarket alerted police on Monday that they found the credit card skimmer when a customer was having issues checking out with their credit card. A manager found two other machines also had skimming devices attached to them. Abington police say the devices were found at registers 3, 7 and 8.

Newsweek [2/12/2025 4:01 PM, Amanda Castro, 56005K] reports first lady Melania Trump announced that the White House will reopen for public tours, as they were paused for President Donald Trump’s transition back into the Oval Office. The reopening marks the continuation of a long-standing tradition that allows the public to learn about the history of the presidency, first families and the nation’s heritage. The tours are seen as a symbol of transparency and public engagement with the federal government. Public tours of the White House will officially resume on February 25. Secret Service officers are stationed along the route and will be available to answer questions about the history, art, furnishings and uses of each room.

AP [2/12/2025 1:35 PM, Patrick Whittle, 14282K] reports that a recording released by the federal government appears to include audio of the implosion of the experimental submersible that went missing on its way to the wreck of the Titanic. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration passive acoustic recorder located about 900 miles (1,448 kilometers) away from the implosion site picked up the sound, U.S. Coast Guard officials said in a statement. The recording became public on Feb. 7. The brief, staticky recording includes a loud noise that sounds somewhat like an underwater thunderclap. It then goes silent for its remaining few seconds. The Coast Guard said in a statement that the audio clip "records the suspected acoustic signature of the Titan submersible implosion" on June 18, 2023, the day the submersible went missing. A Coast Guard panel performing a lengthy investigation into the submersible disaster heard two weeks of testimony last September. The testimony included dramatic moments, such as when a former OceanGate scientific director said the Titan malfunctioned during a dive just a few days before its implosion. The Coast Guard is expected to release more information about the implosion in the future. A spokesperson for the agency said Wednesday the investigation is still ongoing and a final report will be released after it is completed.

FOX News [2/12/2025 5:51 AM, Elizabeth Pritchett, 49889K]
the U.S. Coast Guard sent 132 Haitians back to their home country after intercepting their vessel southeast of the Florida Keys last week. Coast Guard cutter Escanaba made the stop approximately 50 miles southeast of Marathon, Florida, after being notified of a 30-foot vessel overloaded with people sailing between Cuba and Cay Sal Bank. Aircrews with Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and Coast Guard Air Station Miami notified the Escanaba’s crew after witnessing the vessel attempting to enter U.S. territory illegally. "The Coast Guard will continue to prioritize strengthening our domestic integrity and disrupting attempts to enter the United States illegally by sea," said Coast Guard District Seven enforcement officer Lt. Zane Carter. "We are steadfast in our mission to safeguard America by securing our maritime borders.”" Once the Coast Guard stopped the vessel, the Haitians were processed to determine their country of origin, and provided food, water, shelter and basic medical attention before they were sent back home, which is normal protocol. The Coast Guard said crews have repatriated 313 illegal aliens to Haiti since the beginning of fiscal year 2025 on Oct. 1, 2024. "Anyone attempting to enter the United States illegally by sea will be interdicted and repatriated, consistent with U.S. law and policy," the USCG said in a statement. The Coast Guard said it partners with the Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast to maintain a constant presence in the air, land and sea in the Florida Straits, the Windward Passage, the Mona Passage and the Caribbean Sea under Operation Vigilant Sentry. The joint approach is "designed to protect the safety of life at sea while preventing unlawful maritime entry to the United States and its territories," the USCG said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

AP [2/12/2025 3:25 PM, Staff] reports the U.S. Coast Guard has been searching for tar balls that began showing up on South Florida beaches over the weekend, but so far the source of the black muck remains a mystery. The agency has been investigating reports of tar balls from Port Everglades to Palm Beach along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, the Coast Guard said in a statement. Some beaches in South Florida closed on Saturday when tar balls washed ashore, but they’ve since reopened. Coast Guard crews conducted searches by air and by sea, but they were unable to find a specific source, Coast Guard Petty Officer Nicholas Strasburg said Wednesday. It’s believed that whatever was washing ashore will naturally dissipate, Strasburg said. Though the agency is no longer investigating the source of the tar balls, it is working with local communities in case they have any further concerns, he said.

CBS Austin [2/12/2025 2:48 PM, Jackson Walker, 581K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday told The National News Desk (TNND) employees who worked on misinformation and disinformation are on administrative leave. A Disinformation Governance Board, a branch of DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), was created in 2022 to combat disinformation. That group was paused less than a month after being launched and was later terminated after Republican backlash. CISA, according to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, needs to reevaluate its priorities under President Donald Trump.

CyberScoop [2/12/2025 12:00 PM, Matt Kapko] reports a subgroup of Seashell Blizzard has shifted its focus to targets in the U.S., Canada, Australia and the U.K. within the past year, expanding the scope of its malicious activity, Microsoft’s threat intelligence team said in a report released Wednesday. The initial-access operation, which Microsoft tracks as the “BadPilot campaign,” has allowed the Russian state threat group — commonly known as Sandworm, which operates on behalf of the Russian Military Intelligence Unit 74455 (GRU) — to establish long-term persistence on affected systems to steal credentials, execute commands and achieve lateral movement since at least 2021. The subgroup’s activities enabled at least three destructive cyberattacks in Ukraine since 2023, but additional capabilities and publicly available exploits for internet-facing systems provided the subgroup with access to more opportunistic targets that don’t appear to align with Russia’s strategic interests, according to Microsoft. “The concern with the activity we identified is that it shows a significant departure from Russia’s typical operating behavior of narrowly-focused cyber operations,” Sherrod DeGrippo, director of threat intelligence strategy at Microsoft, said in an email. “The activity has been indiscriminate at times, affecting a wide range of industries across numerous countries and regions, well outside the borders of Ukraine,” she added. The subgroup gained access to a broader range of targets in the U.S. and U.K. since early 2024 by primarily exploiting vulnerabilities in ConnectWise ScreenConnect (CVE-2024-1709) and Fortinet FortiClientEMS (CVE-2023-48788), according to Microsoft. The subgroup’s altered operations and widened targeting indicate a “spray and pray” approach that has allowed it to achieve compromises at scale, increasing the probability of gaining access to targets of strategic interest to Russia with limited tailored effort, Microsoft said in the report. Microsoft’s threat researchers observed significant post-compromise activity in cases when the subgroup acquired access to a target of strategic importance. “This global exploitation activity has helped Russian intelligence gain access to sensitive industries in numerous locations around the world,” DeGrippo said. “Historically, Seashell Blizzard’s operations are assessed to be a key component of Russia’s overall strategy for destabilizing western institutions and emerging or established democracies, and has been one of the lead threat actors we see operational in Ukraine since the 2022 invasion.”

Bloomberg [2/12/2025 12:00 PM, Julie Zhu, 21617K] reports that Hi, it’s Julie. Cybercriminals looking to make a buck are a growing national security threat, Google says. But first… Nation-state hacking groups that are best known for spying are using their skills to try to score a profit, according to Google’s latest security report. Suspected Iranian and North Korean-sponsored cyberespionage units are moonlighting as ransomware groups who extort victims and collect cryptocurrency, Mandiant, the threat intelligence team within Alphabet Inc.’s Google Cloud, said in findings published Tuesday. The trend is one reason why financially-motivated cybercrime presents an evolving threat to US national security, the researchers said. In 2024, Mandiant responded to nearly four times as many attacks focused on profit than state-sponsored intelligence-gathering breaches, the company said in its findings. The for-profit hacking world represents a valuable outlet for digital spies, who can purchase malware, stolen passwords or other tools on illicit forums faster and cheaper than finding those things on their own, the report said. “The vast cybercriminal ecosystem has acted as an accelerant for state-sponsored hacking,” said Google Threat Intelligence Group Senior Manager Ben Read.

New York Times [2/12/2025 11:18 PM, Edward Wong, Maria Abi-Habib, Eric Schmitt, Hamed Aleaziz and Julian E. Barnes, 161405K] reports the Trump administration plans to designate more than a half-dozen criminal groups with roots in Latin America as foreign terrorist organizations, said five U.S. officials with knowledge of the imminent action. The move, to be carried out by the State Department, follows an executive order President Trump signed on Jan. 20 calling for a crackdown on major cartels. The designation is expected to be applied to eight groups, said two of the officials, though the list could change before a public announcement. The officials who spoke for this article did so on the condition of anonymity to talk about an action that has not been made public yet. The executive order called for the designations, saying the cartels “constitute a national-security threat beyond that posed by traditional organized crime” and that the United States would “ensure the total elimination” of the groups. Mr. Trump gave Secretary of State Marco Rubio two weeks to make the designations in consultation with several other cabinet members. The criminal groups and their members could be labeled foreign terrorist organizations or specially designated global terrorists, according to the order. The designations mean the U.S. government can impose broad economic sanctions on the groups and on people or entities linked to them. The executive order referred in general to cartels in Mexico. It also specifically named Tren de Aragua, a group with roots in Venezuela, and Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, a gang founded by Salvadoran immigrants in the United States that plays a lesser role in the transnational drug trade.

Boston Globe [2/12/2025 10:37 PM, Rita Chandler, 3238K] reports police are investigating a threat made on social media against Pentucket Regional Middle High School in West Newbury, authorities said. The nature of the threat and the platform on which it was made was not disclosed. The threat was reported to police by the social media platform Wednesday, Police Chief Michael Dwyer and Superintendent Dr. Justin Bartholomew said in a statement. They immediately alerted the school district, who helped them identify the student who made the post, the statement said. The statement encouraged families to remind their students about "the dangers of misusing social media and the serious consequences it can bring.” "Student safety is our priority. We’re committed to always working with our communities to ensure schools are secure," Chief Dwyer said. Police presence was heightened at Pentucket on Wednesday and may remain elevated Thursday, the statement said. West Newbury police were assisted by Merrimac and Rockport police and a regional team specializing in school threat assessment, according to the statement. The investigation is ongoing.

Wall Street Journal [2/12/2025 9:27 PM, Lindsay Wise and Brett Forrest] reports the Senate voted largely along party lines to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as the director of national intelligence, after she overcame skepticism from Republicans about whether she was the right person for the post. Gabbard, a combat veteran and former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, was confirmed by a vote of 52 to 48 in the GOP-controlled Senate. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), the former GOP leader, broke with his party to side with Democrats in voting “no.” President Trump in an Oval Office swearing in ceremony called Gabbard an “American of extraordinary courage and exceptional patriotism” and said she would have the responsibility of “overseeing urgently needed reforms” in the intelligence community. His pick to oversee the intelligence community had faced concerns among some GOP senators over her qualifications, her past favorable comments about foreign leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and her refusal to firmly condemn former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked U.S. secrets. McConnell, in explaining his vote, said the nation “should not have to worry that the intelligence assessments the president receives are tainted by a director of national intelligence with a history of alarming lapses in judgment.” Gabbard committed to Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine) that she wouldn’t make any recommendation on Snowden’s legal standing, such as a pardon, and Sen. Todd Young (R., Ind.) received a letter from Gabbard in which she pledged to hold accountable anyone who is suspected of making an unauthorized disclosure of any intelligence program. Some lawmakers said they were relying on Trump’s judgment. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.) said he “will trust President Trump on this decision and vote for her confirmation.” “Every president deserves their team,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.). Democratic senators complained that their Republican colleagues were unwilling to stand up to Trump and vote Gabbard’s nomination down, even though they had expressed reservations about her. “I worry that allies will be more reluctant to share critical information with the U.S. if people like Gabbard hold key intelligence posts,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D., Va.).

Washington Examiner [2/12/2025 2:31 PM, Mike Brest, 2365K] reports that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sent a message to NATO’s European members on Wednesday that the U.S. is not “primarily focused on the security of Europe.” Hegseth offered a couple minutes of opening remarks ahead of Wednesday’s Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Belgium, the first he’s attended since assuming the role of secretary of defense. The remarks shed a light on the Trump administration’s intentions toward the NATO alliance. "We’re also here today to directly and unambiguously express that stark strategic realities prevent the United States of America from being primarily focused on the security of Europe. The United States faces consequential threats to our homeland. We must – and we are – focusing on the security of our own borders," he said. The Pentagon has deployed a couple thousand service members to the southern border to assist the Department of Homeland Security in stopping illegal immigration and carrying out the deportations of migrants who illegally entered the country. A day earlier, Hegseth told reporters that there were no plans to reduce the U.S. military’s presence in Europe, though he acknowledged the department was conducting force posture reviews worldwide.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [2/12/2025 12:49 PM, Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt, and John Ismay, 161405K]

USA Today [2/12/2025 1:03 PM, Marc Ramirez, 89965K] reports that what did the CIA know about Lee Harvey Oswald, and when did they know it? The answers may lie in 2,400 documents newly linked to the 1963 assassination of former President John F. Kennedy in Dallas after a records review conducted by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI search was prompted by President Donald Trump’s push to release details about one of the nation’s most notorious and hotly debated crimes, including formerly classified intelligence and law enforcement files. "The question for me is not whether the CIA was complicit, but whether the CIA was negligent," said Gerald Posner, author of "Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK." Posner, who believes Oswald acted alone, said it would be "a big story" if the records reveal the CIA knew more than it let on about the gunman believed solely responsible for the assassination. One other glaring question, however, is: Why are these records only coming to light now, 62 years later? The FBI said Tuesday it conducted the records review after Trump’s executive order in January calling for declassification of records related to the assassination of the nation’s 35th president.

USA Today [2/12/2025 8:57 PM, Maritza Dominguez, 89965K] reports an Arizona woman pleaded guilty to defrauding U.S. companies in a scheme that assisted overseas IT workers — posing as U.S. citizens and residents — illegally, generating more than $17 million in revenue for herself and North Korea, federal prosecutors said. Christina Marie Chapman, 48, of Litchfield Park, Arizona, pleaded guilty Tuesday to "conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments," according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia. Under the plea agreement, the parties recommended a sentence of 94 to 111 months in federal prison. U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for June 16. According to prosecutors, Chapman was involved in a scheme that assisted overseas IT workers who posed as U.S. citizens and residents to work in remote positions at more than 300 companies. She conspired with overseas IT workers from October 2020 to October 2023 to steal the identities of U.S. citizens to apply for remote jobs, prosecutors said. Advancing the scheme, prosecutors said Chapman transmitted false documents to the Department of Homeland Security. Chapman and her coconspirators obtained hundreds of U.S. jobs, including at Fortune 500 companies, through staffing and contracting organizations. Prosecutors said Chapman created a "laptop farm" in her home so that companies would believe the workers were in the U.S. The workers, who received more than $17.1 million for their work, gained access to the internal systems of the U.S. companies with her assistance. As a result, over 300 U.S. companies were impacted and more than 70 U.S. individuals had their identities compromised and false tax liabilities created in their names, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in its release. Income was falsely reported to the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration using the names of people in the U.S. whose identities had been stolen. The case is the latest in federal efforts to stop North Korean remote worker fraud. Similar schemes have taken off in recent years, experts have said, as American companies cannot hire nationals of the belligerent nation due to sanctions.

CNN [2/12/2025 11:05 PM, Kaitlan Collins and Kevin Liptak, 987K] reports President Donald Trump said negotiations to end the Ukraine war will start “immediately” after holding a “lengthy and highly productive” telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday morning. The call, which is the first known conversation between the presidents since Trump assumed office last month, came as Trump makes clear to his advisers he wants to bring the Ukraine conflict to a swift end. Trump administration officials said they hoped a prisoner “exchange” on Tuesday could portend renewed efforts to end the war, which is about to enter its fourth year. Now, as the two leaders resume communication after a long period of silence between the White House and Kremlin, the contours of Trump’s settlement plan are coming into clearer focus. In a readout of the conversation posted on Truth Social, Trump said, “We discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, the power of the Dollar, and various other subjects.” “We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations. We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now,” Trump wrote. Both Washington and Moscow, in their descriptions of the call, suggested the men assumed a conciliatory tone. “President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, ‘COMMON SENSE.’ We both believe very strongly in it,” Trump wrote, suggesting the former KGB agent on the other end of the line had chosen his words carefully to appeal to the US leader. The Kremlin said Trump and Putin spoke for nearly 90 minutes. The Wall Street Journal [2/12/2025 5:57 PM, Alan Cullison, Nancy A. Youssef and Jane Lytvynenko] reports President Trump said he and Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Wednesday had agreed to open immediate talks to end the war in Ukraine in a “lengthy and highly productive phone call” between the two leaders. “I believe this effort will lead to a successful conclusion, hopefully soon!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, the first official acknowledgment that the two leaders have talked since Trump was elected. Trump said he and Putin agreed to visit each other’s country. The conversation Wednesday follows a prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow that Trump yesterday said could be a harbinger for better relations between the U.S. and Russia. “We want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine,” Trump wrote. Any effort to end the war could still face stiff headwinds, including from Putin, who has shown little inclination so far to end a war he feels he is winning—even though gains by Russian forces are slow and with heavy losses. For Ukraine, a cease-fire along the current front lines would also be a painful step, ceding control for the foreseeable future of 20% of the country. Trump also spoke Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said they discussed “the possibilities of achieving peace” as well as Ukraine’s technological capabilities, particularly drones. “Ukraine more than anyone wants peace,” Zelensky said in a statement. “We are defining our joint steps with America to halt Russian aggression and ensure a reliable, lasting peace. As President Trump said, ‘Let’s get it done.’” Earlier Wednesday, Zelensky met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Kyiv. Zelensky said they had discussed Ukrainian mineral deposits, which Trump has said he wants access to in return for military aid. Zelensky said Bessent had presented a document about a security and economic partnership between the countries, which the Ukrainian president said his team would work on quickly in the hope of being ready to seal an agreement at a security conference in Munich later this week. Trump didn’t describe what role Kyiv would have in negotiations on ending the war. Under the Biden administration, the U.S. said it wouldn’t hold peace talks without Ukraine at the table.

Wall Street Journal [2/12/2025 6:02 PM, Alan Cullison, Louise Radnofsky and Victoria Albert] reports American Marc Fogel arrived in the U.S. on Tuesday after being freed from a Russian prison, a move that Moscow said would result in the release of a Russian held in the U.S., under a deal brokered by President Trump’s special envoy. The Trump administration hailed the release of Fogel, who was arrested in 2021 on marijuana charges, as a harbinger of improving relations with Russia and possible progress on talks to end the war in Ukraine. The private plane of the envoy, Steve Witkoff, had been spotted by online flight trackers in Moscow earlier Tuesday. The Kremlin had denied knowledge of his presence there. Fogel was personally greeted by Trump at the White House later Tuesday, arriving on the South Lawn, with an American flag draped around his neck. He thanked the president, his staff and the Fogel family as he walked under an awning and into the White House. “I feel like the luckiest man on earth right now,” Fogel said. “I will forever be indebted to President Trump, to Steve over there.” “It’s great to have you back,” Trump replied. “I appreciate very much what they did in letting Marc go home…We got a man home whose mother and family wanted him desperately, whose state wanted him.” Trump didn’t directly answer a reporter’s question about the deal that freed Fogel, characterizing it as “very fair” and suggesting that an additional prisoner would be released as early as Wednesday, without saying whether that was an American or a Russian. Instead, he focused on goodwill “in terms of the war…It’s a very important evening for ending that war,” he said, referring to the war in Ukraine. On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said an unnamed Russian citizen would be freed from U.S. custody in the coming days as a result of Fogel’s release. Fogel’s release highlights the unusual style of negotiating with Russia by Trump, who apparently shunned formal diplomatic channels and instead relied on his personal envoy, Witkoff, in the handoff.

Washington Post [2/12/2025 7:01 PM, John Hudson, Michael Birnbaum and Ellen Nakashima, 40736K] reports Israel is likely to attempt a strike on Iran’s nuclear program in the coming months in a preemptive attack that would set back Tehran’s program by weeks or perhaps months but escalate tensions across the Middle East and renew the prospect of a wider regional conflagration, according to U.S. intelligence. The warnings about a potential Israeli strike are included in multiple intelligence reports spanning the end of the Biden administration and the beginning of the Trump administration, none more comprehensive than an early January report produced by the intelligence directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defense Intelligence Agency. The report warned that Israel is likely to attempt a strike on Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities in the first six months of 2025. Current and former U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence told The Washington Post that the finding derives from an analysis of Israel’s planning following its bombing of Iran in late October, which degraded its air defenses and left Tehran exposed to a follow-on assault. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss highly classified intelligence. The Israeli government, CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency and Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment. A spokesman for the White House National Security Council, Brian Hughes, said President Donald Trump “has made it clear: He will not permit Iran to get a nuclear weapon.” “While he prefers negotiating a resolution to American’s long-standing issues with the Iranian regime peacefully, he will not wait indefinitely if Iran isn’t willing to deal, and soon,” Hughes told The Post.

AP [2/13/2025 5:35 AM, Samy Magdy, 47097K] reports Hamas said Thursday it would release the next group of Israeli hostages as planned, apparently resolving a major dispute that threatened the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The militant group said Egyptian and Qatari mediators have affirmed that they will work to “remove all hurdles,” and that it would implement the ceasefire deal. The statement indicated three more Israeli hostages would be freed Saturday. There was no immediate comment from Israel after Hamas’ announcement. Hamas’ move would allow the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to continue for now, but its future remains in doubt. Hamas had threatened to delay the next release of Israeli hostages, accusing Israel of failing to meet its obligations to allow in tents and shelters, among other alleged violations of the truce. Israel, with the support of U.S. President Donald Trump, had threatened to renew its offensive if hostages were not freed. Hamas said its delegation held talks in Cairo with Egyptian officials and was in contact with Qatar’s prime minister about increasing the entry of shelters, medical supplies, fuel and heavy equipment for clearing rubble into Gaza. Egypt’s state-run Qahera TV, which is close to the country’s security services, reported that Egypt and Qatar had succeeded in resolving the dispute. The two Arab countries have served as key mediators with Hamas and helped broker the ceasefire, which took effect in January, 15 months into the war.

Washington Post [2/13/2025 1:00 AM, Karishma Mehrotra, 40736K] reports Jaskaran Singh was wading through rivers in the Panamanian jungle when he learned that Donald Trump had been elected president. “But I couldn’t turn back,” said Singh, 34. “I had come too far.” Arrested Jan. 25 by border agents as he tried to cross from Tijuana, Mexico, to San Diego, he was among 104 Indian migrants placed aboard a U.S. military plane last week and deported to Punjab. Scenes of the shackled detainees shuffling onto the aircraft triggered outrage in India, just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepared for a high-profile visit to Washington. Modi formed a close bond with Trump during his first term, and senior Indian officials have made multiple trips to Washington recently to signal they are ready to cooperate on the president’s second-term priorities, including trade and immigration. But the controversy over the military deportation flight — mirroring earlier U.S. disputes with Brazil and Colombia — has underscored the political challenges facing Modi, as he tries to endear himself to Trump while projecting strength at home. "I’m quite surprised that my government has taken a weak-kneed approach," said Sanjaya Baru, a political analyst and former Indian government spokesman. "For a prime minister who thinks of himself as a tough political leader, he has caved in far too quickly.” The political firestorm erupted on Feb. 4 when U.S. Border Patrol chief Michael W. Banks posted a video on X of the Indian deportees, chained by the hands and feet, set to dramatic music. "The farthest deportation flight yet using military transport," Banks wrote. "If you cross illegally, you will be removed.” The footage spread quickly in India, airing on television and social media and fueling opposition protests in Parliament. Lawmakers posed with mock handcuffs, holding signs that read: "Humans, NOT prisoners.” The treatment of the deportees was "inhuman and unacceptable from a friendly country," opposition member Jairam Ramesh told the Indian news agency ANI. "Will Prime Minister Modi stand up to his friend Donald Trump instead of hugging him?".

Newsweek [2/13/2025 3:56 AM, Ryan Chan, 56005K] reports China will not "sit idly by" as it is threatened by a United States missile system deployed in the Philippines that can target the country from the South China Sea, Beijing warned. Newsweek has contacted the Pentagon and the Philippine military for comment by email. The U.S. Army has deployed a Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system, also known as Typhon, in the Philippines since April 2024. It can fire two types of missiles for land attack, air defense, and anti-ship missions, striking targets up to 1,000 miles away. The Typhon was initially deployed for exercises, but both nations later decided to keep it there "indefinitely." China, which has territorial disputes with the Philippines in the South China Sea, has denounced the U.S. missile deployment as a "highly dangerous move." The Philippines has breached its commitments to shipping out the Typhon after drills, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun at a press conference on Wednesday. "This is not only ridiculous but also extremely dangerous," the spokesperson claimed with reference to remarks made by Philippine defense chief Gilberto Teodoro, who revealed last November that Manila is planning to acquire the Typhon to enhance its capabilities. In a recent interview with The Japan Times, Teodoro said the plan "is in the pipeline" but did not specify whether the Philippines wants the Typhon or a similar weapon. He refuted China by arguing the plan is aimed at protecting "our territorial integrity and sovereignty." The Philippines, which is a U.S. treaty ally, is "introducing geopolitical confrontation and risk of arms race into the region," the Chinese spokesperson added, accusing the Typhon deployment of harming what he called the "legitimate security interests" of other nations. The Typhon dispute has exacerbated Philippines-China tensions when both sides are engaging in maritime standoff. In January, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. demanded China stop its aggressive behavior in the South China Sea in exchange for the Typhon’s removal. The U.S. Army claimed that the missile deployment aimed to enhance Philippine maritime defense capabilities. Following the relocation of the Typhon with the Philippines earlier, the U.S. military said the move did not indicate the Typhon would be there "permanently."

Newsweek [2/13/2025 3:38 AM, Ryan Chan, 56005K] reports the Chinese military carried out what it called "routine patrols" in the South China Sea on Wednesday after the United States and its allies held war games in the contested waters. Newsweek has contacted the Pentagon and the Philippine military for comment by email. China has long claimed sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, claims that overlap with those of neighboring nations, including the Philippines, America’s treaty ally. The Philippines has for more than a month been trying to keep Chinese coast guard vessels from nearing Zambales, a province off the heavily populated Philippine island of Luzon. The U.S. military has conducted several joint training exercises and drills in the South China Sea this month with regional and non-regional allied nations such as the Philippines, Australia and Japan, mobilizing bombers on February 4 and its navy the following day. The Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command spokesperson Tian Junli, who announced the patrols, claimed that China has "indisputable" territorial sovereignty and maritime interests in the South China Sea, which have "ample" historical and legal backing, and cannot be violated. In the past, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has stated that China has "historic rights" in the South China Sea, as it was the first to discover the waters. However, an international tribunal’s 2016 ruling dismissed the sovereignty claims as having no legal basis. Tian also accused Manila of repeatedly inviting countries outside the South China Sea area for joint patrols, attempting to "cover up" its infringement on Beijing’s maritime rights, as well as its undermining of peace and stability in the region. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines announced that it would conduct a naval drill, formally known as "Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity," on Wednesday with U.S. and Canadian forces within the Philippine 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. This came after two destroyers and an offshore patrol vessel from the U.S., Australia and the United Kingdom respectively executed a series of combined exercises and operations in the South China Sea from February 6 to 7, which was announced by the U.S. Navy on Tuesday. Additionally, the U.S. Navy carried out a bilateral exercise involving two destroyers with its Japanese counterpart in the region from Sunday to Monday, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force announced on Wednesday.

Federal News Network [2/12/2025 1:38 PM, Tom Temin, 470K] reports that as if not enough is going on in the world, the Chinese military has flown two new stealthy jets. Some military observers consider them a tangible threat to the U.S. One is a bomber and one is a fighter. Lexington Institute military analyst Rebecca Grant joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss what it all means. Tom Temin: And you’ve been watching military aircraft for some time now. Tell us what is the latest development in China? What’s going on there? Rebecca Grant: Back in December, China flew not one, but two new stealth aircraft. And these two stealth aircraft show a lot more advances in design in the composite materials probably used to make them. So it was really a little bit of a shock. We’re always expecting to see some advanced aircraft out of China, but one was a larger aircraft. The other one was a smaller demonstrator. And so that tells us that China has, again, not one but two new stealth aircraft ready. And their mission is to challenge the U.S. and allies over the Pacific. And frankly, their mission is to threaten Guam, threaten Hawaii and kill American airplanes if there’s ever a fight. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

New York Times [2/13/2025 3:12 AM, Chris Buckley and Catie Edmondson, 161405K] reports that, not so long ago, Taiwan basked in seemingly boundless, bipartisan support in Washington, where the island has long been regarded as a valiant democratic partner against China. Now, a few weeks into President Donald J. Trump’s second term, Taiwan is adjusting to a shift in its relationship with the United States, its primary backer — one that does not focus on shared democratic ideals, and that is more uncertain and transactional. Mr. Trump has accused Taiwan of spending far too little on its own security and of gaining an unfair dominance in making semiconductors. Taiwanese officials and businesspeople have been trying to assure the new administration of their commitment to cooperation. They have traveled to Washington for meetings, bearing charts detailing their military outlays, and attended inauguration events filled with the MAGA faithful. They have floated new deals that Taiwanese companies could broker with American businesses in gas and other fields, and tried to explain the value of Taiwan’s semiconductor manufacturing to American interests. Underlying their efforts is an anxiety over what Mr. Trump may do, for instance, to press Taiwanese companies to move advanced semiconductor production to the United States. Mr. Trump has said he might soon impose tariffs on semiconductors. Taiwanese officials have been preparing to help Taiwanese businesses soften the blow of any such move. “I think Taiwan just convinced itself that they had good relations with the U.S. and they had lots of friends in Congress, and they would be able to weather the storm,” said Bonnie S. Glaser, the managing director of German Marshall Fund’s Indo-Pacific program, who often speaks with Taiwanese politicians. “When Trump made those comments, I think it was a wake up call for people in Taiwan that they really didn’t know what was coming next.”

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