• Top News
  • FOX News/Yahoo! News: Confirmation delays stack up for Trump nominees as paperwork lags in federal offices
  • The Hill: Senate adds amendment to immigration bill named after Laken Riley
  • FOX News: Stephen Miller preps House Republicans for Trump’s immigration overhaul in closed-door meeting
  • Federal News Network: Immigration courts miss a crucial metric for tracking immigrants
  • AP: Some immigrants are already leaving the US in ‘self-deportations’ as Trump’s threats loom
  • USA Today: Homeland Security partners with NFL, NASCAR to educate families about online predators
  • AP: [NY] US in plea talks with Mexican cartel kingpin Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada
  • AP: [NY] New York City shutters sprawling migrant tent camp on remote former airfield
  • FOX News: [NY] New York to open massive new 2,200-bed migrant shelter for single men in the Bronx
  • Newsweek: [MD] Republican Sheriff Issues Warning to Democrats Opposed to Mass Deportations
  • CBS Miami: [FL] Florida law enforcement will have "maximum participation" in any federal immigration programs Trump enacts, DeSantis says
  • Washington Examiner: [FL] DeSantis defends calling special session to legislate immigration policies
  • The Hill: [FL] DeSantis calls for state-level immigration officer to help implement Trump agenda
  • Chicago Tribune: [IL] City Council sides with Mayor Brandon Johnson on Chicago’s sanctuary city dispute
  • CBS Minnesota: [MN] Brooklyn Park man allegedly put ricin in wife’s drink, prompting hazmat response, warrant reveals
  • FOX News: [SD] Native tribe lifts banishment on Noem ahead of Senate confirmation hearing
  • Washington Post: [CA] Trump’s threat to place conditions on fire aid outrages Democrats
  • New York Times: [CA] Russia and other foreign sources amplify disinformation about the California wildfires.
  • Washington Examiner: [CA] Newsom expands special ‘Trump-proofing’ session to include wildfire relief proposal
  • Yahoo! News: [China] U.S. Sanctions Huafu Fashion in ‘Largest Ever’ Expansion of Forced Labor Blacklist
• Opinion – Editorials
  • Wall Street Journal: [Cuba] Biden Betrays the Cuban People
  • Wall Street Journal: [Israel] Trump and the Israel-Hamas Hostage Deal
• Opinion – Op-Eds
  • San Diego Union Tribune: Deporting badly needed construction workers is a terrible idea
  • The Hill: Huge challenges await the next director of national intelligence
  • Yahoo! News: [CA] Disaster relief for the California wildfires should not come with strings attached
  • The Hill: [Venezuela] Biden is finishing strong on Venezuela before handing off to Trump
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement
  • Axios: ICE records show Biden admin plans could give Trump a head start on deportations
  • Univision: ICE seeks to increase its ability to detain immigrants in at least eight states, according to ACLU
  • Washington Post: Deportation at ‘light speed’: How Trump’s crackdown could unfold
  • FOX News: [NY] Man avoids prosecution for fighting back against migrant subway attack, fatally stabbing 1
  • Chicago Tribune: [IL] Donald Trump’s mass deportation pledge could test Chicago’s immigrant protections
  • Yahoo! News: [OK] Supt. Walters’ lawsuit against Homeland Security, ICE draws criticism
  • BorderReport: [CA] Small California town considers backing mass deportations
• Citizenship and Immigration Services
  • AP: Democratic attorneys general ask to defend health access for ‘Dreamers’ since Trump probably won’t
  • AP: US Population Projections Shrink From Last Year Because of Declining Birth Rates, Less Immigration
  • Yahoo! News: Trump Administration Puts 400,000 Undocumented College Students In Limbo
  • Yahoo! News: [CT] ICE arrests Jamaican national in Hartford after prison release
  • New Jersey Monitor/Yahoo! News: [NJ] N.J. leads multi-state fight to save health care access for DACA recipients
  • Yahoo! News: [NV] Nevada attorney general moves to protect health care access for DACA recipients
  • CBS Miami: [Haiti] Haitian leaders urge Biden to extend TPS amid deportation fears
• Customs and Border Protection
  • Newsweek: CBP Reports 70% Drop in Encounters in Biden Admin’s Final Border Update
  • CBS Austin: Mayorkas says Biden admin acted ‘swiftly and effectively’ to secure border
  • Univision: Government reports slight increase in immigrant arrests at southern border in December, but no expected spike in border crossings
  • Washington Examiner: Border Patrol union endorsed Pam Bondi ahead of confirmation hearing
  • BorderReport: [TX] Texas missionaries bring food, hope to migrants in Mexican border towns
  • Bloomberg/AP: [Canada] Canada continues to strengthen border security and immigration integrity
  • Yahoo! News: [China] US poised to restrict low-value imports from China
• Transportation Security Administration
  • AP: TSA intercepts 6,678 firearms at airport security checkpoints in 2024
  • Yahoo! News: TSA Just Announced When Travelers Will Need a Real ID to Fly — and It’s Serious This Time
  • Yahoo! News: [NH] TSA reports 48 firearms detected at New England airports in 2024, 3 at MHT
  • Yahoo! News: [PA] Nearly 100 firearms intercepted at Pennsylvania airports in 2024
  • Yahoo! News: [VA] TSA: Virginia sets record for firearms seized at airport checkpoints in 2024
  • NBC News: [GA] Southwest Airlines pilot accused of DUI is arrested at Georgia airport before flight
  • WFRV: [WI] TSA intercepted over 6.5K firearms nationwide in 2024, trends down at Wisconsin airports
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
  • NBC News: FEMA activates transitional shelter and assistance program; EPA to clean up hazardous waste
  • CNN: GoFundMe help could limit FEMA assistance for fire victims
  • The Hill: NC Republican: FEMA needs to be overhauled, new director
  • Yahoo! News: [VA] Newport News, Hampton looking for solutions for Newmarket area flooding problem
  • Yahoo! News: [AZ] Horton Fire 89% contained, more than a month after it started northeast of Payson
  • Newsweek: [CA] Origins of California Wildfire Claimed in New Lawsuit
  • Miami Herald: [CA] San Diego must overhaul brush management to prevent wildfires, a 2023 audit found. It’s made little progress since
  • Newsweek: [CA] California Expecting a ‘Much-Needed Break’ From Dangerous Fire Conditions
  • Washington Post: [CA] Firefighters are gaining ground in Los Angeles. When will the fires finally end?
  • AP: [CA] As flames linger, talk turns to rebuilding Los Angeles neighborhoods leveled by wildfires
  • ABC News: [CA] Los Angeles wildfires timeline: How the deadly blazes unfolded
  • ABC News: [CA] The Los Angeles wildfires are already among the worst ever
  • FOX News: [CA] New wildfires erupt in California as flames continue to rage across Los Angeles
  • New York Times: [CA] Gavin Newsom Criticizes Republicans for ‘Politicizing’ California Wildfires
  • Newsweek: [CA] LA’s Response to Wildfires Comes Under Increasing Scrutiny
  • Newsweek: [CA] Cal Fire Chief: ‘Weeks’ Needed to Extinguish LA Wildfires Fully
  • Newsweek/CBS Los Angeles: [CA] Eaton Fire 45% Contained After Scorching Over 14,000 Acres
  • CBS Los Angeles: [CA] Palisades Fire search efforts continue, fight against deadly wildfire faces strong winds
  • CBS Los Angeles: [CA] Windblown dust and ash advisory remains as strong Santa Ana winds expected in LA County
  • Newsweek: [CA] Los Angeles Continues to Face Air Quality Warnings Amid Wildfires
  • Yahoo! News: [CA] California wildfires producing dangerous fire tornadoes
  • Newsweek: [CA] Map Shows California Is Under Both Freeze and Red Flag Warnings
  • The Hill: [CA] Harris blasts insurance companies, misinformation in wake of Los Angeles wildfires
  • FOX News: [CA] Los Angeles wildfires: California Gov. Newsom slammed for ‘sideshow’ as he defends state’s response
  • Washington Examiner: [CA] Colorado firefighters help battle LA wildfires
  • New York Times: [CA] The Los Angeles Fires Burned Livelihoods, Too
• Secret Service
  • Newsweek: [DC] Security Preparations Ramp Up For Donald Trump’s Inauguration
  • FOX News: [DC] Government agencies concerned Trump inauguration ‘potential target’ for extremists: report
  • Newsweek: [DC] Jan 6 Rioter Faces Extra Prison Time After Attempting Escape to Canada
  • Yahoo! News: [OH] Police need help finding suspects accused of passing $1100 worth of fake money at Walmart
  • FOX 2: [MO] St. Louis County man uses fake money to defraud online sellers of $229K
  • New York Times: [CA] Access Is Tight Around Kamala Harris’s Los Angeles Home
• Coast Guard
  • CBS Detroit: [MI] Coast Guard begins ice breaking operations in Great Lakes region
  • Yahoo! News: [OR] 19-year-old boogie boarder vanishes in dark off Oregon. Then rescuers hear cry for help
• CISA/Cybersecurity
  • Politico: Chinese hackers accessed thousands of Treasury files, including Yellen’s, officials told lawmakers
  • AP: BlackBerry Reports 600,000 Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure in Q3 2024
  • AP: Head of US cybersecurity agency says she hopes it keeps up election work under Trump
  • Axios: Sean Plankey, Nicholas Andersen short listed for Trump’s CISA
  • MeriTalk: NCSC Chief Warns of Rising Cyber Threats from China, Russia
  • CyberScoop: CIA nominee tells Senate he, too, wants to go on cyber offense
  • Newsweek: PowerSchool Breach Victim Says Hackers Stole All Student Data
  • CBS News: [TX] North Texas school districts warned after PowerSchool data breach exposes student information
• Terrorism Investigations
  • AP: US must not become complacent to a growing terrorism threat, a Counterterrorism Center official says
  • Yahoo! News: [MA] Former Northwestern University employee sentenced for staging hoax explosion
  • CBS News: [LA] FBI reveals New Orleans attacker’s online search history
  • AP: [Cuba] Cuba starts freeing prisoners a day after the US said it would lift terror designation
  • Washington Examiner: [Cuba] Florida Democrat claims Biden ‘waved the white flag’ by lifting Cuba’s terrorism status
  • Bloomberg: [Cuba] Rubio Signals Trump Is Likely to Return Cuba to Terrorism List
• National Security News
  • The Hill: Pentagon watchdog finds Austin hospitalization scandal increased security risks
  • Wall Street Journal: House Speaker Johnson Removes Intelligence Chairman
  • USA Today: Trump loyalist John Ratcliffe sails through confirmation as CIA director
  • Washington Post: TikTok races toward a ban as Supreme Court — and Trump — weigh its fate
  • Newsweek: Japan, Philippines Urge Trump to Maintain US Security in Asia
  • AP: White House holds homeland security tabletop exercise with senior Trump officials
  • FOX News: [PR] Puerto Rico governor asks Trump to intervene after Venezuela’s Maduro threatened to invade the US territory
  • AP: [Guatemala] Guatemalan president says he’s optimistic of finding common ground with Trump
  • Reuters: [Poland] Russia planned ‘acts of terrorism’ in the air, Polish PM says
  • New York Times: [Ukraine] At Hearing, Rubio Calls To End War In Ukraine
  • Reuters: [Cyprus] Cyprus says US decree on security affirms island’s stabilising role in region
  • Wall Street Journal: Israel, Hamas Agree to Deal to Pause Fighting in Gaza
  • Washington Post/VOA News: [Israel] Israel and Hamas agree to Gaza ceasefire, raising hopes of a reprieve
  • Wall Street Journal: [Israel] Israeli Hospitals Brace for Hostages Who Have Spent Over a Year in Captivity
  • The Hill: [Israel] Biden hails ceasefire; says American hostages to be freed in initial phase
  • FOX News: [Israel] IDF general credits Trump threat as ‘big change’ in securing cease-fire after Hamas rejected same deal in May
  • Newsweek: [China] China Says ‘Forced’ To Acquire Nuclear Weapons as US Sounds Warning
  • Miami Herald: [China] Map Shows Chinese ‘Monster Ship’ Movements in South China Sea
  • Newsweek: [China] China Prepares Military for Own ‘D-Day’ Invasion
  • Reuters: [Taiwan] Taiwan Navy to Protect Sea Cables if Needed, Defence Minister Says
  • Newsweek: [North Korea] US Stages Allied Bomber Drills After North Korea Fires Missiles
  • Washington Examiner: [Japan] Nippon Steel executive condemns Biden putting politics over security

DHS MORNING BRIEFING

DHS MORNING BRIEFING