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.

Reuters [1/27/2025 6:34 PM, Staff, 48128K, Positive] reports U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he wants Congress to pass a bill that includes an increase in funding to secure the country’s borders. Trump made the comments in a speech to House of Representatives Republicans gathered at his Doral resort in Miami to discuss how to turn the president’s policy priorities into a legislative agenda. "In the coming weeks, I’m looking forward to working with Congress on a reconciliation bill that financially takes care of our plans to totally and permanently restore the sovereign borders of the United States once and for all," Trump said. Trump said the increase should include funding for more border security personnel and retention bonuses for Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel and border patrol agents. The extra money should also pay for more detention beds, border security infrastructure and barriers, and completion of the border wall along the border with Mexico, Trump said.

ABC News [1/27/2025 6:50 PM, Staff, 33392K, Neutral] reports President Donald Trump regaled House Republicans on Monday with a rhetorical highlight reel from his first week in office, and he urged them to support his immigration crackdown and border security proposals. "We have no apologies and we’re moving very fast," Trump said. He said that "I really focus on the border more than anything else," downplaying the importance of inflation, an issue that fueled his candidacy last year but one that he has less control over as president. Speaking at House Republicans’ annual policy retreat, Trump made clear his political ambitions as he rallied lawmakers to advance their conservative agenda. "We’re forging a new political majority that’s shattering and replacing Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal coalition, which dominated American politics for over 100 years," he said. The conference is being held at Trump National Doral Miami, a posh resort with four golf courses owned by the billionaire president. Although Republicans are euphoric over election victories that have given them total control in Washington, they’re also facing difficult negotiations in the coming weeks and months. They need to find consensus on a spending bill before a March 14 deadline, when funding for the federal government expires. In addition, Republicans are working on a budget blueprint that would set the stage for their broader plans, including tax cuts, fossil fuel development and border security. With thin majorities in the House and Senate, they will need near-unanimity to pass their proposals without Democratic support.

CNN [1/27/2025 7:33 PM, Antoinette Radford, Michelle Shen, Elise Hammond, and Aditi Sangal, 22417K, Neutral] reports that Immigration win for Trump: Donald Trump is expected to sign the Laken Riley Act into law Wednesday, the White House confirmed. It’s likely to be the first piece of legislation to cross Trump’s desk and marks his first major win. This comes as the administration launched an immigration enforcement blitz nationwide over the weekend that included nearly 1,000 arrests, according to authorities. New military executive orders: Trump is expected to sign executive orders today that would reshape the military, including banning transgender service members from serving in the US armed forces. On his first day as defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, who has long been in favor of these changes, told reporters that he will ensure these “orders are complied with rapidly and quickly.” Track Trump’s latest executive orders here. GOP conference: The president is addressing the House Republican retreat as he tries to move quickly with his legislative agenda. This comes as more of Trump’s Cabinet picks — including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services secretary — face high-stakes Senate confirmation hearings this week.

FOX News [1/27/2025 10:26 AM, Taylor Penley, 49889K, Neutral] reports that retired U.S. Army bomb disposal expert Rep. Brian Mast praised President Donald Trump’s plan to reinstate service members booted for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine with the brush of a pen, signaling an end to the saga that saw thousands expelled during the pandemic. "[It’s a] great day for patriots, a great day for our service members, my brothers and sisters in arms," the Florida Republican congressman told "Fox & Friends" co-host Steve Doocy. "Let’s not forget… it wasn’t just the military. It was other government agencies as well, where they were essentially washing conservatives that were raising their hand, saying, ‘I don’t want to take this vaccine.’. "They were washing them out of government, washing them out of West Point and Naval Academy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine academies, washing them out from being on the next promotion boards for first sergeants, sergeants, majors or officers, and they were creating a system where the ones that were going to be giving promotion to the next classes of individuals were all going to be those that didn’t say, ‘No, I’m not a conservative, and you know, I’m okay with everything that you’re doing right now.’ That’s what was taking place."

FOX News [1/27/2025 8:50 PM, Louis Casiano, 49889K, Neutral] reports House Republicans are calling on sanctuary city mayors to testify next month about the policy’s impact on public safety and the refusal to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Tenn., chair of the GOP-controlled House Committee on Oversight and Reform, said he was launching an investigation into sanctuary cities across the United States to determine whether they have complied with federal immigration enforcement laws. In a letter, he asked Michelle Wu, Brandon Johnson, Mike Johnston and Eric Adams, the mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York City, respectively, to provide documents and information related to the sanctuary policies of each city. They were each asked to testify at a public hearing on the matter on Feb. 11. Fox News Digital has reached out to each mayor. "On his first day in office, President Donald Trump took decisive actions to restore the rule of law," Comer wrote on X. "It is now imperative that our immigration laws are enforced across the country and that criminal aliens are swiftly removed from our communities." The letters said 12 states and hundreds of cities and counties across the country have sanctuary policies. However, Comer said the four cities singled out "stand out in their abject failure to comply with federal law." Sanctuary cities limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. Supporters argue that enforcement of immigration is the job of the federal government. Opponents say sanctuary policies harbor criminals, as well as those in the country illegally, and put the public, including illegal immigrants, at risk. Adams has spoken out against criminal illegal immigrants, who he said put New Yorkers at risk. In addition, he has said he is willing to work with Trump Border Czar Tom Homan.

AP [1/27/2025 4:36 PM, Staff, 57114K, Neutral] reports Washington state woman charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a U.S. border patrol agent in Vermont had been in frequent contact with someone whom authorities have linked to homicides in Pennsylvania and California, a federal prosecutor said in court documents Monday. Teresa Youngblut, 21, faces two weapons charges in connection with the death of Border Patrol Agent David Maland, 44, who died Jan. 20 during the shootout in Coventry, a small town about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the Canadian border. She had been traveling with Felix Bauckholt, a German citizen who also was killed, and the pair had been under surveillance for several days. In a motion filed Monday, U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher said Youngblut should be detained as the case proceeds due to the nature of the crime, the weight of evidence against her, her lack of ties to Vermont, and the danger she poses to the community. According to the motion, the gun used by Youngblut and one that Bauckholt was carrying were purchased by a third person in Vermont last February. The buyer is a person of interest on a double homicide investigation in Pennsylvania, Drescher said. nd both Youngblut and the buyer “are acquainted with and have been in frequent contact with” someone who was detained during that investigation and who also is a person of interest in a homicide investigation in Vallejo, California, the motion said. “The defendant’s possession and use of a firearm, combined with her itinerary and associations, suggests she poses a current and substantial danger to the community that could not be addressed by a condition or a combination of conditions of pretrial release,” the prosecutor wrote. Youngblut made an initial appearance in a federal court in Burlington on Monday and was scheduled for a detention hearing on Thursday. The public defender assigned to represent Youngblut in U.S. District Court in Burlington did not return emails seeking comment. A spokesperson for the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont declined to comment. According to an FBI affidavit, a border agent pulled over Youngblut and Bauckholt on Interstate 91 to conduct an immigration inspection. At the time, Bauckholt appeared to have an expired visa, according to a Department of Homeland Security database, but investigators later confirmed that his visa was current, the FBI said. Youngblut, who had been driving Bauckholt’s car, got out and opened fire on Maland and other officers without warning, the FBI alleges. Bauckholt tried to draw a gun but was shot, the affidavit states. At least one border agent fired on Youngblut and Bauckholt, but authorities haven’t specified whose bullets hit whom. “This investigation remains very active, and the legal process continues,” FBI spokeswoman Sarah Ruane said in a statement over the weekend. Investigators had been performing “periodic surveillance” of Youngblut and Bauckholt since Jan. 14 after an employee at a hotel where they were staying reported concerns after seeing Youngblut carrying a gun and she and Bauckholt wearing black tactical gear, according to the affidavit. Investigators tried to question the duo, who said they were in the area looking to buy property but declined to have an extended conversation, the FBI said. During a search of the car after the shootout, authorities found cellphones wrapped in foil, a ballistic helmet, night-vision goggles, respirators and ammunition, the FBI said. They also found a package of shooting range targets, including some that had been used, two-way radios, about a dozen “electronic devices,” travel and lodging information for multiple states, and an apparent journal.

Reported similarly:
Los Angeles Times [1/27/2025 12:33 PM, Staff, 17996K, Neutral]
NBC News [1/27/2025 4:17 PM, Rich Schapiro, 50804K, Negative]
Newsweek [1/27/2025 11:41 AM, Lilith Foster-Collins, 56005K, Neutral]

CBS New York [1/27/2025 11:26 PM, Jenna DeAngelis, 52225K, Neutral] reports that, one week into his term, President Trump is sticking to his campaign promise to crack down on immigration. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it arrested nearly 1,200 people on Monday alone, a significant increase from previous days and a stark jump from the Biden administration, which last year averaged 312 per day. Mayor Eric Adams has now being called to the nation’s capitol to talk about New York’s sanctuary city status. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is calling on Adams and the mayors of three other cities to testify before Congress, claiming they are refusing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The committee says it’s investigating sanctuary jurisdictions, their impact on public safety and the effectiveness of federal efforts to enforce the immigration laws. Comer sent a letter to Adams, along with the mayors of Boston, Chicago and Denver. The first page of the letter, which was shared on social media, says sanctuary cities’ policies "hinder the ability of federal law enforcement officers to effectuate safe arrests and remove dangerous criminals from American communities, making Americans less safe." In response, the mayor’s office said, "Mayor Adams has made clear that New York City is committed to working with our federal partners to fix our broken immigration system and focus on the smaller number of people who are entering our localities and committing violent crimes. We will review the letter and respond accordingly." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Axios [1/27/2025 7:20 AM, Staff, 16349K, Positive] reports Tennessee Republicans plan to use the special legislative session beginning Monday to push new laws that complement President Trump’s hard-line immigration policies. The special session allows lawmakers to fast-track approval for a sprawling Trump-inspired immigration bill introduced on Jan. 22. The proposal would create the Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division within the state’s Department of Safety to coordinate with the Trump administration on its plans for a crackdown on undocumented immigrants. It would also make it a felony for local leaders to vote in favor of so-called sanctuary policies that protect undocumented immigrants. Such policies are already illegal in Tennessee. Another prong of the legislation would introduce "visually distinctive markers" on driver’s licenses issued to noncitizens. The legislation would also establish grants to encourage local law enforcement agencies to work with federal immigration authorities on deportation investigations under part of the Immigration and Nationality Act. That section — 287(g) — allows some state and local law enforcement to assist in some of the duties of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Nashville previously participated in 287(g) from 2007 to 2012. Sheriff Daron Hall pulled out of the program following criticism from advocates who said it wound up targeting undocumented immigrants suspected of minor traffic violations rather than violent criminals. Gov. Bill Lee announced the new bill in a joint statement with Republican leaders. The group said the bill would support Trump’s plans, which include mass deportations. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) said the bill would create a structure that would allow the state and local governments to "assist in what will be an unprecedented effort to secure the safety and sovereignty of our state and our nation."

CBS Miami [1/27/2025 10:07 AM, Staff, 52225K, Neutral] reports that on the eve of a special legislative session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis, Republican lawmakers Sunday filed a flurry of bills to crack down on undocumented immigrants and place additional restrictions on the ballot initiative process. The bills, in part, would end in-state tuition at colleges and universities for undocumented immigrant students known as dreamers; place new requirements on police to help with immigration enforcement efforts; and dramatically change the petition process for proposed constitutional amendments. Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, and Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, had filed 11 bills as of late Sunday afternoon, according to the Senate website. Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, and Rep. John Temple, R-Wildwood, had filed House versions that largely mirrored the Senate bills. The special session, however, has been surrounded by uncertainty because Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, and House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, raised objections. Among other things, they said the special session was "premature" and pointed to the March 4 start of the regular legislative session. DeSantis, however, has made a series of appearances to try to pressure lawmakers into acting on the issues - particularly focusing on immigration issues. While the bills were filed Sunday, it remained unclear how the special session would play out. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Yahoo! News [1/27/2025 10:15 PM, Staff, 57114K, Neutral] reports Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has been asked to appear before Congress next month to discuss the city’s status as a sanctuary city. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a formal letter to City Hall on Monday, requesting Johnson’s participation in a Feb. 11 public hearing on Capitol Hill. The letter cites concerns about the impact of sanctuary policies in Chicago and three other cities—New York, Boston, and Denver. It claims such policies fail to comply with federal law and suggests, "Citizens of all four cities have suffered due to sanctuary policies." Chicago has been the target of recent ICE operations under President Donald Trump. On Sunday, ICE officials announced they had targeted approximately 300 individuals in Chicago as part of a larger effort that resulted in 956 arrests nationwide. Mayor Johnson has urged residents to stay informed about their rights in light of the heightened enforcement actions. Meanwhile, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker criticized the ICE raids, telling CNN, "They’re going after people who are law-abiding. These are not people causing problems in our country, and what we need is a path to citizenship for them." It is unclear whether Mayor Johnson will accept the invitation to testify. FOX 32 has reached out to the mayor for comment, but we’ve yet to hear back. The mayors of New York, Boston, and Denver reportedly received similar letters, but their responses remain unknown.

FOX News [1/27/2025 2:15 PM, Danielle Wallace, 49889K, Neutral] reports that Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago public school officials falsely claimed last week that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrived at an elementary school, as President Donald Trump’s administration continues enforcement operations targeting violent illegal immigrant offenders in the sanctuary city. ICE said its agents never arrived at Hamline Elementary School, located in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood, and the U.S. Secret Service released a statement saying it was their agents who stopped by on Friday to investigate a threat made against an unspecified government official. Chicago Public Schools later admitted their mistake, citing a "misunderstanding," but affirmed that the school system will not coordinate with federal immigration authorities. In front of local news cameras on Friday, Chicago Public Schools Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova told reporters that earlier that morning ICE agents "showed up" at Hamline, but "school staff followed CPS established protocols." Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, who has been overseeing ICE raids in Chicago and across the country as part of the president’s mass deportation strategy, defended the reversal during an appearance on ABC News on Sunday. Homan said many MS-13 gang members are often around age 14 and well-trained ICE agents should have the discretion to weed out public safety and national security threats.

FOX News [1/27/2025 5:30 PM, Andrea Margolis, Bill Melugin, 49889K, Neutral] reports U.S. Border Patrol agents exchanged gunfire with suspected cartel members near the U.S.-Mexican border on Monday, as the U.S. government’s response against criminal migrants continues to intensify. The gunfire exchange – which happened exactly one week after President Donald Trump began ramping up border security on his first day in office – occurred at around 2 p.m. local time near Fronton, Texas. A group of illegal aliens was attempting to cross the Rio Grande while bullets were fired, but did not make it across. Neither the Border Patrol agents nor the suspected cartel members were hit. Newsweek [1/27/2025 6:36 PM, Gabe Whisnant, Katherine Fung, 56005K, Negative] reports that there were no injuries in the incident near Fronton Island, an uninhabited island in the Rio Grande in Starr County, Texas, according to reports. Melugin also reported that the Texas Department of Public Safety is patrolling the area and has a drone in the air. Mexican military assets are reportedly staging on the other side of the river. Customs and Border Patrol has not issued a public statement at this time.

Washington Examiner [1/27/2025 5:57 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 2365K, Neutral] reports a gunshot was fired from the southern side of the U.S.-Mexico border toward U.S. Border Patrol agents, and multiple shots were returned by U.S. authorities into Mexico, according to federal and state law enforcement officials sources with firsthand knowledge of the situation. The incident occurred Monday afternoon in the Rio Grande Valley of southeastern Texas, historically a hotbed for illegal immigration and drug smuggling controlled by multiple Mexican cartels. "The specific incident occurred in Fronton, Texas, and a Mexican cartel is suspected to be behind the initial gunshot," the source familiar with the situation told the Washington Examiner. "No Border Patrol agent was injured by the gunshot."

Border Report [1/27/2025 10:47 AM, Anthony Torres and Sam Stark, 153K, Neutral] reports that protestors gathered at the Texas Capitol Sunday afternoon after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations were conducted in Austin. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed to KXAN that it assisted in those operations. Rally attendee Cheryl Flores spoke to KXAN about how the Austin ICE operations impacted her family. "They are the epitome of the American Dream," Flores said. "They’ve come here and worked hard. They have a right to be here just like anyone else who has fled a country that doesn’t provide the needs of the citizens." The protest comes as Trump administration officials oversaw ICE immigration enforcement actions in Chicago on Sunday. "It doesn’t surprise me — more than anything, it saddens me. This was very much anticipated, [President Trump] talked about this for a really long time," said Anna Palito, who attended the demonstration. "I just feel like everybody felt like they needed to do something about it, instead of just kind of standing around and waiting for things to change." The protesters spent the afternoon dividing into groups in order to continue planning future demonstrations. "We want to show them we’re not going anywhere," she continued.

Reported similarly:
AP [1/27/2025 12:09 PM, Staff, 47097K, Positive]

CNN [1/28/2025 4:00 AM, Eric Levenson, 22417K, Neutral] reports the Oklahoma State Board of Education is set to vote Tuesday on a proposal that would require parents to report their immigration or citizenship status when enrolling their children in school. The school board says the goal of the proposal is to better understand its students’ needs. However, education and immigration advocates say they believe the proposal will make immigrant families afraid and unwelcome at public schools that are legally required to provide every child education. “All children have a constitutional right to equal access to education regardless of their citizenship or immigration status,” the National Immigration Law Center said in a statement objecting to the rule change. “Requiring school districts to collect information about immigration status illegally chills access to this opportunity, interfering with their ability to focus on their core mission: to educate children and give all students the ability to grow, thrive, and participate fully in our democracy.” The Board of Education is expected to vote on this and other rule proposals Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. CT. If approved, the rules proceed to the legislature and governor for review, per state administrative rules. The board’s proposal comes as President Donald Trump and Republican leaders have pledged to crack down on undocumented immigrants and carry out a mass deportation plan. Last week, Trump signed a series of executive orders expanding the power of immigration authorities and issued a directive allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to arrest people in schools, a departure from long-standing policy.

Border Report [1/28/2025 1:48 AM, Julian Resendiz, 153K, Negative] reports Juarez business leaders say they want to provide jobs in Mexico for migrants who will be deported from the United States in coming weeks and months. That’s why the Juarez Chamber of Commerce will be conducting a job vacancies survey among its 3,000 members in coming days and urging them to consider hiring deportees at least on a temporary basis. “We are developing a simple questionnaire. What are their labor needs and what jobs are available. This will give us a clear picture of how many jobs we can offer to those who lose everything and suddenly find themselves here” in Juarez, chamber President Elizabeth Villalobos said on Monday. Business leaders previously told Border Report they found it hard to hire non-Mexican residents because many don’t have the documentation needed for a work permit. Others that were offered jobs leave the city as soon as they can return home or find a way to again enter the United States. Villalobos said her office will work with Mexican tax and immigration authorities to facilitate hiring and lobbying with members to offer jobs, even if temporary. The jobs would also be available to deported Mexican nationals. “Everyone should be sensitive to people who one day got up to go to work and then lost their family, lost everything. I would ask (the business community) and our citizens to show some sensibility and support,” she said. Chamber officials say they have no idea of how many deported migrants will be coming to Juarez, but they want to be ready so as to avoid a humanitarian crisis.

Reuters [1/27/2025 6:01 PM, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali, 48128K, Neutral] reports a U.S. military aircraft with migrants being deported as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration landed in Guatemala on Monday, two U.S. officials told Reuters. The flight was a sign that Trump was undeterred in forging ahead with his program of using U.S. military aircraft to deport migrants, despite coming to the brink of a trade war with Colombia over it a day earlier. The flight is the third to have successfully landed in Guatemala since the start of the military deportation flights last week.

Reuters [1/27/2025 11:52 AM, Oliver Griffin, Luis Jaime Acosta, and Nandita Bose, 30936K, Neutral] reports that Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro averted an economic disaster at the 11th hour after diplomats from his government and the U.S. reached a deal on deportation flights, but the Colombian business community on Monday called for cooler heads to prevail as Colombians bemoaned canceled U.S. visa appointments. U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened tariffs and sanctions to punish Colombia for refusing to accept military flights carrying deportees, part of his sweeping immigration crackdown. But in a statement late on Sunday, the White House said Colombia had agreed to accept the migrants after all and Washington would not impose the penalties. Colombia’s Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said separately the country’s presidential plane was ready to carry deportees. Colombia’s ambassador to the U.S., Daniel Garcia-Pena, a long-time diplomat and former peace commissioner, was key to the late-night resolution of the dispute, a Colombian foreign office source said, after "very tense" discussions. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did Petro’s office or Colombia’s foreign ministry. The Washington Examiner [1/27/2025 7:08 AM, Jamie McIntyre, 2365K, Neutral] reports "The government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay," the White House said in a statement from press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who noted the tariff will be held "in reserve" while the visa restrictions would remain "until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned." "Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again," Leavitt said. The Colombia capitulation is just the opening salvo in Trump’s plan to use the might of America’s economy, and the threat of crippling trade wars as his primary weapon to bend both allies and adversaries to his will. Trump often waxes rhapsodically about the power of tariffs and claims they could replace income taxes as the primary source of revenue. "I’m a believer in tariffs," he said last October in remarks to the Economic Club of Chicago. "To me, it’s the most beautiful word in the dictionary."

New York Times [1/27/2025 12:46 PM, Peter S. Goodman, 161405K, Neutral] reports that Before Sunday, Colombia was quietly emerging as a refuge for multinational brands seeking a stable place to make their products in a time of geopolitical and environmental upheaval. President Trump’s threats to increase tariffs on imports from China was forcing companies to diminish their dependence on factories in that country. Businesses were setting up plants closer to the United States — a trend known as nearshoring. Mexico had become a popular destination, but Mr. Trump’s vow to impose tariffs on Mexican imports was adding risk to that strategy, too. Colombia, by contrast, appeared safely removed from Mr. Trump’s focus. Since 2018, some $7.6 billion in foreign investment has been committed to more than 300 projects in Colombia connected to nearshoring, according to ProColombia, a government trade bureau. American companies make up more than 40 percent of all foreign investment — the largest single source. “Nearshoring is not just a passing fad,” said Todd Fagley, chief executive of MedSource Labs, a medical equipment company based in Chanhassen, Minn., that set up a factory in Colombia three years ago. “The world is only going to get more difficult to maneuver,” he added.

New York Times [1/27/2025 8:49 PM, Annie Correal, Julie Turkewitz and Genevieve Glatsky, 161405K, Neutral] reports Colombia’s president, early on Sunday, announced that he had turned back two American military planes carrying deportees from the United States, setting off an extraordinary crisis inside and outside his country as he infuriated President Trump and caught even his own inner circle off guard. President Gustavo Petro’s friends — and even his most powerful political adversary, former President Álvaro Uribe — quickly jumped in, working contacts in Washington to help defuse a crisis that threatened to devastate Colombia’s economy and upend relations in the region. Late on Sunday, after moments when the tense discussions between the two countries appeared on the verge of breaking down, the White House announced that the Colombian government had agreed to receive all deportation flights, including military planes. The Colombian Foreign Ministry soon said “the impasse” had been overcome. “Despite the difficulties we had, it’s proof that diplomatic channels continue to be the best way to sort out differences,” said Colombia’s ambassador to the United States, Daniel García-Peña, who was in Bogotá, the capital, on Sunday. He was part of a small group that for several hours managed Mr. Petro on one line and the Trump administration, through its special envoy to Latin America, Mauricio Claver-Carone, on another. On Monday, Mr. García-Peña said he hoped the “U.S.-Colombia relationship cannot only continue throughout this new administration” but flourish. But on Sunday, that prospect seemed far off. For many of those involved, the day began around 4 a.m. with their phones ringing constantly. Mr. Petro had just posted a message on social media. “The U.S. cannot treat Colombian migrants like criminals,” he said, announcing that he was withdrawing authorization for U.S. military planes to land in Colombia.

CBS News [1/27/2025 6:27 AM, Staff, 52225K, Negative] reports a leader of one of Ecuador’s biggest crime syndicates Los Lobos was arrested Friday at his home in the coastal city of Portoviejo, the military said. Carlos D, widely known by his alias "El Chino," was the second-in-command of Los Lobos (The Wolves) and "considered a high-value target," the armed forces said in a statement. A large amount of cash was found at his home, along with armored vehicles, drugs and weapons. The armed forces released images of the arrest on social media, showing a shirtless "El Chino" and at least two other detained suspects. "His arrest represents a strategic blow against the structure of this organized armed group," the military said in a statement. The United States last year declared Los Lobos to be the largest drug trafficking organization in Ecuador, which has gone from being one of South America’s most stable nations to among its most violent in just a few years due to a surge in narcotics operations. While announcing sanctions against Los Lobos, U.S. officials said the gang "contributes significantly to the violence gripping the country" and its network includes thousands of members backed by Mexico’s Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación — New Generation — and Sinaloa Cartel, which makes the gang particularly dangerous. Last year, the authorities seized a record 294 tons of drugs in raids, mostly cocaine originating in neighboring Colombia and Peru, which is smuggled to Europe and the United States through the port of Guayaquil. Los Lobos has a presence in 16 of Ecuador’s 24 provinces, where it also engages in illegal gold mining, according to the non-governmental group Insight Crime. Jailed Los Lobos members are the de facto rulers of several Ecuadoran prisons, often directing operations on the outside from behind bars. Authorities also have accused the group of links to the murder of anti-corruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was killed while leaving a rally in Quito in August 2023. Just last month, two boys were found dead near an Ecuador military base. The disappearance of the boys, aged between 11 and 15, sparked protests in the South American nation, which is in the throes of an armed struggle between narco gangs and security forces. In January 2024, President Daniel Noboa declared a state of "internal armed conflict" after a brutal wave of violence, sparked by the jailbreak of a powerful crime boss. The move came after gunmen stormed and opened fire in a TV studio and bandits threatened random executions of civilians and security forces. A prosecutor investigating the assault was later shot dead. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Post [1/27/2025 1:31 PM, Terrence McCoy and marina Dias, 40736K, Negative] reports that the passengers said the plane operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was in faulty condition. There was no air conditioning, they said, and a mechanical issue became apparent soon after takeoff, requiring multiple maintenance stops — in Panama and then in Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas. Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security replied to a request for comment. For hours in Panama and Manaus, passengers told Brazilian media, they were allegedly left to languish in the heat in handcuffs. People, including six children aboard, began to feel faint, migrants said. When they tried to resist, they were violently repelled and threatened, the migrants said in interviews, many of which were recorded and posted online. "Some of the guys tried to force their way out to get the necessary help, but the United States agents wouldn’t let us leave and assaulted one of the guys, knocked him down on the ground and kicked him," Mário Henrique Andrade Matheus, 41, told Estado de Minas. "An argument erupted, and they started to strike the handcuffed guys, punching them." The Washington Post was not able to reach the passengers interviewed in Brazilian media or to independently verify their claims.

Reuters [1/27/2025 12:40 PM, Staff, 48128K, Neutral] reports that China said on Monday it is willing to repatriate confirmed Chinese nationals from the United States, as U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs and sanctions on some countries if they do not cooperate on accepting deportees. In recent months, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sent five charter flights to China with hundreds of Chinese nationals deemed to not have a legal basis to remain in the U.S. Nonetheless, U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials have been frustrated by what they say is Beijing’s longstanding refusal to cooperate on repatriation by declining to issue travel documents. The department has warned of escalating consequences for Chinese officials, including visa sanctions, for refusal to accept tens of thousands of Chinese nationals in the U.S. under deportation orders. "We have conducted practical cooperation with the migration and law enforcement departments of the U.S. and other countries, which has been productive," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters at a regular briefing in Beijing.

"As far as repatriation is concerned, China’s principle is to receive the repatriates who are confirmed as Chinese nationals from the Chinese mainland after verification," Mao said when asked if China would take back Chinese nationals who are in the U.S. illegally or without documentation.

Washington Post [1/27/2025 7:30 AM, John M. Bridgeland, 40736K, Positive] reports devastating fires in Los Angeles and floods in Florida and North Carolina, historically low levels of trust among Americans and in our institutions, spikes in hate-fueled violence, a decline in civic organizations, and learning loss and isolation from the pandemic are pulling us apart. Our military is not attracting enough recruits, with 77 percent of those who apply ineligible for service because of poor health, behavioral issues or low academic performance. What could help address all these challenges? Large-scale national service — or what we call "big citizenship.” It’s not a stretch to think this could actually happen. When one of us spoke with now-Vice President JD Vance some years ago, he remarked that "national service is the best idea in America that never happens." On the presidential campaign trail in 2016, Donald Trump called national service "a beautiful thing" to expand. As Trump, Vance and Congress take office, they could rebuild our devastated communities, our social trust and our military recruiting through national service. History shows that presidential leadership is essential. Look at the Civilian Conservation Corps of 3 million young men improving our public lands; the Peace Corps of 240,000 Americans serving in 144 countries; VISTA fighting poverty; Senior Corps for older Americans; Points of Light to expand volunteering; AmeriCorps that strengthens Habitat for Humanity, Teach for America, YouthBuild and other nonprofits; and Freedom Corps, which expanded these programs and created disaster-response service efforts after 9/11. These programs would never have come about without leadership from Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, respectively. Jimmy Carter, for his part, embodied a lifetime of service himself. But national service opportunities are a small fraction of what they were after 9/11, even though many Americans want to serve and both Republicans and Democrats support investments in large-scale civilian national service.

The Hill [1/27/2025 2:30 PM, Luis D. Elizondo, 16346K, Neutral] reports that a revolution long kept secret now stirs the surface of national security, propelled by emerging all-domain technologies. These include advanced drones, unidentified anomalous phenomena or UAP (formerly called UFOs) and clandestine, high-tech weapons. Capable of moving between air, space and sea, these systems can conduct intelligence and even kinetic strikes. Despite the lingering stigma at home, foreign adversaries are racing to understand UAP in particular — potentially upending geopolitics alongside our knowledge of physics. This sounds like science fiction, but it’s scientific fact. As a former senior counterintelligence officer who led one of the Pentagon’s UAP investigations, I recently testified before Congress that the revolution is happening now. To stay ahead, America needs a whole-of-government strategy for these paradigm-changing technologies. When it comes to UAP, the Pentagon grudgingly admits after decades of denial that some demonstrate beyond-next-generation speed, maneuverability and stealth. UAP also traverse our skies — and waters — with apparent impunity. Then there are whistleblowers like David Grusch, a former U.S. Air Force major and colleague of mine who analyzed UAP as part of a Pentagon task force. He testified under oath before Congress that the government is reverse-engineering craft of "non-human" origin. Eric Davis, an astrophysicist who advised a Pentagon UAP program, reported briefing defense officials on retrievals of "off-world vehicles not made on this Earth." While extraordinary, these claims demand investigation. Ignoring them only deepens mistrust in our government.

The Hill [1/27/2025 4:00 PM, Cruz Bonlarron Martínez, 16346K, Neutral] reports on Sunday, tensions escalated between President Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro after the latter refused to accept deportation flights on U.S. military planes. Although the Colombian government routinely receives deportation flights from the U.S., it seems that the decision came after it was reported that migrants on similar flights to other countries in the region were handcuffed and forced to endure inhumane conditions. Trump did not respond kindly to the Colombian government’s refusal. On Sunday night, an agreement seems to have been reached between the Trump administration and Colombia that would lift the proposed sanctions and tariffs in exchange for resuming deportation flights between the two countries, leading both sides to release statements claiming victory. But the spat reveals some issues that the administration will continue to face when implementing its "America First" foreign policy in Latin America.

Wall Street Journal [1/28/2025 2:57 PM, Tevi Troy, Neutral] reports President Trump caused a stir on Friday with a suggestion to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency and transfer its responsibilities to the states. Liberals such as Rep. Brad Sherman (D., Calif.) rushed to defend FEMA. But for states to serve as the primary responders to disaster is consistent with our Constitution and much of our history. The Constitution doesn’t mention disaster response or emergency management. The idea that the federal government could handle disaster management wouldn’t have occurred to anyone in the 18th and early 19th centuries, before modern communications and transportation allowed for rapid cross-country awareness and response. Even as these technologies advanced, presidents of both parties saw disaster response as primarily a state and local responsibility. When the 1889 Johnstown, Pa., flood killed more than 2,200 people, a group of local leaders sent a telegram to President Benjamin Harrison asking for help. Harrison responded that “what you need is systematic work under proper authority. If the governor and your State Board of Health make any call upon me in any matter in my discretion, I will gladly respond.” In other words, this was the state’s responsibility, not the federal government’s. Harrison’s response—for which the people of Johnstown thanked him—was representative of bipartisan 19th-century attitudes about federal and state responsibilities. Harrison’s Democratic predecessor (and successor) Grover Cleveland two years earlier vetoed funding to help Texas farmers recover from a drought, writing, “I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution.” Expectations changed in the 20th century as the federal government and national media expanded. Comedian Will Rogers mocked President Calvin Coolidge for a sluggish response to the 1927 Great Mississippi Flood, gibing that Coolidge was taking it slow in the “hope that those needing relief will perhaps have conveniently died in the meantime.” The joke worked because there was general awareness of the situation and a feeling that more should be done

Bloomberg [1/27/2025 6:00 AM, Shannon O’Neil, 21617K, Negative] reports President Donald Trump vows to remove millions of unauthorized migrants from the US and stop new entrants at the border. Bringing back the punitive playbook from his first administration not only won’t fix today’s border challenges. It will further destabilize Mexico and exacerbate threats to both countries. Congressional Republicans have taken the anti-immigrant cue, holding an early hearing bent on reviving restrictive border policies. The migrant Protection Protocols, colloquially known as “Remain in Mexico,” forced asylum seekers to await their case hearing in Mexico. Title 42 was even more ambitious in its exclusion, using the COVID-19 pandemic health emergency to expel migrants apprehended at the border. And yes, building the wall is back in vogue, albeit without talk of getting Mexico to pay for it. These policies missed the mark in terms of slowing or stopping unauthorized migration and hurt Mexico and the US. Under Remain in Mexico, tens of thousands of asylum seekers duly waited next door as their applications were processed, living in makeshift camps and shelters for weeks, months, even years along the border. The influx overwhelmed border towns and communities and attracted transnational criminal organizations, whose thugs assaulted, kidnapped and extorted migrants, forcing some to smuggle drugs into the US. And while Title 42 blocked more than 2.5 million border crossings between 2020 and 2023, it didn’t stop migrants from coming. Indeed, during its first year in operation, border apprehensions between ports of entry nearly tripled, because the rapid, no-trace expulsion process encouraged migrants to keep trying to cross. There is no reason these policies will work better the second time around.

Bloomberg [1/27/2025 6:00 AM, Shannon O’Neil, 21617K, Negative] reports President Donald Trump vows to remove millions of unauthorized migrants from the US and stop new entrants at the border. Bringing back the punitive playbook from his first administration not only won’t fix today’s border challenges. It will further destabilize Mexico and exacerbate threats to both countries. Congressional Republicans have taken the anti-immigrant cue, holding an early hearing bent on reviving restrictive border policies. The migrant Protection Protocols, colloquially known as “Remain in Mexico,” forced asylum seekers to await their case hearing in Mexico. Title 42 was even more ambitious in its exclusion, using the COVID-19 pandemic health emergency to expel migrants apprehended at the border. And yes, building the wall is back in vogue, albeit without talk of getting Mexico to pay for it. These policies missed the mark in terms of slowing or stopping unauthorized migration and hurt Mexico and the US. Under Remain in Mexico, tens of thousands of asylum seekers duly waited next door as their applications were processed, living in makeshift camps and shelters for weeks, months, even years along the border. The influx overwhelmed border towns and communities and attracted transnational criminal organizations, whose thugs assaulted, kidnapped and extorted migrants, forcing some to smuggle drugs into the US. And while Title 42 blocked more than 2.5 million border crossings between 2020 and 2023, it didn’t stop migrants from coming. Indeed, during its first year in operation, border apprehensions between ports of entry nearly tripled, because the rapid, no-trace expulsion process encouraged migrants to keep trying to cross. There is no reason these policies will work better the second time around. Adding now to the injury will be mass deportations. Roughly four out of every ten unauthorized migrants in the US are from Mexico, potential targets for an aggressive round-up. Moreover, in perhaps a global first, Mexico has agreed to take in up to 30,000 deportees a month from other nations, a compromise the new administration could lean into and expand. The influx of migrants passing through and being sent back across the border has been a boon to Mexico’s cartels, which have banked billions from their smuggling and extortion rackets. With estimated earnings from preying on migrants ranging from $4 billion to $12 billion a year, revenues now may rival those from illegal drugs.

FOX News [1/27/2025 11:18 AM, Michael Ruiz, 49889K, Negative] reports that federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and their partners conducted nationwide roundups of more than 1,200 illegal immigrants over the weekend who were charged or convicted with committing crimes on American soil. In a series of photos shared by ICE Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) from coast to coast, agents can be seen taking handcuffed suspects away. In Atlanta, which is more than 1,000 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border but became a lightning rod in the immigration debate after an illegal immigrant brutally murdered a jogging college student in broad daylight, ERO teamed up with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations to grab "criminal aliens" off the streets and prepare them for deportation flights. Miami-based federal agents arrested at least four illegal immigrants accused of committing crimes on U.S. soil over the weekend, including a Nicaraguan jailed in Broward County for an alleged shooting. Up north, a joint operation including ICE, the FBI, ATF, DEA, Border Patrol and U.S. Marshals was underway in Chicago, a struggling blue city where Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson has vowed to "protect" illegals from enforcement operations. The "enhanced targeted operations" in the Windy City were designed to "enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities," ICE said in a statement. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NBC News [1/27/2025 3:12 PM, Marlene Lenthang, 50804K, Neutral] reports that following President Donald Trump’s return to office, immigration enforcement operations have started to sweep through major U.S. cities. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 956 people on Sunday — the largest number of arrests on a single day by the Trump administration to date — bringing total ICE arrests since inauguration to at least 2,681 arrests. While the Trump administration has touted the crackdown as targeting criminals, there has been concern over law-abiding migrants and those with permits also being rounded up. Officials have not disclosed numbers differentiating migrants with criminal histories and those without that are in custody. Here are the major cities where arrests have unfolded: In Chicago, migrant arrest crackdowns took place on Sunday. Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, told NBC News that among the people arrested in Chicago, six were convicted of serious offenses, two were previously convicted of murder and aggravated sexual battery, and multiple others were gang members. Arrest efforts continued Monday. The Los Angeles offices of Homeland Security Investigations and the DEA said they were working with partners to conduct law enforcement operations in accordance with the Trump administration’s immigration priorities. The Phoenix office of the DEA said Sunday it was working with the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security "with their immigration efforts," sharing photos of officers in law enforcement vests. The DEA’s San Diego office also shared on X photos of agents arresting people on Sunday.

Washington Examiner [1/27/2025 3:44 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 2365K, Negative] reports arrests started last Monday, Jan. 20, after Trump was sworn into office in Washington and have grown day to day with numbers ticking up into the weekend. The number of immigrants arrested by ICE officers in cities across the country doubled, even tripled, in some cases from less than 300 per day on certain days last week to nearly 1,000 on Sunday alone. If ICE continues at this rate per week, officers will arrest approximately 124,000 people in a year, but Trump is likely to go after far more illegal immigrants than that given that arrests have continued to increase recently. At the rate of 956 arrests Sunday, Trump would nab upward of 340,000 people by this time next year. NBC News [1/27/2025 5:26 PM, Gabe Gutierrez and Nicole Acevedo, 50804K, Negative] reports immigration authorities made close to 1,200 arrests in just one day, and nearly half of those detained don’t have criminal records, according to a senior Trump administration official. Data first obtained by NBC News shows that Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a total of 1,179 people on Sunday, which is more than the 956 arrests that the agency posted on X on Sunday night. But just 613 of those total arrests — nearly 52% — were considered “criminal arrests.” The rest appear to be nonviolent offenders or people who have not committed any criminal offense other than crossing the border. When breaking down those arrests, eight were considered "Worst Criminals Arrested," including two gang members, according to the official. Newsweek [1/27/2025 5:49 AM, Billal Rahman, 56005K, Negative] reports that in his first week since returning to office, Trump has followed through on his 2024 campaign promise to launch the "largest deportation program" in U.S. history, signing a series of executive orders that showcase his administration’s commitment to implementing a hard-line immigration agenda. A New York Times/Ipsos poll carried out from January 2 to 10 found that 55 percent of voters strongly or somewhat supported such plans. Eighty-eight percent supported "deporting immigrants who are here illegally and have criminal records." Both Democrats and Republicans agreed that the country’s immigration system was broken. On Sunday, senior Trump administration officials, including "border czar" Tom Homan and the acting deputy attorney general, visited Chicago to observe the launch of ramped-up immigration enforcement efforts in the nation’s third-largest city. According to media reports, raids have also occurred in cities such as Newark, New Jersey; Atlanta, Georgia; Phoenix, Arizona; Omaha, Nebraska; Detroit, Michigan; Miami, Florida; Austin and San Antonio, Texas; Los Angeles and San Jose, California; and Denver, Colorado. Federal agents raided a "makeshift nightclub" in north Denver early Sunday morning, disrupting a party and arresting almost 50 individuals said to be in the country unlawfully. Many of those detained were linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, the Drug Enforcement Administration reported. The DEA, ICE, Homeland Security, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with local partners, conducted the raid, seizing drugs, weapons and cash. According to NewsNation, ICE said that "at least" 41 of the 49 individuals arrested were in the U.S. illegally.

Reported similarly:

NBC News [1/27/2025 1:11 PM, Staff, 50804K, Neutral]
US News & World Report [1/27/2025 4:46 PM, Elliott Davis Jr., 30936K, Neutral]

FOX News [1/27/2025 11:27 AM, Danielle Wallace, 49889K, Negative] reports that President Donald Trump’s administration is pushing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to increase the number of arrests per day from a few hundred to between at least 1,200 to 1,500 people, according to a new report on Monday. Citing four sources who spoke on condition of anonymity about a purported internal call with ICE officials on Saturday, The Washington Post first reported about the new objective, categorizing the 1,200 to 1,500 daily targets as "quotas.” During the call, each ICE field office was told to aim for 75 arrests per day and that management would be held responsible if the quotas were not reached, they said. The Post also reported that current and former ICE officials said that they are concerned that the quotas make it more likely that agents will "engage in more indiscriminate enforcement tactics or face accusations of civil rights violations." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reportedly told the Post via an email that, "your story is false," but did not elaborate. When asked about the report, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified, telling Fox News Digital, "Goals is the correct phrasing.” "The bottom line is DHS enforcement, whether they be at the border or the interior, needs to keep and get criminal aliens out of the country," the spokesperson added.

Washington Post [1/27/2025 5:23 PM, Maham Javaid and Adrián Blanco Ramos, 40736K, Neutral] reports among the obstacles for Trump’s mass deportation campaign are the countries refusing to take back their undocumented migrants. These countries are labeled "recalcitrant countries" by ICE. Cuba, China, Venezuela and India have previously refused to accept deportees. Venezuela is also under economic sanctions, but the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, has signaled a willingness to allow deportation flights in exchange for preserving oil licenses and increasing crude exports, The Post has reported. When asked about India’s readiness to accept thousands of Indian migrants, an Indian minister told local media that New Delhi is still verifying names on the list. Beijing has also shown a willingness to repatriate Chinese nationals from the United States. Trump’s plans are facing additional challenges. Even when countries are willing to work with ICE, many, such as Mexico, have said they simply do not have the resources to take in a massive influx of deportees, especially those who are not their nationals.

CBS 7 [1/27/2025 2:42 PM, Emily Van de Riet, 11K, Neutral] reports that President Donald Trump told Immigration officials to dress for the media in the coming days of raids, according to a report from CNN. Immigration sweeps across the country resulted in nearly 1,000 arrests over the weekend. A barrage of video and photos from the federal government showing agents in tactical gear and vests emblazoned with "Police ICE" and "Homeland Security" taking suspects away in handcuffs. At least two agencies assisting ICE with the arrests have told personnel to "ensure their clothing clearly depicts their respective agency in case they are filmed by journalists," according to CNN. Although it is common practice for officers to wear identifying clothing, sources said even agents on the "perimeter of operations" were specifically instructed to wear "raid jackets in view of media attention." Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it made 956 arrests nationwide on Sunday and 286 on Saturday, AP reports. While some of the operations may not have been unusual, ICE averaged 311 daily arrests in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

The Hill [1/27/2025 7:19 PM, Sarah Fortinsky, 16346K, Neutral] reports Tom Homan, President Trump’s "border czar," defended the immigration raids this weekend and pledged to continue working toward carrying out the administration’s enforcement goals in a Monday interview. In an interview on Fox News’s "America Reports," Homan pushed back on criticism that "these are everyday people, these are families that are being attacked and dragged out of their homes.” "I don’t think we arrested any families," Homan said when asked to respond to that criticism. "We’ve arrested public safety threats and national security threats. Bottom line.” "Look, President Trump won the election on this one issue: securing our border and saving lives. This, what happened on the southern border the last four years, is the biggest national security threat this country’s seen, at least in my lifetime," Homan continued, citing border statistics from under the Biden administration. Homan committed to carrying out deportation operations "without apology," saying it would benefit the country. "We’re going to do this job. And we’re going to enforce the laws of this country. If they don’t like it, then go to Congress and change the law. We’re going to do this operation without apology. We’re going to make our communities safer," he said. Homan said he expects the continued operations will see "fentanyl deaths decrease, illegal alien crime decrease, sex trafficking decrease.” "It’s all for the good of this nation, and we’re going to keep going. No apologies. We’re moving forward," he added.

CBS Austin [1/27/2025 4:10 PM, Jackson Walker, 581K, Negative] reports Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, on Sunday defended his decision to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials into schools to apprehend illegal migrants. Though ICE is currently focused on public safety threats, Homan said the agency will so expand its focus to anyone in the U.S. illegally. Raddatz then pressed Homan on a directive this month by then-acting U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman allowing federal agents to arrest illegal immigrants at churches and schools. ICE officers, he argued, should be allowed to use their discretion to make arrests if an individual is inside a school or church. The agency always evaluates arrests "on a case-by-case basis," Homan said.

Newsweek [1/27/2025 11:38 AM, Billal Rahman, 56005K, Negative] reports that U.S. border czar Tom Homan has accused Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, of "scaring children" after the Democrat appeared to share misinformation about ICE targeting schools in Chicago. "He’s scaring the neighborhood, putting fear in the community," Homan said on Dr. Phil’s Merit TV. "We’re doing the exact opposite, we’re saving children," he added. Newsweek contacted the Pritzker’s office via email on Monday for comment. On Friday, Pritzer shared a news article on X (formerly Twitter) about the apparent ICE raid in a school and said, "Targeting children and separating families is cruel." Homan responded as he spoke with TV host Dr. Phil McGraw, who accompanied Homan, ICE agents and officers with the DEA as they conducted immigration enforcement raids in Chicago. A spokesperson for ICE told Newsweek the agency has not carried out any immigration enforcement operations at "schools or bus stops." The Department of Homeland Security released a memo that reversed the policy of prohibiting ICE agents from operating in or near schools, churches and other "sensitive locations." A DHS spokesperson said in a statement that "criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest."

The Hill [1/27/2025 5:50 PM, Mike Lillis, 16346K, Negative] reports President Trump’s deportation blitz is picking up steam — along with criticism from Democrats that the administration’s actions will harm communities and hurt the economy without solving the border crisis. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and a small handful of other federal agencies have conducted raids over the past few days, which led to the arrest of more than 2,000 people, including almost 1,000 on Sunday alone, ICE said. Democrats accuse Trump of seeking petty political revenge by launching the deportation raids in deep-blue cities like Chicago, where he frequently clashes with Democratic officials. “These unwarranted raids have not only targeted hardworking individuals but, alarmingly, have also wrongfully targeted U.S. citizens and veterans,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. “Such actions sow fear, disrupt families, destabilize local economies, and undermine public trust,” he added. Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar” who was in Chicago on Sunday to oversee the deportation operations, is pushing back on those criticisms. He said the administration is merely upholding the law — one he said has been ignored in Washington for too long.

The Hill [1/27/2025 6:04 PM, Mychael Schnell, 16346K, Negative] reports Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is brushing aside economic concerns associated with the raids that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have carried out in recent days, as Democrats warn that the mass deportations could harm the economy. Asked during a press conference on Monday — taking place during the House GOP’s retreat at Trump National Doral in Miami — whether he was concerned that the Trump administration’s raids would have unintended consequences on the economy, Johnson responded, "I hope not, I don’t think so." The Speaker referenced President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, who previously said that the deportation plan is "worst first."

NPR [1/27/2025 5:13 PM, Robin Young, Hafsa Quraishi, Neutral] reports President Donald Trump has put an end to a longstanding policy that restricted federal agents from making immigration arrests at sensitive locations like churches, hospitals and schools. The Migration Policy Institute estimates 733,000 school-aged children live in the United States without legal status. Chalkbeat reporter Kalyn Belsha says districts across the country are now educating their teachers, students and parents on how this change in policy may affect their schools. The fear has led parents in some cities to keep their children home from school.

NPR [1/27/2025 4:29 PM, Jasmine Garsd, 35747K, Negative] Audio: HERE reports the Trump administration has quickly ramped up ICE immigration raids across the country. In the Chicago area, some immigrant communities are already changing their everyday routines.

AP [1/28/2025 12:06 AM, Rebecca Santana, 30936K, Negative] reports a week into Donald Trump’s second presidency and his efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, federal officers are operating with a new sense of mission, knowing that “nobody gets a free pass anymore.” A dozen officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement gathered before dawn Monday in a Maryland parking lot, then fanned out to the Washington suburbs to find their targets: someone wanted in El Salvador for homicide, a person convicted of armed robbery, a migrant found guilty of possessing child sexual abuse material and another with drug and gun convictions. All were in the country illegally. “The worst go first,” Matt Elliston, director of ICE’s Baltimore field office, said of the agency’s enforcement priorities. The Associated Press accompanied the officers, who offered a glimpse of how their work has changed under a White House intent on deporting large numbers of immigrants living in the U.S. without permission. People considered public safety and national security threats are still the top priority, Elliston said. That is no different from the Biden administration, but a big change has already taken hold: Under Trump, officers can now arrest people without legal status if they run across them while looking for migrants targeted for removal. Under Joe Biden, such “collateral arrests” were banned. “We’re looking for those public safety, national security cases. The big difference being, nobody has a free pass anymore,” Elliston said. The number of collateral arrests has fluctuated, he said. By the end of Monday across Maryland, ICE had arrested 13 people. Of those, nine were targets and the other four were people ICE came across during the course of the morning. Of those “collaterals,” one had an aggravated theft conviction. Another had already been deported once, and two others had final orders of removal.

NBC News [1/27/2025 3:00 PM, Laura Strickler, 50804K, Negative] reports that a group of Quaker congregations is suing the Department of Homeland Security for changing a policy that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from carrying out operations in so-called "sensitive locations" such as houses of worship, playgrounds, schools and hospitals without approval from supervisors. The policy, which had been in place under multiple administrations — including during President Donald Trump’s first term — was rescinded last week. The lawsuit, which was filed in federal district court in Maryland on Monday, alleges, "The very threat of that [immigration] enforcement deters congregants from attending services, especially members of immigrant communities," and argues that attending religious services is at the heart of the "guarantee of religious liberty." Faith leaders, local officials and educators have objected to the policy reversal and have been vocal about their opposition, but the suit appears to be the first from a faith-based organization challenging the change in court. According to the lawsuit, the policy that protected "sensitive locations" from immigration enforcement without prior approval dates back to the early 1990s. It was meant to allow undocumented people to operate freely in certain public areas with the idea that doing so would ultimately benefit not just them, but also the larger community — for example, by allowing children to be in school during the day, and letting sick people visit hospitals without fear of deportation. Reuters [1/27/2025 5:17 PM, Tom Hals, 48128K, Negative] reports that last week, President Donald Trump’s acting secretary of Homeland Security rescinded a Biden Administration order that limited immigration enforcement in "protected areas," including hospitals, shelters, playgrounds or food pantries. Trump has pledged to deport millions of people who are undocumented, and the Department of Homeland Security said the policy change would mean that undocumented people would no longer be able to stay in churches to avoid arrest. The lawsuit by five Quaker groups said the policy was infringing their right to practice their religion by sowing fear among congregations and leading to the cancellation of services. It said the prior guidance of avoiding arrests and searches in protected areas had stood for 30 years.

Reported similarly:
Axios [1/27/2025 4:30 PM, Ivana Saric, 16349K, Neutral]

Telemundo Amarillo [1/27/2025 5:52 AM, Marcelo Wheelock, 1K, Negative] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deployed its agents across metro Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday and made multiple arrests in what they called a "mega-operation. In one of these operations, ICE officers arrived at a Hispanic church in Tucker, in northeast metro Atlanta, and arrested a parishioner, according to the pastor of the congregation, Luis Ortiz, minister of Fuente de Vida Church, said ICE officers detained an immigrant who was attending the church service. Luis Ortiz, minister of Iglesia Fuente de Vida, said ICE officers detained an immigrant who was attending the church service. The agents stationed themselves outside the church and waited for the father of two minors to come out before arresting him, according to Ortiz. According to Ortiz, the agents were unable to enter the church because a security system had been installed that only allows entry to those who have the access code, thinking that a raid could occur. "That is what prevented the agents from entering the church," he said in statements he gave to Telemundo Atlanta and other local media. The agents asked for the parishioner by name, he explained. "The immigration agents have the name and the specific information of the person they were looking for," he said. "He has a shackle, but he also has his permit, his identification, his Social Security and everything in order. It’s inexplicable," said Ortiz, who said the officers did not show a warrant for his arrest. Our message to the Hispanic community is to stay calm and be patient," he said.

CBS Miami [1/27/2025 4:28 PM, Morgan Rynor, 52225K, Neutral] reports that anxious relatives waited outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Miramar on Monday morning waiting for word on their loved ones. The Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Miami office shared on X that federal law enforcement agencies conducted several immigration enforcement operations on Sunday. Meanwhile, agents from ICE’s Miami office reported detaining some undocumented migrants on various offenses across South Florida, including in Broward and Martin counties. Outside the Miramar facility, a woman was waiting to find out what was happening with her son. "I’m just waiting on my loved one inside to see if you know how it is because honestly, he missed one of the court dates," said the woman who did not want to be identified. She said he had received a letter in the mail from ICE. She doesn’t remember exactly what it said other than one word - deportation. She said she drove him to the facility to get things sorted out. The woman said she and her son came to South Florida legally from Jamaica, but she understands why some choose not to wait. The increase in ICE raids does make her anxious. According to ICE, thousands of migrants have been arrested over the past four days - including nearly one thousand on Sunday alone. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Miami Herald [1/27/2025 7:50 PM, Angie DiMichele, 6595K, Negative] reports that federal law enforcement agents arrested multiple people in South Florida on Sunday, less than a week after President Donald Trump issued sweeping orders to crackdown on illegal immigration. Homeland Security Investigations Miami posted four photos on X Sunday evening showing agents escorting three different men and one woman in handcuffs, writing that they collaborated with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations’ Miami field office and other law enforcement to enforce immigration laws. At least two people were arrested in Broward County by ICE officers, according to information the agency shared on X Sunday. Officers arrested a person from Nicaragua at the Broward County jail who had pending charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful carrying of a concealed weapon, discharging a firearm in public and driving with a suspended license, one post on X said. A person from Jamaica was arrested in Broward "with charges for possession of oxycodone, display of a firearm during felony offense, & operating motor vehicle without a valid license," another post said. ICE also issued a detainer for someone from Mexico who is currently being held in the Martin County jail in Stuart facing traffic-related charges and had been convicted of DUI offenses, a third post on X said.

Washington Examiner [1/27/2025 11:29 AM, Emily Hallas, 2365K, Neutral] reports that Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced he would not fight the Trump administration’s campaign to deport illegal immigrants. During the 2025 Detroit Policy Conference, Duggan said that while he supported lawful immigration, the city would not resist Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents’ efforts to remove people in the United States illegally. "Detroit is not a sanctuary city," Duggan said. "We are a welcoming city. A welcoming city means if you are in this country lawfully as an immigrant, we encourage you to come here. We support your success. If you are in this country illegally, we should not be shielding you from ICE and federal enforcement, and the city of Detroit does not do so." "ICE has a list of who they’re looking for who are illegal immigrants, who have committed crimes," Duggan said. "And when one of the people we’ve arrested comes up, they will contact us, and if we have them in custody at the Detroit detention center, we will turn them over to ICE." Since Trump was inaugurated last week, ICE has conducted several operations across the country that have resulted in the arrests of many illegal immigrants who have committed crimes. The agency made nearly 1,000 such arrests during an operation Sunday. Duggan confirmed Thursday that ICE had not yet conducted any operations targeting illegal immigrants in his city.

Reuters [1/27/2025 10:21 AM, Sarah N. Lynch and Ted Hesson, 3419K, Neutral] reports that the TV host known as "Dr. Phil" embedded with U.S. immigration enforcement officers during an operation in Chicago on Sunday, defending President Donald Trump’s deportation effort as the crackdown neared the end of its first week. Phil McGraw, known as "Dr. Phil" for the eponymous American television series focused on mental health, followed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and other federal agents during the action, according to his X account. McGraw, who spoke at a Trump campaign event in October, said in a post on X on Sunday that ICE aimed to pick 270 "high-value targets", indicating it was a targeted operation, and defended the approach. "They’re not sweeping neighborhoods like people are trying to imply," he said. Video posted on McGraw’s X account shows the television host and White House "border czar" Tom Homan questioning a detained man who says he was born in Thailand. The man in the video says he is not a citizen before recognizing Dr. Phil from television. "This is an example of sanctuary cities," Homan said in the video. "We’ve got an illegal alien, convicted of sex crimes involving children and he’s walking the streets of Chicago."

Reported similarly:
NBC News [1/27/2025 6:37 PM, Tim Stelloh, 50804K, Negative]

FOX News [1/27/2025 2:28 PM, Greg Norman and Alexis McAdams, 49889K, Negative] reports that a member of the Sinaloa cartel was arrested in Texas by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the weekend and was found to be carrying three rifles, two pistols and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition, sources tell Fox News. The individual — who is from Mexico — was taken into custody in El Paso, the sources added. Across the U.S., ICE operations this past weekend resulted in more than 1,000 arrests. The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said last year that the U.S. is facing the "most dangerous and deadly drug crisis" in its history with fentanyl and methamphetamine flowing across the border — and that the "Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels are at the heart of this crisis." "They operate clandestine labs in Mexico where they manufacture these drugs and then utilize their vast distribution networks to transport the drugs into the United States," DEA Administrator Anne Milgram wrote in her agency’s annual National Drug Threat Assessment. Citing four sources who spoke on condition of anonymity about a purported internal call with ICE officials on Saturday, The Washington Post first reported about the new objective, categorizing the 1,200 to 1,500 daily targets as "quotas," although a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News, "Goals is the correct phrasing."

Border Report [1/27/2025 5:38 PM, Esmeralda Zamora and Cora Neas, 153K, Neutral] reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it conducted "enhanced targeted operations" in Austin Sunday, according to an agency spokesperson. "[ICE], along with federal partners including the DEA and ATF began conducting enhanced targeted operations today in Austin to enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities," said Monica Yoas, ICE Southwest Region’s acting media operations unit chief. A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Houston spokesperson also confirmed that the agency assisted ICE and other federal law enforcement partners with enhanced targeted operations in Austin Sunday. "The DEA Houston division assisted the Department of Homeland Security with their targeted enforcement operations today," said Sally Sparks, DEA spokesperson, in a phone call with KXAN. ICE officials reported other enhanced targeted operations in cities across Texas and nationwide. In addition to Austin, KXAN has confirmed ICE operations took place in and around San Antonio, Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, Buffalo and Atlanta on Sunday.

CBS Austin [1/27/2025 10:15 AM, Staff, 581K, Neutral] reports that a substitute teacher asked ICE to raid his school in a post on social media. According to KDFW,Forth Worth Independent School District (Fort Worth ISD) has launched a probe after a substitute teacher replied to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) post on X, asking the agency to visit a high school in Texas and remove students believed to be in the country illegally. The outlet reported that the probe was launched Friday when school officials became aware of the post. The X post from the substitute teacher, who was not named in the report, reads as follows: "Y’all should come to Fort Worth, TX to Northside High School. I have many students who don’t even speak English, and they are in 10th-11th grade. They have to communicate through their iPhone translator with me. The @USEDGOV should totally overhaul our school system in Texas." Forth Worth ISD interim superintendent Karen Molinar issued a statement obtained by KDFW, telling families that the matter was under investigation and that the district was "taking this situation very seriously and are committed to resolving it as quickly as possible."

Reported similarly:
USA Today [1/27/2025 3:19 PM, Natalie Neysa Alund, 89965K, Positive]
Yahoo! News [1/27/2025 12:13 PM, James Liddell, 57114K, Negative]

Yahoo! News [1/27/2025 10:05 AM, Alexis Simmerman, 57114K, Neutral] reports that Fort Worth ISD is investigating a substitute teacher who allegedly encouraged U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport students from North Side High School. The substitute teacher, who Fort Worth ISD did not identify, allegedly responded to a Jan. 23 enforcement update by ICE on X, reporting 538 arrests and an additional 373 in custody. The account, @HookEm232, has since gone private; however, screenshots of the posts continue to circulate around the platform as users criticize the rhetoric. "Yall [sic] should come to Fort Worth, TX to North Side High School. I have many students who don’t even speak English and they are in 10th-11th grade. They have to communicate through their iPhone translator with me," screenshots of the post read. "The @usedgov should totally overhaul our school system in Texas too." The school district addressed the issue on Facebook. "We take this matter very seriously and are conducting a thorough investigation to understand the circumstances and ensure appropriate actions are taken. As per district protocol, the employee will not be on campus during the investigation." "We are committed to maintaining a positive and supportive environment for all students," the post continued. "We appreciate your patience and understanding as we address this matter."

Reported similarly:
Yahoo! News [1/27/2025 2:33 PM, Paige Skinner, 57114K, Negative]

CBS 7 [1/27/2025 11:21 AM, Amanda Alvarado, 11K, Negative] reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported an accused child rapist who entered the United States four times. According to ICE, Nestor Flores Encarnacion, 58, was deported and transferred into the custody of Mexican authorities. He is wanted in Veracruz, Mexico, for allegedly raping a child. Encarnacion illegally entered the U.S. four times, dating back to 2002, according to ICE. He was detained at a home in Houston on Aug. 23 after deportation officers received information that he was living in the country illegally and was wanted in Mexico. Encarnacion was transported from the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, to the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo, Texas, where he was turned over to Mexican authorities. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Dallas Morning News [1/27/2025 7:38 PM, Staff, 3419K, Neutral] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents launched "enhanced targeted operations" in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Sunday, a spokesperson said, signaling an escalation ordered by President Donald Trump as part of his efforts to tighten immigration enforcement. The arrests primarily took place in Dallas, Irving, Arlington, Fort Worth, Garland and Collin County. Federal agents detained 84 people of "varying degrees of criminality," according to Dexter Henson, the ICE spokesperson. The full scope of the operations was not immediately clear. Henson said he could not provide additional details on Monday, as officials with the ICE Dallas field office were in the process of reviewing the cases against those detained.

CBS News [1/27/2025 12:27 PM, Staff, 52225K, Negative] reports that an immigration raid near Denver targeted apparent members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. This comes as more news emerges on mass deportation operations across the U.S., and as the spat between President Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro comes to a resolution. CBS News’ Lilia Luciano and Camilo Montoya-Galvez report. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

San Francisco Chronicle [1/27/2025 1:49 PM, Jessica Flores, 4368K, Neutral] reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials conducted an operation in San Jose on Sunday, according to the city’s mayor. Mayor Matt Mahan said in a statement that the city’s police department was notified that ICE would be carrying out an operation. The mayor said San Jose officials did not have additional details about the operation and said the police department does not assist in such operations. It was not clear whether anyone had been arrested by ICE. "I sincerely hope that ICE remains focused on enforcement actions related to violent and serious criminals harming our city, not neighbors who are contributing and law-abiding members of our community," Mahan said in a statement issued Sunday. ICE spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for more information. On Sunday, ICE shared on X that it made 956 arrests in a single day and issued 554 detainers. A detainer indicates there is "probable cause" to believe the individual can be deported under federal immigration law. Between Thursday and Sunday, ICE made nearly 2,400 arrests, averaging roughly 600 each day. In comparison, during the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, ICE’s daily arrest average was 311.

Telemundo 48 - Area de la Bahia [1/27/2025 4:04 PM, Fatima Navarrete and Marian Caraballo, 70K, Neutral] reports he Santa Clara County Rapid Response Network confirmed Monday that ICE agents were present in San Jose for a second consecutive day. According to information provided by the agency to Telemundo 48, the agents were reportedly seen in the parking lot of the Lucky supermarket located on West Capitol Expressway. This is the second consecutive day of reported ICE activity in various parts of the city of San José. So far, Telemundo 48 does not know exactly how many people were arrested on Sunday.

AP [1/27/2025 6:20 PM, John Hanna and Nick Ingram, 47097K, Neutral] reports the U.S. naturalized more than 818,000 new citizens from October 2023 through September 2024, an average of about 68,000 a month, according to the federal government. In Topeka, the 30 new citizens came from 18 different nations, and the ceremony gave speakers a chance to stress their own immigrant roots, with Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly noting that her family emigrated from Ireland. But it also occurred against the backdrop of Trump’s promise of mass deportations of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, his suspension of refugee resettlements and his effort to end the constitutional promise of birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to immigrant parents.

CBS News [1/27/2025 5:36 PM, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, 52225K, Neutral] reports the Trump administration’s swift crackdown on immigration has moved beyond those living in or entering the U.S. illegally, with officials also issuing bans and restrictions on legal immigration, including programs for refugees displaced by violence. President Trump made getting tough on illegal immigration a pillar of his presidential campaign, and he has already enacted far-reaching measures targeting those who violated U.S. immigration law. They include sealing the U.S. asylum system for those without proper documents; tasking the military with deporting immigration violators; and empowering deportation officers to target most unauthorized immigrants, including those without criminal records. But, with less fanfare, Mr. Trump’s actions have closed pathways for vetting and legally admitting hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war-torn Ukraine, Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and other troubled parts of the world, including crisis-stricken Haiti and Venezuela.

Yahoo! News [1/28/2025 2:59 AM, Boldizsar Gyori, 57114K, Neutral] reports the U.S. has suspended its refugee program for Ukrainians called "Uniting for Ukraine," the country’s Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website showed on Jan. 28, more than a week after U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order on immigration and border security. "Due to the Jan. 20, 2025, Executive Order, Securing Our Borders, USCIS is pausing acceptance of Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, until we review all categorical parole processes as required by that order," the statement read. This means that new applications are effectively frozen until the completion of a review. The Uniting for Ukraine program allowed Ukrainians to stay in the U.S. for up to two years, work, and receive health insurance. The applicants were obligated to have a sponsor in the U.S. who would financially support them during their stay. As of last year, the U.S. had accepted over 200,000 Ukrainians under the program. Over 6 million Ukrainian citizens have fled their homes in the wake of Russia’s all-out invasion in 2022. The decision was widely anticipated after the U.S. Homeland Security Department suspended several programs that allowed immigrants to temporarily settle in the country. According to a directive seen by New York Times, this included an initiative for Ukrainians. The order called for an immediate halt to "final decisions" on applications related to these programs while the administration reviewed them and decided whether to terminate them. This decision will block the entry of immigrants fleeing some of the most unstable places in the world, including Ukraine, Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela, among others, according to the outlet.

FOX News [1/27/2025 6:44 PM, Staff, 49889K, Negative] reports that less than 600 people crossed illegally into the U.S. from Mexico on Sunday – a stunningly low number since President Donald Trump took office. Sources tell Fox News that not a single one of the nine sectors received more than 200 crossings on Jan. 26, and the number of daily encounters only reached 582 in total. The Del Rio sector – which is the same sector that would sustain over 4,000 crossings per day during the height of the border crisis in December 2023 – only recorded 60 crossings. For comparison, the daily number of border encounters during the final days of the Biden White House teetered between 1,200 to 1,400 per day. The numbers have fallen even further since Jan. 20, and a Fox News Digital exclusive last week found that the numbers dropped sharply. A total of 2,523 border encounters were logged in the first three days of the Trump administration, with daily tallies of 1,073, 736, and 714 from January 20 to January 22, respectively. Meanwhile, 3,908 encounters were logged in the last few days of the Biden administration. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources told Fox News that there were 1,288 encounters nationwide on Jan. 17, then 1,266 on Jan. 18 and 1,354 on Jan. 19. The most recent border numbers were released on the same day that U.S. Border Patrol agents exchanged gunfire with suspected cartel members near Fronton, Texas, on Monday, but neither party was hit.

The Hill [1/27/2025 12:45 PM, Tara Suter, 16346K, Neutral] reports that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is sending 400 soldiers and some helicopters to the border to augment President Trump’s federal efforts to secure the border. Abbott’s office in a Monday release said he told the Texas Military Department "to deploy the Texas Tactical Border Force to the Rio Grande Valley" for the purpose of working with Trump’s administration on border security. The Texas Tactical Border Force is set to head out Monday from military bases in Fort Worth and Houston. It will send C-130s and Chinook helicopters, along with at least 400 soldiers "to join thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers already deployed on the border to collaborate with U.S. Border Patrol agents on the border," the release said. "Texas has a partner in the White House we can work with to secure the Texas-Mexico border," Abbott said in the release. "To support that mission, today, I deployed the Texas Tactical Border Force, comprised of hundreds of troops, to work side-by-side with U.S. Border Patrol agents to stop illegal immigrants from entering our country and to enforce immigration laws.” "For the past four years, Texas held the line against the Biden Administration’s border crisis and their refusal to protect Americans," he added. "Finally, we have a federal government working to end this crisis. I thank President Donald Trump for his decisive leadership on the southern border and look forward to working with him and his Administration to secure the border and make America safe again." Border Report [1/27/2025 7:57 PM, Sandra Sanchez, 153K, Neutral] reports that Abbott started the Texas Tactical Border Force in 2023. The specially trained soldiers have been deployed to hot spots throughout the Texas-Mexico border. Abbott says they are needed in the Rio Grande Valley. The Texas Tactical Border Force is part of the state’s Operation Lone Star border security initiative. Abbott has asked President Trump for reimbursement by the federal government for the over $11 billion that the State of Texas has spent on border security through Operation Lone Star since 2021. For the past four years, Texas held the line against the Biden administration’s border crisis and their refusal to protect Americans. Finally, we have a federal government working to end this crisis. I thank President Donald Trump for his decisive leadership on the southern border and look forward to working with him and his Administration to secure the border and make America safe again,” Abbott said.

Reported similarly:
FOX News [1/27/2025 4:13 PM, Adam Shaw, 49889K, Negative]
Dallas Morning News [1/27/2025 10:25 AM, karen Brooks Harper, 3419K, Neutral]
Yahoo! News [1/27/2025 12:14 PM, Alejandro Serrano, 57114K, Neutral]
Yahoo! News [1/27/2025 10:34 AM, Abigail Jones, 57114K, Negative]

Border Report [1/27/2025 3:50 PM, Julian Resendiz, 153K, Negative] reports a man is facing federal felony charges after allegedly trying to drive a car with 38.5 pounds of cocaine through an El Paso port of entry. Christopher Herman Barrio was arrested last Wednesday at the Paso del Norte International Bridge shortly after a Customs and Border Protection officer interviewing him for admission into the U.S. noticed he was avoiding eye contact and increasingly tightening his grip on the vehicle’s steering wheel. Officers located a trap door under the rear seats of the vehicle, opened it and pulled 15 bundles of a white powdery substance, according to a complaint affidavit filed last Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Each bundle weighed just over a kilo and the substance they held was later determined to be cocaine. Court documents show Barrio, who was in possession of a Texas identification card, agreed to be interviewed by members of a Homeland Security Investigations drug task force. He allegedly said members of a criminal organization in Juarez, Mexico, had paid him $1,500 to smuggle drugs into the United States, and that he had been paid before for successfully smuggling a smaller quantify of drugs and delivering it to the parking lot of a store in El Paso. Barrio told HSI agents he was working for La Linea drug cartel, according to a federal arrest affidavit submitted to U.S. Magistrate Judge Miguel Angel Torres. A detention hearing is scheduled for Jan. 29, 2025, is U.S. District Court in El Paso.

Yahoo! News [1/27/2025 10:30 PM, Sheri Walsh, 57114K, Negative] reports U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Monday that officers confiscated more than $1.4 million worth of cocaine in two seizures at the U.S.-Mexico border. The first seizure took place Friday at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge with CBP seizing 40 hidden packages with more than 91 pounds of what appeared to be cocaine inside a 2008 Toyota entering the United States. The driver was a 22-year-old female U.S. citizen who lives in McAllen, Texas. The Brownsville and Matamoros, or Gateway International Bridge, is one of a trio of international bridges on the U.S.-Mexico border between the cities of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas. The second seizure Friday also took place at the Gateway International Bridge, where a 27-year-old male Mexican citizen attempted to enter the United States in a 2014 Chevrolet. Upon a secondary inspection, CBP officers found several packages containing nearly 16 pounds of suspected cocaine. Officers seized the narcotics and the vehicles. Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested both drivers. "Our CBP officers work diligently to keep our borders secure and use many law enforcement tools to perform their duties which led to these significant drug seizures," said port director Tater Ortiz at the Brownsville Port of Entry.

CBS Los Angeles [1/28/2025 2:35 AM, Dean Fioresi, 52225K, Negative] reports federal prosecutors on Monday announced charges against eight people whom they alleged smuggled hundreds of millions of dollars worth of counterfeit and illegal goods from China into the United States by using the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The 15-count indictment was unsealed last Friday, charging nine defendants with conspiracy, smuggling and breaking customs seals, according to a release from the United States Department of Justice. "The defendants allegedly took containers flagged for off-site secondary inspection, unloaded the contraband, then stuffed the targeted containers with filler cargo to deceive customs officials and evade law enforcement," the statement said. While investigating the group, federal investigators say that they seized more than $130 million in contraband. They believe they are responsible for smuggling at least $200 million worth of goods. The indictment claims that investigators searched one warehouse used by the group in June 2024, where they seized $20 million in counterfeit items like shoes, perfume, luxury handbags, watches and other apparel. Eight of those defendants were arrested, while the ninth person and the alleged ringleader of the group is in China, authorities believe. Authorities arrested seven of the members on Friday, while the eighth was taken into custody on Saturday, they said. Each of those arrested on Friday has pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and a preliminary trial date is set for March 18. The eighth defendant, who prosecutors say was arrested on unrelated state charges, is awaiting arraignment. "Secure seaports and borders are critical to our national security," said Joseph T. McNally, the acting United States Attorney. "The smuggling of huge amounts of contraband from China through our nation’s largest port hurts American businesses and consumers. The charges and arrests here demonstrate our commitment to enforce our customs laws and keep the American public safe."

Reported similarly:
Los Angeles Times [1/27/2025 5:56 PM, Tony Barboza, Negative]
Telemundo52 [1/27/2025 4:12 PM, Jonathan Lloyd, 124K, Negative]

KTLA [1/27/2025 3:23 PM, Cameron Kiszla, Negative] reports more than 180 pounds of methamphetamine was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol in a pair of traffic stops in Southern California that occurred less than an hour apart on Jan. 18. The first discovery occurred at about 3:20 p.m., when agents stopped a man driving a blue Dodge minivan on the 8 Freeway near the Buckman Springs exit in Campo. A K-9 unit detected narcotics in the vehicle, and agents "discovered nine foil-wrapped packages, consistent with narcotics, hidden in a compartment of the van," the Border Patrol said in a news release. The Border Patrol seized what agents said is more than 180 pounds of meth on Jan. 18, 2025. Less than an hour later near the same location, agents stopped a woman driving a Honda sedan with her two children in the vehicle. That woman, identified only as a 22-year-old U.S. citizen, was arrested, and her children were released to family members.

CBS Los Angeles [1/28/2025 12:40 AM, Staff, 52225K, Neutral] reports nearly a dozen people were arrested by United States Customs and Border Patrol officers in Dana Point last week, which they say happened after an unregistered boat was used to drop of undocumented migrants. Agents were sent to the Dana Point Harbor last Thursday after receiving a call from a "concerned citizen" who said there was an unregistered vessel in their docks, according to a statement from Orange County government officials. "While Border Patrol successfully detained approximately a dozen migrants, others were able to escape due to a coordinated look out effort and getaway vehicles," the statement said. The boat was impounded by agents. "Today, we are reminded how crucial the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol are for our Homeland Security," said Katrina Foley, Vice Chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. "Public safety remains our top priority while Congress works to fix a foundationally broken immigration system. This brazen and coordinated effort to bring migrants onto our shores is unsafe for our community, as getaway drivers frantically sped away from the Harbor, and dangerous for the migrants who were transported in nefarious conditions." United States Congressman Mike Levin also shared a statement on the incident, which read in part: "Protecting our coast includes supporting our law enforcement and providing them the tools to prevent unauthorized crossings of our border, whether by land, air, or sea. ... I thank the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol for addressing boater safety issues and federal immigration agents for their swift, efficient, and effective enforcement of federal law."

Reported similarly:
Yahoo! News [1/27/2025 9:41 PM, Lily Dallow, 57114K, Negative]

Border Report [1/27/2025 6:12 PM, Fernie Ortiz, 153K, Neutral] reports Mexican authorities have begun filling in an underground smuggling tunnel that stretches from Juarez to South Central El Paso. U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Confined Space Entry Team discovered the tunnel on Jan. 9 while inspecting the storm drain system in the area. About a week later, U.S. officials began filling in the tunnel with cement on the U.S. side. On Monday, authorities began filling in the tunnel from the Mexican side. Members of Mexico’s National Guard and federal investigators could be seen securing area with yellow tape as crews used heavy machinery to remove some of the concrete slabs that created the entrance of the tunnel.

FOX News [1/27/2025 10:04 AM, Alex Nitzberg, 49889K, Neutral] reports that Sen. Mike Lee is continuing to call for the abolition of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). "Tired of being groped every time you travel? Abolish TSA," the senator said in a recent post on X. "Make Airport Security Free Of Sexual Assault Again," Lee said in another tweet, adding, "Abolish TSA." In another post, he suggested that President Donald Trump should eliminate the TSA. Lee suggests that instead of TSA, airlines could handle passenger screening. "You may be required to undergo a pat-down procedure if the screening technology alarms, as part of unpredictable security measures, for enhanced screening, or as an alternative to other types of screening, such as advanced imaging technology screening," according to the TSA website. "A pat-down may include inspection of the head, neck, arms, torso, legs, and feet. This includes head coverings and sensitive areas such as breasts, groin, and the buttocks." The agency was established in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. "The Aviation and Transportation Security Act, passed by the 107th Congress and signed on November 19, 2001, established TSA," according to the TSA’s website. Lee advocated the idea of nixing TSA last year as well.

CBS Pittsburgh [1/27/2025 7:09 PM, Patrick Damp, 52225K, Neutral] reports this past weekend, TSA agents confiscated a loaded gun from an airline contractor at one of the checkpoints at Pittsburgh International Airport. The contractor was found to have a loaded, 9mm handgun with a bullet in the chamber. "This is an instance where our TSA officers stopped what could have been an insider threat, someone who was approved to have access to secure areas of the airport," explained Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Pennsylvania. "This individual’s airport credentials have been confiscated and deactivated, without which he cannot work at the airport.” This was the third time this month that TSA agents intercepted a loaded gun at Pittsburgh International Airport. Last week, two guns were intercepted on the same day. "Everyone who wants access to the secure side of the airport is responsible for the contents of their carry-on bags. That includes everyone from travelers to airport, airline, and concession employees and contractors," Spero added. Travelers are permitted to travel with firearms, however, there are certain protocols that have to be followed. Those can be found on the TSA website at this link. In 2024, TSA officers intercepted 42 guns at checkpoints after intercepting a record 44 in 2023.

Axios [1/27/2025 8:30 AM, Andrew Freedman, 16349K, Negative] reports the Trump administration is looking at ways to overhaul FEMA, the government’s disaster management and response agency. The move — which President Trump has said could include dissolving the agency altogether — comes amid continued response efforts in the wake of September’s Hurricane Helene and the deadly LA area wildfires this month. The White House issued an executive order on the topic Sunday evening, and Vice President Vance criticized FEMA’s work in an appearance on CBS’ "Face The Nation" Sunday. Late last week, Trump indicated he would like states to take responsibility for disasters that occur within their borders. Vance indicated, however, that governors wouldn’t be left alone to tackle disasters beyond their response capacity. Trump has yet to nominate a FEMA administrator, instead choosing to appoint someone on an interim basis who reportedly lacks emergency management experience. Vance made clear what he saw as an urgent need for change, alluding to some of the criticisms leveled against the agency in the wake of 2024’s hurricanes and the recent fires. "FEMA in North Carolina, in California, in Florida with some of the hurricanes, has often been a disaster," Vance said. "And it’s not because we don’t have good people at FEMA. It’s because bureaucratic red tape and garbage prevents the rapid deployment of resources to people who need it the most," he said. The executive order establishes a "review council" to examine FEMA’s performance. It would include private sector participation and direct members of the council to compare FEMA’s response with private companies’. This raises the possibility that some of the agency’s functions could be moved outside the federal government. Dissolving FEMA or shifting to a system of state-led disaster response would itself be a disaster, said a former senior FEMA official, who spoke with Axios on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter. The official said dismantling or reducing FEMA’s operations would ultimately hurt the president’s supporters, many of whom live in vulnerable regions and who lack the money to quickly rebuild without government assistance. According to Samantha Montano, who teaches in the emergency management program at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, the administration’s approach to FEMA seems to follow many of the recommendations in Project 2025. That policy blueprint, overseen by the conservative Heritage Foundation, recommended having FEMA respond to only "catastrophic disasters," with states leading smaller events. Project 2025 also proposed ending the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), with private insurers covering flood-prone areas. However, Montano said insurers would be extremely reluctant to do so at affordable rates.

Bloomberg [1/27/2025 7:57 AM, Zahra Hirji, 21617K, Positive] reports fire-wracked Los Angeles, facing its worst natural disaster in decades, has never needed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) more. As new fires threaten homes across America’s second-largest city, FEMA has deployed roughly 550 experts to help displaced residents find shelter, access aid and coordinate debris removal in neighborhoods reduced to ash. They’re staffing help centers and working with fire survivors, while more than 2,600 of their colleagues are still aiding in recovery efforts from last year’s hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida. Now, President Donald Trump has questioned whether the agency the US turns to whenever major disasters strike should continue to play that role while also installing a former Navy SEAL without prior FEMA experience as interim chief. “FEMA has not done their job for the last four years,” Trump told Fox News, criticizing its performance in North Carolina in particular. “FEMA is going to be a whole big discussion very shortly, because I’d rather see the states take care of their own problems.” Over the weekend, the president issued an executive order forming a council charged with carrying out a “full-scale review” of the agency. Trump’s actions echo the vision for the agency in Project 2025, the conservative roadmap for reimagining the federal government that called for shifting more disaster recovery costs to states and cities. This means “we need to take what is written in Project 2025 even more seriously,” since its proposed changes would “hobble the US emergency management system — not just at the federal level, but also at the state and local level because of how our system is currently intertwined,” said Samantha Montano, a disaster researcher at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. (Trump repeatedly distanced himself from Project 2025 during the election campaign, and a White House spokesman reiterated Thursday that the president “had nothing to do” with it.) It’s still unknown who Trump will task with running and possibly reshaping FEMA. For now, the president has tapped Cameron Hamilton, a former Navy Seal, to temporarily lead the agency, alongside Mary Comans, who has held several key FEMA jobs. Hamilton has some emergency management experience, but he has never overseen the response to large-scale disasters like the wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles for weeks, destroying more than 15,000 structures and killing at least 28 people.

NBC News [1/27/2025 11:41 AM, Denise Chow, 50804K, Neutral] reports that an earthquake centered off the coast of Maine rattled the region Monday, causing light to moderate shaking in the state, as well as in parts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake as a 3.8-magnitude temblor that struck shortly before 10:30 a.m. ET. The epicenter was off the coast of York Harbor, Maine, roughly 45 miles southwest of Portland. The National Weather Service has not issued any tsunami watches, warnings or advisories in the aftermath, and there have been no reports of fatalities or significant damage so far. The USGS’ forecast shows a 15% chance of at least one aftershock of magnitude 3 or above within the next week. The event was the strongest earthquake measured in the northeastern United States since April, when a 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck near Lebanon, New Jersey. That shaking was the most intense in the Northeast in more than a decade, according to USGS records. The agency wrote on X that the shaking "reminds us that earthquakes are unusual but not unheard of along the Atlantic Seaboard." Earthquakes in the Northeast are relatively rare, which means even minor shaking can sometimes cause damage because the region is not as prepared for quakes as the country’s seismic hot spots. The Maine Emergency Management Agency confirmed the morning earthquake in a statement on X, adding that people who felt shaking in the area should report their observations to the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.

Reported similarly:
CBS Boston [1/27/2025 11:30 AM, Matt Schooley, 52225K, Positive]
Yahoo! News [1/27/2025 12:36 PM, Gillian Graham, 57114K, Neutral]

Washington Examiner [1/27/2025 3:38 PM, Mabinty Quarshie, 2365K, Neutral] reports in November, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership estimated the storm’s direct and indirect economic effects across the southwest Virginia region cost more than $2 billion. Youngkin implored that funding from the continuing resolution that Congress passed last month should trickle down into the Old Dominion. During a question-and-answer moment with the press, Vance reiterated his claims of getting federal funding into the hands of local Virginians. Virginia was among a handful of states still rebuilding from the storm, including Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

Asheville Citizen Times [1/27/2025 5:11 PM, Will Hofmann, Neutral] reports U.S. Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards announced Jan. 27 that he will be serving on the newly established "Council to Assess the Federal Management Agency" that was created in a Jan. 24 executive order signed by President Donald Trump. Edwards will serve on the newly formed FEMA task force along with U.S. Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx. The two congressional leaders from Western North Carolina will work to reshape the agency as it continues to respond to the devastating impacts from Tropical Storm Helene. Claiming the agency needs to "drastically improve" because it has left "vulnerable Americans without the resources or support they need," the Jan. 24 executive order called for a widespread evaluation of the FEMA’s services. The order also described "serious concerns of political bias" within the agency, citing that one of the agency’s agents had told staff members to avoid distributing aid to Trump’s supporters during the 2024 election. Per the executive order, other council members will include the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Director of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

WSOC [1/27/2025 6:01 PM, Dave Faherty, Neutral] reports dozens of FEMA homes and travel trailers sit empty near Hickory Regional Airport, while over 2,700 families remain in motels in western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. Despite the urgent need for housing, FEMA has delivered 108 homes, but many remain unoccupied. There are 50 FEMA mobile homes and travel trailers at an RV park near Old Fort. FEMA says preparing the homes is a complex process that includes "ordering, installation, permitting, utility hookups and inspections." Finding suitable locations, such as a commercial park or an RV campground can also be challenging. FEMA says a person who moves into one of their homes must do three things every month: Demonstrate a continued need for housing assistance, recertify their eligibility, and show they’re making progress toward a permanent housing solution.

Washington Examiner [1/27/2025 11:38 AM, Elaine Mallon, 2365K, Neutral] reports that President Donald Trump issued an executive order giving the federal government more control over California’s water management after sparring with Democrats, who he said have slow-walked Los Angeles’s recovery efforts. The order gives the Federal Emergency Management Agency and half a dozen agencies authority to override California state laws and federal statutes to provide relief amid the Los Angeles wildfires. In the latest escalation of Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) water wars, Trump threatened to withhold federal disaster aid in an effort to pressure the state to adopt an unrelated voter ID policy. Under a section of the executive order titled "Overriding Disastrous California Policies," Trump ordered the secretary of defense, the attorney general, the secretary of Homeland Security, the secretary of commerce, the secretary of the interior, and the secretary of agriculture to address the authority they have over the state’s water supply. These agencies have 15 days to report back to the White House. Trump also gave the federal agencies 30 days to address any "regulatory hurdles that unduly burden each respective water project" and to identify state and federal laws that would stand in the way of or would burden efforts to combat the wildfires. On Sunday, Trump signed an executive order creating a 20-person task force to assess FEMA’s response to natural disasters.

USA Today [1/27/2025 6:35 PM, Terry Collins, 89965K, Negative] reports President Donald Trump signed a wide-ranging executive order Sunday demanding federal and state officials deliver more water and other resources to southern California to help fight wildfires – even if it means clashing with area leaders. Trump for weeks has criticized California officials over their handling of the latest wildfire blazes, which have killed at least 28 people and burned more than 35,000 acres. It directs the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, a national agency, to deliver more water through the Central Valley Project, a network of dams, canals and other infrastructure. And his administration said the delivery should come even if it conflicts with state or local laws. NBC News [1/27/2025 11:45 AM, Rebecca Shabad, 57114K, Negative] reports that almost immediately after the onset of the recent spate of wildfires in Los Angeles, "firefighters were unable to fight the blaze due to dry hydrants, empty reservoirs, and inadequate water infrastructure," the executive order said. Trump’s order said the wildfire disaster has affected the entire country and it’s in the nation’s "interest to ensure that California has what it needs to prevent and fight these fires and others in the future.” "Therefore, it is the policy of the United States to provide Southern California with necessary water resources, notwithstanding actively harmful State or local policies," the order said. The order calls for "overriding disastrous California policies" and directs the heads of the departments of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security, Commerce, Interior and Agriculture to take measures to ensure Southern California has adequate water resources. It also specifically calls on the interior and commerce secretaries to immediately take action "to override existing activities that unduly burden efforts to maximize water deliveries."

AP [1/27/2025 7:06 PM, Christopher Weber, 12036K, Negative] reports that the first significant storm of the season brought snow and downpours to Southern California that doused wildfires and caused some ash and mud to flow across streets in the Los Angeles area on Monday. More than an inch (2.5 centimeters) of rain fell in many areas, loosening Los Angeles hillsides burned bare by the recent blaze near the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, where crews cleared inundated roadways including the famed Pacific Coast Highway. In neighboring Malibu, four schools were closed Monday “due to dangerous road conditions,” the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District said in a statement. Clouds were clearing, but flood watches from lingering pockets of rain were still in effect for fire-scarred areas of the Palisades, Altadena and Castaic Lake. “All these fresh burns are very susceptible to rapid runoff,” said Joe Sirard, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s office for Los Angeles. North of Los Angeles, snowy conditions late Sunday shut down the mountainous Tejon Pass section of Interstate 5, a key north-south artery for the state. It reopened Monday afternoon. The highway rises to more than 4,100 feet (1,250 meters) between LA and the San Joaquin Valley, making it susceptible to storm closures. Mountains across San Bernardino and Riverside counties were under a winter storm warning Monday and were forecast to get about a foot (0.30 meters) of snow from the storm. Chains were required for some vehicles heading to ski resorts in the Big Bear Lake area northeast of Los Angeles because of icy roads.

Yahoo! News [1/28/2025 1:21 AM, Darryl Coote, 57114K, Negative] reports the death toll from wildfires that have been raging near Los Angeles since early this month rose to 29 on Monday, officials said. The death toll had remained at 28 since Tuesday. The medical examiner for the county of Los Angeles announced the additional death in a statement Monday, stating it was informed of the casualty caused by the Palisades fire over the weekend. The Palisades fire, which erupted Jan. 7, has consumed nearly 23,500 acres, destroying 6,837 structures in its path. It has killed 12 people and injured at least four others, including one firefighter. As of about 5:30 p.m. PST Monday, the blaze, which has prompted evacuations, was 95% contained. "Crews continue to perform tactical patrol around structures and provide for public safety, while identifying and tagging any hazardous materials," the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, better known as Cal Fire, said in an update. It said the Palisades fire will be turned over to Los Angeles county at 8 a.m. PST Tuesday. The Eaton fire, which also erupted Jan. 7, has killed 17 people. As of Monday evening, it was 99% contained, according to Cal Fire. It had burned more than 14,000 acres and destroyed 9,418 structures. Nine firefighters have been injured fighting the blaze. The Hughes fire, burning near Castaic Lake about 45 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, erupted Wednesday and has since grown to 10,425 acres. As of Monday night, it was 98% contained.

CNN [1/27/2025 4:21 PM, Michelle Watson and Sara Smart, 22417K, Negative] reports that video from a gas station security camera shows what a new filing in a lawsuit alleges is the start of this month’s deadly Eaton Fire in the Los Angeles area – electrical sparking at a utility transmission tower in the hilly Eaton Canyon area near the Altadena community. The video was released Sunday by a law firm representing a woman whose house was destroyed by the fire and is suing Southern California Edison, the primary electrical utility for Los Angeles. The suit alleges SCE equipment caused the Eaton Fire, which has killed 17 people, injured nine firefighters, and damaged or destroyed 10,491 structures – making it the second-most destructive and fifth-most deadly wildfire in the state’s history – since it began January 7. The video also is mentioned in a court filing from the firm Monday, asking a court to order SCE to preserve certain physical evidence the plaintiff alleges may show the cause of the sparking. The cause of the Eaton Fire remains under investigation by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and no official cause has been determined. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

SFGate [1/27/2025 3:00 AM, Alexei Koseff, 14282K, Neutral] reports that President Donald Trump has repeatedly railed against California’s governor as "Newscum," spread misinformation about the causes of the Los Angeles fires and suggested that California will not receive the typical federal aid for recovery unless it changes its water policy. Or its forestry policy. Or its immigration sanctuary policy. This morning, as he prepared to fly to the fire zone, he added a new one: voter ID. "I just want voter ID as a start, and I want the water to be released," Trump told reporters on the tarmac during a stop in North Carolina. "After that, I will be the greatest president that California has ever seen." The demand further politicized a fragile situation that has left Gov. Gavin Newsom scrambling to respond to the whims of the president -- or even to speak with him at all -- to secure billions of dollars from the federal government to help Los Angeles fight an ongoing firestorm and rebuild. Newsom was indeed waiting for the president on the tarmac at LAX this afternoon and Trump greeted him warmly, shaking his hand, embracing him and repeatedly patting him on the arm as he promised to "take care of things.” "We’re going to get it fixed -- though we’ll get it permanently fixed so it can’t happen again," Trump told reporters. He expressed awe at the scale of the damage, which he compared to the destruction of World War II: "It’s like you got hit by a bomb.” "We’re going to need a lot of federal help," Newsom said, before brushing off a question about Trump’s voter ID demand. "I have all the confidence in the world we’ll work that out."

AP [1/27/2025 4:21 PM, Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Neutral] reports nearly three weeks after the Eaton Fire destroyed their Altadena home, Pete and Angela Mitchell need answers on what to do next. They registered for FEMA assistance, but got a letter of non-approval. After a 90-minute call to the agency’s helpline and a long day at a FEMA recovery center, they learned they needed more insurance documents. But their insurance agent’s office also burned down. Now they have the documents, but can’t figure out how to upload them to FEMA. Tens of thousands of people impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires have similar worries. To help, nonprofits across the region are readying what they say will be a record number of disaster case managers and advocates to support survivors through their recovery, connecting them with resources and fighting on their behalf.

ABC News [1/27/2025 5:07 PM, John Parkinson, 33392K, Neutral] reports a person claiming to have a Molotov cocktail and a knife was stopped on the East Plaza outside the U.S. Capitol on Monday, according to Capitol Police. The individual is in custody for unlawful activities, police said. About a dozen Capitol Police vehicles, including armored vehicles, swarmed the scene. Officers from the Capitol Police and bomb squad are also outside the nearby Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building.

CBS News [1/27/2025 5:54 PM, Doug Myers, 52225K, Negative] reports a Las Vegas man has been sentenced to more than 21 years in federal prison for soliciting sexually explicit photos from an 8-year-old girl online, officials announced Monday. Geovanny Davila Cisneros, 24, was indicted in January 2024 and pleaded guilty to enticement of a child in April 2024, according to Chad Meacham, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor handed Cisneros a 262-month sentence, followed by 25 years of supervised release. Cisneros must also register as a sex offender, Meacham said in a news release. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service’s Dallas Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Special Investigations Unit, the Secret Service’s Las Vegas Field Office, and the Las Vegas Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Yahoo! News [1/27/2025 9:32 AM, Ashley Shook, 57114K, Negative] reports that several flights were conducted by the Coast Guard in support of the Department of Homeland Security-led operation, alien expulsion. In a news release by the Coast Guard, the operation took place on Friday in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Coast Guard assisted with flying migrants to designated locations in California and Texas, where the members of the Department of Defense will transport them internationally. "In accordance with the President’s Executive Orders, the Coast Guard continues to surge assets and leverage its unique capabilities to protect America’s borders, territorial integrity, and sovereignty," said Adm. Kevin Lunday, the Coast Guard’s Acting Commandant. "Today’s operation exemplifies our coordination with our Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense teammates, through which we are detecting, deterring, and interdicting aliens, drug smuggling, and other terrorist or hostile activity before it reaches our border." President Donald Trump said his crackdown on illegal immigration in the U.S. has only just begun. Countries like Guatemala began receiving migrants deported from the U.S. On Sunday, Colombia agreed to take deported migrants after Trump threatened steep tariffs on imports and other sanctions on the longtime U.S. partner.

Wall Street Journal [1/28/2025 2:44 PM, James Rundle, Neutral] reports a federal court gave preliminary approval to a $45 million settlement in a consolidated class-action lawsuit brought against MGM Resorts International for data breaches in 2019 and 2023. Hackers broke into the resort operator’s systems twice, according to the suit filed in the U.S. District Court of Nevada, which combined two class-action lawsuits over separate breaches into one complaint. In July 2019, a hacker stole data including sensitive information such as driver’s license numbers, passport numbers and customer addresses. Then in September 2023, MGM was attacked again, this time with ransomware, in an incident that disabled the resort operator’s key systems for several days—including those to hotel rooms—as well as taking gaming machines offline. The suit claims the hackers gained access to customer information during the attack, estimating that around 37 million people were affected by both attacks. The suit alleges MGM failed to implement data-security practices, resulting in the breaches. MGM declined to comment. The 2023 attack effectively shut down some of the biggest casinos on the Las Vegas Strip at the height of the summer season, costing MGM about $100 million. The company said in an October 2023 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission it expects insurance to cover the costs. The settlement would provide tiered compensation for affected customers, based on what information was stolen. Those who had their Social Security numbers or military identification numbers stolen, for instance, would be entitled to $75, while compromised passport and driver’s license numbers would get $50. Customers who prove harm caused by the data breaches could claim up to $15,000. The plaintiff’s attorneys can apply for up to 30% of the $45 million settlement fund.

CBS Austin [1/27/2025 11:46 AM, Johnny Maffei, 581K, Neutral] reports that President Donald Trump took office one week ago and one of his first actions was signing an executive order designating cartels and some other gangs as foreign terrorist organizations. "It is the policy of the United States to ensure the total elimination of these organizations’ presence in the United States." One group specifically named in the order is the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, also known as TdA. In the fall, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) made WZTV aware that TdA has a presence in Tennessee, and there have been arrests since. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee) has been in touch with the TBI about the Venezuelan gang and says this executive order can empower law enforcement. A spokesperson for Sen. Hagerty told WZTV: "Senator Hagerty is grateful for President Trump’s decisive action to empower states like Tennessee and Federal law enforcement to put Americans—not cartels—first. The damage and mayhem caused by the Biden Administration’s dangerous open borders policies cannot be overstated, as Tren de Aragua and its criminal affiliates have taken advantage of Americans for the past four years. Under President Trump, their illegal presence in American cities is soon to be ended and Tennessee citizens will be safer for it."

Miami Herald [1/28/2025 3:36 AM, Darryl Coote, 6595K, Negative] reports a gunman was killed Monday night in a shootout with police outside a northern Indiana supermarket, where the suspect is accused of fatally shooting two people, authorities said. Circumstances surrounding the shooting weren’t immediately clear. The police department for Elkhart County, home to about 206,000 people along the Indiana-Michigan border, said the shooting was reported at the Martin’s Supermarket on East Jackson Boulevard at about 5:30 p.m. EST. Officers arrived to find two shooting victims inside the store, who were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect, located outside the supermarket, was "engaged" by officers and killed. Two officers were shot in the exchange. The Elkhart Police Department said both of its wounded officers were transported to local hospitals for treatment. One officer has been released from the hospital, while the other remains hospitalized but in stable condition, it said. The identities of the suspect, victims and involved officers were being withheld from the public, pending next-of-kin notification, the department said. "In this horrific situation, words cannot express the pain felt in our community when a tragic incident like this happens," Elkhart Police Chief Dan Milanese said in a statement, as he asked for the public to keep those affected by the shooting in their thoughts. "This pain is especially felt by the victims’ families, the responding officers, the families of the wounded officers and all the witnesses to this tragic incident." The case is being investigated by the Elkhart County Homicide Unit, which is asking for witnesses to contact them immediately. "Our hearts are broken in Elkhart tonight," Mayor Rob Roberson said in a statement. "Please continue to pray for the victims including our two police officers who were wounded, our heroic first responders and those at the incident," he said, adding that "there is no immediate danger to the public." Indiana Gov. Mike Braun on X said he was communicating with local and state law enforcement about the shooting.

Houston Chronicle [1/27/2025 2:40 PM, Caroline Wilburn, 2315K, Neutral] reports that no one was injured in what deputies first believed was an active shooter at a Katy Walmart Monday afternoon, but Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez later clarified the isolated event was the result of a former employee who fired shots toward the freeway after being escorted out of the store. A former "disgruntled" Walmart employee allegedly returned to the store at 22850 Morton Ranch Road near State Highway 99, but was escorted out and fired shots toward the freeway, Gonzalez said in a post on X. The unidentified shooter fled from the Walmart Supercenter but was arrested by deputies during a traffic stop near the scene, Gonzalez said in a post on X. Their identity was not immediately released. There was no threat to the public as of 2 p.m. Monday, Gonzalez said. "Our District 4 patrol deputies did a remarkable job responding promptly, saturating the area, quickly locating and apprehending the possible suspect," he wrote on X.

Yahoo! News [1/27/2025 11:40 AM, KC Baker, 57114K, Negative] reports that a carefree night out turned deadly when a gunman opened fire at a Texas nightclub, killing one and injuring eight after an apparent argument, police allege. People were gathered in the entrance to a nightclub in Amarillo when a vehicle pulled up at about 2:05 a.m. on Jan. 26 and a gunman exited the vehicle, opening fire into a large crowd with a rifle, the Amarillo Police Department said in a statement. After allegedly discharging multiple rounds into the crowd and shooting nine people, the suspect re-entered the vehicle and fled the scene, the APD said in the statement. "Evidence indicates this incident stems from an earlier altercation inside the bar," the APD said in the statement. "The suspects left the bar but returned in the vehicle." While multiple people called 911 for help, one eyewitness followed the suspect’s vehicle and called 911 to let police know where the car was headed, the APD said in the statement. "Thanks to the bravery and persistence of the witness, Randall County Sheriff’s deputies were able to locate and stop the vehicle," the statement said. Officers who responded to the scene at the nightclub immediately began life saving medical treatment to several victims on scene before firefighters and paramedics arrived. One of the victims, John Love Louima, 25, died at the hospital due to multiple gunshot injuries. Robert Kenney Knox, 23, of Amarillo, was identified as the alleged shooter, the APD said.

The Hill [1/27/2025 10:35 AM, Alexander Bolton, 16346K, Negative] reports that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) says the Senate needs to investigate President Trump’s decision to end his former national security adviser John Bolton’s personal security protection. Bolton, who clashed with Trump at the end of his first term, had been under Secret Service protection because of a threat on his life from Iran. Graham, during an interview with CNN’s "State of the Union," argued the U.S. government can’t leave former national security officials "hanging" after they’ve confronted one of the nation’s adversaries, such as Iran. And he said the Senate needs to get involved and figure out why Bolton and Trump’s former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lost their personal security details. "Whether you like Bolton or anybody else, we need to make sure that if you serve in our government and you take a foreign power at the request of the administration, that we do not leave you hanging," Graham told CNN’s Dana Bash. "The Senate needs to look at what happened and sit down and figure out what’s the best way forward," he said. He said Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) told him that the threat against Bolton and other former national security officials "seemed to be real.”

The Hill [1/27/2025 1:35 PM, Nathaniel Weixel and Rebecca Beitsch, 16346K, Neutral] reports that China on Monday dismissed the possibility that the virus that caused COVID-19 leaked from a lab, after the CIA said it now favors the so-called lab leak theory over natural transmission. "It is extremely unlikely the pandemic was caused by a lab leak," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters. "This has been widely recognized by the international community, including the scientific community," she said. Mao added that the conclusion was reached by the joint China-WHO expert team from field visits. Mao did not say where the virus originated, only that any judgment should be made by scientists. The CIA on Saturday said it believes the virus came from a Chinese lab. The new assessment, though it was made with low confidence, dumped new fuel on the debate over the origins of COVID-19. "CIA assesses with low confidence that a research-related origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is more likely than a natural origin based on the available body of reporting. CIA continues to assess that both research-related and natural origin scenarios of the COVID-19 pandemic remain plausible," an agency spokesperson told The Hill. "We have low confidence in this judgement and will continue to evaluate any available credible new intelligence reporting or open-source information that could change CIA’s assessment."

VOA News [1/27/2025 12:15 PM, Jeff Seldin, 2717K, Neutral] reports that new U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promised more changes are coming to the country’s military before even walking through the doors of the Pentagon. Hegseth, a decorated veteran and a former Fox News host, was greeted just outside the Pentagon by General Charles Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after arriving for his first full day of work. Hegseth said serving as defense secretary was the honor of a lifetime, telling reporters that the Defense Department will operate at a faster tempo. "The lawful orders of the president of the United States will be executed inside this Defense Department swiftly and without excuse," Hegseth said. "We’re going to hold people accountable." Hegseth won Senate confirmation late Friday by a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking ballot. He was sworn in on Saturday and spoke Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in what the Pentagon described as an "introductory call.” "We will be no better friend to our allies and no stronger adversary to those who want to test us and try us," Hegseth told reporters Monday before entering the Pentagon. He said that President Donald Trump is expected to sign additional executive orders on Monday impacting the military, including orders calling for a U.S. version of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, the removal of all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the Pentagon, and the reinstatement of troops forced to leave the military after refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccination. Hegseth also said the Pentagon will make sure Trump has all the resources needed to secure the U.S. southern border.

AP [1/27/2025 11:26 PM, Will Weissert and Haleluya Hadero, 33392K, Neutral] reports President Donald Trump said Monday evening that Microsoft is among the U.S. companies looking to take control of TikTok to help the popular app avert an effective ban that could kick-in in April. “I would say yes,” Trump told reporters when asked if Microsoft was one of the companies interested in helping to bring about a new ownership of TikTok, a requirement set by Congress to keep the app functioning in the U.S. Trump added that other companies were also interested in purchasing TikTok, but wouldn’t provide a list. “I like bidding wars because you make your best deals,” Trump said as he spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One while flying back to Washington from Miami, where Republican House members were holding a conference. Microsoft declined to comment. Representatives for TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In one of his first acts in office last week, Trump extended the deadline for TikTok to find new ownership that satisfies the government by 75 days, to April 4 from January 19. The president has said that he’s looking for the ultimate purchaser to give the U.S. a 50% stake in the company, which is owned by China-based ByteDance. But the details remain murky, and its unclear whether he’s proposing control of the app by the government or another U.S. entity. Last week, the artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI presented a new proposal to ByteDance that would allow the U.S. government to own up to 50% of a new entity that merges Perplexity with TikTok’s U.S. business, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Washington Post [1/27/2025 7:17 AM, Ellen Francis, 40736K, Negative] reports Swedish authorities have launched a preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage and detained a vessel in the Baltic Sea after damage was reported to an undersea data cable between Latvia and Sweden. Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze said early Monday that the cable was “significantly damaged” but that the operator was prepared, so “we have not suffered any loss of data or transmission.” "The crisis scenario worked," she told reporters in Brussels, adding that there had been "a day-long effort to clarify which ship has been responsible." Latvia is working with NATO and countries in the Baltic Sea region to conduct patrols, inspect vessels and investigate the cause of the damage to the fiber optic cable, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina said earlier. The Bulgarian shipping company that owns the detained ship denied any involvement in sabotage, describing the incident as a "force majeure situation" resulting from bad weather and saying it was ready to cooperate with the investigation. Swedish officials said Monday that authorities have boarded the Malta-flagged Vezhen. The Swedish national police, coast guard and armed forces are taking part in the investigation, senior prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said in a statement late Sunday. This is the latest in a string of ruptures of undersea cables in a vast underwater network of conduits that carry gas, electricity and internet traffic to millions of people across Northern Europe. Four cases in the Baltic Sea since late last year have caused no major disruption to public life but have rattled European security officials, heightening fears of sabotage as NATO officials accuse Russia of a "destabilization campaign" against countries in the Western defense alliance. Moscow has denied involvement in any such plots. European authorities have stepped up security around infrastructure in the Baltic Sea in recent months, including a new NATO patrol and surveillance operation launched earlier this month.

Reported similarly:
VOA News [1/27/2025 7:15 AM, Staff, 2717K, Negative]

VOA News [1/27/2025 7:15 AM, Staff, 2717K, Negative] reports the Swedish coast guard chased and intercepted a Bulgarian ship after a fiber-optic cable under the Baltic Sea linking Sweden to Latvia was damaged, its owner said on Monday. Latvia sent a warship on Sunday to investigate the damage, while Swedish prosecutors opened an "aggravated sabotage" investigation. Nations around the Baltic Sea have scrambled to bolster defenses after the suspected sabotage of undersea cables in recent months, with some observers blaming Russia. The Bulgarian vessel on Sunday "was chased by the Swedish coast guard with instructions for the ship to go into their territorial waters and it is now on anchor where an investigation ... is ongoing," Alexander Kalchev, CEO of Navigation Maritime Bulgare (Navibulgar), owner of the Vezhen, told AFP. He denied involvement in any sabotage. "I am convinced that we cannot say ... that this was a malicious act," he added. The Malta-flagged vessel carrying fertilizer from Ust-Luga in Russia and headed for South America was sailing in "extremely bad weather" on Saturday based on the information given to him by the crew, Kalchev said. An inspection on Sunday found that "one of the ship’s anchors was damaged and the anchor had dropped into the sea, which means that it was possible that it had dragged along the sea floor," he said, adding the anchor was then pulled up.

Bloomberg [1/28/2025 12:57 AM, Stephanie Lai, 57114K, Neutral] reports Donald Trump said Narendra Modi will probably come to the White House in February, putting India’s prime minister among the first foreign leaders to visit Washington since the US president’s inauguration. “I had a long talk with him this morning and he’s going to be coming to the White House in the next month, probably in February,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. On the call, Trump called on India to increase its purchase of US-made security equipment in a bid to balance the trade relationship between the countries, the White House said in a readout. The pair also discussed security issues in the Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and Europe. In a post on X, Modi said he congratulated Trump on his second term and said India was committed to a “mutually beneficial and trusted partnership.” The planning effort for the leader-level meeting comes alongside some tensions between the two nations. Late last year, the US Justice Department announced bribery charges against Indian tycoon and Modi ally Gautam Adani. The Biden Administration also charged an Indian official with attempting to orchestrate a foiled plot to assassinate a US citizen in New York. Trump and Modi have cultivated a close relationship, with multiple meetings during the US president’s first term. The US over multiple administrations has cultivated India as a regional partner and a bulwark against a more assertive China. Military ties between the two countries have been steadily growing the last two decades. According to a December report by the US Congressional Research Service, India conducts more military exercises and personnel exchanges with the US than any other country.

Newsweek [1/26/2025 10:22 AM, Flynn Nicholls, 56005K, Neutral] reports Donald Trump is facing backlash after he suggested Saturday "we just clean out" the Gaza Strip, with critics accusing the president of supporting ethnic cleansing. Speaking on Air Force One, Trump told reporters that Egypt and Jordan should accept the Palestinian refugees who would be displaced by the plan. "You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You know, it’s over,’" Trump said. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment. Less than a fortnight ago, Hamas and Israel reached a tenuous ceasefire amid the longest and deadliest-ever war in the Gaza Strip. The war began with a Hamas-led surprise attack on October 7, 2023 against Israel, killing more than 1,200. Since then, Israel had been relentlessly bombing Gaza. Hamas-run health authorities say over 44,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s campaign, which some critics have characterized as genocide. In a 20-minute question-and-answer session with reporters, Trump suggested a "clean out" of Palestinians from Gaza. "But it’s literally a demolition site right now," the president said. "Almost everything’s demolished, and people are dying there. So, I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build housing in a different location, where they can maybe live in peace for a change." Trump decided to lift a Biden-era hold on sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, asserting that the weapons were purchased and overdue for delivery. Last Monday, on his first day in office, he said, "I looked at a picture of Gaza, Gaza is like a massive demolition site … It’s got to be rebuilt in a different way." Several historians, journalists, and political commentators took to social media to call Trump’s plan ‘ethnic cleansing.’ Merriam Webster defines the term as "the expulsion, imprisonment, or killing of an ethnic minority by a dominant majority in order to achieve ethnic homogeneity." CBS News [1/27/2025 9:39 AM, Staff, 52225K, Neutral] reports Mr. Trump relayed what he told Jordan’s King Abdullah when the two held a call earlier Saturday: "I said to him, ‘I’d love for you to take on more because I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it’s a mess.’" He said he was making a similar appeal to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi during a conversation they were having while Trump was at his Doral resort in Florida on Sunday. Mr. Trump said he would "like Egypt to take people and I’d like Jordan to take people.” Hamas, Egypt and Jordan reject Trump’s Gaza suggestion.

VOA News [1/27/2025 12:21 PM, Ayaz Gul, 2717K, Negative] reports that a diplomat from Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban cautioned the United States on Monday against threatening retaliatory measures in response to detentions of U.S. nationals in the country. "Our policy is to reach a solution through peaceful means," Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban ambassador to Qatar, told VOA in written remarks. He spoke two days after the new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened that Washington may place a "very big bounty" on Taliban leaders, suggesting they might hold more American hostages in the country than previously known. Last week, the de facto Afghan authorities released two Americans, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, in exchange for a Taliban member serving a life sentence in a U.S. federal prison on drug and terrorism charges. The swap was negotiated by former President Joe Biden’s administration. "In the face of pressure and aggression, the jihad [holy war] of the Afghan nation in recent decades is a lesson that everyone should learn from," Shaheen stated. The Taliban have not revealed how many foreigners are still in their custody in Afghanistan. However, relatives and U.S. officials report the detention of at least two additional Americans. They are George Glezmann, a former airline mechanic, and Mahmood Habibi, a naturalized American. The Taliban rejected the allegations as baseless and condemned the arrest warrants for their leaders as "devoid of just legal basis, duplicitous in nature and politically motivated."

Reported similarly:
Newsweek [1/27/2025 7:35 AM, Shamim Chowdhury, 56005K, Neutral]

Bloomberg [1/27/2025 6:21 PM, Mackenzie Hawkins, 21617K, Neutral] reports that powerful artificial intelligence software from Chinese startup DeepSeek indicates that its engineers built a competitive model despite US attempts to curtail China’s tech development, raising questions about the effectiveness of Washington’s trade curbs. The company’s recently released R1 model, which it claims to have developed at a fraction of the cost borne by rival AI companies, sent tech stocks into a tailspin Monday as investors questioned the need to spend billions on advanced hardware. It’s also sparked a debate in Washington about the best strategy to prevent China from developing cutting-edge AI, which US policymakers see as a national security risk.

CyberScoop [1/27/2025 12:00 PM, Derek B. Johnson, Neutral] reports DeepSeek, the Chinese startup whose open-source large language model is causing panic among U.S. tech and AI companies this week, said it is having difficulty registering new users due to “large-scale malicious attacks” on its services. On Monday, the company’s website posted a banner note stating that it was temporarily pausing new registrations to deal with the issue. That note was quickly updated to indicate that new users could resume registering, but may have difficulty. Existing users are still able to log in normally. “Due to large-scale malicious attacks on DeepSeek’s services, registration may be busy. Please wait and try again,” the note states. DeepSeek’s note did not specify what type of attack its services are experiencing. CyberScoop has reached out to the company for further information. Stephen Kowski, field chief technology officer for SlashNext, said that as DeepSeek basks in the international attention it is receiving and sees a boost in users interested in signing up, its sudden success also “naturally attracts diverse threat actors” who could be looking to disrupt services, gather competitive intelligence or use the company’s infrastructure as a launchpad for malicious activity. The rollout of DeepSeek’s R1 model and subsequent media attention “make DeepSeek an attractive target for opportunistic attackers and those seeking to understand or exploit AI system vulnerabilities,” Kowski said. R1 was released publicly this month and quickly caused shockwaves in the U.S. AI market and its underlying business model. While American AI companies are pouring billions of dollars into building data centers capable of delivering the massive compute needed to power their models, tech experts say DeepSeek’s R1 has similar performance to top U.S. commercial models like OpenAI’s latest o1 reasoning model. It also appears to come with significantly lower investment costs, though just how much is a matter of dispute. According to DeepSeek, R1 was built for less than $6 million. Additionally, while many of the most powerful large language models built by U.S. companies are commercial and subscription-based, DeepSeek’s model is open source. It is currently the No. 1 free app on the Apple Store. However, Ben Thompson, a tech and business analyst at Stratechery, noted that according to DeepSeek’s own technical report, those investment figures for R1 include only a final training run for DeepSeek version 3.0. The full cost of training and development for the final end product built by DeepSeek is almost certainly higher than $6 million, but likely significantly lower than the costs cited by many U.S. commercial firms.

CBS News [1/27/2025 6:34 PM, Jim Axelrod, 52225K, Neutral] reports that the Chinese intelligence officer who convinced Thomas Zhao to hand over sensitive information about the U.S. military seemed to know the 24-year-old U.S. Navy petty officer had a passion for the stock market. The agent approached Zhao in a stock trading chat group on the Chinese-owned social media network WeChat, CBS News learned in interviews with people involved in the case. But chats about investment strategies soon veered into sensitive areas, including questions about Naval exercises in the Pacific and designs for radar installations. The Zhao case represents a new dimension to Chinese covert activities that counterintelligence officials are calling "virtual espionage." The practice, in which Chinese intelligence officers target members of the military and others of high interest on social media, draw them into correspondence, and extract sensitive information from them, is a rising threat, officials told CBS News. "They will turn over every stone to try and collect what they can," Kevin Vorndran, who leads the FBI’s counterintelligence division, told CBS News in a rare television interview. "They are certainly endeavoring to target as many people as they can.” Over the course of two years, a Chinese intelligence officer paid Zhao, a U.S. citizen and Navy engineer, about $15,000 to take photographs and videos of restricted areas at the Southern California base where he worked, court records revealed. With his relatively low rank, as well as a low-level security clearance, Zhao may have seemed like an unlikely target. Yet Vorndran and other U.S. officials told CBS News that intelligence officers working for the Chinese government are trolling professional networking sites, including LinkedIn, to seduce an array of American service members and others who hold U.S. government security clearances into turning over sensitive information.

Newsweek [1/27/2025 6:45 AM, Micah McCartney, 56005K, Negative] reports the Philippines says it was forced to halt a scientific survey after Chinese maritime forces intercepted the mission and created "hazardous conditions." Newsweek reached out to the Philippine armed forces and China’s Foreign Ministry with emailed requests for comment. The Filipino ships had been en route to Sandy Cay, a collection of three sandbars a few miles west of the Philippines-administered Thitu Island, the only permanently populated feature in the contested Spratly Islands. Beijing’s claims to most of the heavily trafficked South China Sea overlap with those of several neighboring states, including the Philippines. The U.S. ally’s pushback under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has prompted forceful responses from China, which on several occasions left Filipino servicemen injured and raised the specter of Manila’s Mutual Defense Treaty with Washington. Two vessels belonging to the Southeast Asian country’s fisheries bureau "encountered aggressive maneuvers" by three Chinese coast guard ships, Philippine Coast guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela wrote on X (formerly Twitter) Saturday. Video footage released by both the Philippine and Chinese coast guards shows one of the heavily armed Chinese ships coming within a few meters of a fisheries bureau ship in what Tariella called a "blatant disregard" for the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, established by the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization in 1972. In a separate video, a People’s Liberation Army Navy low-flying helicopter can be seen hovering just overhead the pair of inflatable rafts transporting the Philippine researchers to one of the sandbars. Tarriela’s post also included photos showing Chinese coast guard personnel in small boats deploying to "harass" a raft as it approached one of the sandbars.

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