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

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

The New York Times [1/29/2025 4:00 PM, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Erica L. Green, 161405K, Negative] reports President Trump signed a bill on Wednesday to require the detention of migrants who enter the country without authorization and are arrested or charged with certain crimes, the first legislation of his new presidency and an early victory in his effort to deliver a sweeping crackdown on immigration. The bill expands the list of charges that will subject migrants to immediate detention and potential deportation, instructing federal officials to detain unauthorized immigrants arrested in connection with or charged with burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, assaulting a police officer, or crimes that result in death or serious bodily injury. It will also empower state attorneys general to sue the U.S. attorney general or the homeland security secretary if an immigrant who has entered the country illegally commits a crime that harms the state or any of its residents. Immigration advocates have warned that the provision is a way of letting conservative governors and state attorneys general dictate federal migrant detention policies. Critics of the law have also argued that because it requires only that a person be accused or charged to be deported, it could harm the due process rights of migrants. The federal immigration authorities will probably also need additional funding and resources to make the additional arrests. NBC News [1/28/2025 4:03 PM, Katherine Doyle and Zoë Richards, 50804K, Neutral] reports Trump opened his remarks with a victory lap, crediting his immigration agenda for his victory in the election and thanking the Republican and Democratic lawmakers who sent the bill to his desk. "That’s why I’m here instead of somebody else. Actually, it’s the biggest reason," Trump said in remarks in the East Wing of the White House as he touted what he called the "landmark" law that is "going to save countless innocent American lives." The president praised Riley as “a light of warmth and kindness,” thanking her parents and sister, who attended the bill signing, and said the cause had brought together Democrats and Republicans. “That’s not easy to do,” Trump said. “Laken did it. America will never, ever forget Laken Hope Riley.” Written by Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., the Laken Riley Act bears the name of the nursing school student who was murdered last year in Athens, Georgia. A Venezuelan citizen who had entered the United States illegally was convicted of her murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In 2023, Riley’s killer was released after being charged in New York, and again after stealing in Georgia, Trump said. The president said the law would save “countless” lives, and credited it as “a perfect, incredible tribute to an unbelievable young lady.” The act requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants who are arrested or face charges or who have been convicted of “burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.” “What we are hoping for is that her life saves lives,” Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, said through tears. Phillips praised Trump as “a man of his word,” telling others to “trust that he will fight for the American people.”

Reported similarly:
Roll Call [1/29/2025 4:59 PM, John T. Bennett, 440K, Neutral]
NPR [1/29/2025 3:12 PM, Ximena Bustillo, 35747K, Negative]
CBS News [1/29/2025 2:46 PM, Kaia Hubbard, 52225K, Negative]
FOX News [1/29/2025 2:46 PM, Diana Stancy, 49889K, Negative]
USA Today [1/29/2025 4:59 PM, Joey Garrison, Francesca Chambers, 89965K, Negative]

The AP [1/29/2025 4:18 PM, Rebecca Santana, Gisela Salomon, Negative] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday that the Trump administration has revoked a decision that would have protected roughly 600,000 people from Venezuela from deportation, putting some at risk of being removed from the country in about two months. Noem signed a notice reversing a move by her predecessor, Alejandro Mayorkas, in the waning days of the Biden administration to extend Temporary Protected Status. The change is effective immediately and comes amid a slew of actions as the Trump administration works to make good on promises to crack down on illegal immigration and carry out the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history. Noem has until Saturday to decide what to do about the group whose protections expire in April and until July 12 for those whose protections expire in September. If she does nothing, the protections automatically extend for another six months. The National TPS Alliance, an advocacy group, said Wednesday that it is prepared to challenge this decision in court. The Miami Herald [1/29/2025 9:24 AM, Syra Ortiz Blanes, Antonio Delgado, Verónica Egui Brito, Michael Wilner, Jacqueline Charles, and Clara-Sophia Daly, 6595K, Negative] reports that during an interview with the Fox News program Fox and Friends on Wednesday morning, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that she has rescinded an 18-month extension of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuela that President Joe Biden made days before leaving the White House. That extension had been announced by Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas. The New York Times first reported the roll back on Tuesday night. "Before he left town, Mayorkas signed an order that said for 18 months, they were going to extend protection to people on Temporary Protected Status, which meant they were going to be able to stay here and violate our laws for another 18 months," Noem said. "We stopped that." The decision could have devastating consequences in Florida, the state with the largest population of Temporary Protected Status recipients in the country. Almost 60% of the state’s TPS beneficiaries are from Venezuela, according to federal figures. The Washington Examiner [1/29/2025 10:30 AM, Anna Giaritelli, 2365K, Negative] reports that three days before leaving office, former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas made the decision to extend protections from deportation for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants from Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela. This means that roughly 600,000 Venezuelans, 103,700 Ukrainians, and 1,900 Sudanese immigrants may apply for TPS protection and obtain work permits while they remain in the country for another 18 months. NPR [1/29/2025 3:51 PM, Jasmine Garsd, Negative] reports Republicans have long argued that the TPS program has strayed from its original mission. Secretary Noem added that, moving forward, the status of all migrants with TPS in the U.S. will be reconsidered. NBC News [1/29/2025 1:03 PM, Suzanne Gamboa, 50804K, Neutral] reports that about 600,000 Venezuelans were eligible for extended TPS in January, when Biden extended the protection. Venezuela has been in the throes of an economic, humanitarian and political crisis that has driven millions of its citizens out of the country, many desperate for basic necessities such as food and safety. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance had said during the campaign that they might scale back TPS and its implementation in order to carry out the mass deportations Trump pledged to his supporters.

Reported similarly:
Politico [1/29/2025 5:37 PM, Ali Bianco, Negative]
The Hill [1/29/2025 11:39 AM, Rebecca Beitsch, 16346K, Negative]
CBS New York [1/29/2025 12:38 PM, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, 52225K, Negative]
FOX News [1/29/2025 5:52 PM, Adam Shaw, 49889K, Negative]

The Wall Street Journal [1/29/2025 6:00 PM, Tarini Parti, Michelle Hackman and Nancy A. Youssef, Neutral] reports President Trump on Wednesday ordered the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security to construct a facility for holding as many as 30,000 migrants at Guantanamo Bay. The U.S. Navy base in Cuba, the site of a prison for more than two decades for terror suspects, would be used to “contain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people,” Trump said. He didn’t offer further details. “Some of them are so bad we don’t even trust the countries to hold them, because we don’t want them coming back,” Trump said of the migrants while signing a bill passed in response to a murder by a migrant who was in the U.S. illegally. “So we’re going to send them out to Guantanamo.” The move underscored the White House’s increasing reliance on military facilities and personnel in carrying out its immigration crackdown. Trump has also ordered active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to assist civilian authorities and is using Air Force transport planes to quickly scale up deportation flights to other countries. Opening 30,000 additional detention beds would almost double U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s capacity to hold migrants ahead of their deportations. Congress has allotted funding for detaining as many as 41,000 immigrants at a time, a historically high number that Trump’s team considers inadequate as it tries to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history. Guantanamo Bay has been used in the past as a migrant detention center, including in the 1980s and 1990s when thousands of Haitians were sent there, sometimes even after winning asylum cases. The Biden administration also used the facility to house a small number of migrants so they could be resettled to third countries. Pentagon officials said they were unaware of the plan, which White House officials said was completed on Wednesday. Politico [1/29/2025 5:18 PM, Irie Sentner, Negative] reports that after the signing, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters that “the White House is currently working on [using] resources we currently have in Guantanamo Bay” to increase the number of beds for “the worst of the worst.” “We’re already doing it,” Noem said. “We’re building it out.” Noem clarified that Immigration and Customs Enforcement would run the facility, and Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, said the immigrants would be flown there directly. Asked how much the facility would cost, Noem said it would be up to appropriators in Congress. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said later Wednesday on Fox News the facility would be used for "temporary transit," emphasizing "this is not the camps" and noting that the base had housed migrants before. Reuters [1/29/2025 2:59 PM, Jeff Mason, Idrees Ali and Ted Hesson, 48128K, Negative] reports, speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Homan said the center would be used for the "worst of the worst." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, asked how much money would be required for the facility, said the administration was working on it with reconciliation and appropriators in Congress.

Reported similarly:
Washington Post [1/29/2025 6:14 PM, Nick Miroff and Dan Lamothe, 40736K, Negative]
The Hill [1/29/2025 8:03 PM, Ellen Mitchell, 16346K, Negative]
Axios [1/29/2025 3:24 PM, Sareen Habeshian, Russell Contreras, 16349K, Neutral]
Newsweek [1/29/2025 5:16 PM, Jesus Mesa, Gabe Whisnant, 56005K, Negative]
CBS Sacramento [1/29/2025 7:48 PM, Kathryn Watson, Camilo Montoya-Galvez and Eleanor Watson, 52225K, Negative]
NBC News [1/29/2025 6:52 PM, Tara Prindiville and Zoë Richards, 50804K, Negative]
CNN [1/29/2025 5:36 PM, Michael Williams and Haley Britzky, Negative]
FOX News [1/29/2025 5:40 PM, Greg Wehner, 49889K, Negative]
USA Today [1/29/2025 6:02 PM, Staff, 89965K, Negative]
Washington Examiner [1/29/2025 4:11 PM, Anna Giaritelli and Haisten Willis, 2365K, Negative]
Telemundo [1/29/2025 3:05 PM, Staff, 2623K, Negative]
Univision [1/29/2025 3:53 PM, Staff, 7281K, Negative]

FOX News [1/29/2025 6:44 PM, Ashley Carnahan, 49889K, Neutral] reports Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States will "humanely move" criminal migrants out of the country and work with other agencies to secure the southern border in his first interview since he was confirmed last week by the U.S. Senate. Hegseth, a former "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host, addressed President Donald Trump’s memorandum to the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Defense (DOD), calling on them to prepare a 30,000-person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay, a U.S. Naval base in Cuba. He told Fox News host Will Cain Wednesday that Guantanamo Bay is a "perfect place" to hold criminal migrants "safely in the interim" as the process to repatriate them to their homelands plays out. Guantanamo Bay is most known for being a detention camp that holds terrorism suspects. Trump said the facility will "detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people.” "Some of them are so bad we don’t even trust the countries to hold them because we don’t want them coming back, so we’re going to send them out to Guantanamo," he told reporters at the White House. Hegseth clarified that criminal migrants aren’t being put in camps with "ISIS and other criminals.” "This is a temporary transit, which is already the mission of naval station Guantanamo Bay, where we can plus up thousands and tens of thousands if necessary, to humanely move illegals out of our country where they do not belong, back to the countries where they came from in proper process," Hegseth said on "The Will Cain Show.” "This is a plan in movement, but not in movement because we’re behind, but because we’re ramping up for the possibility to expand mass deportations because President Trump is dead serious about getting illegal criminals out of our country," he continued. "And the DOD is not only willing to, it’s proud to partner with DHS to defend the sovereignty of our southern border and advance that mission.”

Yahoo! News [1/29/2025 6:34 PM, Sanjana Karanth, 57114K, Negative] reports President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday that would cancel visas and deport international students who have expressed support for Palestinians — the administration’s latest effort to both target immigrants and crack down on free speech, particularly on college campuses. The fact sheet for the president’s order describes the move as a means to address antisemitism, directing the Justice Department to prosecute "terroristic threats, arson, vandalism and violence against American Jews" and to use the necessary federal resources to fight what it called an "explosion of antisemitism" since Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel in October 2023. "To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you," states the order, first obtained by Reuters. The president said that he would also cancel the visas of students he considers "Hamas sympathizers," describing college campuses as "infested with radicalism.” Columbia University students protest against the war in Gaza on the anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel in New York City on Oct. 7, 2024. High schools and colleges across the country erupted into protests last year over Israel’s obliteration of Gaza, which has killed at least 47,000 Palestinians in what the international community and human rights groups have since labeled a genocide. Protesters also demanded that their universities divest from Israeli companies to show their commitment to peace. Trump’s order "promotes the false premise that Jews and Israel are one entity. This idea reinforces the antisemitic ‘dual-loyalty’ tropes," said Jamie Beran, CEO of progressive Jewish group Bend the Arc. "Jews feel many ways about Israel and Palestine, and the protests on college campuses have included and continue to include many Jewish participants.” "We are disgusted that Trump and his antisemitic, neo-Nazi, Christian nationalist allies are planning to deport students and other immigrants for protesting the Israeli military’s brutal assault on Gaza," said Eva Borgwardt, spokesperson for the Jewish American group IfNotNow. Trump’s executive order is pulled directly from the "Project Esther" report created by the Heritage Foundation, the same group that put together the massive Project 2025 playbook. The former is also a blueprint for the Trump administration, focused on using the authority of the federal government to dismantle first the Palestine solidarity movement, and subsequently other progressive social movements.

FOX News [1/29/2025 5:56 PM, Alexandra Koch, 49889K, Neutral] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Wednesday the department has stopped all grant funding to nonprofits that operate outside of government control, saying they have been "perverted into a shadow government" that feeds illegal immigration. Noem said some non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which receive millions in federal grants, have been facilitating illegal immigration by helping aliens cross the U.S. border. The first step to curbing the issue is to freeze the funds, reevaluate them, and make sure taxpayer dollars are going toward safe causes, she said. She added not all NGOs are what they appear to be, and some could be a risk to national security. Approximately 1.5 million NGOs operate in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of State.

Wall Street Journal [1/29/2025 6:09 PM, Natalie Andrews, Liz Essley Whyte and Michelle Hackman, Neutral] reports the Trump administration rescinded its memo calling for federal agencies to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal grants, loans and other financial-assistance programs, a day after a federal judge temporarily blocked the directive that had sowed widespread confusion. The White House on Wednesday issued a memo to federal employees scrapping its original memorandum, according to a document viewed by The Wall Street Journal. Matthew J. Vaeth, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, said that the previous memorandum “is rescinded. If you have questions about implementing the president’s executive orders, please contact your agency’s general counsel.” OMB had sent the initial order to agencies Monday, calling for a temporary pause of the grants to give agencies time to review spending priorities. The directive instructed officials to halt “all activities related to obligations or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.” The OMB memo said that the federal government spent more than $3 trillion on federal assistance, including grants and loans, out of nearly $10 trillion spent in the fiscal year 2024. The memo didn’t say where those figures came from. For the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, the government is expected to spend about $7 trillion, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday: “This action should effectively end the court case and allow the government to focus on enforcing the president’s orders on controlling federal spending. In the coming weeks and months, more executive action will continue to end the egregious waste of federal funding.”

Newsweek [1/29/2025 7:49 AM, Billal Rahman, 56005K, Neutral] reports President Donald Trump may slash funding from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to fill a budget shortfall in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to NBC News. Two sources familiar with the plan told NBC News that the Trump administration is considering redirecting funds from TSA to ICE in support of his mass deportation efforts. Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, and the White House for further comment. Trump made immigration a central theme of his successful presidential campaign. Americans largely support immigration reform overall but disagree about how policies such as deportations should be carried out. A slight majority of Americans support Trump’s current deportation plans. A New York Times/Ipsos poll carried out from January 2 to 10 found 55 percent of voters strongly or somewhat supported such plans. Eighty-eight percent supported "Deporting immigrants who are here illegally and have criminal records." Large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans agreed that the immigration system is broken. ICE, the nation’s leading immigration enforcement agency, is tasked with carrying out Trump’s pledge for mass deportations. The TSA’s primary responsibility is ensuring the safety and security of air travel. If funds are diverted from the TSA, it could reduce the resources available for screening passengers and baggage, as well as for maintaining security measures at the required standard. It could lead to longer wait times, less effective screening, and potentially even increased vulnerability to national security threats. The administration is also considering reallocating funds from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Coast Guard to support ICE operations. The executive branch has the authority to transfer funds appropriated by Congress between agencies within a department, and the Trump administration would not be the first to do so to address an ICE budget shortfall.

Roll Call [1/29/2025 2:55 PM, Chris Johnson, 440K, Neutral] reports President Donald Trump’s initial steps toward executing his promised tough-on-immigration plans featured a highly visible role for the military and federal agents in tactical gear, a show of force that the administration has touted on social media. Military aircraft flew migrants back to numerous countries, a move that sparked some international pushback. And administration officials, including Tom Homan and newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have appeared on the ground in media reports and social media posts alongside agents tasked with performing immigration enforcement raids. The use of the military comes on the heels of one of the many executive orders Trump signed on his first day in office in which he designated a specific role for the military in border security. The directive requires the Defense secretary within 10 days to create an updated plan for United States Northern Command to "seal the borders and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States," which includes repelling unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking as well as human smuggling and trafficking. Trump also directed the military to have an elevated Level 3 planning requirement for border security, a plan to provide steady-state southern border security and continuous assessments of all options available to guard against mass unlawful entry.

Newsweek [1/29/2025 7:59 AM, James Bickerton, 56005K, Neutral] reports the Trump administration will have to contend with 13 sanctuary states and 220 sanctuary cities and counties that are refusing to fully comply with federal immigration enforcement, according to a report published by the Center for Immigration Studies earlier this month. Newsweek contacted the White House press office for comment on Wednesday via email outside of regular office hours. Donald Trump made tackling illegal immigration one of his chief policy priorities during the 2024 presidential election. He declared a national emergency at the southern border due to unauthorized crossings shortly after being inaugurated as president for a second time on January 20. According to data from Pew Research Center, there were an estimated 11 million migrants in the U.S. without legal status in 2022. A poll carried out by New York Times and Ipsos from January 2 to 10 found that 55 percent of voters strongly or somewhat supported Trump’s deportation plans. Eighty-eight percent supported "deporting immigrants who are here illegally and have criminal records.” The policies of sanctuary states, cities and counties risk putting them on a collision course with the federal government, with Trump having already suggested he "might have to" cut funding for cities with sanctuary policies. The most recent update by the Center for Immigration Studies, which describes itself as a non-partisan group that backs "a unique pro-immigrant, low-immigration vision", highlights 13 sanctuary states and 220 sanctuary cities and counties across the United States. It defines these areas as having laws or policies that "obstruct immigration enforcement and shield criminals from ICE—either by refusing to or prohibiting agencies from complying with ICE detainers, imposing unreasonable conditions on detainer acceptance, denying ICE access to interview incarcerated aliens, or otherwise impeding communication or information exchanges between their personnel and federal immigration officers.” The 13 states listed by the Center for Immigration Studies are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and Washington. In addition, the center lists 220 cities and counties across the nation as having sanctuary status, which are displayed on the map below. The cities include one in each of Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wyoming and the District of Columbia, two in Maine, three in each of Indiana and Wisconsin, and four in Kentucky and Ohio. There are also five listed in Georgia, nine in North Carolina, 10 in each of Maryland and Michigan, 12 in each of Minnesota and Nebraska, 13 in Pennsylvania, 18 in New York, 26 in New Mexico and 81 in Virginia. On X, Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin said Tom Homan, Trump’s new border czar, told the network he is "not happy with the pace of ICE arrests and deportations so far.”

Wall Street Journal [1/30/2025 3:58 AM, Andrew Tangel and Alison Sider, Neutral] reports an American Airlines regional jet carrying 64 passengers and crew and a military helicopter collided in midair Wednesday night near a Washington, D.C., area airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said the crash involved a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet operated by American’s regional carrier PSA and a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter. There are fatalities in the accident, Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) said, but authorities haven’t disclosed details. The air-safety agency said the passenger jet was on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. Aviation industry and government officials said 60 passengers and four crew members were on the jet, Flight 5342, which departed from Wichita, Kan. Three people were on board the Black Hawk military helicopter, which was traveling from Fort Belvoir, Va., the U.S. Army said. The crash sent both aircraft into the Potomac River, prompting emergency crews to respond with fireboats. Authorities are conducting a search-and-rescue operation in freezing temperatures and rough conditions, and expect the effort to take several days. Among the jet’s passengers were figure skaters, coaches and relatives who were returning from a training camp, the sport’s U.S. governing body said early Thursday. American Airlines said that its regional flight was involved in an accident at the airport, and that the airline was in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts. The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board would lead the investigation. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News that President Trump had been briefed on the crash. “May God Bless their souls,” Trump said in a statement. “Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
Washington Post [1/30/2025 3:30 AM, Kelly Kasulis Cho, 40736K, Neutral]
AP [1/30/2025 3:34 AM, Hallie Golden, 30936K, Negative]
FOX News [1/29/2025 11:32 PM, Andrea Margolis, 57114K, Neutral]
Miami Herald [1/30/2025 3:58 AM, Staff, 6595K, Neutral]

AP [1/29/2025 6:07 PM, Stephany Matat and Kate Payne, 30936K, Negative] reports that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis promised to veto a sweeping immigration bill on Wednesday in the latest escalation of a statehouse showdown with Republican legislative leaders over whose proposals would best carry out President Donald Trump ‘s immigration crackdown. The bill allocates half a billion dollars to beefing up state and local coordination with federal law enforcement. It would mean enhanced criminal penalties for immigrants without legal permission who commit crimes in the U.S. In a challenge to the term-limited governor who has leveraged his executive power like no other Florida leader in recent memory, the bill cedes DeSantis’ oversight authority on immigration procedures and grants it to the state’s agriculture commissioner. DeSantis has lambasted the move as putting the “fox in charge of the hen house” and has railed against the bill and its supporters on cable news and social media. The morning after the measure was passed, DeSantis pledged to veto the bill, which he criticized as “watered-down.” It had not been sent to the governor’s office as of Wednesday afternoon. “We must have the strongest law in the nation on immigration enforcement. We cannot be weak,” DeSantis posted on X. “The veto pen is ready.”

Repoted similarly:
NBC News [1/29/2025 11:49 AM, Matt Dixon, 50804K, Neutral]

FOX News [1/29/2025 8:30 AM, Jeffrey Clark, 49889K, Neutral] reports Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced Tuesday that he would not cooperate with federal law enforcement officers on deportations of illegal immigrants. Over the first weekend of President Donald Trump’s second term, federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and their partners conducted nationwide roundups of more than 1,200 illegal immigrants who were charged with or convicted of committing crimes on American soil. "I want to speak directly to people who are undocumented: we love you. We care about you," Frey, a Democrat, said at a press conference. "In the city of Minneapolis, we will stand up for you and we will do anything in our power to help because you’re not an alien; in our city you’re a neighbor.” "Now, in Minneapolis we have what is called a separation ordinance," Frey continued, explaining his legal strategy to avoid deportations. "And that separation ordinance states clearly that our city officials, our police officers and beyond will not be gathering information showing who is and is not documented.” "We do not ask the question with regards to immigration status and, because we haven’t asked the question, we don’t have any data to show documentation status in our city," the mayor said. "Our police officers will not be cooperating with federal law enforcement around federal immigration law. We enforce state and local laws here in Minneapolis, and we will do so to the best of our ability. But as for cooperation with ICE, the answer is no," Frey said. After Trump entered office, White House officials signaled that the administration would work diligently to stem the flow of illegal immigration. "So to foreign nationals who are thinking about trying to illegally enter the United States, think again," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday. "Under this president, you will be detained and you will be deported. Every day, Americans are safer because of the violent criminals that President Trump’s administration is removing from our communities.”

Univision Austin [1/29/2025 3:57 PM, Staff, 7281K, Positive] reports Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued five executive orders to coordinate with the Donald Trump administration on border and national security operations. The move bolsters Texas’ strategy on the southern border and marks a new phase in the country’s immigration policy. With Trump back in the White House, his administration has tightened immigration policies, including sending troops to the border and speeding up deportations. Texas, under Abbott’s leadership, is positioning itself as a key ally in implementing these measures. With Texas aligned with the new federal strategy, the situation at the border will continue to evolve. The implementation of these policies will define the direction of immigration and security in the country.

NBC News [1/29/2025 6:59 PM, Rich Schapiro, 50804K, Negative] reports a man who planned to marry the suspect in the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent has himself been arrested and accused of murdering a California resident just three days before the agent was fatally shot, court records show. The charges against the man, Maximilian Snyder, mark the latest twist in the saga involving his partner, Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Seattle. She is accused of opening fire on Border Patrol agents during a traffic stop in northern Vermont last week, setting off a shootout that resulted in the death of agent David "Chris" Maland. A German national traveling with Youngblut was also killed. Youngblut was reported missing by her parents in May 2024, according to police records. Her parents told Seattle officers at the time that Youngblut had left home, changed her phone number and cut off contact with her friends, a police report obtained by NBC News says. The parents were concerned that Youngblut may have been "forced to take these actions or that she may be in a controlling relationship," the police report says. The pair had been under surveillance by Homeland Security Investigations in the days prior to the shooting, according to court documents, after a hotel employee reported concerns about them. The pair were wearing "all-black, tactical style clothing with protective equipment," and Youngblut was seen carrying a gun, court documents say. When their Toyota Prius was pulled over, Bauckholt, the registered owner, appeared to have an expired visa in a Department of Homeland Security database, according to court documents. But the FBI has said that Bauckholt’s visa was, in fact, current.

Washington Examiner [1/29/2025 7:00 AM, Anna Giaritelli, 2365K, Neutral] reports current and former federal senior law enforcement officials have warned of a possible “violent pushback” from Mexican cartels infuriated by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown for how it will curb their human smuggling incomes. On Monday, a suspected Mexican cartel gunman opened fire at Border Patrol agents stationed in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Experts on border security who have decades of experience working in this area told the Washington Examiner that the incident serves as a warning shot and was no accident. Victor Avila, a retired senior agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, said it would only be a matter of time until the cartels took greater "violent" action in response to the rapid arrests and deportations that have occurred in the United States since last Monday, as well as the suspension of asylum at the southern border. "The United States is doing all of this activity, right? There has to be a reaction. There will be a reaction," Avila said in a phone call Monday evening. "I’m talking about a violent pushback from the cartels. They’re not going to go down. They’re like, ‘What the heck is going on? We still want to get our fentanyl across and our meth.’". A second former senior homeland security official familiar with the administration’s present border plans said the cartel reaction was absolutely a concern to the government right now. "We’re talking about an administration that’s going to shut things down for the next four-plus years. The cartels can’t survive. They can survive shutting down one to two months, maybe even three, but there’s no way that they can survive shutting down for four years," the official said. Two law enforcement officials told the Washington Examiner that the Mexican cartels had put out a "green light" on Jan. 21 to its members that permitted them to open fire specifically aimed at U.S. federal law enforcement in retaliation for the border crackdown in Washington that Trump has waged. "They will shoot. They will shoot across the border. They’ll shoot across the wall. You know why? Because they told us they would," Avila said. "They said this. They said they were going to. They want to kill Border Patrol agents, and they’re not going to go down just like that.” The Mexican cartels, transnational crime rings south of the border, made $12 billion in 2021 from smuggling people to and across the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a House Homeland Security Committee report.

ABC News [1/29/2025 4:12 PM, Matt Rivers, 33392K, Neutral] reports the president formally declared Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations via executive order and threatened to use the U.S. military against the groups. Deploying the U.S. military to the border is also meant as a deterrence to cartel smuggling. The goal of our time with the group was to understand how the cartel is reacting to being squarely targeted by this new administration. The collective response was a shrug. It’s business as usual, they say, as they unloaded two rifles and three handguns from hidden compartments in an SUV that had just driven across the border from the U.S. Mass deportations could lead to more customers, he says. Deploying the military to the border means the group can raise their prices.

Washington Post [1/29/2025 6:00 AM, María Luisa Paúl and Samantha Schmidt, 40736K, Neutral] reports Edmundo González, recognized by the United States as Venezuela’s president-elect, is cautioning the Trump administration against carrying out a deportation deal with the country’s authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro. Negotiating directly with Maduro would allow the autocrat to “use returning Venezuelans to his political advantage,” González said. Instead, he and his team have urged U.S. officials to send Venezuelan deportees to a third country. The exiled opposition leader, who spoke to Washington Post during his second visit to Washington this month, stressed that he doesn’t want to interfere in “sensitive and delicate” U.S. domestic affairs, in which immigration has emerged as a key priority for the new Trump administration. But González said he sees an opportunity for a mutually beneficial outcome. “It’s in the United States’ best interest to follow a strategy that helps ensure Nicolás Maduro is no longer in power,” González told The Post. “Once that happens, hundreds of Venezuelans will return to our country.” Trump has threatened a “massive deportation” of migrants, but repatriating Venezuelan nationals — who have fled in droves amid the economic, political and humanitarian turmoil of Maduro’s regime — would require cooperation from Maduro, who has refused to take them back. With some Latin American governments raising questions about the treatment of deportees, the Trump administration faces limited options for third countries that could receive Venezuelan deportees. Maduro has signaled a willingness to allow deportation flights in exchange for the preservation of oil licenses and increases in crude exports, The Post has previously reported. But opposition leaders argue that such a deal could give Maduro legitimacy. An opposition leader said González’s team has not discussed specific third countries where the Trump administration could consider sending deportees. “Negotiating with the regime could be interpreted as normalizing it,” said the opposition leader, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue. “We cannot and should not normalize it.”

Wall Street Journal [1/29/2025 9:56 AM, Juan Forero, Neutral] reports that, exhausted and grimy after days of detention in the U.S., migrants began arriving Tuesday at their homeland’s capital aboard Colombian government jets—part of what the Trump administration calls America’s largest-ever mass deportation. Many of them said they were arrested shortly after crossing the border in recent days, following journeys of hundreds of miles. They were bitter about being expelled so quickly. “The treatment was despotic, humiliating,” said Juan Sebastian Alonso, 23 years old, as he walked in Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport and tried to decide what he was going to do next. The Trump administration has made it a priority to follow through on deporting migrants who entered the U.S. illegally and who might be criminals as quickly as possible. As arrests and deportations have begun stepping up in recent days, migrants have been landing in their home countries, sometimes complaining of mistreatment from U.S. authorities. Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala and other countries have received deported migrants on U.S. military flights in recent days. U.S. officials have said they are focusing their early efforts on migrants with criminal records. On Friday, President Trump said the deportations were “going very well.” “We’re getting the bad, hard criminals out,” Trump said. “These are murderers. These are people that have been as bad as you can get, as bad as anybody you’ve seen. We’re taking them out first.” The Colombians who were deported Tuesday had no history of criminal activities, the Colombian government said. “It’s important to point out that they have no outstanding issues with the justice system, neither in Colombia nor in the United States,” Colombia’s foreign minister, Luis Gilberto Murillo, said. “They are not criminals. This information has been verified and confirmed by the relevant authorities.”

Reported similarly:
Newsweek [1/29/2025 7:28 AM, Amir Daftari, 56005K, Neutral]

Newsweek [1/29/2025 7:39 AM, Amir Daftari, 56005K, Neutral] reports the Brazilian government has announced that it will establish a reception center for deported migrants following concerns over conditions on a recent U.S. deportation flight. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva approved the center Tuesday, which will be located in Confins, Minas Gerais, Brazil’s Minister of Human Rights and Citizenship Macaé Evaristo confirmed. The decision comes amid expectations of further deportation flights from the United States. Newsweek has reached out to Brazil’s Foreign Ministry for comment via email. The move highlights growing tensions between Brazil and the U.S. over the treatment of deportees. Reports of Brazilians being handcuffed and exposed to extreme heat on the flight have raised humanitarian concerns. Brazil has expressed the need to ensure deported nationals are treated with dignity, signaling potential diplomatic friction if such issues persist. Donald Trump made immigration a central theme of his successful presidential campaign and Americans largely support his mass deportation plans. A New York Times/Ipsos poll, carried out from Jan. 2 to 10, found 55 percent of voters strongly or somewhat supported such plans. Eighty-eight percent supported "Deporting immigrants who are here illegally and have criminal records." Large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans agreed that the immigration system is broken. A deportation flight carrying 88 Brazilians landed in Brazil over the weekend, prompting an outcry from officials. The aircraft made an unscheduled stop in Manaus due to technical issues, during which deportees were reportedly kept handcuffed. Brazilian media detailed concerns over poor conditions on the flight, including a malfunctioning air conditioning system. Brazil’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the "degrading treatment" of its nationals. The U.S. Embassy declined to comment, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not responded to inquiries. Over the past three years, nearly four dozen deportation flights have departed from the U.S. to Brazil. While Brazil does not intend to halt the flights, it has emphasized that the use of handcuffs should be reserved for exceptional circumstances based on risk assessment. Authorities are currently investigating how many individuals were restrained on the latest flight.

The Hill [1/29/2025 8:00 AM, Derek Hunter, 16346K, Neutral] reports today’s left lives for identity politics. Without the suffixes "-ism" or "-phobia," Democrats would have to defend unpopular policies such as child genital mutilation and open borders. The 2024 election showed just how ill-prepared they are to do that. Since the election, having abandoned the soul-searching that normally follows a loss, they are already back to spasmodically shouting and tweeting out buzzwords and prefab talking points. Nowhere is that more apparent right now than in the debate around immigration and the rapid mass deportation of criminals just initiated by the Trump administration. President Trump was quite clear about his plans regarding the millions of illegal immigrants who were welcomed into the country by the Biden administration’s policy choices. Everyone heard the promise of "mass deportations," and they heard it in so many words that they cannot be shocked. Deportation, a concept almost as old as civilization itself, has somehow become a new outrage. Democrats went berserk over the idea of aggressively removing criminals — including convicted child rapists, murderers, gang members and repeat drunk drivers — who have been in the country illegally. When Colombia refused to accept two planeloads of their own citizens — likely because it didn’t want its violent criminals back — Democrats had a few minutes to rejoice. After four years of not caring about the Biden-era food inflation that had enraged voters, they all became very concerned about the cost of coffee and flowers. In fact, they nearly all invoked those two same Colombian exports, in which they suspiciously all became experts at the same time. "To ‘punish’ Colombia, Trump is about to make every American pay even more for coffee," tweeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), lamenting the expulsion of thousands of violent criminals in the first week of Trump’s administration.

FOX News [1/29/2025 5:00 AM, Jessica Vaughan, 49889K, Negative] reports President Trump promised Americans that he would launch the largest deportation operation in American history, and that operation has begun. Last week, officers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took to the streets over two busy days, arresting more than 1,000 aliens, mostly criminals, who are now on the path to removal. Among the targets were murderers, sex offenders, and a Haitian gang member with 17 convictions, whose arrest in Boston went viral as a Fox News camera recorded him defiantly cursing Trump and thanking former president Obama "for everything he did for me." This guy also should have thanked Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who has promoted sanctuary policies, spent extravagantly on hotel rooms and other services for new arrivals, and vowed to resist federal deportation actions. It’s no coincidence that many of the places where ICE took action were notorious sanctuary jurisdictions, including New York City, Newark, NJ, San Francisco, Chicago and Utah. These policies result in the release of criminal aliens, forcing ICE to arrest their targets (and other illegal aliens found with them) in the community. The message was unmistakable – under Trump, criminal aliens can be released and run, but they can’t hide forever. They will no longer be protected by federal inaction. There was a message for sanctuaries too. As ICE teams were fanning out, federal prosecutors got a memo reminding them that sanctuary policies often violate federal law, and to be alert to situations of egregious obstruction of enforcement. In response, migrant advocacy groups have mobilized, hosting know-your-rights trainings for illegal aliens and press conferences to denounce the ICE actions. Some have set up crowd-sourced apps to track ICE sightings and possible "raid" locations. Administrators at a Chicago public elementary school rushed to alert news media that their staff had prevented ICE from entering (to arrest a child, they assumed) only to learn later that it was actually the Secret Service investigating personal security concerns for a VIP. Anti-enforcement groups are counting on public support for aggressive interior enforcement waning as soon as ICE works through the "worst first" docket of violent criminal aliens, or when someone can catch an ICE officer on video cuffing an allegedly-harmless target near a playground or church. That’s wishful thinking.

Washington Post [1/29/2025 7:45 AM, León Krauze, 40736K, Neutral] reports President Donald Trump’s new immigration policy has placed Mexico in an increasingly precarious position. Trump has signaled his intention to restart the controversial Migration Protection Protocols, also known as the “Remain in Mexico” program, which requires migrants to await a decision on their asylum applications to the United States on Mexican soil. While Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has not officially confirmed whether her country will cooperate, the government is already preparing large camps along the border. "Trump signed the MPP decree," Sheinbaum said during her first news conference after the start of the Trump administration. "We experienced it in 2018, and Mexico will act in a humanitarian manner.” This time, however, migrants’ aspirations are little more than an improbable dream. The radical tightening of U.S. asylum policies has effectively condemned thousands to a state of limbo. Estimates suggest that at least 270,000 people are now stranded in Mexico, forced to confront the reality that their legal pathway to the United States might no longer exist. The Mexican government now faces the challenge of supporting this vulnerable community, which has long been targeted by organized crime. Even more urgent is the task of reintegrating what is expected to be a steady influx of freshly deported Mexican nationals who have been residing in the United States without documentation. On Tuesday, Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez outlined the details of a labor reintegration program for deportees arriving from the United States, coordinated with dozens of private companies and business chambers. This initiative aims to initially create 35,000 jobs, with plans for further expansion in the coming months. The program will assess the labor skills of each applicant and match them with job opportunities in their place of origin. This marks an unprecedented step for Sheinbaum’s administration, which has widely been seen as a continuation of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidency. Her predecessor distrusted private sector involvement. But Sheinbaum is finding she needs to rely on private enterprise to help meet the challenge posed by U.S. deportation policies. Unfortunately, this plan is no silver bullet. The Mexican government cannot delegate its responsibility to ensure the security of its citizens, particularly the thousands of deportees returning to a country they no longer know. Neither can business organizations or Mexican companies guarantee the safety of the those who will be forced to rebuild their lives in Mexico. This critical responsibility lies with the Mexican government. Unfortunately, given the vulnerability of migrants, there is little reason for optimism. Crime in Mexico is disturbingly well-organized, and is especially sophisticated in how it exploits the migration crisis. Extortion networks operate across vast expanses of the country, with criminal groups going so far as to distribute bracelets to migrants marking those who already have been extorted.

Newsweek [1/29/2025 7:00 AM, Oscar Biscet, 56005K, Negative] reports Marco Rubio has numerous challenges vying for his attention as he begins his tenure as U.S. secretary of State. In Latin America alone, he faces a migrant crisis in Mexico, a corrupt dictatorship in Venezuela, and China’s rising influence across the region. We Cubans are fortunate that Rubio has become America’s chief diplomat, because he knows the region’s challenges and will also prioritize the crisis taking place just 90 miles from U.S. shores in Cuba. As the son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio is a close observer and vocal critic of Havana’s communist regime. During his confirmation hearing, Rubio said Cuba is "literally collapsing.” He’s right. My neighbors and I in Havana experience ongoing power outages and long lines for food and basic medications. Many necessary items are simply not available. The situation is even worse in Cuba’s rural areas. Support for the regime is at an all-time low, and Cubans have become increasingly willing to criticize its economic mismanagement and authoritarianism. More than 1 million Cubans have fled the island in the last four years, most seeking asylum in the U.S. Even high-ranking communist party officials are leaving. A recent Miami Herald investigation found that Cuba’s corrupt elites are hoarding billions of dollars, even as Cuba’s electrical grids fail and its people go hungry. So, what can Secretary Rubio and the Trump administration do? First, I want to thank Secretary Rubio and President Donald Trump for re-designating Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terror on their first day in office. In the closing days of his presidency, Joe Biden removed Cuba from the list, even though the communist regime has given safe harbor to scores of fugitives and terrorists. The Cuban government continues to aid terrorist organizations in Colombia and is friendly toward Hezbollah and Hamas. The terrorist designation reimposes sanctions on Cuba’s government, cutting off funds to the corrupt regime. Looking ahead, I urge Rubio’s State Department to bolster its support for Radio and Television Marti, an American state-run radio and TV broadcaster based in Miami. Created in 1983, Radio-TV Marti gives Cubans who can access it an alternative to the propaganda being broadcast by the Cuban government. Because of the regime’s stranglehold on news and information, many Cubans are unaware of what’s really going on around them, both domestically and internationally. In his first term, President Trump proposed drastic cuts to Radio-TV Marti. Instead, the Trump administration should boost its broadcast power. The State Department could also help Cuba by increasing sponsorship of programs that assist the construction and strengthening of an independent civil society that advocates for democracy and human rights on the island. These programs educate Cubans about democratic ideals, provide access to alternative forms of media and phone cards for family members to communicate with political prisoners.

Bloomberg [1/29/2025 8:30 AM, Patricia Lopez, 21617K, Negative] reports President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have said they want to bring back the “warrior” culture to the US Armed Forces. A key principle of that warrior ethos is to leave no one behind. But the administration has abandoned 1,600 Afghans who had been vetted and ready to board a plane to the US — part of a promise this country made to the Afghans who served alongside American troops in the longest war the US has fought. As part of his blitz of executive orders, Trump halted the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for at least three months. The Afghans’ flight was abruptly canceled. Thousands more were still being processed but now are in limbo — some hiding in Afghanistan, others scattered across several countries. And because Trump has also frozen foreign aid, there may not be the resources even to complete those screenings. Shawn VanDiver, founder and president of #AfghanEvac, a volunteer operation dedicated to Afghan resettlement, told me he tried to warn Trump and Vice President JD Vance (himself a Marine Corps veteran) two weeks earlier in a letter, urging an Afghan carve-out. He later hand-carried that letter to House and Senate leaders, incoming and outgoing. The urgency is driven by a simple fact: The Afghans who helped us, along with their family members, are considered traitors by the ruling Taliban. “If we don’t get them out and soon, they’re done,” VanDiver said. “They will be hunted down and killed. And they did everything for US troops over there. They kept our servicemen and servicewomen alive. This can’t be our response.” Trump typically prefers the sledgehammer to the scalpel. His decision to shutter USRAP reflects that mindset. Were the Afghans providing vital assistance to US troops during Trump’s first term just overlooked? Perhaps. But Trump has not rushed to correct it and Hegseth, now in charge of the some of the very troops who worked alongside the Afghans, has apparently not asked him to do so. It was just in December that then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a ceremony at the State Department to honor Afghan allies. In short order, he said, they had become “new friends, new partners, new citizens-to-be,” who had become “an integral part of our communities.”

CBS Austin [1/29/2025 10:52 AM, Cory Smith, 581K, Neutral] reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced 1,016 arrests and 814 detainers in the latest of a series of daily enforcement updates since President Donald Trump took office last week. Over the seven days reported so far, ICE and its partner agencies have made over 5,500 arrests and lodged over 4,300 detainers on immigrants they say are in the country illegally. Trump campaigned on mass deportations and stricter border controls. Trump’s "border czar" Tom Homan said they’re prioritizing criminals in the early going, but he said anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization could be taken into custody and sent out of the country. Homan told ABC News that there have already been "collateral arrests" in sanctuary cities during operations focused on rounding up criminals. And he said any immigrant living in the U.S. illegally has "got a problem" as the Trump administration launches its immigration crackdown. Homan told Fox News that they’ve had a great start, and he called their first week of deportation efforts "unprecedented." But Homan said they’re not satisfied with the pace of deportations. "It’s great. It’s good. But we’re not finished. And we need more deportations, a lot more deportations," Homan said on Fox News. ICE has announced arrests of alleged criminals in cities around the country, including Houston, Chicago and Atlanta.

CBS News [1/29/2025 8:38 AM, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, 52225K, Neutral] Video: HERE
President Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants is continuing with ICE carrying out more raids in major cities across the country.

Los Angeles Times [1/29/2025 6:00 AM, Andrea Castillo, 17996K, Negative] reports that, with the Trump administration declaring that immigration agents are now free to make arrests in places of worship, undeterred faith leaders in Southern California and beyond say they are prepared to aid and even shelter immigrants. "We have an executive order from God, not from politicians," said Guillermo Torres, who leads immigration campaigns at Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, a nonprofit advocacy group in Los Angeles. "Do you think we’re going to betray the greatest commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself?". The enforcement policy, announced last week, rescinded a 2011 memo that restricted immigration agents from making arrests in sensitive locations, such as churches and schools. A group of Quaker congregations on Monday sued the Department of Homeland Security in federal court over the policy change, saying the threat of immigration enforcement deters congregants from attending services, harming religious liberty. Bishop John Taylor of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles said he looks forward to joining with colleagues in mounting further legal challenges "if the government follows through on its stated intention to violate the sanctity of churches and other places of worship when they shelter those fleeing unjust power.” Dozens of immigrants took refuge inside houses of worship during President Trump’s first term. Under the Biden administration, immigrants without serious criminal convictions were no longer priorities for deportation. "Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest," the Department of Homeland Security announced Jan. 21. Southern California faith leaders have been preparing for this moment and met throughout December to discuss how to respond to the new administration, Torres said. Requests have poured in since last week from leaders of different faiths across the region, asking how they can support immigrants. Church leaders said they are organizing "know your rights" training sessions for members of their congregations and labeling certain buildings as private property to dissuade immigration agents from attempting to gain access without a warrant. Pro bono attorneys are on call to offer legal support to congregations in case of immigration raids, Torres said. Some are joining rapid-response networks that would go to the scene of an immigration arrest. "We want to sift through the noise and make sure that our people have the right information, that they are shrewd, that they aren’t naive," said Rene Molina Jr., a pastor at nondenominational church in Los Angeles that is made up almost entirely of immigrants. Molina, who asked that his church not be named out of fear about threats of violence, said some members of the congregation have told him they are scared and need to prepare for the worst, while others have said they believe the threats of mass deportation are all talk.

CNN [1/29/2025 5:10 PM, Ray Sanchez and Rafael Romo, 987K, Negative] reports that a primary target of the blitz of Trump administration immigration raids is an emerging organized crime group from Venezuela. A series of immigration executive actions by President Donald Trump on the first day of his second term included a recommendation that the State Department start the process of designating the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang as a foreign terrorist organization. An executive order, signed on January 20, specifically named Tren de Aragua and the Salvadoran MS-13 gang, citing their "campaigns of violence and terror in the United States and internationally" as threats to "the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere." Trump’s order also asked that the terrorist designation apply to Mexico’s drug cartels. The president’s designation comes months after the Biden administration, in July, designated Tren de Aragua a significant transnational criminal organization. In the first week of the immigration crackdown, a suspect described by a senior law enforcement source as a high-ranking member of the gang was arrested by federal agents in New York City. The White House on X touted the arrest in Atlanta on Monday of two members of the gang "illegally present in the U.S." US Customs and Border Protection as well as the FBI have said the gang is established in the US. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [1/30/2025 3:00 AM, Luis Ferré-Sadurní and Chelsia Rose Marcius, 161405K, Neutral] reports that, at around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, dozens of Immigration Customs and Enforcement officers gathered at their Lower Manhattan headquarters for an early-morning briefing on the immigration arrests they were soon to conduct in New York City. The ICE officers routinely target undocumented immigrants with criminal records in their homes or workplaces, but this operation, the first and most visible display of force by ICE in New York since President Trump returned to office, was clearly different. This time, ICE agents teamed up with dozens of officers from other federal agencies as part of Mr. Trump’s growing immigration crackdown. This time, Mr. Trump’s top immigration official, Kristi Noem, who was confirmed as Homeland Security secretary three days before, showed up to give agents a pep talk. She then joined them in body armor as agents arrested a Venezuelan man in the Bronx suspected of being a gang member. The public show of force — 29 teams with officers from several federal agencies — resulted in the arrests of 39 people, mostly in New York City and some on Long Island, according to Frank Tarentino, the special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s office in New York, one of the federal agencies involved in the raids. Mr. Tarentino said that the teams worked off a target list developed by the Department of Homeland Security, which ICE is a part of. He said that agents prioritized people charged with violent crimes, believed to be connected to gangs or involved in drug trafficking, and then worked through a tiered list of less serious offenders. The 39 arrests on Tuesday were higher than ICE’s average number of daily arrests over the past two years in the New York City area, but it remains to be seen if the agency will be able to maintain or significantly accelerate that pace. Mr. Tarentino said the multiagency collaboration in New York would continue. “This happened to be a more concentrated effort this week, but this will be an ongoing effort in the days, weeks and months ahead,” he said in an interview.

FOX News [1/29/2025 2:35 PM, Stephen Sorace, 49889K, Negative] reports a member of the violent Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang arrested Tuesday during sweeping immigration raids in New York City was trying to buy grenades, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News on Wednesday. Noem had joined federal immigration authorities Tuesday in New York City for the sweeps, which officials said were targeting violent criminals in major cities and elsewhere. On Wednesday, Noem addressed the arrest of who she described as a "ringleader" of the Tren de Aragua gang during an appearance on "Fox & Friends." Sources in the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News on Tuesday that the suspected gang member, whom they identified as Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, was arrested inside a Bronx apartment and charged with kidnapping, assault and burglary. Noem confirmed that the gang member arrested was involved in incidents in Aurora, Colorado, that captured national attention in August.

CNN [1/29/2025 7:02 PM, Eric Levenson, Negative] reports a suspected member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua who was wanted in connection to charges out of Aurora, Colorado, was arrested during a federal immigration crackdown in New York City on Tuesday morning. Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, 26, was arrested in the Bronx early Tuesday by the Drug Enforcement Administration and US Homeland Security Investigations officers, police said. He was wanted for burglary and felony menacing for an incident at an apartment complex in Aurora last August that was captured on camera, according to the Aurora Police Department. He is a high-ranking member of the Tren de Aragua gang, according to a senior law enforcement source with knowledge of the operation. The arrest was part of a series of immigration enforcement actions targeting suspected gang members, according to the source. Newly-installed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accompanied law enforcement on the sweep and repeatedly posted about it on her X account. The highly-publicized arrest comes as at least two agencies assisting US immigration officials with sweeps have told their personnel to ensure their clothing clearly depicts their respective agency in case journalists film them, sources familiar with the operations told CNN.

FOX News [1/29/2025 3:00 PM, Taylor Penley, 49889K, Neutral] reports residents of America’s largest sanctuary city are relieved to see sweeping change as violent criminals, including alleged Tren de Aragua ringleader Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, were apprehended in ICE raids led by the Trump administration. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has been on-the-ground as agents nabbed illegal immigrants in the Big Apple, told "Fox & Friends" that residents have voiced their gratitude.

NBC News [1/30/2025 3:15 AM, Staff, 50804K, Negative] reports ten alleged gang members were indicted on criminal charges relating to a gun trafficking operation that conducted firearm sales in Queens and other parts of New York City, the Queens district attorney and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced Wednesday. The individuals arrested and charged are suspected to be members of the Venezuelan gang ‘Tren de Aragua,’ which of late has allegedly recruited kids to commit crimes across the five boroughs. Operation Train Derail — the undercover investigation around the Venezuelan gang — also resulted in the seizure of 34 firearms and 48 grams of “pink cocaine,” a drug cocktail also known as tusi. “As alleged, the defendants conspired to traffic and sell illegal firearms and drugs in New York City, with each defendant playing a different role in furtherance of Tren de Aragua’s agenda,” said Queens DA Melinda Katz. “The geographic scope of their alleged conduct extended on a national level to include Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, Colorado and internationally to Colombia. As a result of our investigation, 34 dangerous weapons are now off the streets, and we are dismantling this gang as it attempts to establish itself locally.” The operation dates back to June, when members of the DA’s office and the NYPD Firearms Investigation Unit began the undercover investigation in Queens. The officers participated in 22 different gun sales, which included two AR-15 assault riffles sales. According to the 120-count indictment, several of the gun sales occurred in broad daylight in a shopping center parking lot in College Point. In another instance, an AR-15 was “placed in a garbage bag and sold in the middle of the afternoon in the Bronx.” Investigators also uncovered and stopped and attempt from the group of defendants to send guns to Columbia with the intention of obtaining a bigger profit from the sales. Most of the defendants have been in the country since 2023, the Queens DA office said.

CBS News [1/29/2025 10:19 AM, Staff, 52225K, Negative] reports that Federal agents conducted a series of raids in New York City on Tuesday with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Around 90 officers arrested 20 suspects in about a four-hour period. CBS News’ chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett has more. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

UPI [1/29/2025 7:47 PM, Allen Cone, 1890K, Negative] reports a New Jersey man has been convicted of conspiring to traffic more than a metric ton of fentanyl-related substances and other drugs, and laundering money. On Monday, the District of New Jersey jury in Newark, convicted William Panzera, 51, of North Haledon of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of furanyl fentanyl and 100 grams or more of 4 fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl, and conspiracy to commit international promotional money laundering. Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. Two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal. Sentencing is scheduled for June 25. He faces 10 years to life in prison and up to a $10 million fine on the drug trafficking conspiracy charge, and up to 20 years in prison and a maximum $500,000 fine for international money laundering conspiracy. William Panzera was a member of the La Cosa Nostra Genovese Organized Crime Family, according to a different federal indictment in 2012 that included racketeering conspiracy. Homeland Security Investigations in Newark and Philadelphia investigated the case along with the FBI Newark Field Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Newark Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Newark Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

CBS Philadelphia [1/29/2025 6:52 PM, Dan Snyder and Casey Kuhn, 52225K, Neutral] Video: HERE reports video obtained by CBS News Philadelphia shows an ICE operation carried out at a car wash in the city’s Juniata Park neighborhood on Tuesday morning. It happened at Hunting Park Avenue and H Street. The footage, some surveillance video from a nearby store and some cellphone video, shows several people being detained by officers. Immigrant group Juntos, based in South Philadelphia, says this marks one of, if not the first, confirmed ICE raid in the city since President Trump took office. "I think it marks what we’ve been preparing for the last couple of weeks," Manuel Vasquez, a case organizer with the group, said. ICE Philadelphia officials have not released details on the operation, including how many people were detained, if any had criminal records or why the car wash was targeted. In an X post on Wednesday, ICE announced it had made 1,016 arrests the prior day. "There is a ton of fear-mongering going on in the community right now and a lot of panic that’s beginning to incite among our undocumented community members," Vasquez said. Right now, Juntos said its priority is making sure people know their rights and have access to resources. But there is more that’s adding to the concern for these communities, like perceived changes in who is being targeted in the raids.

Washington Examiner [1/29/2025 11:29 AM, Salena Zito, 2365K, Neutral] reports that on Sept. 21 of last year, Christian Sluka’s family life was changed forever when Saul Rivera-Ramirez, an unlicensed driver and illegal immigrant, struck Sluka’s motorcycle while he was sitting at a red light just outside the city limits. Police said surveillance video showed Rivera-Ramirez’s car traveling 45 mph in a 25 mph zone, hitting Sluka from behind while going through a red light, pushing him 25 feet into oncoming traffic. According to the criminal complaint, Rivera-Ramirez, then with his wife and two children, walked away from the scene, abandoning the car. Sluka was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital, where he died. Had Rivera-Ramirez not come to the Pittsburgh area illegally, driving the city streets without a license, Sluka would be alive today. His illegal actions had dire consequences, which could have affected any of the over 302,000 other people who live and work in Pittsburgh. On Monday, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey told the Press Club in Harrisburg that his administration would not cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants within the city. Gainey even attacked ICE, saying deporting illegal criminals would not solve the immigration crisis. "ICE is not going to end the situation of a failed immigration policy. It’s not going to do it," Gainey said. "What it is going to do is create more situations where people feel scared, where people don’t feel safe, where people do things they normally wouldn’t do."

Washington Examiner [1/29/2025 11:20 AM, Alan Wooten, 2365K, Negative] reports that eroding North Carolina of criminals, in particular those who entered the country illegally and then broke more laws, continues to get a push from lawmakers in the Republican Party, the president, and forecast soon ICE. The General Assembly on Nov. 20 overturned a gubernatorial veto to require all 100 sheriffs to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Since the convening of the 119th Congress, four proposals for the entire country have been sponsored by North Carolinians, and 15 others have been cosponsored by 11 of the state’s 16-member delegation. ICE has issued statements on its removal operations, though none are yet to include the state. On Thursday of last week on its social media site, the agency began releasing daily totals for arrests and detainers lodged. Late Tuesday afternoon, ICE had produced 4,521 arrests and 3,519 detainers. The Center Square was unsuccessful getting response from ICE on when removal operations would ramp up in North Carolina. The Center for Immigration Studies believes sanctuary areas exist in Buncombe, Chatham, Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Mecklenburg, Orange, Wake and Watauga counties.

CBS Austin [1/29/2025 12:38 PM, Alexx Altman-Devilbiss, 581K, Negative] reports that a man in North Carolina allegedly impersonated an ICE officer and threatened to deport a woman if she did not have sex with him. Carl Bennett Jr., 37, was arrested in Raleigh on Sunday for the incident at a Motel 6, according to an arrest warrant obtained by WRAL. Police stated Bennett "threatened to deport the victim if she did not have sex with him," and "displayed a business card with a badge on it." Wake County Sheriff’s Office reported he faces the following charges: Breaking/entering to terrorize or injure, Kidnapping, 2 counts of second-degree force sex offense, Second-degree forcible rape, Assault on a female, Impersonating a law-enforcement officer, Possession of cocaine, Possession of drug paraphernalia. ICE has been in the spotlight after President Donald Trump authorized raids across the country in an effort to crack down on illegal immigration. Over the six days reported so far, ICE and its partner agencies have made over 4,500 arrests and lodged over 3,500 detainers on immigrants they say are in the country illegally. Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan said they’re prioritizing criminals in the early going, but he said anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization could be taken into custody and sent out of the country.

AP [1/29/2025 5:44 PM, Jonathan Mattise, Kimberlee Kruesi, 47097K, Neutral] reports Tennessee’s Republican-dominant Statehouse is on track to become the latest state to adopt immigration enforcement policies designed to assist President Donald Trump’s plan to suppress illegal immigration and carry out one of the largest mass deportation efforts in U.S. history. In just three days, Tennessee lawmakers fast-tracked GOP Gov. Bill Lee’s $5.5 million proposal to create a new state immigration division and allocate funding for new training grants for local law enforcement agencies seeking immigration agreements to cooperate with federal authorities. The proposal awaits final votes amid expected passage. Among other steps, the proposal also would require a different, temporary driver’s license for lawful permanent residents noting they aren’t U.S. citizens. Republicans have argued that would help officials determine someone’s voting eligibility. Legislative attorneys this week warned lawmakers that such penalties could be unconstitutional due to state and federal protections afforded lawmakers at various levels of government, but those warnings have largely been rebuffed.

Yahoo! News [1/29/2025 11:04 PM, Silas Morgan, 57114K, Neutral] reports the two dozen Chinese migrants rounded up in a human trafficking bust in Coral Gables this week apparently were headed to Orlando, according to federal court documents filed Wednesday. Acting on a tip, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday arrested four men on charges of conspiring to transport aliens in the United States, according to a criminal complaint filed by the agency in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Amid a nationwide focus on the apprehension of undocumented immigrants under the administration of newly inaugurated President Donald Trump, the operation has drawn uncommon interest. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was quick to praise the arrests on social media and touted the involvement of Florida law enforcement as proof of the state’s success in combating illegal immigration. DeSantis made those remarks as the Florida Legislature is attempting to limit his powers to be directly involved in such efforts. "State law enforcement working with local police to crack down on illegal aliens from China," DeSantis said in a post on X. "Legislative leaders want to strip this authority, vest in the Agricultural commissioner and create a new bureaucracy that will weaken our interior enforcement efforts. Weak.” The four men — Eustacio Francisco Eusebio, Joel Benjamin Eusebio, Guillermo Elias Victor Lopez and Enrique Loret De Mola — were discovered when someone contacted the Coral Gables Police Department and reported suspicious activity involving an alleged undocumented migrant being loaded into a white Ford van on Snapper Creek Bridge. The agency contacted Homeland Security about the matter Tuesday morning, the court documents show. The CGPD responded to the scene and conducted traffic stops on two white vans after seeing two suspected undocumented migrants walking. The agency found 26 undocumented migrants from China inside the vans. The migrants were taken to the U.S. Border Patrol Station in Dania Beach, where agents determined they were all undocumented, according to the criminal complaint.

Newsweek [1/29/2025 12:41 PM, Marni Rose McFall, 56005K, Neutral] reports that the nation’s immigration enforcement agency has reportedly detained a legal migrant in Ohio, who had been working in the U.S. for 30 years, as it conducts raids under the mass deportation operation of President Donald Trump. Newsweek has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Simakovsky Law, the legal migrant’s legal team, via email for comment. Immigration and mass deportations were a key component of President Trump’s successful 2024 campaign. Since the commencement of his second term, hundreds of undocumented immigrants have been arrested. Under the current administration, ICE has gained expanded powers in immigration enforcement, which includes the power to conduct raids in places of worship, schools and hospitals. Critics say immigration raids are sowing fear in vulnerable communities and that they violate protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. Issues including warrantless arrests, data collection without consent and detentions without probable cause could be deemed unconstitutional and may prompt potential legal battles over balancing immigration enforcement with individual rights. The ICE raids will likely lead to legal challenges and increased organizing from advocacy groups.

FOX News [1/29/2025 2:23 PM, Rachel Wolf and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, 49889K, Neutral] reports that an Illinois city police department has vowed to block local law enforcement from coordinating with ICE. The department said that, in accordance with Illinois’ Trust Act, it will not give ICE information on individuals suspected to be illegal immigrants. "The city’s main objective during this time is to secure and maintain the well-being of our community by following the guidance of the Illinois Attorney General Office, avoiding participation in federal enforcement efforts by preventing the sharing of information based solely on immigration status," Waukegan Police Department’s official statement reads. Illinois passed the Trust Act during President Donald Trump’s first term in office in 2017. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson confirmed that the city will continue to comply with the state’s legislation. "Chicago stands strong: regardless of the circumstances, our commitment to protecting and supporting this city remains unwavering," Johnson wrote in a social media post on Sunday. "We will continue to fight for the justice and safety of all who call this place home." Tom Homan, Trump’s no-nonsense border czar, isn’t backing down to sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate. "Sanctuary cities are going to get exactly what they don’t want — more agents in the communities, more people arrested, more collaterals arrested. So that’s a game they want to play? Game on," Homan recently told "Fox & Friends."

FOX News [1/29/2025 6:00 AM, Joshua Q. Nelson, Elizabeth Heckman, 49889K, Negative] reports Fox News Digital spoke with protesters in Chicago about the Trump administration’s mass deportation plan. "The immigrant population, whether they are recent migrants or longtime residents — statistics show that they are very unlikely to commit crimes. They are the least likely really among the populations in the U.S.," Ruth said to Fox News Digital. Ruth joined dozens of outraged protesters on Saturday who swarmed downtown Chicago near the Water Tower. Many carried signs displaying criticism of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) after border czar Tom Homan vowed to crack down on the migrant influx in the Windy City. More than 100 people in the region have been detained since ICE and federal authorities began their raids on Sunday, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said. Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson accused President Donald Trump of "attempting to get us to surrender our humanity" as he ripped the White House Tuesday for the ICE operations that are unfolding in his city. Furthermore, Johnson was among several mayors from big cities called by House Oversight and Government Reform Chair James Comer to testify about their sanctuary policies. He reportedly declined to respond to the request from the chairman. "I think raids are clearly a violation of people’s due process. Immigrants pose no real threat to us. The Trump administration is actually who poses real threats. And the billionaire’s agenda is what is actually going to hurt the working class," said Erin, an employee of Chicago Public Schools. CPS and the CTU released a joint letter reaffirming that they are a "sanctuary" space for "all students, parents, employees, and community members at the school for school-related business.” "CTU has advocated for years for Chicago Public Schools to be a sanctuary zone, which it currently is. So we don’t cooperate with ICE, and we don’t allow them into our school buildings," Erin added.

CBS Austin [1/29/2025 7:28 AM, Staff, 581K, Negative] reports Nestor Jose Mendoza Garcia, 22, is alleged to be a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which has infiltrated the U.S. by blending in with legitimate migrants. According to the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Mendoza Garcia made national news last week when reports surfaced that he was apprehended during nationwide ICE operations. However, records from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office clarified that Mendoza Garcia had already been in custody since Nov. 8. What moved quickly was the federal court process that resulted in an indictment against him. According to SAPD, Mendoza Garcia was found in possession of a Taurus Model PT740 .40 caliber pistol. The firearm was tied to a shooting that occurred on Nov. 5, 2024. In a preliminary report, SAPD stated that officers found the victim near a gas station on NW Loop 410, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The incident reportedly began as an argument, which escalated when one of the suspects rammed their vehicle into the victim’s car. The suspect then opened fire before fleeing the scene. In an interview conducted last year, retired Homeland Security Investigations Agent-in-Charge Ari Jimenez described this type of violence as typical of Tren de Aragua. "The Tren de Aragua is going to take over. And they do so by violent means. They’re not going to share the territories," Jimenez explained. Three days after the shooting, Mendoza Garcia was arrested. According to a report provided by SAPD, investigators determined that Mendoza Garcia found the firearm near the crime scene and kept it for himself. He has been in the Bexar County Jail for the past two and a half months.

CBS Austin [1/29/2025 3:38 PM, Staff, 581K, Neutral] reports a federal building in downtown Austin is being used as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainment center, according to Mexican Consulate General Humberto Hernández Hadad. Hadad said detainees are being held at the J.J. Pickle Federal Building, located at the corner of San Jacinto Boulevard and 8th Street. They are then moved to other facilities. The Mexican Consulate said Tuesday that 12 people have been arrested in Austin.

Yahoo! News [1/29/2025 7:26 PM, Emiliano Tahui Gómez and Bayliss Wagner, 57114K, Neutral] reports Thalia Gutierrez paced the expansive brick courtyard outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building in downtown Austin early Wednesday afternoon, her head bowed and her eyes watery. About two hours prior, Gutierrez’s mother, Tatiana Luna Bonito, 44, had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials at her Round Rock apartment where as many as 10 agents had exited unmarked cars to arrest her. Gutierrez, 23, and two of her mother’s cousins had come to the Pickle building, which houses ICE’s Austin office, to try to figure out what would happen next. Luna Bonito, a Cuban immigrant, has lived in Austin for 14 years and had received a green card, but her daughter said she ran into trouble a few years ago after a felony drug conviction made her unable to renew her legal status. "I don’t consider my mother a criminal," Gutierrez said. "I don’t think she’s a threat to this country.” Thalia Gutierrez waits in the lobby of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building in downtown Austin Wednesday January 29, 2025, for information about her mother, Tatiana Luna Bonito, who was arrested in Round Rock Wednesday morning. It’s unclear if Luna Bonito was a target of ICE’s latest sweep ordered by the Trump administration that is supposed to target undocumented immigrants with criminal records. The Austin-area ICE operation began over the weekend and continued into Wednesday when Luna Bonito was arrested. Mexican Consul General Humberto Hernández Hadad told the American-Statesman that ICE had reported the arrest of 20 Mexican citizens since Monday. That’s in addition to the 12 whom it detained over the weekend.

CBS Austin [1/29/2025 10:12 PM, Abigail Velez, 581K, Negative] reports CBS Austin cameras were rolling as a group of approximately 20 Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees were escorted from the J.J. Pickle Federal Building in downtown Austin and onto waiting buses Wednesday. The detainees were then transported to an unknown location, this follows a series of ICE operations in the city that began on Sunday. The scene was emotional as family members stood nearby saying goodbye, not knowing where their loved ones were going or when they might see them again. One of those family members was Thalia Gutierrez, whose mother was among those being transported. As her mother, Tatiana Bonito Luna, walked onto a bus in shackles, surrounded by ICE officers, Gutierrez was heard yelling, "Be careful, take care of yourself, I’m calling our lawyer, I love you so much!" Gutierrez explained, "[ICE] took [my mom] today from her house, it was a bunch of cops undercover with black jackets, they just came to her house undercover and took her to this building right here." Federal and local officials in Austin have stated that these targeted ICE raids were exclusively focused on immigrants who have committed violent crimes. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis confirmed in an interview with CBS Austin Tuesday, "Yes, I called ICE and they said these were violent offenders." However, CBS Austin ran the criminal history of Bonito Luna and found she had several non-violent charges out of Williamson County. In 2020, she was charged with felony possession of marijuana and cocaine, and in 2024, she was charged with failure to report injury in a traffic accident, leaving the scene of a crash, which is a Class C Misdemeanor. This comes after an NBC investigation found that nearly half of the 1,200 migrants detained across the country on Sunday did not have criminal records. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated in a press conference Wednesday, "The President has said that of course the illegal criminal drug dealers, the rapists, the murderers absolutely those should be the priority of ICE." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Examiner [1/29/2025 1:13 PM, Tim Collins, 2365K, Negative] reports that a teacher with the Fort Worth Independent School District in Texas posted on X for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to visit the school because some students "don’t even know English," according to a report. The teacher, a substitute at North Side High School, is under investigation after that post and others related to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, according to a report. "Yall 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," the post on X said. "They have to communicate through their iPhone translator with me." Trump issued a slew of executive orders shortly after taking office, ordering ICE and the Border Patrol to crack down on illegal immigration. ICE has arrested thousands of illegal immigrants, including in an operation with TV personality Dr. Phil in tow. The Fort Worth ISD said it is investigating the substitute for causing "concern" in the community. "We are aware of a recent social media post referencing North Side High School, which was allegedly made by a substitute teacher and has caused concern among our Fort Worth ISD community," the district wrote.

Yahoo! News [1/29/2025 8:46 AM, Caroline Sellers, 57114K, Negative] reports that according to Edmond Police, a man has been arrested on multiple child pornography charges. Officials say on January 16, 2025, the Edmond Police Department’s Internet Crimes against Children (ICAC) Task Force served a search warrant at an apartment complex near W 15th St. with help from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Payne County ESD K-9 Arwen and his handler. Kenneth Lynch. Image courtesy Edmond Police. The warrant was served as part of an ongoing child exploitation investigation that began in Alabama. Upon arrival, officers identified the resident as 45-year-old Kenneth Lynch. Following the investigation, police say Lynch was arrested on several charges, including Aggravated Possession of Child Pornography, five counts of Distribution of Child Pornography and five counts of Procuring a Minor to Participate in Pornography. He was then booked into the Oklahoma County Jail. Edmond PD says the investigation is still ongoing. The department emphasizes that Lynch is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

FOX News [1/29/2025 2:25 PM, Greg Norman, 49889K, Negative] reports the Drug Enforcement Administration has arrested four individuals in Colorado with suspected ties to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Three male individuals allegedly involved in the trafficking of fentanyl – who have potential ties to the Sinaloa Cartel – were taken into custody Wednesday at a home across the street from the headquarters of the Lochbuie Police Department in Brighton, the agency told KDVR. The three men were wanted in connection to a warrant that was issued out of Denver, KDVR reported.

Newsweek [1/29/2025 6:00 AM, Billal Rahman, 56005K, Neutral] reports a group of Democratic lawmakers is demanding immediate action to halt what they describe as "unconscionable" harassment of Native American citizens by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. On Wednesday morning, nine congressional Democrats sent a letter seen by Newsweek to President Donald Trump urging him to direct ICE agents to "stop harassing" Native Americans. The letter detailed an incident in New Mexico in which an ICE agent reportedly stopped a Tribal citizen at a convenience store and questioned their U.S. citizenship. Navajo Nation officials told CNN that federal immigration enforcement operations had stopped, questioned or detained at least 15 Indigenous individuals in Arizona and New Mexico during immigration raids that began last week. As the Trump administration ramps up efforts to deport undocumented immigrants, ICE is facing heightened scrutiny. With enforcement operations expanding nationwide, any perceived overreach could lead to legal challenges against immigration enforcement agencies. Trump made immigration a central theme of his successful presidential campaign, pledging to carry out the largest mass deportation program in U.S. history. According to a New York Times/Ipsos poll conducted between January 2 and 10, 55 percent of voters were in favor of such plans, and 88 percent backed the removal of undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Across party lines, Americans agreed that the immigration system was in need of reform. In the letter, members of Congress, led by Representative Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico, urged the administration to "take additional actions to prevent racial profiling" and ensure that the rights of Native Americans are respected. "Targeting Native Americans and questioning their citizenship like we saw in New Mexico last week is not only harassment—it’s un-American," Fernández told Newsweek. "Native communities have been an integral part of this land since time immemorial, and every single Tribal citizen has been a U.S. citizen since 1924. ICE’s racial profiling undermines Tribal sovereignty, violates our values, and spreads fear in communities that deserve our respect and protection. That’s why, in this letter, we demand that the Administration end these discriminatory actions immediately and find ways to make sure that no one is targeted simply because of the way they look.”

Newsweek [1/29/2025 10:25 AM, Martha McHardy, 56005K, Neutral] reports that California schools could be required under new a bill to notify students and parents if federal immigration agents arrive on campus. The measure, authored by Democratic Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, is a response to a new executive order by Donald Trump which removes restrictions preventing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from conducting operations at schools and other "sensitive places." Newsweek has contacted the White House and ICE for comment via email. After returning to office last Monday, Trump has begun to implement his immigration agenda supported by a majority of voters. ICE raids and deportations have begun across the U.S. However, sanctuary states, including California, limit their cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agents, typically by not allowing local law enforcement agencies to assist ICE in detaining or reporting individuals based solely on their immigration status. Under Pérez’s bill, called the Sending Alerts to Families in Education (SAFE) Act, schools and college campuses would alert students, parents, faculty, and staff if immigration officers are on site. The emergency notification system would function similarly to those used for active shooter situations, instantly sending emails and text messages. Pérez is considering introducing the legislation as an urgency bill, a type of legislation that goes into effect immediately once signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, according to The Sacramento Bee.

FOX News [1/29/2025 7:43 PM, Staff, 49889K, Neutral] reports the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website is no longer accepting forms needed to sponsor migrants as part of the Biden administration’s defunct parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV). The 2023 program, which allowed certain migrants to apply for U.S. entry and stay for up to two years, was shut down on President Donald Trump’s first day in office. As of August 2024, nearly 530,000 people were granted parole through the program, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Requirements included having a U.S.-based supporter, passing security vetting, and meeting other criteria. The "Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support" form, an avenue to meet one of the main requirements, was bumped from the website, as of Wednesday night. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently removed expedited removal restrictions and allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to review migrants’ parole status – which may include changing it. A memo obtained by Fox News Digital noted parole is a "positive exercise of enforcement discretion to which no alien is entitled" and that it should "not be regarded as an admission of the alien," according to previous reporting.

Miami Herald [1/29/2025 3:06 PM, Maykel Gonzalez, 6595K, Neutral] reports amid a surge in anti-illegal immigration operations, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will temporarily pause an important form, following President Donald Trump’s executive order on Jan. 20. This order recognizes the President’s authority over the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., and section 301 of title 3 of the United States Code. It states that over the past four years, the US "has suffered an unprecedented large-scale invasion." It also stresses that "millions of illegal aliens from nations and regions around the world have successfully entered," despite their potential as criminals, spies, or agents of other territories "with malicious intent." In response to the "Securing Our Borders" executive order, USCIS decided to pause acceptance of the document "until we review all categorical parole processes as required by that order."

Univision [1/29/2025 4:13 PM, Patricia Clarembaux, 7281K, Neutral] reports this Wednesday, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed that she was rescinding Biden’s extension of TPS for Venezuelans. This protected them with TPS until October 2, 2026. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported on its website that Venezuelans would not be protected until the extension given by Biden, but until September 10, 2025. On her social media account, X claims that members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua, which Trump himself declared a terrorist organization in one of his first executive orders, are under that status. Although it is not known how many members of this gang are in the United States, it is known that more than 505,000 Venezuelans are protected by TPS. It is now up to Noem to announce the permanence of this measure and the extension of the date that will allow these immigrants — whose TPS expires on April 3, 2025 — to have legal status in the country. Along with Venezuelans, Hondurans and Nicaraguans are waiting for an extension of their TPS. Their protections are valid until July 5, 2025.

VOA News [1/29/2025 1:23 PM, Aline Barros, 2717K, Neutral] reports that President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship in the U.S. has ignited a legal and political debate, raising questions about the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the extent of presidential power. The amendment guarantees citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil. "We’re the only country in the world that does this with birthright, as you know. And it’s just absolutely ridiculous. But, you know, we’ll see. We think we have very good grounds and certain people have wanted to do this for decades," Trump said while signing the executive order on his first day in office. The code has been copied to your clipboard. The United States is one of about 30 countries that grant automatic citizenship to individuals born on their soil, including Brazil, Mexico, and Canada, among others. The practice is known as jus soli (Latin for "right of the soil"). But the U.S. remains notable for its broad application of unconditional jus soli, as enshrined in the 14th Amendment. But if the case reaches the Supreme Court, the outcome could reshape the nation’s understanding of citizenship. If the court were to side with Trump, the most immediate impact will be on newborns and those yet to receive birth certificates and Social Security numbers. And questions about retroactive application would arise.

New York Times [1/29/2025 9:21 AM, Emma Bubola, 161405K, Neutral] reports that, for two summers during high school, instead of joining her classmates at the beach, Noura Ghazoui had an internship at the town hall of her hometown, Borghetto Santo Spirito, on the Ligurian coast. But when she tried to apply for a job there at age 19, she found herself ineligible because, like hundreds of thousands of children born to immigrants in Italy, she could not get Italian citizenship. “I feel Italian, I think in Italian, I dream in Italian,” Ms. Ghazoui said in Ligurian-accented Italian. “But I am not recognized in my country.” For generations, European countries have used mostly bloodlines to determine citizenship. The United States was an exception in the West as one of the last countries to grant citizenship unconditionally to virtually anyone born there. President Trump’s order seeking to end birthright citizenship for the American-born children of undocumented immigrants, which a judge temporarily blocked last week, would bring the United States one step closer to Italy and other European countries. But rising numbers of migrants in the United States and Europe have set off debates on both sides of the Atlantic over whether the systems for bestowing citizenship need to be updated in some way, either moderated or stiffened. Each approach — known by the Latin terms “jus sanguinis,” or right of blood, and “jus soli,” or right of soil — has its critics, and increasingly, countries have sought to rebalance the two. Since the 1980s, Britain and Ireland (as well as Australia and New Zealand), which still had unconditional birthright citizenship, have moved in a direction similar to that Mr. Trump has chosen, limiting it. But others, like Germany, have gone the other way, making it easier for people born to immigrants to gain citizenship. The shift, supporters say, nodded to the changing realities of a country where one in four people now comes from an immigrant background. “Citizenship is a politically contested issue,” said Maarten Vink, the co-director of the Global Citizenship Observatory. “When it changes it reflects the outcome of a political struggle.”

Newsweek [1/29/2025 5:35 AM, Jack Royston, 56005K, Negative] reports a former British home secretary has joined the campaign to convince Donald Trump to release Prince Harry’s visa papers during a visit to Washington, D.C. Suella Braverman is still a U.K. lawmaker and immigration was within her remit while she led the U.K. Home Office, one of the biggest jobs in government, between October 2022 and November 2023. It was also her old department that Harry sued in an effort to get his police bodyguards reinstated, though she came into the post part way through the process. Now, she has backed a campaign by the Heritage Foundation to push Trump to release Prince Harry’s immigration papers over his past use of drugs. Braverman stood shoulder to shoulder with Nile Gardiner, director of Heritage’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, in a social media video. "I think there’s a very strong case for President Trump to intervene and to direct the release and disclosure of these documents," she said. "The American people should have the right to know what’s happened here. Prince Harry is a citizen who has come to the United States.” "We need to know whether he broke the rules to get into the United States. If he did the American people have a right to know and those who allowed that to happen should be held to account," she continued. "Or did Prince Harry receive special treatment upon his application to get into the United States. And if that happened again that’s unacceptable and the American people have the right to know.” Heritage says Prince Harry must either have lied about his past drug use on visa forms or been given special treatment by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and it argues the public has a right to know what happened. It also says Harry should not have been given a visa due to his experimentation with cannabis, magic mushrooms, ayahuasca and cocaine, significantly raising the stakes beyond a simple issue of transparency. If Harry were forced out of America it would shatter the Sussex family’s U.S. dream at a point when they are deeply unpopular in his homeland, Britain. Whether that would actually happen is another matter, but Trump has previously said: "If he lied they’ll have to take appropriate action.” It comes ahead of a court hearing in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit that Heritage filed against the DHS to try to force the release of Harry’s papers on February 5.

San Francisco Chronicle [1/29/2025 7:00 AM, Ko Lyn Cheang, 4368K, Neutral] reports that, since she arrived in September, Kateryna Miyenko has been taking long walks under the towering redwood trees of Oakland’s parks. Being in nature is one of the few ways the 27-year-old can take her mind off what is happening at home in western Ukraine, where her parents and younger brother remain. She never imagined the country that provided her safety would, within months of her arrival, threaten to revoke it. Last week, the Trump administration authorized federal immigration authorities to expand deportation efforts to migrants like Miyenko, granted entry for up to two years under a 70-year legal process called humanitarian parole. About 2.2 million people through January have been granted this special designation for urgent humanitarian reasons, including 651,000 Ukrainians and 133,000 Afghans, according to Department of Homeland Security data published by the National Foundation for American Policy. "It’s unsettling to think about how such decisions could impact so many people, including those like me who are just trying to rebuild their lives far from home," Miyenko said in Ukrainian through a translator. In a Jan. 23 memo, Trump’s acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman instructed federal immigration authorities that people who had been paroled into the country could now be deported without hearings. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions about the memo and whether it would be applied to Ukrainians and Afghans. The Biden administration had previously reserved deportations without hearings, called expedited removal, to people who were arrested less than 100 miles from the border within two weeks of entering the country without permission. In a separate move last week, Huffman expanded expedited removal to people who cannot prove they’ve been in the U.S. for at least two years. To deport such people without a hearing, the memo instructs immigration enforcement to, if necessary, terminate their parole status and immigration court proceedings. It suggests authorities prioritize deporting people who have been in the U.S. for longer than a year but haven’t applied for asylum.

Reuters [1/30/2025 1:18 AM, Kirsty Needham, 48128K, Negative] reports dozens of refugees who arrived in Australia by boat a decade ago and expected to resettle in the United States have been affected by the Trump Administration’s freeze on refugee programs, an Australian official told Reuters. Australia is "awaiting further advice" from the United States government on the ongoing operation of its refugee programme, suspended by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, a Home Affairs spokesperson said. "Less than 30 transitory individuals continue to pursue resettlement in the United States through the U.S. resettlement arrangement – cases are at various stages of the process," he said. Australia does not allow asylum seekers who arrive by boat to settle in the country. Canberra introduced a tough policy of offshore processing a decade ago, where boat arrivals were transferred to camps in the Pacific Island nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea (PNG) for assessment of refugee claims. Under a 2016 deal struck with the Obama Administration, the United States agreed to resettle up to 1250 refugees from the PNG and Nauru offshore processing centres. In his first presidency Trump complained about the deal but accepted it. The Home Affairs department said in August that 1106 refugees had been able to resettle in the United States under the agreement, although many were also at "various stages of pre-departure activities". The centre-left government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stepped up efforts to show it is deterring boat arrivals with a national election due by May. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke will travel to Nauru on Thursday and said in a statement he will visit the regional processing centre. Australia continues to send a small number of asylum seekers arriving by boat each month to Nauru, although the Papua New Guinea centre closed after a court ruled it was illegal. "Nauru remains ready to receive and process any new unauthorised maritime arrivals, future-proofing Australia’s response to maritime people smuggling," the department spokesperson said. Australia is in discussions with New Zealand to extend a resettlement programme, he said.

Newsweek [1/29/2025 7:26 PM, Martha McHardy, 56005K, Negative] reports that President Donald Trump has claimed that border encounters plummeted by 93 percent on his first full day in office. Newsweek has been unable to verify the claim and has reached out to the White House, the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for confirmation. Trump made immigration a core component of his successful presidential campaign, pledging to hold the largest mass deportation event in history. Americans largely support immigration reform overall, according to recent polling, but disagree about how policies such as deportations should be carried out. When he took office on January 20, Trump put his campaign promises into action, vowing at his inauguration that "all illegal entry will be halted" and that millions of "criminal aliens" would be deported. Later that day, he issued a raft of executive orders related to immigration, one of which declared a national emergency at the border. He also signed a proclamation that gave officials the authority to "repel, repatriate, or remove" migrants until he was satisfied that "the invasion at the southern border has ceased." However, it remains unclear if there has been an uptick in deportations or a decrease in crossings since Trump took office.

CBS Miami [1/29/2025 5:46 PM, Chelsea Jones, 52225K, Positive] reports long lines formed at Miami International Airport this week as travelers arriving from Colombia reported being stuck in a single line regardless of their citizenship status. The delays come amid rising diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Colombia. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a statement addressing the delays at Miami International Airport. However, CBP did not specifically address why travelers from Colombia were being separated. Meanwhile, videos have circulated on social media showing long lines at the Colombian Consulate in Coral Gables, but diplomats there insist operations are running normally.

CBS News [1/29/2025 6:47 AM, Staff, 52225K, Negative] reports a Colombian customs worker admitted his role Tuesday in taking bribes and funneling more than $1 million in drug proceeds in a case that threatened to expose dirty dealings between U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and their informants. Omar Ambuila’s surprise guilty plea to a single count of conspiring to commit money laundering came on the second day of his trial in federal court in Tampa, Florida. Ambuila, 63, was extradited to the U.S. from Colombia in 2023. He faces up to 20 years in prison at an April sentencing. The proceedings had been expected to shed new light on a scandal that resulted in more than a dozen federal agents being disciplined or ousted from their jobs for a range of misconduct during DEA money laundering investigations around the world. Among the witnesses called to testify by the government was Jose Irizarry, a notoriously corrupt DEA agent serving a lengthy federal prison term for his role in a closely related money laundering conspiracy. The Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of Homeland Security first came to suspect Ambuila after his daughter posted photos of herself carrying designer handbags, taking luxury vacations to Paris and driving a $330,000 red Lamborghini. "People assume that because they can’t make it you can’t make it either," Jenny Ambuila wrote in a May 2017 Facebook post where she shows a photo of the Lamborghini. "Prove them wrong." The lavish, fairy tale lifestyle of the 20-something University of Miami graduate didn’t match her modest income as a social media influencer or that of her father, who was earning about $2,000 a month as a mid-level supervisor in Colombia’s main port of Buenaventura, a major transit point for U.S.-bound cocaine. A chunk of the funds used in 2016 to pay for the Lamborghini Huracan Spyder originated in an account controlled by Jhon Marin, whom an IRS criminal investigator described at trial as the Florida-based nephew of a "known contraband smuggler in Colombia."

Yahoo! News [1/29/2025 4:25 PM, Brian Entin, 57114K, Neutral] reports a 911 call led Florida law enforcement to intercept two vans that were transporting over two dozen Chinese migrants Tuesday morning. Coral Gables police said they received a tip about migrants possibly being smuggled into the area around 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Between the two vans, authorities said they found 26 Chinese migrants, including 17 men and nine women. It’s unclear where their final destination was intended to be. "We believe they came by boat. They came into a secluded area around the southern end of Coral Gables," police Chief Ed Hudak said during a press conference. The two alleged smugglers were detained by law enforcement. Officials said they were of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent and were armed. The migrants were later loaded onto city trolleys, with video from NBC 6 South Florida’s chopper showing them being patted down before boarding. Several other agencies responded to the scene, including Customs and Border Patrol and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Officials said U.S. Homeland Security Investigations would be taking over the investigation. "There is no place for human smuggling in the city of Coral Gables, much less the state of Florida. We must target illegal immigration head-on, using our experienced state and local agencies," FDLE Special Agent in Charge in Miami John Vecchio said. The Miami Herald [1/29/2025 5:48 PM, David Goodhue and Milena Malaver, 6595K, Negative] reports that while onboard, deputies immediately found tell-tale signs the boat was involved in smuggling and had dropped the people off in the mangroves near Snapper Creek, according to a Homeland Security Investigations complaint filed Wednesday. The two men driving the White Ford vans were Eustacio Francisco Eusebio and Joel Benjamin Eusebio, according to the complaint. Joel Eusebio is from the United States and Eustacio Eusebio is a citizen of the Dominican Republic, the complaint states. Both were taken to the Customs and Border Protection station in Dania Beach — as were the Chinese citizens. Meanwhile, the man caught piloting the boat — Guillermo Elias Victor Lopez — told agents he was tasked with picking the people up from another boat in Biscayne Bay and that he "dropped them off "at the bushes," according to the complaint. At the marina, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations agents arrested a man named Enrique Loret de Mola, who they say was getting into the pickup.

Reported similarly:
FOX News [1/29/2025 11:45 AM, Michale Ruiz, 49889K, Negative]

New York Times [1/29/2025 1:03 AM, Annie Correal and Simón Posada, 161405K, Neutral] reports a brief, fiery showdown between the president of the United States and the president of Colombia ended by Sunday night — when the Colombian government agreed to accept all deportation flights sent by the Trump administration, including military flights. But the effects lingered in American airports until Wednesday. In a statement on Sunday night, the White House press secretary said that some of Mr. Trump’s penalties on Colombia — including so-called enhanced inspections at American ports of entry — would remain in effect “until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.” But even after that planeload arrived at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, the Colombian capital, on Tuesday, passengers were caught up in long and tedious inspections at airports in Florida. As late as Tuesday night, passengers who arrived on direct flights from Colombian cities such as Medellín reported spending up to four hours waiting in customs lines at Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The passengers said they were placed in a separate line — regardless of their citizenship — and subjected to bag checks and screenings in which they were questioned about the motives for their travel and their connection to the Colombian government. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it had received orders on Wednesday to stop conducting these extra inspections of people, flights and cargo arriving from Colombia. A spokeswoman for the agency, Patricia Driscoll, declined to comment on the delays or on the apparent lag in halting so-called secondary inspections. Ms. Driscoll said in a statement that the agency was tasked with “enforcing numerous laws at our Nation’s ports of entry on behalf of a variety of other Government agencies.” The Colombian Foreign Ministry did not respond to questions about the issues at American airports or why they lasted until Wednesday, or whether the topic had been raised with the United States.

UPI [1/29/2025 5:33 PM, Chris Benson, 1825K, Neutral] reports U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials seized millions of dollars in knock-off jewelry items and advised American consumers as Valentines Day nears to be leery of fake products. On Wednesday, the agency said that last week CBP officers in Indianapolis, on two separate occasions, seized shipments of thousands of counterfeit jewelry items via sketchy Chinese exporters, according to a release. Officials say at least 2,172 pieces of rings, brooches, bracelets, charms, necklaces and earrings that displayed legally protected trademarks of various luxury designers were confiscated. The two shipments arrived from China on Jan. 21 and Jan. 23, respectively, and if genuine would have fetched at least $5.2 million in retail.

Dallas Morning News [1/29/2025 4:42 PM, Aarón Torres, 3419K, Negative] reports Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, continuing a three-day series of border security-related actions, issued five executive orders Wednesday directing state agencies to assist President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement operations. Abbott’s orders come a day after the governor directed state troopers to assist federal efforts to arrest undocumented migrants and two days after he ordered 400 soldiers to the Rio Grande Valley. Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts have picked up since he was sworn into office Jan. 20, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s "targeted operations" Sunday in North Texas, resulting in 84 arrests.

Border Report [1/29/2025 7:52 PM, Salvador Rivera, 153K, Negative] Video: HERE reports smugglers are deploying a new weapon against Border Patrol agents in San Diego: "improvised tire deflation devices.” "They’re bent nails welded together and two-by-fours with nails punctured through them," said Justin Castrejon, spokesman for the Border Patrol. Castrejon said the devices have been used by smugglers on at least 20 different occasions in recent months, particularly in Otay Mesa, in an area just north of Tijuana International Airport. "They are essentially homemade spikes that these transnational criminal organizations are making," he said. "What agents are reporting to us, is that as human smuggling events are taking place, smugglers from the south side in Mexico are actively throwing these out hoping to damage our vehicles and not allowing us to pursue them.” Castrejon said the spikes and the spike-strips are also meant to harm agents.

Border Report [1/29/2025 6:58 PM, Sandra Sanchez, 153K, Negative] reports an Austin man has been arrested in Eagle Pass, Texas, on charges of smuggling dozens of firearms from the United States across the border into Mexico, officials said Wednesday. Victor Hugo Diego-Avellaneda, 39, of Austin, was arrested Jan. 19 after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers say they found 40 rifles, six shotguns, one pistol, 80 magazines, and two rifle scopes stored in two large duffel bags, according to U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. The firearms were found after Diego-Avellaneda was referred for secondary inspection at the port of entry. Esparza says Diego-Avellaneda told officers he was being paid $100 for each firearm and 11 firearms belonged to him.

Border Report [1/30/2025 12:14 AM, Julian Resendiz, 153K, Neutral] Video: HERE reports Juarez Mayor Cruz Perez Cuellar says his city is not ready for a proposed U.S. ban on commercial trucks at El Paso’s Bridge of the Americas port of entry (BOTA). “Everybody in Juarez understands that it is not our decision; it’s a decision the U.S. has to make,” Perez Cuellar said at a Wednesday luncheon of the Central Business Association at the El Paso Civic Center. “But at some meetings they have asked for our opinion. Our opinion is we are not ready. I think both communities … we’re not ready for the closure of BOTA to commercial trailers.” The U.S. General Services Administration is managing a planned $650 million modernization of the port of entry between El Paso and Juarez and is leaning toward a permanent ban on trailers primarily coming from maquiladora assembly plants south of the border. The moves comes after years of complaints from residents of neighborhoods near the port in South-Central El Paso about pollution and traffic. Those complaints lately have found a friendly ear among local elected officials.

Border Report [1/29/2025 1:20 PM, Mia Morales, 153K, Negative] reports that United States Customs and Border Protection seized over $1.4 million worth of cocaine in two drug seizures. According to a news release from CBP, the first seizure took place Friday, Jan. 24, at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge. A 22-year-old McAllen resident attempted to enter the United States in a 2008 Toyota and officers referred the vehicle to a second inspection. During the inspection, officers found 40 packages hidden within the vehicle, which contained a total of 91.44 pounds of cocaine. The second seizure also took place on Friday at the Gateway International Bridge. A 27-year-old Mexican citizen attempted to cross to the United States in a 2014 Chevrolet. When CBP officers referred the vehicle to a secondary inspection, they found a package hidden within it. The package contained a total of 15.82 pounds of cocaine. Both seizures had an estimated street value of $1,432,355.

Axios [1/29/2025 6:15 AM, Martin Vassolo, 16349K, Neutral] reports gun detections at Miami International Airport hit a new high last year, according to the Transportation Security Administration. TSA saw an overall decrease in guns found in passengers’ carry-on bags across Florida airports: 817 in 2024 compared to 834 in 2023. Some airports, like MIA, saw a spike. There were 103 firearms found at MIA in 2024, up from 78 the year before. TSA spokesperson Mark Howell says that his data only goes back to 2013, but he’s comfortable saying MIA set an all-time record considering there were only 23 guns found at the airport in 2013. Meanwhile, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport hit a four-year low with 113 firearms detected in 2024, compared to 135 in 2023. Howell credits the decrease, in part, to public education efforts by the airport and the Broward Sheriff’s Office, including signs at terminals. MIA spokesperson Greg Chin tells Axios that part of the reason for the increase is that the airport served 3.5 million more passengers in 2024 than in 2023. He wrote in an email that fewer firearms were found last year at MIA than at FLL or Tampa International Airport, "which both serve much fewer passengers." "MIA regularly partners with the TSA through news stories, social media, and airport-wide signage to educate travelers about prohibited items including firearms." Guns can only be taken on a commercial flight if they are unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case and placed in a checked bag, per the TSA. Other airports that set gun-detection records in 2024 include: Palm Beach International (PBI), Northwest Florida Beaches International (ECP), Gainesville Regional (GNV) and Melbourne Orlando International (MLB). Across the nation, 93% of firearms that TSA finds at airports are loaded, Howell says.

Washington Post [1/29/2025 4:52 PM, Brady Dennis and Scott Dance, 40736K, Neutral] reports firefighters scrambled Wednesday afternoon to contain a wildfire that forced evacuations in a part of western North Carolina that was ravaged by Helene in the fall. McDowell County emergency officials said the fire, which had grown to 200 acres by around 6 p.m., remained almost entirely uncontained. The blaze prompted evacuation orders for residents in an area just south of Old Fort, which is east of Asheville and amid a cluster of communities only beginning to recover from the devastation caused by Helene in September. Just after noon Wednesday, local officials first detailed reports of a fire along Bat Cave Road in Old Fort “caused by a tree falling on a power line.” The agency said no injuries had been reported so far, “though multiple outbuildings have been destroyed by the blaze. All emergency agencies within McDowell County, along with support from neighboring counties, and state and federal partners, are actively working to combat the fire and protect life and property.”

Reported similarly:
New York Times [1/29/2025 5:05 PM, Simon J. Levien, 161405K, Neutral]

CBS News [1/29/2025 5:18 PM, Li Cohen, 52225K, Neutral] reports an "out of control" wildfire erupted in the western North Carolina town of Old Fort on Wednesday, just four months after the area was ravaged by Hurricane Helene. As of 4:30 p.m., the blaze, dubbed the Crooked Creek Fire, has so far burned 150 acres, emergency officials said, and remains 0% contained. According to CBS affiliate WNCN, initial reports indicate the fire was started by a tree falling onto a power line.

Yahoo! News [1/29/2025 6:21 PM, Vicki Hyatt, 57114K, Neutral] reports Western North Carolina’s Congressman, U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, has been asked by President Trump to help overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency, thanks to his appointment to a newly created FEMA task force. Edwards, who represents the 15 westernmost counties and a portion of Polk, was charged with the task three days after he accompanied the President on a tour of Western North Carolina to view the destruction of Hurricane Helene and recovery efforts. "It is an honor to be named by President Trump to the FEMA task force to fix how this broken agency works," Edwards said in a news release. "After being on the ground throughout the Hurricane Helene response, it’s clear that an overhaul of FEMA is necessary to more effectively and efficiently respond to natural disasters. I look forward to lending the insights I’ve gained so that our nation will be fully prepared to prevent and respond to future disasters, and to save lives.” The task force was established to thoroughly review FEMA and provide recommendations to the president on ways to improve and make changes that will better serve the interest of the United States and promote the nation’s resilience. It will be led by Michael Whatley, chairman of the Republican National Committee, and includes U.S. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-5th) and U.S. Congressman Tim Moore (R-14th). The President echoed other talking points in Project 2025 suggesting significant changes within the Department of Homeland Security, the umbrella agency for FEMA. The document’s language states: "The bloated DHS bureaucracy and budget, along with the wrong priorities, provide real opportunities for a conservative Administration to cut billions in spending and limit government’s role in Americans’ lives. These opportunities include privatizing TSA screening and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program, reforming FEMA emergency spending to shift the majority of preparedness and response costs to states and localities instead of the federal government, eliminating most of DHS’s grant programs, and removing all unions in the department for national security purposes.”

WSBTV.com [1/29/2025 4:00 PM, Staff, Neutral] reports the next step in the post-Hurricane Helene damage relief process for Georgians is underway. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Wednesday that they’d started performing home inspections for those eligible to get assistance in the wake of the storm’s damage. Going forward, those who need their home inspected to determine assistance will be contacted by FEMA to schedule an appointment with an inspector.

Action News Jax [1/29/2025 5:04 PM, Logan MacDonald, Negative] reports it’s been months since Hurricane Milton tore through the St. Augustine area, but Karen Stevens is still dealing with its impacts. When she last spoke to FEMA on Jan. 21, Stevens said she was met with no updates to her case. Meanwhile, if her family were to just do the repairs themselves, Stevens said estimates have it costing around $7,000-$10,000 out of pocket. Action News Jax also reached out to FEMA directly for an update. While they said they’re unable to discuss the details of the case due to privacy laws, they have escalated it to their case management team.

CBS Los Angeles [1/29/2025 2:32 PM, Julie Sharp, 52225K, Neutral] reports that the clean-up and rebuilding process following the devastating Los Angeles fires is now underway, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is ready to "unleash" crews to begin debris cleanup at fire-damaged properties. Officials laid out the recovery process for the destructive Palisades and Eaton fires, establishing two initial phases: hazardous material removal and then general debris cleanup. These must both be complete before any rebuilding can occur. At a Wednesday news conference, county leaders said Phase 1, the removal of hazardous material by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has been accelerated from three months to 30 days. It was explained that the process was shortened because the county was able to "get more federal resources" to the area. Once EPA crews are done with hazardous waste removal, debris removal can begin, and the timeline for that will vary. For Phase 1 updates on property, call (833) 798-7372, or visit EPA.gov. The EPA website provides a real-time interactive map, showing color-coded properties indicating "assessment needed," "Phase 1 complete," "deferred to Phase 2," and "no access." Property owners can enter their addresses to check the status of their parcels. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is leading Phase 2 and debris removal can begin once Phase 1 is complete, and when Right of Entry forms are completed for each property.

[Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Los Angeles Times [1/29/2025 12:42 PM, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, 17996K, Negative] reports that when Hawaii Gov. Josh Green announced a $4-billion settlement about a year after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century devastated Lahaina in 2023, he touted the speed of the deal to "avoid protracted and painful lawsuits." Five months later, however, an unusual trial starting Wednesday will delve into difficult questions about survivors’ losses as a judge decides how to divide the settlement. Some victims will take the witness stand, while others have submitted prerecorded testimony, describing pain made all the more fresh by the recent destruction in Los Angeles. The trial won’t determine fault. Defendants blamed for the blaze including the state, power utility Hawaiian Electric and large landowners have already agreed to the settlement amount. At issue is how much money various groups of plaintiffs might receive, including some who filed individual lawsuits after losing their family members, homes or businesses, and other victims covered by class-action lawsuits, including tourists who simply had to cancel trips to Maui following the inferno. Lawyers for the two groups failed to come to an agreement, leaving it up to Judge Peter Cahill to determine how the $4 billion should be shared.

WPRI [1/29/2025 4:05 PM, Sarah Bawden, Negative] reports a man accused of installing card skimming devices on bank ATMs in at least six states, including Rhode Island, has pleaded guilty, according to U.S. District Attorney Zachary Cunha. Mario Demarco, also known as Marius Lupu and David Ademec, admitted to a federal judge Wednesday that he and another man committed fraud by using those skimming devices to steal customers’ banking information. His suspected accomplice Stefano Garioli, also known as Dumitru Bogdan Pancu and Leon Vutkus, pleaded guilty back in December, Cunha added. Cunha said the investigation began back in July, when a bank branch manager called the Warwick Police Department and told officers surveillance footage captured the two men placing the skimming device on a drive-up ATM. The investigation revealed that the two men had worked together for more than two years to place skimming devices on ATMs in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania, according to Cunha. DeMarco and Gariloi are slated to be sentenced on May 6.

CBS Detroit [1/29/2025 5:19 PM, Jack Springgate, 52225K, Neutral] reports the Detroit Police Department is asking for help from the community in identifying two suspects who were recorded installing credit card skimmers at three Save a Lot locations. Police claim the suspects installed devices on credit card terminals in an attempt to steal customers’ financial information. The owner of these Save a Lot stores says he chased two suspects off his property when they tried to install a card skimmer for the third time so something like what once happened to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department’s technology director doesn’t happen to anyone else, especially at his stores.

YourBasin.com [1/29/2025 1:20 PM, Erica Miller, Negative] reports the Midland Police Department has asked the community to help to identify a fraud suspect. According to the MPD, on January 20, a man entered Denny’s restaurant and placed an order. The suspect, pictured below, the allegedly paid using five counterfeit $10 bills. Employees said they believed the suspect left the restaurant on foot.

AZCentral [1/29/2025 4:49 PM, Lauren De Young, Negative] reports a Casa Grande man was released this week after being arrested on suspicion of making assassination threats against then-president-elect Donald Trump. According to court documents, over the course of a month, the man, identified as Rene Ortiz, asked various federal courthouses to allow him to use an M-16A2 rifle, a military gun, to "execute" the newly elected president. During an interview with the Secret Service on Dec. 5, 2024, Ortiz admitted to making threats, according to the documents. When asked if Ortiz planned to shoot President Trump, he allegedly responded, "If my demands are not met." Ortiz was arrested on Jan. 17, a few days before the inauguration of Trump. He was released on Jan. 27 with conditions of release.

CBS Detroit [1/29/2025 11:04 AM, Paula Wethington, 52225K, Neutral] reports that the Coast Guard’s Air Station Detroit helicopter crew assisted on an ice rescue call Tuesday afternoon in Lake Erie, near Catawba Island State Park in Ottawa County, Ohio. A total of four people were found to be stranded on an ice floe after the emergency call was made about 4:30 p.m., according to the Coast Guard report. Coast Guard Station Marblehead’s air boat crew reported about 5:37 p.m. they had rescued three of those people; the Catawba Island Volunteer Fire Department rescued a fourth. In the meantime, the report said, the Detroit helicopter did an "overflight shoreline search" to make sure no other anglers were in distress. Other local first responder agencies on the call included Catawba Island Police Department and EMS. "As we have been forecasting and warning for the past several days, strong winds out of the SW broke off large sections of ice creating the ice floe," the Catawba Island Fire Department said in its social media post about the incident. "This is typical for our area of Lake Erie. Because of that, we urge anyone who is going to venture out onto the ice to research weather forecasts in detail, and speak with local experts at bait and tackle shops, and ODNR before heading out."

ABC News [1/29/2025 12:01 PM, Bill Hutchinson, 33392K, Negative] reports that even as the Trump administration’s mass deportation of undocumented migrants was unfolding, the U.S. Coast Guard announced it had intercepted a boat packed with migrants off the California coast. A 40-foot panga-style boat attempting to smuggle migrants into the United States was stopped by two Coast Guard cutter crews Monday night about 20 miles off the coast of San Diego, the Coast Guard said in a statement released on Tuesday. "The boarding teams discovered 21 individuals aboard the panga. Initial interviews revealed that all individuals claimed Mexican nationality, although subsequent checks identified two passengers as Guatemalan and Salvadoran nationals," Coast Guard officials said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents alerted the Coast Guard at about 10:45 p.m. local time on Monday that a boat was detected, prompting the Coast Guard to launch two cutters to find the vessel, authorities said. The human smuggling boat was intercepted while it was traveling north about 40 miles south of the maritime boundary line, according to the Coast Guard. The individuals aboard the boat were brought to shore and turned over to the custody of Border Patrol agents, according to the Coast Guard.

Reported similarly:
FOX News [1/29/2025 6:00 PM, Audrey Conklin, 49889K, Neutral]

VOA News [1/29/2025 8:23 PM, Rob Garver, 2717K, Neutral] reports a report issued Wednesday by Google found that hackers from numerous countries, particularly China, Iran and North Korea, have been using the company’s artificial intelligence-enabled Gemini chatbot to supercharge cyberattacks against targets in the United States. The company found — so far, at least — that access to publicly available large language models (LLMs) has made cyberattackers more efficient but has not meaningfully changed the kind of attacks they typically mount. LLMs are AI models that have been trained, using enormous amounts of previously generated content, to identify patterns in human languages. Among other things, this makes them adept at producing high-functioning, error-free computer programs. “Rather than enabling disruptive change, generative AI allows threat actors to move faster and at higher volume,” the report found. Generative AI offered some benefits for low-skilled and high-skilled hackers, the report said. “However, current LLMs on their own are unlikely to enable breakthrough capabilities for threat actors. We note that the AI landscape is in constant flux, with new AI models and agentic systems emerging daily. As this evolution unfolds, [the Google Threat Intelligence Group] anticipates the threat landscape to evolve in stride as threat actors adopt new AI technologies in their operations.” Google’s findings appear to agree with previous research released by other large U.S. AI players OpenAI and Microsoft, which found a similar failure to achieve novel offensive strategies for cyberattacks through the use of public generative AI models. The report clarified that Google works to disrupt the activity of threat actors when it identifies them.

FOX News [1/29/2025 10:00 AM, Kurt Knutsson, 49889K, Neutral] reports that UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare unit suffered a data breach in February 2024, the news of which surfaced Feb. 21. Initially reported to have affected around 100 million individuals, the U.S. health insurance giant has now revealed that the actual number is significantly higher: 190 million. This makes it the largest breach of medical data in U.S. history, affecting nearly half the country’s population. A breach of this magnitude can have devastating consequences for the American people as malicious actors could exploit the data for a range of attacks if it finds its way to the dark web. UnitedHealth confirmed on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, that the ransomware attack on its Change Healthcare unit affected approximately 190 million people in the United States. The company had previously estimated the number of affected individuals to be around 100 million in its preliminary analysis filed with the Office for Civil Rights, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that investigates data breaches. UnitedHealth stated that the majority of those impacted have already been notified, either directly or through substitute notice. The final tally of affected individuals will be confirmed and submitted to the Office for Civil Rights at a later date.

Federal News Network [1/29/2025 2:56 PM, Tom Temin, 470K, Neutral] reports last year was an eventful one on the cybersecurity front. There was the advancement of the Defense Department’s new requirements for contractors, cyber updates in the Federal Acquisition Regulation and artificial intelligence interacting with cyber. Townsend Bourne, cyber team leader and partner at Sheppard Mullin, led a team that had put it all in one place together with a cyber forecast for 2025. She joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

CyberScoop [1/29/2025 12:00 PM, Greg Otto, Neutral] reports the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with several other international law enforcement departments, has seized control of several high-profile online platforms linked to cybercrime in a sweeping operation aimed at disrupting digital marketplaces for stolen credentials and hacking tools. The domains of forums Cracked[.]io and Nulled[.]to now redirect to FBI-controlled servers, signaling efforts to dismantle infrastructure that supports cybercriminal activity. As of Wednesday, visitors to the forums — long criticized as hubs for password theft, software piracy, and credential-stuffing attacks — encountered DNS error messages indicating federal intervention. Eagle-eyed cybersecurity researchers discovered Wednesday that the specialized servers that translate IP addresses into domain names redirected visitors to FBI-owned assets, effectively shutting down access. Also seized were domains and services belonging to SellIX, which enabled users to create storefronts for illicit goods, and StarkRDP, a Windows remote desktop hosting service, which was allegedly leveraged by threat actors to anonymize attacks. According to the image on the Cracked and Nulled websites, law enforcement from Australia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Spain were also involved. Europol also played a role, according to the image. The FBI did not return CyberScoop’s request for comment. Both Cracked and Nulled have operated as sprawling marketplaces for cybercriminals, offering “combo lists” (compilations of stolen usernames and passwords), cracked software licenses, and tools that can automate credential-stuffing attacks. These tools and services have fueled data breaches affecting millions of consumers and businesses globally. While some users engaged in ethical hacking discussions, security researchers widely regarded the forums as central to low-tier cybercrime ecosystems. In a Telegram channel used for status updates, Cracked’s moderator said they were “still waiting for the official court documentation from the data centre and the domain host.” “We will inform you guys further on those details once we have it,” the post reads. “A sad day indeed for our community.” Over the past few years, law enforcement offices all over the world have launched operations aimed at dismantling internet forums where cybercriminals proliferate. Last year, an international operation seized BeachForums, a forum where cybercriminals bought and sold hacked and stolen data, compromised credentials, and more.

Yahoo! News [1/29/2025 11:59 PM, Paul Feely, 57114K, Neutral] reports education technology giant PowerSchool has begun notifying individuals affected by a data breach late last year that may impact millions of students and teachers across North America, including more than 9,000 in New Hampshire. PowerSchool provided an update Monday saying it had begun filing legally required regulatory notifications following the breach, which involved attackers using a stolen account credential to access the company’s customer support portal — home to sensitive student and teacher data. In a letter to New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella dated Jan. 27, Edward McNicholas of the D.C. law firm Ropes and Gray LLP says PowerSchool estimates the security incident occurred between Dec. 19 and 28, and involved the personal information of approximately 9,384 Granite State residents. "This was not a ransomware event," the letter reads. "No systems were encrypted and PowerSchool’s operations and support for school districts in your state have continued uninterrupted." McNicholas says the personal information involved varies by individual (students, former students and teachers) but includes some combination of the following for any given person: the individual’s name, contact information, Social Security number, date of birth, limited medical alert information and other related information. "As soon as PowerSchool learned of the incident, it engaged cybersecurity response protocols and mobilized senior leadership and third-party cybersecurity experts to conduct a forensic investigation of the scope of the incident and to monitor for signs of information misuse," the letter reads. "PowerSchool has also reported the incident to law enforcement. We are not aware at this time of any identity theft attributable to this incident." PowerSchool says on its website that its technology is used by more than 60 million students. The California-based company said it provided this week’s update "for broad awareness, and no further action is required from our customers at this time." "In the coming days, PowerSchool will begin to provide notification of the cybersecurity incident to current and former students (or their parents/guardians as applicable) and educators whose information was determined to be involved," the company said in an online post. "Importantly, these notices will include instructions for involved individuals on how to enroll in the credit monitoring and identity protection services that are being offered by PowerSchool."

NPR [1/30/2025 1:21 AM, Tovia Smith, 35747K, Negative] reports an executive order signed Wednesday by President Trump outlines a broad federal crackdown on antisemitism in the U.S., especially on college campuses, and suggests foreign students who take part in prohibited activities like supporting terrorist organizations could be deported. The order cites "an unprecedented wave of vile anti-Semitic discrimination, vandalism and violence" and states that U.S. policy "shall be" to use "all available and appropriate legal tools to prosecute, remove, or otherwise hold to account the perpetrators of unlawful anti-Semitic harassment and violence." It also directs all U.S. department and agency heads to come up with new means they could employ to combat antisemitism within 60 days. The order also suggests that some student protests could be considered a violation of federal law barring individuals from supporting terrorism, and it directs officials to encourage schools to monitor and report any such activities by foreign students so they could be investigated and possibly deported. Trump’s order refers to existing immigration law that authorizes the deportation of a non-citizen who "endorses or espouses terrorist activity or persuades others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization." The U.S. government officially considers Hamas a terrorist organization. The order was welcomed by students who’ve been reporting an alarming spike in antisemitism since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led the attack on Israel that triggered the current war. Cornell University junior Amanda Silberstein says she has been physically assaulted and harassed online and in person, and feels unsafe on campus. But now, she says she feels some relief that "universities that have turned a blind eye to the harassment and assault of Jewish students can no longer ignore their basic responsibility to protect all students equally." "No other minority group is expected to tolerate constant threats and intimidation without recourse, yet Jewish students have been treated as the exception," she said. "For far too long, Jew hatred festered under the guise of activism."

Roll Call [1/29/2025 2:44 PM, Jacob Fulton, 440K, Neutral] reports Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, is expected to get a grilling from Senate Intelligence Committee members Thursday on her controversial record on national security, including her 2017 meetings with then Syrian leader Bashar Assad. Gabbard, a former Democrat who represented Hawaii in the House, is seeking to solidify enough Republican support to carry her to confirmation. If confirmed, she would lead an intelligence office that spans 18 agencies and organizations. She would advise Trump, the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council on intelligence matters. Some lawmakers have also criticized her support for Edward Snowden, an intelligence contractor who in 2013 disclosed the NSA’s information-gathering programs. Snowden, who fled to Russia, disclosed details on the use of Section 702 of a law known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the federal government to collect non-U.S. citizens’ communications outside the country without a warrant and has at times ensnared U.S. citizens. Congress overhauled the law in 2024. The Senate hearing could also be an early roadmap for the intelligence agenda of Trump’s second term. Gabbard is one of Trump’s most controversial nominees. She’s relatively new to the GOP. Her rightward pivot in 2022, when she left the Democratic Party and registered as an independent, could affect some Republicans’ views. Republicans’ 9-8 panel majority means one GOP defection could tank Gabbard’s prospects for committee support if all the Democrats oppose her. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., could still bring Gabbard’s nomination up for a floor vote without the panel’s backing.

Wall Street Journal [1/29/2025 11:17 AM, Gordon Lubold and Vera Bergengruen, Neutral] reports Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has suspended the security detail for former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley, adding another prominent former official to the list of those who have seen their protection stripped under the new Trump administration. The decision is the latest in President Trump’s actions targeting a range of perceived enemies who served in his first administration. Last week, Trump revoked the security detail for Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has lived under federal protection since leading the country’s Covid-19 response and continues to receive regular death threats. He also stripped security protection from his former national security adviser John Bolton, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former top aide Brian Hook, all of whom face assassination threats for their hard-line positions on Iran during Trump’s first term. “The Secretary informed General Milley today that he is revoking the authorization for his security detail and suspending his security clearance as well,” said Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot late Tuesday. Hegseth also directed the Pentagon’s inspector general to investigate Milley’s conduct to determine whether the four-star general should be reduced in rank. Trump has previously called Milley a traitor and declared that his calls with Chinese officials in the aftermath of Jan. 6 were “an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH.” Hegseth’s chief of staff Joe Kasper, in an apparent reference to those calls, said that “undermining the chain of command is corrosive to our national security, and restoring accountability is a priority for the Defense Department under President Trump’s leadership.” Milley has said they were routine calls meant to reassure Chinese officials who were “worried about an attack,” and authorized by then-Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.

The Hill [1/29/2025 6:00 AM, Brad Dress, 16346K, Neutral] reports President Trump on Monday night signed an executive order to create a next-generation missile defense shield, which the White House referred to as the "Iron Dome for America" after Israel’s missile defense system. The plan faces questions, including the cost and feasibility of deploying a shield across the entire continental United States. But there are also hopes it could help the nation address long-standing concerns about homeland security. Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, gave a nod to the Trump proposal on several fronts: its prioritization of speed, focus on adversaries like Russia and its potential to address a multiplicity of missile threats. "The end here is that there is [a] gratifying prioritization of the problem. So that’s good," he said. "It deserves to be a White House priority.” It’s unclear how expensive the plan will be, or how long it will take to put it together. Trump’s order calls for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to submit an implementation plan within 60 days. Karako said missile defense may take years to upgrade because it involves a range of systems. But he insisted the technology can be rolled out to meet demand. "A lot of technology has now been improved operationally," he said. Republicans praised the plan. "I’m thrilled to see President Trump prioritize the modernization and expansion of U.S. missile defense," said Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, in a statement. "President Trump’s order makes it clear our missile defenses will be oriented to defend against all threats from peer, near-peer, and rogue adversaries.” Trump asked Hegseth to review ways to increase missile defense technology development with other countries, boost theater missile defenses of forward-deployed U.S. troops and increase American provisions of missile defense capabilities to allies. Trump wants an assessment of the strategic missile threat to the U.S. and a specific set of locations to defend against an attack from nuclear adversaries, and he called for a funding plan before finalization of the fiscal 2026 budget proposal. In the executive order, Trump lamented that the Reagan administration’s Strategic Defense Initiative to protect against intercontinental ballistic missiles ended up being shuttered.

Miami Herald [1/29/2025 7:32 AM, Paul Godfrey, 6595K, Neutral] reports the U.S. State Department called for a cease-fire in the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo saying Washington was "deeply troubled" by a recent escalation in the fighting, particularly the capture of the key city of Goma by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the comments in a phone call with Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Tuesday, urging the implementation of "an immediate cease-fire in the region, and for all parties to respect sovereign territorial integrity," according to a State Department readout of their conversation. "Secretary Rubio conveyed the overriding goal of the United States is a durable peace that addresses security concerns and lays the foundation for a thriving regional economy.” His calls were echoed by acting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Dorothy Shea who told an emergency session of the Security Council on the situation Tuesday, the second in three days, that the 15-country body should look at measures to "halt the territorial advances by Rwandan troops and the M23" and demanded Kigali and Kinshasa return to the negotiating table and work out "a sustainable, peaceful solution.” She warned Rwanda’s actions had opened up "a bloody new front" to the conflict in South Kivu that was making it impossible for U.N. peacekeepers deployed in the region as part of a stabilization mission (MONUSCO), three of who have been killed in the past week and many more injured, to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian assistance. Shea said the United States was also very concerned about human rights abuses, displacement, and other impacts on Congolese civilians "suffering the brunt of this fighting.” Civilians, including the growing number of internally displaced people and refugees in Sake, Goma, and beyond, "must be protected," she said. Shea also condemned mob attacks on embassies and consulates in the capital Kinshasa including those of the United States, France, Belgium, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya and demanded the DRC government adhere to its obligation to protect diplomatic premises and staff. The U.S. Embassy, which remained closed on Wednesday, issued a security alert urging all U.S. citizens to shelter in place and then safely depart the country while commercial flights were still operating, but warned of "roadblocks and protests on the road to the airport which could impact travel time and security.”

Newsweek [1/29/2025 2:47 PM, Jordan King, 56005K, Negative] reports that the U.S. embassy in Mexico has warned people to avoid traveling to certain parts of the U.S.-Mexico border because of "increasingly frequent gun battles" and the discovery of "improvised explosive devices (IEDs)." The warning was issued on Monday, covering Reynosa, Rio Bravo, Valle Hermoso, and San Fernando and Tamaulipas. Gun battles have been reported in and around Reynosa in the late night and early mornings while the state of Tamaulipas has issued a warning to avoid moving or touching IEDs, which have been found in and around the area of Reynosa, Rio Bravo, Valle Hermoso, and San Fernando along dirt and secondary roads. "IEDs are being increasingly manufactured and used by criminal organizations in this region," the U.S. Mission to Mexico said, citing an incident on January 23 when an IED destroyed an official government vehicle in Rio Bravo and injured someone inside. "As a precaution, U.S. government employees have been ordered to avoid all travel in and around Reynosa and Rio Bravo outside of daylight hours and to avoid dirt roads throughout Tamaulipas," the warning states. The U.S. Department of State’s travel advisory for Tamaulipas is currently a Level 4 – Do Not Travel, because of "organized crime activity," including gun battles, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping forced disappearances, extortion and sexual assault in the state close to the Texan border.

Newsweek [1/29/2025 8:20 AM, Brendan Cole, 56005K, Negative] reports a Russian lawmaker has invoked the threat of nuclear war in responding to an unfounded claim by Tucker Carlson that Vladimir Putin was the subject of a U.S. assassination plot. Russian parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin responded to the American right-wing broadcaster’s assertion—which was not backed up by evidence, that the Biden administration had tried to assassinate the Russian president. Volodin said merely discussing a plot to assassinate Putin was path to nuclear war and that Carlson’s comments should be investigated further. State news agency Tass reported that Russia’s parliament will appeal to U.S. Congress and the U.N. to investigate the claims. However, the Kremlin also cast doubt on Carlson’s claims on Wednesday saying it was not clear what he meant and there was no evidence. Newsweek has contacted the Tucker Carlson Network and the Kremlin for comment by email. Carlson has been criticized for echoing Kremlin talking points, as well as a softball interview with Putin during a visit to Moscow last year. Volodin’s comments add to a climate of nuclear threats that has pervaded U.S-Russian ties since the start of Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During an episode of The Tucker Carlson Show podcast, the right-wing commentator said that the previous Biden administration tried to have Putin killed. After his guest, the journalist Matt Taibbi, interjected, Carlson doubled down on his claim without providing any evidence, saying that such a plot was "demented" as he suggested that Washington had sought a direct confrontation with Moscow. In a Telegram post on Wednesday, Volodin said that any plot to assassinate Putin and discussions on the subject constitute a crime and a serious threat to global security and a path to nuclear war. Volodin said that after a day neither Biden nor former Secretary of State Antony Blinken had denied the claims. The Duma speaker’s post referred to reports of preparations for an attack on Hungarian Prime Minister Orban. He also said assassination attempts on Slovakia’s Prime Minister Fico and President Donald Trump last year as showing that talk of plans to kill Putin must be taken seriously.

Washington Examiner [1/29/2025 12:33 PM, Timothy Nerozzi, 2365K, Neutral] reports that the president of Egypt denied President Donald Trump’s request for the resettlement of Palestinian refugees in his country, calling the plan an “act of injustice” and a threat to “Egyptian national security.” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sissi broke his silence Wednesday at a press conference alongside Kenyan President William Ruto, where he said he was categorically against the idea. "Regarding what is being said about the displacement of Palestinians, it can never be tolerated or allowed because of its impact on Egyptian national security," Sissi told reporters. "The deportation or displacement of the Palestinian people is an injustice in which we cannot participate," he added. Sissi emphasized that Palestinians have a "historical right that can’t be bypassed" to establish their own state. The Egyptian president was not dismissive of his U.S. counterpart during the press conference, however, sharing his belief that Trump will be capable of establishing a "just and permanent peace in the Middle East."

AP [1/30/2025 4:22 AM, Wafaa Shurafa, Mohammad Jahjouh and Joseph Krauss, 11K, Negative] reports Hamas-led militants freed the first of eight hostages on Thursday in the latest release since a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took hold earlier this month. Israel was expected to release another 110 Palestinian prisoners. The truce is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas, whose Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel sparked the fighting. It has held despite a dispute earlier this week over the sequence in which the hostages were released. Hamas handed female Israeli soldier Agam Berger, 20, to the Red Cross after parading her in front of a crowd in the heavily destroyed urban refugee camp of Jabaliya in northern Gaza. The Israeli government later confirmed that Berger was with its forces. Berger was among five young, female soldiers abducted in the Oct. 7 attack. The other four were released on Saturday. People cheered, clapped and whistled at a square in Tel Aviv where supporters of the hostages watched Berger’s handover on big screens next to a large clock that’s counted the days the hostages have been in captivity. Some held signs saying: “Agam we’re waiting for you at home.” Another handover point was prepared in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, in front of the destroyed home of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Hundreds of militants from Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group arrived with a convoy in a show of force, and thousands of people gathered to watch, some from the tilted rooftops of bombed-out buildings. The other two Israelis set to be released Thursday are Arbel Yehoud, 29, and Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old man. Five Thai nationals are also expected to be freed, but have not been officially identified. A number of foreign workers were taken captive along with dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers during Hamas’ attack. Twenty-three Thais were among more than 100 hostages released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. Israel says eight Thais remain in captivity, two of whom are believed to be dead.

Reported similarly:
FOX News [1/30/2025 4:18 AM, Bradford Betz, Yonat Friling, 49889K, Negative]

AP [1/30/2025 5:07 AM, Staff, 47097K, Negative] reports Hamas freed the first of eight hostages on Thursday in the latest release since a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took hold earlier this month. Militants handed female Israeli soldier Agam Berger, 20, to the Red Cross after parading her in front of a crowd in the heavily destroyed urban refugee camp of Jabaliya in northern Gaza. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Wall Street Journal [1/29/2025 3:10 PM, Dov Lieber and Summer Said, Neutral] reports President Trump’s Middle East envoy on Wednesday made a rare visit by a U.S. official to the Gaza Strip to oversee the implementation of the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that he helped broker. Steve Witkoff, who has become the prime mover and shaker in Middle Eastern diplomacy in recent weeks, also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as part of a diplomatic effort by the Trump administration to end fighting across the Middle East. On Tuesday, Witkoff met in Saudi Arabia with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Netanyahu is slated to visit the White House on Tuesday, making him the first foreign leader to meet with Trump in Washington since the start of his second term. In Gaza, Witkoff visited the Netzarim corridor, a key east-west axis point that Israel’s military has used to divide north and south Gaza. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been streaming past the corridor in recent days to return to their battered neighborhoods in northern Gaza as part of the cease-fire deal. Their return to the north is being monitored by a mix of Egyptian forces, private U.S. security firms and Israeli forces, to try to prevent the return of militants and arms to the area. “The implementation here is the critical thing,” Witkoff said in public remarks at a synagogue in New York on Monday. During his visit to Gaza, Witkoff was accompanied by Israel’s strategic affairs minister, Ron Dermer, who is involved in shaping Israel’s post-war Gaza plans. Even before Trump took office, Witkoff played a leading role in pushing both sides to overcome longstanding hurdles that had kept a deal from being finalized. In Saudi Arabia, Witkoff discussed with Mohammed the implementation of the cease-fire deal as well as normalizing relations with Israel, according to people familiar with the matter. Gulf countries have been expected to take a leading role in rebuilding Gaza after the war. “I think that normalization is an amazing opportunity for the region. It’s basically the beginning of the end of war,” Witkoff told Fox News last week.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [1/29/2025 9:29 AM, Lara Jakes, 161405K, Neutral]

Yahoo! News [1/29/2025 11:28 AM, Andrew R. Chow, 57114K, Neutral] reports that the fast-rising Chinese AI lab DeepSeek is sparking national security concerns in the U.S., over fears that its AI models could be used by the Chinese government to spy on American civilians, learn proprietary secrets, and wage influence campaigns. In her first press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the National Security Council was "looking into" the potential security implications of DeepSeek. This comes amid news that the U.S. Navy has banned use of DeepSeek among its ranks due to "potential security and ethical concerns." DeepSeek, which currently tops the Apple App Store in the U.S., marks a major inflection point in the AI arms race between the U.S. and China. For the last couple years, many leading technologists and political leaders have argued that whichever country developed AI the fastest will have a huge economic and military advantage over its rivals. DeepSeek shows that China’s AI has developed much faster than many had believed, despite efforts from American policymakers to slow its progress. However, other privacy experts argue that DeepSeek’s data collection policies are no worse than those of its American competitors—and worry that the company’s rise will be used as an excuse by those firms to call for deregulation.

Newsweek [1/29/2025 6:27 AM, Micah McCartney, 56005K, Neutral] reports U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on Taiwan’s semiconductor industry has sent shockwaves through the silicon island. Newsweek reached out to the State Department, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry, and semiconductor manufacturer TSMC with emailed requests for response. A tariff is a tax imposed by governments to protect domestic industries and generate revenue. They cost is not borne by the exporting country, but rather by importers—then typically passed on to consumers. Taiwan is the linchpin of the global chip supply chains, accounting for some 60 percent of semiconductors and more than 90 percent of the most advanced semiconductors, such as those used to power technologies like artificial intelligence—key to America’s tech competition with China. Trump, a self-described "tariff man," has pledged to use the duties for everything from reducing deficits to pressuring trade partners like Canada and Mexico to crack down on drug trafficking. On Tuesday, the president railed against Taiwan’s tech industry, which he has claimed was stolen from the U.S, and vowed "to return production of these essential goods to the United States of America.” "And we don’t want to give them billions of dollars like this ridiculous program that [former President Joe] Biden has. Give everyone billions of dollars—they already have billions of dollars," he said, pledging to incentivize Taiwanese chipmakers to foot the bill for their own U.S.-based fabs by introducing tariffs of "25, 50, or even 100 percent.” He said he would "look at" potential import taxes on other imports including pharmaceuticals and steel. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, is making a historic $65-billion investment in Arizona, building three semiconductor fabrication plants in what is one of the largest foreign direct investments in U.S. chipmaking history. The first is set to begin 4-nanometer (nm) chip production early this year, while the second, which will manufacture even more advanced 3nm and 2nm chips, is expected to be completed by next year.

Bloomberg [1/30/2025 4:53 AM, Cliff Harvey Venzon, 21617K, Negative] reports Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he wants to meet with US President Donald Trump to discuss defense and trade ties as well as the fate of thousands of Filipinos at risk of deportation. “I will meet with President Trump because I should, because there’s much that we need to discuss between the US and the Philippines in terms of trade, in terms of defense and security, and now, the new policy on immigration,” Marcos told reporters on Thursday. Marcos, who strengthened Manila’s ties with Washington during the administration of Joe Biden, has yet to secure an in-person meeting with Trump though they had a phone call in November after the US election. Apart from getting defense commitments from Trump himself, another pressing issue for Marcos is finding a solution for undocumented Filipinos that make up the biggest number of illegal migrants from Asia. Some 350,000 unauthorized Filipino migrants resided in the US as of 2022, according to a report published last year by the Department of Homeland Security. “This is something that we have to work through and hopefully resolve,” Marcos said. “We’ll see how we can influence the policymaking in terms of immigration,” he added. On the status of foreign funding from the US, Marcos said the Philippines is waiting for more clarity. During his November call with Trump, Marcos sought to reaffirm ties and build on gains from the Biden administration. That assurance recently came from Secretary of State Marco Rubio who reiterated Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to the Philippines while criticizing China’s actions. The US Army last year deployed Typhon missile system in the Philippines, riling up Beijing which has continued to call for the weapon’s pullout.

Reported similarly:
Reuters [1/30/2025 3:01 AM, Karen Lema and Mikhail Flores, 48128K, Neutral]

Newsweek [1/29/2025 1:38 PM, Micah McCartney, 56005K, Neutral] reports that the Philippines says it is "actively challenging" the Chinese coast guard’s weeklong presence in the U.S. ally’s internationally recognized exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Newsweek has reached out to the Philippine coast guard and Chinese foreign ministry with emailed requests for comment. China’s territorial claims, which encompass most of the South China Sea, extend into waters claimed by several neighbors including the Philippines. In recent years, China has increasingly deployed its large, heavily armed coast guard ships hundreds of miles from its coastline to reinforce these claims with patrols—and, at times, ramming maneuvers and water cannons. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a claimant state alone is entitled to natural resources within its EEZ, which extends 200 nautical miles (230 miles) from the coast. In a radio challenge shared by the Philippine coast guard Wednesday, the crew of the 320-foot BRP Teresa Magbanua, one of the agency’s largest ships, can be heard ordering its Chinese counterpart, CCG-3304, to leave.

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