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 Hill [6/12/2025 3:10 PM, Rebecca Beitsch, 18649K] reports the Department of Homeland Security sent termination notices to Cubans, Haitians, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans after the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to end the Biden-era parole program. The termination notices will be sent to some 530,000 people who came to the U.S. under the parole program, which granted entry for two years as well as work permits to anyone who could secure a U.S.-based financial sponsor. The move comes after the Supreme Court last month granted an emergency request to the high court allowing it to scrap the protections. "The Biden Administration lied to America. They allowed more than half a million poorly vetted aliens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela and their immediate family members to enter the United States through these disastrous parole programs; granted them opportunities to compete for American jobs and undercut American workers; forced career civil servants to promote the programs even when fraud was identified; and then blamed Republicans in Congress for the chaos that ensued and the crime that followed," DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. The Washington Times [6/12/2025 2:27 PM, Stephen Dinan, 2106K] reports that those who do self-deport can claim the $1,000 "exit bonus" the administration is offering to get people to remove themselves. "Ending the CHNV parole programs, as well as the paroles of those who exploited it, will be a necessary return to common-sense policies, a return to public safety, and a return to America First," [McLaughlin] said. The department announced earlier this year that it was mass-revoking the paroles but a district judge issued a hold. The Supreme Court two weeks ago lifted that hold. That cleared the way for the new notices to go out even as the case is still being argued in the lower courts. Notices are being emailed to the addresses the parolees provided, the department said. USA Today [6/12/2025 5:29 PM, Bart Jansen, 75552K] reports that the impact of the decision is uncertain because immigrants could apply for legal status under other programs. DHS is notifying immigrants known as parolees, because their status is temporary, that if they no longer have a lawful status to remain, they must leave the country immediately. If they get stopped, they could be deported. The department has offered undocumented immigrants $1,000 to leave voluntarily through the CBP Home Mobile App. New York Post [6/12/2025 7:32 PM, Victor Nava, 49956K] reports that the Biden administration launched the parole program in October 2022, letting in up to 30,000 migrants per month from Latin American countries, starting with Venezuelans. CNN [6/12/2025 12:56 PM, Priscilla Alvarez, 875K] reports that the termination notice was addressed to nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who came to the United States through a Biden-era parole program. More than half a million people from those four countries benefited from the program, though it’s unclear how many have since sought other forms of immigration relief while in the United States. The notice, according to DHS, was sent to email addresses provided by those in the program. “This notice informs you that your parole is now terminated,” the notice reads. “If you do not leave, you may be subject to enforcement actions, including but not limited to detention and removal, without an opportunity to make personal arrangements and return to your country in an orderly manner.” The notice also states that work permits linked to the program will be revoked and directs parolees to return those permits to US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Thursday’s move is the latest step in the Trump administration’s aggressive and wide-ranging effort to encourage or force millions of migrants out of the country, whether they are in the U.S. legally or illegally. The Biden administration announced in 2023 that it would grant parole to qualified migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who submitted to review by authorities rather than attempting to enter the country illegally. Applicants were required to have an American sponsor or US-based sponsor who’s lawfully present in the country and clear security vetting. The program became a political flashpoint as Republicans argued the administration was misusing parole authority and overreached in establishing the program for those countries. At the time, Biden officials credited the program for driving down border crossings by instead providing a path for migrants to apply to legally migrate to the US. President Donald Trump signed an order on his first day in office seeking to unilaterally end the program. That move prompted legal challenges that eventually made their way to the Supreme Court, which allowed Trump to strip protections for beneficiaries of the parole program. “Ending the CHNV parole programs, as well as the paroles of those who exploited it, will be a necessary return to common-sense policies, a return to public safety, and a return to America First,” Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told CNN in a statement. Though the emergency decision from the Supreme Court is not final – the underlying legal case will continue in lower courts – the order allowed the administration to expedite deportations for an estimated 530,000 migrants who had previously benefited from the program. The Trump administration told the Supreme Court that its decision to terminate parole status for the migrants at issue was one of the “most consequential immigration policy decisions” it has made. Lower court orders temporarily blocking its policy, the administration said, upended “critical immigration policies that are carefully calibrated to deter illegal entry, vitiating core executive branch prerogatives, and undoing democratically approved policies that featured heavily in the November election.”

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The Wall Street Journal [6/12/2025 11:47 PM, Jess Bravin and Xazier Martinez, 646K] reports federal judge ruled Thursday that President Trump illegally federalized the California National Guard in response to the Los Angeles protests and ordered that the force be returned to the control of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Trump failed to follow the process Congress set forth to bring the Guard, which normally is an arm of the state government, under federal control, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said in a 36-page order issued just hours after a hearing on the dispute. Trump’s “actions were illegal—both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” Breyer wrote, referencing the provision that reserves powers to the states. “He must therefore return control of the California National Guard to the Governor of the State of California forthwith.” The order’s implementation was put on hold at least through Tuesday, when the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals scheduled a hearing on the Trump administration’s immediate appeal. “It’s become clear that the president and federal administration are all too willing to break the law to intimidate and to silence those who speak out against them,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, said Thursday. The White House and the Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The Washington Post [6/13/2025 2:47 AM, Caroline O’Donovan, Karin Brulliard, Mark Berman and Kelsey Ables, 32099K] reports an appeals court late Thursday allowed President Donald Trump, for now, to keep the California National Guard deployed in response to protests in Los Angeles, blocking a federal judge’s move just hours earlier that ordered the Trump administration to return control of the troops to California Gov. Gavin Newsom. U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer had said the president acted illegally in dispatching the troops. He wrote that Trump acted improperly, "both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution," and ordered him to relinquish control to the governor. Though Breyer stayed his order until noon Friday, the government immediately filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. The court quickly granted the government’s motion for a stay, and a hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. When asked for comment on the appeals court ruling, the governor’s office pointed to Newsom’s earlier remarks in which he said he was "confident in the rule of law.” The legal battle unfolding is in response to a lawsuit California filed this week against Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Defense Department seeking to restrict what the National Guard and the Marines can do in Los Angeles, and to allow them only to protect federal facilities and personnel. The state asked the judge to temporarily curb the troops’ actions and has questioned Trump’s right to deploy the National Guard and Marines in California without Newsom’s input or consent. Newsom. President Donald Trump is facing about 250 lawsuits over his executive orders. We’re tracking some of the Trump administration’s biggest actions being challenged in court. The administration called out 4,100 National Guard members and Marines in response to the protests, and 2,100 of the National Guard members are working in the L.A. area. All are part of Task Force 51, whose mission is to protect federal functions and property, according to U.S. Northern Command. Newsom, a Democrat who has sparred frequently with the president, argued that he was not trying to prevent the military from carrying out that mission, but rather seeking "narrow relief tailored to avoid irreparable harm to our communities and the rule of law that is likely to result if Defendants are allowed to proceed with their plans to use Marines and federalized National Guard to enforce immigration laws and other civil laws on the streets of our cities.” The Trump administration called Newsom’s request for the temporary restraining order "legally meritless" and said it "would jeopardize the safety of Department of Homeland Security personnel and interfere with the Federal Government’s ability to carry out operations.” Breyer’s 36-page ruling was a striking broadside against the administration’s approach, with the judge writing that "the continued unlawful militarization" of Los Angeles "inflames tensions with protesters, threatening increased hostilities and loss of life.” He said that while courts treat presidents’ decisions on foreign policy and national security with great deference, this case involves "domestic use of military force, a matter on which the courts can certainly weigh in.” Axios [6/13/2025 12:01 AM, Avery Lotz, 13599K] reports that the administration has activated some 4,000 National Guard members and mobilized hundreds of Marines in response to LA protests sparked by immigration enforcement actions including ICE raids. Newsom has slammed the move as "purposefully inflammatory" and has been locked in a tense standoff with Trump for days. The unrest has spread, with demonstrations denouncing the administration’s mass deportation push popping up coast to coast. Breyer said in a Thursday evening order in response to Newsom’s request for emergency relief that the president did not follow congressionally mandated procedures by federalizing the California National Guard. "His actions were illegal — both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution," wrote the Clinton-appointed judge. "He must therefore return control of the California National Guard to the Governor of the State of California forthwith." Breyer had paused his order until noon Friday and the administration filed a notice of appeal soon after his ruling. "The court just confirmed what we all know — the military belongs on the battlefield, not on our city streets," Newsom said on Thursday evening after Breyer’s ruling on X. "This win is not just for California, but the nation. It’s a check on a man whose authoritarian tendencies are increasing by the day," he added, as he called on Trump to immediately end the "illegal militarization" of LA. "History is watching." "The court’s order is unprecedented and puts our brave federal officials in danger," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in an emailed statement on Thursday night in response to Breyer’s ruling. "The district court has no authority to usurp the President’s authority as Commander in Chief," she added. "The President exercised his lawful authority to mobilize the National Guard to protect federal buildings and personnel in Gavin Newsom’s lawless Los Angeles." The Department of Justice in a Wednesday filing arguing that Trump was legally entitled to take the action "to quell lawless violence directed against enforcement of federal law" emphasized that the military members are not engaged in law enforcement. Rather, they are protecting law enforcement, the DOJ said. Representatives for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment on the ruling on Thursday evening.

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Reuters [6/12/2025 11:35 PM, Luc Cohen and Kanishka Singh, 51390K] reports a U.S. appeals court on Thursday allowed President Donald Trump to maintain his deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles amid protests over stepped-up immigration enforcement, temporarily pausing a lower court’s ruling blocking the mobilization. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision does not mean that the court will ultimately agree with Trump, but it means he will maintain command of the guard for now. On Thursday, San Francisco-based U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer found that Trump’s deployment of the Guard was unlawful. Breyer had ordered the National Guard to return to the control of California Governor Gavin Newsom, who sued to restrict its activity.

AP [6/13/2025 2:44 AM, Krysta Fauria, Olga R. Rodriguez and John Seewer, 3077K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pledged to carry on with the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown despite waves of unrest across the U.S. Hours after her comment Thursday, a judge directed the president to return control to California over National Guard troops he deployed after protests erupted over the immigration crackdown, but an appeals court quickly put the brakes on that and temporarily blocked the order that was to go into effect on Friday. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals scheduled a hearing on the matter for Tuesday. The federal judge’s temporary restraining order said the Guard deployment was illegal and both violated the Tenth Amendment and exceeded President Donald Trump’s statutory authority. The order applied only to the National Guard troops and not Marines who were also deployed to the LA protests. The judge said he would not rule on the Marines because they were not out on the streets yet. Gov. Gavin Newsom who had asked the judge for an emergency stop to troops helping carry out immigration raids, had praised the order before it was blocked saying “today was really about a test of democracy, and today we passed the test” and had said he would be redeploying Guard soldiers to “what they were doing before Donald Trump commandeered them.” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the president acted within his powers and that the federal judge’s order “puts our brave federal officials in danger. The district court has no authority to usurp the President’s authority as Commander in Chief.” The developments unfolded as protests continued in cities nationwide and the country braced for major demonstrations against Trump over the weekend. Noem said the immigration raids that fueled the protests would move forward and agents have thousands of targets. “This is only going to continue until we have peace on the streets of Los Angeles,” she said during a news conference that was interrupted by shouting from U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat who was forcibly removed from the event. Newsom has warned that the military intervention is part of a broader effort by Trump to overturn norms at the heart of the nation’s democracy. He also said sending Guard troops on the raids has further inflamed tensions in LA. So far the protests have been centered mostly in downtown near City Hall and a federal detention center where some immigrants are being held. Much of the sprawling city has been spared from the protests.

NPR [6/12/2025 8:35 PM, Adrian Florido and Liz Baker, 37958K] reports in Los Angeles on Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem vowed that the Trump administration will not let up in its crackdown on immigrants without legal status or on demonstrators protesting on immigrants’ behalf. "We’re going to stay here and build our operations until we make sure that we liberate the city of Los Angeles," she said. Noem spoke at a West Los Angeles federal building far from the small downtown area where protests have been concentrated. Calm has mostly returned to the area after two nights of a city-imposed curfew, and city leaders continued to dispute claims by the Trump administration that the city was ever under siege by violent mobs. Noem addressed reporters shortly before a federal judge held a hearing to consider an emergency lawsuit filed by California Governor Gavin Newsom seeking to end President Trump’s deployment of 4,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles. The troops, along with 700 active-duty Marines set to deploy in coming days, have been tasked with guarding federal buildings and protecting immigration agents while they fan out to make deportation arrests. Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats, have accused Trump of exploiting the protests for political gain and have called the deployment of military troops an unnecessary and provocative escalation. Secretary Noem said it will continue. "We have more assets today than we had yesterday," she said. "We had more yesterday than we did the day before. We are only building momentum."

NPR [6/12/2025 5:34 PM, Lauren Hodges, Ailsa Chang, Patrick Jarenwattananon, 37958K] Audio: HERE reports NPR’s Ailsa Chang talks with assistant Secretary for Border and Immigration Policy Tony Pham — also a former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

Telemundo52 [6/12/2025 5:42 PM, Helen Jeong, 103K] reports that tensions between Los Angeles and the federal government reached a new level when Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem escalated her rhetoric against Democratic leaders in Los Angeles and California on Thursday. During a press conference in Los Angeles, Noem pledged to continue immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles, warning violent protesters that they could be arrested and prosecuted. "We are not leaving. We are staying here to free this city from the burdensome, socialist leadership that Governor Newsom and the mayor imposed on the country and have attempted to impose on this city," Noem declared, echoing President Trump’s criticism of California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Although she did not provide evidence of whether the workplaces where ICE operations took place involved the worst criminals her department pursues, she confirmed that more immigration enforcement operations are on the way. "We’re going after people who are in workplaces, who traffic drugs, who traffic human beings," Noem declared. After the Department of Homeland Security reinstated DNA testing at the border earlier this year to verify family relationships and prevent child trafficking, Noem highlighted her efforts to prevent suspected human trafficking during a press conference in Los Angeles.

CBS Los Angeles [6/13/2025 1:19 AM, Gio Insignares, 51860K] reports videos from an early morning immigration enforcement operation showed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accompanying numerous federal agents raiding a Huntington Park home Thursday. Resident Sabrina Medina and her neighbors recorded the video after the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents started banging on her front door. "They kept on telling me, ‘Where is your husband?’ and I said, ‘He’s not here,’" Medina recalled. "They were like, ‘Where is he? Stop hiding him.’ I’m not hiding him. He’s not here.” The agents claimed Medina’s husband was in the country illegally and had a criminal record. Medina said he was arrested eight years ago, but the charges were later dropped. "He just wants to be a father to my kids," she said. "He’s not a criminal. He’s not a gangbanger. He has no tattoos, but my name and my daughter’s name, nothing else.” Medina has four children and is currently four months pregnant. She said she cooperated with the federal agents, but most of the officers kept their weapons drawn, despite her children being around. While agents did show her a piece of paper they claimed was a search warrant, she says they were already inside the home by the time she could thoroughly read it. "I just wanted my kids out of the house," Medina said. Medina and her neighbors called Noem’s presence at the raid unsettling and frightening. "They were laughing," Medina said. "They wanted to see a show, and that makes me feel very humiliated.” Neighbor Johanna Rochin said the operation made her fear for her safety. "I’m angry, scared, worried for the family, scared for my own safety," Rochin said. "They’re targeting Hispanic communities. So now, I’m scared to even go out, even if I’m a U.S. citizen.” Medina said ICE agents told her they’d return until they find her husband. "It’s a nightmare," she said. "Seeing everybody’s family, not just because of my husband. I’ve seen my friends. I’ve seen relatives, the people at Home Depot, getting chased. It just hurts me.” Medina said she may leave the country if her husband is taken, fearing she won’t be able to support the family on her own.

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Telemundo52 [6/12/2025 8:23 PM, Alejandra Ortiz Chagín, 103K] reports that, after 7 days of protests against ICE raids, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem, arriving in Los Angeles this Thursday accompanied by ICE, FBI, Border Patrol and Department of Justice officials, insisted on the message of President Trump’s administration. "Individuals from ICE have been here conducting operations with our government partners to make sure that these criminals, bad actors, murderers, rapists, pedophiles and drug traffickers are finally brought to justice under this administration," Noem said during the press conference. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), along with other agencies, have been conducting operations to ensure that all these criminals, murderers, rapists, pedophiles and traffickers are brought to justice. For his part, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons sent the same message, "We are going to make sure that we handle these protesters while we are out there safely conducting these operations and we will take the worst of the worst off our streets". However, activists denounce that many of the people who have been taken have no criminal record. So, we asked him this question: "You just said that you are only going after the worst of the worst, but we have seen ICE arresting immigrants at their court hearings and at their regular check-ins with immigration, even though they are complying with the law and are doing all the legal process. Are we sending a message as a nation that even people who have no criminal record and are doing the right thing, which is taking the legal path, are also not protected from being detained?" Secretary Noem responded, "If they had taken the right and legal path, they would have come here legally, they would not have come here illegally." In mid-response, I retorted, "Some of them did not come illegally, but they stayed on an expired visa and that is a civil offense, not a criminal offense." Noem concluded, "In fact, yes it is a criminal offense under what the president has stated in his executive orders." As a reporter for Telemundo 52 I responded, "I just got off the phone with an immigration attorney. She tells me that she has hundreds of cases of people with no criminal record, who are just here seeking asylum and have no right to due process because they are arrested before seeing a judge." Noem responded, "My question to you is... Which laws in the U.S. should we enforce and which ones should we not enforce?" The secretary refused to answer why the federal government has not respected the due process of some immigrants when they go to court. On the other hand, regarding the raids in Los Angeles, she assured that ICE agents will continue to do their job and that they will not tolerate attacks on law enforcement officers, which, she says, have increased by 400%. Kristi Noem concluded, "It is not acceptable. If you want to attack a law enforcement officer, we are going to come after you and arrest you." Immigration attorney Alma Rosa Nieto explained that it is very important to have a plan before attending an immigration appointment. You should also be very well informed about your process. Some immigrants "gave up their rights, either because they didn’t know or because their attorney told them, or the ICE attorney told them to sign voluntary departure, because they no longer have a defense in court and that is why ICE is arresting them when they leave. It is very important not to decide without advice to go or not to go," said Nieto.

The Wall Street Journal [6/12/2025 8:14 PM, Jack Morphet, Lindsay Wise, Robert Barba, 646K] reports Sen. Alex Padilla (D., Calif.) was forcibly ejected from a press conference Thursday and handcuffed after he tried to confront a top administration official over President Trump’s immigration crackdown in the city. Padilla attempted to interrupt Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s remarks at the event and was grabbed and removed by several men. Noem and others were addressing immigration raids and the federal response to protests that have spread across the city, saying they would forge ahead with their operations. “I am Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,” Padilla shouted while being removed from the room. Video shows him then being placed on the ground and handcuffed. He was later released without being charged. The incident sparked a firestorm on Capitol Hill, where Democrats pointed to it as an example of what they have called the administration’s authoritarian impulses, days after Trump ordered National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles to quell disorder, over the objections of state officials. DHS said Secret Service officers weren’t initially aware Padilla was a senator when they removed him, and some Republicans painted his actions as a stunt. Speaking to reporters later, Padilla said the confrontation wasn’t planned. He said he was at the same federal building as Noem for a scheduled briefing from a different official about the deployment of the National Guard in downtown Los Angeles when he learned of her press conference down the hall. He said he was frustrated by the lack of response he had received from DHS on what he called their extreme enforcement actions. Federal officials said his removal was appropriate. A DHS spokeswoman said that Padilla “chose disrespectful political theater and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself.” She said Padilla was told to back away and didn’t comply with officers’ commands, and that Secret Service officers “thought he was an attacker.” After the press conference, Noem said she and Padilla met after the incident and exchanged phone numbers. The Washington Post [6/12/2025 4:21 PM, Maegan Vazquez, Gaya Gupta and Maeve Reston, 32099K] reports DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Padilla was not compliant with officers’ commands and that the U.S. Secret Service "thought he was an attacker." "Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem," McLaughlin said in a statement. "Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers’ repeated commands." McLaughlin added that Noem met with Padilla after the news conference for a 15-minute meeting. On Fox News, Noem said that her meeting with Padilla focused on the fact that law enforcement officers present during her news conference did not know who he was. The New York Times [6/12/2025 11:59 PM, Shawn Hubler, Jennifer Medina, and Jill Cowan, 153395K] reports Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said that he had not been wearing his Senate security pin and that the Secret Service had taken him for an attacker. She accused Mr. Padilla of engaging in “disrespectful political theater.” In a social media post, the F.B.I.’s deputy director, Dan Bongino, said that the bureau’s agents “acted completely appropriately while assisting Secret Service” agents and echoed the claim by other federal agencies that Mr. Padilla had physically resisted law enforcement and had failed to wear a security pin. The F.B.I.’s chief spokesman, Ben Williamson, was unapologetic. “When an unrecognized Senator in plain clothes and wearing no security pin became disruptive and subsequently resisted law enforcement, our F.B.I. L.A. personnel responded in support of Secret Service completely appropriately,” he wrote on social media. “We stand by them and appreciate their swift action.” Afterward, Mr. Padilla and Ms. Noem met for about 15 minutes, both said. Mr. Padilla said that before Mr. Lewandowski instructed the agents to uncuff him, he had no idea whether he was about to be jailed or simply removed from the building. He said he had never been arrested or even handcuffed before.

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The Hill [6/12/2025 10:16 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 18649K] reports Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) denied the Trump administration’s claims that he lunged at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a Thursday presser in Los Angeles. "I wasn’t lunging at her or anybody, and yes, I identified myself," Padilla told CNN’s Erin Burnett Thursday night after being forcibly removed from the presser and placed in handcuffs. The lawmaker said he attended the press briefing to ask why the National Guard was deployed by the president to address local protests sparked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids last week. "I’m just trying to do my job as a senator when we ask questions in committee and don’t get answers," he added. Padilla said he used the press conference to try a different approach with the Trump administration to gain information on immigration operations after officials failed to respond to letters from lawmakers. "I had a potential audience with the secretary, and I took it. Sadly, still not forthcoming with any sort of data or details," the senator said, before describing his brief meeting with Noem following the incident. "You would think, you would hope that that’s how the meeting would have started, but no apology, no acknowledgment whatsoever. But it’s the Trump administration, so I’m not holding my breath for decency, decorum or manners," he told CNN. "One of the big points I was trying to make with her is I get if the Trump administration was doing what Trump said on the campaign trail, let’s focus on dangerous, violent criminals for detention and deportation. There’s no disagreement there. There’s no debate there. But that’s not what’s happening on the streets of Los Angeles and throughout the country," he added. Padilla said instead lawful residents are being wrongfully removed and detained. "Where is this going? It’s going to keep getting worse. This is how authoritarianism happens, unless and until the people speak up and push back. So that’s why you’ve seen so many protesters, vast majority peaceful protesters, not just in and around Los Angeles this last week, but increasingly in other cities," he told CNN. "So, we have to continue to exercise our First Amendment rights, keep it peaceful. Violence is not tolerated. Violence is not condoned. That will have its consequences. But people need to continue to speak up because this is not normal," he added. Some Republican lawmakers have called for Padilla to be federally prosecuted over the outburst with Noem while Democrats defended his actions. The incident with Padilla follows the federal indictment of Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) for allegedly impeding and interfering with law enforcement officers at an immigration detention center and the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D-N.J.) for trespassing at the same site. The San Francisco Chronicle [6/12/2025 6:37 PM, Megan Fan Munce, 4120K] reports multiple videos appear to show Sen. Alex Padilla never came particularly close to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, though Noem claimed that the California senator "lunged" at her during a press conference. Videos posted online by reporters show law enforcement officers grabbing Padilla and forcibly pushing him out of the room where Noem was holding a press conference to discuss federal operations in Los Angeles. None of these videos captured the moments when Padilla first entered the room or offer an unobstructed view of the entire altercation. After being released, Padilla told media that he was in the building to attend a military briefing when he learned that Noem was holding a press conference. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said Secret Service agents detained Padilla because they "thought he was an attacker." The statement said Padilla "lunged" toward Noem after being told to back away, a claim she then repeated in an interview with Fox News. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said on X that Padilla was "pushing and shoving law enforcement officers to get his way back to the podium." None of the videos posted online appear to capture a lunge toward Noem or show Padilla coming within about 10 feet of her.

Bloomberg [6/12/2025 4:15 PM, Staff, 19320K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem talks about US Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat from California, being forcibly removed from her press conference. “I think everybody in America would agree that that wasn’t appropriate, that if you wanted to have a civil discussion, especially as a leader, a public official, that you would reach out and try to have a conversation,” she told reporters. Padilla says he was not arrested and was only trying to ask a question. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [6/12/2025 7:28 PM, Madeline Coggins, 46878K] reports while giving a briefing on federal efforts to restore peace in Los Angeles, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference Thursday became engulfed in a display some critics called "political theater" when a California Democratic lawmaker interrupted Noem’s remarks. After loudly speaking over Noem and approaching the podium where she was standing, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was escorted out of the room. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Padilla did not identify himself as a senator and was not wearing his Senate security pin. Although the two later met in private where they spoke for about 15 minutes, Padilla later spoke to the media, claiming he was "forced to the ground.” Noem criticized Padilla’s "absolutely ridiculous" statement, noting his behavior was "completely inappropriate" and "not becoming" of a public official. "This man burst into a room, started advancing toward the podium, interrupting an opening statement, elevating his voice, [and] shouting questions. People tried to stop him from interrupting the press conference. He refused and continued to lunge towards the podium," Noem said Thursday on "The Story." "That is when he was removed from the room. The way that he acted was completely inappropriate.” After Padilla was removed from the room, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) personnel began handcuffing the senator in the hallway, at which point he identified himself, and they ceased action, Noem told Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum shortly after the incident. A DHS spokesperson also said Padilla was told "repeatedly" to back away, and "did not comply" with officers’ commands. "[Secret Service] thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately," the spokesperson said. Although Noem says the pair were OK after their private conversation, she observed Padilla may have "wanted the scene", particularly in light of his comments to the media following the incident. "If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, if this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they’re doing to farm workers, to cooks, to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California," Padilla told reporters Thursday. "We will hold this administration accountable.” After criticizing Padilla’s comments, Noem told "The Story" she was "so sick of the politics" and urged opponents to "get over themselves and have the backs of law enforcement.”

Breitbart.com [6/12/2025 5:24 PM, Pam Key, 3077K] reports Thursday on Fox News Channel’s "The Story," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) did not identify himself when he interrupted her press conference, shouting and lunging forward, so security removed him. Noem said, "This man burst into the room, started lunging towards the podium, interrupting me and elevating his voice and was stopped, did not identify himself and was removed from the room. So as soon as he identified himself, appropriate actions were taken." She continued, "If he would have requested a meeting, I would have loved to have sat down and had a conversation with him. Coming into a press conference like this is political theater. It’s wrong, and it does a disservice to this country and the people who live here." Noem added, "This man burst into a room, started advancing towards the podium, interrupting an opening statement, elevating his voice, shouting questions. People tried to stop him from interrupting the press conference. He refused and continued to lunge towards the podium. And that is when he was removed from the room. So the way that he acted was completely inappropriate. It wasn’t becoming of a U.S. Senator or a public official."

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [6/12/2025 5:13 PM, Asher Notheis, 1934K]

FOX News [6/12/2025 7:22 PM, Staff, 46878K] Video: HERE reports Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin has the latest on the encounter during Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s presser on ‘Special Report.

The Hill [6/12/2025 4:24 PM, Alex Gangitano, 18649K] reports the White House knocked Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) for interrupting Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference Thursday in Los Angeles, saying that the Democratic senator wanted attention. "Padilla stormed a press conference, without wearing his Senate pin or previously identifying himself to security, yelled, and lunged toward Secretary Noem. Padilla didn’t want answers; he wanted attention," said Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson. "Padilla embarrassed himself and his constituents with this immature, theater-kid stunt — but it’s telling that Democrats are more riled up about Padilla than they are about the violent riots and assaults on law enforcement in LA." In the video, Padilla identifies himself: "I’m Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary." Padilla was forcibly removed, and the incident, caught on video by a Fox News reporter, involved multiple men restraining the senator and working to remove him from the room. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson also said on social platform X that Noem and Padilla met for 15 minutes and argued that the Secret Service "thought he was an attacker." "Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin posted on X. "Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers’ repeated commands."

New York Post [6/12/2025 11:32 PM, Victor Nava, 49956K] reports White House officials slammed Sen. Alex Padilla’s (D-Calif.) antics during Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference on the Los Angeles riots Thursday as “childish” and “unhinged.” “Democrat Senator Alex Padilla should be ashamed of his childish behavior today,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X. “He crashed the middle of an official press conference being held by a cabinet secretary, recklessly lunged toward the podium where [Noem] was speaking, and then refused to leave the room and follow the directions of law enforcement officers.” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin argued that Padilla displayed “incredibly aggressive behavior” and “no one knew who he was” at the time of the outburst. “Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem,” McLaughlin wrote on X, adding that Secret Service agents protecting the DHS secretary “thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately.” After the incident, Noem said she met with Padilla “for 15 minutes,” exchanged phone numbers and agreed to “continue to talk — that is the way it should be in this country.” “I wish he would’ve acted that way in the beginning rather than creating a scene,” Noem tweeted.

Politico [6/12/2025 4:09 PM, Nicholas Wu, Katherine Tully-McManus and Meredith Lee Hill, 16523K] reports shocked and angry House Democrats are demanding that Kristi Noem testify before Congress after Sen. Alex Padilla was detained by federal agents at her DHS press conference in Los Angeles. The California delegation quickly gathered on the House steps to decry the incident as video of Padilla being handcuffed and manhandled ricocheted around Capitol Hill. “If it can happen to Alex, it can happen to any of those senators on the other side, or any member of Congress, or anybody,” said Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.). House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said “every single person who was involved in manhandling Senator Padilla should be held accountable to the full extent of the law.” Tensions flared on the House floor between purple-district Reps. John Mannion (D-N.Y.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.). Mannion told Lawler to “shut up.” Later, Lawler posted on X telling Mannion to “seek help for anger management — and fuck off.” Earlier on the House steps, Mannion got emotional as he implored reporters: “Don’t cover the distractions. Cover the actions that lead us towards authoritarianism, please.” Still, other Democrats went further. Progressive Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) called for Noem to resign. Meanwhile, while some Republicans expressed concern, many largely lined up to defend the DHS secretary and the federal officers. “Without seeing that video, I’d just say: we all know what the laws of this country are and if you think you can disrupt or violate those laws and get away with it just because you’re in elected office, is ludicrous,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Democratic lawmakers, largely led by the Hispanic Caucus, plan to march to Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office in protest, according to a person familiar with the situation. But with Thune scheduled to go to the White House this afternoon, it’s not clear anyone will be there.

CBS News [6/12/2025 6:38 PM, Caitlin Yilek, Kaia Hubbard, 51860K] reports lawmakers are calling for answers after Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s news conference in Los Angeles on Thursday. Padilla stood up and walked to the front of the room while Noem was speaking and tried to ask her a question. Federal agents began shoving him out of the room as he said, "Hands off, hands off. I am Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary." Once outside the room, agents placed him on the ground and put him in handcuffs. His office said Padilla was in Los Angeles "exercising his duty to perform Congressional oversight of the federal government’s operations in Los Angeles and across California" and was in the building for a separate briefing. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said Secret Service agents "thought [Padilla] was an attacker and officers acted appropriately." Noem told reporters that she and Padilla met after her press conference and had a "very productive" conversation. Nonetheless, Sen. Adam Schiff, Padilla’s fellow California senator, called on Noem to resign and said there should be an investigation into law enforcement’s conduct. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Nevada Democrat, likewise called on Noem to resign.

FOX News [6/12/2025 9:29 PM, Cameron Arcand, 46878K] reports conservatives on social media lambasted Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., for interrupting a Department of Homeland Security press conference in Los Angeles Thursday despite the Senate being in session. Padilla was kicked out of the event, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said she does not know him personally. "This is embarrassing [Padilla] spare me the fake outrage. Where were you when LEOS were being pelted with bricks? Hiding along with puppet [Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna]? #FactsMatter," former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva posted on X. "Whoa!! A sitting US Senator, Alex Padilla, was just shoved and forcibly removed from a press conference with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Reports are he’s been arrested. No one is above the law. It’s about time these Democrats stopped acting like they are," Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk tweeted. "Sen. Padilla missed Senate votes all week, only to throw a temper tantrum, rush the stage where DHS Secretary Noem was speaking, and get forcibly removed by security. Good on security to quickly address the threat," conservative communications operative Steve Guest posted on X. The political tensions between California leaders and the Trump administration mounted with Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the city, which have prompted protests and riots in the area. President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to guard ICE officers despite Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass adamantly opposed to it. Newsom said the move was "unprecedented and threatens the very core of our democracy." "Donald Trump is behaving like a tyrant, not a President. We ask the court to immediately block these unlawful actions," he added. "Senator Padilla is currently in Los Angeles exercising his duty to perform congressional oversight of the federal government’s operations in Los Angeles and across California," his office said in a statement. "He was in the federal building to receive a briefing with General Guillot and was listening to Secretary Noem’s press conference. He tried to ask the secretary a question and was forcibly removed by federal agents, forced to the ground and handcuffed. He is not currently detained, and we are working to get additional information." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

ABC News [6/12/2025 6:57 PM, Lauren Peller, Isabella Murray, and Ivan Pereira, 31733K] reports Democrats expressed outrage after Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California was forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s news conference on Thursday in Los Angeles, taken to the ground and handcuffed by law enforcement officers. Noem was speaking to the media about the federal response to protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in the area when Padilla entered the room and approached Noem’s podium. As he approached, police officers in the room grabbed the senator, rushed him out of the room into a hallway, forced him to the ground and handcuffed him. Video shows Padilla, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, identifying himself and saying he wanted to ask a question as law enforcement forced him out of the room. Padilla was later seen without handcuffs speaking to Noem in a conference room. Noem said later that the two spoke for 10 to 15 minutes and exchanged phone numbers. Noem said she didn’t expect him to be charged. Noem said law enforcement reacted because he took steps toward her without identifying himself. She told Fox News that no one knew who he was and that he was "lunging forward.” Video of the incident captures Padilla identifying himself as he is pushed out of the room; it’s not clear if he did before the incident or as he approached the podium. Padilla later told reporters that he attended the news conference because Homeland Security had not been answering his questions about the administration’s deportation and immigration policies. approaching the podium. "Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem," she said in a post on X. "Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers’ repeated commands. @SecretService thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately.” Noem told Fox News that she would have preferred to have talked with Padilla, "but coming into a press conference like this is political theater.” "We sat down and had a conversation and we probably disagree on 90% of the topics, but we agreed and exchanged phone numbers and we will continue to talk and share information and that is the way it should be in this country," she said. "I wish he would’ve acted that way in the beginning is that of creating a scene like this.” Padilla’s Democratic colleagues were critical of the way he was treated. "I just saw something that sickened my stomach -- the manhandling of a United States senator. We need immediate answers to what the hell went on," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. California Gov. Gavin Newsom called Padilla "one of the most decent people I know.” "This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful," Newsom wrote on X. "Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now.” California Rep. Jimmy Gomez called for Noem to testify before Congress. "A senior senator who was shouting at the top of his lungs, ‘I am Senator Alex Padilla,’" Gomez said. "And what we want to know -- we’re going to ask for and demand that Kristi Noem come before Congress and testify about what occurred today.” Thune told reporters Thursday evening that he had spoken with Padilla and the Senate sergeant-at-arms and had attempted to reach Noem and said he was gathering facts. "We want to get the full scope of what happened and do what we would do in any incident like this involving a senator, that is try to gather all of the relevant information," he said.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [6/12/2025 5:55 PM, Carl Hulse, 138952K]
Axios [6/12/2025 6:33 PM, Andrew Solender, 13599K]

The Hill [6/12/2025 5:31 PM, Tara Suter, 18649K] reports multiple Senate Democrats on Thursday called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign after Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was forcibly removed and later handcuffed for interrupting a press conference Noem held in Los Angeles. Video of the incident showed multiple men restraining Padilla and forcing him out of the room, while other footage showed they later pushed him to the floor to handcuff him. Noem was holding a press conference about the widespread immigration raids in the Los Angeles are, which have prompted protests across the region. In a post on X, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said "Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem." FOX News [6/12/2025 5:06 PM, Deirdre Heavey, Alex Miller, 46878K] reports Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., called for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to resign Thursday after fellow California Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a press conference. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin quickly fired back at Schiff’s call for Noem’s resignation, telling Fox News Digital, "Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theater and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem." "Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers’ repeated commands. U.S. Secret Service thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately," McLaughlin added. "Secretary Noem met with Senator Padilla after and held a 15-minute meeting." The Hill [6/12/2025 10:33 PM, Filip Timotija, 18649K] reports Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) called for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to resign after Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was forcibly removed and later handcuffed at her Thursday press conference in Los Angeles. "Kristi Noem should resign for what has happened under her watch. No one asked for this. We were promised violent criminals would be deported. Instead, they deported a four-year-old American citizen battling cancer, they arrested a US Marshal over the weekend, a US citizen and now a US senator, the second member of Congress in 45 days, who’s been arrested," Swalwell said in a brief interview with NewsNation on Thursday. "No one asked for this. It’s chaos, and her agents are running around, masked like 1800-bank robber you know, suspects or the KGB officers in Russia. This is not what America looks like. So she should come to Congress. They should take the masks off, and they should stop terrorizing families," the House Democrat told NewsNation’s Joe Khalil. Washington Examiner [6/12/2025 9:03 PM, Ross O’Keefe, 1934K] reports Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she no longer recognizes Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after a heated incident that saw Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) detained after he interrupted the secretary’s press conference Thursday. Bass and Noem entered the House together in 2011 and served together until Noem left Congress to become the governor of South Dakota in 2019. Bass blasted Noem for calling Los Angeles a "war zone," calling it an "outright lie." The mayor then said she could not recognize her former colleague. "I served with the secretary for probably about 10 years in Congress, and Madam Secretary, I do not recognize you anymore," Bass said. "I do not know the Kristi Noem that I served with for 10 years.” Noem said earlier that the Department of Homeland Security was going to stay and "liberate" Los Angeles. "We’re going to stay here and build our operations until we make sure we liberate the city," Noem said. Bass questioned how Noem didn’t know who Padilla was. "How could you say that you did not know who he was?" Bass asked.

The Hill [6/12/2025 5:24 PM, Mychael Schnell, 18649K] reports Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Thursday said Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) should be censured after he tried to approach and question Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a press conference in Los Angeles, prompting federal agents to forcibly remove him from the room and handcuff him. Video of the altercation — captured by reporters on the scene — sent shock waves through the Capitol, with Democrats slamming the way law enforcement personnel handled Padilla, and Republicans condemning the senator’s conduct at the media availability. Pressed on whether Padilla should face consequences, Johnson initially demurred — “it’s not my decision to make, I’m not in that chamber” — before endorsing censure for the California Democrat.

Breitbart [6/12/2025 8:11 PM, Pam Key, 3077K] reports Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) said Thursday on MSNBC’s "The Beat" that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was lying about the events that led to him being forcibly removed after he interrupted a press conference. Host Jacob Soboroff said, "We heard from you briefly at the press conference after you came outside of the federal building in Westwood. We’ve heard more extensively from Secretary Noem and the Department of Homeland Security. I want to just tell you a little bit, because I’m sure this has been a whirlwind about what they’ve been saying Secretary Noem said that you, quote, lunged towards her at this press conference. The Department of Homeland Security said the Secret Service believed that you were an attacker, and the Department of Homeland Security called this political theater. What’s your response and what’s your version of what happened?". Padilla said, "Well, first of all, that’s ridiculous. It’s a lie, but par for the course for this administration, right? So here’s the stage. Look, I was in the federal building here in Los Angeles for a scheduled briefing.” He added, "We’re the whole time being escorted in this federal building by somebody from the National Guard, somebody from the FBI. I’ve gone through screening. This is a federal building and so tell them, let’s go listen to the press conference. They escort me over to that room. I’m sitting in the back of the room, behind the cameras, behind the reporters, listening and at one point, it was just too much to take, not the first, but the second attack on the political leadership of California and this notion that Donald Trump and Kristi Noem have to come in and rescue the people of Los Angeles from Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass. It was too much and so I spoke up. I introduced myself and said I had a question. Look, they said I wasn’t wearing my polo, says United States Senate. There was no threat. There was no lunging. I raised my voice to ask a question, and it took, what, maybe half a second before multiple agents were on me.”

Blaze [6/12/2025 8:16 PM, Carlos Garcia, 1805K] reports a security expert appeared to stun the CNN anchor who asked him to assess the incident where a Democrat politician was aggressively shoved out of DHS Sec. Kristi Noem’s press conference. Democrats are outraged over the video footage of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla of California being dragged out of a briefing Thursday, but instead of justifying the outrage, Josh Campbell said the agents acted appropriately to the threat. "How should we, in your view, be analyzing how we’re seeing these agents respond?" asked Kasie Hunt. "Well, it’s easy to think about this as one incident, but actually from a law enforcement perspective, we’re really looking at three separate incidents that happened," said Campbell. He said the first incident was the interruption of the DHS secretary that was not a part of a question and answer period. "You can’t interrupt something like that, that’s already in progress, without having those consequences," he explained. He said the second incident was when Padilla turned into the agents as they were walking him out. "At that point, from a security detail perspective, we’re taking this person out against their will. We’ve asked the person — and again, this is all happening very quickly — but the moment he turns into them, they realize this is not someone who is going to comply," Campbell said. He did express some concerns about whether they needed to take Padilla to the floor after he had already been ejected. But he added that Noem had no responsibility for their actions. "This was neither the fault nor the responsibility of DHS Secretary Noem," Campbell added. "She’s in the middle of a press conference. There’s someone who interrupts and then makes it clear by his movements that he is not going to comply. He’s taken out. Again, I don’t think any of that was her responsibility.”

Reuters [6/12/2025 5:34 PM, Jeff Mason, Susan Heavey, P.J. Huffstutter, Bhargav Acharya, Aatreyee Dasgupta, Leah Douglas and Ted Hesson, 51390K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump said he would issue an immigration order "soon," following a social media post earlier on Thursday in which he cited labor issues in the farm and hotel industries stemming from his immigration crackdown. He did not say what changes the order would implement or when it would take effect. Representatives for the White House and Department of Homeland Security had no specific comment about the order, while representatives at the Department of Agriculture could not be immediately reached. "We will follow the president’s direction and continue to work to get the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens off of America’s streets," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. U.S. farm industry groups have long wanted Trump to spare their sector from mass deportations, which could upend a food supply chain heavily dependent on immigrants. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told CNBC that Trump was reviewing all possible steps but that Congress would have to act. The New York Post [6/12/2025 12:22 PM, Ariel Zilber, 49956K] reports President Donald Trump admitted Thursday that his own immigration crackdown is gutting key American industries — and pledged that "changes are coming" to the White House’s policies. In a post on Truth Social, Trump acknowledged that his deportation campaign is hurting key sectors of the American economy, including farming and hospitality. "Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace," Trump wrote. He added that many migrants who crossed into the US under his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, are now seeking those same jobs. "This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming," he said. The public comment comes as Trump’s administration escalates what he’s called the largest deportation effort in US history — a campaign that has left employers reeling and immigrant communities on edge. This week, more than 70 individuals were arrested during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at a meat processing plant in Omaha, Neb. Separately, ICE agents were seen detaining workers in a California blueberry field, according to the Los Angeles Times. Those arrests are part of a sweeping national goal to detain 3,000 people per day, federal officials have said.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [6/12/2025 6:31 PM, Hamed Aleaziz, 138952K]
Axios [6/12/2025 12:14 PM, Avery Lotz, 13599K]
USA Today [6/12/2025 5:01 PM, Joey Garrison, 75552K]
NewsNation [6/12/2025 5:18 PM, Rob Taub, 5801K]

Breitbart [6/13/2025 3:32 AM, Neil Munro, 3077K] reports President Donald Trump suggested he would relax immigration enforcement for hotel, retail, and farm employers — prompting California’s Democratic Governor to claim victory over Trump in their battle over the nation’s borders. “MAJOR WIN: Trump just reversed course on immigration,” Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom declared via X. He added: We’re watching closely — and we’ll hold him to it. This happened because you spoke up. Keep it going. Keep it peaceful. It’s working.” But Trump has spent many years zig-zagging between demands from his vital pro-American voters and his needed pro-profit business supporters. Late on Thursday, he zagged back to the voters by announcing that 21 million migrants "have to go home.” Trump’s zig-zagging is vital because he needs the support of both wings of the party to win the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats expect a massive anti-Trump turnout in November, so Trump has already hired people to spike turnout among so-called "low propensity voters.” Those voters turned out en masse in November 2024 — and Trump cannot reduce their election-day support to win plaudits from the business leaders who have valid economic reasons to fear a resurgent Democratic Party after a possible 2026 win. Federal law gives Trump plenty of opportunities to deport migrants while mollifying business groups with partial giveaways via the H-2A visa program, for example. However, years of cheap labor have created a cheap-labor bubble economy for many hotels, restaurants, and other low-wage enterprises that may not survive the return of normal wages. For example, roughly 50 percent of hotels’ operating costs consist of labor. That ensures there’s a massive demand among many Indian-born, E-2 visa hotel managers for cheap, illegal labor from India and other countries.

The Hill [6/12/2025 12:26 PM, Colin Meyn, 18649K] reports Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth refused to commit to following federal court or Supreme Court rulings regarding the Pentagon’s extraordinary deployment of National Guard members and Marines into Los Angeles. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) pressed Hegseth on the question, which he repeatedly dodged. "What I will tell you is my job right now is to ensure the troops that we have in Los Angeles are capable of supporting law enforcement," Hegseth told Khanna. After another effort, Hegseth said the U.S. should not have "local judges determining foreign policy or national security policy for the country.” Khanna pointed to signals from others in the Trump administration, specifically Vice President Vance, that they could ignore court orders they disagrees with. Hegseth, who is testifying in Congress for the third straight day, has sparred with Democrats over the deployments. He has said the troops are carrying out a constitutional duty to protect law enforcement agents carrying out Trump’s immigration policies. Protests in Los Angeles were spurred by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carrying out workplace raids to arrest immigrants in the country illegally in a heavily Hispanic part of the city.

FOX News [6/12/2025 12:23 PM, Greg Norman, 46878K] reports a California Democrat told Pete Hegseth on Thursday that he is an "embarrassment" to the United States and should "get the hell out" of the Department of Defense after the Secretary chided the lawmaker for a "silly question" he asked during a house hearing. The outburst from Rep. Salud Carbajal was immediately followed by a call for decorum as lawmakers from the House Armed Services Committee were questioning Hegseth about the Department of Defense’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request. Tensions started escalating on Capitol Hill as Carbajal asked Hegseth a series of yes or no questions, beginning with the deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marines in Los Angeles to quell the unrest generated by anti-ICE protests. "Let’s call it for what it is. It’s political theater. Hegseth, are the Marines in Los Angeles ordered to protect property by any means necessary?" Carbajal asked him. "Sir, I would say the ICE officers and police officers being attacked is not political theater," he responded, before Carbajal cut him off and said "just yes or no?". "The National Guard and Marines have the full authority to protect federal ICE agents," Hegseth continued. "Yes or no? Can you just say yes or no? This isn’t Fox anymore. Just yes or no," Carbajal said. At one point, Carbajal told Hegseth that "Kindergartners can give me a yes or no" and asked him "Do you think political allegiance to Trump is a requirement for serving our nation, either in uniform or a civilian in the department?". "Congressman, you know what a silly question that is," Hegseth responded. "You know what? I’m not going to waste my time anymore. You’re not worthy of my attention or my questions. You’re an embarrassment to this country. You’re unfit to lead. And there’s been bipartisan members of Congress that have called for your resignation. You should just get the hell out and let somebody competently lead this department," Carbajal concluded.

New York Times [6/13/2025 3:18 AM, Michael Gold and Grace Ashford, 330K] reports Congressional Republicans on Thursday questioned and criticized three Democratic governors on their states’ immigration policies, amplifying national tensions set off by President Trump’s hard-line immigration enforcement efforts and his military deployments to California as anti-deportation protests spread across the country. The acrimony was evident throughout an eight-hour hearing, held by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. All three governors — Tim Walz of Minnesota, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Kathy Hochul of New York — used part of their testimony to condemn the Trump administration for deploying troops to Los Angeles against the wishes of the city’s mayor, Karen Bass, and California’s governor, Gavin Newsom. “As we speak, an American city has been militarized over the objections of their governor,” Ms. Hochul said in her opening statement. “At the outset, I just want to say that this is a clear abuse of power and nothing short of an extraordinary assault on our American values.” Throughout the contentious hearing, Republican lawmakers focused intently on undocumented immigrants whom the authorities have accused of violent crimes, extrapolating from individual cases to frame the immigration debate as being about lawlessness and criminality. They tried to needle the governors over policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration agencies or protect undocumented immigrants against detention or deportation. “Let me be clear: Sanctuary policies don’t protect Americans,” said Representative James R. Comer, Republican of Kentucky, the committee’s chairman. “They protect criminal illegal aliens.” But House Democrats, who remain divided over their party’s approach to immigration enforcement, centered their remarks on Mr. Trump’s deployment of troops to Los Angeles and what they characterized as an overzealous crackdown on immigrants, actions they portrayed as an abuse of presidential power.

Chicago Tribune [6/12/2025 2:40 PM, Rick Pearson and Daniel C. Vock, 3987K]
WASHINGTON - Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker defended Illinois’ sanctuary laws for undocumented immigrants before a House committee Thursday and pointed at congressional Republicans and Democrats for using the issue to try to score political points rather than enacting comprehensive immigration reform. "The vast majority of immigrants contribute to our communities, pay taxes and abide by the law. We should value their entrepreneurship, ingenuity and hard work. Both political parties are to blame for America’s broken immigration system. I hope that this committee chooses (to) be part of the solution by pursuing bipartisan comprehensive federal immigration reform," the state’s two-term governor said in remarks submitted to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. "Our border should be secured. The asylum process should be reformed. Law-abiding, hardworking, tax-paying people who have been in this country for years should have a path to citizenship," he said. "We can have a secure border while also having real immigration pathways that allow people to come here, work, and support themselves on a reasonable timeline. Our prosperity and our national security demand it." Before Pritzker’s opening statement, U.S. Rep. James Comer, the committee’s chair, accused Pritzker, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, the two other Democratic governors testifying, of allowing "criminal illegal aliens to roam free in American communities" as he sat in front of posters of undocumented immigrants charged with violent crimes. He cited the January death of a 20-year-old University of Illinois student, Katie Abraham, by a drunken driver who was a previously deported undocumented immigrant and who tried to flee to the southern border afterward but was captured by police. "This was a preventable crime," Comer said of Abraham’s death as he also accused the sanctuary laws for making "Chicago a haven for drugs and crime." He called on Congress to defund states that "prioritize criminal illegal aliens over the American people." While Trump’s actions have focused on the deployment of 4,000 California National Guard members and 700 Marines to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts and counter protests in Los Angeles, Trump and ICE Director Tom Homan have said the moves will not necessarily be contained to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s state.

Blaze [6/12/2025 12:30 PM, Rebeka Zeljko, 1805K] reports during a Thursday hearing, former Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) was brutally grilled by Republican lawmakers for his past comments likening Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to the "Nazi Gestapo.” Walz appeared alongside Democratic Govs. JB Pritzker of Illinois and Kathy Hochul of New York to testify on sanctuary cities before the House Oversight Committee. During the hearing, Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) confronted Walz for comments he made during a commencement ceremony in May where he said, "Donald Trump’s modern-day Gestapo is scooping folks up off the street.” The insinuation Walz made is that federal law enforcement agencies under the direction of President Donald Trump are like the Nazi secret police deployed by Adolf Hitler. "When you said the words ‘modern-day Gestapo,’ you were referring to ICE agents," Emmer said. "Gestapo, by the way, sir, was the official secret police of Hitler’s Nazi Germany. So you’re calling ICE agents modern-day Nazis.” "Given the attacks on ICE agents that took place in Los Angeles over the weekend, don’t you regard your dangerous, inflammatory rhetoric as a problem?" Emmer added. As Emmer pointed out, recent ICE raids in California have been met with violent riots, which he says have been incited by the extreme rhetoric of Walz and other leftist politicians. During these riots, ICE agents and other members of law enforcement have been attacked with rocks, have dealt with arsonists, and have even had details about their location leaked, compromising their safety. Walz stammered at Emmer’s confrontation and failed to address his past comments. "It saddens me that you refuse to express regret from comparing ICE to Nazis," Emmer said. "ICE agents are brave Americans who get up every morning, leave their families, and put their lives in harm’s way to protect our country, sir. You, at the very least, owe an apology to these dedicated public servants.”

Reported similarly:
FOX News [6/12/2025 4:38 PM, Cameron Arcand, 46878K]

Roll Call [6/12/2025 6:00 PM, Jim Saksa, 692K] reports that as protests against the White House’s hard-line immigration policies spread beyond Los Angeles, the House took a swing at D.C.’s "sanctuary city" stance on Thursday, passing a bill that would force local authorities to cooperate with federal enforcement officials. The measure passed 224-194, with 11 Democrats crossing the aisle to support the measure. The bill would block District policies that restrict sharing immigration status information with the Department of Homeland Security, or that prevent complying with Immigration and Customs Enforcement requests to detain people until ICE officers can take them into custody. After the bill advanced out of the Oversight Committee, Republicans amended it to remove an exception for immigrants who come forward as a victim or witness to a crime. "State and local governments must work with the Department of Homeland Security to share information on individuals they arrest. They must also honor lawful detainers," House Oversight Chair James R. Comer, R-Ky., said Wednesday during floor debate. "When they do not, Congress must act." Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, D-Mass., countered that Congress should stop interfering with Washington’s self-governance, saying city officials should be left to set their own policing policies.

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [6/12/2025 4:17 PM, Rachel Schilke, 1934K]

NewsMax [6/12/2025 12:57 PM, Jim Mishler, 4622K] reports the Department of Homeland Security released an online poster to remind Americans that they can report information on the whereabouts of "foreign invaders." The poster shows a caricature depicting Uncle Sam, similar to what was used in previous military recruiting posters, wearing a top hat with stars, iconic red-striped trousers, and a blue blazer and nailing a poster to a wall. The message reads: "Help your country and yourself. Report all foreign invaders." That is followed by the toll-free number that can be used to initiate a report: ICE: 866-DHS-2-ICE. The poster was circulated on DHS social media channels and was being shared on X this week, including by White House officials. Release of the poster came amid protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles and other cities around the U.S. Response to the DHS post was swift. One person responded by writing, "Where can we REPORT crimes by ICE?" Another wrote, "Nazis had similar posters for the Jews.” Another wrote, "This is what we voted for.”

Reported similarly:
The Hill [6/12/2025 10:34 AM, Dominick Mastrangelo, 18649K]

CNN [6/12/2025 6:26 PM, Clare Duffy, Sean Lyngaas and Ramishah Maruf, 21433K] reports on Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security posted a striking graphic on its official X account. Uncle Sam, a symbol of American patriotism, is depicted nailing a poster to a wall that reads, "Help your country… and yourself." Written underneath the poster is the sentence, "REPORT ALL FOREIGN INVADERS," and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement hot line. The post — which DHS and the White House also posted to Instagram — prompted a flood of criticism, with some social media users comparing the post to authoritarian propaganda. On Thursday, at least two far-right X accounts claimed to have a hand in creating or disseminating the image before it was shared by DHS. A source within DHS told CNN the agency did not create the graphic. The DHS’s Uncle Sam post has more than 81,000 likes and comes as immigration protests roil Los Angeles and other cities around the country, amid a deportation crackdown by President Donald Trump and DHS. And it marks an escalation in the agency’s communication strategy, after weeks of using social media to attack or mock perceived enemies, promote ICE arrests and ridicule media reports it disagrees with. In another recent post, DHS responded to a comment appearing to question a popular X user’s immigration status with a meme of a character with magnifying glasses. In May, DHS also said it was reviewing a reality TV show pitch where immigrants would compete for US citizenship, which an agency spokesperson said at the time was in the early stages of vetting and had not yet been approved or denied. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem later told a Senate committee that she had "no knowledge" of a reality show plan. The Uncle Sam graphic is reminiscent of media used previously by other governments to provoke fear, especially of immigrants, said Elisabeth Fondren, a journalism professor at St. John’s University who has studied government propaganda and communications during war times. "This poster fits within a long history of anti-immigrant rhetoric and, yes, state propaganda," Fondren said. "It evokes these remnants of Cold War, fake propaganda by the Russians, or, you know, authoritarian fear mongering messages … but what I think is so interesting is that this is a call to action in an environment where we’re not in a war.” Asked for comment on this story, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told CNN that criticisms of the post "are fundamentally unserious and reflect the completely juvenile state of mainstream journalism. These reporters should get off social media and start focusing on the very real victims of illegal alien crime.” "Every American citizen should support federal law enforcement in their just effort to deport criminal illegal alien invaders from our country," McLaughlin said in a statement. "During the Biden Administration our borders were opened to an invasion by the very worst from around the world. Now President Trump and Secretary Noem are reversing the destruction of our nation.”

Reuters [6/12/2025 1:29 PM, Sarah N. Lynch, 51390K] reports the U.S. Justice Department on Thursday ordered federal prosecutors to prioritize criminal prosecution of protesters who destroy property or assault law enforcement, and to make sure every case they bring gets publicized, according to an internal email seen by Reuters. The email, which was sent to all 93 U.S. Attorneys, comes a week into a wave of protests that started in Los Angeles and have spread to other major cities against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Trump has dispatched some 700 U.S. Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, saying they are needed to back up immigration raids. "There should be no bottleneck of referrals for complaints and legal process," wrote Associate Deputy Attorney General Aakash Singh. "Push out press releases whenever you file charges in these matters," he said. "We will not stop enforcing the law and we will not be deterred from keeping our districts safe."

Breitbart [6/12/2025 9:07 AM, Bob Price, 3077K] reports U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) introduced a bill that would make any immigrant who assaults a law enforcement officer during a riot eligible for revocation of their status and deportation. Crenshaw introduced the bill, H.R. 3859, following the Los Angeles riots over immigration enforcement operations. "America is a nation of laws, not lawlessness," said Congressman Crenshaw. "If you’re in this country as a guest and you assault a police officer or destroy public property during a riot, you’ve made your choice.” Crenshaw’s legislation, known as the No Safe Harbor for Riot Offenders Act, or the RIOT Act, would crack down on non-citizen rioters who attack law enforcement officers or vandalize public property during a riot or other declared emergency. If passed and signed by President Donald Trump, the bill would mandate the deportation of immigrants convicted of these crimes and tag them as permanently inadmissible. This would apply to all non-citizens, including DACA recipients, and those with legal permanent resident status. It also requires that they be detained during the entire removal process. "The RIOT Act ensures there are real consequences: mandatory detention, deportation, and permanent removal," Crenshaw said in a written statement. "We protect peaceful protest with the Constitution. But if you use that moment to attack a cop or burn a patrol car — and you’re not a U.S. citizen — then your time here is over.”

AP [6/13/2025 2:00 AM, Jim Vertuno, 56000K] reports that protests over federal immigration enforcement raids are flaring up around the country as officials in cities from coast to coast get ready for major demonstrations against President Donald Trump over the weekend. While many demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been peaceful, others led to clashes with police who sometimes used chemical irritants to disperse crowds. Hundreds have been arrested. Trump has ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles following protests over his stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked a federal judge’s order that had directed Trump to return control of National Guard troops to California, shortly after the judge had ruled the Guard deployment was illegal and both violated the Tenth Amendment and exceeded Trump’s statutory authority. The White House called the order “unprecedented” and said it “puts our brave federal officials in danger.” The federal government immediately filed an appeal. The court said it would hold a hearing on the matter June 17. Volatile protests prompted officials to enforce curfews in Los Angeles and Spokane. Republican governors in Texas and Missouri mobilized National Guard troops to be ready to help law enforcement manage demonstrations in those states. Activists are planning “No Kings” events across the country on Saturday to coincide with Trump’s planned military parade in Washington, D.C. Those were already scheduled but will happen amid the week’s rising tensions. The Trump administration said immigration raids and deportations will continue.

AP [6/13/2025 3:50 AM, Staff, 56000K] reports on the third night of an 8 p.m. curfew Thursday, Los Angeles police arrested several demonstrators who refused orders to leave a street downtown. Earlier, officers with the Department of Homeland Security deployed flash bangs to disperse a crowd that had gathered near the jail, sending protesters sprinting away. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [6/13/2025 4:00 AM, Stepheny Price, 46878K] reports an investigation is underway into who is funding anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) riots disrupting Los Angeles and other major U.S. cities after a major company revealed it had received requests for help. Crowds on Demand, a California-based company that specializes in providing on-demand crowds for protests, told Fox News Digital it received "numerous high budget requests" to get involved with the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles and other cities but declined to participate. A company spokesperson said it declined to get involved in what is happening in Los Angeles because it did "not want to get close to any form of illegal activity, including violence, vandalism or blocking off roads without a permit." "We receive inquiries regarding practically every major social cause imaginable, and the anti-ICE demonstrations are no exception," the company said. "The fact that we receive requests does not mean we take them, in many cases, because the budget does not match the ambition." The company added it only takes on "impactful commonsense causes both for liberals and conservatives, but always represent(s) the commonsense position." "Even organizing peaceful demonstrators around this issue (anti-ICE) could put those demonstrators at risk due to the presence of violent agitators and the difficulty for law enforcement in distinguishing between peaceful and violent activists," the company said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said anyone found to be abusing the law will be held accountable. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CNN [6/12/2025 6:00 AM, Priscilla Alvarez and Natasha Bertrand, 21433K] reports when President Donald Trump put 2,000 National Guard troops under his control on Saturday night and ordered them into Los Angeles, it was billed as an urgent response to quell protests. But it was also a move long in the making. Behind the scenes, the White House and Department of Homeland Security had been working for months to find ways to use the National Guard and the military more broadly to bolster the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement agenda, multiple people familiar with the internal deliberations told CNN. The discussions have stemmed from a desire to dramatically ramp up nationwide immigration operations and arrest more migrants than ever before — a strategy that has put intense strain on the government’s existing enforcement apparatus. The administration has tried to augment Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s capacity by pulling personnel from multiple agencies. "It’s certainly an expansion, but it’s a needed expansion," White House border czar Tom Homan told CNN, when asked about the involvement of National Guard in ICE operations in Los Angeles. "We’re trying to use all available resources. That’s why we’re bringing all these other different agencies — ATF, FBI, US Marshals. We got a hell of a job ahead of us." Homan stressed that members of the National Guard are not enforcing immigration law and are focused on serving as protection for federal property and agents who the administration says have been assaulted. The administration is also looking to expand its use of military facilities to hold migrants. Defense Department personnel have conducted tours with Customs and Border Protection at military bases including Travis Air Force Base in California; Camp Atterbury in Indiana; JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey; Dover Air Force Base in Delaware; Camp Parks in California; and Fort Walker in Virginia. "Military bases are an option. They were an option under every president I ever worked for, so it’s no different now," Homan said, stressing the need for more congressional funding. Trump’s massive tax and spending cuts package would provide billions in funding for immigration enforcement. The urgency: ICE detention space is almost maxed out. Immigration agents are also expected to get help from National Guard units in states where governors have provided permissions and deputized the troops to serve as a force multiplier, a defense official told CNN. In Texas, for example, Gov. Greg Abbott, a staunch Trump supporter, said on Wednesday that his state’s National Guard was ready to respond if protests emerged there. "Military troops are providing protection for federal law enforcement officers as they continue operations to remove the worst of the worst from Los Angeles," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to CNN. "If any rioters attack ICE law enforcement officers, military personnel have the authority to temporarily detain them until law enforcement makes the arrest.”

The Hill [6/12/2025 12:37 PM, Elizabeth Crisp, 18649K] reports that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) deployed more than 5,000 National Guard troops throughout his state on Thursday to back up law enforcement ahead of mass protests planned this weekend against President Trump’s immigration crackdown. Abbott announced the surge in a news release that cited unrest in Los Angeles, which prompted Trump to send thousands of National Guard members and Marines to the nation’s second most populous city, against the wishes of city and state leaders. "Peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation, but Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles in response to [Trump’s] enforcement of immigration law," Abbott said in a statement. "Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be arrested and held accountable to the full extent of the law.” "Don’t mess with Texas — and don’t mess with Texas law enforcement," he added. Abbott had said on the social platform X on Wednesday that the National Guard would be prepared to "ensure peace & order" as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids spread beyond California. Demonstrations are expected to swell through the week, with the groups No Kings and 50501 promoting events in Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and other states.

ABC News [6/12/2025 2:24 PM, Isabella Murray and Sarah Beth Hensley, 31733K] reports the high-profile Democratic governors of Illinois, Minnesota and New York are defending their states’ immigration policies in a Republican-led House Oversight Committee on Thursday -- weighing in on the ongoing Los Angeles protests over immigration enforcement. JB Pritzker of Illinois, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Kathy Hochul of New York are taking questions from the House panel -- many dealing with their policies as so-called "sanctuary states." Their testimony comes as another Democratic-led state -- California -- is grappling with a slew of immigration-related protests that triggered President Donald Trump to deploy U.S. Marines and the National Guard to the area. Sanctuary states still enforce U.S. federal immigration laws, but the term often refers to a limited collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while enacting policies that are more favorable to undocumented people. The governors slammed Trump’s decision to deploy troops to Los Angeles, with Hochul saying the actions "undermine sovereignty of individual states." "Governors are the commanders in chief of the National Guard. They know what to do, as you’ve heard from my colleagues, we have deployed them on a number of occasions. But confidence in local law enforcement -- you’re basically saying that there’s not a belief that the highly trained individuals of our municipal police departments like Los Angeles and the city of New York ... can handle [their] jobs," Hochul said, adding it’s "an overreach of epic proportions."

Washington Post [6/12/2025 10:04 PM, Marianne LeVine, Liz Goodwin, and Alex Horton 32099K] reports that the Trump administration wants to use the National Guard more broadly to enact the president’s immigration agenda, according to border czar Tom Homan, documents and people familiar with plans. “They can’t make immigration arrests, but they can certainly augment for security, transportation, infrastructure, intelligence,” Homan said in an interview with The Washington Post. A month before President Donald Trump federalized the California National Guard and sent them to Los Angeles as part of the government’s response to protests over immigration enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security requested more than 20,000 National Guard to aid U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The National Guard would be tasked with helping ICE catch fugitives as well as guard detention centers, process and transport migrants and other tasks, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post. Pentagon officials say they are looking into the request but have not yet decided on the number of troops it will send. Homan said he is also open to using the National Guard to respond to protests in other places, if the situation on the ground resembles Los Angeles. The protests there have been limited to a few locations, with local leaders saying they did not think a federal response was necessary, but the Trump administration has painted a different picture. "If other cities go down the same path, I think that’s an option we should consider, absolutely," he said. "As long as it’s peaceful protest we’re okay, but if it gets out of hand like it did in L.A., then the president will consider it on a case-by-case basis."

The Hill [6/12/2025 6:38 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 18649K] reports that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D), alongside her counterparts in the surrounding area, on Wednesday condemned local raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "I posit that maybe we are part of a national experiment to determine how far the federal government can go in reaching in and taking over power from a governor, power from a local jurisdiction and frankly leaving our city and our citizens, our residents in fear," Bass said during a Wednesday press conference. "All of us represent cities in this region where immigrants are key and if in some cases not the majority of the population. To have people live in fear like it is today is just unacceptable," she added. Her words came as President Trump deployed thousands of National Guard service members and hundreds of Marines to combat protests in Los Angeles. Bass issued a curfew for the downtown LA area seeking to quell violent demonstrations while urging the Trump administration to remove federal forces. "Militarization of immigration enforcement has no place in our neighborhoods. And the deployment of Marines on U.S. soil is an alarming escalation that undermines the values of democracy," Huntington Park Mayor Arturo Flores, a former active-duty soldier, told the public Thursday. "As mayors across this region, we stand united in rejecting fear-based tactics that target immigrant communities and erode public trust. Let me say that one more time. We stand against these fear-based tactics that target immigrant communities and erode public trust," he added.

FOX News [6/12/2025 10:52 AM, Michael Dorgan and Bryan Llenas, 46878K] reports several police vehicles were set on fire inside an NYPD parking lot overnight Wednesday, hours after anti-ICE protesters clashed with police in New York City. Eight vehicles were torched in Bushwick, Brooklyn, in a suspected arson at around 1:25 a.m. Thursday morning, police said. The vehicles, including six marked and two unmarked vehicles, caught fire in the lot at DeKalb Avenue and Central Avenue, about two blocks from the 83rd Precinct, police said. Several were also vandalized with shattered windows. Responding officers detected a strong smell of gasoline, per WABC. The NYPD told Fox News that the FDNY extinguished the flames and that there were no injuries. Investigators are reviewing surveillance videos and there have been no arrests. The incident came just hours after about 100 anti-ICE protesters gathered in Lower Manhattan at Foley Square, near a large government building that houses federal immigration offices and the city’s main immigration court. They shouted profanities and chanted: "How do you spell racism: I-C-E" and "Deportation no more, ICE get out of our state." About 10 people were arrested when scuffles broke out with police and demonstrators refused to get off the road. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Axios [6/12/2025 9:19 AM, Christine Clarridge, 13599K] reports local authorities are planning for more unrest after demonstrators blocked entrances at Seattle’s Henry M. Jackson Federal Building earlier this week and set fire to American flags from the building’s plazas. Seattle police are preparing for possible daily protests in the coming days, signaling growing concern about the scale and persistence of anti-ICE and anti-Trump demonstrations. Seattle police spokesperson Patrick Michaud told Axios the department is holding protest meetings on Thursday and Friday to share intel, review resources available to the department, and talk about whether, and when, to bring in mutual aid, he said. Protests targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have also erupted in cities including Los Angeles, where a curfew is in effect after the president deployed U.S. Marines and the California National Guard as part of the federal response to days of tense clashes.

Axios [6/12/2025 7:29 PM, Sareen Habeshian, 13599K] reports Democratic state leaders are pushing back against the Trump administration’s policies and threats this week. As protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids escalate nationwide, particularly in California, lawmakers are seizing the moment to challenge the administration’s bluff about not cooperating with President Trump’s enforcement policies. Trump and members of his administration have threatened to arrest any government officials who stand in the way of the president’s policies, especially when it comes to immigration. The president’s border czar Tom Homan said he wouldn’t rule out arresting Democratic officials who impede law enforcement or harbor undocumented immigrants. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) dared Homan to do so, and Trump suggested the governor indeed be arrested amid an escalating feud. Arrests aren’t the only concern facing Democrats. In the latest flareup, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was physically removed from a Los Angeles press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday as he said he tried to ask a question. Padilla’s encounter follows another between three House Democrats from New Jersey and ICE agents last month, which ultimately resulted in the indictment of Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.). McIver is charged with three counts of "forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers." She said she plans to plead not guilty and called the charges a "brazen attempt at political intimidation."

Blaze.com [6/12/2025 3:15 PM, Candace Hathaway, 1805K] reports as President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security works to clean up the illegal immigration crisis caused by the former Biden administration, a leaked internal memo from the department named several "open borders politicians" who allegedly defended "illegal alien rapists, murders, [and] pedophiles." The unclassified memo accused progressive politicians of prioritizing illegal immigrant criminals and violent rioters over law enforcement and their American citizen constituents, citing the recent destructive and violent protests in Los Angeles, California, last week. The DHS accused the leftist politicians of attempting to blame the lawless protests on ICE. The DHS included quotes from each of the individuals to support its claims that the politicians "put Americans last" by defending illegal alien criminals. DHS noted that ICE arrested "murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and other heinous scumbags" during the Los Angeles operation. The department stated that the leftist politicians have continued to "stand firmly with foreign nationals invading America and causing mayhem" and therefore "do not care about the American people’s safety or law enforcement." The DHS added that the politicians’ policies would "never put America first" and that they are "squarely on the side of criminal illegal aliens."

NBC News [6/12/2025 3:32 PM, Dan De Luce, 44540K] reports protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles have triggered a flood of falsehoods and conspiracy theories online, and Russia has sought to exploit and amplify them, experts say. Russian media and pro-Russian voices have embraced right-wing conspiracy theories about the protests, including one that alleged the Mexican government was encouraging the demonstrations against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Mexico has strongly rejected the accusation — which was repeated by Trump’s chief of homeland security — as utterly false. The episode illustrates how foreign adversaries are taking advantage of genuine divisions among Americans, a tried-and-true strategy in information warfare, analysts say. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday repeated baseless assertions online that the Mexican government was encouraging violent protests. Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, quickly responded, rejecting the accusation as "absolutely false" but saying she was confident that the "misunderstanding will be cleared up."

FOX News [6/12/2025 6:29 PM, Peter Pinedo, 46878K] reports Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Tim Kaine D-Va., and Alex Padilla, D-Calif., introduced legislation on Thursday to hold Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele and other Salvadoran leaders "accountable" for their alleged human rights abuses and for the country’s "collusion with the Trump administration to imprison people from the United States without due process.” Titled the El Salvador Accountability Act of 2025, the bill would impose property-blocking and visa sanctions on Bukele and other Salvadoran officials "who have engaged in international human rights violations or worked to deprive individuals residing in the United States of their rights under the U.S. Constitution." The measure would also block any U.S. funding to the Salvadoran government and instruct the U.S. to oppose international financial assistance being sent. This comes after the Trump administration sent over 200 illegal, alleged gang members to the infamous, high-security prison CECOT, which has served as a detainment facility for many of El Salvador’s most notorious criminals. The move was met with staunch opposition by Democrats who accused the administration of depriving the illegal aliens removed of their due process rights. Democrats took particular issue with the deportation of illegal alien and suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was sent to the prison in March. Van Hollen was the first of several Democrats to fly to El Salvador to meet with Abrego Garcia and to advocate for his return to the U.S. Padilla, who also flew to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia, commented on the legislation as well, saying that "imposing economic sanctions and visa restrictions on Bukele and his corrupt government is a necessary step to push El Salvador to finally uphold international human rights law and respect fundamental civil liberties.” Padilla was detained by authorities on Thursday after attempting to disrupt a press conference being held in Los Angeles by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin responded to the legislation in a statement to Fox News Digital in which she quipped: "Is this just another excuse for Senator Van Hollen to fly down to El Salvador on U.S. taxpayer’s dime to dine with gang members and terrorists?". White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson also chimed in, telling Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that "Chris Van Hollen (D-Illegal Alien) continues to embarrass himself and betray his constituents by spending more time representing criminal illegal aliens than American citizens.” "His taxpayer-funded vacation to El Salvador to sip margaritas with a terrorist, human-trafficker, and wife-beater wasn’t enough – now he wants to keep more criminal illegals in American communities," Jackson remarked, adding "All Americans should be grateful for CECOT, which houses violent criminal illegal aliens who threaten the safety and security of everyone.”

NewsMax [6/12/2025 12:36 PM, Solange Reyner, 4622K] reports a proposed new tax on money that migrants earn in the U.S. and send back home to family is "codifying, going after the cartels and the organized crimes in America that make this all happen," Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., told Newsmax on Thursday. The tax, part of the proposed "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" making its way through the Senate, is a 3.5% tax on "remittances" from noncitizens in the U.S., or money transferred back to relatives and family in the migrants’ home country. "Certainly, as we know from our early days of going after organized crime, it’s about follow the money," Hern told Newsmax’s "National Report.” "And that’s what we’re doing here. President [Donald] Trump and his team has done a great job of shutting down the border. We’ve seen that since he’s been in office in January. No new laws, just execution of the laws, which is what he said at the state of the Union. "What we’re doing here is codifying, going after the cartels and the organized crimes in America that make this all happen. We’re talking billions of dollars annually that the CBP, ICE, and others, law enforcement, FBI have all said is happening. And we’re going after this," he added. The U.S. is "going to raise billions of dollars with this," he told Newsmax.

The AP [6/12/2025 3:46 PM, Matt Brown] reports the House overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation Thursday that would solidify federal policies cracking down on the synthetic opioid fentanyl and its analogs in a bid by lawmakers to combat the nation’s opioid epidemic. The HALT Fentanyl Act makes permanent a 2018 emergency rule that classifies knockoffs of fentanyl as Schedule I controlled substances, which results in harsher sentences for possession of the drug. The bill passed the House 321-104 and now heads to President Donald Trump for his signature. The legislation, which applies to what are known as known as "fentanyl-related substances," garnered support from nearly every Republican and many Democrats despite concerns that the bill does not address the root issues at hand and will add to problems in the criminal justice system. Proponents of the legislation argue that the bill will make it easier to stop drug traffickers by making the federal emergency rules permanent. Opponents say the framework does little to stem the epidemic and warn it will make it harder to conduct important research. The Washington Examiner [6/12/2025 4:09 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 1934K] reports Congress handed President Donald Trump a victory in his administration’s fight against the fentanyl epidemic with the passage of legislation imposing steep penalties on smugglers caught moving fentanyl analogs into or throughout the United States. The House voted 321-104 on Thursday afternoon on the Senate-passed Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act. The bill will now go to Trump’s desk to be signed into law. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced legislation to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act, the highest possible rating. The bill was a rare example of bipartisan legislation. The HALT Fentanyl Act would update federal law to permanently list fentanyl knockoffs in the same category as heroin or LSD. Legal fentanyl used in medical settings would keep its Schedule II rating. The bill would also allow medical researchers to take fentanyl analogs and use them for research.

Reported similarly:
DailySignal [6/12/2025 5:37 PM, Virginia Allen, 558K]

NewsMax [6/12/2025 10:15 AM, Sandy Fitzgerald, 4622K] reports democrat governors who continue to refuse to work with the Trump administration to deport criminal immigrants could face legal action, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., told Newsmax before Thursday’s testimony to his committee from Democrat Govs. Kathy Hochul of New York, JB Pritzker of Illinois, and Tim Walz of Minnesota. "If they continue to defy federal law, then I’m sure they’re going to face the consequences of a Trump Department of Justice," Comer told "Wake Up America.” He said Republicans on the committee want to hear whether the governors will cooperate with border czar Tom Homan and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as President Donald Trump’s directive on deportation. "These three governors have been on record numerous times stating that they are a sanctuary state and that they have no intention of working with this government and Tom Homan to deport the most criminal illegals who have crossed over into our country during the Biden-Harris administration," said Comer. "This is going to be a very important hearing. They’re going to have an opportunity under oath to say publicly what their position is." The congressman added that there are numerous instances in all three states where efforts by ICE have been obstructed. "This is a movement that’s taking place throughout a lot of blue cities and blue states," Comer said. He added that there will be protests spreading across the country, and the committee wants to hear if that is something the Democrat governors encourage, "or are they going to start complying with federal law?". Complying, he said, is "not optional."

Politico [6/12/2025 4:56 PM, Josh Gerstein and Bianca Quilantan, 2100K] reports Harvard University and the Trump administration are at an impasse over the terms of an order a judge said she plans to issue stopping the U.S. government from stripping Harvard of its ability to enroll foreign students. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said two weeks ago during a hearing that she wants to issue a preliminary injunction that would allow international students to attend Harvard while the school presses a lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of infringing on Harvard’s First Amendment rights. Harvard’s lawyers informed the judge Thursday that the Trump administration is resisting several provisions the university wants to see in the injunction, including a ban on any “categorical restriction” affecting the school’s foreign students and at least 30 days’ notice if the Department of Homeland Security revokes the certification Harvard has enjoyed for more than 70 years to receive foreign students. Burroughs, a Boston-based Obama appointee, has already issued two temporary restraining orders in the case: one blocking Secretary Kristi Noem’s attempt last month to immediately cancel that certification and another blocking a proclamation President Donald Trump issued last week using his immigration powers to bar foreign Harvard students from entering the U.S. Harvard attorney Ian Gershengorn said in a new court filing that despite those orders, the government has continued to attempt to strip Harvard students of their visas through “creative relabeling.”

NPR [6/12/2025 5:18 PM, Erika Ryan, Mary Louise Kelly, Jeanette Woods, 37958K] Audio: HERE reports Kilmar Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported from Maryland, where he lives, to a prison in El Salvador in March. Then, last week he was flown back to the U.S.

FOX News [6/12/2025 12:15 PM, Ashley Oliver, 46878K] reports attorneys for Kilmar Abrego Garcia asked a judge in Maryland on Thursday to sanction Trump officials with severe fines and other penalties for what they said was an "egregious" defiance of court orders. The attorneys said the Trump administration misleadingly told a judge for months that it could not retrieve Abrego Garcia from El Salvador, where authorities mistakenly deported him in March. But the administration’s decision to return him to the United States to face criminal charges in Tennessee last week proved they had the power all along to bring him back, the attorneys argued. "The Government’s defiance has not been subtle," Abrego Garcia’s attorneys wrote in court papers. "It has been vocal and sustained and flagrant.” Abrego Garcia’s family sued the Trump administration in March after the Salvadoran man, who entered the country illegally around 2012 and was living in Maryland, was abruptly deported to a Salvadoran terrorist prison. An immigration judge ruled in 2019 that he could be deported, just not to El Salvador. Department of Justice attorneys told the court his deportation to the prison was a mistake, but they insisted for months that the Trump administration could not reverse the error because it had no control over El Salvador. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys argued their client, an alleged member of the MS-13 gang, had not received sufficient due process. A lower court and the Supreme Court agreed and ordered the Trump administration to "facilitate" Abrego Garcia’s return so that his case could be handled in a manner consistent with immigration laws. The lower court judge, Obama appointee Paula Xinis, ordered the Trump administration in April to return Abrego Garcia as quickly as possible and to inform Abrego Garcia’s family, through depositions and other discovery, of all the steps it was taking to facilitate his return. The Trump administration responded by asserting various privileges instead of handing over the discovery and repeatedly told the court it could not return him. On Thursday, Abrego Garcia’s attorneys cited dozens of remarks that Trump officials made outside of court that showed they were not planning to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in April, for instance, that Abrego Garcia "is not coming back to our country. . . . There is no situation ever where he was going to stay in this country. None, none.” "The Defendants’ defiance of judicial orders has been accompanied by misrepresentations, stonewalling, and even questioning of this Court’s authority," Abrego Garcia’s attorneys wrote.

Reported similarly:
AP [6/12/2025 1:04 PM, Ben Finley, 3077K]
Reuters [6/12/2025 12:27 PM, Andrew Goudsward, 51390K]
CNN [6/12/2025 11:41 AM, Katelyn Polantz, 875K]

AP [6/13/2025 12:11 AM, Travis Loller and Ben Finley, 3077K] reports a Tennessee judge is scheduled to hear arguments Friday about whether Kilmar Abrego Garcia can be released from jail pending the outcome of a trial on human smuggling charges. In a motion asking U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes to order Abrego Garcia detained, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Rob McGuire described him as both a danger to the community and a flight risk. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys disagree. They point out that he was already wrongly detained in a notorious Salvadoran prison thanks to government error, and argue that due process and “basic fairness” require him to be set free. Abrego Garcia is a citizen of El Salvador who had been living in the United States for more than a decade before he was wrongfully deported in March. The expulsion violated a 2019 U.S. immigration judge’s order that shielded him from deportation to his native country because he likely faced gang persecution there. His case quickly became a rallying point for opposition to President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. While the Trump administration described the mistaken removal as “an administrative error,” officials have continued to justify it by insisting that Abrego Garcia was a member of the El Salvadoran gang MS-13. His wife and attorneys have denied the allegations, saying he is simply a construction worker and family man. The motion for detention pretrial accuses Abrego Garcia of trafficking people, drugs and firearms and of abusing the women he transported, among other claims. It states that human smuggling was Abrego Garcia’s actual job, not construction. It even accuses him of taking part in a murder in El Salvador. However, none of those allegations are part of the charges against him, and at Abrego Garcia’s initial appearance June 6, Judge Holmes warned prosecutors that she can not detain someone based solely on allegations. One of Abrego Garcia’s attorneys last week called the claims “preposterous,” characterizing them as a desperate attempt by the Trump administration to justify the mistaken deportation three months after the fact. “There’s no way a jury is going to see the evidence and agree that this sheet metal worker is the leader of an international MS-13 smuggling conspiracy,” private attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg said last week.

FOX News [6/12/2025 3:41 PM, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, 46878K] reports Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University anti-Israel ringleader, has posted bond after the Trump administration was temporarily blocked from deporting him amid their continued effort to hold him on "foreign policy" grounds. Khalil posted his $1 bond on Thursday afternoon. He has not been released. The government has until 9:30 a.m. on Friday to appeal the decision before Khalil must be released. The move came after U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz sided with Khalil on Wednesday, writing: "The government cannot claim an interest in enforcing what appears to be an unconstitutional law." The court’s decision will remain on hold until Friday morning, giving the government time to appeal.

New York Post [6/12/2025 7:38 PM, Editorial Board, 49956K] reports that "changes are coming" in how ICE looks to deport illegal immigrants, President Donald Trump vowed Thursday, indicating ICE would renew its focus on violent criminals — a shift that certainly makes sense to us. This is an implicit slapdown of top Trump aide Stephen Miller, who recently thundered that ICE should be deporting 3,000 a day. That’s a quota it can’t possibly meet without doing mass arrests — since tracking down the serious criminals is resource-intensive, but the agency’s budget is still stuck at Biden-era levels until the "big, beautiful bill" becomes law. Does the left grasp voters’ views on immigration? In a Truth Social post and later remarks to the press, the prez made it plain he doesn’t want a major effort to deport those who’ve been here illegally for a decade or more. "Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business" say "our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them," Trump acknowledged, even people who’ve "worked for them for 20 years." "We’re going to have to use a lot of common sense," the prez concluded. Right. By some estimates, more than 3 million illegal immigrants have criminal records. That’s enough to be getting on with.

New York Post [6/12/2025 6:39 PM, Staff, 49956K] reports Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday got a well-deserved scolding from congressmen outraged over her efforts to protect illegal-immigrant criminals from ICE agents — and her responses were beyond pathetic, because she has no good defense. When New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik cited Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, an illegal immigrant who came to New York and is accused of fatally setting fire to a woman on an F train, Hochul didn’t even know who he was. Nor did she know the names of other notorious illegal immigrants who’d been in New York and are linked to horrific crimes. “These are high-profile cases,” fumed Stefanik (who after this looks even more likely to run against Hochul next year): “New Yorkers know about them — and you don’t?” Nor could the gov bring herself to say that Tompkins County officials were wrong to release Romero-Hernandez, even though he had pleaded guilty to assault charges and was ordered deported — and ICE had asked for him to be held. When ICE agents showed up to get him just a bit over an hour later, he was gone. Reps. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) blamed Hochul’s policies for the murder of 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, noting that her killer, Jose Antonio Ibarra, was nabbed in New York on child-endangerment charges — but quickly freed. They cited New York’s Green Light law, which bars state officials from sharing drivers’ info with federal officials, as well as its cashless-bail law. And Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order 170, which Hochul chose to continue, prohibiting “officers or employees, including law enforcement,” from disclosing “information to federal immigration authorities for the purpose of federal civil immigration enforcement,” unless expressly required by law. Hochul claimed her office does cooperate with federal authorities — but also admitted New York welcomes illegal immigrants with open arms, and has for 400 years.

Blaze [6/12/2025 8:30 AM, Daniel Horowitz, 1805K] reports the GOP doesn’t resemble a big tent any more — it looks more like a boundless landfill. No shared vision or coherent guiding principles bind the party’s disparate factions beyond not having a "D" next to their names. That’s why it’s impossible to pass a reasonable budget bill that cuts spending without including massive subsidies for high-tax blue states. The rift between the Freedom Caucus, the K Street crowd, RINOs, and the Trump White House remains unbridgeable. So what’s the realistic path forward on budget reconciliation? Focus on the one issue that unites the base: immigration enforcement. Riots in Los Angeles this week have made the case for an immigration-only reconciliation bill even stronger. The public sees the connection. The urgency is obvious. And President Trump, understandably frustrated by the calendar — it’s June and he hasn’t signed a single major legislative win — wants action now. But cramming unrelated tax and health care provisions into one big, bloated bill guarantees disaster. Good members will face a bad vote. So why not act decisively? Split the immigration provisions from the rest. Make them tougher. Pass the bill right away, while the chaos in L.A. is still at the front of everyone’s mind. Save the fiscal brawls for later. The current draft of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill, includes about $185 billion in new funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and new and improved border infrastructure. It also tacks on another $150 billion in defense spending — a top White House priority. Even strong provisions need offsets. But in a party this fractured, cutting spending isn’t just difficult — it’s practically taboo. Still, by limiting the bill to the Department of Homeland Security and Pentagon spending and scrapping the tax components, Republicans would only need to offset $335 billion over 10 years.

OutKick [6/12/2025 4:21 PM, Zach Dean] reports the Dems finally played their Trump card today in LA, and Gavin Newsom – shockingly – is leading the charge. He’s also lying while doing so. Again, shocking. I know. Didn’t see it coming, did you? For those who missed it, California senator Alex Padilla barged into Kristi Noem’s press briefing Thursday afternoon, and started screaming like a child. He was asked to leave. He did not leave. And then, security removed him. And by that, I mean they whisked him away to the exit, at which point he then started whining about them using their hands to escort him out of the room. Apparently, he was then briefly handcuffed before being released. Noem and Padilla had a 15-minute conversation a few minutes later, per reports. That, by the way, was happening right as Gavin Newsom used this ploy as an opportunity to lie to everyone on Twitter about what actually happened: If they can handcuff a U.S. Senator for asking a question, imagine what they will do to you. That was not a question, Gavin. Come on. Let’s not act like children here. That was an unidentified person storming into the Secretary of Homeland Security’s press briefing and shouting at her. That’s a pretty big difference, wouldn’t you say? Such lies. He’s a great politician, though. Give him that. This is EXACTLY what Gavin Newsom wants. It’s exactly what the Dems want. They’re losing the plot on these RIOTS, because they’re just that. They’re not peaceful protests. We all see it. They’re riots.

AP [6/12/2025 4:15 PM, Staff, 56000K] reports the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association ( FLEOA ) is expressing strong support for agents and officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as they continue to operate under heightened conditions in Los Angeles. The city has seen escalating unrest in recent days, prompting increased involvement from federal personnel and attention from agency leadership. FLEOA highlighted the leadership of ICE Director Todd Lyons and Deputy Director Madison Sheahan, who traveled directly to affected areas to stand alongside officers on the ground. The organization described their decision to be physically present as a significant gesture of solidarity. “These federal officers are doing more than enforcing immigration laws; they are defending the rule of law in the face of chaos. They are being physically targeted, doxed, and threatened, online and in the real world,” said FLEOA National President Mathew Silverman. Silverman further noted that many ICE personnel serve in sensitive or covert roles and that protective measures, such as wearing masks, are necessary safeguards for both their safety and their families. “Many ICE personnel operate in sensitive or covert roles, and they wear masks not to intimidate, but to shield their identities and protect their families. Forcing them to unmask jeopardizes both their safety and ongoing investigations. This stands in stark contrast to violent agitators who wear masks to avoid accountability. Our agents wear masks to serve. Rioters wear them to destroy,” he added. FLEOA also acknowledged the statement by FBI Director Kash Patel in response to the unrest. “If you assault a law enforcement officer, you’re going to jail—period.” The organization said such clear messaging is critical at a time when officers face rising threats while performing their duties. In addition to its public show of support, FLEOA is urging both Congress and the administration to address long-standing issues related to federal officer compensation. The group pointed to pay caps that limit earnings despite high-risk assignments and long hours in expensive urban environments such as Los Angeles. According to FLEOA, some field supervisors earn no more than the personnel they oversee, despite carrying greater responsibility.

Axios [6/12/2025 8:20 AM, Alayna Alvarez and Brittany Gibson, 13599K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — often dressed in plainclothes — are now arresting immigrants at courthouses nationwide, sometimes moments after their hearings end. The courthouse crackdown is part of a sweeping Trump administration effort to fast-track removals and increase the number of deportations this year — a strategy that’s dramatically expanding who gets targeted and how. The recent ramp-up follows a January policy shift that authorizes ICE to target courthouses for the first time in years — a move advocates say is quietly upending the legal process for immigrants. Under the Biden administration, ICE was not allowed to conduct enforcement operations at or near courthouses. "ICE is now following the law" and placing immigrants in expedited removal, "as they always should have been," a senior Homeland Security spokesperson told Axios. Immigrant activists describe it as a trap, warning that courthouses are becoming enforcement zones where due process rights are eroding.

ABC News [6/12/2025 10:32 AM, Armando Garcia, 31733K] reports immigrant rights groups are asking a federal judge in Washington, D.C., to provide "emergency relief" and bar the Trump administration from continuing to ramp up its use of expedited removal. The motion, filed on Tuesday, is part of an ongoing lawsuit that is challenging the administration’s expansion of the process which allows the government to quickly expel migrants sometimes without going before a judge. The filing has taken a renewed sense of urgency for the groups. In recent weeks, there’s been a dramatic spike of arrests in courthouses after DHS moves to dismiss cases against migrants in removal proceedings. "With no advance notice to the noncitizens, Defendants are moving for [immigration judges] to dismiss people’s removal proceedings; arresting and detaining people who have appeared for their court hearings as directed; and placing them in expedited removal proceedings, thereby denying them any meaningful opportunity to be heard before quickly removing them," the groups wrote in the filing. The filing added, "This aggressive new implementation of the Rule and Guidance has sown fear in immigrant communities, as noncitizens who have been complying with their legal obligations now face the risk of arrest and summary deportation at their next court dates.” The groups accuse ICE officers of coordinating with Department of Homeland Security attorneys and "stationing themselves in immigration courts" to "ambush noncitizens" after their cases are dismissed. A senior DHS spokesperson previously defended the courthouse arrests in a statement to ABC News, saying: "Most aliens who illegally entered the United States within the past two years are subject to expedited removals. Biden ignored this legal fact and chose to release millions of illegal aliens, including violent criminals, into the country with a notice to appear before an immigration judge. ICE is now following the law and placing these illegal aliens in expedited removal, as they always should have been.” The statement added on the migrants, "If they have a valid credible fear claim, they will continue in immigration proceedings, but if no valid claim is found, aliens will be subject to a swift deportation.”

Wall Street Journal [6/12/2025 8:47 PM, Jack Morphet , Jennifer Calfas, and Sadie Gurman, 646K] reports hospital emergency rooms and homeless shelters have become the latest target for federal immigration raids in Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass said Thursday. At an afternoon press conference, Bass said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents sparked the protests that have appeared in downtown Los Angeles for six days with raids on “Home Depots and carwashes and showing up at schools.” On Thursday, she said, agents also appeared at “emergency rooms and homeless shelters.” The Department of Homeland Security said there was no truth to Bass’s allegations. “This is blatantly false,” DHS said. ICE agents aren’t in shelters, schools and emergency rooms, the agency said on X. Bass imposed an 8 p.m. curfew on downtown Los Angeles earlier in the week to quell what she called “fringe elements” operating within peaceful protests to the Trump administration’s immigration raids. More than 80 people were arrested Wednesday, largely for failing to disperse, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Over nearly a week of demonstrations, the LAPD and California Highway Patrol have gone head-to-head with protesters, using batons, pepper balls and tear gas to move crowds along. Some protesters have thrown tree branches and electric scooters off the freeway overpass at police cars, looted stores and vandalized buildings. Police have arrested hundreds of demonstrators. “Let me be very clear: We want peace to come to our city,” Bass said at the press conference. “And peace begins with ICE leaving Los Angeles.”

Axios [6/12/2025 1:31 PM, Alayna Alvarez, Brittany Gibson and Shafaq Patel, 13599K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers — often dressed in plainclothes — are now arresting immigrants at courthouses nationwide, sometimes moments after their hearings end. The courthouse crackdown is part of a sweeping Trump administration effort to fast-track removals and increase the number of deportations this year — a strategy that’s dramatically expanding who gets targeted and how. For three consecutive days this week, ICE officers arrested multiple people who showed up for hearings at the South Gessner Immigration Court in southwest Houston. On Monday, plainclothes officers arrested three men moments after government lawyers dismissed their pending asylum cases. The recent ramp-up follows a January policy shift that authorizes ICE to target courthouses for the first time in years. Under previous administrations, ICE was not allowed to conduct enforcement operations at or near courthouses. An immigration court that dismisses the case — often because the Department of Homeland Security withdraws the charges or because the applicant has no active relief from removal — opens the door for ICE to swoop in post-dismissal, no longer restrained by a pending court case. If an immigrant has been in the U.S. for less than two years, they’re arrested on-site and fast-tracked for deportation. Under a February executive order from President Trump, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is now defaulting to issuing Notices to Appear (NTAs) for anyone denied an immigration benefit — including asylum, green cards and work permits. The policy change increased the number of NTAs issued by the agency compared to under the Biden administration. ICE and Customs and Border Protection also issue NTAs. Federal immigration authorities have launched deportation proceedings against more than 22,100 immigrants since late February, according to new USCIS data.

NewsMax [6/12/2025 5:07 PM, Michael Katz, 4622K] reports Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s point man for mass deportations and border security, on Wednesday suggested that the administration plans to "massively expand" immigration enforcement in U.S. workplaces. The Trump administration initially targeted illegal immigrants with a criminal record — "the worst of the worst" — with 75% of arrests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the first 100 days of Trump’s second term aimed at migrants with criminal convictions or charges, according to the Department of Homeland Security. But the administration has indicated several times that no one in the country illegally is off the table. "Worksite enforcement operations are going to massively expand," Homan said Wednesday in an interview with Semafor. Homan told Semafor the government will seek sanctions against employers. U.S. companies are "freaking out" about the possibility of civil and criminal sanctions, or about the operational impact of losing a huge labor force, Chris Thomas, a partner at Holland & Hart who represents employers in immigration cases, told Semafor.

FOX News [6/12/2025 12:25 PM, Gabriel Hays, 46878K] reports assistant Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin did not take Kim Kardashian’s public criticism of President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda lightly on Wednesday. After Kardashian stated on Instagram that immigrants in Los Angeles are suffering "fear and injustice" thanks to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the city, McLaughlin fired back on X, sharing photos of various criminal illegal immigrants detained by ICE and asking the reality TV star which ones should be released. "@KimKardashian, which one of these convicted child molesters, murderers, drug traffickers and rapists would you like to stay in the county?" she posted. In the midst of violent riots in downtown Los Angeles aimed at disrupting ICE operations in the city, the celebrity pleaded with the government to find a "BETTER way" of curbing illegal immigration. In an Instagram story she shared on Tuesday, Kardashian stated, "Growing up in LA, I’ve seen how deeply immigrants are woven into the fabric of this city. They are our neighbors, friends, classmates, coworkers, and family. No matter where you fall politically, it’s clear that our communities thrive because of the contributions of immigrants. We can’t turn a blind eye when fear and injustice keep people from living their lives freely and safely.” "There HAS to be a BETTER way," she added. McLaughlin attached brief bios of illegal immigrants with alleged criminal records that ICE had rounded up in Los Angeles to her post. According to DHS, the bio for one person, Eswin Uriel Castro, stated that, in addition to him being an illegal immigrant, he "has criminal convictions for child molestation and being armed with a dangerous weapon. He has also been arrested for robbery and domestic violence.” McLaughlin shared a DHS description of illegal immigrant Antonio Benitez-Ugarte, stating he "has been convicted of drug trafficking." She also shared one of Mab Khaleb, describing him as a "53-year-old illegal alien from Cambodia" whose "criminal history includes a conviction for transport of a controlled substance, possession of controlled substance, lewd action with a child, and battery.” "These are just a few of the convicted illegal criminals who have been picked up in the last 72 hours," the DHS official added.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [6/12/2025 7:12 PM, Warner Todd Huston, 3077K]
Daily Caller [6/12/2025 5:57 PM, Leena Nasir, 1010K]

FOX News [6/12/2025 4:03 PM, Elizabeth Elkind, 46878K] reports House GOP investigators looking at the Nashville mayor’s battle with federal immigration officials are setting their sights on the riots in Los Angeles, a key Republican lawmaker told the Trump administration. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., is helping lead House Republicans’ investigation into Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, which is being facilitated by the House committees on Homeland Security and the Judiciary, respectively. He delivered an update on that investigation to senior Trump law enforcement officials Thursday, arguing a key fund being used to help illegal immigrants is being promoted using taxpayer dollars despite city officials’ insistence otherwise. Ogles also revealed House investigators were "closely monitoring" events in Los Angeles, where rioters have engaged in violent standoffs with law enforcement in response to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids there last weekend.

NewsMax [6/12/2025 3:32 PM, Sam Barron, 4622K] reports amid mass protests in Los Angeles, President Donald Trump warned protesters that they will do "hard time in jail" if they assault an ICE agent or border agent. In a Truth Social post Thursday, Trump touted his record on immigration, contrasting it with former President Joe Biden’s. Trump reminded readers that he campaigned on mass deportations and securing the border. Trump said illegal immigrants should self-deport by using the Customs and Border Patrol home app or face consequences.

AP [6/12/2025 3:23 PM, Luis Andres Henao and Deepa Bharath, 24051K] reports that when the Rev. Edward Anderson rallied in Los Angeles this week against the Trump administration’s intensifying immigration crackdown, he positioned himself between law enforcement and his fellow protesters, serving as a human buffer. Anderson, who leads McCarty Memorial Christian Church in the city’s West Adams Terrace neighborhood, believes he was upholding his moral duty to stand against injustice, but in a nonviolent manner that his faith demands. "It is imperative that people of faith speak out because silence in the face of injustice is complicity," he said. Some U.S. religious leaders are taking a stand about President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, including ones citing Scripture to explain their support for his policies and others citing it to explain their resistance. For many of those condemning how federal agents are rounding up and deporting people who are in the country illegally, though, nonviolent resistance is the best — and only — way to effect positive change. State and local leaders have accused Trump of inflaming tensions and raising the risk of violence by deploying National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles in response to the protests, which have been daily since last week. Although most have been peaceful, some have resulted in clashes between protesters and law enforcement. Elected officials, including LA Mayor Karen Bass, have called on protesters to remain peaceful, saying violence will only inflame the situation.

FedScoop [6/12/2025 4:40 PM, Rebecca Heilweil, 56K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement is doubling down on its investment in blockchain intelligence technology, along with other investigative platforms. According to a notice of intent on a government procurement website, the Department of Homeland Security component aims to buy more technology from TRM Labs, which focuses on crypto risk management but also offers a bevy of forensics services for government clients. ICE this week also posted an intent to sole source similar technology from Chainalysis, which comes amid a series of planned purchases for other digital forensics tools. Both Chainalysis and TRM Labs have myriad contracts with federal agencies, including the FBI, the State Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service. In posting its intent to single source both TRM and Chainalysis technology, ICE is indicating there is no other provider that could reasonably provide the same services. The agency also said that it anticipated sourcing tools from Magnet Forensics, another federal contractor, and that it’s buying licenses from the digital forensics firm Volexity.

CBS Boston [6/12/2025 5:52 PM, Beth Germano, 51860K] Video: HERE reports the New England Regional Headquarters for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is supposed to be a processing facility where people stay for only hours, and the town of Burlington where the facility is located says that’s how it is zoned. "What I’m just concerned about is fair and humane treatment for anybody in Burlington," said Mike Espejo, chairman of the Select Board, "and this doesn’t seem like that’s happening.” He tells WBZ-TV the case of Marcelo Gomes da Silva has shined a new light on what is allegedly happening behind the doors. "No one deserves to be down there," Gomes da Silva told reporters when he posted bail last week. "You sleep on concrete floors, I have to use the bathroom in the open. It’s humiliating.” He described what he called inhumane conditions for six days, leaving the town now more than concerned. "We had no idea anything like that was happening," said Espejo. It is why town officials are now gathering information on the scope of the operations inside the building and whether the ICE facility is violating local zoning laws. "We are checking with our legal counsel to see if we can do any type of zoning enforcement, or health code violation enforcement," Espejo said. "Anything we can do to just make sure that people are at least being treated humanely.” There was some opposition in the town when the facility first opened in 2008, but residents received assurances that no one would be held overnight. Espejo said they were told the same thing in recent weeks when local officials began inquiries amid rumors. In a statement ICE tells WBZ-TV, "There are occasions where detainees might need to stay at the Burlington office for a short period that might exceed the anticipated administrative processing time.” The statement goes on to say, "detainees are given ample food, regular access to phones, showers and legal representation as well as medical care when needed.”

Reuters [6/12/2025 12:47 PM, Katharine Jackson, Bhargav Acharya, and Andrew Goudsward, 51390K] reports the U.S. Justice Department on Thursday filed a lawsuit challenging a New York state law that blocks immigration officials from arresting individuals at or near New York courthouses. The complaint, filed in federal court in Albany, New York, alleges the law frustrates federal immigration enforcement at a venue - state courthouses - where authorities can safely make arrests. U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said New York was employing policies similar to those used by California to prevent "illegal aliens from apprehension." "This latest lawsuit in a series of sanctuary city litigation underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to keeping Americans safe and aggressively enforcing the law," she said in a statement. A spokesperson for New York Attorney General Letitia James said the state will defend the law, arguing it "ensures every New Yorker can access our courts and pursue justice without fear." The Justice Department’s lawsuit alleges that the New York law, enacted in 2020 during Trump’s first term, violates a constitutional provision called the "supremacy clause" that makes federal law supersede conflicting state laws. FOX News [6/12/2025 4:36 PM, Peter Pinedo, 46878K] reports that the suit also targets two executive orders signed by former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo that bars ICE agents from making civil immigration arrests of anyone within a state facility and prohibits state employees from sharing information for civil immigration enforcement purposes with federal immigration authorities. The DOJ said "these laws pose intolerable obstacles to federal immigration enforcement and directly regulate and discriminate against the Federal Government, in contravention of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution." The DOJ filed its suit in the federal district court for the Northern District of New York, Albany Division, on Thursday. The agency is asking the court to declare the New York policies invalid and unenforceable under the Supremacy Clause.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [6/12/2025 5:15 PM, Luis Ferré-Sadurní, 138952K]
The Hill [6/12/2025 12:03 PM, Zach Schonfeld, 18649K]
AP [6/12/2025 2:16 PM, Staff, 24051K]
USA Today [6/12/2025 8:17 PM, Eduardo Cuevas, 75552K]

FOX News [6/12/2025 6:36 AM, Staff, 46878K] reports Wayne County, New York Sheriff Robert Milby on helping federal immigration enforcement in a sanctuary state and the importance of restoring the rule of law. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CBS News [6/13/2025 5:01 AM, Lori Bordonaro, 51860K] Video HERE reports a small crowd of protesters gathered outside Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey on Thursday to demonstrate over allegations of poor conditions at the federal immigration detention center. One woman whose husband was housed inside the center told CBS News New York that a fight broke out during lunch because the detainees had allegedly not been fed for about 20 hours, and then were only given a small amount of food. "He said, for that reason, a small group of people had started to rile up and started to riot. He said they were breaking things, just trying to get anybody’s attention, because they are constantly ignored. I asked my husband what was his role and part in it, and he said, ‘I’m hiding. I’m scared for my life,’" the woman said. Protesters said the detainees were also angry over visitation hours. CBS News New York reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Newark Police Department, but has not yet heard back. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement, "We are concerned about reports of what has transpired at Delaney Hall this evening, ranging from withholding food and poor treatment, to uprising and escaped detainees." Congresswoman LaMonica McIver also said in a statement that she was monitoring the situation. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [6/13/2025 12:07 AM, Tracey Tully, Luis Ferré-Sadurní, and Mark Bonamo, 153395K] reports dozens of law enforcement officials from several policing agencies responded on Thursday to a private immigration detention center in Newark after reports of a disturbance inside. Masked officers carrying plastic handcuffs and pepper spray could be seen entering the facility, known as Delaney Hall, just after 7 p.m., and people standing nearby reported smelling a pungent odor. About an hour beforehand, a detainee at the facility had called a staff member of an emergency immigration hotline and said that a group had begun to rebel over dismal food conditions, according to Ellen Whitt, a volunteer who works at the hotline run by DIRE. “People were hungry and got very angry and started to react and started to rebel against what was going on in the detention center,” Ms. Whitt said. “When we were on the phone with him, we could hear screaming and yelling in the background.” The detainee said that people were trying to break windows and that, at one point, guards seemed to have abandoned their posts. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said she was in touch with officials at the facility but was not able to offer an immediate comment.

Washington Post [6/12/2025 2:27 PM, Nicole Asbury, 32099K] reports hundreds of students at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring — Maryland’s largest high school by enrollment — walked out early Thursday afternoon to show support for a classmate who they say was recently deported to Guatemala. Students rallied in the school’s front bus loop and marched around the parking lot as more than a dozen community members cheered them on from a nearby sidewalk. One person held a sign that read, “Don’t deport my neighbors.” Students from Albert Einstein High School in Kensington also planned a walkout, according to an Instagram post from the school’s student government account. Details are limited about the student who was deported. Blair administrators told families in a letter that the student was not detained on school grounds. Multiple people on and off the campus declined to share the student’s name or specifics of the situation, citing privacy concerns, though organizers of Thursday’s protest say the student was a junior at Blair.

CBS Austin [6/12/2025 7:13 AM, Ida Domingo, 558K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested 10 individuals at the Sterling immigration court on Wednesday during an enforcement operation, according to authorities. According to a statement from an ICE spokesperson, the arrests were part of the agency’s mission to "identify and remove criminal aliens and others who have violated our nation’s immigration laws." The arrests happened at the Executive Office for Immigration Review in Sterling and involved people from several countries, including Haiti, Venezuela, El Salvador and Peru. ICE said all were in violation of U.S. immigration law. "All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality," the spokesperson said.

Axios [6/12/2025 3:56 PM, Alexandria Sands, 13599K] reports lately in Charlotte, ICE agents come wearing plain clothes — sometimes khakis or baseball caps. They wait outside apartments, workplaces, but mostly, courtrooms. They take people, put them in the back of unmarked vehicles and drive off. It’s hard to confirm whether those arrested locally are all undocumented or if they committed violent crimes. ICE’s release of public information and cooperation with the media are limited. Local journalists often struggle to get answers from ICE when following up on cases. Families whose loved ones are detained must wait until an online database is updated to learn where they were taken, advocates say. Two Charlotte immigration lawyers tell Axios they are increasingly seeing and hearing of ICE deploying its newest tactic in the courthouse. Immigration cases are being dismissed, then ICE agents — no longer restrained by a pending court case — stop the defendants outside and make arrests, just moments after the hearing. ICE appears to be specifically targeting immigrants who have been in the U.S. for fewer than two years and can be fast-tracked for deportation through the expedited removal process. Several ICE arrests in Charlotte gained notable media attention but have been difficult to follow up on.

Telemundo Amarillo [6/12/2025 4:39 PM, Staff, 4K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Atlanta reported that a Mexican citizen, who was in its custody, took his own life inside his cell. According to the ICE report, the citizen was identified as Jesús Molina-Veya, 45 years old. Authorities said Molina-Veya was found unconscious on June 7 with a ligature around his neck. The man was taken to Phoebe Sumter Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to authorities. The cause of his death is under investigation. Information provided by ICE indicates that Molina-Veya entered the United States without permission on multiple occasions and was arrested several times for various crimes. According to an ICE website log, Molina-Veya would be the second migrant to lose his life in less than a month in custody in Georgia.

Telemundo52 [6/13/2025 1:56 AM, Staff, 103K] reports the Mexican government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE, Foreign Ministry) informed Thursday night that it is analyzing legal alternatives after the death of a Mexican national that occurred last Saturday at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center in Stewart, Georgia. In a statement, the SRE informed of the "unfortunate death of a Mexican national" that occurred on June 7, "when he was in custody at the aforementioned detention center, "where he was transferred from the state prison in Jackson, where he was deprived of his liberty". It explained that from the first moment the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta was notified and consular personnel established communication with local and ICE authorities, as well as with the person’s relatives, in order to clarify the facts, confirm the official cause of death and provide legal advice and support to the relatives. In the text, the SRE pointed out that Consulate personnel "regularly visit this detention center to interview nationals" and in the recent visits "no notification was received for an interview", for which reason the Consulate has requested an explanation from the Center’s authorities. In addition, he said that the Consulate "is analyzing the existing legal alternatives in this case," and provides direct follow-up with ICE authorities in Stewart, and is in communication with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). In closing, the SRE reiterated its commitment to protect the rights and integrity of Mexicans abroad, especially those in the custody of U.S. authorities. The death of the Mexican citizen occurs in the midst of protests against immigration raids, which began last Friday in Los Angeles, California, a city with a Latino majority, which are given in rejection of ICE raids and the deportation policy of the government of President Donald Trump, resulting in clashes with police and the burning of vehicles in different cities of the United States. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

AP [6/12/2025 1:27 PM, Sara Cline, 56000K] reports as protests erupt across the country over aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, Louisiana lawmakers approved a package of legislation this week that’ll aid the ongoing federal crackdown on deportation. Amid growing national tensions, Louisiana is the latest red state that expanded its immigration enforcement role — crafting a legislative promise to cooperate with federal agencies. Law enforcement agents and public officials could face jail time if they purposefully obstruct, delay or ignore federal immigration enforcement efforts, under one Louisiana bill. Another measure requires state agencies — including the departments of Health, Education, Corrections, Children & Family Services, and Motor Vehicles — to verify, track and report anyone illegally in the U.S. who is receiving state services. The bills head to Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, a tough-on-crime conservative and staunch ally of President Donald Trump, who is likely to sign them into law. Following Trump’s pledge to remove millions of people who are in the country illegally, immigration raids have ramped up from coast to coast. Federal agencies have sought to enlist state and local help, alerting federal authorities of immigrants wanted for deportation and holding them until federal agents take custody. Louisiana’s GOP-dominated Legislature passed a bill to ensure just that. The measure expands the crime of malfeasance in office, which is punishable with up to 10 years in jail. Essentially, it would make it a crime for a public official or employee to refuse to comply with requests from agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It also prohibits public officials, including police and judges, from knowingly releasing a person who "illegally entered or unlawfully remained" in the U.S. from their custody without providing advance notice to ICE. "This is one of those bills that says it’s against the law not to enforce the law," said Republican state Sen. Jay Morris. Additionally, the bill expands the crime of obstruction of justice to include any act "intended to hinder, delay, prevent, or otherwise interfere with or thwart federal immigration enforcement efforts," including civil immigration proceedings.

CBS Austin [6/12/2025 12:18 AM, David Ibave, 558K] reports people gathered outside the federal courthouse in downtown El Paso on Wednesday to protest the recent string of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests after migrant cases are dismissed during their court hearings. Protesters flying flags and signs displaying sentiments against ICE gathered on the sidewalk across from the Richard C. White Federal Building. According to City Representative for District 2 Josh Acevedo, the gathering was organized as a way to stand in solidarity with the protests happening in Los Angeles and growing in other big cities across the country. Some protesters could even be seen standing outside the building’s garage exit, waiving their anti-ICE signs at white vans pulling out. Over the past few days, people have reported seeing ICE taking migrants in custody and driving them out of the buildings in white vans. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott took to social media on Tuesday, saying that he will send the Texas National Guard to protests across the state to make sure they stay peaceful and legal. The Department of Homeland Security stated that the arrests target migrants whose cases are dismissed. If [migrants] have a valid credible fear claim, they will continue immigration proceedings, but if no valid claim is found, [they] will be subject to a swift deportation," ICE said in a statement.

CBS Austin [6/12/2025 12:48 PM, Ryan Minnaugh, 558K] reports more than 70 illegal migrants were detained in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at a meat production plant. The operation happened in Omaha, Nebraska where ICE served a search warrant focusing on Glenn Valley Foods and what law enforcement says is a large-scale employment of illegal aliens. According to ICE, some of the illegal aliens had active local warrants, prior DUI convictions and have been previously deported. Many may now face additional federal charges: fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents; assaulting a federal officer; resisting arrest; illegal reentry; and/or misuse of social security numbers. ICE acting director had this to say about the operation, "Yesterday, an illegal alien from Honduras brandished a weapon and assaulted federal agents and officers who were doing their job: protecting American citizens, the public and businesses who are being victimized through identity fraud.” "Let’s be clear — this wasn’t just someone ‘out of status.’ This was a violent criminal who attacked law enforcement while they were serving the public, which is why the term ‘criminal alien’ is a distraction. If you’re here illegally, you’ve already broken the law. When you break the law by coming here illegally and then threaten and assault federal officers on top of that — you’re a threat, plain and simple.”

Breitbart [6/12/2025 6:02 PM, Katherine Hamilton, 3077K] reports wideo shows federal agents ramming a car in Los Angeles to catch an accused rioter who authorities say punched a U.S. border agent. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a video on Wednesday showing agents arresting Christian Damian Cerno-Camacho, a U.S. citizen who allegedly assaulted an officer during the anti-ICE riots and tried to flee. "This was no hit and run. This was a targeted arrest of a violent rioter who punched a CBP officer. When Homeland Security Investigations tried to arrest Christian Damian Cerno-Camacho for the assault, he attempted to flee. He was ultimately arrested and taken into custody," DHS said in a post to X. The video shows two vehicles cornering the suspect’s white sedan in the street before several agents jump out with guns drawn. Cerno-Camacho can be seen emerging from his car with his arms in the air before being arrested. DHS did not immediately clarify when the arrest occurred or what specific charges Cerno-Camacho is facing. "Homeland Security Investigations arrested Christian Damian Cerna-Camacho for punching a federal law enforcement officer," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. Our officers are facing a 413 percent increase in assaults against them as they put their lives on the line to arrest murders, [sic] rapists, and gang members. Secretary Noem’s message to the LA rioters is clear: you will not stop us or slow us down. ICE and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Los Angeles Times [6/12/2025 7:06 PM, Gabriel San Román, 14672K] reports amid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, rumors spread wildly through social media and even Ring app alerts about Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arriving at Disneyland on Wednesday to question workers and guests. While Disney and Anaheim officials disputed the viral claim as unfounded, the city acknowledged cellphone videos of an SUV pursuing a man two miles down the street at Pearson Park the following morning was credible evidence of federal immigration enforcement. The contrast between Orange County’s largest employer and a public park surrounded by a Latino neighborhood illustrates how ICE raids have sown fear, confusion and vigilance in the community. Anaheim Councilmember Natalie Rubalcava saw the Pearson Park video on Instagram, got dressed and headed out to vet the claim. She spoke to a young Latino who recounted how federal agents dressed in black with their faces covered approached him and another man at the park. "They asked him for identification," Rubalcava said. "When he told them he was born in the U.S., they told him ‘prove it.’". He gave agents his Social Security number when the other man fled on foot. Agents driving an SUV gave chase, apprehended the man and left by the time Rubalcava arrived. "We’re being told that the police are only [going after] people with criminal records and warrants," she said. "That doesn’t appear to be the case. The person I spoke to, he was asked if he had documentation. That makes me feel like racial profiling is happening. That is really disheartening and worrisome.” ICE did not return a TimesOC request for comment on any Disneyland or Pearson Park enforcement actions by press time.

Los Angeles Times [6/12/2025 6:32 PM, Karla Marie Sanford, 14672K] reports Francisco has been working as a taquero for over a year, but he’s never felt as worried as he does now, in the shadow of a week of ongoing sweeps in Los Angeles by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "We can’t go out to work as much on the streets now," the 23-year-old said in Spanish. "We’ve heard from some colleagues who work in other positions, and they’ve even arrested a couple of them. We go to work afraid they might arrest us.” To stay safe, Francisco — who provided only his first name out of fear for his safety because he is undocumented — said he has limited his movement, turning to Uber Delivery for necessities like groceries and medicine. But he continues to come to work. "If we don’t go out to work, how do we cover our expenses?" he said. The risk of being arrested and deported versus the need for economic security is plaguing undocumented vendors throughout Los Angeles, said Elba Serrano, the associate vice president of East L.A. Community Corp. ELACC is a member of the Los Angeles Street Vending Campaign coalition and assists vendors with securing permits. Around 80% of their clients are undocumented, Serrano said. "Vendors don’t want to be seen as ‘illegal,’ " she said. "They always have been wanting to be part of the economy, and our goal was for them to be seen as a legitimate small business.” The problem now, Serrano explained, is that to secure permits, vendors must file an I-10 form, which categorizes filers by their citizenship status. "One of the things that we’ve always understood is that the IRS is only there to collect taxes — they’re not checking for, you know, anybody’s status," she said. "But now, this new administration is seeking to get a list of potential people who are undocumented, and the easiest way to find somebody who’s undocumented is by looking through I-10s.” Since the onset of ICE’s raids last weekend, Serrano said several vendors have canceled their appointments with the agency. With the rampant ICE presence in the city, whether undocumented vendors seek to file taxes or go into work has become a "personal risk assessment.”

Univision [6/12/2025 4:21 PM, Staff, 4992K] reports ICE agents’ immigration raids conducted Wednesday at several locations in Downey have sparked outrage within the community, especially following the operation at the Downey Memorial Christian Church. Pastors Alfredo and Tania López reported that a man was detained in the parking lot of their church, located at Florence Avenue and Brookshire Avenue, by plainclothes federal agents wearing bulletproof vests, with their faces covered, and without visible ICE identification. According to witnesses, the agents refused to give their names or show warrants. Videos recorded by parishioners confirmed that the agents’ vests did not have ICE markings, causing confusion and alarm. At the same time, two other operations occurred less than a mile away from the church: at a car wash and at a site where two gardeners were also intercepted and detained within seconds. Additionally, federal agents made arrests near Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church and at retail establishments such as Home Depot and LA Fitness. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles clarified that the reported arrest in front of its school occurred on a public sidewalk. The exact number of people detained during Wednesday’s operations has not yet been confirmed. Immigration authorities have not issued detailed statements regarding the warrants or the status of those arrested.

Univision [6/12/2025 2:15 PM, Staff, 4992K] reports an arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Boyle Heights on Wednesday morning, June 11, sparked outrage following the release of a security video showing an entire family being taken by surprise by a violent, unannounced raid. The incident occurred around 10 a.m. at the intersection of Wheeler Boulevard and Indiana Street, when Abigail was traveling with her husband, her six-month-old baby, and two young children. The footage shows several ICE agents exiting the vans, brandishing firearms, and, according to eyewitnesses, firing pepper spray into the family car.

New York Times [6/12/2025 3:36 PM, Carol Rosenberg, 138952K] reports the Homeland Security Department on Thursday was holding 43 immigration detainees at the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay, which has become a way station for foreign citizens designated for deportation. Facilities for migrants at the base currently can hold fewer than 200 detainees, and there are no immediate plans to expand that capacity, according to two Defense Department officials. Like others interviewed for this article, they spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Trump administration considers the mission sensitive. On Wednesday, a flight chartered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement stopped at the base and picked up two Venezuelan men, according to two people with knowledge of the operation. They were among 152 men and women who were shuttled to a connecting flight at an airport in Honduras, which has in recent months been one route for Venezuelan repatriations. Also, a military C-17 cargo plane arrived from an airport in South Florida with 12 ICE detainees. Their citizenship was not known. As of this week, about 540 Defense Department employees, mostly soldiers and Marines, were staffing the operation, along with 130 Homeland Security Department employees, many of them ICE contractors. They were spread between two holding sites on opposite sides of the base, one near the base landing strip and the other requiring a ferry ride across Guantánamo Bay.

Bloomberg Law [6/12/2025 10:36 AM, Andrew Kreighbaum, 1707K] reports the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the nomination of Joseph Edlow for director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which administers legal immigration programs. The committee approved his nomination with a party-line vote Thursday. Edlow’s nomination will next receive a confirmation vote from the full Senate. He promised in a May 21 confirmation hearing that USCIS would play a critical role in immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. He also said that he would curtail temporary parole protections and look to eliminate post-graduate employment options for international students through the Optional Practical Training program. If confirmed, Edlow would bring experience from the first Trump administration to the role. He previously served as chief counsel, deputy director, and briefly acting director of USCIS. The agency during his tenure weathered Covid-19 shutdowns, more intense vetting of benefits, and narrowly avoided furloughing a large chunk of its workforce when it nearly ran out of funding.

Bloomberg Law [6/12/2025 11:42 AM, Andrew Kreighbaum, 1707K] reports the Trump administration has launched a website allowing interested immigrant investors to sign up for updates on the release of the "Trump Card" visa. President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced plans for the "gold card" visa option in February, saying it would allow immigrants to buy US citizenship by forking over $5 million. They initially said the option would be available within weeks, disregarding the reality that lawmakers must authorize any new visa option.

USA Today [6/12/2025 5:25 PM, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, 75552K] reports in under 24 hours, more than 15,000 foreigners have signed up for the Trump ‘gold card" that offers applicants residency and a path to U.S. citizenship, President Donald Trump announced on June 12. Trump touts the program as a "once in a lifetime opportunity," though it comes with a required $5 million payment to the U.S. government. The president’s offering to wealthy foreigners comes at the same time the president is spearheading a controversial nationwide immigration crackdown and pushing Congress to pass a massive tax and policy bill amid concerns about ballooning budget deficits. The fact that 15,000 people have signed up at trumpcard.gov does not automatically translate to $75 billion. The website only asks for basic information – it does not seek proof of financial wherewithal and involve any other form of vetting.

Reuters [6/12/2025 8:16 PM, Staff, 51390K] reports that Boca Juniors defender Ayrton Costa will miss the Club World Cup after being denied a visa to enter the United States due to a criminal complaint against him in his native Argentina, the club confirmed on Thursday. In 2023, Costa accepted a probationary sentence to avoid trial for an aggravated robbery in 2018, which U.S. officials ruled that he is still serving. Criminal convictions are grounds for inadmissibility to the United States. The decision comes amid a broader crackdown by the Trump administration on issuing visas to some visitors and students. "We can confirm Ayrton Costa is set to miss the Club World Cup with Boca," a club spokesperson told Reuters. "The defender was due to travel on Wednesday night... but did not obtain the visa." The U.S. embassy in Buenos Aires was not immediately available to respond to a request for comment emailed outside of normal business hours, it said in an automated reply. Boca’s opening game is against Portuguese side Benfica in Miami on Monday.

NBC News [6/12/2025 10:00 AM, Nicole Acevedo, 44540K] reports an 11-year-old girl who is a U.S. citizen and is recovering from a rare brain tumor has been living in Mexico since immigration authorities removed her from Texas when they deported her undocumented parents four months ago. Four of her siblings, three of whom are also U.S. citizens, were also sent to Mexico with the parents. Since then, the girl’s health condition has not improved, her mother told NBC News. In an attempt to return to the United States to get her the care she needs, the family applied for humanitarian parole with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Thursday. "We’re fighting for my girl’s life," the mother said, adding that her daughter isn’t recovering from "just any disease. ... She is not going to be cured overnight; it’s something that takes time." Their request is for the undocumented parents and the girl’s noncitizen sibling to be allowed to enter and live in the U.S. temporarily, so that the ailing girl can have "the full support of her family as she gets treatment to help save her life," said Danny Woodward of the Texas Civil Rights Project, a legal advocacy organization representing the family. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees USCIS, previously told NBC News that reports of the family’s situation are "inaccurate" and declined to speak on the specifics of the case, citing privacy reasons. They said in a statement that when "someone is given expedited removal orders and chooses to disregard them, they will face the consequences."

FOX News [6/12/2025 1:34 PM, Preston Mizell, 46878K] reports Los Angeles rioters, who are ravaging the streets in protest of deporting illegal migrants, forced three Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) facilities in the LA area to shut down due to safety concerns, delaying nearly 300 legal migrants from receiving their hard-fought American citizenship. "Anti-ICE rioters are creating havoc and destroying the very communities they are purportedly advocating for," USCIS Spokesperson Matthew Tragesser told Fox News Digital. USCIS data obtained by Fox News Digital shows that 790 aliens had green card appointments canceled, 1,000 aliens had naturalization interviews canceled, and nearly 300 aliens who were scheduled were not able to attend their long-awaited naturalization ceremony. The naturalization ceremony is the final step in achieving what for many is a hard-fought journey to successfully immigrating legally into the U.S. For Green Card holders, there is typically a 5-year lawful permanent resident period required to achieve naturalization. Sources at USCIS tell Fox that legal migrants whose appointments and naturalization ceremonies will be delayed for roughly 30–45 days. Rioters, who set cars ablaze, looted retailers, and covered police stations and streets with explicit graffiti have been protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) removal of illegal immigrants since June 6. Secretary Noem will be hosting a press conference in Los Angeles at 140 PM eastern time to show her support for local and federal law enforcement.

New York Post [6/12/2025 4:25 PM, Josh Christenson, 49956K] reports White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller clashed Thursday with GOP senators over increased border wall funding in President Trump’s "big beautiful bill" — as some lawmakers look for deeper cuts than their House colleagues to reduce the federal deficit. The bill, which narrowly passed the House last month, would provide $46.5 billion for US-Mexico border wall construction, which could add up to 1,700 miles of fencing. The remaining funding from the $175 billion allocated for border security in the measure could also hire up to 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers by 2030 and add as many as 100,000 more beds to detention facilities.

CNN [6/12/2025 11:12 PM, Sarah Ferris, et al., 21433K] reports a bitter feud is escalating between Republican Sen. Rand Paul and Donald Trump’s top border official, injecting uncertainty into Congress’s attempt to pass the administration’s signature policy bill this month. Key Trump adviser Stephen Miller came to Capitol Hill to meet with Senate Republicans on Thursday to resolve a major issue over the bill’s border security provisions – which Paul opposes. Paul and Miller have been locked in a dispute for days over the border funding. The White House is seeking $150 billion in funds for border security and deportation. But Paul – who has repeatedly lashed out against the price tag of Trump’s bill – wants to dramatically cut down that funding. Now, that tension between the two key GOP figures is spilling into the open. Paul is taking swipes at Miller to reporters on Capitol Hill, attacking Miller for his recent comments about the administration looking at suspending habeas corpus and then suggesting on Wednesday that Miller himself was the reason he was uninvited from a White House picnic. Trump has since personally asked him and his family to attend the Thursday event, the senator said. Miller, meanwhile, has been firing off social media posts at the Kentucky senator, accusing him of, for instance, trying to cut funding for border security amid the Los Angeles riots. "They want to quiet me down, and it hasn’t worked, and so they’re going to try to attack me. They’re going to try to destroy me in other ways, and then do petty little things like social occasions or whatever. But you know, it probably will not work. It probably will not make me cow down or bend over," Paul told CNN on Wednesday, after saying he was disinvited from the White House picnic. Asked if he was talking about Miller, Paul nodded. Paul’s strong push to limit Trump’s border security cash puts him mostly on an island among Hill Republicans, according to one person familiar with the talks, though other GOP senators pressed Miller about specific funding accounts in a meeting earlier Thursday. And the back-and-forth has frustrated some of their fellow GOP senators. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin said Miller "did a good job" answering GOP senators’ questions on Thursday about border wall money, but he added some Republicans "were upset" or "just didn’t want to hear it.” "I mean, Rand Paul’s solution is cut everything in half and call it good. Yeah, that’s not real budgeting," Mullin added. Paul, however, has defended his stance, insisting that the White House needs to justify its funding request, especially since it was made before Trump came into office. And he specifically called out a certain GOP senator whom he accused of being a fiscal hawk only when "convenient.”

FOX News [6/12/2025 12:48 PM, Staff, 46878K] Video: HERE reports Senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy provides updates on the Trump administration’s response to the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles. Border Patrol Union Vice President Art Del Cueto joins ‘The Faulkner Focus’ to weigh in.

The Hill [6/12/2025 4:25 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 18649K] reports U.S. troops at the southern border started detaining migrants last week as part of the "Deep South Campaign" to prosecute individuals found trespassing in National Defense Areas (NDAs). U.S. Army Lt. Col. Chad Campbell said three individuals were among the first detained near Santa Teresa, N.M., last week. They now remain in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection awaiting prosecution for illegal entry in addition to trespassing charges under the Trump administration’s new policies. Although recurring signs placed nearly 100 meters apart clearly mark the NDAs, judges in New Mexico and Texas have moved to drop national security charges on individuals caught in militarized zones due to their lack of knowledge of the newly designated areas.

CBS News [6/12/2025 7:44 PM, Lauren Fichten, 51860K] reports a Harvard scientist who spent months in custody on a federal smuggling charge was released Thursday after a bail hearing in Boston. Russian citizen Kseniia Petrova was stopped in February at Boston’s Logan Airport by Customs and Border Protection agents as she returned on a flight from Paris. The Justice Department said in a press release that a search of her bags turned up undeclared frog embryos and embryonic samples. Petrova initially denied carrying biological materials but later admitted to it, the Justice Department said. According to a court filing by Petrova’s attorney, the materials were "non-hazardous, noninfectious, and non-toxic" and she was transporting them at the request of the leader of a research group at Harvard Medical School. "Having no prior experience transporting biological samples," her attorney wrote, she "was unfamiliar with U.S. customs requirements regarding these samples. She simply placed the samples in her luggage and did not declare them to CBP at the time of her entry.” But prosecutors allege that texts on her phone from a colleague show that she had been informed she would need to declare the materials. Upon discovery, CBP canceled Petrova’s visa and she was taken into custody. She was sent to an ICE detention facility in Vermont and then transferred to another ICE facility in Louisiana. In May, Petrova was released from ICE custody, but remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, according to The Associated Press. Petrova was a researcher at Harvard’s Kirschner Lab, which focuses on cell and development biology, including cancer research. Colleagues testified on her behalf, saying she is doing valuable research and "excellent science," AP reported.

Reported similarly:
AP [6/12/2025 2:05 PM, Leah Willingham and Kathy McCormack, 56000K]

AP [6/12/2025 4:12 PM, Anne M. Peterson, 24051K] reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it regularly provides security at big sporting events in response to questions about the agency’s presence at the FIFA Club World Cup amid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. "U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the FIFA Club World Cup 26 is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl. Our mission remains unchanged," the agency said Thursday in response to an inquiry by The Associated Press. The agency had previously deleted a social media post that said its officers would be "suited and booted" for the opening round this weekend of Club World Cup games. FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed questions about CBP involvement during an event earlier this week promoting Saturday’s opener between Inter Miami and Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. "No, I don’t have any concerns about anything in the sense that we are already attentive on any security question," Infantino said. "Of course, the most important for us is to guarantee security for all fans who come to the games. And this is our priority." Border Patrol agents have routinely been called in to help with security for large events, including the Super Bowl.

Reported similarly:
USA Today [6/12/2025 4:20 PM, Tom Schad, 75552K]

Washington Examiner [6/12/2025 5:01 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 1934K] reports federal immigration authorities will be on site at the FIFA Club World Cup in Miami starting this Saturday, but have maintained that they will be providing extra security for the event and not to arrest illegal immigrants. Federal police from the Department of Homeland Security agencies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, will be at the soccer match to act as security back-up to local and state police as the Federation Internationale de Football Association’s tournament gets underway this weekend through July 13. Some of CBP’s 60,000 personnel will be on site at Hard Rock Stadium in downtown Miami, detecting and responding to threats from people who engage in fraud or criminal activity. They will act as emergency and incident management, enforce temporary flight restrictions around the stadium, and support security examinations of attendees and vehicles outside the stadium, according to CBP. CBP did not mention plans to check the immigration status of attendees at the games, though ICE has instructed guests to be ready to provide proof of legal status if they are not a U.S. citizen, according to NBC-6 South Florida. FIFA President Gianni Infantino told reporters at a press conference in Coral Gables, Florida, on Tuesday afternoon that he was not worried about it. Kennedy also claimed in a post to X this week that a boat transporting people from a Telemundo party celebrating one year until the World Cup was stopped and boarded by the Coast Guard.

Reported similarly:
NewsMax [6/12/2025 4:28 PM, Jim Thomas, 4622K]

Telemundo Amarillo [6/12/2025 4:26 PM, Staff, 4K] reports an alleged member of the "Paisas" gang has been arrested, the Border Patrol announced on social media. The post reports that the subject resisted arrest by the Laredo Police Department in Texas and Border Patrol, and when the situation escalated, a Border Patrol agent quickly deployed a less-lethal device to regain control and protect himself. The man, a Mexican national, has an extensive criminal record that includes robbery, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, endangering a child, 14 prior arrests for immigration reasons, and six deportations from the United States. Now, he faces federal prosecution for illegal reentry, a felony.

Telemundo Amarillo [6/12/2025 3:35 PM, Staff, 4K] reports a chase ends in a crash at a busy intersection in Laredo, Texas. The accident began in the north end of the city and ended at Lafayette and St. Ursula, under the Interstate 35 bridge, on the morning of Wednesday, June 11. Several law enforcement agencies, including the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Border Patrol, and others, were observed at the scene, as well as emergency personnel from the Texas Fire Department. Officers arrested the driver, 23-year-old Juan Felipe Flores Jr., according to DPS. Four other people traveling in the vehicle were handed over to Border Patrol. The case remains under investigation.

San Francisco Chronicle [6/12/2025 12:31 PM, Aldo Toledo, Ko Lyn Cheang, and Jessica Flores, 4120K] reports federal officials at San Francisco International Airport detained two Palestinian visitors expected to participate in a Bay Area interfaith speaking series, despite them having valid visitor visas, and denied their entry into the U.S., advocates told the Chronicle. San Francisco Supervisor Bilal Mahmood told the Chronicle early Thursday that there was an “urgent situation unfolding” at the airport after police detained the two men, who were scheduled to speak at a series of Bay Area interfaith events. Around noon, more than 50 protesters gathered at the airport’s international terminal chanting pro-Palestinian slogans and stomping their feet as a few police officers stood by on the sidelines. Passersby covered their ears from the volume of the gathered protesters. Officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The two men, residents of a Bedouin village on the West Bank, were invited by local faith communities, including the Kehilla Community Synagogue and the Buena Vista and Los Altos United Methodist Churches, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Axios [6/12/2025 6:12 PM, Shawna Chen, 13599K] reports two Palestinian men had their visas revoked by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at San Francisco International Airport Wednesday and remain in federal custody, according to Supervisor Bilal Mahmood. An East Bay Jewish congregation had invited Eid Hthaleen and Ouda Alhadlin, two community leaders in the occupied West Bank, to participate in an interfaith speaking tour. The men’s detention comes as the Trump administration escalates immigration raids, cracks down on nationwide protests and tries to deport some pro-Palestinian protesters. The two men arrived on a flight from Jordan around 1pm Wednesday and were denied entry with "no cause given" despite holding valid visas, according to Mahmood. Both were scheduled to speak at the Kehilla Community Synagogue to help fundraise for children’s programming in the West Bank. Members of the synagogue raised the alarm after the two men failed to meet them at the airport, Mahmood told Axios. Mahmood visited SFO Wednesday night after a call from the public defender’s office, "knocking on doors" and staying until 2am in search of answers. A CPB official eventually confirmed to him that they are holding both men and plan to return them to the Middle East as early as Thursday afternoon.

CBS News [6/12/2025 7:13 PM, Ibrahim Aksoy, 51860K] reports in southeastern Alaska, a historic 33-mile trail is ready to welcome visitors. The Chilkoot Trail is shared by Canada and the United States, and while both the American and Canadian sides are open for the season, hikers will not be able to cross the U.S.-Canada border. The National Park Service and Parks Canada have warned visitors that crossing the international boundary is illegal and therefore they "must turn around at the border.” The trail and the border crossing have been closed for nearly half a decade because of COVID-19 restrictions and later severe flood damages on the U.S. side. Either section is operational now, but visitors who wish to complete the entire trail must present themselves at a port of entry. The route does not have a designated port of entry and the nearest border crossing station is in Skagway, a town some 11 miles from the trailhead on the American side. Challenges monitoring crossings was cited by the Canada Border Services Agency as a reason for maintaining the pandemic-era rule. "The CBSA is working with its partners to further strengthen border security and for this reason the CBSA is continuing to prohibit entry to Canada along the Chilkoot Trail, as there is not an effective way to monitor who is crossing the border and what they are bringing with them at this remote location," the agency told CBS News in a statement. CBSA said its decision "aligns with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection decision to not allow travelers to enter the U.S. from Canada on the trail.” Prior to 2020, hikers could register before starting the trail and could cross the border with proper documentation. U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

New York Post [6/12/2025 7:12 PM, Marissa Matozzo, 49956K] reports that your passport’s going digital — but don’t go tossing the hard copy just yet. Apple just unveiled a buzzy new feature that’ll let iPhone users upload their passport into Apple Wallet this fall, turning their device into a one-stop-shop for jet-setting — at least within U.S. borders. The new digital passport will be accepted at TSA checkpoints, making those airport security lines just a little less painful. "While not a replacement for your physical passport, digital ID can be used for domestic travel and at supported TSA checkpoints," an Apple spokesperson said during the company’s latest splashy event, as reported by USA TODAY. This means that shiny new digital document won’t take you around the world, but it’ll breeze you through security on your next short hop — no fumbling in your bag required. The rollout comes on the heels of the REAL ID enforcement kicking in this May, which had travelers scrambling to figure out whether their driver’s license was compliant — or whether they’d need to whip out a passport just to fly from LAX to LaGuardia. Now, Apple’s hoping to smooth things out by making travel "just tap and go.” Along with the digital ID debut, Apple is also giving its Wallet app a travel-friendly facelift — refreshing boarding passes and amping up other in-flight features for the modern road warrior.

NBC News [6/12/2025 1:26 PM, Viola Flowers, 44540K] reports aman who posed as a flight attendant for four different airlines scammed 120 free flights over the course of years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced Tuesday. Tiron Alexander, 35, was convicted on June 5 of entering the secure area of an airport under false pretenses and wire fraud. Federal prosecutors said that between 2018 and 2024, Alexander booked free flights only available to pilots and flight attendants on an airline carrier’s website. The application process required applicants to provide their employer, date of hire and badge number. Alexander flew 34 times with that airline, claiming to be a flight attendant, falsifying employment with seven airlines, and submitting about 30 different badge numbers, prosecutors said in the press release. The Transportation Security Administration investigated the case.

New York Times [6/12/2025 4:17 PM, Lisa Friedman, 138952K] reports the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster command center, who coordinates the national response to earthquakes, floods and other disasters, has submitted his resignation, according to two people familiar with the matter. Jeremy Greenberg resigned as the top official at FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center on Wednesday, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. His resignation came after other senior staff members have left and a day after President Trump said he would wind down the federal agency by November. Mr. Trump also warned states to expect “less money” from the federal government for disaster recovery. And, he said, the money would come directly from the president’s office.

Breitbart [6/12/2025 6:03 PM, Joel B. Pollak, 3077K] reports President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to help prevent and mitigate wildfires through better forest management, and through improving cooperation between relevant government departments. In particular, the executive order calls for brush clearance — what Trump has called "raking the forests.” The order reads, in part (original emphasis): The devastation of the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires shocked the American people and highlighted the catastrophic consequences when State and local governments are unable to quickly respond to such disasters. In too many cases, including in California, a slow and inadequate response to wildfires is a direct result of reckless mismanagement and lack of preparedness. Wildfires threaten every region, yet many local government entities continue to disregard commonsense preventative measures. Firefighters across the country are forced to rely on outdated technology and face challenges in quickly responding to wildfires because of unnecessary regulation and bureaucracy. The Federal Government can empower State and local leaders by streamlining Federal wildfire capabilities to improve their effectiveness and promoting commonsense, technology-enabled local strategies for land management and wildfire response and mitigation. Streamlining Federal Wildland Fire Governance. Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall, to the maximum degree practicable and consistent with applicable law, consolidate their wildland fire programs to achieve the most efficient and effective use of wildland fire offices, coordinating bodies, programs, budgets, procurement processes, and research and, as necessary, recommend additional measures to advance this objective.

Reported similarly:
Reuters [6/12/2025 5:37 PM, Staff, 51390K]

CNN [6/12/2025 5:09 PM, Staff, 21433K] reports at least five people are dead and two others are missing after several vehicles were swept away during flash flooding in San Antonio, Texas, triggered by heavy rains the area has not seen in more than a decade. The deaths occurred early Thursday morning in northeastern San Antonio, near the city’s Perrin Beitel neighborhood, according to the San Antonio Fire Department. Water rescue calls started just after 5:00 a.m. CDT for the area, which is near the northeast loop of Interstate 410, Joe Arrington, the department’s public information officer, told CNN. Fifteen vehicles were swept away, and 10 people were rescued from trees and bushes about one mile from where they entered the water, according to Arrington. Four of the people rescued needed treatment for minor injuries. A search is ongoing for the two missing who are thought to have been swept away in the flooding, Arrington added. The fire department has responded to at least 70 water rescues in the city since early Thursday morning, according to Arrington. "While the majority of the water rescue responses were not severe in nature and consisted of our crews assisting drivers from vehicles that were stalled in high water, several of these calls were harrowing and involved our crews entering swift-moving water to effect rescues," Arrington said Thursday evening. The San Antonio River rose extremely quickly in the vicinity of the deadly flooding Thursday. Water levels went from about 3 feet to just over 25 feet in just two hours beginning at around 5 a.m. CDT—a rate comparable to flooding from tropical systems. The rain had eased up in the area and flooding was slowly starting to recede by mid-morning, Arrington said, noting there are still some reports of cars stuck in high water, "but no more swift or moving water rescue calls.” San Antonio received 5.6 inches of rain in just three hours shortly after midnight — nearly 4 inches of that rain fell in a single hour. The city typically records just over 3 inches of rain in all of June, so more than a month’s worth of rain fell in just 60 minutes. That hour-long deluge represents between a 1-in-50 and 1-in-100 year rainfall event – meaning it only has about a 1 to 2% chance of occurring in any year. Thursday has already become San Antonio’s second-wettest June day on record and the seventh-wettest single day since 1942, with just over 6 inches of rain since midnight. April 25, 2013, is the only day in recent memory that saw more: nearly 10 inches.

Reported similarly:
Washington Post [6/12/2025 1:24 PM, Brady Dennis and Matthew Cappucci, 32099K]

FOX News [6/12/2025 7:18 PM, Greg Wehner, 46878K] reports the CIA released 54 declassified documents related to the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) on Thursday, providing an additional 1,450 pages of material for the public to scour through for answers to their conspiracies. CIA Director John Ratcliffe released the documents in response to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump to declassify files on the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. and RFK. According to the CIA, the latest batch of documents complements the thousands of pages the agency provided to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) as part of their public releases related to JFK earlier this year. The most recent release shows for the first time that RFK, as a senator, shared his experiences traveling to the former Soviet Union with the CIA while reflecting his patriotic commitment to serving his country. "Today’s release delivers on President Trump’s commitment to maximum transparency, enabling the CIA to shine light on information that serves the public interest," Ratcliffe said. "I am proud to share our work on this incredibly important topic with the American people.” Along with sharing information about RFK’s Soviet Union experiences, the files also dive into the psychological assessments of Sirhan Sirhan, the man who shot and killed RFK in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968. In a personality assessment memo on July 8, 1968, federal authorities declared that "under no circumstances would we have predicted that [Sirhan] was ‘capable’ of doing what he did.” In the same memo, the feds said the odds of Sirhan being successful were "tremendous.” "Obviously, we cannot see him as part of a conspiracy," the memo read. "He could be a tool of a conspiracy in the sense that the attempted assassin of Secretary of State [William] Seward and the assigned assassin of Vice President Andrew Johnson [George Atzerodt] were tools of the [John Wilkes] Booth conspiracy. It is very likely, however, that he could have effectively acted under precise instructions.” It goes on to say that most people of the type of attack Sirhan was accused of at the time attack their mother or their girlfriend.

Federal News Network [6/12/2025 6:17 PM, Justin Doubleday, 2346K] reports the House Appropriations Committee is considering a 2026 spending bill that would lessen the total budget cut for CISA. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency would take less of a budget hit under an annual funding measure currently advancing in the House. The House Appropriations Committee’s homeland security subcommittee approved a fiscal 2026 spending bill on Monday that includes $2.7 billion for CISA, $134 million below the current year’s budget. However, that represents a far smaller cut to CISA than the $495 million cut proposed by the Trump administration. The House subcommittee’s fiscal 2026 homeland security spending bill includes $808.6 million for CISA for the "operation and improvement of cybersecurity defense technology and services for federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agency networks and critical infrastructure partners," according to a summary of the bill. According to the language, the funding also includes $758.2 million for "cyber operations, including vulnerability management, capacity building, and threat hunting," and enacts some "strategic reductions to redundant, unauthorized, or duplicative programs" at CISA. The 2026 White House budget request’s much larger CISA cut, meanwhile, would reduce the agency’s workforce by more than 1,000 positions. Sources say the agency has already lost that many people through voluntary resignations and layoffs of probationary workers. The administration’s budget request would include particularly deep cuts to CISA’s risk management operations division and its stakeholder engagement and requirements division. House Appropriations homeland security subcommittee chairman Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) previously criticized the Homeland Security Department for its scant details on the proposed CISA cuts. "When somebody goes, ‘Hey, you guys presided over cutting a half a billion dollars in CISA to do other stuff. What was that based on?’ Clearly, we don’t want to be in the position, and won’t be in the position of, ‘well, I don’t know. That’s what they said they needed,’" Amodei said during a May 6 hearing with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "We need some building blocks.” The Trump administration also plans to reprogram $144 million out of CISA’s 2025 budget. The money would instead be used for Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) objected to the transfer in a May 30 letter to Noem, stating DHS "has failed to provide my staff sufficient details on the impacts" of moving the money out of CISA’s budget.

FOX News [6/12/2025 10:36 AM, Danielle Wallace, 46878K] reports Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., is introducing a new bill Thursday imploring the National Security Administration (NSA) to develop an "AI security playbook" to stay ahead of threats from China and other foreign adversaries. The bill, dubbed the "Advanced AI Security Readiness Act," directs the NSA’s Artificial Intelligence Security Center to develop an "AI Security Playbook to address vulnerabilities, threat detection, cyber and physical security strategies, and contingency plans for highly sensitive AI systems.” It is co-sponsored by House Select Committee on China Chairman Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., Ranking Member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. LaHood, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee and the House Select Committee on China, told Fox News Digital that the legislative proposal, if passed, would be the first time Congress codifies a "multi-prong approach to ensure that the U.S. remains ahead in the advanced technology race against the CCP." The new bill follows another bipartisan legislative proposal, the "Chip Security Act," which he introduced in late May. That proposal aims to improve export control mechanisms – including for chips and high-capacity chip manufacturing – protect covered AI technologies with a focus on cybersecurity, and limit outbound investment to firms directly tied to the Chinese Community Party or China’s People’s Liberation Army. "We start with the premise that China has a plan to replace the United States. And I don’t say that to scare people or my constituents, but they have a plan to replace the United States, and they’re working on it every single day. And that entails stealing data and infiltrating our systems," LaHood told Fox News Digital. "AI is the next frontier on that. We lead the world in technology. We lead the world when it comes to AI. But what this bill will do will again make sure that things are done the right way and the correct way, and that we’re protecting our assets and promoting the current technology that we have in our country.” LaHood pointed to evidence uncovered by the committee that he said shows the CCP’s DeepSeek used illegal distillation techniques to steal insights from U.S. AI models to accelerate their own technology development. He also pointed to how China allegedly smuggled AI chips through Singapore intermediaries to circumvent U.S. export controls on the technology. "As we look at, ‘How do we win the strategic competition?’ I think most experts would say we’re ahead in AI right now against China, but not by much. It is a short lead," LaHood told Fox News Digital.

NBC News [6/12/2025 4:38 PM, Kevin Collier, 44540K] reports a cyberattack on a primary organic food distributor has led to empty shelves at Whole Foods stores across the country. The company, Rhode Island-based United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), is one of the country’s largest organic food distributors and a major partner with Whole Foods. It became aware of a cyberattack on June 5, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and took some of its systems offline, hampering its ability to distribute orders to customers. A spokesperson for United Natural Foods declined to share specifics about the cyberattack, saying it was an ongoing operation. Two Whole Foods employees, who were not authorized by the company to speak with the press about the incident, told NBC News that the shortages were significant. The UNFI spokesperson said there was not a clear timeline for when distribution would return to normal, but that on Thursday it had begun gradually bringing some systems back online.

FOX News [6/12/2025 6:49 PM, Ryan Morik, 46878K] reports an Oklahoma man who pledged his loyalty to the Islamic State wanted to carry out a terrorist attack on the Oklahoma Sooners’ football stadium in 2023, court records show. Landon Kyle Swinford said he and a source who turned out to be an undercover officer noticed flaws in the stadium’s security situation and began scouting out the venue, according to the documents. Swinford "had looked at barricades and security and thought the stadium could be a potential target for an attack," the records say. Swinford and the undercover officer were in communication from May 2023 until that October, and Swinford told the undercover officer he intended to travel to Tunisia to fight for the Islamic State. Swinford said he "sadly" would have carried out the attack had he been able to afford it. Swinford also had an interest in attacking New Orleans, which was the site of a terror attack on New Year’s Day. Swinford allegedly wanted to carry out an attack during Mardi Gras at the voodoo temple. Swinford pleaded guilty to charges of child pornography possession and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. He’s awaiting sentencing for those charges. The latest documents tying Swinford to ISIS communication were released Monday. Court records say Swinford told FBI officials he posted to influence others to bomb local synagogues and inspire others on behalf of ISIS.

Daily Wire [6/12/2025 7:29 AM, Catherine Maxwell, 3816K] reports a former CIA analyst who leaked Israeli strike plans against Iran was sentenced to just three years and one month in prison on Wednesday. Asif William Rahman, 34, of Vienna, Virginia, was convicted of "unlawfully retaining and transmitting Top Secret National Defense Information to people who were not entitled to receive it," the U.S. Department of Justice said. Rahman was arrested in November 2024 and pled guilty to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to the national defense in January 2025. He had faced up to 10 years in prison on each count if convicted. He had been employed by the CIA since 2016 and had Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), The Daily Wire previously reported. "Asif Rahman violated his position of trust by illegally accessing, removing, and transmitting Top Secret documents vital to the national security of the United States and its allies," said Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. "This case should serve as a stern warning to those who choose to place their own goals over their allegiance to our nation.” The DOJ said Rahman "accessed and printed two Top Secret documents containing National Defense Information" on October 17, 2024. The next day, the documents appeared on multiple social media platforms, including a pro-Iran Telegram account, The Daily Wire reported at the time. The leaked documents included information from U.S. satellites on Israeli military preparations for the strike against Iran. The documents were intended to be viewed only by members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which includes the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Breitbart [6/12/2025 12:08 PM, Frances Martel, 3077K] reports Iranian state propaganda outlet PressTV quoted an unnamed regime official on Thursday stating "Iran’s threats" are prompting American moves to protect diplomats abroad, tacitly admitting Tehran is the belligerent party in the relationship as the White House plans for a new round of talks with the rogue regime. Multiple reports published on Wednesday and Thursday indicated that the administration of President Donald Trump is evacuating some diplomats from Iraq, and potentially Kuwait and Bahrain. The news agency Reuters reported that the State Department confirmed the "departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel due to heightened regional tensions.” Asked on Wednesday, President Trump also confirmed the evacuations, explaining that Iraq "could be a dangerous place, and we’ll see what happens.” "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, we won’t allow it," he added. This departure follows five rounds of talks between American and Iranian negotiators intended to draft an agreement. American officials state the objective of the agreement is to contain Iran’s nefarious nuclear activities, particularly the rapid pace at which it is believed to be enriching uranium. Iranian officials, on the other hand, insist that the goal of the talks is to convince America to drop sanctions on Iran’s oil industry and stridently refuse to consider an end to its illicit enrichment program. American mainstream media outlets began reporting alleged concern among anonymous parties this week following President Donald Trump publicly expressing pessimism about the talks, admitting he was "much less confident" about the possibility of an agreement after Iran reportedly rejected an initial offer from Washington. Some similar rumors claimed neighboring Israel was planning to attack Iran. While some Iranian officials blame alleged American and Israeli belligerence for negotiation difficulties, the anonymous official speaking to PressTV conceded that Tehran, the world’s premier state sponsor of terrorism, was actively threatening the United States."What the Americans are doing is not a message of threat to Iran, but rather a reaction to Iran’s threats against their interests," the man, who PressTV did not name, was quoted as saying.

Reuters [6/13/2025 12:27 AM, Steve Holland, 51390K] reports President Donald Trump’s administration sought to distance the United States on Thursday from Israel’s strikes on Iran, attacks that are likely to complicate Trump’s drive for a nuclear deal with Tehran. Israel said it had struck Iranian nuclear targets to block Tehran from developing atomic weapons, even as the Trump administration was preparing to hold a sixth round of talks on Sunday on Tehran’s escalating uranium enrichment program. Marco Rubio, Trump’s secretary of state and national security adviser, stressed that Israel’s strikes were unilateral, while saying the U.S. had known attacks would occur. "We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region," Rubio said in a statement. "Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense." Just hours before the strikes, Trump had urged a diplomatic solution to the tensions, while saying a strike on Iran "could very well happen." Iran says its nuclear energy program is only for peaceful purposes, although the International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years. Rubio had a stark warning for Iran, a day after the United States ordered some U.S. personnel to leave the Middle East in response to tensions in the area. "Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel," he said. His statement did not mention whether Washington would support Israel if it faces retaliatory strikes, a standard line in the past. Trump has been increasingly at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over both Iran and his handling of Israel’s war in Gaza, wanting to seal a deal with Tehran and accelerate food aid into Gaza. Trump and Netanyahu spoke on Monday, and Trump told reporters the main topic was Iran. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he suggested an Israeli attack was imminent. "Well, I’d love to avoid conflict. Iran’s going to have to negotiate a little tougher, meaning they’re going to have to give us some things that they’re not willing to give us right now," he said.

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