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 AP [6/16/2025 4:09 AM, Steve Karnowski, Obed Lamy, Mike Balsamo, and Alanna Durkin Richer, 56000K] reports the man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another crawled to officers in surrender Sunday after they located him in the woods near his home, bringing an end to a massive, nearly two-day search that put the entire state on edge. Vance Boelter was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and two of attempted murder. He is accused of posing as a police officer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. Authorities say he also shot Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette. They were injured at their residence about 9 miles (about 15 kilometers) away. “One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,” Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said at a news conference after Boelter’s arrest. The search for Boelter was the “largest manhunt in the state’s history,” Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. It began when Brooklyn Park officers went to check on Hortman’s home and saw her husband gunned down before the shooter fled. Authorities on Sunday located a vehicle Boelter was using abandoned in rural Sibley County, where he lived, and a police officer reported that he believed he saw Boelter running into the woods, Bruley said. Police set up a large perimeter and called in 20 different tactical teams, divvying up the area and searching for him. During the search, police said they received information confirming someone was in the woods and searched for hours, using a helicopter and officers on foot, until they found Boelter. He surrendered to police, crawling out to officers in the woods before he was handcuffed and taken into custody in a field, authorities said. Jail records show Boelter was booked into the Hennepin County Jail at 1:02 a.m. Central Time Monday and include two mug shots, one from the front and one from the side, of Boelter wearing an orange prison shirt. The Wall Street Journal [6/16/2025 1:18 AM, Sadie Gurman, John McCormick, and Robert Barba, 646K] reports that the capture of 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter ended a two-day manhunt that left the community on edge following the killings of state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the shootings of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. State prosecutors are charging Boelter with murder, authorities said. Additional federal charges may be forthcoming. The Democratic politicians were shot early Saturday morning in what Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called an act of “targeted political violence.” The shootings were the latest in a surge of violence against elected officials in the U.S. “One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,” Walz said at a news conference Sunday night where he called the search that led to the arrest a “complex and dangerous manhunt.” Authorities said the suspect had been spotted in the area before a large contingent of law-enforcement officials descended on his location. He was armed, but crawled to the police and they took him into custody in a field in Green Isle, Minn., without any use of force.

Washington Post [6/15/2025 7:00 AM, Sarah Ellison and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, 32099K] reports Daniel Hernandez, whose life has been shaped by violence directed at politicians, woke up Saturday morning to missed calls and messages from loved ones who had seen the news that two state legislators had been shot in Minnesota and immediately worried about his safety. Hernandez, a former Democratic state lawmaker who is now running in a special election to represent Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, began his political career as an intern for former Rep. Gabby Giffords and was credited with helping to save her from a mass shooter in 2011. Last week, a bullet struck the car window of one of his campaign staffers outside his family home, which doubles as his campaign headquarters. His mother and staffers were inside, he said. More than a year ago, Hernandez began staying with his sister, Democratic Arizona state Rep. Alma Hernandez, because he worried for her safety after she faced threats over her support for Israel. "It’s not the first time we’ve dealt with threats — it’s been years," said Alma Hernandez, through tears. "I don’t think people realize the trauma that this triggers. … People on both sides tend not to call out this horrible rhetoric that both sides truly tend to spread a lot.". President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. The Secret Service thwarted another potential assassin near Trump’s golf course in Florida. And the violence in Minnesota revealed that America’s political fractures have now penetrated into the most intimate spaces of democratic life: the homes where elected officials sleep. A gunman’s predawn rampage Saturday in Minnesota left one Democratic legislator and her husband dead and another lawmaker and his spouse wounded in what authorities called a politically motivated shooting. The Minnesota suspect remained at large Sunday, a day after police say he posed as an officer to gain entry to the Brooklyn Park homes of state Rep. Melissa Hortman and state Sen. John Hoffman early Saturday morning. Hortman, the former House speaker, and her husband, Mark, were killed in the attack. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

The New York Times [6/15/2025 8:40 PM, Chelsia Rose Marcius, 153395K] reports two of the four men who escaped from an immigration detention center in New Jersey on Thursday have been captured, federal authorities said on Sunday. The men, Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez of Honduras and Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada of Colombia, were taken into custody after three days on the run, according to a spokeswoman from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was unclear on Sunday where or how the men were tracked down. The authorities are still searching for the other two men, Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes of Honduras and Andres Pineda-Mogollon of Colombia, the spokeswoman said. The men escaped from Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, an overcrowded center where conditions in recent weeks have continued to deteriorate. In a news release on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security said that “there has been no widespread unrest at the Delaney Hall Detention facility” and that the “privately held facility remains dedicated to providing high-quality services.” FOX News [6/15/2025 6:07 PM, Audrey Conklin, 46878K] reports that the FBI announced Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez’s and Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada’s captures on Sunday, while Franklin Norberto Bautista Reyes and Andres Felipe Pineda Mogollon remain at-large. The four suspects are from Honduras. DHS is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to their arrests. Bautista-Reyes illegally entered the U.S. in 2021 under the Biden administration and was arrested by the Wayne Township, New Jersey, Police Department on May 3 for aggravated assault, attempt to cause bodily injury, terroristic threats, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes. Sandoval-Lopez illegally entered the U.S. as a minor in 2019 and was arrested by the Passaic Police Department in October for unlawful possession of a handgun and again on February 15 for aggravated assault. Castaneda-Lozada entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was arrested by the Hammonton Police Department on May 15 for burglary, theft and conspiracy to commit burglary. Pineda-Mogollon entered the U.S. in 2023 and overstayed his tourist visa. He was arrested by the New York City Police Department on April 25 for larceny and again on May 21 by the Union, New Jersey, Police Department for residential burglary, conspiracy to commit residential burglary and possession of burglary tools. Immigration attorney Mustafa Cetin told NJ.com that around 50 detainees at the private facility pushed down a dormitory wall after becoming agitated when meals were delayed. "It’s about the food, and some of the detainees were getting aggressive and it turned violent," Cetin said. At approximately 9 p.m. on June 12, a group of protesters blocked an SUV from exiting an ancillary gate at Delaney Hall, forcing it to back into the facility. DHS contested reporting that there had been widespread unrest at the facility, saying the private detention center "remains dedicated to providing high-quality services, including around-the-clock  access to medical care, in-person and virtual legal and family visitation, general and legal library access, translation services, dietician-approved meals, religious and specialty diets, recreational amenities, and opportunities to practice their religious beliefs."

Reported similarly:
New York Post [6/15/2025 9:55 PM, Caitlin McCormack, 49956K]
AP [6/15/2025 5:41 PM, Staff, 31733K]
ABC News [6/15/2025 7:33 PM, Bill Hutchinson and Aaron Katersky, 31733K]
CNN [6/15/2025 8:43 PM, Zoe Sottile, 875K]

The AP [6/15/2025 10:51 PM, Aamer Madhani, 56000K] reports President Donald Trump on Sunday directed federal immigration officials to prioritize deportations from Democratic-run cities, a move that comes after large protests erupted in Los Angeles and other major cities against the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Trump in a social media posting called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials “to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.” He added that to reach the goal officials “must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.” Trump’s declaration comes after weeks of increased enforcement, and after Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and main architect of Trump’s immigration policies, said ICE officers would target at least 3,000 arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the first five months of Trump’s second term. At the same time, the Trump administration has directed immigration officers to pause arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels, after Trump expressed alarm about the impact aggressive enforcement is having on those industries, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter who spoke only on condition of anonymity. Protests over federal immigration enforcement raids have been flaring up around the country. Opponents of Trump’s immigration policies took to the streets as part of the “no kings” demonstrations Saturday that came as Trump held a massive parade in Washington for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. Saturday’s protests were mostly peaceful. But police in Los Angeles used tear gas and crowd-control munitions to clear out protesters after the event ended. Officers in Portland, Oregon, also fired tear gas and projectiles to disperse a crowd that protested in front of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building well into the evening. The New York Post [6/15/2025 10:59 PM, Caitlin McCormack, 49956K] reports President Trump announced plans to flood Democrat-run cities, namely New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, with new, larger waves of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to bring about the “single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.” Trump highlighted the sweeping change targeting the majority-Democrat cities on Truth Social Sunday night as he praised ICE agents for their “incredible strength, determination, and courage.” “In order to achieve this, we must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside,” Trump wrote. “These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens.” Republican-run states like Texas, which is home to five of the largest cities in America, including Houston and San Antonio, were notably left out of the president’s post. None of the Lone Star State’s big urban centers, however, call themselves “sanctuary cities.” FOX News [6/16/2025 12:56 AM, Staff, 46878K] reports that the president’s comment came in a Truth Social post on Sunday evening after a week of anti-ICE protests that have taken place in major cities across the country, with most demonstrations remaining peaceful while others turned into violent riots in places like LA and Portland. "Our Nation’s ICE Officers have shown incredible strength, determination, and courage as they facilitate a very important mission, the largest Mass Deportation Operation of Illegal Aliens in History," Trump wrote. "Every day, the Brave Men and Women of ICE are subjected to violence, harassment, and even threats from Radical Democrat Politicians, but nothing will stop us from executing our mission, and fulfilling our Mandate to the American People.” "ICE Officers are herewith ordered, by notice of this TRUTH, to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History," the president added. The immigration protests began in LA on June 7, after local ICE raids resulted in hundreds of arrests, including the arrests of those with violent criminal histories. The president immediately deployed the National Guard to the area when protests started two weeks ago, garnering criticism from Democrats insisting their presence would only escalate tensions. As the protests and riots expanded nationally, continuing into this weekend, violence also took hold of certain crowds, injuring both federal and local law enforcement officials, as well as demonstrators. On Saturday, an innocent bystander was fatally shot during an organized protest in Salt Lake City, Utah, when two event peacekeepers in neon vests opened fire on a suspect, Arturo Gamboa, 24, who ran toward the crowd with a rifle, and ended up shooting the wrong person. In spite of the protests, Trump doubled down on his efforts to deport illegal immigrants in his Sunday post. "In order to achieve this, we must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside," he said. "These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens.” He added that he wants ICE officers "to know that REAL Americans are cheering [them] on every day."

Reported similarly:
The Hill [6/15/2025 10:32 PM, Alex Gangitano, 18649K]
Breitbart [6/16/2025 12:18 AM, Neil Munro, 3077K]
USA Today [6/15/2025 11:38 PM, Joey Garrison, 75552K]
Telemundo [6/15/2025 9:54 PM, Staff, 3352K]
Daily Wire [6/15/2025 5:43 PM, Daniel Chaitin, 3816K]

NBC News [6/15/2025 9:50 AM, Laura Strickler, Rob Wile and Didi Martinez, 44540K] reports President Donald Trump said on social media Thursday that he is willing to exempt the agriculture and hotel industries from his nationwide immigration crackdown. The surprise move came after executives in both industries complained to Trump about losing reliable, longtime immigrant workers in immigration raids and struggling to replace them. "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. "In many cases the Criminals allowed into our Country by the VERY Stupid Biden Open Borders Policy are applying for those jobs," he added. "This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!". The New York Times reported the next day that a senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official had ordered a pause in immigration raids at agricultural businesses, meat packing plants, restaurants and hotels. The senior ICE official also advised agents to stop arresting undocumented people who are not known to have committed crimes. Agents were told to continue to investigate and detain undocumented people with criminal backgrounds, according to the Times. In response to a question from NBC News about Trump’s pause, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin did not dispute it. "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," she said in a statement. Trump faces a political crossroads. Immigration raids in Los Angeles sparked days of violent protests there and helped fuel sweeping anti-Trump protests nationwide Saturday. At the same time, Trump repeatedly promised his supporters during the 2024 campaign that he would deport a million people a year, the largest mass deportations in U.S. history.

Axios [6/15/2025 8:47 AM, Brittany Gibson, Alex Isenstadt and David Lindsey, 13599K] reports for months, Trump administration officials have been adamant about targeting all the millions of immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, regardless of their work or taxpaying status. But now Trump is making a huge exception: those working at hotels, farms, meatpacking plants and restaurants. He’s bowing to pressure from businesses that have been warning of economic devastation — and is opening the door for potentially millions of workers who are here illegally to stay after all. The pressure — particularly from the agriculture and hospitality industries — had been building for months. But it ramped up in recent weeks, after top Trump aide Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem met with top ICE officials in late May and demanded that immigration agents dramatically boost their arrest goal to 3,000 people a day. That mandate helped drive many of the increasingly aggressive raids by masked, heavily armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents across the nation. It also helped inspire protests about ICE’s tactics — most notably in Los Angeles, where Trump called in the National Guard and Marines over the objection of state and local officials. Trump’s pivot appears to have emerged Wednesday, sources with knowledge of the situation tell Axios. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins called Trump to say farm groups were increasingly concerned that the stepped-up immigration raids would lead many reliable workers to be arrested — or stop showing up for work, out of fear. Their conversation, the sources said, led Trump to post a message on Truth Social Thursday saying that immigrants in the agriculture and hospitality industries are "very good, long time workers."

NewsNation [6/15/2025 9:38 PM, Jorge Ventura, 5801K] reports as anti-ICE protests continue to flare up across the country, the Trump administration is readjusting its massive deportation campaign. Department of Homeland Security sources tell NewsNation that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been directed to largely pause raids and arrests on American farms and in hotels and restaurants. The move comes as the president expressed alarm about the impact of aggressive enforcement on these industries. President Trump said business owners are reporting that immigration raids are removing longtime workers who are difficult to replace. The New York Times reported senior ICE official Tatum King wrote to regional leaders earlier this week to halt investigations into the agricultural industry, including meatpacking plants, and also restaurants and hotels, unless they involve serious offenses such as human trafficking, money laundering and drug smuggling. King reportedly told agents to avoid arresting "noncriminal collaterals," or undocumented people who have not taken part in those illegal activities. On Tuesday, NewsNation was on the ground in Omaha exclusively observing ICE conducting its largest workplace enforcement operation in Nebraska since Trump took office. Dozens of undocumented immigrants allegedly were working at Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha. Many attempted to scatter when officials arrived at the food plant with a warrant, with some hiding in the rafters. One individual even allegedly pulled a box cutter on an agent. President Trump’s decision to pause raids in certain industries comes as six Hispanic Republican members of Congress have sent a letter to the head of ICE, urging the agency to focus on removing criminals during nationwide operations. "While we do agree that we are a nation of laws — and that all who crossed our borders illegally are subject to those laws — there are levels of priority that must be considered when it comes to immigration enforcement," the letter reads in part. The pause in raids for certain industries could cause a rift inside the Republican Party as some lawmakers push for an increase in deportations. Despite Trump’s shift on deportation policy, the ICE daily target of 3,000 arrests remains the same. It’s unclear how the agency will hit those numbers with this new announcement. Sources tell NewsNation there aren’t enough criminal migrants to meet that aggressive target.

The Hill [6/15/2025 6:17 PM, Elvia Limon, 18649K] reports Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on Sunday said he doesn’t believe Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should "pull back on any kind of enforcement" after the Trump administration directed the agency to pause raids against workers in the agriculture, hotel and restaurant industries. Cotton told CBS News’s Margaret Brennan on "Face The Nation" that "we need to have robust worksite enforcement" after being asked if he agreed with the move given agricultural business in his state. "I don’t think we should pull back on any kind of enforcement at all," Cotton said. "I think worksite enforcement in all industries needs to be able to move forward. And I think ICE agents on the front lines need the support of political leadership.". The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed a shift in deportation policies in a statement to NewsNation on Saturday, days after President Trump signaled that "changes are coming" in a post on Truth Social. "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," the president wrote on Thursday. "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 spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.

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Breitbart [6/16/2025 1:30 AM, Jeff Poor, 3077K]

Washington Examiner [6/15/2025 3:50 PM, Asher Notheis, 1934K] reports Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) defended the Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles, arguing it is necessary to "restore civil order" when local police cannot do so on their own. Cotton was asked by CBS News’s Margaret Brennan on Sunday about an op-ed he wrote, in which he endorsed "an overwhelming show of force" to bring an end to the riots in Los Angeles, where communities are being "terrorized." Brennan asked if Cotton’s language was appropriate given the political divisiveness within the nation, to which the senator stood by his words and argued that calling the National Guard is "the next step" when "left-wing street militias" are not addressed by governors or mayors. "We all hope that the local police are allowed to do their job and have sufficient numbers to do their job to maintain order and protect innocent life and property, but if they can’t or they’re not allowed to, the National Guard has to be on scene to restore civil order," Cotton said on Face the Nation. Brennan then stated that the Los Angeles Police Department had things "under control" on Saturday, only firing rubber bullets when things "turned violent." Cotton responded that the LAPD chief had said his forces were "overwhelmed" last weekend, and that they could not "manage the situation.". Cotton posited in his op-ed, published by the Wall Street Journal, that the Insurrection Act would be an appropriate response to the Los Angeles riots, as the 1807 law allows the United States president to mobilize the active-duty military within the U.S. in the case of an insurrection. The senator previously endorsed using the law in response to the Black Lives Matter riots that swept the nation in 2020.

FOX News [6/15/2025 7:00 AM, Cameron Arcand, 46878K] reports the anti-ICE protests and riots in Los Angeles brought heightened scrutiny on activist groups, including the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Union del Barrio. CHIRLA and the other groups are now subject to an investigation by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO., through the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said that the Internal Revenue Service is looking into any possible funding of "violent" acts, according to CBS News. Hawley sent letters to the groups for an "alleged role in financing and materially supporting the coordinated protests and riots that have gulfed Los Angeles.". "Credible reporting now suggests that your organization has provided logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions," Hawley wrote in the letters. "Let me be clear: bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech. It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct.". CHIRLA Executive Director Angelica Salas condemned the ICE sweeps in Los Angeles during a news conference with Mayor Karen Bass on Thursday, adding that Republicans are "saying the most vicious lies of who we are, what we do and what we’re about.". "And yes, we have received a letter from Sen. Josh Hawley. But what I want you to know is that’s not going to deter us, it’s not going to intimidate us from standing with our immigrant community," Salas said. CHIRLA said they have not played a role in the violence, according to the New York Post earlier this week. Some parts of the city faced property damage, including vehicles and businesses. The organization has received $34 million in taxpayer funding in the past, including $750,000 under the Biden administration, according to IRS records obtained by Fox News. The group runs a "rapid-response network," which Salas mentioned in the press conference has been busy with the recent ICE arrest operations in the area. "Yesterday, our raids rapid response network did not stop receiving calls until after 7 p.m.," Salas said. "And so, there’s two kinds of reports. It’s the community is also very scared. So even if they’re not at an enforcement site, what’s happening is they’re witnessing everything.". CHIRLA operates a "deportation defense" legal team, along with other immigration resources, according to its website.

Politico [6/15/2025 12:26 PM, Gregory Svirnovskiy, 2100K] reports California Sen. Alex Padilla is pushing back against claims he was deliberately trying to make a scene when he was forcibly removed from a Department of Homeland Security press conference with Kristi Noem last Thursday. “Nothing could be further from the truth. Again, what are the odds?” the Democrat told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday on “State of the Union.” Padilla told Bash he was in a room at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles for a scheduled briefing from U.S. Northern Command when he learned Noem was giving a press conference “a couple doors down.” The senator said he asked the FBI agents escorting him around the building if he could listen in. “When I heard the secretary, not for the first time in that press conference, talk about the needing to liberate the people of Los Angeles from their duly elected mayor and governor, it was at that moment that I chose to try to ask a question,” Padilla said. Republicans — the White House chief among them — framed the confrontation involving Padilla as a ploy for attention. “Padilla didn’t want answers; he wanted attention,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement Thursday. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the incident warranted a censure. “Perhaps he wanted the scene,” Noem told Fox News. But Democrats raised alarms — both at the treatment of California’s senior senator and at the administration’s heavy-handed tactics in Los Angeles. FOX News [6/15/2025 2:21 PM, Stephen Sorace, 46878K] reports Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California on Sunday claimed that he was just trying to ask a question when he was forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference in Los Angeles last week. Padilla recalled his side of the story during an appearance on CNN’s "State of the Union," saying that he was already in the building for a separate briefing when he decided to attend Noem’s press conference about the recent immigration protests and riots in Los Angeles. But what happened next, he said, "you can’t script this in Hollywood.". "I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful or disruptive – and I don’t think I was," the senator said. "I was simply asking a question just as the members of the press corps ask questions, members of the Congress, members of the Senate ask questions to do our job to hold the administration accountable." Padilla was handcuffed and briefly detained by officers as he aimed to speak out in opposition to Trump administration immigration raids that sparked unrest in Los Angeles and smaller protests across the country this month. Padilla and Noem ended up holding a meeting afterward, which Padilla’s office described as "civil," and Noem described as "cordial" despite the strong disagreements between the two. Padilla said during another Sunday television appearance on CBS’ "Face the Nation" that he learned "nothing substantive, nothing informative" from the later meeting with Noem.

Axios.com [6/15/2025 11:02 AM, Avery Lotz, 13599K] reports Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) said Sunday that a member of the National Guard and an FBI agent escorted him into Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference last week before he was forcibly removed. Administration officials and allies claim Padilla interrupted the briefing to manufacture a scene. Democrats, whose fears of arrest at the hands of the administration have soared, say the senior senator from California was doing his job by questioning the secretary. Tensions were already high, as protests in Los Angeles over the administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown set the stage for a showdown between President Trump and state Democratic officials. When Padilla interrupted Noem to try to ask a question, Axios’ Noah Bressner reported, she had just said her agents were staying in LA to "liberate this city from the socialist and the burdensome leadership that this governor and this mayor have placed on this country." Padilla said on CNN’s "State of the Union" Sunday that he arrived at a federal building for a scheduled briefing with representatives from U.S. Northern Command when he learned Noem was having a press conference "a couple doors down." He said he requested to listen in and was escorted into the room by a member of the National Guard and an FBI agent. "They opened the door for me, and they stood next to me while I was listening for the entire time," he told CNN’s Dana Bash. "And then, of course, once I was forcibly removed and handcuffed." DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Thursday that Padilla "interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself" and that Secret Service believed he was "an attacker." In footage of the incident shared by McLaughlin on social media, Padilla can be heard saying, "I am Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary" as he is pushed away. "What does it say about the secretary to not know who the senator from California is, the ranking member of the judiciary subcommittee on immigration?" Padilla questioned Sunday. Reached for comment Sunday, McLaughlin told Axios that "[s]erious people don’t barge into a press conference, interrupt while the Secretary of Homeland Security is giving opening remarks and then start aggressively lunging toward her, defying officers’ commands to move back and then pushing and shoving law enforcement."

Reported similarly:
CBS News [6/15/2025 1:57 PM, Staff, 51860K] Video: HERE

CNN [6/15/2025 1:15 PM, Dana Bash, 21433K] Video: HERE reports California Senator Alex Padilla breaks down what happened in the moments before he was handcuffed by law enforcement after interrupting Secretary Noem’s press conference.

CBS News [6/15/2025 3:26 PM, Caroline Linton, 51860K] reports Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California warned Sunday that if he, as a U.S. senator, could be forcibly removed from a Department of Homeland Security news conference, "don’t just imagine what they’re capable of, but what they are doing when the cameras are not there" to others. "If that’s how this administration responds to the senator with a question, don’t just imagine what they’re capable of, but what they are doing when the cameras are not there, to people without a title like United States senator, that cruel, disrespectful treatment of so many people who deserve much better," Padilla said Sunday on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.". Padilla was removed on Thursday from a news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles amid ongoing immigration raids and protests in the city. Last week, President Trump overrode California Gov. Gavin Newsom and sent in the National Guard and 700 Marines to Los Angeles to quell the protests. Noem was describing what she called the "burdensome leadership" of California’s governor and the mayor of Los Angeles, when Padilla interrupted and attempted to ask a question before being pushed from the room. He could be heard yelling, "I’m Sen. Alex Padilla and I have questions for the secretary," as he was forcefully escorted out of the room. Democrats on Capitol Hill and throughout the country expressed shock at the treatment of a U.S. senator, and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski called the incident "horrible" and "not the America I know.". Noem told reporters afterward that she "wished that he would have reached out and identified himself and let us know who he was and that he wanted to talk.".

The Hill [6/15/2025 12:36 PM, Tara Suter, 18649K] reports Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), who was forcibly removed and handcuffed at a news conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem earlier this week, questioned the meaning behind Noem not recognizing the senator from California amid the incident. "What does it say about the secretary, to not know who the senator from California is?" Padilla asked while talking with CNN’s Dana Bash on "State of the Union.". In an interview on Fox News’s "The Story with Martha MacCallum" on Thursday, Noem said that "nobody knew who" Padilla was amid the incident. "I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful or disruptive, I don’t think I was," Padilla said of the incident. "I was simply asking a question.". 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. "I’m Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary," Padilla is heard saying as multiple people push him out of the room. In a Thursday post on the social platform 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.". The Washington Examiner [6/15/2025 2:31 PM, Emily Hallas, 1934K] reports Padilla claimed Sunday that he was escorted into the room where the press briefing was being held by a member of the National Guard and an FBI agent. "They opened the door for me, and they stood next to me while I was listening for the entire time," he told CNN’s Dana Bash. "And then, of course, once I was forcibly removed and handcuffed.". Video showed the California Democrat approaching Noem as she was speaking, with security already wrestling with the senator as he began, "Madam Secretary, I want to know why you insist on exaggerating and embellishing—" before being pushed back toward the exit. Padilla can be seen resisting these efforts. As security wrestled with the senator, who was still attempting to move in Noem’s direction, Padilla told them to take their hands off of him, identifying himself and saying he was there to ask questions before being pushed through the doors and into the hallway outside, where footage showed him being brought to the ground and cuffed. Noem has defended Padilla’s removal amid increasing scrutiny on the matter, arguing that the Secret Service thought Padilla was an attacker. Noem claimed the California Democrat was seeking a viral moment, that "nobody knew who he was," and that his "lunges" toward her and refusal to comply with officers holding him back had an unsettling effect on those in the room. "Appropriate actions" were taken as soon as the Department of Homeland Security learned his identity, she explained on Fox News’s The Story with Martha MacCallum, adding that the two spoke after the news conference. "I had a conversation with the senator after this, we sat down for 10-15 minutes and talked about the fact that nobody knew who he was, he didn’t say who he was until he was already had been lunging forward and people were trying to detain him for quite a period of time," Noem added. "And if he had requested a meeting, I would have loved to have sat down and had a conversation with him, but coming into a press conference like this is political theater. It’s wrong.".

Breitbart [6/15/2025 10:21 AM, Pam Key, 3077K] reports Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that President Donald Trump has set a tone “of escalation and extreme enforcement actions.” Padilla said, “If all the Trump administration was doing was truly focusing on dangerous, violent criminals, as they suggest, there would be no debate, there would be no disagreement. But we’ve seen story after story after story of hardworking women and men, maybe undocumented, but otherwise law-abiding good people being subject to the terror that the this immigration enforcement operations is subjecting the people to. I needed to speak up. I needed to try to get the information from the secretary that they refuse to provide in hearing after hearing.” He continued, “The federalization of the National Guard troops and deployment in Los Angeles was not only unlawful, unjustified, but counterproductive. It’s what’s escalated the tensions in Los Angeles, the sending in the Marines as a result. Look, things have been quieting down day after day. So why do you escalate by sending in the Marines?” Padilla added, “How does the Secretary of Homeland Security not know how to de-escalate a situation? It’s because she can’t or because they don’t want to, and it sets the tone. Donald Trump and Secretary Noem have set the tone for the Department of Homeland Security and the entire administration in terms of escalation and extreme enforcement actions.”

The Hill [6/15/2025 5:26 PM, Clara Duhon, 18649K] reports Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said he would be against censuring Sen. Alex Padilla after the California Democrat tried to approach and question Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a press conference, which led to federal agents forcibly removing and handcuffing him. "No, no, no. I’m not for censuring him. I think that’s crazy. I’m not for that at all," Paul told NBC’s Kristen Welker on Sunday’s "Meet The Press.". The Thursday altercation sparked varying reactions on Capitol Hill, with Democrats condemning federal agents for what they said was an unjust and unnecessary reaction, and Republicans arguing Padilla’s conduct was inappropriate. The White House said Padilla "stormed" the press conference and "lunged" at Noem, while Democrats argued the senator was within his rights to question the Homeland Security secretary and was "manhandled" by law enforcement. Paul said he believed the altercation could have ended "without the handcuffs," but he said Padilla "rushed the stage," adding he didn’t think the federal agents recognized the California senator. "The other side to it is, can you rush a stage?" Paul said. "Can you rush into a press conference? And I think they honestly didn’t recognize him.". Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Thursday said he thought Padilla should be censured for his actions. "I think that that behavior at a minimum rises to the level of a censure," Johnson told reporters. "I think there needs to be a message sent by the body as a whole that that is not what we’re going to do, that’s not what we’re going to act.".

Breitbart [6/15/2025 11:24 AM, Pam Key, 3077K] rerots Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) said Sunday on NBC’s "Meet the Press" said Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) should not have rushed the stage at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference. Host Kristen Welker said, "Let me get your reaction to Senator Alex Padilla, who interrupted a press conference that was being held by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. He was handcuffed and wrestled to the ground. The House Speaker said he should be censured? Do you agree? Should he be censured for that?". Paul said, "I didn’t like the images of him on the ground being handcuffed, but I didn’t like moms at school board meetings being handcuffed. I don’t like the images of peaceful January 6 protesters, people who assemble there being taken to the ground in airports and being handcuffed. That I don’t like, at the same time, the other side to it is, can you rush a stage? Can you rush into a press conference? I think they honestly didn’t recognize him. He rushed the stage. It was sort of a physical tussle. I think it could have ended without the handcuffs, but also, I don’t think there’s a complete get out of jail free, you know, there’s no repercussions for rushing the stage and no criticism for rushing the stage. I think it’s a complicated story, and I’m not about to say it’s all on one side or the other.". Welker said, "So you’re a no on censuring him, Senator?". Paul said, "No, no, no. I’m not for censuring. I think that’s crazy. I’m not for that at all.".

FOX News [6/15/2025 6:00 PM, David Spector, 46878K] reports Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., revealed what it would take for him to vote for President Donald Trump’s "One Big Beautiful Bill" on Sunday, telling NBC "Meet The Press" host Kristen Welker that he’s not "an absolute no.". Paul had long been an opponent of the bill, claiming it contained insufficient spending cuts and objecting to the provision that raised the debt ceiling by $5 trillion. The Kentucky senator told Welker that he liked the tax cuts contained in the bill — claiming that they could in fact raise revenue and thus help the deficit — and said he had spoken to President Trump the previous evening after the military parade. "I’ve let [Trump] know that I’m not an absolute ‘no,’ I can be a ‘yes.’ I like the tax cuts… I think there should be more spending cuts, but if they want my vote they’ll have to negotiate, because I don’t want a vote to raise the debt ceiling $5 trillion," Paul said. The "One Big Beautiful Bill" would make the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent, and includes the president’s signature campaign item "no tax on tips," coupled with spending cuts and a large debt ceiling hike. The House version of the bill raises the debt ceiling $4 trillion while the Senate blueprint has a $5 trillion raise. Paul, a libertarian, has long opposed federal spending and raised the alarm about the United States’ increasing levels of debt. "Congress is awful with money, so you should give them a more restrictive credit line, not a more expansive one," Paul said. Paul acknowledged the debt ceiling needed to be raised, but said he felt it should be raised in three-month increments, so Congress could continue talking about the debt. He said that in order for him to vote for the "One Big Beautiful Bill," the debt ceiling provisions would have to be voted on separately. Trump has criticized Paul’s opposition in voting for the bill, claiming he was "playing into the hands of Democrats.". "If Senator Rand Paul votes against our Great, Big, Beautiful Bill, he is voting for, along with the Radical Left Democrats, a 68% Tax Increase and, perhaps even more importantly, a first time ever default on U.S. Debt. "Rand will be playing right into the hands of the Democrats, and the GREAT people of Kentucky will never forgive him! The GROWTH we are experiencing, plus some cost cutting later on, will solve ALL problems. America will be greater than ever before!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. Paul also came out against censuring Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Ca., after he was handcuffed and forcibly removed from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference Thursday. Padilla interrupted Noem’s press conference, rushed the stage and attempted to ask her a question as federal agents attempted to push him out of the room. The senator was subsequently removed from the room and handcuffed.

Reported similarly:
NBC News [6/15/2025 10:40 AM, Megan Lebowitz, 44540K]

Washington Examiner [6/15/2025 1:42 PM, Asher Notheis, 1934K] reports Sen Adam Schiff (D-CA) argued Sunday that his fellow California senator was in the right to interrupt a recent press conference for the Department of Homeland Security, calling it "atrocious" how he was escorted out of the meeting. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) went viral on Thursday when he spoke over and tried to move toward Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as she held a press conference in Los Angeles. Security acted quickly to push him toward the exit. Noem has described Padilla’s actions as "political theater," though Schiff claimed that the senator was trying to ask a question and that Noem did not want to discuss "the lawless acts" by the DHS in Los Angeles. "So, he had every right to do so. That’s part of his oversight responsibilities, and to be treated that way and to be responded to by saying, ‘Oh, we didn’t know who you are’ when it was literally written on his shirt or his jacket when he was proclaiming who he is, I don’t buy it," Schiff stated on NBC News’s Meet the Press. "And for those of us that know Alex, you would be more hard-pressed a more beloved senator on either side of the aisle — respected on both sides of the aisle for his intellect and demeanor. This is not some rabble rouser, and to see him mistreated that way and tackled to the ground and shackled that way, and in the midst of what we’re seeing more broadly in Los Angeles, is just atrocious, and I think all of us that work with him reacted with that kind of revulsion.". Noem confirmed that she spoke with Padilla following his outburst and wished he had chosen to talk to her directly instead of interrupting her address. When Schiff was asked if Padilla should have requested a meeting, the senator said he thought Padilla had requested a meeting, and that he did not see "any kind of responsiveness.". Schiff also vented about the Trump administration’s use of the National Guard to quell the riots in Los Angeles, which cropped up over the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportations of illegal immigrants. He argued that California has a "very special bond of trust" with the National Guard, and that the administration’s deployment of the guard could "potentially erode" this trust.

The Hill [6/15/2025 5:11 PM, Elvia Limon, 18649K] reports Sen. Adam Schiff on Sunday called the handcuffing of fellow California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla "atrocious" after Padilla was forcibly removed for interrupting Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference in Los Angeles. "To see him mistreated that way and tackled to the ground and shackled that way and in the midst of what we’re seeing more broadly in Los Angeles is just atrocious," Schiff told NBC’s Kristen Welker on "Meet The Press." "And I think all of us that work with him reacted with that kind of revulsion.". Schiff defended Padilla, saying he had "every right" to attend Noem’s press conference and ask a question. He also pointed out that Padilla had been escorted into the room and had identified himself before the incident. "He tried to ask the secretary a question, a secretary who clearly doesn’t want to answer questions about the lawless acts of the Department of Homeland Security that we are seeing in Los Angeles," Schiff said. "So he had every right to do so. That’s part of his oversight responsibilities.". "For those of us that know Alex, and you would be hard pressed to find a more beloved senator on either side of the aisle, respected by members on both sides of the aisle, you know, for his intellect, for his demeanor. This is not some rabble-rouser," Schiff added. Video on Thursday shows Padilla being forced to the ground and then handcuffed after interrupting Noem’s press conference, with the lawmaker identifying himself by name and title and saying he wished to ask a question. Trump administration officials said Secret Service agents responded as trained — removing an unknown figure as he pushed his way toward the front of a press conference. In a Thursday post on the social platform 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."

NBC News [6/15/2025 9:54 AM, Staff, 44540K] Video: HERE reports in an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) condemns President Trump’s call to send the National Guard and Marines into Los Angeles amid protests and criticizes the forceful removal of fellow California Sen. Alex Padilla (D) at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference.

New York Post [6/15/2025 11:17 AM, Ryan King, 49956K] reports Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar dined with former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman shortly before before she was tragically gunned down in her home alongside her husband. Klobuchar (D-Minn.) was informed about the heartbreaking loss by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) around 5 a.m. Saturday. “I wish everyone had known her like we knew her,” Klobuchar told Politico. “I was there when she was doorknocking in the beginning. … I was in county office and she was seeking the legislative office.” “She was pretty no-nonsense,” the senator added. “But in a kind way, with a lot of humor.” Hortman, who served as state speaker from 2019 until January 2025, was killed alongside her husband, Mark, early Saturday in a shooting officials say “appears to be a politically motivated assassination.” The suspect, identified as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, dressed like a police officer when carrying out the attack, according to authorities. A massive manhunt is underway for Boelter. Authorities put out an alert in South Dakota and believe he’s “in the vicinity” of the Midwest, Klobuchar said. Boelter is also accused of shooting and badly wounding Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife. The sicko left behind a manifesto naming 70 politicians, such as Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and the state’s congressional delegation. Klobuchar said she was not briefed that she was a potential target. The deranged killer also had “No Kings” flyers in his vehicle, referring to protests against President Trump held across the country Saturday. Boelter had previously been appointed to key posts by Minnesota governors, including a position on the Workforce Development Council in 2016 under then-Gov. Mark Dayton, and again to that board by Walz in 2019, according to documents. Klobuchar was five years into her tenure as County Attorney of Hennepin County in 2004 when Hortman first ascended into Minnesota’s House of Representatives. Around that time, Hortman was juggling her responsibilities of being a politician with teaching Sunday school and leading a Girl Scout troop, Klobuchar recounted. That ability to manage with two kids led her to do “a really good job managing legislators,” the senator reflected to Politico. Klobuchar recounted how Hortman turned the mute button off that the speaker before her used to stop other lawmakers from interrupting. “She’s like ‘I don’t need that. I can use the gavel,’” Klobuchar recalled. “She was just such a skilled legislator at bringing people together.” Klobuchar said she hopes the increased levels of political violence don’t deter good people from seeking office. “I hope good people still run or our democracy won’t stand,” she told the outlet.

Washington Examiner [6/16/2025 3:10 AM, Staff, 1934K] reports the suspected shooter of two Minnesota state legislators was arrested on Sunday evening in a wooded area near his home in Green Isle, Minnesota. Vance Boelter is believed to have shot Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman, her husband, state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife in two separate incidents on Saturday. Hortman and her husband were killed in the attack. In a press conference after Boelter’s arrest, Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) said that political violence can’t be "the norm" in the country, specifically mentioning "mean tweets" and "demeaning" people. He called for people and politicians to work together and demonstrate "decency.” "It cannot be the norm; it cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences," Walz said. "Now is the time for us to recommit to the core values of this country. And each and every one of us can do it.” "It’s not about hatred, it’s not about mean tweets, it’s not about demeaning someone, it’s leading with grace and compassion and vision and compromise and decency," Walz added. "That was taken from us in Minnesota with the murder of Speaker Hortman.” Yet, as Walz condemned inflammatory rhetoric and suggested it was linked to political violence, the former vice presidential candidate has a history of making incendiary comments himself. During last year’s presidential campaign, in October 2024, Walz insinuated that then-candidate Donald Trump’s rally in Madison Square in New York City, New York, was like a 1939 Nazi rally held at the same venue. "Donald Trump’s got this big rally going at Madison Square Garden," said Walz. "There’s a direct parallel to a big rally that happened in the mid-1930s at Madison Square Garden.” "And don’t think that he doesn’t know for one second exactly what they’re doing there," he said. Then, in May 2025, during a speech at the commencement ceremony for the University of Minnesota Law School, Walz referred to ICE agents as the "Gestapo.” "Every single day, the President of the United States finds new ways to trample rights and undermine the rule of law," Walz said. "And I’m going to start with the flashing red light. Donald Trump’s modern-day Gestapo is scooping folks up off the streets.” Walz’s comments drew criticism from Republicans and Department of Homeland Security employees. "Governor Walz’s comments comparing ICE agents to the Gestapo is sickening," said Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, in a statement at the time. "This type of rhetoric and demonization of ICE officers has led to our officers facing a 413% increase in assaults.” "While politicians like Walz fight to protect criminal illegal aliens, our ICE officers will continue putting their lives and safety on the line to arrest murderers, kidnappers, and pedophiles that were let into our country by the previous administration’s open border policies," she added.

The Hill [6/15/2025 5:00 PM, Julia Mueller, 18649K] reports nationwide protests against President Trump’s crackdown on immigration are putting Democrats in tricky political territory ahead of the high-stakes midterms. After demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids roiled Los Angeles and prompted Trump to call in the National Guard despite California’s objections, protests cropped up this week in cities big and small, thrusting to the fore what has been a winning issue for Republicans in recent elections. While many in the party, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), are using the moment to hammer Trump on executive overreach, some also see the controversy as a key opening for Democrats to define themselves on immigration, where the GOP has held the advantage. "Democrats have been so untrusted to handle this issue, in such a deep hole, that unless they reestablish themselves as trusted folks to handle it, they’re not going to be able to take advantage of any chaos or softening [poll numbers] that’s happening with Trump," said Lanae Erickson, senior vice president for social policy and politics at the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way. Trump, who won the White House last fall with promises to "seal" the border and kick-start day–one deportations, has been implementing an aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration in his second term. ICE arrests have topped 100,000 under Trump so far, the White House announced last week, and border czar Tom Homan said workplace immigration enforcement is set to "massively expand" amid the pushback. Protests broke out June 6 after ICE raids in Los Angeles, prompting Trump to call in National Guard troops and Marines, as well as spurring on similar demonstrations in other cities. More were planned for this weekend, though not all are specific to immigration, and set to coincide with Trump’s massive military parade in Washington. The demonstrators have largely been peaceful, but Republicans have seized on scenes of chaos — including a viral clip of a figure brandishing a Mexican flag atop a vehicle amid flames — to support long-standing claims that Democrats are weak on immigration and crime. "My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings and assaulting law enforcement," Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) pointed out on the social platform X this week.

Wall Street Journal [6/15/2025 4:42 PM, Staff, 646K] reports good news on the mass deportation front: President Trump has listened to alarms from farmers and others and offered a reprieve from immigration raids for the agriculture and hospitality industries. We wrote Saturday about the contradictory social-media messages the President was sending last week on deportations. And now we know why. He has instructed the Department of Homeland Security to ease up on deportations on businesses that rely heavily on migrant labor and can’t easily find American citizens to fill in. He has listened to Brooke Rollins, his Agriculture secretary, who warned about economic damage in the Farm Belt. Many recent migrant workers have valid work visas granted by the Biden Administration. Even illegal migrants have some form of resident documentation that looks persuasive. The workers are typically diligent and often do work that would otherwise not get done. Mr. Trump also knows first hand from the Trump Organization’s hotels and resorts the necessity of bringing in workers from abroad on work visas. Labor shortages are routine every summer in the U.S., which is why business groups lobby for more H-2B temporary visas, many of them filled by young people from Europe or Canada. Sending Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to raid farms, hotel cleaning staff and restaurant busboys and cooks is damaging to the economy and a misuse of scarce federal manpower. Better to focus on criminals instead. The ICE exceptions are also smart politics given the nature of Mr. Trump’s political coalition. It includes thousands of small-business employers who were frustrated with federal government regulatory harassment. They don’t want that replaced by ICE agents raiding their workplaces to snatch and deport law-abiding, longtime employees. The coalition also includes Hispanic Americans who live in the communities now frightened by ICE raids.

New York Post [6/15/2025 11:03 AM, Kristi Noem, 49956K] reports the Los Angeles riots have made it crystal clear: Congress’ Big Beautiful Bill is crucial to President Donald Trump’s law-and-order agenda of deporting illegal aliens, securing the border and backing up law enforcement. Last week, violent agitators began attacking federal and local law-enforcement officers in Los Angeles. Failed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris falsely claimed the riots were “overwhelmingly peaceful.” Gov. Gavin Newsom blamed the Trump administration because it dared to deport criminals. The legacy media provided aid and comfort to the rioters, as usual. President Trump, by contrast, took action — sending the National Guard and Marines to maintain civility. Rioters were arrested. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents continued to detain the worst of the worst illegal aliens, despite the danger to officer safety. Yet the riots showed that as we confront the challenge of removing millions of illegal aliens, we also need to stop criminals who resort to violence to disrupt our efforts. To do that, DHS needs more resources and manpower — specifically, more federal law-enforcement officers, more detention beds and more transportation for removals. The One Big Beautiful Bill gets us all three. First, the BBB will allow ICE to hire 10,000 new officers. It’ll also provide Customs and Border Protection funding for 5,000 more customs officers and 3,000 new Border Patrol agents. ICE currently has 20,000 law-enforcement and support personnel in more than 400 offices. A larger force will provide ICE agents with the necessary protection so they can continue to carry out removals. Why are more agents better? Simple: There’s safety in numbers. These rioters are cowards who’ll keep challenging us as long as they think they can get away with it. DHS needs to boost its manpower and resources to both remove illegal aliens and keep things peaceful in the process. Additionally, we need more space for apprehended illegal aliens as they await deportation. The One Big Beautiful Bill funds detention capacity sufficient to maintain an average daily population of at least 100,000, double the current daily average. This will allow the US government to safely detain more violent criminals until we can send them home. Of course, our mission is to remove illegal aliens, not just detain them. The BBB helps with that by providing $14.4 billion for removal transportation. As demonstrated in Los Angeles, we must also limit ICE agents’ risk exposure. Across the country, ICE agents are facing a 413% increase in assaults. That’s why DHS uses an all-of-the-above approach. One method, for example, is the CBP Home app, which incentivizes illegal aliens to self-deport by offering them $1,000 and a one-way flight out of the country. No ICE agents are needed for those removals — which means no threat to their safety. It also saves taxpayers 70% per deportation. The One Big Beautiful Bill will cut down on the number of forced deportations by funding this program and encouraging voluntary deportation via the app. The BBB will fully fund ICE’s 287(g) program, which empowers state and local law enforcement to assist federal immigration officers. That’ll let ICE shift from defense to offense: We can pour resources into the fight against human-trafficking, smuggling, gangs, cartels and foreign terrorist organizations. Meanwhile, successful mass deportations mean nothing if we don’t control the border and keep future illegal aliens out. That’s why the BBB legislation also funds hundreds of miles of new border wall and water-based barriers in the Rio Grande, which will permanently secure the border for decades. I served in Congress for almost a decade. I worked in leadership, and I passed a lot of funding bills. This one is the most important I’ve ever seen for the future of law and order. Without it, DHS officers’ jobs will be that much harder: More rioters will be emboldened, fewer dangerous illegal aliens will be removed, our border will be more difficult to secure and our streets will be less safe. The Trump administration will stop at nothing to secure America’s borders and Make America Safe Again. The One Big Beautiful Bill gives us the means to do that.

The Hill [6/15/2025 2:00 PM, Julie Marzouk, 18649K] reports following two recent terrorist attacks on American soil — one killing a young couple outside the Jewish Museum in D.C., and another firebombing elderly Jews in Colorado — several high-profile politicians have called for the Council on American Islamic Relations to be designated as a terrorist organization. Why is this? CAIR presents itself as a civil rights organization, but it has a longstanding association with Hamas, for which "ample evidence" was cited in a court ruling unsealed in 2010. CAIR was an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation case, the largest foreign terror financing case in U.S. history. This may not be enough on its own for the terrorism designation that those politicians called for, but it is enough that the government should not be conferring special privileges, influence and legitimacy upon CAIR’s most powerful state affiliate, CAIR-California. Since 2015, CAIR-California has enjoyed a special designation that allows non-lawyers on CAIR’s staff to represent clients in immigration proceedings. This accreditation also qualifies CAIR-California to receive certain government funding. This status is a privilege, not a right. According to federal regulations, Executive Office of Immigration Review accreditation is reserved for organizations that are acting in the public interest and maintain ethical and financial accountability. CAIR-California has failed to meet these standards. The Department of Justice should use its lawful authority to revoke CAIR-California’s accreditation with the Executive Office of Immigration Review. CAIR leaders’ open support for terrorist violence — which caused the Biden White House to shun the group after the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks against Israeli civilians — is clearly not in the public interest. In the time since, its extremist rhetoric has been adopted by swaths of activists across America. CAIR’s publications and manuals mimic the incendiary language of its leaders. Immigration law requires providers to assess terrorism-related grounds of inadmissibility. Applicants for asylum, legal permanent residency, and many other forms of immigration relief must attest to their rejection of terrorism and their intent not to further it in the United States. How can CAIR-California be trusted to assess the national security risks of clients when it is promoting the very ideology it is tasked with weeding out?

New York Times [6/15/2025 9:00 AM, Ioan Grillo, 138952K] reports amid days of unrest in Los Angeles, with police officers firing beanbag rounds, protesters waving Mexican flags and the Trump administration sending in thousands of soldiers in what it called a mission to secure the streets, influencers on the Trumpist right started to lay the blame south of the Rio Grande. The loudest voice was that of the activist and author Charlie Kirk, who posted a misleading video for his millions of followers on social media under the headline “Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is a bigger threat to America than Vladimir Putin.” As he put it, “This woman, the president of Mexico, is talking about leading an uprising in the interior of America.” People say a lot of crazy things online, but the argument appeared to get the attention of Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, who echoed it on Tuesday at the White House. “Claudia Sheinbaum came out and encouraged more protests in L.A., and I condemn her for that,” Ms. Noem told reporters. “She should not be encouraging violent protests that are going on.” In fact, the opposite is true. Ms. Sheinbaum, the 62-year-old Mexican president, was quick to speak out against any violence in Los Angeles. “The burning of patrol cars seems more an act of provocation than of resistance,” she said on Monday. “We should be clear: We condemn violence wherever it comes from.” Ms. Sheinbaum has been a reliable partner to Washington since she took power last Oct. 1, putting pressure on drug cartels and their human smuggling networks and giving President Trump one of his few clear wins by helping reduce the flow of undocumented migrants and fentanyl heading north. She has helped ease bilateral tensions over trade and tariffs while, unlike other world leaders, managing to avoid personal confrontations with Mr. Trump. The argument that Ms. Noem and Mr. Kirk are making is not only wrong, it’s also dangerous. It encourages the hawks in Washington who want to unleash unilateral military strikes against cartels in Mexican territory. Deploying drone strikes and Special Forces operations south of the border might appeal to Mr. Trump’s supporters but it would not defeat the cartels, which are sprawling criminal networks with many thousands of affiliates, including some in the United States. It could torpedo the relationship with Mexico, which is proud of its sovereignty, rendering it politically impossible for Ms. Sheinbaum to continue to cooperate with Washington. A fully combative relationship with Mexico, as commentators like Mr. Kirk are gunning for, would almost certainly worsen problems over trade and cartels and inflame additional protests in the United States, as well as in Mexico. Many people in Mexico naturally sympathize with their compatriots facing arrest and deportation under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. And some politicians in Ms. Sheinbaum’s Morena party have been engaging in nationalist oratory since the protests broke out, pointing out that California used to be part of Mexico. But any serious rift is not likely to come from Mexico. It’s not in Mexico’s interests to encourage unrest in its chief trading partner, which shared with it $840 billion in cross-border trade last year. The nationalist sentiments fall far short of a serious political conversation about a “reconquista,” or reconquest, of California. Yes, Mexico suffers from entrenched corruption and could do more to clamp down on politicians and officials linked to drug traffickers. But this problem doesn’t stop at the border. Since the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was created in 2002, incorporating Customs and Border Protection, well over 100 C.B.P. agents and officers have been convicted of crimes, including working with drug traffickers and migrant smugglers.

The Hill [6/15/2025 1:00 PM, Nathan Goodman, 18649K] reports Customs and Border Protection recently confirmed the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, better known as drones, over the unrest in Los Angeles. According to a statement to 404 Media, "Air and Marine Operations" MQ-9 Predators are supporting our federal law enforcement partners in the Greater Los Angeles area, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with aerial support of their operations.". Officially, these drones, which CBP has used since 2005, are supposed to be for border security. CBP states that they are "a critical element of CBP missions to predict, detect, identify, classify, track, deter and interdict border traffic that threatens the continuity of U.S. border security.". That may be true, but the drones are used for quite a bit more than that. CBP frequently lends them to other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies across the country, in some cases for uses that raise questions about civil liberties. Los Angeles is far from the first place where drones have been used to surveil protests and civil unrest. In the three weeks after George Floyd was killed by police in 2020, CBP lent drones to law enforcement agencies in 15 cities. In 2016, indigenous and environmentalist activists protested the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which they argued violated the rights and sovereignty of the Standing Rock Sioux. The local sheriff requested CBP drones to help surveil these protesters, which CBP subsequently provided. Surveillance of anti-pipeline activists with CBP drones didn’t stop there. In 2020, Enbridge, Inc. was planning to build a pipeline and faced similar controversy and protests. CBP flew drones over its planned pipeline route and over the homes of anti-pipeline activists, including the executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network. CBP drones are also often lent to different law enforcement agencies for other activities. In 2012, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates digital freedom and civil liberties, sued the Department of Homeland Security under the Freedom of Information Act to learn how often CBP lent drones to other agencies and why. Multiple federal court rulings have allowed the government to conduct aerial surveillance without a warrant. No court order or even suspicion of a crime is required. Law-abiding citizens far from the border are therefore vulnerable. When governments acquire new tools, they don’t just use them for their original purpose. Government officials, like all people, are creative. This results in "mission creep" as powers quickly expand and are put to new uses. That means the rest of us should ask a simple question: How would you feel if this power were used against you?

CNN’s State of the Union With Jake Tapper and Dana Bash [6/15/2025 12:29 PM, Staff, 421K] reports as Democrats take to the streets in protest, party leaders are urging them to be peaceful. That includes Senator Alex Padilla of California, who was handcuffed by law enforcement this week after interrupting a press conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Senator Padilla walks us through his perspective of events that day. "After being in the room for several minutes, by the way -- you can’t script this in Hollywood. I was in the federal building for a scheduled briefing with representatives of Northern Command when I learned that the secretary of homeland security a couple doors down was having the press conference. My briefing was delayed because some of the folks in that brief were participating in the press conference. So I asked the folks who were escorted me in the building, can we go listen in, in the hopes of some information, in the hopes of some insight as to their justification for the militarization, the escalation of what was happening in Los Angeles? And, surprise, surprise, no substance came from that press conference, just political attacks. And when I heard the secretary, not for the first time in that press conference, talk about the -- needing to liberate the people of Los Angeles from their duly elected mayor and governor, it was at that moment that I chose to try to ask a question. If all the Trump administration was doing was truly focusing on dangerous, violent criminals, as they suggest, there would be no debate. There would be no disagreement. But we have seen story after story after story of hardworking women and men, maybe undocumented, but otherwise law-abiding, good people, being subject to the terror that the -- this immigration enforcement operation is subjecting the people to. I needed to speak up. I needed to try to get the information from the secretary that they have refused to provide in hearing after hearing." Padilla states. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin posted that Padilla -- quote -- "tried to manufacture a viral moment." "Nothing could be further from the truth. Again, what are the odds? I was in a federal building a couple of doors down awaiting a briefing from Northern Command, because I still believe the federalization of the National Guard troops and deployment in Los Angeles was not only unlawful, unjustified, but counterproductive. It’s what’s escalated the tensions in Los Angeles, the -- sending in the Marines as a result. Like, things had been quieting down day after day, so why do you escalate by sending in the Marines? And an opportunity to ask a question, maybe get answers that DHS, including the secretary, will not provide in committee hearings in the Senate, will not respond to the letters that we have sent inquiring. It was an opportunity to ask a question and do my job as a senator, right, do my job as a senator in questioning the Cabinet secretary." Padilla comments.

ABC’s This Week With George Stephanopoulos [6/15/2025 11:57 AM, Staff, 1824K] reports Sen. Amy Klobuchar mourned the two Minnesota state lawmakers shot early Saturday at their homes in what leaders are calling an "act of targeted political violence," calling them "friends" and "decent people" who were simply "trying to represent the people that they were elected to represent." The Minnesota Democrat told ABC News’ "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz that people should "know" the victims of political violence and threats -- in this case, state Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was killed alongside her husband, and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, who underwent surgery after the attack. "She was a true leader, and I loved her work, but was always so grounded and such a decent person. I think that’s probably the best word to describe her. You look at her pictures and you know what she was about. So we miss her greatly, and so when you hear about statistics about political violence and threats, I just want people to know who we’re talking about," Klobuchar said about Hortman. "Or Senator Hoffman. Equally respected. Got into politics because his daughter has spina bifida and she couldn’t get insurance, and he wanted to advocate for her. Decent people who didn’t deserve this to happen to them," Klobuchar continued. Klobuchar described Hortman as an illustrious lawmaker and compassionate public servant, who began her career in public service as a mother with young children who had a background working at her father’s auto parts company. Hortman easily juggled teaching Sunday school, leading a Girl Scout troop and training service dogs for veterans, Klobuchar said. The senator said she first got to know Hortman when she was a young lawmaker and she was struck with how she was able to know "practically every person in her district."

NBC’s Meet the Press [6/15/2025 12:33 PM, Staff] reports Just hours before the death of Melissa Hortman Democratic Senator from Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar was with her enjoying dinner. Senator Klobuchar joins the show today to talk about the assassination of Hortman and the growing political violence in America. "It is this incredible woman that we lost, Melissa Hortman. We think about her family today. Father’s Day today. They not only lost their mom, her two kids, they also lost their dad, and her beloved husband, Mark. I just wish everyone in the political world knew this woman like we know her in Minnesota, loved by Democrats and Republicans. We started out together in politics, moms with young kids. And somehow she was able to balance getting to know every door knock, every house in her district while raising two children. Girl Scout leader. She taught Sunday School. And maybe all that juggling made it easier for her as she worked her way up in the legislature and became this extraordinary Speaker of the House, ushering in everything from free school lunch to working with the governor and other leaders to do some landmark legislation on paid family leave. To this year working with her Republican counterpart, when we pretty much had a tied legislature, to get the budget done. That’s Melissa Hortman, my friend. And when you think about political violence and the statistics of political violence, you’ve got to realize the people who are behind it, and a true public servant that we lost." Klobuchar comments. Klobuchar updates on Senator John Hoffman and his wife, John being another target by the assassin. " So he’s another extraordinary person, got into politics because his daughter has spina bifida, couldn’t get insurance coverage, and went from school board to the state legislature. Also really well-respected. And what I know about them is that they are hanging in there. His wife was out of surgery first, and she’s actually texted some of our mutual friends. And he may face some additional surgeries, but he is also in stable condition right now from what I know. So they had multiple, multiple gun wounds and the first responders were there, the police were there, got them to the hospital, and then had the presence of mind to go over to Leader Hortman’s house, and that’s where they found this perpetrator, this man who seemed to have no limits in terms of the murderous acts that he committed. I will say one more thing, and that is that at that dinner, it was a big political dinner, everyone was rejoicing, happy. The session’s behind them. And that was the last time so many of us saw Melissa and Mark. And the next morning, 5:00 a.m, the governor, Governor Walz, calls me and tells me that we believe that she’s no longer with us." Klobuchar states.

CNN’s State of the Union With Jake Tapper and Dana Bash [6/15/2025 12:29 PM, Staff, 421K] reports officials say more than 20,000 demonstrators took to the streets in L.A. yesterday as part of the nationwide No Kings protests, which were largely peaceful. There was a pocket of unrest outside the federal building. Democratic mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass joins today to comment on how violent things got in her home town. "There were a lot of people out, about 30,000. I will tell you that, out of that big crowd, five people were arrested. About 30 were given citations. And there were injuries on both sides. Officers were injured and so were people that were there. But I think that, one, if the raids hadn’t happened, then that protest would have been a No Kings protest. We know that that was planned months in advance. But the disruption and the fear that has been caused by the raids has really had a devastating effect and has been a body blow to our economy. I don’t think the president understands that we have entire sectors of our economy that cannot function without immigrant labor." Mayor Bass states. At least one individual was detained on Friday by Marines outside the federal building. Marines also faced off with protesters there yesterday. At least one individual was detained on Friday by Marines outside the federal building. Marines also faced off with protesters there yesterday. Bass is asked based on what she’s seen, are the troops being used to conduct law enforcement actions at all? And how long do you expect them to remain in L.A.? "Yesterday, I spent time in the helicopter, so I went all over the city in search of these Marines. And I’m sorry, but I just didn’t see them. What the troops are doing, the federalized National Guard, is protecting the federal building. I think that detention that happened was an isolated incident, and I believe it was outside of the city of Los Angeles. But I do want to dispel the notion that the military is here. We don’t want them here. They don’t need to be here. Our local law enforcement have complete control of this situation. And I will tell you, the 30,000 people were downtown L.A. There were protests in 15 different locations in our city. I flew over each one of them, and they were overwhelmingly peaceful. It’s not shocking that, at the end of a protest, that you’re going to have some confrontation. Of course, I wish there was none at all. But I don’t think that characterized the day at all." Bass states.

CNN’s State of the Union With Jake Tapper and Dana Bash [6/15/2025 12:29 PM, Staff, 421K] reports a shooter posing as a police officer assassinated a state representative and her husband and injured another lawmaker and his wife, and then escaped. The suspect had a target list that included the entire Democratic congressional delegation from the state of Minnesota. Minnesota’s senior Senator Amy Klobuchar joins the show today to comment on the manhunt and remind us all that there are humans behind the politics. Senator Klobuchar was with Representative Hortman hours before she passed. What is known about the manhunt and motive behind the killings? Klobuchar says that what is known from the list, Planned Parenthood was mentioned. Other things on the manifesto pointed to clear political motivation. "Melissa Hortman is the most incredible person, that I wish everyone in the nation knew her, went into politics with little kids. That’s how I got to know her. We were both moms and politics. Taught Sunday school, Girl Scout leader, balanced all of it, and ends up moving up in the legislature to be a beloved speaker of the House, getting through with the governor free lunch, getting through with the governor all the work she did on paid family leave, and then this year, with a tied legislature, negotiates with her Republican counterpart and is able to get a budget done. She was extraordinary. And so, when you hear about political violence, Dana, you have got to look at the face of this woman and understand how real this is." Klobuchar states. Klobuchar goes on to say that there is a $50,000 reward from the FBI for information about the assassin. "We ask people to come forward. The chilling picture for us is the one where he had put on a mask. He’s very smart. He’s very evil. And that picture is taken from a Ring camera from a doorbell that many Americans may have right before he killed our friends. " Klobuchar states.

FOX News Sunday [6/15/2025 12:33 PM, Staff] reports Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter on what success looks like in their mission against Iran and why Iran cannot have nuclear weapons.

Axios [6/15/2025 7:34 PM, Kristal Dixon and Thomas Wheatley, 13599K] reports at least eight people, including a journalist, were arrested in DeKalb County over the weekend during a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. That protest occurred on the same day as the "No Kings" rallies held in Atlanta and across the country. Organizers of the nationwide events said Saturday’s demonstrations were the biggest single-day anti-President Trump gatherings during his second administration, Axios’ April Rubin and Rebecca Falconer report. The protests were held the same day as President Trump’s military parade commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and his 79th birthday. The DeKalb County Police Department has not released the identities of the people arrested or the charges they face. According to the AJC, officers dressed in riot gear arrived when people were trying to march in the street at the intersection of Chamblee Tucker and Northcrest roads. In a statement, the DeKalb County government said demonstrators tried to march towards the interstate and officers "issued multiple lawful commands" for them to get back on the sidewalk. When "those commands were not followed," DeKalb police called in additional support from its Tactical Response Team and the Georgia State Patrol. Tear gas was deployed to "prevent further escalation and ensure public safety," the county said. Police also asked people who were wearing face coverings or masks to remove them, and at least two people were detained in handcuffs, the AJC reports. Among those arrested was Mario Guevara, a prominent metro Atlanta journalist known for his reporting on immigration raids. DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said Saturday in a statement that the freedom to protest is "fundamental and respected." "But when a protest shifts from peaceful and law-abiding to one that threatens public safety and disregards lawful orders, I trust our officers to respond appropriately," she said. "Our duty is to protect both the rights of individuals and the wellbeing of the broader community."

Chicago Tribune [6/15/2025 7:39 PM, Carolyn Stein and Nell Salzman, 3987K] reports Natalia Cardenas, 28, cried on Father’s Day. The Cardenas family arrived in Chicago from Colombia three years ago and believed Jose Manuel, 49, was reporting for a routine appointment as part of the asylum process — a form of protection for people fleeing danger in their home countries. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained Cardenas’ father. After that, their calls to him stopped going through. "We don’t know where he is … whether he’s OK," Cardenas said in tears, in front of an immigration processing center in Broadview after watching her dad go inside. Manuel was detained with a woman, also from Colombia, according to an immigration attorney who was with them during their appointment. On Friday, dozens of families in immigration proceedings received a text message from the federal government instructing them to report on Sunday to the Broadview center for a check-in appointment. Most left their appointment wearing ankle monitors and were given instructions to report to an office downtown that houses the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, an alternative to detention through check-ins or other forms of supervision, such as ankle monitors. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment confirming the number of detainees or the reason for their detention. The processing center in Broadview is usually the first stop for individuals arrested by ICE in Illinois. At the processing center in the western suburbs, ICE determines whether to initiate removal proceedings, the formal process by which the United States determines whether an immigrant must leave the country. Because Illinois is prohibited from operating immigration detention centers, if someone is detained, they will be sent to a detention center in a neighboring state while they wait for trial. Cardenas didn’t know where her father would go or how to get in contact with him. "We don’t have a lawyer," she said Sunday. "We don’t have a way to pay for a lawyer.". The messages from ICE, along with an increased number of arrests at immigration courts and other offices in the area, represent an escalation from previous immigration procedures, according to Tenoch Rodriguez, deportation defense organizer with Resurrection Project. On June 4, advocates estimated 20 people were detained after they reported for appointments to an ISAP office in the 2200 block of South Michigan Avenue.

Breitbart [6/15/2025 10:41 AM, Amy Furr, 3077K] reports rioters targeted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building on Portland, Oregon, on Saturday, reportedly leaving several police officers injured after the city’s anti-Trump "No Kings" protest took place. Organizers had planned for the protests to happen across the nation as President Donald Trump celebrated the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary with a parade, fireworks, and music in Washington, DC, according to Breitbart News. Fox News reported on Saturday that Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the outlet the Portland incident involved a mob launching fireworks, smoke grenades, and rocks at federal officers. She also said the group broke into the ICE facility. "Four officers were injured during the attack, though federal law enforcement was able to secure the facility," the report stated. One clip shared online caught the moment the rioters, most of whom were dressed in dark clothing, chanted, "This is what democracy looks like!": Journalist Andy Ngô shared video footage of officers holding their line against the protesters whom he said were members of Antifa: The "No Kings" protest happened around 1:00 p.m. and the Fox report said tens of thousands marched during the event that ended five miles from the ICE building. At that site, Portland Police Bureau (PPB) declared an unlawful assembly that evening. "About 30 minutes later, PPB said a medical event was reported within the ICE facility and medical personnel needed to enter. They warned rioters not to interfere with police, or ‘force may be used against you,’ the bureau wrote on social media," the outlet stated. When PPB officers later noticed criminal activity they said they would start arresting people at the scene. KOIN reported on Saturday that police said they arrested one individual who was accused of assaulting an officer.

FOXNews.com [6/15/2025 8:37 AM, Stephen Sorace, 46878K] reports multiple rioters in Portland, Oregon, were arrested Saturday night after planned protests descended into a riot near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility and left four officers injured. Three people were arrested after officers responded to "criminal activity" happening near the federal building in the South Portland Neighborhood, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) said in a press release early Sunday. "The arrests were strictly focused on criminal actions, and not constitutionally protected free speech," PPB said. "Individuals who engaged in violent activity or property destruction will be investigated and are subject to arrest and prosecution.". The riot came after the city hosted a "No Kings" protest at 1 p.m., which officials labeled a "large-scale free speech gathering" with tens of thousands of people marching in demonstration. Police responded to the federal facility just before 6 p.m. after learning that a federal officer had suffered an injury from the crowd, PPB said. PPB told the crowd that a medical event was reported within the ICE facility, warning the crowd not to interfere with the medical response. Police said once the situation stabilized, officers learned that the federal officer did not need medical treatment. PPB then declared a riot due to ongoing criminal activity in the area. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital on Saturday that a mob launched fireworks, smoke grenades and threw rocks at federal law enforcement as they broke glass and forcibly entered the ICE facility.

CNN [6/15/2025 7:00 AM, Ray Sanchez, Priscilla Alvarez and Natasha Chen, 21433K] reports that, days before immigration raids sparked sometimes violent protests and the deployment of US troops in Los Angeles, Nancy Raquel Chirinos Medina said, her husband received a "strange" text. The message from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement directed the father of two with one on the way to come to a federal building downtown with his family. "It really surprised us, especially because it said the whole family had to be there … It was strange," recalled Chirinos Medina, an asylum seeker from Honduras along with her husband. They routinely checked in with ICE, she said, but their next appointment wasn’t until September. Chirinos Medina, who’s nine weeks pregnant, as well as her husband, their 8-year-old son, and their US-born toddler, wound up among the nearly 20 immigrant families detained by ICE for hours at that Los Angeles federal building the first Wednesday in June, she said. There were few answers about what was happening and, that night, her husband was arrested and later transferred to an ICE detention center to face deportation. "Dad isn’t coming back, is he?" their young son asked Chirinos Medina late that night. He cried the entire 90-minute drive back home to Lancaster, a city in northern Los Angeles County. "We entered as a family of four and only three of us left," said Chirinos Medina, who – with her husband and son – came to the US four years ago. They’re in the process of appealing an immigration court decision denying their asylum claim. Her husband, Randal Isaias Bonilla Mejia, has not returned home. A court order bars his deportation until the family’s asylum claim is adjudicated. The events that unfolded that Wednesday, and the days that followed, illustrate the human toll of more aggressive methods the Trump administration have taken to detain migrants in the United States — taking into custody those who arrive for routine check-ins, while also conducting workplace raids that have unleashed waves of fear across Southern California and beyond. A curfew was imposed in parts of downtown Los Angeles last week after fiery weekend protests outside the same complex of government buildings where Chirinos Medina’s husband was detained.

FOX News [6/15/2025 12:28 PM, Emma Colton Fox, 46878K] reports riots have gripped Los Angeles since June 6, as agitators took to the streets to burn American flags, set cars ablaze and hurl heavy objects at federal law enforcement in a violent display of rejection of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Fox News Digital took a look back at the most viral and violent moments of the riots, as captured in photos, following renewed protests on Saturday evening as thousands poured onto LA streets as part of the "No Kings Day" protests that unfolded in cities nationwide. The protests on Saturday were planned for the same day as Trump’s birthday and when the president held a massive military parade in Washington, D.C., honoring the Army’s 250th anniversary. Riots broke out in L.A. the evening of Friday, June 6, after federal law enforcement officials converged on the city to carry out immigration raids. State and local leaders, such as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom, quickly denounced the raids in public statements while offering words of support for illegal immigrants in the state. Protests over the raids soon devolved into violence as rioters targeted federal law enforcement officials, including launching rocks at officials, with videos showing people looting local stores, setting cars on fire and taking over a freeway. Trump announced last weekend that 2,000 National Guard members would be deployed to help quell the violence, while the administration additionally deployed hundreds of Marines to respond to anti-immigration chaos on Monday evening as the violence continued. "If I didn’t ‘SEND IN THE TROOPS’ to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground right now," Trump posted to Truth Social on Tuesday morning. California launched a lawsuit against the administration for activating the National Guard, which bypassed the governor, who typically deploys the National Guard during a state of emergency. A U.S. district judge sided with Newsom and his administration’s lawsuit in a decision Thursday ordering Trump to return control of the Guard to the state "forthwith." A federal appeals court on Thursday, however, issued an administrative stay of the lower court’s order, handing the Trump administration a temporary win. Federal officials pinned blame for the violence on Democratic elected officials who have "villainized and demonized" ICE law enforcement, Fox News Digital previously reported. "The violent targeting of law enforcement in Los Angeles by lawless rioters is despicable and Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom must call for it to end," Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote in a statement last weekend. "The men and women of ICE put their lives on the line to protect and defend the lives of American citizens. . . . From comparisons to the modern-day Nazi gestapo to glorifying rioters, the violent rhetoric of these sanctuary politicians is beyond the pale. This violence against ICE must end.". As footage of rioters launching rocks and other heavy objects at police, looting stores, setting cars on fire and shutting down highways spread across social media, critics of the violence balked at how many of the rioters waved Mexican flags in an act of defiance against the Trump administration’s efforts to deport the millions of illegal immigrants, while burning the American flag. Menacing graffiti deriding Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calling for people to "kill a cop" as well as graffiti threatening Trump’s life have been spotted around the city. The U.S. Secret Service confirmed on Thursday that it is "aware" of the graffiti messages threatening, "Kill Trump.".

FOX News [6/16/2025 4:00 AM, Stepheny Price, 46878K] reports that, as the anti-ICE riots and unrest continue in Los Angeles and across many major U.S. cities, a retired FBI agent says serious charges could be coming against those who are wreaking havoc. "Federal authorities may describe violent actions during protests as ‘domestic terrorism’ if there is evidence the individuals intended to intimidate the public or influence government decisions through force," Jason Pack, a retired FBI special agent, told Fox News Digital. "While federal law defines domestic terrorism, there is no specific criminal charge by that name," Pack explained. A spokesperson for the Department of Justice told Fox News Digital that "nothing is off the table" at this point. "As directed by the Attorney General, this Department of Justice will charge the most serious readily provable offenses. In each of these cases, we are carefully following the evidence to seek the strongest sentences permissible by law against these domestic terrorists, and nothing is off the table." Pack added that prosecutors would "typically use existing laws to file charges such as arson, assault on federal officers, destruction of property, or conspiracy.” "Importantly, peaceful protesters who exercise their First Amendment rights without violence are not subject to terrorism investigations or charges. The term is only applied when criminal acts cross the line into ideologically driven violence," Pack said. Pack said while there is no "specific crime called domestic terrorism" in U.S. law, the government still uses that term to describe certain dangerous acts. "If someone commits a violent crime — like setting fires, attacking police, or destroying government property — and they do it to scare people or push a political belief, the FBI can treat it as domestic terrorism," Pack explained. John Yoo, a former deputy assistant attorney general and UC Berkeley law professor, echoed Pack and said that the Department of Justice (DOJ) "has plenty of grounds to charge people with obstruction of federal officers and of justice.” Pack emphasized again that this does not apply to peaceful demonstrators, only "those who commit or plan acts of violence with political motive.” "While the actual charges come from other criminal laws, the terrorism label can lead to more serious investigations and tougher sentences," Pack said. However, Pack said that "protest-related violence" that is carried out by individuals with anarchist or anti-government beliefs is more likely to be labeled as domestic terrorism. "Federal agencies like the FBI and Department of Homeland Security consider anarchist violent extremists part of the domestic terrorism threat landscape, especially when violence is organized, politically motivated, and targets law enforcement or government institutions," Pack said. "The anarchists plan before they even show up. They use encrypted messaging apps like Signal and Telegram to coordinate everything: where to meet, who brings what. They discuss how to blend in, where to watch police, and how to respond when law enforcement pushes back," Pack continued.

NewsNation [6/15/2025 9:07 PM, Will Conybeare, 5801K] reports the Los Angeles Police Department says more than 500 arrests have been made in connection with protest activity over the course of eight days. In a media release issued Sunday, LAPD confirmed that, since June 8, a total of 561 arrests were made related to protests across Los Angeles. A dozen LAPD officers have been injured due to protest activity since June 8 as well, LAPD said, including three on Saturday. According to police, 38 arrests were made on Saturday night for various charges, including 35 for curfew violations, one for failure to disperse, one for resisting, obstructing or delaying a police officer and one for resisting arrest. "During the crowd control situation, numerous less-lethal munitions were used," LAPD’s media release stated. The department was unable to comment on one man’s testicle being "shattered" after he was shot by a rubber bullet from close range. Saturday’s protests were part of the "No Kings" movement that spurred demonstrations across Southern California and across America. They remained much more peaceful than the protests over federal immigration raids in the L.A. area over the past week that, at times, turned violent and destructive.

New York Times [6/15/2025 3:12 PM, Mattathias Schwartz, Abbie VanSickle, Hamed Aleaziz and Eric Schmitt] reports that, somewhere inside Camp Lemonnier, an American military base in the East African nation of Djibouti, eight men, all convicted of serious crimes in the United States, are under the guard of officers from the Homeland Security Department. The Trump administration had planned to send the men, who had come to the United States years ago as immigrants from across the world, on to the war-torn country of South Sudan, an extraordinary gambit and part of President Trump’s broader plan for mass deportations. Then an order from a federal judge, on the other side of the planet in Boston, put a halt to the plan, at least for now. And so for the past 16 days, the men have been in limbo, living and sleeping inside a modular, air-conditioned container that the military usually uses as a conference room. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have the detainees under “constant surveillance,” accompanying them on their trips to the bathroom and then searching them for contraband when they return, a D.H.S. spokeswoman said. The detainees’ fate has emerged as a key test in the constitutional battle over the scope of due process. The White House is making a bold claim, arguing that handing immigrants a one-page document is sufficient to deport them to a dangerous country to which they have no previous connection. A reconstruction of the men’s surreal journey from South Texas to Camp Lemonnier reveals a chaotic effort by the Trump administration to make an example of a group of immigrants the administration has termed “the worst of the worst.” At first, the detainees were told that they were going to be sent to South Africa, but hours later were told it would be South Sudan instead. What was to happen to them next — whether they were to have been imprisoned or set free — is unclear. The judge, Brian E. Murphy of the District of Massachusetts, found that D.H.S. had given the men less than 24 hours’ notice before they were deported, in violation of a court order that migrants in their position be given a “meaningful opportunity” to voice a reasonable fear of torture. Top military leaders at U.S. Africa Command were provided little more than a day’s notice that D.H.S. would be using one of their overseas bases as a way station for an immigration enforcement operation, according to a military official briefed on the matter. The case has implications that could extend beyond the due-process rights of immigrants, according to Sarah Sherman-Stokes, a professor at Boston University School of Law.

Reuters [6/15/2025 5:00 PM, Humeyra Pamuk, 51390K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is considering significantly expanding its travel restrictions by potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the United States, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters. Earlier this month, the Republican president signed a proclamation that banned the entry of citizens from 12 countries, saying the move was needed to protect the United States against "foreign terrorists" and other national security threats. The directive was part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members, as well as efforts to deny enrollments of some foreign students from U.S. universities and deport others. In an internal diplomatic cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and sought corrective action. "The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days," the cable sent out over the weekend said.

CBS News [6/15/2025 7:00 AM, Cara Tabachnick, 51860K] reports the Facebook message that popped into her account started as a flirtation: "Hey, how are you?". She had newly arrived from Bangladesh to study for her master’s in information technology on a student visa in 2022 and wasn’t interested in a relationship. She liked the message. Then he texted again a few days later, "Hey, I have tickets to a Broadway show.". She had never been to a Broadway show before, so she went — and their whirlwind first date quickly turned to love for her and then marriage. On Feb. 14, 2024, the couple joined the line to get married at the New York City courthouse. "I brought a white dress online, not very fancy and white shoes, tiara and flowers," she said. "I was smiling, just looking at him. I felt really good.". Her new husband filed for a green card for his wife. A temporary one was granted, and she moved to his family’s house in Brooklyn. Now, just a little more than a year later, the 31-year-old woman, who asked CBS News not to use her name due to safety fears, has separated from her husband after alleging abuse — and is now worried about being deported. As immigration enforcement raids increase in the U.S. – including operations in Los Angeles, which led to protests that prompted President Trump to mobilize National Guard troops — communities are shaken watching the deportations of families, friends and co-workers. One community that’s especially vulnerable, experts say, are victims of domestic violence. Crystal Justice, chief external affairs officer at the National Domestic Violence Hotline, told CBS News in a statement that they have seen abusive partners "threatening to deport a partner or their family or withholding legal documents to limit a person’s ability to travel.". Many immigrants are in the U.S. on a visa supported by a U.S. citizen, or are undocumented, with few protections. Often, as the relationship spirals into abuse allegations, spurned or angered partners can threaten to deport their loved ones with uncertain immigration statuses. Esther Limb, immigration practice director at Her Justice in New York City, a not-for-profit that advises and trains attorneys to provide free legal help to women, said there has been a rise in the threats of deportations by abusers. "While using immigration status against their victims is a common tactic used by many abusers, by echoing the anti-immigrant rhetoric and pointing to immigration enforcements happening in their communities, the threat of deportation by abusive spouses is louder than ever and allows abusers to wield greater power and control over their victims," Limb said. Limb represents numerous clients — including the one interviewed for this CBS News piece — in filing petitions to stay in the U.S. after alleging domestic violence. Waiting for an answer to these petitions can take years due to backlogs and vetting for the applications. Immigrants who allege abuse can file to stay in the U.S. under the Violence Against Women Act, but those petitions can come with a wait of sometimes more than 36 months for an answer. These applicants are close relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, and they can file for status on their own, without the abuser’s knowledge, consent or participation. There were 35,917 VAWA petitions in 2024, according to data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Petition filings have increased by more than 350% in the last decade. In 2014, there were 7,130 filings.

FOX News [6/16/2025 4:00 AM, Adam Sabes, 46878K] reports a former FBI agent says the number of people who overstay their visa in the U.S. is a "national security issue" following the terror attack in Boulder, Colorado that left 15 people injured. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who’s suspected of firebombing a group of peaceful pro-Israel protesters on June 1 leaving 15 people injured, arrived in the United States on Aug. 27, 2022 on a B1/B2 non-immigrant visa, sources told Fox News. His visa was set to end on Feb. 26, 2023, but he received work authorization. Soliman is an Egyptian national. Soliman’s work authorization ended in March 2025, around three months before he allegedly attacked the group of pro-Israel protesters. A report from the Department of Homeland Security shows around 400,000 individuals were suspected to have overstayed their visas in fiscal year 2023, the most recent year there’s government data on the issue. These are individuals who lawfully obtained a visa to enter the United States, but didn’t leave when they were supposed to. Former FBI special agent Jonathan Gilliam told Fox News Digital visa overstays are a national security issue. "I think we’ve shown that it’s a national security threat. We’ve shown just by what we’ve seen in Boulder, Colorado, but… there’s numerous other issues that have occurred in this country by people who have overstayed their visas, and I don’t believe that people understand the numbers of these individuals," Gilliam said. Between fiscal years 2020 and 2023, Department of Homeland Security data shows that over 1.5 million people have overstayed their visas. Gilliam said the longer it takes for reforms to be implemented to the visa system, the likelihood of another attack only increases. "All of this has to be looked at, but just looking at what happened in Boulder, that could happen over and over again because the system of monitoring people who are here on a visa is almost nonexistent once they get in here," Gilliam said. "And if they’re idealistic or if they get cultivated to believe in a radical way, there’s nothing stopping them.” One thing Gilliam said should be looked at is monitoring people who are in the U.S. on visas, as he says there are enough systems in place to track those individuals in real time. "We have to come up with better ways to track them, people who will vouch for them. And if we have that in place, along with policies that back the laws, it’ll be much easier to determine who is here, where they are, and if they’ve overstayed," he said. While Soliman was in the United States on a B1/B2 visa, he obtained work authorization that allowed him to have jobs at Vero Health and Uber.

New York Post [6/15/2025 12:55 PM, Andrew Arthur, 49956K] reports while ICE arrests and deportations have grabbed headlines, President Trump is also running a separate but complementary "mass deportation" program — one that encourages aliens here unlawfully to go home voluntarily. And if reports are correct, that plan is more successful than anyone could have imagined. Based on government data, my organization, the Center for Immigration Studies, has conservatively estimated there are about 15.4 million illegal aliens in the United States, a 50% increase over the four tumultuous years of the Biden administration. That’s no surprise, given how Biden and his Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ignored congressional detention mandates and ushered millions of illegal migrants into the United States. Trump rode a wave of concerns about the costs those migrants are imposing on schools, hospitals, housing, and essential government services in cities and towns across the United States to a second term. Now that he’s back in the Oval Office, it’s up to him, "border czar" Tom Homan, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to drive the unauthorized population down and restore credibility to our immigration system. They’ve implemented a two-track plan to tackle this onerous task. One of those tracks relies on arrests and deportations of aliens unlawfully here, which at the outset has focused mainly on criminals (the "worst first" strategy). The other track is more subtle but also cheaper for taxpayers and arguably much more effective —encouraging illegal migrants here to self-deport. Noem rebranded the notorious CBP One app — which the Biden administration used to funnel hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants into our country — as "CBP Home," which aliens can use to "notify the U.S. Government of their intent to depart". That rebranding coincided with an offer of financial incentives for aliens who leave voluntarily, a stipend of $1,000. That’s in lieu of costly physical deportation, which can cost taxpayers $17,100 per person on average. The Washington Post claims "a million foreign-born workers have exited the workforce since March." The Post frames this as "a sign of the weakening labor supply." Yet the paper also notes, "Average hourly wages accelerated, rising by 0.4 percent over the month, to $36.24 in May, as earnings continue to beat inflation in a boost to workers’ spending power.". In other words, with fewer illegal immigrants, businesses had to raise wages to attract workers. But aliens will only leave if they believe Trump and Homan are serious about arrests, and employers know the feds are targeting shady businesses. DHS can’t arrest and deport 15.4 million illegal aliens, but if it simply enforces the law, many aliens will get the message and leave on their own — as hundreds of thousands apparently already have.

New York Times [6/15/2025 8:00 AM, Jenna Russell and Hilary Swift, 330K] reports on the front porch of her tidy yellow house on Canusa Street — so named because it runs along the border with Canada in tiny Beebe Plain, Vt. — Jan Beadle recently removed the American flag and hung a Canadian one in its place. Ms. Beadle, who has lived along the border for 71 years, hoped that the red maple leaf rippling in the breeze would send a message to her neighbors in the country across the way: I stand with you. And I’m sorry. “I do feel like it reflects on me, somehow,” she said of President Trump’s frequent jabs at Canada, including his imposition of steep new tariffs and his talk of making it the 51st state. “As a kid, my family went to church in Canada. I went to the movie theater there, and to a youth club. We were just a group of kids together. We weren’t labeled as Canadian or American.” The economic impact of Mr. Trump’s trade war with Canada is already palpable on both sides of the border. Economic data shows a steep drop-off in spending by Canadians at Vermont hotels and restaurants; normally, 750,000 Canadian visitors spend $150 million in the state each year. Governors of New England states plan to meet on Monday in Boston with leaders from five Canadian provinces to strategize about the strain in their trade relations. But in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, where many towns and villages sit close by the border, residents also fear the loss of a kinship that has run deep for as long as they can remember. “This place is special,” said Mark Mohrmann, a longtime resident of Coventry, Vt. “The border has historically meant nothing here.” Few in this pastoral, sparsely populated land could have imagined that tensions would escalate as quickly as they have. Since February, Mr. Trump has imposed 25 percent tariffs on some Canadian goods, and repeatedly asserted that Canada would be “better off” as the “51st state.” In response, Canadian officials retaliated by placing 25 percent tariffs on American goods. The chill persisted last month when Mr. Trump met with Mark Carney, the new prime minister of Canada, at the White House. After Mr. Carney informed the president that Canada “won’t be for sale, ever” — noting hopefully that “the opportunity is in the partnership” — Mr. Trump told him, “Never say never.” In places like Beebe Plain and neighboring Derby Line, Vt., the breakdown in relations has generated unexpectedly strong feelings. Embarrassment and sadness prevail on the American side. Anger and hurt dominate in Canada. Both places have long taken pride in the border-straddling library they share in Derby Line, where a strip of worn black tape across the floor is the only barrier between the two countries. “It’s like you have a trusted friend who suddenly reaches out and slaps you,” said Alexandra Scott, a resident of Stanstead, Quebec, just across the border from the two villages. “It’s a shocking blow to our economy and psyche, and I don’t know if it will ever be the same.” The issue turned personal for residents of the two towns this winter, when the Trump administration ordered new restrictions at the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, a beloved local symbol of their friendship. Canadian patrons had long been allowed to walk across the border to the library’s front door, in the United States. But after Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, made a surprise visit in January, the administration said that practice would end, and Canadians would need to pass through the local border station with their passports. In response, library leaders resolved to create a new Canadian entrance, a plan that has spurred an outpouring of support from both countries and $220,000 in donations.

New York Times [6/15/2025 10:25 PM, Jennifer Medina, 153395K] reports they swept into the Southern California car lot last Thursday at 4:32 p.m. — masked and armed Border Patrol agents in an unmarked white S.U.V. One agent soon twisted Jason Brian Gavidia’s arm and pressed him against a black metal fence outside the lot where he runs an auto body shop in Montebello, a working-class suburb east of the Los Angeles city limits. Another officer then asked him an unusual question to prove whether he was a U.S. citizen or an undocumented immigrant. “What hospital were you born at?” the Border Patrol agent asked. Mr. Gavidia, 29, was born only a short drive from where they were standing, in East Los Angeles. He did not know the hospital’s name. “I was born here,” he shouted at the agent, adding, “I’m an American, bro!” Mr. Gavidia was eventually released as he stood on the sidewalk. But another U.S. citizen, Javier Ramirez, 32 — Mr. Gavidia’s friend and co-worker — had been forced facedown to the ground by two agents in the car lot. Mr. Ramirez was put inside a van and driven to a federal detention center, where he remains in custody. Mr. Ramirez’s lawyer said that officials at the detention center had denied his request to speak to his client. “I know enough to know this is not right at all,” Mr. Gavidia said in an interview. “Latinos in general are getting attacked. We’re all getting attacked.” A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection, the Border Patrol’s parent agency, said that the agents were conducting a lawful immigration enforcement operation. The spokesperson said one person had attempted to flee the scene, had assaulted an agent in the process and was arrested for having assaulted and interfered with agents. Another person was detained on the street for investigation for interference but was released after being confirmed to be a U.S. citizen. And a third person, the official said, was determined to be “an illegal alien” and was taken into custody without incident. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Homeland Security Department, which oversees the Border Patrol as well as Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement that Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, “has been clear: If you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Ms. McLaughlin did not address several questions about the incident, including why the agents went to that site, why they asked Mr. Gavidia which hospital he was born at and if that questioning was typical of the Border Patrol.

CBS News [6/15/2025 9:26 PM, Staff, 51860K] reports flash flooding caused by torrential rains killed five people — including a 3-year-old child — in northern West Virginia and rescue crews were searching for several missing people Sunday, while authorities were assessing damage to roads, bridges, natural gas lines and other infrastructure. Officials said 2.5 to 4 inches of rain fell in parts of Wheeling and Ohio County within about half an hour on Saturday night. The unexpected deluge overwhelmed local waterways and infrastructure and submerged vehicles in small towns east of the Ohio River, including in Triadelphia and Valley Grove, CBS affiliate WTRF reported. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Sunday night that three residents were also missing, and more rain and flooding were possible. The governor said at an earlier news conference that he’s working closely with authorities from FEMA. Authorities said vehicles were swept into swollen creeks, some people sought safety in trees and a mobile home caught fire. First responders successfully completed 19 swift water rescues, according to Morrisey. "We almost immediately started getting 911 calls for rescue of people being trapped," Lou Vargo, Ohio County’s emergency management director, said at a news conference Sunday. "During this time, we had major infrastructure damage to roads, bridges, and highways, where we couldn’t respond to a lot of incidents. So we were delayed in getting there because there was just so much damage.". Vargo added: "It happened so quickly and so fast. … I’ve been doing this for 35 years. I’ve seen major floods here in the city and the county. I’ve never seen anything like this.". Jim Blazier, the fire chief in Wheeling in the state’s northern panhandle, said crews performed rescue operations into Sunday’s early morning hours. He said first responders regrouped Sunday morning and were focused on an area from the Ohio state line across the Ohio River to Wheeling Creek. "We’re searching the banks, we’re searching submerged vehicles, any debris we find along the trail and so forth," Blazier said. "We’re using drones, search dogs and swift water personnel, and we have teams organized that are searching sectors that we’re trying to recover anybody that’s missing.". CNN [6/15/2025 6:53 PM, Michelle Watson, Amanda Musa, 21433K] reports that parts of Ohio County "have major infrastructure damage to roads, bridges and highways," delaying search and rescue efforts, said Lou Vargo, Director Wheeling-Ohio County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. Displaced individuals and families can seek shelter at Elm Grove Elementary in Wheeling, Vargo said. At least 12 people showed up to the school last night, he added. Resources were "quickly overwhelmed" Saturday, according to Wheeling Fire Department Chief Jim Blazier. But "this morning, we regrouped," Blazier said noting that conditions have improved. "We’re searching the banks, submerged vehicles, any debris that we find along the trail and so forth," he said.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [6/15/2025 2:01 PM, Amanda Holpuch, 153395K]
Washington Post [6/15/2025 6:45 PM, Dana Hedgpeth, 32099K]
AP [6/16/2025 4:00 AM, Staff, 56000K]
Reuters [6/15/2025 8:46 PM, Idrees Ali, 51390K]

Politico [6/15/2025 7:00 AM, Arek Sarkissian, 2100K] reports the Trump administration’s talk about drastically altering FEMA’s role in disaster recovery has generated heavy uncertainty. But hurricane season is now in full-swing, and with more experience in storm recovery than any other state, Florida’s local emergency management officials are trying to stay focused on staying prepared. Florida’s storm season began June 1. With the most active, historically volatile stretch a couple months away, county emergency managers have no time to plan for changes that FEMA, the White House and conservative allies have been discussing for some time. Instead, the state’s disaster recovery network has decided to rely on itself — even if they may need federal assistance down the road. Jonathan Lord, president of the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association, said most county managers determined the risk of a powerful storm is greater than six months of talk about ways to cut federal disaster funding. “Emergency managers can’t let that noise blur what they need to do for their community,” Lord said. “Whatever our federal government decides to do, we at the local level will just morph or evolve our programs to adjust to that new reality.” Florida has the history to back up their prep work: The devastation from Category 5 Hurricane Andrew in 1992 prompted officials to create a statewide emergency network that became a model for other states to follow. This safety net is fine-tuned after every hurricane season, from evacuation and sheltering plans managed by counties, to new training and education requirements for county emergency managers recently finalized by the state Legislature. But despite Florida’s experience and expertise, the state historically has also relied on tens of billions of recovery dollars provided by FEMA. In most cases, the agency will agree to reimburse 75 percent of recovery costs incurred by the state, counties and municipalities impacted by a hurricane. But in many cases, FEMA has also agreed to cover 100 percent of the costs if the loss was deemed catastrophic, or if the community had no other means to cover repair bills.

New York Post [6/15/2025 8:30 PM, Daryl Khan, 49956K] reports Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran Sunday of orchestrating the two failed assassination attempts on President Trump during his third presidential campaign last year. Netanyahu characterized Trump as the greatest threat to Iran and its ambitions for acquiring a nuclear weapon — claiming that’s why the rogue regime tried to murder him, in a shocking moment during an interview with Brett Baier of Fox News. "These people who chant, ‘Death to America,’ tried to assassinate President Trump twice," Netanyahu said as he was making his case to the American people for launching attacks on Iran amid the Islamic republic and Israel’s deadly exchange of missiles over the weekend. "Do you want these people to have nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to your cities?" Netanyahu asked. "Of course not. So we’re defending ourselves, but we’re also defending the world.". Baier seemed taken aback by Netanyahu’s comments and asked the prime minister to expand on the incendiary accusation. "You just said Iran tried to assassinate President Trump twice," the Fox News anchor said. "Do you have intel that the assassination attempts on President Trump were directly from Iran?". "Through proxies, yes," Netanyahu replied. "Through their intel, yes. They want to kill him.". American security agencies have never tied the two assassination attempts to the rogue regime, but in a speech in September, Trump suggested Iran was behind them. Iranian leadership has steadfastly denied any involvement. Netanyahu then joked about how Trump wasn’t the only one they targeted – but stressed that he was the regime’s number one adversary. "Look, they also tried to kill me, but I’m his junior partner. They understand that President Trump is a great threat to Iran’s plans to weaponize nuclear weapons and use them," he said. In November, the feds accused an unnamed agent from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard of recruiting Farhad Shakeri, 51, to "focus on surveilling, and, ultimately, assassinating" Trump, adding that money was not an issue. Trump survived assassination attempts twice in the summer of 2024 while campaigning for president. On September 15, authorities arrested Ryan Routh, who was armed with a semi-automatic rifle, at the Trump International Golf Club. Just a month before, at a campaign event in Butler, Pa, Trump narrowly avoided death when a gunman’s bullet whizzed by his head, clipping his ear. "The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle," Trump told The Post last July. "I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead.". Thomas Matthew Crooks, an engineering student who took the shot and missed, was killed by a Secret Service sniper. Routh tied himself to Crooks in a bizarre four-page letter from jail in which he condemned America’s "two-party system.".

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [6/15/2025 9:31 PM, Zach LaChance, 1934K]

Axios [6/15/2025 8:23 AM, Andrew Solender, 13599K] reports a long-simmering fight over congressional security roared back to the surface this weekend following a pair of shootings against Minnesota state legislators at their homes that left two dead and two others hospitalized. The shootings have deeply unnerved members of Congress, who feel that any one of them could be the subject of an unanticipated attack — particularly at home in their districts and while in transit. Personal security details are largely a privilege for top congressional leaders and — in some cases — other high-profile members facing specific, credible threats. Rank-and-file members are renewing a push for greater security, arguing for their own details, greater safety measures at their homes and at airports and more stringent measures to hide their sensitive details. Minnesota state House Democratic Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed at their home early on Saturday. The suspect, identified by law enforcement officials as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, also allegedly shot Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife at their home, leaving both hospitalized. Boelter was allegedly dressed as a police officer and driving a vehicle similar to those used by local law enforcement. He also had what investigators described as a "manifesto" that listed other Democratic lawmakers, as well as prominent abortion rights advocates, officials allege. The shooting sent shockwaves through Capitol Hill, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) saying he asked for increased security for Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.). House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said he similarly asked security officials to "ensure the safety of our Minnesota delegation and Members of Congress across the country." The Capitol Police said in a statement Saturday it was "aware of the violence targeting state lawmakers in Minnesota" and had "been working with our federal, state and local partners," but declined to offer further details. "I call on the Capitol Police to assist in providing real solutions for increased security for members," said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee. Thompson, who had a security detail in 2022 as chair of the Jan. 6 committee, said he expects "full cooperation and resources from Republican leadership." "We’re just as exposed as [Hortman] was. We have no more security than she does. You know, Capitol Police is not equipped ... for 435 members, to keep them safe," Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) told Axios in an interview. "It’s not their fault," he added. "Things have changed. And as Congress becomes less functional in general, we can’t even function to keep ourselves safe."

NewsMax [6/15/2025 9:29 AM, Eric Mack, 4622K] reports the "politically motivated" fatal shootings of Minnesota state lawmakers have renewed fears in U.S. lawmakers in Congress, particularly Democrats who want security details like leadership has. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has requested increased security for Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Tina Smith, D-Minn., while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has asked security officials to "ensure the safety of our Minnesota delegation and members of Congress across the country," Axios reported Sunday. Conservative critics over the years have noted those calling for armed security details – while warranted – are the some ones who have sought stricter gun-control laws. But the Capitol Police are taking the new threats on Democrat lawmakers seriously telling Axios it was "aware of the violence targeting state lawmakers in Minnesota" and has "been working with our federal, state, and local partners" about security concerns. "I call on the Capitol Police to assist in providing real solutions for increased security for members," Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee and chair of Jan. 6 committee, told Axios, adding he expects "full cooperation and resources from Republican leadership.". While Democrats have rebuked President Donald Trump for providing federal reinforcements for riot-hit Los Angeles streets, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said the Capitol Police needs reinforcements. "We’re just as exposed as [Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman] was," Moskowitz told Axios. "We have no more security than she does.". "You know, Capitol Police is not equipped," he added, "for 435 members, to keep them safe. "It’s not their fault. Things have changed. And as Congress becomes less functional in general, we can’t even function to keep ourselves safe.".

Washington Examiner [6/15/2025 11:27 AM, Emily Hallas, 1934K] reports thousands turned out to enjoy festivities and a sprawling military parade in Washington, D.C., even as dismal weather forecasts and nationwide anti-Trump "No Kings" protests threatened to dampen the Army’s 250th birthday celebration. On Saturday, which also happened to be President Donald Trump’s birthday, the Army held a sweeping affair featuring more than 6,000 soldiers, approximately 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft, paratroopers jumping out of planes, and fireworks to highlight its milestone anniversary. Although reports had earlier indicated the event might have to be canceled due to inclement weather, the parade went forward as planned, with attendees experiencing little more than a light rain. "The Army keeps us free, you make us strong, and tonight, you have made all Americans very proud," Trump said during a speech at the parade. "Every other country celebrates their victories. It’s about time America did too.". Even as the president spoke, roughly 5 million Trump critics demonstrated against the White House during approximately 2,000 nationwide "No Kings" protests, several of which became violent, including in red states, despite warnings from the GOP to avoid riotous behavior. The demonstrations accused Trump of exhibiting authoritarian behavior, including authorizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to make sweeps targeting illegal immigrants nationwide and sending federal troops into California to quell anti-ICE protests during the recent Los Angeles riot. "No Kings" organizers said the military parade Saturday represented Trump’s wish to have "tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance" for his birthday. Some of the "No Kings" demonstrations — such as in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Seattle — became unruly, while police in Portland, Oregon, declared a riot at an ICE facility and arrested multiple people after protests descended into violence. A "mob" there injured four law enforcement officers as they launched fireworks, smoke grenades, and threw rocks at authorities, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.

San Diego Union Tribune [6/15/2025 8:17 PM, Phil Diehl, 1611K] reports a Coast Guard cutter stopped a boat suspected of smuggling 11 people claiming Mexican nationality Saturday morning about 22 miles west of La Jolla, a spokesperson said. The crew on Cutter Active spotted the boat on radar during a routine patrol near the international border, said Petty Officer Charlie Valor. As they approached it, they saw the vessel was running with no navigational lights, which is illegal, and Coast Guard crew members boarded the vessel to investigate. Five suspected undocumented immigrants were taken onto the Cutter Active, and six were transferred to another nearby cutter. All 11 and their the boat were taken to Ballast Point in San Diego, where they were transferred to Border Patrol custody. The interdiction was at least the Coast Guard’s fourth in about a week near the southern border.

FOX News [6/15/2025 10:00 AM, Kurt Knutsson, 46878K] reports that, in the past decade, healthcare data has become one of the most sought-after targets in cybercrime. From insurers to clinics, every player in the ecosystem handles some form of sensitive information. However, breaches do not always originate from hospitals or health apps. Increasingly, patient data is managed by third-party vendors offering digital services such as scheduling, billing and marketing. One such breach at a digital marketing agency serving dental practices recently exposed approximately 2.7 million patient profiles and more than 8.8 million appointment records. Cybernews researchers have discovered a misconfigured MongoDB database exposing 2.7 million patient profiles and 8.8 million appointment records. The database was publicly accessible online, unprotected by passwords or authentication protocols. Anyone with basic knowledge of database scanning tools could have accessed it. The exposed data included names, birthdates, addresses, emails, phone numbers, gender, chart IDs, language preferences and billing classifications. Appointment records also contained metadata such as timestamps and institutional identifiers. Clues within the data structure point toward Gargle, a Utah-based company that builds websites and offers marketing tools for dental practices. While not a confirmed source, several internal references and system details suggest a strong connection. Gargle provides appointment scheduling, form submission and patient communication services. These functions require access to patient information, making the firm a likely link in the exposure. After the issue was reported, the database was secured. The duration of the exposure remains unknown, and there is no public evidence indicating whether the data was downloaded by malicious actors before being locked down. We reached out to Gargle for a comment but did not hear back before our deadline. The exposed data presents a broad risk profile. On its own, a phone number or billing record might seem limited in scope. Combined, however, the dataset forms a complete profile that could be exploited for identity theft, insurance fraud and targeted phishing campaigns.

Wall Street Journal [6/15/2025 3:42 PM, Dustin Volz, Isabella Simonette, and Robert McMillan, 646K] reports a cyberattack on the Washington Post compromised email accounts of several journalists and was potentially the work of a foreign government, company officials told some affected staffers in recent days, according to people familiar with the situation. Staffers were told the intrusions compromised journalists’ Microsoft accounts and could have granted the intruder access to work emails they sent and received, some of the people said. The reporters targeted include those on the national-security and economic-policy teams, including some who write about China, the people said. In an internal memo on Sunday, Post Executive Editor Matt Murray said he wanted to notify staff about a “possible targeted unauthorized intrusion into our email system,” adding that the Post believes a limited number of journalists’ accounts were affected. He said the company discovered the issue on Thursday evening and has begun an investigation. Murray previously helped manage a similar incident during his tenure as editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal. Microsoft declined to comment. Staffers affected by the hack were notified in recent days and have been instructed not to discuss the matter. Alongside senior security officials and politicians, journalists are among the most fruitful targets for nation-state hackers seeking to gain intelligence on behalf of foreign governments, according to law-enforcement officials and cybersecurity experts. Reporters often speak to sources who might have valuable or sensitive information. Powerful surveillance tools have been frequently used against journalists and human-rights activists.

Reuters [6/16/2025 2:57 AM, Staff, 51390K] reports the Washington Post is investigating a cyberattack on email accounts of some of its journalists, according to a source familiar with the matter and an internal memo reviewed by Reuters. The memo sent to Post employees by Executive Editor Matt Murray said the intrusion was discovered on Thursday and the newspaper immediately initiated an investigation. All Post employees had their passwords reset on Friday as a precaution, Murray said in the memo, adding that the intrusion was not thought to have had any impact on any additional Post systems or on customers. The newspaper also forced a credential reset for all Post employees on Friday night. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the breach, said it was potentially the work of a foreign government. The WSJ report added that staffers at the Washington Post were told the intrusions compromised journalists’ Microsoft accounts and could have granted the intruder access to work emails. The reporters whose emails were targeted included members of the national security and economic policy teams, including some who write about China, the report added.

New York Post [6/16/2025 2:43 AM, Daryl Khan, 49956K] reports a suspect was arrested for threatening Texas lawmakers just hours after a gunman assassinated a Minnesota lawmaker and wounded another over the weekend. The Texas Capitol in Austin was shut down by police Saturday after receiving a credible threat to lawmakers planning on attending a "No Kings" protest later in the day, police said. "Out of an abundance of caution, the Capitol and the Capitol grounds were evacuated," the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a statement. "DPS will collaborate with all local, state and federal law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of our citizens and state property, as well as to protect individuals exercising their constitutional rights to assemble and free speech," Texas police said. Later in the day, a Texas state trooper arrested a suspect in connection with the threat during a traffic stop near La Grange, a town an hour’s drive southwest of Austin, according to police. Police did not identify the suspect. "Currently, there is no additional active threat," DPS said in a news release. The "No Kings" protest at the Texas Capitol was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m., according to the website for the demonstration. The Texas threat came just hours after a masked gunman posing as a police officer allegedly assassinated a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband and wounded another state rep and his wife in what officials described as a "targeted attack." The suspect, Vance Boelter, 57, was arrested Sunday night after an extensive manhunt. Texas politicians from both sides of the political spectrum weighed in on the threat and the wider concern over violence targeting politicians. "Death threats are sadly a part of serving in public life today. Legislators don’t talk about it often, but the state gets dozens of threats monthly," Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a post on X. Patrick said most tend to be from people who "go too far" in calls or emails, and they quickly recant when confronted. But he said all of the threats need to be taken "seriously.” "There’s a difference between free speech complaints, which we welcome, and making death threats. The latter can be a crime," he wrote. "What happened today in Minnesota was an absolute criminal act and a tragic loss of life.” In a statement, Rep. Rhetta Bowers (D-Garland) condemned the violence against lawmakers in Minnesota and warned of the prospect of more to come. "I have seen the growing threats targeting elected officials across our country," Bowers said. "Today’s events are a tragic reminder that these threats are not abstract — they are real, they are escalating, and they strike at the very heart of our democracy.” "Public service," she added, "should never come at the cost of our safety or our lives.” Republican Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement echoing the Democrat. "The Governor and First Lady fully condemn the heinous acts of violence in Minnesota and are praying for the Hortman and Hoffman families during this difficult time," it read. "State officials should be able to do their duty free from political intimidation.”

Washington Examiner [6/15/2025 1:28 PM, Emily Hallas, 1934K] reports President Donald Trump on Sunday revealed negotiations are underway and a peace agreement between Israel and Iran could be coming "soon" in the conflict between the two countries. "We will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place. I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that’s OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!" Trump said in a post to Truth Social hours after the president promised "he can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict.". The Israeli death toll has now risen to at least 13, including children, after it launched targeted strikes seeking to decapacitate Tehran’s nuclear and military capabilities on Thursday. The attacks prompted Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime to respond with rounds of retaliatory missile attacks, including on civilian structures in Tel Aviv, that have injured more than 370 in Israel, while other victims are still missing, according to authorities. Trump, who has sought since April to craft a deal with Iran to reel back its nuclear program in an effort to avoid warfare in the region, called again on the ayatollah and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make a peace deal. The president suggested economic concerns over trade disruptions could incentivize Israel and Iran to end the conflict, a move he said could echo the ceasefire the United States brokered last month between India and Pakistan that placed the lid on a decadeslong rivalry between the two nuclear powers. "Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make, in that case by using TRADE with the United States to bring reason, cohesion, and sanity into the talks with two excellent leaders who were able to quickly make a decision and STOP!" the president said Sunday. Israel has asked Iran to stop its attacks and return to nuclear negotiations, according to NBC News. Israel attacked Iran days before scheduled nuclear talks. The conflict in the Middle East will likely be discussed during the G7 summit this week, where the U.S. and its partners — the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan — will hold talks. Trump is scheduled to arrive at the summit later Sunday.

CBS News [6/15/2025 7:06 PM, Cecilia Vega, 51860K] Video: HERE reports if there’s going to be a military conflict between the United States and China, the thinking in Washington goes, it will most likely happen if China tries to invade Taiwan. But over the past two years, tensions have escalated precariously in another part of the South China Sea - the waters off the western coast of the Philippines where an international tribunal ruled the Philippines has exclusive economic rights. But China claims almost all of the South China Sea, one of the world’s most vital waterways through which trillions of dollars in goods flow each year. To assert its claims, China has been using tactics just short of war -- leading to violent confrontations. The United States has a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines, which could mean American intervention. It’s been called "the most dangerous conflict no one is talking about." And last year we saw for ourselves just how dangerous it can be.

Wall Street Journal [6/15/2025 6:03 PM, Laurence Norman, Michael R. Gordon, and Dov Lieber, 646K] reports Israel has delivered a powerful blow to parts of Iran’s nuclear program, but it hasn’t yet taken out the most heavily protected of Iran’s nuclear sites, leaving Tehran a potential path to the bomb. By Sunday, three days into its campaign, Israel had knocked out centrifuges at Iran’s biggest enrichment facility at Natanz, killed up to 10 of the country’s top nuclear scientists and destroyed key pieces of the supply chain for building a bomb, according to Israeli and U.N. atomic agency officials. The course of Israel’s military campaign will determine whether it can achieve a goal it has sought for decades—neutralizing Iran’s nuclear program or setting it back years. Falling short carries great risk, possibly prompting Iran to kick out international inspectors and accelerate its efforts to build an atomic bomb. Israel’s biggest challenge remains: taking out Iran’s most fortified nuclear facility, Fordow, where Iran produces highly enriched uranium. Many believe Fordow, which is built deep into a mountainside near Iran’s holy city of Qom, could only be destroyed with a massive bunker-busting U.S. bomb. “Israel thus far has targeted important parts of the Iranian nuclear program. But if you are worried about a nuclear breakout, Fordow is the game,” said Richard Nephew, who served as a negotiator with Iran during the Biden and Obama administrations. Still, the damage to Iran’s nuclear program that Israel has already achieved is considerable. The International Atomic Energy Agency said the sudden loss of power at Natanz may have destroyed some of the roughly 14,000 underground centrifuges. The long cascades of centrifuge machines, which spin to produce uranium, are fragile and can break if they aren’t shut down gradually. An Israeli official said there were indications that the underground portion of the Natanz facility may have imploded, though he cautioned that additional assessments were needed.

NPR [6/15/2025 8:39 AM, Rebecca Rosman, 37958K] reports Israel and Iran exchanged another round of intense missile strikes into Sunday, fueling growing concerns that the fighting could escalate into a wider regional conflict. The latest exchanges came just hours after planned U.S. talks on Iran’s nuclear program were called off. Israeli missiles struck two energy facilities in southern Iran, according to Iranian state media. In response, Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones into Israel, causing multiple casualties and causing significant damage to an oil refinery and prominent science institute. An Iranian health official said 224 people there had been killed in Israeli strikes, while Israel said 14 people there had been killed there. On social media, President Trump said the U.S. had "nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight," but warned that if the U.S. was attacked by Iran in any way, that "the full strength of U.S. Armed forces will come down on [Iran] at levels never seen before."

Reuters [6/16/2025 2:02 AM, Khanh Vu, Francesco Guarascio and Phuong Nguyen, 51390K] reports U.S. aircraft carrier USS Nimitz left the South China Sea on Monday morning heading west, according to data from ship tracking website Marine Traffic, after a reception for its planned port call in central Vietnam was cancelled. The carrier had planned to visit Danang City later this week, but two sources, including one diplomat, said a formal reception slated for June 20 had been called off. One of the sources said the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi had informed him about the cancellation, due to "an emergent operational requirement". The embassy didn’t immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group conducted maritime security operations in the South China Sea last week, as "part of the U.S. Navy’s routine presence in the Indo-Pacific," according to the website of the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Data from Marine Traffic showed the carrier on Monday morning was moving west in the direction of the Middle East, where the battle between Israel and Iran is escalating.

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