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

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

The New York Times [6/21/2025 2:39 AM, Stephanie Saul and Alan Blinder, 330K] reports a federal judge in Boston sided with Harvard University on Friday and blocked a Trump administration effort to rescind the school’s right to host international students. The government’s moves against Harvard have thrown the lives of thousands of visiting scholars into temporary disarray. But Friday’s ruling by Judge Allison D. Burroughs allows Harvard’s longstanding participation in the Student and Visitor Exchange Program to continue, at least for now. The administration had sought to exclude the school from that program, which allows 7,000 Harvard students and recent graduates to study and work legally in the United States. In a three-page preliminary injunction, Judge Burroughs said the government was forbidden from “implementing, instituting, maintaining, or giving any force or effect” to the Department of Homeland Security’s push last month to force Harvard out of the international student program. The judge also ruled that the government had to tell American diplomatic posts and ports of entry to “disregard” instructions to restrict Harvard’s participation. Although the judge stopped short of embracing all of Harvard’s requests, a spokesman for the university said on Friday that the ruling “allows Harvard to continue enrolling international students and scholars while the case moves forward” and that the university would “continue to defend its rights — and the rights of its students and scholars.” In a statement late Friday, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said the injunction conflicted with presidential authority. “It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments,” she said. “The Trump administration is committed to restoring common sense to our student visa system; no lawsuit, this or any other, is going to change that. We have the law, the facts, and common sense on our side.” Earlier on Friday, President Trump claimed in a post on social media that U.S. officials had been “working closely with Harvard, and it is very possible that a Deal will be announced over the next week or so.” The Hill [6/20/2025 5:44 PM, Zach Schonfeld, 18649K] reports that last month, the DHS rescinded Harvard’s ability to participate in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which would effectively block the school from enrolling new international students and force current ones to transfer or lose their legal status. It’s part of a broader battle the administration has waged with the Ivy League school over its refusal to comply with a list of demands, which include changes to its admissions and hiring policies and a stronger stance against antisemitism. Burroughs, an appointee of former President Obama, quickly agreed to block the DHS revocation on a temporary basis. Friday’s order extends the block indefinitely as the litigation proceeds. After Harvard went to court, President Trump took aim at the school by signing a proclamation that blocks visas for foreign students planning to attend Harvard. Burroughs temporarily halted that proclamation on an emergency basis, but she has yet to decide whether it, too, will be indefinitely blocked as the lawsuit moves ahead. The judge heard arguments in her courtroom Monday. Earlier on Friday, Trump suggested he is on the cusp of reaching a "deal" with Harvard. CBS News [6/20/2025 4:30 PM, Joe Walsh, 51860K] reports that a federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from revoking Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students — but President Trump said Friday he could strike a "deal" to resolve his battles with the Ivy League school within days. Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social that his administration has been "working closely with Harvard, and it is very possible that a Deal will be announced over the next week or so.". "They have acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right," the president wrote. "If a Settlement is made on the basis that is currently being discussed, it will be "mindbogglingly" HISTORIC, and very good for our Country.". Mr. Trump did not provide further details on the settlement talks. CBS News has reached out to Harvard and the White House for comment on the discussions.

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Federalist [6/20/2025 6:17 PM, Staff, 1142K]

Detroit Free Press [6/21/2025 6:03 AM, Paul Egan, 4241K] reports U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in Detroit on Friday, June 20, that more members of international gangs are trying to enter the United States through the northern border with Canada, now that the southern border with Mexico has been made more secure. Noem did not provide statistics but said more members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, which President Donald Trump has designated as a terrorist organization and which has ties to El Salvador and other countries in Central America, have been trying to enter the United States from Canada in recent months. Her department did not immediately respond to an emailed request for relevant statistics. "We are not letting our guard down at the northern border," because the country is only as secure as its weakest border link, Noem told about 300 people at a lounge and events venue in Detroit’s New Center area, at a "Secure Our Northern Border" event hosted by the conservative group America’s Future. "They’re finding new ways to get into the country," Noem said in reference to members of international criminal gangs. Noem, who was the Republican governor of South Dakota from 2019 until early this year, has taken on a high-profile role in the administration’s attempt to follow through on Trump’s election promise to launch the largest deportation of undocumented immigrants in the nation’s history. Aggressive immigration enforcement actions have prompted protests in cities around the United States, though there were no demonstrators outside The Norwood, on Woodward Avenue, for the June 20 event. Noem said in a post on X on June 20 that 75% of those arrested in immigration enforcement actions under Trump have been either convicted of, or charged with, a crime. The Washington Examiner [6/20/2025 5:13 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 1934K] reports Noem, the top U.S. border official, shared with attendees at a northern border security-focused event in Detroit on Friday that federal law enforcement stationed along that border were seeing an uptick in members of two notorious gangs showing up at the Canada border. "They’re seeing so many more [Tren de Aragua] members, MS-13 members crossing now here at the northern ports of entry and coming across the northern border because the southern border is closed," Noem said during an America’s Future roundtable about her tour with Customs and Border Protection officers earlier in the day. "They’re stopping them because they’re there and they still have the resources to, but the amount of drugs and the illegals and the criminals that are trying to come into this country still that you guys are able to stop is remarkable," Noem added.

CBS News [6/20/2025 11:05 PM, Staff, 51860K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was in Michigan for a roundtable on Friday, talking about security at the northern border. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

The Detroit News [6/20/2025 7:23 PM, Staff] reports ‘America’s Future Tour’ host Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is welcomed to the stage at The Norwood, in Detroit, Michigan on June 20, 2025.

Reuters [6/20/2025 8:46 PM, Tim Reid, 51390K] reports Republican Vice President JD Vance on Friday met troops who have been deployed in Los Angeles to quell protests against immigration raids, as he accused Democratic state and city leaders of encouraging immigrants to cross the U.S. border illegally. Vance, who met some of the 700 U.S. Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops recently deployed to Los Angeles by President Donald Trump, also accused the Democratic leaders of failing to support local law enforcement. Trump deployed the California National Guard troops to Los Angeles earlier this month, against the wishes of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, to quell protests triggered by immigration raids on workplaces by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. A U.S. appeals court on Thursday let Trump retain control of California’s National Guard. Trump’s decision to send troops into Los Angeles prompted a national debate about the use of the military on U.S. soil and inflamed political tension in the country’s second most-populous city. Vance said the court’s decision made clear that Trump’s troop deployment "was a completely legitimate and proper use of federal law enforcement.” Vance gave no indication of when the Marines and National Guard would leave Los Angeles, and hinted that they might stay in the city for some time. "The soldiers and Marines are still very much a necessary part of what’s going on here, because they’re worried that it’s going to flare back up," Vance said. He accused Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of failing to crack down on people in the city illegally, and of failing to support local and state law enforcement. "They have treated Border Patrol and border enforcement as somehow an illegitimate force, instead of what they are, which is the American people’s law enforcement trying to enforce the American people’s laws," he said. Newsom is tipped to mount a presidential bid in 2028, and could conceivably face off against Vance. NewsNation [6/20/2025 5:59 PM, Michael Ramsey, 5801K] reports that protests and riots erupted June 6 in LA after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted sweeping workplace raids to apprehend migrants in the U.S. illegally. As the conflict dragged on, President Trump federalized the California National Guard and ordered U.S. Marines to help keep the peace. Democrat Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass accused Republican Trump of inflaming tensions and usurping local control. Vance said it was Newsom and Bass who egged on rioters. "When I was driving through to come to this FBI building, all I could think about is what a great American city Los Angeles is, and what a great tragedy it is that we’ve allowed illegal immigration and rioting to destroy one of the great gems of the American family," Vance said. The New York Times [6/20/2025 10:19 PM, Laurel Rosenhall and Orlando Mayorquín, 138952K] reports Mr. Vance, who shook the hands of about 20 Marines who were at the federal building, alternated between attacks on California Democrats and praise for law enforcement. “Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass, they decided to go to war against the people trying to keep our community safe,” Mr. Vance said. “That’s a disgrace. That’s a terrible commentary on their qualities as leaders.” Mr. Newsom fired back on X soon after. “Since you’re so eager to talk about me, how about saying it to my face,” he said. “Let’s debate. Time and place?” Ms. Bass, in a news conference quickly convened to respond to Mr. Vance, accused the Trump administration of orchestrating “a stunt and an experiment” by sending the California National Guard and the Marines to Los Angeles. About 4,000 Guard troops and 700 Marines have been deployed to the city, which has been mostly quiet since Saturday. “How dare you say that city officials encouraged violence,” Ms. Bass said. “We kept the peace.” “The federal officials that were here protected a federal building,” she added. “Crowd control was handled most aptly by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Sheriff’s Department and local law enforcement.”

Reported similarly:
New York Post [6/20/2025 7:30 PM, Victor Nava, 49956K]
ABC News [6/20/2025 5:13 PM, Sarah Beth Hensley, 31733K]
CBS News [6/20/2025 7:08 PM, Kathryn Watson and Joe Walsh, 51860K] Video HERE
NBC News [6/20/2025 5:30 PM, Jonathan Allen, 44540K]

The AP [6/20/2025 10:30 PM, Michael R. Blood, 56000K] reports Vice President JD Vance on Friday accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of encouraging violent immigration protests as he used his appearance in Los Angeles to rebut criticism from state and local officials that the Trump administration fueled the unrest by sending in federal officers. Vance also referred to U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, the state’s first Latino senator, as “Jose Padilla,” a week after the Democrat was forcibly taken to the ground by officers and handcuffed after speaking out during a Los Angeles news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on immigration raids. “I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question,” Vance said, in an apparent reference to the altercation at Noem’s event. “I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t a theater. And that’s all it is.” “They want to be able to go back to their far-left groups and to say, ‘Look, me, I stood up against border enforcement. I stood up against Donald Trump,’” Vance added. A spokesperson for Padilla, Tess Oswald, noted in a social media post that Padilla and Vance were formerly colleagues in the Senate and said that Vance should know better. “He should be more focused on demilitarizing our city than taking cheap shots,” Oswald said. Vance’s visit to Los Angeles to tour a multiagency Federal Joint Operations Center and a mobile command center came as demonstrations calmed down in the city and a curfew was lifted this week. That followed over a week of sometimes-violent clashes between protesters and police and outbreaks of vandalism and looting that followed immigration raids across Southern California. Trump’s dispatching of his top emissary to Los Angeles at a time of turmoil surrounding the Israel-Iran war and the U.S.’s future role in it signals the political importance Trump places on his hard-line immigration policies. Vance echoed the president’s harsh rhetoric toward California Democrats as he sought to blame them for the protests in the city. “Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement,” Vance said after he toured federal immigration enforcement offices. “What happened here was a tragedy,” Vance added. “You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful. And it is why the president has responded so forcefully.” Newsom’s spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement, “The Vice President’s claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear.” Speaking at City Hall, Bass said Vance was “spewing lies and utter nonsense.” She said hundreds of millions of dollars were wasted by the federal government on a “stunt.” “How dare you say that city officials encourage violence? We kept the peace,” Bass said. In a statement on X, Newsom responded to Vance’s reference to “Jose Padilla,” saying the comment was no accident. The Washington Examiner [6/20/2025 10:23 PM, Brady Knox, 1934K] reports Vance visited Los Angeles for the first time since anti-ICE protests broke out in the city earlier this month, speaking with law enforcement officers and Marines sent to the state. After a brief address, Vance was asked about several Democratic lawmakers being detained after confronting federal officials, specifically Padilla, who was ejected from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference after interrupting it. "Well, I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question, but unfortunately, I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t the theater, and that’s all it is, you know, I think everybody realizes that’s what this is. It’s pure political theater," Vance answered. He went on to allege that Democrats "want to be captured on camera doing something" in order to tell left-wing groups they stood up to Trump or border enforcement. In reality, they’re only standing up for drug and sex traffickers, he argued. "So I think these guys, we ought to laugh them out of the building. We ought to call them out for doing what they’re doing, which is grandstanding," Vance continued. It was the first part of his answer that caught people’s attention when he misidentified Padilla. Jose Padilla is a famous terrorist who was arrested in Chicago in 2002 for allegedly plotting a dirty bomb attack. He’s currently held at ADX Florence in Colorado, the U.S.’s most high-security prison. Vance spokesman Taylor Van Kirk told NBC News that "he must have mixed up two people who have broken the law" when asked about why he called Sen. Padilla "Jose.” Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) was quick to imply that the mixup was racially motivated. "JD Vance served with Alex Padilla in the United States Senate. Calling him ‘Jose Padilla’ is not an accident," he said in a post on X. Vance and Padilla overlapped in the Senate for two years. At her own press conference later that evening, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass fumed over the mixup. "You don’t know his name, but yet you served with him before you were vice president, and you continue to serve with him today. Because the last time I checked, the vice president of the United States is the president of the U.S. Senate," she said. "How dare you disrespect him and call him José, but I guess he just looked like anybody to you.” Vance has been critical of Bass and Newsom, arguing that the deployment of about 6,100 National Guard troops and 700 Marines was needed due to state and local officials’ inaction. "What happened here was a tragedy. You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters — egged on by the governor and the mayor — making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful and it is why the President has responded so forcefully," he said, condemning "violent agitators.”

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NBC News [6/20/2025 7:08 PM, Rebecca Shabad and Nnamdi Egwuonwu, 44540K]
CNN [6/20/2025 11:25 PM, Alejandra Jaramillo, 875K]

Breitbart [6/20/2025 9:22 PM, Elizabeth Weibel, 3077K] reports Vice President JD Vance warned Democrat governors that if they allow rioters to "burn great American cities to the ground," the Trump administration would "send federal law enforcement in to protect the people.” While speaking from Los Angeles, Vance explained that the "good news" was that the rioting in Los Angeles had "gotten a lot better." Vance added that he had "heard from everybody" that the soldiers and U.S. Marines who had been deployed to quell the violence of the Los Angeles riots were "still very much a necessary part" of what was happening. Vance also criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for having "actively encouraged illegal migration," and accused them of having "strained" law enforcement and public services in the community. When asked about his reaction to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruling that President Donald Trump was allowed to federalize the California National Guard, Vance explained that the Ninth Circuit basically said that federalizing of the National Guard "was a completely legitimate and proper use of federal law enforcement.” "The President has a very simple proposal, to everybody and every city, every community, every town — whether big or small, if you enforce your own laws, and if you protect federal law enforcement, we’re not going to send in the National Guard because it’s unnecessary," Vance explained. "But, if you let violent rioters burn great American cities to the ground, then of course we’re going to send federal law enforcement in to protect the people the president was elected to protect.” As Breitbart News previously reported, on Thursday, in a 38-page opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Trump was allowed to federalize the California National Guard: In a 38-page opinion, the judges — two appointees of President Trump, and one of President Joe Biden — held that the president is likely to prevail on the merits of the case, and extended a stay of the district court’s temporary restraining order (TRO) against the administration. While the judges concluded that Trump’s power over the National Guard was not unreviewable by the courts, they also conclude, based on precedent, that they have to defer to his judgement. They also noted that the main objection raised by Newsom — namely, that Trump had not consulted with the governor’s office — was invalid, because Trump fulfilled his duty simply by informing the governor. Even if Newsom were right, they ruled, that would not invalidate Trump’s authority.

FOX News [6/20/2025 8:39 PM, Staff, 46878K] reports that, speaking in Los Angeles Friday, Vice President JD Vance criticized California state and local politicians, especially Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass, for "endangering" federal law enforcement and effectively declaring "open season on federal law enforcement.” Vance said he was "shocked" to hear that "far-left agitators" have been posting the names, addresses and even family members of federal law enforcement officials in Los Angeles to harass, antagonize and threaten their lives. "Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass have got to stop this craziness," Vance said. "Every single law enforcement officer I talked to today, every single one of them, said they feel like the local leadership — the mayor and the governor — are encouraging these far-left agitators. What is the justification for this?". Vance said he has been told by law enforcement officials in the area that "when they go out, let’s say you have a Border Patrol official who needs to go out and arrest somebody, maybe a violent criminal who’s also an illegal alien. When that Border Patrol agent goes out to do their job, they said within 15 minutes of them trying to do their job, they have protesters, sometimes violent protesters, who are in their face obstructing them, preventing them from doing their job and endangering their lives. "Why do they have that?" he added. "Because those people have been egged on by local officials. Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that it is open season on federal law enforcement.” Newsom has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard and Marines to help local police quell the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles, calling it both illegal and immoral. The governor launched a lawsuit against the federal government to stop the use of the military in response to the riots. Though a district court ruled in Newsom’s favor, the 9th Circuit Court ruled Thursday to allow the Trump administration to continue using the military to assist local officials. "They have treated Border Patrol and border enforcement as somehow an illegitimate force instead of what they are, which is the American people’s law enforcement trying to enforce the American people’s laws," Vance said. "So, when Gavin Newsom encourages violence and rioting, he encourages people to get in the face of our great Border Patrol officers, he is absolutely endangering the lives of federal enforcement.” Commenting on the 9th Circuit’s ruling, Vance said, "It’s interesting that, for the past couple of weeks, Gavin Newsom has said that there’s an illegitimate effort to send federal resources to secure a city that he refuses to secure, and what the 9th Circuit said yesterday is that that was a completely legitimate and proper use of federal law enforcement. "The president has a very simple proposal to everybody, in every city, every community, every town, whether big or small. If you enforce your own laws and if you protect federal law enforcement, we’re not going to send in the National Guard because it’s unnecessary," he said. "But if you let violent rioters burn great American cities to the ground, then, of course, we’re going to send federal law enforcement in to protect the people the president was elected to protect. "What I see here today is the great tragedy when a mayor and a governor encourage their citizens to harass and endanger the lives of our police officers and our law enforcement officers," he said. "It’s heartbreaking to see, and thank God we’ve got great people who are willing to persevere despite it."

The Wall Street Journal [6/20/2025 8:45 PM, Victoria Albert and Joseph De Avila, 646K] reports Mahmoud Khalil has been released from custody, more than three months after the former Columbia student was first detained by immigration officials. Khalil was released from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Jena, La., on Friday night, his legal team said in a court filing. His freedom came hours after U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz granted his request to be released while his case proceeds. The green-card holder can now return to his wife and newborn son in New York City, where the family lives, for the first time since his March 8 arrest. Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said Farbiarz was overstepping his authority in ordering Khalil’s release, calling his decision “yet another example of how out of control members of the judicial branch are undermining national security.” The government said later Friday that it is appealing the decision. The Justice Department didn’t respond to a request for comment. FOX News [6/21/2025 12:10 AM, Brie Stimson, 46878K] reports that Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student, left a federal facility in Louisiana before 7 p.m. on Friday and is expected to head to New York, where his wife and baby live. He must notify the Department of Homeland Security within 48 hours of his address after arriving in New York. U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz in his Friday order said it would be "highly, highly unusual" to hold a legal U.S. resident who doesn’t appear to be a flight risk and isn’t accused of violent offenses. "Petitioner is not a flight risk and the evidence presented is that he is not a danger to the community," Farbiarz said. "Period, full stop.” Khalil’s attorneys said in a letter to the court before the judge’s ruling that his imprisonment at the detention center in Jena, Louisiana, was an "exceedingly rare" decision on the part of the government and amounted to unconstitutional retaliation. Khalil was arrested in March at Columbia over his pro-Palestinian activism on campus, and an immigration judge ruled he could be removed from the country based on a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that said his campus protests were at odds with U.S. foreign policy interests. Rubio cited an obscure provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act to justify his finding, and Farbiarz later enjoined the secretary from using that determination to deport Khalil. But the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also added a second reason for keeping Khalil detained and attempting to deport him. The DHS said Khalil allegedly omitted key information from his green card application about groups with which he was affiliated, including the Columbia University Apartheid Divest. Khalil’s case has become a lightning rod for anti-Israel protesters and immigration rights advocates. They have argued the Trump administration is retaliating against him for opposing the Israeli government and chilling free speech of those who oppose Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip and conflict with Iran. Khalil must surrender his passport but will be given his green card and will be allowed to travel to New York, Michigan, where he has family, New Jersey and Louisiana for court appearances, and Washington, D.C. for lobbying. The Trump administration is appealing the preliminary injunction and Khalil’s release to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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Blaze [6/20/2025 3:55 PM, Carlos Garcia, 1805K]

New York Times [6/21/2025 2:39 AM, Jonah E. Bromwich, 330K] reports that, Mahmoud Khalil, the first pro-Palestinian campus protester detained by the Trump administration, was released on bail Friday, bringing an end to his monthslong imprisonment. Mr. Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and legal permanent U.S. resident, had been held for 104 days, watching as other students targeted by the administration won favorable rulings and were released on bail. He was denied the opportunity to be present when his wife gave birth to their son in April and he missed his graduation from Columbia. But his lawyers slowly chipped away at the government’s case. On Friday they convinced a judge, Michael E. Farbiarz of Federal District Court in Newark, to release Mr. Khalil on bail, persuading him that there was reason to believe the Trump administration was retaliating against Mr. Khalil for his role in demonstrations on Columbia’s Manhattan campus. Toward the end of a two-hour hearing, Judge Farbiarz said there was “at least something” to the argument that there had been “an effort to use the immigration charge here to punish Mr. Khalil.” “And, of course, that would be unconstitutional,” he added, before ordering the release. Mr. Khalil walked out of the detention center in Jena, La., shortly before 7 p.m. local time Friday. Asked what he would do first when he returned home, he said, “just hug my wife and son.” “No one is illegal — no human is illegal,” Mr. Khalil said. “Justice will prevail no matter what this administration may try.” He expressed concern for those who remained detained at the Jena facility, saying the Trump administration was doing its best to dehumanize them. “The moment you enter this facility, your rights leave you behind,” he said. “So once you enter there, you see a different reality, just a different reality about this country.” The Trump administration appealed the judge’s ruling Friday evening, after a spokeswoman for the Homeland Security Department, Tricia McLaughlin, suggested earlier in the day that Judge Farbiarz would not have the last word. “An immigration judge, not a district judge, has the authority to decide if Mr. Khalil should be released or detained,” she said in a statement. Ms. McLaughlin cited a decision on Friday by the Louisiana judge in Mr. Khalil’s immigration case, Jamee Comans. In the decision, Judge Comans denied Mr. Khalil asylum and ruled that he could be deported based on another of the government’s allegations against him. She also denied him a bail hearing in her court. “On the same day an immigration judge denied Khalil bond and ordered him removed, one rogue district judge ordered him released,” Ms. McLaughlin said. “This is yet another example of how out-of-control members of the judicial branch are undermining national security.”

New York Post [6/20/2025 9:47 PM, Victor Nava, 49956K] reports anti-Israel protester Mahmoud Khalil lamented leaving behind some "incredible men" on Friday as he left a Louisiana detention facility, which he hopes becomes a museum to what he described as "America’s racist policies.” "I leave some incredible men behind me, over 1,000 people behind me, in a place where they shouldn’t have been in the first place," Khalil told reporters after walking out of the La Salle Detention Facility in Jena, La. "I hope the next time that I will be in Jena is to actually visit this as a museum on America’s racist policies against immigrants," the former Columbia University student added. After being picked up by federal immigration authorities on March 8, Khalil spent 104 days at the rural Louisiana detention center as the Trump administration fought to deport the Syrian-born permanent resident for allegedly engaging in activities "aligned to Hamas," a Palestinian terror group, while studying at Columbia. "The Trump administration are doing their best to dehumanize everyone here," Khalil charged outside the detention center, "whether you are a US citizen, an immigrant, or just a person on this land doesn’t mean that you are less of a human.” "[President Trump] and his administration, they chose the wrong person for this," he said defiantly. "That doesn’t mean that there is a right person.” Khalil, wearing a keffiyeh, went on to slam his alma mater, accusing the Ivy League school of "investing in the genocide of the Palestinian people.” "There is no right person who should be detained, who are actually protesting a genocide, for protesting their university – Columbia University – that is investing in the genocide of the Palestinian people," he said. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin slammed Farbiarz ruling and told The Post she expects a higher court to order Khalil’s return to federal custody. "An immigration judge, not a district judge, has the authority to decide if Mr. Khalil should be released or detained," McLaughlin said in a statement. "On the same day an immigration judge denied Khalil bond and ordered him removed, one rogue district judge ordered him released.” "This is yet another example of how out of control members of the judicial branch are undermining national security. Their conduct not only denies the result of the 2024 election, it also does great harm to our constitutional system by undermining public confidence in the courts.” McLaughlin argued that "it is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America" and that the Trump administration "acted well within its statutory and constitutional authority to detain Khalil, as it does with any alien who advocates for violence, glorifies and supports terrorists, harasses Jews, and damages property.” "An immigration judge has already vindicated this position. We expect a higher court to do the same.”

Breitbart [6/20/2025 5:38 PM, John Binder, 3077K] reports a previously deported illegal alien with a criminal record is wanted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after he allegedly attempted to murder the United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York, John A. Sarcone III. Saul Morales-Garcia, a 40-year-old previously deported illegal alien from El Salvador, has been arrested and charged with second-degree attempted murder in Albany County, New York. According to police, on June 17, Morales-Garcia approached Sarcone as he was leaving a hotel and threatened him with a knife. Sarcone backed away from the illegal alien and made his way back inside the hotel as Morales-Garcia shouted at him in Spanish, wielding the knife. The incident was caught on hotel security cameras. ICE officials now say that they have lodged a detainer against Morales-Garcia, hoping to get custody of the illegal alien despite New York’s sanctuary state policy. "On June 17, this illegal alien from El Salvador allegedly threatened a sitting U.S. Attorney from the Northern District of New York with a knife," Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement: “The alien in question illegally entered our country twice, was deported, returned, and has since been committing crimes across the country. He should have never been in our country in the first place — and now, he will face attempted murder in the second-degree charges and removal. Make no mistake: Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE is focused on removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from Americans’ communities.”

New York Post [6/20/2025 4:16 PM, Jennie Taer, 49956K] reports that the knife-wielding illegal immigrant who allegedly chased down a US Attorney in New York while threatening to slit his throat had previous busts for threatening another person and driving while intoxicated, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Saul Morales-Garcia — an illegal migrant from El Salvador who was previously deported and snuck back into the country illegally — had already racked up an unsettling rap sheet before he allegedly threatened John Sarcone, the President Trump-appointed US attorney for the Northern District of New York, outside the Hilton Hotel in Albany Tuesday night. "The alien in question illegally entered our country twice, was deported, returned, and has since been committing crimes across the country," Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement Friday. Morales-Garcia, 40, was previously collared in 2009 in Arlington, Virginia, and convicted of misdemeanor petit larceny and sentenced to 12 months in prison, according to DHS. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents then nabbed Morales-Garcia in 2010 and he was deported shortly thereafter. But the criminal migrant snuck his way back in sometime between April 21, 2010 and Dec. 10, 2021, DHS said.

FOX News [6/20/2025 3:00 PM, Madison Colombo, 46878K] reports a top federal attorney in New York is speaking out against the state’s sanctuary city policies after allegedly being attacked by a knife-wielding undocumented migrant. John Sarcone III, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, said the incident happened while he was walking to the State Capitol building in Albany. Sarcone says he noticed a man behaving erratically nearby and had a feeling something was wrong. "I could have easily just kept walking," Sarcone told "Fox & Friends" Friday. "But I sensed that there was danger here.” According to Sarcone, the man began shouting in a language he didn’t understand. "I didn’t acknowledge him. I kept looking straight ahead. Then out of the corner of my eye, he starts coming towards me," he describes. The man allegedly pulled out a knife and began "charging" at the attorney, who ran into the lobby of a nearby hotel and called the sheriff of Albany County. "I knew that if he got away, he was going to kill somebody," Sarcone said. He went back outside to try and keep the suspect nearby. "I went to the sidewalk to try to keep him in the area and I yelled out. And he turned around. He yelled back. And then he came back at me," Sarcone said. The man reportedly then made a threatening gesture by drawing a knife across his own neck. Sarcone said he took that as a sign the suspect meant to kill him, "He’s [going to] slit my throat.” The suspect has been identified as 40-year-old Saul Morales-Garcia, a migrant from El Salvador who entered the United States unlawfully in 2021. He was arrested at the scene and charged with attempted murder, felony weapons possession and menacing.

The Hill [6/20/2025 10:54 AM, Ashleigh Fields, 18649K] reports Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost (D) criticized the Trump administration for its deportation policies following national protests regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and removals. "There is no legal process for people," Frost said during a Thursday appearance on CBS’s "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." "We have ICE federal agents pulling up, terrorizing our communities, hopping out of unmarked vans, stealing and yes, kidnapping people, not giving them their day in court and yes, human trafficking them to other nations, other countries around the entire world," he added. His comments follow mass Los Angeles protests regarding ICE’s detainment of 44 individuals. Local lawmakers said detention centers were overflowing with immigrants who have not been given a court date while arrests increase, leaving those in custody to sleep outside in tents. President Trump’s border czar Tom Homan has also issued stronger deportation policies, pledging to crack down on "worksite enforcement" Thursday and detaining immigrants who are in the country illegally while on the job. The Trump administration also resumed immigration efforts at farms and hotels this week after previously pausing operations due to business owners’ concerns about staffing shortages.

Reported similarly:
Daily Wire [6/20/2025 7:39 AM, Catherine Maxwell, 3816K]

Daily Caller [6/20/2025 10:35 AM, Harold Hutchinson, 1010K] reports Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida accused agents of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of “human trafficking” during a Thursday appearance on CBS, drawing a blistering response from Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin. Rioting spread to multiple cities after initially flaring in Los Angeles following an ICE operation, with some Democrats demanding that the agency cease its operations as a way to “restore order.” McLaughlin tore into Frost’s comments after Stephen Colbert, host of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” questioned the left-wing congressman about his description of deportation as “a taxpayer-funded kidnapping operation.” McLaughlin tore into Frost in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Yet another fame starved politician trying to get his 15 minutes of fame off the backs and safety of our law enforcement,” McLaughlin said. “These types [of] smears are designed to demonize and villainize our brave ICE law enforcement. This kind of garbage has led to a more than 500 percent increase in the assaults on ICE officers.”

Just The News [6/21/2025 9:03 PM, Staff] reports Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin says there are signs a foreign adversary is possibly behind the anti-ICE Los Angeles riots. "These are looking like incredibly coordinated and highly sophisticated protests, with pallets of bricks being brought into different cities across the country, including Los Angeles and New York, where we’ve seen violent protests and riots break out," she explains. McLaughlin says the FBI is leading the IRS and Homeland Security in an investigation to determine the entity behind the riots. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

USA Today [6/20/2025 2:09 PM, BrieAnna J. Frank, 75552K] reports several journalism and civil rights organizations sued the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Kristi Noem over what they described as the unconstitutional actions of federal officers deployed to Los Angeles amid protests over immigration raids in the city. The American Civil Liberties Union is among the legal counsel representing the plaintiffs in the case, which include the Los Angeles Press Club and the NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America. The lawsuit accuses DHS officers of “unnecessarily and indiscriminately” using less-lethal munitions against reporters, protesters and legal observers at the demonstrations. “Suppressing the rights of the free press and protesters is the calling card of cowardly dictators and threatens to destroy our nation,” the lawsuit said. NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss referred to federal officers’ actions as an “assault on the rights of all Americans” in a June 19 news release. “This state-sanctioned violence against journalists is meant to stop the public from learning the truth,” he said. “We’re proud to join this fight to demand accountability and end impunity for DHS officers who attack the workers who power our free press.” The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles. USA TODAY reached out to DHS for comment.

Breitbart [6/20/2025 3:46 PM, Amy Furr, 3077K] reports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is being sued for alleged assaults on anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters in Los Angeles, California, as federal agents were conducting illegal immigration sweeps. The complaint was filed on Thursday by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California on behalf of several protesters, journalists, and legal observers, the Daily Beast reported Friday. The violent protests broke out in the Los Angeles area as leftists tried to stop ICE agents from doing their jobs, and anti-Trump "No Kings" protests happened days later. The recent complaint reads: On June 6, 2025, the Trump administration began an ongoing series of indiscriminate and terrifying immigration raids across Southern California. DHS officers have come in masks, wearing heavy paramilitary gear and without visible identifying information, brandishing rifles, and abducting community members from churches, local business, and courthouses where they seek their constitutionally protected right to due process. At each protest, DHS officers have unnecessarily and indiscriminately targeted, assaulted, tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed, and shot protesters exercising their right to assemble to voice their disagreement with the government, reporters covering these events, and legal observers seeking to document the government’s conduct. DHS is abusing militarized weapons in ways that needlessly imperil everyone present—and that federal courts have repeatedly prohibited—to deter people from reporting, observing, and protesting. As promised by Secretary of DHS, Kristi Noem, and President Trump, they have used the violent spectacle created by DHS as a reason to commandeer the National Guard and send the United States Marines into California, which in turn has generated more widespread protests.

Breitbart [6/20/2025 4:52 PM, Neil Munro, 3077K] reports federal agencies deploy 1,000 teams daily to deport illegal migrants and are continuing their worksite arrests, according to Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s czar for migration enforcement. "We’ve got over 1,000 teams on the streets every day across this country," Homan told reporters at the White House. Right now, we’re concentrating on the ‘sanctuary cities’ because that is where the problem is. They knowingly release public safety threats — illegal aliens — to the community every day. That’s why we’re sending more resources to the ‘sanctuary cities.’ We don’t have that problem in the state of Florida, where most of the county sheriffs accept our detainers. Homan also noted that the deportation teams will continue to visit worksites in search of illegal migrants. "It’s a matter of messaging properly," he said. "The message is clear enough: We’re going to continue doing worksite enforcement operations, even on farms and hotels, but based on a prioritized basis — criminals come first.” Trump is zig-zagging on the worksite issue, even as he sets in place many policies and programs that will gradually reduce the number of illegal migrants in the United States. For example, a Washington Post reporter posted an article, updated on June 15, under the headline "U.S. could lose more immigrants than it gains for first time in 50 years.” That trend is good for ordinary American families, but it is a problem for the business sector. Since 1990, many investors have used the huge inflow of low-wage, welfare-aided legal and illegal migrants to create profitable hotel, restaurant, retail, meatpacking, and farming businesses. But now, Trump’s border enforcement has stopped illegal migration.

New York Times [6/21/2025 2:39 AM, Charlie Savage and Laurel Rosenhall, 330K] reports a federal appeals court appeared inclined on Tuesday to allow President Trump, against the wishes of Gov. Gavin Newsom, to keep using California’s National Guard for now to protect immigration enforcement agents and quell protesters in Los Angeles. Throughout a 65-minute hearing, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit signaled skepticism of the idea that the judiciary should second-guess Mr. Trump’s determination that deploying the state militia to Los Angeles is necessary to protect federal agents and buildings. The hearing came at a time when local organizers have vowed to continue protesting against immigration raids, though demonstrations in downtown Los Angeles have quieted since the weekend. A district court judge, Charles Breyer, determined last week that Mr. Trump’s use of the National Guard was illegal and temporarily ordered the president to return control of the forces to Mr. Newsom. But the Trump administration immediately appealed the ruling, and the Ninth Circuit panel stayed the lower court decision while it considered the matter. It seemed likely on Tuesday that the panel, which consists of two appointees of Mr. Trump and one of former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., would keep that stay in place. The two Trump appointees, Judges Mark J. Bennett and Eric D. Miller, did the bulk of the talking. Both appeared skeptical of the Justice Department’s argument that courts have no ability to review Mr. Trump’s decision to invoke a statute allowing him to call up the Guard. But they also seemed inclined to find that the sometimes violent protests in Los Angeles were enough to defer to Mr. Trump’s decision. And when a lawyer for California argued that Congress had not granted presidents sweeping discretion to decide when federalizing the National Guard would be justified, the Biden appointee, Judge Jennifer Sung, expressed doubt about his view. “If we were writing on a blank slate, I would tend to agree with you, but the problem I see for you,” she said, is that an 1827 Supreme Court precedent interpreting a president’s power under a similar law “seemingly rejected the exact argument that you’re making.” It may ultimately be up to the Supreme Court to determine what checks, if any, exist on a president’s power to deploy the National Guard over the objections of a governor. The outcome of the case could carry significant implications for limits on the use of the military force on domestic soil.

Reported similarly:
DailySignal [6/20/2025 11:14 AM, Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, 558K]

New York Times [6/20/2025 7:34 PM, Chris Hippensteel, Charlie Savage and Laurel Rosenhall, 138952K] reports President Trump’s decision this month to send National Guard troops to Los Angeles against the wishes of Gov. Gavin Newsom has sparked a legal battle that could reshape how much latitude a president has to deploy the military on U.S. soil. On June 10, days after Mr. Trump federalized the California National Guard in response to protests over immigration raids, the state filed a lawsuit calling the move illegal. Even as the Trump administration added active-duty Marines to the mix, a judge ordered it to return the National Guard to the control of Mr. Newsom. But an appeals court blocked that move, and Mr. Trump maintains authority over those troops today. Mr. Trump’s decision to deploy troops came after Immigration and Customs Enforcement started carrying out raids at workplaces in the city, sweeping up hundreds of migrants for potential deportation and drawing protesters. While the majority protested peacefully, a subset committed violent acts like throwing objects and burning vehicles. What made Trump’s decision to deploy troops significant? Normally, governors control their state’s National Guard and dispatch such troops themselves when there is a need to quell civil disorder or fight a natural disaster. On rare occasions, the president may take control of a guard or otherwise deploy troops under federal control on domestic soil, but in recent decades that has happened only at a governor’s request. Mr. Trump’s move was the first time in more than six decades that a president had taken control of a state guard over a governor’s objections, raising profound questions about presidential power, state sovereignty and civil liberties. The federal government had last used troops on domestic soil over a governor’s objections during the civil rights movement, when Southern senators were resisting court-ordered desegregation orders. The most recent case was in 1963, when President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard to carry out the court-ordered desegregation of the University of Alabama, which that state’s governor, George Wallace, was resisting. (President Lyndon B. Johnson also federalized Alabama’s National Guard in 1965 to protect civil rights demonstrators without a formal request from Governor Wallace. But the governor did not object in that instance.) To take control of what is now about 4,000 California National Guard troops, Mr. Trump invoked a statute that allows a president to federalize a state militia under certain conditions, like when there is a rebellion against governmental authority that impedes the enforcement of federal law. The Trump administration said protecting immigration agents and facilities from protesters justified that step, which Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, supplemented with a deployment into Los Angeles of 700 active-duty Marines who were already under federal control. Mr. Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to use the military to crack down on large-scale protests and advance his immigration agenda. On Wednesday, he said he felt empowered to send troops anywhere violent protests erupt. Referring to demonstrators, he said, “They’ll go someplace else. But we’ll be there, too. We’ll be wherever they go.”

Daily Wire [6/20/2025 7:09 AM, Leif Le Mahieu, 3816K] reports President Donald Trump picked up another legal victory in his fight with Governor Gavin Newsom after an appeals court ruled that he acted within the law when he deployed the California National Guard to protect federal personnel and property in Los Angeles County. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday issued a 3-0 ruling in favor of Trump, blocking a ruling from a district judge who said Trump had violated the Constitution when he sent in the National Guard against Newsom’s wishes. "Both irreparable harm and the public interest weigh in favor of Defendants, who have an uncontested interest in the protection of federal agents and property and the faithful execution of law," the court wrote in its decision. "The undisputed facts demonstrate that before the deployment of the National Guard, protesters ‘pinned down’ several federal officers and threw ‘concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects’ at the officers. Protesters also damaged federal buildings and caused the closure of at least one federal building." Last week, the same court granted an emergency injunction to Trump, allowing him to retain control of the guard while the case played out in court. The court said it was convinced by evidence that the guard "engaged only in protecting federal personnel and property."

DailySignal [6/20/2025 6:43 PM, Hans von Spakovsky, 558K] reports a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals of the 9th Circuit released a unanimous opinion upholding President Donald Trump’s federalization of the California National Guard, and the media is portraying this as a win for the president over California Gov. Gavin Newsom. It was, but it’s also a win for the public safety of the residents of Los Angeles, for local and federal law enforcement, and for a civilized society—a win against lawlessness, mob violence, and the reckless politics of a governor intent on ignoring the mayhem caused by violent agitators and his own weak actions. It almost seems as if Newsom is living in some alternate reality. Faced with multiple videos and extensive news coverage of looting, arson, and attacks on law enforcement officers and federal buildings, Newsom was apparently more interested in putting up a public political fight against Trump than in actually dealing with the chaos, havoc, and disorder occurring in Los Angeles. The president can federalize the National Guard and take control if we are invaded, if there is a rebellion or danger of rebellion, or if he "is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.” Trump acted under that third condition when he called up the California National Guard for 60 days in a June 7 memorandum. And despite Newsom’s frivolous claims to the contrary, what was happening in Los Angeles obviously met that condition. As the opinion points out, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, their vehicles, and the ICE building and federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles were being attacked with "concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects," with "mortar-style fireworks with multiple explosions," rocks, and with Molotov cocktails. Streets were being barricaded by protesters, blocking traffic, burning vehicles, and vandalizing property and numerous buildings. The National Guard was directed to "temporarily protect ICE and other United States Government personnel who are performing Federal functions, including enforcement of Federal law, and to protect Federal property.” Newsom filed suit and obtained an injunction from liberal District Court Judge Charles Breyer—brother of former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer—who substituted his judgment for that of the president as to whether federalization was "justified" by the anarchy in the streets of the city. Breyer denied the guard was needed to restore order, and said, unbelievably, that deployment of the troops "inflames tensions with protesters.” Even if that were true, so what? Whether lawful federal action inflames the passions of scofflaws is legally irrelevant.

New York Times [6/20/2025 5:49 PM, David W. Chen, 138952K] reports a federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Transportation from withholding billions of dollars in funding to states unless they complied with the Trump administration’s demands on immigration enforcement. A coalition of 20 states, most led by Democrats, filed a lawsuit last month arguing that the administration was usurping Congress’s authority over spending and using that power of the purse to force states to adopt its policies. Judge John J. McConnell Jr., the chief judge of the United States District Court for Rhode Island, agreed with the states. In a preliminary injunction issued Thursday, the judge said that their claims “are likely to succeed because the Defendants’ actions here violate the Constitution and statutes of the United States.” He also said that the states “face losing billions of dollars in federal funding, are being put in a position of relinquishing their sovereign right to decide how to use their own police officers, are at risk of losing the trust built between local law enforcement and immigrant communities, and will have to scale back, reconsider, or cancel ongoing transportation projects.” Rob Bonta, the attorney general of California, who is spearheading the litigation, said in a statement that President Trump was acting in an “immoral — and more importantly, illegal” way by treating crucial funding as a “bargaining chip.” “I’m glad to see the District Court agrees,” he added, “while we continue to make our case in court.” In a statement posted on X, Sean Duffy, the secretary of transportation, said: “I directed states who want federal DOT money to comply with federal immigration laws. But, no surprise, an Obama-appointed judge has ruled that states can openly defy our federal immigration laws. This is judicial activism pure and simple and I will continue to fight in the courts.”

Reported similarly:
AP [6/20/2025 12:35 PM, Michael Casey and Rebecca Boone, 56000K]
CNN [6/20/2025 12:43 PM, Shania Shelton, 21433K] r

AP [6/20/2025 4:08 PM, Alanna Durkin Richer, 1611K] reports that a close ally of fugitive Jalisco New Generation boss known as "El Mencho" for years orchestrated a prolific drug trafficking operation, using a semi-submersible and other methods to avoid detection, and provided weapons to one of Mexico’s most powerful cartels, prosecutors say. On Friday, José González Valencia, was sentenced in Washington’s federal court to 30 years in a U.S. prison following his 2017 arrest at a beach resort in Brazil while vacationing with his family under a fake name. González Valencia, 49, known as "Chepa," along with his two brothers, led a group called "Los Cuinis" that financed the drug trafficking operations of Jalisco New Generation, or CJNG — the violent cartel recently designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration. His brother-in-law is CJNG leader Nemesio Rubén "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, whom for years has been sought by the U.S. government. Meanwhile, El Mencho’s son-in-law, Cristian Fernando Gutiérrez Ochoa, appeared in the same courtroom earlier Friday to plead guilty in a separate case to a money laundering conspiracy charge. Gutierrez Ochoa was arrested toward the end of the Biden administration last year in California, where authorities have said he was living under a bogus name after faking his own death and fleeing Mexico. Together, the prosecutions reflect the U.S. government’s efforts to weaken the brutal Jalisco New Generation cartel that’s responsible for importing staggering amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl into the U.S. — and track down its elusive leader. The Trump administration has sought to turn up the pressure on CJNG and other cartels with the foreign terrorist organization designation, which gives authorities new tools to prosecute those associated with cartels.

Reported similarly:
CBS News [6/20/2025 5:36 PM, Staff, 51860K]

FOX News [6/21/2025 6:02 AM, Landon Mion, 46878K] reports a federal judge on Friday asked if the Trump administration’s military deployment in Los Angeles violates the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits troops from conducting civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil. This comes as California’s challenge to President Donald Trump’s deployment of troops to respond to anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles returned to a federal courtroom in San Francisco on Friday for a brief hearing. That followed an appeals court handing the Trump administration a victory in the case, with the 9th Circuit appellate panel allowing the president to keep control of National Guard troops he sent to quell riots. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer did not issue any additional rulings but asked for briefings from both sides by noon Monday on whether the federal department violated the Posse Comitatus Act. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said in his complaint that "violation of the Posse Comitatus Act is imminent, if not already underway" but last week, Breyer delayed considering that allegation. Vice President JD Vance, who traveled to Los Angeles on Friday to meet with deployed troops, argued that the court said Trump’s reason for sending in federal troops "was legitimate" and that he would do it again if needed. "The president has a very simple proposal to everybody in every city, every community, every town whether big or small, if you enforce your own laws and if you protect federal law enforcement, we’re not going to send in the National Guard because it’s unnecessary," Vance told reporters. National Guard troops have been accompanying federal agents on some immigration raids over the anti-ICE demonstrations, and Marines briefly detained a man on the first day they deployed to protect a federal building, marking the first time federal troops have detained a civilian since deploying to Los Angeles. Breyer found Trump acted illegally when Trump deployed troops despite opposition from Newsom. But the appellate ruling halted the judge’s temporary restraining order. On Friday, Breyer asked the lawyers to address whether he or the appellate court retains primary jurisdiction to grant an injunction under the Posse Comitatus Act. California has requested a preliminary injunction returning the control of troops in Los Angeles, where protests have calmed down in recent days, back to Newsom. Trump argued that the troops are needed to restore order, while Newsom said their presence on the streets escalated tensions and wasted resources. Breyer said Trump had overstepped his legal authority, which he noted allows presidents to control state National Guard troops only during times of "rebellion or danger of a rebellion.” "The protests in Los Angeles fall far short of ‘rebellion,’" Breyer said.

Reported similarly:
Chicago Tribune [6/20/2025 7:30 PM, Olga R. Rodriguez, 3987K]

Blaze [6/20/2025 11:15 AM, Andrew Chapados, 1805K] reports it has been a whirlwind week for the Los Angeles Dodgers, culminating in a battle of words with federal authorities. Last Friday, Dodgers star pitcher Clayton Kershaw protested the team’s Pride Night by writing a Bible verse on the front of his hat. On Saturday, a singer named Nezza purposely defied the organization’s requests and sang the national anthem in Spanish. As a consortium of fans have urged the Dodgers to take a stand and support illegal immigrants living in their city, the team seemingly extended an olive branch to those supporters on Thursday. The Dodgers were rumored to be planning an announcement on Thursday, finally revealing their support for illegal immigrants and anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests. At least one reporter told Blaze News the reporter was expecting an announcement on that general topic. Just after 12 p.m. local time, the Dodgers posted on X, claiming they had denied ICE agents access to their parking lots. Less than an hour after the team’s post, the DHS sent Blaze News a statement from Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, stating the presence of her department had "nothing to do with the Dodgers." "CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement," McLaughlin said, mirroring a post the agency put out on social media.

Reported similarly:
CNN [6/20/2025 3:06 PM, Natasha Chen, Kyle Feldscher, et al., 21433K]

Telemundo52 [6/20/2025 8:12 PM, Michael Duarte, 103K] reports for nearly two weeks, the silence took hold of Chavez Ravine. As ICE raids rocked immigrant neighborhoods, National Guard trucks toured East Los Angeles and families saw their loved ones being taken out of their homes or jobs in the early morning darkness, many in the community turned to the Dodgers, their Dodgers waiting for a sign. Any signal. A tweet. A statement. A glimpse of solidarity. That moment finally arrived on Friday afternoon. After days of growing criticism and public pressure, the Los Angeles Dodgers broke their silence with a radical compromise: a $1 million pledge to support immigrant families affected by recent federal immigration raids in Los Angeles County. In a joint initiative with the city of Los Angeles, the funds will go to direct financial assistance for families who are dealing with the consequences. And with it came something else: a voice. "What is happening in Los Angeles has resonated among thousands of people," said Stan Kasten, president and executive director of the team. Have we heard calls for us to take a leading role on behalf of those affected. By committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and elevate communities in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The announcement was not easy or quick. It was delayed nearly 24 hours after a tense standoff broke out between protesters and ICE federal agents outside Dodger Stadium on Thursday morning. According to an X-ray message from the club, the agents tried to access the stadium parking lots, but the team’s safety denied them entry. No arrests were made, but the standoff intensified the tensions that have been brewing since the raids began earlier this month.

Wall Street Journal [6/20/2025 7:41 PM, Tali Arbel, 646K] reports tensions from the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration-enforcement campaign in Los Angeles spread on Friday to one of the city’s major civic institutions—the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. The Dodgers said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents came to the stadium Thursday morning and asked permission to use its parking lots. The federal vehicles drew a crowd of protesters outside the stadium parking lots. Around 10:30 a.m., the Los Angeles Police Department said the Dodgers called to ask for help with the crowd. The police arrived shortly after and were there for a few hours but made no arrests, according to an LAPD spokesman. The LAPD spokesman said there were federal agents near the stadium as well, but couldn’t confirm from which agency. Around noon, the Dodgers wrote on its team X account that it had denied the agents from entering the grounds. The team declined to comment further. Los Angeles Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez told NBC News during an interview at the stadium that she understood that the federal agents were on “the ramp of the property” and the Dodgers didn’t allow them to enter. Hernandez didn’t reply to The Wall Street Journal’s requests for comment. ICE denied the baseball team’s version of events. “False. We were never there,” ICE replied to the Dodgers on X. The Department of Homeland Security said Customs and Border Protection “vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.” DHS didn’t comment beyond its statement, and ICE and CBP didn’t return requests for comment.

Axios [6/20/2025 12:48 PM, Russell Contreras, 13599K] reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were denied access to parking lots outside Dodger Stadium on Thursday amid ongoing immigrant protests in the city. Why it matters: The reigning World Series champions had come under criticism earlier this month for failing to speak out against ICE raids in LA and for unsuccessfully pressuring a singer not to perform a Spanish version of the national anthem at a Dodgers game. The big picture: Latino fans — especially Mexican Americans — comprise a large percentage of the Dodgers’ fan base, a trend that has been ongoing since the late 1980s, when Mexican-born left-handed pitcher Fernando Valenzuela played for the team. The initial lack of response from the Dodgers has angered many Latino fans who have protested outside the stadium and posted social media photos of ICE and Border Patrol agents near the Dodgers’ grounds. Other LA-area professional teams, including LAFC and Angel City FC, issued statements about "fear and uncertainty" being felt throughout the city. "This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots. They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight’s game will be played as scheduled," the Dodgers posted on X. "Because of the events earlier (Thursday), we continue to work with groups that were involved with our programs, but we are going to have to delay (Thursday’s) announcement while we firm up some more details,’’ team president Stan Kasten said in a statement per KABC-TV. "This had nothing to do with the Dodgers. CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Axios. Between the lines: The Dodgers’ "LA" logo on its cap has long been a source of pride among Latino fans and West Coast hip hop artists.

Reuters [6/20/2025 8:31 PM, Rory Carroll, 51390K] reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers have committed $1 million toward direct financial assistance for families of immigrants impacted by the surge in detentions and deportations in the region, the team announced on Friday. The Dodgers will partner with the city to get the money to those in "critical need," with more announcements expected in the coming days involving local community and labor organizations. The baseball team, which has a large Latino fanbase, aims to expand its outreach through these partnerships. The news comes two weeks after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began raids across the city, leading to calls from some Dodgers fans for the team to take a stand against the federal government’s mass deportation efforts. "What’s happening in Los Angeles has reverberated among thousands upon thousands of people, and we have heard the calls for us to take a leading role on behalf of those affected," Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten said in a statement.

"We believe that by committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and uplift the communities of Greater Los Angeles." The team stopped short of calling for an end to the raids, something a coalition of over 50 community, labor, faith, and immigrant rights leaders had asked for them to do in a petition sent to the ball club earlier in the day.

LA Mayor Karen Bass thanked the Dodgers for supporting the city’s immigrant community.

"These last weeks have sent shockwaves of fear rippling through every neighborhood and have had a direct impact on our economy," Bass said in a statement. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said on Thursday that CBP vehicles used the parking lot briefly and that their presence "had nothing to do with the Dodgers."

USA Today [6/20/2025 7:50 PM, Trevor Hughes, 75552K] reports a federal grand jury in Maryland has indicted an Alaska person linked to a series of nationwide deaths and violence in Vermont and California via the cultlike "Zizian" group they are accused of inspiring. Prosectors say the grand jury indicted Jack Amadeus LaSota, 34, on charges they possessed a .50-caliber rifle and several handguns while being a fugitive. Court records and interviews with people who know the group say LaSota was the intellectual leader of the largely online movement interested in artificial intelligence. Some of whose members lived full time in box trucks in several states. Lasota has also gone by the names Andrea Phelps, Ann Grimes, Anne Grimes, Canaris, Julia LaSota and "Ziz," prosecutors said. LaSota was assigned male at birth but uses female pronouns; federal and state court records refer to LaSota as a man. "LaSota was knowingly a fugitive from justice and therefore was not permitted by law to possess a firearm or ammunition," the U.S. Attorney’s office in Maryland said in a statement. LaSota faces up to a 15-year prison sentence. According to court records and a USA TODAY investigation, the Zizian group is connected to at least six deaths, including the homicide of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont in January. Court records also indicate LaSota may have faked their own death in 2022. Many of the group members are vegan, and either have degrees in computer science or have studied related fields, according to court records. Some members of the group are transgender, or have rejected binary sexuality, and are interested in the role artificial intelligence may play in creating a new society, according to interviews and court records. In February, Maryland police arrested LaSota along with two other people, Michelle Zajko, 32, and Daniel Blank, 26, in a rural area after the property owner called police to report the black-clad suspects on his land. Blank is a suspect in the late 2022 shooting deaths of Zajko’s parents in Pennsylvania, and authorities say LaSota and Zajko are being investigated in connection with other multiple deaths.

Los Angeles Times [6/20/2025 1:39 PM, Raul A. Reyes, 14672K] reports that on Tuesday, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was arrested by several masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at a courthouse in Manhattan as he attempted to steer an individual past immigration authorities. That same day, masked agents outside a Walmart in Pico Rivera detained two individuals — one a target of immigration enforcement, the other a U.S. citizen who tried to intervene. These two scenes from opposite sides of the country illustrate what has become a more common problem: federal agents wearing masks to avoid recognition. On Thursday, masked individuals said to be affiliated with the Department of Homeland Security descended on a Home Depot in Hollywood and on Dodger Stadium. Masking is not good law enforcement practice. It may contradict Homeland Security regulations, while potentially providing cover for some officers to violate constitutional and civil rights. It undermines agents’ authority and endangers public safety as well. The federal government has no specific policy banning immigration agents from wearing masks. But the fact that such practice is not illegal does not make it acceptable. Department of Homeland Security regulations require immigration officers to identify themselves during an arrest or, in cases of a warrantless arrest, provide a statement explaining how they identified themselves. The use of masks seems to violate the intent of these directives for identification. Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, said earlier this month that immigration agents wear masks to protect themselves. "I’m sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks," he said, "but I’m not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line, their family on the line, because people don’t like what immigration enforcement is."

The Hill [6/20/2025 12:30 PM, Chris Truax, 18649K] reports that as they watch the Trump administration’s dysfunction unfold, there is a growing temptation for Democrats to ignore difficult questions. Trump’s approval ratings are already sinking and the real impacts of his policies haven’t even hit voters yet. Even Trump himself is having second thoughts, backing away from his original tariffs and openly musing about exempting some sectors of the economy from immigration raids. Why should Democrats struggle with a divisive issue like immigration policy when voters will boot Republicans out just to end the madness? The answer is because they must. When it comes to immigration, there is no returning to the status quo ante, even if Democrats win the next two elections in landslides. Heavy-handed Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and handcuffed senators aren’t going to change that, no matter how often they happen. If Democrats have nothing to offer but complaints, they risk handing the issue back to Republicans, since voters often prefer misguided effort to clueless complacency. Republicans are actually quite vulnerable when it comes to immigration. Although voters want to see something being done, many aren’t comfortable with Trump’s chaos and cruelty. Even hard-core MAGA voters must be slightly queasy about abandoning Afghans who believed America’s promises and can never go home again because they risked their lives to help us. They cannot be entirely comfortable with forcibly deporting law-abiding people who have lived in their communities for decades.

San Diego Union Tribune [6/20/2025 10:00 AM, Steven Greenhut, 1611K] reports years ago, I drove through a Border Patrol station along a Southern California freeway in my little sports car. As a white guy in a Navy blazer, I wasn’t surprised that the agents immediately waved me along—even as they questioned the Latino drivers around me, searched their trunks and thoroughly inspected their vehicles. I clearly didn’t the fit the profile of an illegal immigrant or Mexican drug smuggler. By contrast, one time that I flew with my mom, whose 90-year-old body has its share of metal implants, TSA agents examined her as if she might be the member of a sleeper cell. It’s just how it goes in TSA’s Security Theater—although once I was diverted to a "random" line for extra vetting and noticed that I appeared to be the only person in line who didn’t look Middle Eastern. What a coincidence. My Border Patrol story reinforces an obvious point I’ve made to some of my Trump-supporting friends: The government almost certainly will use profiling to target criminal aliens, gang-bangers and even garden-variety illegal immigrants. Sometimes, liberal activists act as if racial/ethnic disparities in any given area necessarily prove racial discrimination. That’s not always the case, but ethnic profiling always goes hand-in-hand with immigration enforcement.

Wall Street Journal [6/20/2025 10:01 AM, James Freeman, 646K] reports no surprise to readers of this column, a unanimous three-judge panel has ruled against the state of California and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who seems to believe he enjoys some sort of veto over presidential powers. Jess Bravin and Brent Kendall report for the Journal: A federal appeals court on Thursday night allowed President Trump to maintain command of the California National Guard in response to the Los Angeles protests, blocking a lower court that ordered him to return those forces to the state’s control. A three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Trump’s decision to federalize the Guard was entitled to a high degree of deference. Under that standard, “we conclude that it is likely that the President lawfully exercised his statutory authority,” the panel wrote. The unanimous ruling notes undisputed facts cited by the administration that are often ignored or minimized by media accounts: On June 6, 2025, a group of protesters tried to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials from operating in Los Angeles by throwing objects at ICE vehicles. Later that evening, protesters gathered at ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) building in downtown Los Angeles. Protesters “pinned down” several Federal Protective Service (FPS) officers and threw “concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects” at the officers. The protesters used “large rolling commercial dumpsters as a battering ram to breach the parking garage gate and damage federal property.” The Los Angeles Police Department arrived on the scene about an hour after being called by federal officers. The protesters eventually dispersed at law enforcement’s direction, but the federal building had been heavily vandalized. The appellate judges noted that the administration has “an uncontested interest in the protection of federal agents and property and the faithful execution of law.” Don’t we all?

FOX News [6/21/2025 2:57 AM, Christina Shaw, 46878K] reports the Department of Homeland Security released shocking new statistics Thursday showing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are facing a severe escalation in assaults during ICE operations. According to the release, agents have experienced a 500% increase in assaults while carrying out recent enforcement operations. "Just this week, an ICE officer was dragged 50 yards by a car while arresting an illegal alien sex offender," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a press release. The escalation extends to other immigration operations, including Border Patrol. On Thursday, DHS posted about an incident in Bell and Maywood, CA where Patrol vehicles were "violently targeted during lawful operations.” A vehicle was rammed, and its tires were slashed, DHS said. Another civilian also struck a federal vehicle, totaling it, according to the department. The driver was arrested for alleged vehicular assault as a mob formed and continued to slash more tires. Secretary McLaughlin said ICE agents put their lives on the line every day and blamed Democrats for allegedly putting them in harm’s way by demonizing them. "Every day the men and women of ICE put their lives on the line to protect and defend the lives of American citizens. Make no mistake, Democrat politicians like Hakeem Jeffries, Mayor Wu of Boston, Governor Tim Walz, and Mayor Bass of Los Angeles are contributing to the surge in assaults of our ICE officers through their repeated vilification and demonization of ICE," McLaughlin said. "From comparisons to the modern-day Nazi Gestapo to glorifying rioters, the violent rhetoric of these sanctuary politicians is despicable. This violence against ICE must end.” DHS said family members of ICE agents are also being targeted and doxxed. The department said anyone caught committing these crimes would be penalized. "Those who dox our ICE agents will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," DHS said. "Secretary Noem’s message is clear: you will not stop us or slow us down. ICE and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," the statement said. DHS said it will not be deterred and that CBP and its partners will continue to enforce the law — "relentless and unapologetic." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [6/20/2025 1:59 PM, Hannah Knudsen, 3077K] reports that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem highlighted some of the illegal immigrants detained by immigration enforcement over the past several days, showcasing their crimes which include "12 different sex offenses against children." In a video posted to her X account, Noem explained that she receives a list every day on illegal immigrants who have been picked up by immigration enforcement agents. These individuals, she emphasized, are not only in the country illegally, but criminals, highlighting some of the "worst of the worst." "Here we have a Guatemalan we picked up today — aggravated assault against a police officer," she said, going through a stack of paper with pictures of the offenders. "This one — rape of a victim under age of seventeen years old," she said, going to the next page. "This one robbed a disabled senior citizen." The fourth individual highlighted by Noem has "12 different sex offenses against children. If you look at it, two counts of statutory rape of a child. Two counts of indecent assault and battery.". Noem continued, "These guys are off the street today because of the work of our ICE enforcement officers, law enforcement across the country. Thank you for making America safe again, and thank you President Donald J. Trump." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [6/20/2025 3:07 PM, Peter Pinedo, 46878K] reports ICE has uncovered a massive identity theft scheme led by illegal immigrants and possibly tied to organized criminal networks following a workplace raid at a meatpacking plant in Omaha. According to an ICE statement, approximately 70 illegal aliens working at the plant were discovered to be using stolen Social Security numbers and identities to unlawfully obtain employment authorization, wages and benefits at the expense of over 100 victims. The statement said that the victims have faced "devastating financial, emotional and legal consequences" as a result of the identity theft. Working with other federal and state partners, ICE agents conducted a major workplace raid at Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha on June 10. The raid resulted in over 70 illegal immigrants being arrested, which sparked protests both in the community and across the country. While the arrests have sparked outrage from some in both the local community and nationally, ICE said the illegals’ identity theft proves they were not innocent, hardworking members of society, as some have suggested. Another ICE representative told Fox News Digital that the illegal aliens who were apprehended at Glenn Valley Foods were behind the crime and that "some may have used organized criminal networks" to carry out the crime. The representative said that the investigation is still ongoing and that the exact number of individuals impacted is still unknown. The ICE spokesperson pointed to a few examples of those victimized by the apprehended illegals’ identity theft scheme.

AP [6/21/2025 2:54 AM, Julie Watson, Jake Offenhartz and Claire Rush, 31733K] reports Adam Greenfield was home nursing a cold when his girlfriend raced in to tell him Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles were pulling up in their trendy San Diego neighborhood. The author and podcast producer grabbed his iPhone and bolted out the door barefoot, joining a handful of neighbors recording masked agents raiding a popular Italian restaurant nearby, as they yelled at the officers to leave. An hour later, the crowd had grown to nearly 75 people, with many in front of the agents’ vehicles. “I couldn’t stay silent,” Greenfield said. “It was literally outside of my front door.” More Americans are witnessing people being hauled off as they shop, exercise at the gym, dine out and otherwise go about their daily lives as President Donald Trump’s administration aggressively works to increase immigration arrests. As the raids touch the lives of people who aren’t immigrants themselves, many Americans who rarely, if ever, participated in civil disobedience are rushing out to record the actions on their phones and launch impromptu protests. Greenfield said on the evening of the May 30 raid, the crowd included grandparents, retired military members, hippies, and restaurant patrons arriving for date night. Authorities threw flash bangs to force the crowd back and then drove off with four detained workers, he said. “To do this, at 5 o’clock, right at the dinner rush, right on a busy intersection with multiple restaurants, they were trying to make a statement,” Greenfield said. “But I don’t know if their intended point is getting across the way they want it to. I think it is sparking more backlash.” Previously, many arrests happened late at night or in the pre-dawn hours by agents waiting outside people’s homes as they left for work or outside their work sites when they finished their day. When ICE raided another popular restaurant in San Diego in 2008, agents did it in the early morning without incident. White House border czar Tom Homan has said agents are being forced to make more arrests in communities because of sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with ICE in certain cities and states. ICE enforces immigration laws nationwide but seeks state and local help in alerting federal authorities of immigrants wanted for deportation and holding that person until federal officers take custody. Vice President JD Vance, during a visit to Los Angeles on Friday, said those policies have given agents “a bit of a morale problem because they’ve had the local government in this community tell them that they’re not allowed to do their job.” “When that Border Patrol agent goes out to do their job, they said within 15 minutes they have protesters, sometimes violent protesters who are in their face obstructing them,” he said.

New York Post [6/21/2025 3:50 AM, Alec Schemmel, 49956K] reports that the Democratic mayor of Tennessee’s largest city, who has been accused of obstructing federal immigration efforts, defended his office’s decision to publicly dox the names of immigration officers. Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s defense came even after the names of federal immigration officials were removed from a public immigration report detailing a month’s worth of immigration-related interactions between local police and federal immigration authorities. Initially, the public report detailed immigration officers’ names, but following backlash over the move the names were taken down. "I wouldn’t say it was an endangerment process, I would say they may have some concerns – I’m far more concerned about the overall dynamic we have about unmarked, unidentifiable masked people whisking people into vehicles – i think that’s a bigger concern," O’Connell, who is currently under investigation by GOP House lawmakers for potentially interfering with federal immigration efforts, said during a press conference with reporters. O’Connell did add the move was not "intentional," but then quickly followed up that he wouldn’t have described what happened as "doxing" in the first place. "It’s not a process that I would characterize as doxing. It was an unintentional release of names that were already part of a public record," he told reporters. "They were already part of a public record by being in Department of Emergency Communication’s calls, so I don’t think it puts them at additional risk. But it’s also not an intention of the executive order under which those names are released.” Larry Adams, an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Field Office Director, told local Fox affiliate in Nashville WZTV that ICE agents disagree that making their names public is not a risk, noting their faces can easily be matched to photos on social media. "It has gotten more and more difficult," Adams said of his job under the new administration’s aggressive deportation tactics, during a ride along with WZTV that occurred last week. "What affects me the most, is we understand the job we are doing, we understand what we sign up for, it’s mostly the attacks or threats against our families.” After Tennessee Republican Congressman Rep. Andy Ogles requested the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) investigate the Nashville mayor over allegedly obstructing federal officials, the agency followed through and opened an investigation. Meanwhile, two congressional committees are also investigating him, including requesting documents related to O’Connell’s Executive Order 30, which has required city departments to report federal immigration communications to the city of Nashville’s Office of New Americans. In an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin remarked at the danger associated with doxing federal immigration officers, noting that the act effectively handed cartels intelligence "on a silver platter.” "These are the tip of the spear, these are the people on the front lines trying to make our communities safer," McLaughlin said. "So, when Democrats and the media show us who they are, we’ll believe them, and it’s the fact that they’re fighting for people like MS-13 and child rapists to be on American streets.” According to local news outlet, the Tennessee Lookout, McLaughlin has also clapped back at O’Connell’s claims that the release of immigration officials’ names was a mistake. "They claimed it was a mistake. There’s zero chance it was a mistake, and there will be repercussions," she said, according to the outlet.

Reported similarly:
FOX News [6/20/2025 4:20 PM, Alec Schemmel, 46878K]
NewsMax [6/20/2025 10:50 PM, James Morley III, 4622K]

FOX News [6/20/2025 2:09 PM, Marc Tamasco, 46878K] reports that "The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert questioned whether "Stand Your Ground" laws put masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at risk of being shot during an interview with Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., on Thursday. As Democrats across the country continue to criticize the federal agency’s use of masks and civilian clothing, the liberal host questioned whether officers are being put in danger in "Stand Your Ground" states like Florida. Colbert said he was alarmed because, "it does feel like kidnapping, because, as you said, unmarked windowless vans will show up. Men will get out wearing masks… no identifying patches, do not identify themselves. They don’t have badges." "They grab people and put them in a van, in a state like Florida that has a ‘Stand Your Ground’ law and people can open carry," he went on. "It’s dangerous for those officers, not just for the people, because why wouldn’t you think that you were being attacked?" Despite Colbert’s claim, open carry is not legal in Florida. It is allowed under certain, limited circumstances, such as hunting or fishing. In February 2025, however, Governor Ron DeSantis urged the legislature to support open carry. Earlier this month, Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons slammed Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on "Fox & Friends" for their "disgusting" rhetoric about agents masking up, which he felt put him and his officers in danger. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NewsMax [6/20/2025 12:32 PM, Sam Barron, 4622K] reports that new guidelines have been issued limiting congressional access to Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities following several recent dustups, Axios reported. The new policy requires members of Congress to give 72 business hours’ notice before they visit an ICE facility, Axios said. Lawmakers are not required to provide advance notice for site visits to ICE detention facilities, but this blocks them from making announced visits to ICE field offices, Axios reported. Congressional office staffers are required to provide 24 hours’ notice to enter ICE detention facilities, according to Axios. "ICE retains the sole and unreviewable discretion to deny a request or otherwise cancel, reschedule or terminate a tour visit," ICE’s policy reads. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., called the move unprecedented and a violation of the Constitution and federal law. "ICE is not above oversight and the Department must follow the law," Thompson said. "This unlawful policy is a smokescreen to deny member visits to ICE offices across the country, which are holding migrants — and sometimes even U.S. citizens — for days at a time. They are therefore detention facilities and are subject to oversight and inspection at any time. If ICE has nothing to hide, DHS must make its facilities available."

Breitbart [6/20/2025 3:24 PM, Hannah Knudsen, 3077K] reports that Democrat Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) is accusing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers of "hiding misbehavior" by keeping their identities away from criminal illegal aliens — an accusation the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has deemed "despicable." "These people are wearing masks and are totally unidentified," Nadler proclaimed. "The only question is why." "It’s completely improper, and again one has to assume they’re hiding something or they’re hiding misbehavior because otherwise why would they be wearing masks and denying their identities?" he asked. His accusations against ICE officers coincide with the reality that ICE agents now face a 500-percent increase in assaults while trying to arrest illegal immigrants, as DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Breitbart News this week. "Today, the Department of Homeland Security released new data revealing that ICE law enforcement is now facing a 500-percent increase in assaults while carrying out enforcement operations," she said. "Just this week, an ICE officer was dragged 50 yards by a car while arresting an illegal alien sex offender," McLaughlin said, referencing the case of illegal alien Roberto Carlos Munoz, who is a convicted child sex offender. He dragged an ICE agent 50 yards with his car as he attempted to evade arrest. "Every day the men and women of ICE put their lives on the line to protect and defend the lives of American citizens," McLaughlin added.

The Hill [6/20/2025 4:35 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 18649K] reports that Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) condemned new policies Friday requiring prescreening for lawmakers’ visits to immigration detention facilities after a series of incidents where members of Congress seeking to conduct oversight were denied entry. "This administration has continuously tried to go around Congress and block Congress from doing its constitutionally responsible duties," Meeks said during a Friday appearance on MSNBC. "We are and have oversight and should be let into these facilities without notice," he added. Meeks said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials can misrepresent conditions when provided advanced notice of oversight visits. His comments come after the DHS issued new guidance requesting 72-hour notice before members of Congress visit facilities. Several lawmakers in New Jersey, California, Illinois and New York have been barred from entering facilities to conduct legal oversight. Meeks said the DHS’s new policy is "problematic.". Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) also said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is seeking to block lawmakers from visiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field offices, even during advance visits. The DHS did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment on the allegations.

Washington Examiner [6/20/2025 5:40 PM, Ross O’Keefe, 1934K] reports a group of New York House Democrats, led by Rep. Dan Goldman, sent a letter on Friday to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, demanding they be allowed to conduct immigration oversight. The letter comes two days after ICE denied a request by Goldman and Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), who also signed the document, to observe an ICE field office in New York City. ICE has said that a 72-hour advance notice is required for a visit. "We write to express alarm about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) continued obstruction of lawful congressional oversight visits, including recent denials of access to ICE field offices being used to house immigrants, such as the one located at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City," the congress members, also including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Grace Meng (D-NY), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), and Yvette Clarke (D-NY), wrote. "These denials are not only indefensible, but they are also a clear violation of current law," they added in the letter addressed to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons. The members of Congress argued that because the office at 26 Federal Plaza houses migrants for multiple days, it should be considered a migrant housing facility and subject to oversight that cannot be denied under Section 527(a) of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act. They said that "New York Deputy Field Director Bill Joyce confirmed that individuals are in fact held – without beds – at 26 Federal Plaza for multiple days.” "When individuals are deprived of their liberty in a secure facility for multiple days, they are unquestionably being ‘detained’ or ‘housed’ under the plain language of Section 527(a)," they wrote. The congress members are asking the Trump administration to rescind all guidance saying ICE field offices are exempt from Section 527 oversight, reaffirm that they are allowed to "conduct unannounced oversight visits" to any facility housing migrants, and direct all ICE field offices to comply with Section 527, "and facilitate congressional access consistent with current law," no later than June 30. "Your cooperation, or lack thereof, will determine whether the Department of Homeland Security is committed to transparency and upholding the law with integrity or to secrecy and obstruction of congressional oversight," the letter concluded.

NBC 4 Greenville [6/20/2025 6:19 PM, Stephanie Moore, Rey Llerena, and Miya Paton] reports Homeland Security released information Friday about a human trafficking and immigration investigation at a West Union, South Carolina, restaurant on Wednesday. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin released this statement to WYFF News 4: “The Homeland Security Investigations Greenville office executed a federal search warrant at Puerto Nuevo Restaurant in West Union, South Carolina. During the operation, agents rescued two juvenile victims of human trafficking and arrested eight individuals on immigration charges. The investigation remains ongoing. "Worksite immigration enforcement protects workers from exploitation and trafficking like these children who were trafficked.” The West Union Police Department posted the following message on Facebook: "The West Union Police Department and OCSO assisted HSI with a criminal investigation today in the Foothills Center plaza including Puerto Nuevo. This was not an ICE raid or Immigration Enforcement. Two subjects were arrested today for Disorderly Conduct, one of which had a firearm and was ordered several times not to touch said firearm after entering the scene. The subject was quickly taken into custody without incident. HSI’s investigation is ongoing and any requests for information about their investigation should be directed to the HSI PIO."

Wall Street Journal [6/20/2025 7:16 PM, Victoria Albert, 646K] reports the Department of Homeland Security is attempting to deport a reporter based in the state of Georgia who was arrested at one of the “No Kings” protests that broke out across the country last weekend. Mario Guevara, a Salvadoran national and Spanish-language reporter known for documenting immigration-enforcement actions, was arrested by local police on Saturday while reporting on a demonstration near Atlanta. He was brought in on allegations of willful obstruction after refusing to comply with local police orders to move out of a street, the department said in a post on X. He was later turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and has been placed in removal proceedings, the department said Friday. Guevara entered the U.S. illegally in 2004, the department said. His attorney, Giovanni Diaz, said Tuesday that Guevara is legally authorized to work in the U.S. Guevara livestreamed video from the protest northeast of Atlanta, narrating in Spanish as protesters waved flags and chanted. At one point, he ran away from what appeared to be tear gas. The video later showed officers approaching Guevara, who identified himself as a member of the press, and taking him into custody. Diaz, Guevara’s attorney, said Guevara has been doing similar reporting for 20 years without issue. Guevara didn’t do anything illegal at the protest, Diaz said, raising concerns that he was potentially targeted for his work. Homeland Security denied that there was anything improper about Guevara’s detention. “Accusations that Mario Guevara was arrested by ICE because he is a journalist are completely untrue,” department spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said.

CNN [6/20/2025 6:00 AM, Randi Kaye and David von Blohn, 21433K] reports
Abraham Sano still remembers the first phone call he made after he said he was thrown "in the hole" at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, Florida. "I called my mom," he told CNN. That was 2021. Sano, who is from Liberia and has since been deported there, recalls feeling like his body was burning. "The first shot of pepper spray went in my ear all the way down my face," he told CNN. After that he said he was thrown in solitary confinement. "My body was burning for, like, days because the pepper spray residue was still on my body." According to Sano and his former immigration lawyer, Katie Blankenship, this all started when Sano and more than a dozen other detainees were awakened in the middle of the night and beaten up by guards. Sano told CNN he was granted political asylum in the US but was later arrested on a robbery charge. The Glades facility is run by the Glades County Sheriff’s Office in south-central Florida, west of Lake Okeechobee. After a 15-year arrangement, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced in March 2022 during the Biden administration that it would pause its use of the jail, noting that "any future use of the facility will be dependent on fully addressing any conditions that do not meet detention standards." ICE added that the pause was also due to "persistent ongoing concerns related to the provision of detainee medical care." Yet, in April this year, as deportations skyrocketed under the second Trump administration, ICE reinstated its contract with Glades County. In an email, ICE told CNN it had determined that Glades can help "clear the backlog" of undocumented immigrants in the country. Regarding Sano’s claims, ICE told CNN that the detainee refused multiple orders and that a "burst" of pepper spray was used. Once Sano was restrained, ICE said he was "immediately … treated by medical and cleared." Blankenship maintains that three years after its ICE contract was canceled, Glades is still not fit for detaining immigrants. There have been no announcements or documentation of improvements at the facility, she said. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded with a statement, saying in part, "ICE takes its commitment to promoting safe, secure, and humane environments for those in our custody very seriously. It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. ICE is regularly audited and inspected by external agencies to ensure that all its facilities comply with performance-based national detention standards." McLaughlin also told us, "As part of reopening of this facility, DHS improved the food service, commissary, and installed tablets for detainees to file grievances and to be able to make video calls to their lawyers and family members.". CNN cannot confirm any improvements were made since ICE would not give us access to the Glades facility, nor did they provide any evidence such changes were made.

FOX News [6/20/2025 2:45 PM, Cameron Arcand, 46878K] reports that city commissioners in Miami, Florida, voted 3-2 on Tuesday to allow police officers to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The city entered a 287(g) partnership with ICE, which various cities use to assist with federal enforcement using different methods. It’s a sharp contrast to some governments throughout the United States, especially in major cities, which do not allow local or state authorities to help enforce immigration laws. "We value our partnerships with state and local law enforcement, and the success of the 287(g) program allows for a force multiplier in enforcing immigration laws," an ICE spokesperson said in a statement. "This whole-of-government approach enables law enforcement partners to protect cities across the nation from public safety and national security threats, and we encourage others across the country to join." In February, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an Executive Order for state-level law enforcement to establish agreements with ICE to assist in the Trump administration’s deportation efforts. "Florida is setting the example for states in combating illegal immigration and working with the Trump Administration to restore the rule of law," DeSantis said at the time. "By allowing our state agents and law enforcement officers to be trained and approved by ICE, Florida will now have more enforcement personnel deputized to assist federal partners. That means deportations can be carried out more efficiently, making our communities safer as illegal aliens are removed."

Telemundo 48 El Paso [6/20/2025 6:22 PM, Allie Spillyards, 9K] reports that a newlywed Texan claims his girlfriend is being held in an ICE facility after being arrested on her return from her honeymoon in the Virgin Islands last February. Taahir Shaikh fears Ward Sakeik will be deported, despite not having a country to call home. Last year, at this time, Shaikh would probably have said they were beginning their happiness forever. The last 12 months of my life have been a hotspot. "You go from buying your first house, planning the wedding of your dreams, attending that wedding, going on a honeymoon, to be separated for more than 120 days," Shaikh said. The newlyweds had just arrived from Aregresarvde Santo Tomas when Sakeik was arrested by ICE despite having an application for permanent residence pending and evidence of a single circumstance. "It is considered stateless, which basically means that he was born in a country that does not grant him citizenship by birth. And since she was a Palestinian refugee born in Saudi Arabia, they were not recognized as Saudi citizens," he said. ICE comments: Ward Sakeik’s arrest was not part of a specific ICE operation. She decided to leave the country and was later detected by the CBP as she tried to return to the United States. The truth is that he is in our country illegally. He stayed longer than allowed on his visa and has had a final immigration court order for more than a decade. President Trump and Secretary Noem are committed to restoring the integrity of the visa program and ensuring that it is not abused to grant foreigners a permanent one-way ticket to stay in the United States. He had a final deportation court order since 2011. His appeal against the final court order was dismissed by the Immigration Appeals Board on 12 February 2014. He has exhausted his right to due process and all his claims have been denied by the courts, the statement says.

New York Post [6/20/2025 12:00 PM, Ariel Zilber, 49956K] reports a crackdown on undocumented workers by the Trump administration has sent shockwaves through the nation’s farms, factories and food supply chains — prompting warnings of worker shortages and higher prices. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller sounded the alarm this week as immigration raids continue to disrupt labor across the state’s farming industry — particularly in dairy operations. Miller told Bloomberg that the situation has become more dire for livestock producers amid growing absenteeism among workers fearful of being detained. "Those cows, they have to be milked every eight hours, so if milkhands are gone, what are you going to do? It’s sheer panic," he said. Dairy farms across Texas are struggling to maintain routine operations as both undocumented and legal workers stay home to avoid potential encounters with immigration authorities, according to Bloomberg News. The increased presence of ICE agents, combined with confusion over federal enforcement policy, has led to widespread uncertainty. Though Trump briefly suggested farms might be spared, the Department of Homeland Security reaffirmed Thursday that agents are to target anyone in the country without legal status.

Yahoo News [6/21/2025 12:24 AM, Cindy Gonzalez, 59943K] reports the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Friday announced the arrest of a Bellevue man it alleges “violently attacked” an immigration agent, was in the country illegally and has ties to the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. Gabriel Hurtado-Cariaco, 30, has been charged with attempted murder by the Department of Justice, said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Unfortunately this is not an isolated incident,” she said in a statement, adding that ICE agents are facing a surge in assaults against them. On June 18, Omaha-based agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations led an operation to arrest Hurtado-Cariaco. An ICE spokeswoman said agents conducted a traffic stop and Hurtado-Cariaco allegedly launched an attack on a special agent. Hurtado-Cariaco allegedly “threw the ICE agent to the ground, slammed her head into the pavement, ripped off her body armor, and made repeated and physical violent contact,” said the Homeland Security statement. He fled the scene, but federal agents apprehended him about an hour later in the same area. The agent sustained injuries to her head and arm and was transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She has since been released and is recovering. Hurtado-Cariaco also allegedly assaulted an FBI agent during the incident.

NBC 5 Pueblo [6/21/2025 12:16 AM, James Gavato and Anthony Kambiss] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has responded two days after Mohamed Soliman’s wife issued her first public statement. “These allegations by Hayam Salah Alsaid Ahmed Elgamal are FALSE. ICE takes its commitment to promoting safe, secure, humane environments for those in our custody very seriously. ICE is regularly audited and inspected by external agencies to ensure that all ICE facilities comply with performance-based national detention standards. “DHS is investigating to what extent Hayam Salah Alsaid Ahmed Elgamal and her children knew about her husband’s heinous terrorist attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it.” [Editorial note: consult retweet at source link]

Los Angeles Times [6/20/2025 6:00 AM, Jenny Jarvie and Nathan Solis, 14672K] reports as federal immigration agents conduct mass raids across Southern California, the Adelanto ICE Processing Center is filling so rapidly it is reigniting longtime concerns about safety conditions inside the facility. In less than two months, the number of detainees in the sprawling complex about 85 miles northeast of Los Angeles has surged from around 300 near the end of April to more than 1,200 as of Wednesday, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. The largest detention center in California, Adelanto has for years been the focus of complaints from detainees, attorneys and state and federal inspectors about inadequate medical care, overly restrictive segregation and lax mental health services. But now, critics — including some staff who work inside — warn that conditions inside have become increasingly unsafe and unsanitary. The facility, they say, is woefully unprepared to handle a massive increase in the number of detainees. "It’s dangerous," a longtime Adelanto detention center staff member told The Times, speaking on condition of anonymity because they did not want to lose their job. "We have no staffing for this and not enough experienced staff. They’re just cutting way too many corners, and it affects the safety of everybody in there." Immigration Customs and Enforcement and GEO Group, the Florida-based private prison corporation that manages the Adelanto detention center, did not answer The Times’ questions about staffing or conditions inside the facility. The Times also sent questions to Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin, but they were not answered.

Los Angeles Times [6/20/2025 11:45 AM, Corinne Purtill, 14672K] reports missed childhood vaccinations. Skipped blood sugar checks. Medications abandoned at the pharmacy. These are among the healthcare disruptions providers have noticed since Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations began in Southern California earlier this month. Across the region, once-busy parks, shops and businesses have emptied as undocumented residents and their families hole up at home in fear. As rumors of immigration arrests have swirled around clinics and hospitals, many patients are also opting to skip chronic-care management visits as well as routine childhood check-ups. In response, local federally qualified health centers — institutions that receive federal funds and are required by law to provide primary care regardless of ability to pay — have been scrambling to organize virtual appointments, house calls and pharmacy deliveries to patients who no longer feel safe going out in public. "We’re just seeing a very frightening and chaotic environment that’s making it extremely difficult to provide for the healthcare needs of our patients," said Jim Mangia, president of St. John’s Community Health, which offers medical, dental and mental health care to more than 100,000 low-income patients annually in Southern California. Patients have also expressed concerns that any usage of health services could make them targets. Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shared the personal data of Medicaid enrollees with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including their immigration status. No specific enforcement actions have been directly linked to the data.

USA Today [6/20/2025 12:39 PM, Lauren Villagran, 75552K] reports two California lawmakers are pushing legislation that would prevent law enforcement from covering their faces when making arrests in the state. The "No Secret Police Act," introduced by two Democrats in the California Senate, is a reaction to immigration sweeps across the country by masked agents in plainclothes, who are increasingly refusing to identify themselves by name or the agency they work for. "The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror," Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said in a statement. "If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state.” A now-widespread protest movement against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement was ignited in Los Angeles in early June, when street protests turned violent. California lawmakers have been among President Donald Trump’s most vocal opponents. The bill, co-sponsored by Jesse Arreguin, D-Berkeley, would also require officers be identifiable by their uniform. It would exempt SWAT teams and permit the use of medical-grade masks and those used to protect workers during emergencies like wildfires. "This bill will ensure that law enforcement are easily identifiable, maintaining that trust and accountability," Arreguin said in a statement. Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a June 20 post on the social media site X that ICE agents have experienced "a 500% increase in assaults." She didn’t provide the total number of assaults or a time frame for the increase. But videos circulating online have showed increasingly violent confrontations between masked federal agents and civilians seeking to document or prevent arrests. "These are the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to arrest violent criminals and gang members," she said.

Los Angeles Times [6/21/2025 2:25 AM, Jad El Reda, Ruben Vives and Rong-Gong Lin II, 14672K] reports protesters gathered in southeast Los Angeles County Friday evening, facing off with masked men in fatigues after federal agents detained at least three people at a car wash in the city of Bell, according to witnesses, and visited another car wash in neighboring Maywood. The immigration action in Bell took place at Jack’s Car Wash and Detailing, located in the 7000 block of Atlantic Avenue, just north of Florence Avenue. Security camera footage reviewed by The Times shows masked men wearing olive vests chasing a car wash employee, who was wearing a bright green uniform and cap. The video shows another employee — wearing a bright green cap, a white long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans — surrounded by the masked men, his hands restrained behind his back. The employee is tackled to the ground as customers and others gathered, with some taking out their phones to record videos. The man in the white-long sleeved shirt is a car wash worker who is a U.S. citizen, according to the employee’s brother, Jesús Rafael Cervantes. He said his brother, who lives in Bell Gardens, wanted to defend a coworker — an action that, Cervantes said, prompted agents to detain his brother. "Just for defending someone, they came and knocked him down. As you can see in the videos, they came and knocked him down like that, just like that. And that’s unfair, that they come and grab a person like that as if he were an animal or something," Cervantes told The Times. Protesters gathered to confront the agents in the area, which is about 6 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. In one video shared with The Times, a protester sprays white paint on a silver SUV and a voice can be heard saying, "Get the ... out of here!" while others jeer. People can be seen hitting the vehicle. Officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately return a request for comment. In a statement posted on social media, the agency said Border Patrol vehicles "were violently targeted during lawful operations" in Bell and Maywood. The Department of Homeland Security said one vehicle was rammed and had its tires slashed on Atlantic Boulevard. On Slauson Avenue, a civilian struck a federal vehicle, totaling it, according to the department. "The driver was arrested for suspicion of vehicular assault as a mob formed and slashed additional tires," the department said. The statement included photos showing silver vehicles with cracked or shattered windows. One silver SUV was shown with dented doors and scratched paint. "Federal law enforcement is facing an ever-escalating increase in assaults — but we will not be deterred," the department said. "If you assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted.” The statement did not indicate how many were detained on immigration-related matters.

Politico [6/20/2025 2:36 PM, Katherine Tully-McManus, 2100K] reports the House will vote next week on a resolution “condemning the violent June 2025 riots in Los Angeles, California,” sponsored by California GOP Rep. Young Kim. Protests against sweeping immigration raids, deportations and detentions swelled in the Democratic stronghold earlier this month amid President Donald Trump’s broader immigration crackdown. Clashes between officers and protesters turned violent and resulted in police unleashing tear gas on those assembled to demonstrate. Trump ended up deploying the National Guard in a move harshly criticized by Democrats and resulting in a lawsuit from the state of California. The resolution, which will be considered by the House Rules Committee on Monday to tee up floor consideration later in the week, recognizes “the right to assemble and protest peacefully” and “condemns unequivocally the violence perpetrated against Federal, State, and local law enforcement” in Los Angeles. It also thanks law enforcement across Los Angeles and Orange County, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement “for keeping our communities safe in the face of danger.” Republicans are likely to use the pressure to paint Democrats into a political corner. Democrats don’t want to be seen as condoning violence but they also have accused the Trump administration of escalation.

Yahoo News [6/20/2025 3:11 PM, Rebecca Kheel, 59943K] reports an Afghan man who fled to the United States after he says his brother was murdered by the Taliban in retaliation for working with the U.S. military, something the man also did himself, is now sitting in an immigration detention center in California. Federal agents arrested him after the conclusion of an asylum case hearing. The arrest, which was captured on video circulated on social media, is the most stark demonstration yet that the Afghan allies who were instrumental to the 20-year U.S. war effort are not being spared from the Trump administration’s aggressive tactics to reduce immigration. It is also infuriating veterans who have spent the years since the withdrawal working to ensure Afghans threatened by the Taliban because of their association with the U.S. military can get to safety. In an emailed statement, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed Sayed’s arrest. The statement also denied that his immigration record included indications he worked with the U.S. government in any capacity, but the paperwork provided by his legal team includes documents confirming his contracts with the military.

San Diego Union Tribune [6/20/2025 11:48 PM, Alexandra Mendoza, 1611K] reports that, San Diego Bishop-Designate Michael Pham, the first U.S. Catholic bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV and himself a refugee, led a delegation of faith leaders Friday to accompany immigrants attending court hearings at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building in downtown San Diego. Earlier, Pham had offered a Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral recognizing World Refugee Day. Faith leaders voiced solidarity with immigrant communities amid the Trump administration’s tactics to ramp up deportations. San Diego is among cities nationwide that have seen federal agents detain people as they exit immigration court hearings, in most instances after the government moved to dismiss their cases. Armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents also have conducted sweeps of local worksites and restaurants. "(I ask that) the government treat people with kindness, compassion, dignity and respect," Pham said outside the federal building. For at least the part of the day that the religious leaders were inside courtrooms, there were no arrests outside. Pham and others said they witnessed ICE agents in the hallway as they entered the courtrooms, but said they then left. "Eventually, the ICE agents kind of scattered and went away," Pham said. Volunteers for immigrant support organizations, who regularly observe immigration arrests in the hallway, also noted a difference. In a statement last month, the Department of Homeland Security said when asked about the courthouse arrests that "most aliens who illegally entered the United States within the past two years are subject to expedited removals.” "(President Joe) Biden ignored this legal fact and chose to release millions of illegal aliens, including violent criminals, into the country with a notice to appear before an immigration judge," the agency said. "ICE is now following the law and placing these illegal aliens in expedited removal, as they always should have been.” The agency added that "credible" asylum cases would continue to go forward. Pham and Auxiliary Bishops Ramón Bejarano and Felipe Pulido called on their fellow priests, deacons and ministry leaders to stand with immigrants in a letter issued last week. "We know that migrants and refugees find themselves in the difficult predicament of being called to appear, which is what the government asks of them, and then being given orders for expedited removal from our country," reads the June 11 letter. "(We wanted) to let them know that we are with them," said the Rev. Scott Santarosa of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Logan Heights after he escorted a woman and her daughter out of the federal building. In this instance, he said, the judge continued her case. Santarosa said the idea was to be present and observe as immigrants and asylum seekers entered the courthouse. "We weren’t ostensibly trying to prevent or certainly to interrupt or block arrests," he said. "We were trying to say, with our presence: ‘We see you. You’re not doing this alone in silence, but we stand with you.’".

San Francisco Chronicle [6/20/2025 11:18 PM, Warren Pederson, 4120K] reports hundreds of people protested the prospect of a war with Iran and voiced support for immigrants in the United States and Palestinians in Gaza during a rally Friday evening outside the federal building in San Francisco’s South of Market. The protest outside the Speaker Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, which drew about 200 people at its peak, was organized by a coalition of activist groups, including Bay Resistance, the Answer Coalition and the Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran were a major focus of Friday’s protest. President Donald Trump said Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether the U.S. military will strike back at Tehran. Tensions initially soared last Friday with a surprise wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear and military sites, military leaders and nuclear scientists. "As the U.S. escalates aggression on Iran — backing Israeli strikes and pushing for war — it exposes its imperialist playbook: defend Zionism, crush resistance. From Gaza to Tehran, the U.S. fuels war and genocide to maintain control," organizers said in promoting the event, billed as an "emergency protest.” The protest featured several speakers and closed the block around the federal building at Seventh and Mission streets, with many protesters chanting, "Free, free Palestine.” Bay Area protests against Israel’s war with Hamas have cooled in recent months, though activists have found new energy since Trump retook office in January. Last Saturday’s No Kings Day protests drew tens of thousands of people to events in dozens of Bay Area cities decrying Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids nationwide. Weeks earlier, demonstrations against Tesla CEO Elon Musk drew huge crowds to the vehicle’s showrooms across the Bay Area condemning the early force behind the Department of Government Efficiency, though the onetime Trump ally’s relationship with the president has cooled in recent weeks. "At home, the war continues through ICE raids, family separations, and repression of migrants — all part of the same violent system," the organizers said. "We reject this imperialist war machine and stand with all people resisting Zionism and U.S. domination.”

Los Angeles Times [6/21/2025 6:00 AM, Roger Vincent and Jack Flemming, 14672K] reports that, when ICE agents raided the construction site of a burned property in Altadena earlier this month, they made no arrests. The man they were after was not there. But the mere specter of them returning spooked the workers enough to bring the project to a temporary halt. The next day, half of the 12-man team stayed home. The crew returned to full strength by the end of the week, but they now work in fear, according to Brock Harris, a real estate agent representing the developer of the property. "It had a chilling effect," he said. "They’re instilling fear in the workers trying to rebuild L.A.” Harris said another developer in the area started camouflaging his construction sites: hiding Porta Potties, removing construction fences and having workers park far away and carpool to the site so as not to attract attention. The potential of widespread immigration raids at construction sites looms ominously over Los Angeles County’s prospects of rebuilding after the two most destructive fires in its history. A new report by the UCLA Anderson Forecast said that roundups could hamstring the colossal undertaking to reconstruct the 13,000 homes that were wiped away in Altadena and Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7 — and exacerbate the housing crisis by stymieing new construction statewide. "Deportations will deplete the construction workforce," the report said. "The loss of workers installing drywall, flooring, roofing and the like will directly diminish the level of production.” The consequences will spread far beyond those who are deported, the report said. Many of the undocumented workers who manage to avoid ICE will be forced to withdraw from the labor force. Their specialties are often crucial to getting projects completed, potentially harming the fortunes of remaining workers who can’t finish jobs without their help. "The productive activities of the undocumented and the rest of the labor force are often complementary," the report said. "For example, home building could be delayed because of a reduction in specific skills" resulting in "a consequent increase in unemployment for the remaining workforce.” Jerry Nickelsburg, the director of the Anderson Forecast and author of the quarterly California report released Wednesday, said the "confusion and uncertainty" about the rollout of both immigration and trade policies "has a negative economic impact on California.” Contractors want to hire Americans but have a hard time finding enough of them with proper abilities, said Brian Turmail, a spokesperson for the Associated General Contractors of America trade group. "Most of them are kind of in the Lee Greenwood crowd," he said, referring to a county music singer known for performing patriotic songs. "They’d rather be hiring young men and women from the United States. They’re just not there.” "Construction firms don’t start off with a business plan of, ‘Let’s hire undocumented workers,’" Turmail said. "They start with a business plan of, ‘Let’s find qualified people.’ It’s been relatively easy for undocumented workers to get into the country, so let’s not be surprised there are undocumented workers working in, among other things, industries in construction.”

San Francisco Chronicle [6/20/2025 3:29 PM, Aidin Vaziri, 4120K] reports that a sprawling 2,560-bed facility in the high desert town of California City (Kern County) is poised to become the largest migrant detention center in California under a new agreement between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and private prison contractor CoreCivic. Ryan Gustin, the company’s senior director of public affairs, told the Chronicle on Friday that CoreCivic has "begun some preliminary activation activities, pursuant to a letter agreement with our government partners at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.". According to the Los Angeles Times, the federal government entered into a six-month contract with CoreCivic, with $10 million in "initial funding." The facility operated as a state prison until March 2024, when California ended its lease as part of an initiative to eliminate the use of private prisons. The move comes amid a national push by the Trump administration to expand ICE detention capacity from 41,500 to 100,000 beds nationwide. Citing a "compelling urgency," ICE has bypassed standard competitive bidding procedures, opting instead for expedited, no-bid contracts with major private contractors like CoreCivic, the Associated Press reported. "Never in our 42-year company history have we had so much activity and demand for our services as we are seeing right now," said CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger during an earnings call with shareholders last month, citing the company’s general business.

Los Angeles Times [6/20/2025 6:00 AM, Brittny Mejia and Rachel Uranga, 14672K] reports Emma De Paz woke up at 2 every morning for 25 years to make soup, roasted chicken and tamales to sell to work crews picking up their day’s supplies at the Home Depot. She joined other immigrant vendors lining the side streets under tents and over grills in a makeshift community that was something of a refuge for Latino immigrants in the Hollywood area. Abelino Perez Alvarez and his wife sold orange juice, soda and water. Day laborers scrolled through their phones as they waited outside the parking lot in hopes of getting work. Around 7:30 a.m. Thursday, the refuge was shattered. Dozens of armed agents, many in masks, converged on the parking lot, blocking gates and surrounding the lots normally lined by day laborers and street vendors. "Migración! Migración!" people shouted — and scattered. They jumped in cars, ran down streets. They hid in stores and construction sites and behind bags of soil in the Home Depot gardening section. Alvarez’s wife opened the door of a passing car and jumped in. "They came in on all sides," said Diego Rueda Hernandez. Fearful, even as a resident with legal status, he ran behind bags of dirt in the parking lot with others. The immigration raids in Los Angeles over the last two weeks have captured the world’s attention — for the protests, the sporadic violence, the peacetime deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marines. But each roundup has inflicted very personal trauma to the people dragged into them, tearing families apart, inciting fear, taking away means to feed children and pay rent. In a statement Thursday afternoon, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Customs and Border Protection "arrested 30 illegal aliens in Hollywood, California, and 9 illegal aliens in San Fernando and Pacoima." She said that during the day’s operations, someone rammed his vehicle into a law enforcement vehicle. "CBP Agents were also assaulted during the operation and verbally harassed," McLaughlin said.

The Hill [6/20/2025 8:02 PM, Miriam Waldvogel, 18649K] reports in a week where his administration has paused, and then unpaused, immigration raids on farms and agricultural businesses, President Trump indicated on Friday that he would support a system where farms could continue to employ undocumented workers so long as they took "responsibility" for those they hired. "We’re looking at doing something where, in the case of good reputable farmers, they can take responsibility for the people that they hire and let them have responsibility because we can’t put the farms out of business," Trump told reporters Friday. Trump paused immigration raids at farms, restaurants, and hotels last week after authorities apparently began ramping up enforcement actions at those locations. The Washington Post then reported Monday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told its staff to resume raids, a move border czar Tom Homan confirmed yesterday. It was not clear what such a system of responsibility might look like. In the meantime, the changing guidance has left many workers feeling uneasy, with some failing to show up to job sites for fear of being arrested and subject to deportation proceedings. The raids have also drawn pushback from farm, hotel, and restaurant owners, some of whom have asked the administration to exempt their businesses from the raids. Brooke Rollins, the secretary of agriculture, was among the people close to Trump who urged him to change course. Stephen Miller, one of Trump’s closest advisors, has put DHS and its subsidiary agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under significant pressure to step up the number of arrests it carries out to 3,000 a day.

Reported similarly:
USA Today [6/20/2025 5:23 PM, Zac Anderson, 75552K]

Telemundo [6/20/2025 11:29 PM, Yuniesky Ramírez, 177K] reports USCIS confirms that it has resumed processing applications for immigration benefits and adjustments for beneficiaries of the humanitarian parole and family parole programs that had fallen under a security review and pause ordered by the Trump administration. The government made the announcement in an official document filed June 20 in Boston in response to an ongoing lawsuit. USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) reported that as of June 19, restrictions that were keeping immigration adjustment applications for beneficiaries of the Uniting for Ukraine, humanitarian parole for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, and Family Reunification Parole (FRP) programs were lifted. The affidavit was signed by Kika Scott, the current acting deputy director of USCIS, and details that, following a court order issued in May, on June 9 USCIS issued an internal directive authorizing its officers to resume processing all pending applications under these programs, once additional security reviews were completed for each case. USCIS also updated its "Emma" virtual assistant and call center scripts so that applicants inquiring about the status of their cases will no longer receive responses indicating that their cases are on hold. They acknowledge that on June 17 they detected an error in one of the virtual assistant’s scripts and corrected it immediately. The agency also indicated that it continues to prepare specific instructions for its officials to guide the processing of different types of applications and to establish protocols to be followed when there are indications of fraud or national security risks. This update is part of the follow-up to the Svitlana v. Noem court case being heard in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts. The lifting of the pauses is a key step forward for thousands of beneficiaries of these parole programs, who had been waiting for months for decisions on their applications for permanent residency, work permits or other immigration benefits.

New York Times [6/20/2025 1:01 PM, Jazmine Ulloa, 153395K] reports when Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, many Americans rallied behind Ukrainians in a rare moment of solidarity. Charity drives sprung up. Ukrainian flags hung from storefronts. And in a corner of the Midwest that had sheltered Southeast Asian refugees half a century before, Angela Boelens was determined to see her community become part of the effort to protect Ukrainians fleeing the war. After months of winding her way through a detailed government vetting process, Ms. Boelens became one of the first Americans to bring over a Ukrainian family: the Hedzhymanovis (and their big, fluffy white cat, a Turkish Angora mix named Barzick). Business and community leaders across eastern Iowa and western Illinois came together to help the family and other Ukrainian arrivals find housing and jobs. Ms. Boelens, a college professor, started a nonprofit called IA Nice that had helped more than 75 refugees resettle in DeWitt, Iowa, a Republican stronghold of 5,000 people just north of Davenport. Some people now call the community “Little Ukraine.” But the Ukrainian families that thought they had found refuge in DeWitt have been plunged into increasing uncertainty since Donald J. Trump returned to the White House. Mr. Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office to terminate legal protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who had entered the United States through Biden-era humanitarian programs. Three days later, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services suspended the processing of petitions and renewals for Uniting for Ukraine, a Biden-era program that allowed more than 240,000 Ukrainians to live and work lawfully in the U.S. Even after a federal judge ordered the government to continue the Uniting for Ukraine program, many Ukrainians have seen their deportation protections, driver’s licenses and work permits expire with no indication of when, or whether, they would be reinstated.

Univision [6/20/2025 7:16 PM, Staff, 4992K] reports the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) ruled on Friday that Cubans who try to close their deportation cases based on the argument that they will apply to a stoppage with USCIS will not be able to finish their cases and will have to remain in the immigration court. This measure will affect Cubans with I-220A who argued in the immigration court to finish their cases to ask for a parole. Will this measure have a great impact on the Cuban community with I-220A. The only thing left in this case would be to continue fighting his asylum in court, said lawyer José Guerrero. A Cuban who entered the Arizona border in 2022 and received an I-220A managed to close his case in court in front of an immigration judge on the grounds that he was eligible to request a USCIS strike to apply to the Cuban adjustment law. This measure was appealed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ensuring that this was speculative, and the Immigration Appeals Board’s measure gave the government reason.

New York Times [6/21/2025 2:39 AM, Ségolène Le Stradic, 330K] reports a French member of Parliament on Thursday urged American authorities to reverse a decision to deny him entry to the United States, after he said they rejected his request for a visa to meet with progressive lawmakers and intellectuals about life under the Trump presidency. Pouria Amirshahi, a member of the Green party, said he had planned to travel to Washington, D.C., New York and Boston this month. The trip was supposed to be the first taken by a member of La Digue, or The Dike, a group that he created a month ago with a handful of other leftist and centrist French lawmakers, to “counter the spread of neo-fascism” in liberal democracies. At a news conference at the French National Assembly on Thursday morning, Mr. Amirshahi said he had told U.S. authorities that the purpose of his trip was to ask lawmakers, activists, professors and journalists to understand “what the new situation was in the country since Mr. Trump came to power.” He was set to meet with progressive lawmakers, he said, including Senator Peter Welch, Democrat of Vermont, and Representative Maxine Dexter, Democrat of Oregon. But, he said, on Tuesday, he was told that his visa application had been rejected. (On Friday, Mr. Amirshahi said he had received his visa. “This morning, I received a call from the Consulate General of the United States, kindly requesting that I come and collect my passport. The visa has been granted,” he said in a statement.) A spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Paris declined to comment and referred the matter to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency did not respond to a request for comment. Increasing numbers of travelers to the United States have reported being denied entry and being subjected to tougher scrutiny, or “enhanced vetting.” The Trump administration says it is enforcing immigration laws and protecting Americans. Critics argue that officials are targeting foreigners who have criticized President Trump’s policies. In March, the French government accused the United States of denying entry to a French scientist after the scientist expressed opposition to Mr. Trump. The Department for Homeland Security said it was because the academic had confidential information from a U.S. laboratory on his phone. Mr. Amirshahi said he applied for a visa on May 19 after his request for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization form, which foreign travelers to the United States are required to obtain before visiting the United States, was denied. The American embassy in Paris asked for the reason for his trip and a referral letter from the French foreign ministry, which was supplied on June 4. Almost two weeks later, his application was denied.

CNN [6/20/2025 9:31 AM, Ben Morse and Niamh Kennedy, 875K] reports that the Senegal women’s basketball team has had to cancel a training camp it had scheduled in the United States after some members of its squad had their visas denied, the country’s prime minister said on Thursday. Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko wrote on Facebook that the 10-day training camp – which was due to be held at a college in the US between June 22 to July 3 – will instead take place in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, "a sovereign setting that is conducive to the performance of our athletes" after "several" players had their visas denied. "We clearly and firmly reaffirm our new cooperation doctrine: free, balanced cooperation based on mutual respect and shared benefit," Sonko wrote in his post. In a statement posted on Instagram from the Senegalese basketball federation, the governing body said that two representatives of the federation, a doctor, a physiotherapist, five players, a steward, the general manager and the ministerial delegate were refused visas by the ambassador of the United States to Senegal. No reason was given as to why the visas were denied. A State Department spokesperson told CNN Sports that due to the confidential nature of US visas, it couldn’t comment on individual cases. CNN Sports has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

NewsMax [6/20/2025 9:22 PM, Mark Swanson, 4622K] reports Border Czar Tom Homan told Newsmax on Friday that one simple concept makes the difference between a secure border and one that’s not: the law. The difference is, President Donald Trump is enforcing federal immigration law while former President Joe Biden ignored it. Homan joined "Greg Kelly Reports" for a sit-down interview in studio on Friday to discuss how he was able to secure a border that allowed roughly 15 million illegals into the United States in four years under the Biden administration. "Enforcing the law, which the Biden administration refused to do. We’re simply enforcing the law," Homan told host Greg Kelly. "Plus, President Trump came up with some extraordinary executive orders that were proven effective during the first administration, right? Remain in Mexico or third safe country; ending catch-and-release. You know, following the law. "Law says if you come to our border without proper documentation, you shall be detained. Not maybe, not release you to an NGO, not put you in a hotel room for $500 bucks a night. So President Trump’s enforcing the law and you see the difference," Homan added. "And during the Biden administration, we were up to sometimes 13, 14,000 a day coming across the border. The other day I walked in the White House: 95 — 95 total apprehensions across 2,000 miles of border. I’ve been doing this since 1984, I’ve never seen that. And zero releases, zero people being released.” Homan said 75% of illegals that have been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement since Trump’s inauguration are convicted criminals or those with pending criminal charges, "which likely means you’re not a choirboy," Homan said. But Homan said another key difference between the Trump and Biden administrations is collateral arrests. "Most of the time we find the bad guy, they’re with others, others that are in the country illegally. May not be a criminal target, but they’re in the country illegally, where they’re gonna get handcuffed, taken too," Homan said. "Because we’re not telling ICE, ignore the oath you took, ignore immigration law. You’re gonna enforce the law as Congress intended.” "Now under the last administration, [Homeland] Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas told ICE agents, you can’t arrest somebody for simply being here illegally; they gotta be convicted of a serious offense. Ridiculous. Totally opposite of what federal statute says," he added.

Detroit Free Press [6/20/2025 2:51 PM, Niraj Warikoo, 4241K] reports that the Detroit high school student arrested by Border Patrol on his way to a field trip has been deported to Colombia. Maykol Bogoya Duarte, 18, who drew an outpouring of support in recent weeks, was removed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Thursday, June 19, according to Department of Homeland Security records. His deportation was confirmed to the Free Press on June 20 by his attorney, Ruby Robinson. Duarte needed only 3½ credits to graduate from Western International High School in Detroit. He had asked ICE to let him stay in the U.S. until he graduates, a request supported by more than 1,800 in a petition and several Democratic elected officials, including Detroit’s two U.S. representatives, Shri Thanedar and Rashida Tlaib. But ICE denied his request last week on June 11. The Free Press first reported on Duarte’s case on May 28. Duarte, who had lived in the U.S. with his mother for a year and a half, was on his way to a high school field trip at Lake Erie Metropark in Brownstown Township the afternoon of May 20 when he was stopped by Rockwood police, accused of tailgating an unmarked police car. The police officer then called Border Patrol because of a language barrier, according to a Rockwood police report. Immigrant advocates highlighted his case as an example of what they said was the problem of local police contacting federal immigrant agents for minor traffic violations.

NewsNation [6/20/2025 12:21 PM, Amber Coakley, 5801K] reports that U.S. Border Patrol agents have discovered and disabled a highly sophisticated, large-scale drug smuggling tunnel running from Tijuana, Mexico, into the Otay Mesa area of San Diego, authorities announced Wednesday. According to officials with the San Diego Sector Border Patrol, the tunnel—still under construction when it was discovered in early April—extended more than 1,000 feet into U.S. territory and was equipped with a range of advanced features, including electrical wiring, lighting, a ventilation system, and a track system believed to be used for transporting large quantities of narcotics. The tunnel’s path ran beneath a portion of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and was projected to surface near or inside a commercial warehouse. Border Patrol’s specialized Tunnel Team made entry and encountered multiple makeshift barricades apparently designed to obstruct their progress and obscure the tunnel’s origin point. The full length of the tunnel was mapped at 2,918 feet, with interior dimensions measuring 42 inches high and 28 inches wide, and reaching a depth of about 50 feet below ground. In collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations and Mexican authorities, U.S. agents were able to trace the tunnel’s origin to a residence in the Nueva Tijuana neighborhood. "As we continue to strengthen the nation’s air and maritime border security, it’s not surprising that foreign terrorist organizations would resort to underground routes," said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey D. Stalnaker. "Disruption of narcotics smuggling tunnels is critical to protecting American lives. I’m grateful for the exceptional work of the Tunnel Team agents who placed themselves in danger, as well as the cooperation of our Mexican law enforcement partners. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

USA Today [6/20/2025 2:45 PM, Saleen Martin, 75552K] reports that a TikTok user has gone viral and sent thousands of people into laughter after sharing a video of herself bringing 200 tortillas onto a plane in Texas. TikToker Anna Jones recorded the video in the early morning hours of June 14. As she stood in line at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, she captured footage of her fellow unsuspecting travelers. "All these people and no one knows I have 200 HEB tortillas in my backpack," Jones wrote, referring to the grocery supermarket chain H-E-B. Once she made it onto the plane, the bag of tortillas was quite the heavy lift. "I struggled to get that in the overhead carrier, but it went OK," she said. USA TODAY contacted H-E-B and the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport about tortillagate. Jones is 17 and lives in Nashville, Tennessee, she told USA TODAY on June 20. She had previously flown to Texas to visit her father and the University of Texas at Austin campus, she said. Because there is no H-E-B near her in Tennessee, Jones makes sure she stocks up when she visits Texas, she said, adding that she and her father have done this at least three times. Jones said she usually always gets flagged by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for carrying tubes of toothpaste that are too big, but she wasn’t stopped for her tortillas.

CBS News [6/20/2025 11:19 AM, Kris Van Cleave, 51860K] Video HERE reports AAA projects a record 72 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more during the nine-day Independence Day holiday period — from June 28 to July 6 — with new highs expected for both drivers and air travelers as summer travel reaches peak season. The auto club forecasts nearly 62 million people will drive over the Fourth of July weekend, representing an increase of 1.3 million from last year. Air travel is expected to rise more than 1% over last year’s record numbers. "The top 10 heaviest travel days in TSA history have all happened within the past year, and we expect to see more heavy volumes this summer," said Kristie Jordan Smith, a Transportation Security Administration official at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The Independence Day travel period is expected to be the summer’s busiest travel stretch.

Reuters [6/20/2025 11:11 PM, Jillian Kitchener, 51390K] reports that, Lake Lure, a picturesque lake town in North Carolina, has been seeking FEMA funds to rebuild after being hit by Hurricane Helene last year. But with the Trump administration’s plan to slash the agency, its future is uncertain.

Houston Chronicle [6/20/2025 4:54 PM, Anusha Fathepure, 1982K] reports Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday deployed Texas emergency management personnel to help battle wildfires in New Mexico. In a news release, Abbott said he is sending resources to assist in the Rio Grande and Trout fires burning in New Mexico after a request from the state’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Wildfires that started in early June have burned more than 80,000 acres across New Mexico, prompting evacuation orders. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency on Tuesday in response to the Trout Fire, allocating $750,000 for relief efforts. "Texas stands ready to answer the call for help when disaster strikes — whether it’s here in Texas or across the country," Abbott said in the release. "Today, I deployed emergency management personnel needed to help safeguard New Mexico residents and their property. Stepping up to help those in need is part of the spirit of Texas, and interstate partnerships such as these help ensure our country is prepared to respond to any crisis that may arise.”

KUOW 94.9 FM [6/20/2025 8:39 PM, John Ryan] reports for a second time, President Donald Trump has denied Washington state’s request for major-disaster aid following a bomb cyclone storm that hit in November. Trump denied Gov. Jay Inslee’s initial request in April. Gov. Bob Ferguson appealed Trump’s initial denial in May. Neither denial offered any explanation. Sen. Patty Murray called the decision a “betrayal” and a “dangerous politicization of disaster assistance.” “Storms and disasters don’t discriminate between red and blue communities and neither should our President,” Murray said in a press release. FEMA makes recommendations on states’ requests for disaster declarations and other emergency aid, but the final decision rests with the president. “After a thorough review of all the information contained in the initial request and appeal, we reaffirm the determination that supplemental federal assistance under the Stafford Act is not warranted,” FEMA’s acting head David Richardson wrote to Ferguson on Thursday.

NBC 8 Portland [6/20/2025 3:28 PM, Alex Jensen] reports the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for an approximately 470-acre wildfire burning in southern Oregon. The Upper Applegate Fire was first reported on Wednesday in Applegate, an unincorporated community in Jackson County. The fire quickly grew to around 350 acres that same day. Level 1, 2, and 3 evacuations were issued for several parts in the area. As of Friday morning, Level 2 "Be set" and Level 1 "Be Ready" evacuations remain in place as more than 250 personnel work to contain the fire, Oregon Department of Forestry said. FEMA Region 10 Acting Administrator Vincent J. Maykovich approved Oregon’s request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant on Wednesday evening. According to a news release, Maykovich determined that the fire could cause "a major disaster," due to potential destruction. This is the third time Oregon has sought a FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant in 2025 to help fight wildfires. The grant can be used to fund up to 75% of a state’s eligible firefighting costs for blazes that threaten to become major disasters. The Upper Applegate Fire was deemed to potentially become a major disaster as it threatened homes in and around the community, as well as utilities, recreation sites and cultural resources, the news release said.

AP [6/20/2025 10:55 AM, Mari Yamaguchi, 2106K] reports that Japan’s coast guard on Friday held a joint exercise with counterparts from the United States and the Philippines, as the three Pacific nations beef up defense cooperation in the face of China’s expanding maritime activities. The exercise came after Japan confirmed that two Chinese aircraft carriers had operated together for the first time in the Pacific in June. Japan and China had blamed each other after Tokyo complained that a Chinese fighter jet from one of the carriers flew dangerously close to Japanese reconnaissance aircraft. Friday’s coast guard exercise just off Japan’s southern prefecture of Kagoshima involved 350 personnel from the three countries, and was based on a scenario of a collision between vessels at high seas, a fire and crew members falling overboard. The three nation’s leaders last year agreed to bolster maritime cooperation, as they expressed concern over Beijing’s military maneuvers in the region. Their first joint drills were held in the Philippines in 2023. The coast guard cooperation is part of an effort to secure a "free and open" Indo-Pacific by promoting mutual understanding and trust, Japan coast guard commander Adm. Yoshio Seguchi told a news conference Wednesday. China routinely sends coast guard vessels, warships and warplanes around disputed East China Sea islands, and recently as far as Guam, a U.S. Pacific territory with military bases. Beijing also sends coast guard vessels in the South China Sea, which it claims virtually in its entirety, clashing frequently with Philippine vessels.

Bloomberg Law [6/20/2025 4:20 PM, Maggie Eastland, 1707K] reports the FBI and Canadian Centre for Cyber Security issue a warning about malicious activity by Salt Typhoon, a group of Chinese state-sponsored hackers.

Wall Street Journal [6/20/2025 7:05 AM, Colin Kellaher, 646K] reports Aflac has been hit with a cyberattack that may have resulted in the theft of personal data related to the insurer’s U.S. business. Aflac on Friday said it identified suspicious activity on its U.S. network on June 12 and that it was able to stop the intrusion within hours. The Columbus, Ga., company said files potentially impacted by the cyberattack contain claims information, health information, social-security numbers, and/or other personal information, related to customers, beneficiaries, employees, agents and other individuals in its U.S. business. Aflac said its review of the potentially impacted files is in its early stages, and that it can’t yet determine the total number of affected individuals or the full scope and potential ultimate impact of the breach on the company. Aflac added that it business remains operational, and that its systems weren’t affected by ransomware. The company said the cyberattack, in which an unauthorized party used social-engineering tactics to gain access to its network, is the work of a sophisticated cybercrime group and is part of a campaign against the insurance industry. Aflac said it expects to notify regulators about the cyberattack, adding that it plans to offer free credit-monitoring and identity-theft-protection services to those affected by the breach.

CyberScoop [6/20/2025 11:47 AM, Matt Kapko] reports Aflac disclosed Friday that it experienced a cyberattack last week that potentially impacted the supplemental insurance company’s data. The Georgia-based company said it identified unauthorized access on its network June 12. Upon initiating its cybersecurity incident response protocols, Aflac “believes that it contained the intrusion within hours,” the company said in a regulatory filing. “The company’s business remains operational, and its systems were not affected by ransomware.” Aflac is the third insurance company to publicly disclose an attack on its network in the past eight days, and it follows a warning from Google Threat Intelligence Group that the loosely knit cybercrime collective Scattered Spider was actively targeting the insurance sector. Erie Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance Companies and Aflac were all hit in a five-day period, in that order, starting June 7. Erie Insurance and Philadelphia Insurance Companies, a subsidiary of Tokio Marine Holdings, experienced network outages and business disruption as a result of the attacks while recovery efforts remain ongoing. A source familiar with the incident said Aflac doesn’t know if Scattered Spider was responsible because the attackers did not identify themselves, but the characteristics of the attack are certainly consistent with the financially motivated threat group.

CBS News [6/20/2025 3:05 PM, Staff, 51860K] reports sixteen billion login credentials have been leaked and compiled into datasets online, giving criminals "unprecedented access" to accounts consumers use each day, according to researchers at cybersecurity outlet Cybernews. According to a report published this week, Cybernews researchers have recently discovered 30 exposed datasets that each contain a vast amount of login information — amounting to a total of 16 billion compromised credentials. That includes user passwords for a range of popular platforms including Google, Facebook and Apple. Because 16 billion is roughly double the amount of people on Earth today, the number signals that impacted consumers may have had credentials for more than one account leaked. Cybernews notes that there are most certainly duplicates in the data and so "it’s impossible to tell how many people or accounts were actually exposed.” It’s also important to note that the leaked login information doesn’t stem from a single source, such as one breach targeting a company. Instead, it appears that the data was stolen through multiple events over time, and then compiled and briefly exposed publicly, which is when Cybernews reports that its researchers discovered it. Various so-called "infostealers" are most likely the culprit, Cybernews noted. Infostealers are a form of malicious software that breaches a victim’s device or systems to take sensitive information. The report comes amid a recent wave of cybersecurity attacks, which have grown more advanced in recent years. Two insurers, Erie Insurance and Philadelphia Insurance Companies, announced that their networks were hacked earlier this month.

The AP [6/20/2025 10:57 AM, Mark Sherman, 56000K] reports the Supreme Court on Friday revived long-running lawsuits against Palestinian authorities from Americans who were killed or wounded in terrorism attacks in the Middle East. The justices upheld a 2019 law enacted by Congress specifically to allow the victims’ lawsuits to go forward against the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority. The attacks occurred in the early 2000s, killing 33 people and wounding hundreds more, and in 2018, when a U.S.-born settler was stabbed to death by a Palestinian assailant outside a mall in the West Bank. The victims and their families assert that Palestinian agents either were involved in the attacks or incited them. The Palestinians have consistently argued that the cases shouldn’t be allowed in American courts. The federal appeals court in New York has repeatedly ruled in favor of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, despite Congress’ efforts to allow the victims’ lawsuits to be heard. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals first ruled in 2016 against the victims of the attacks from 20 years ago, tossing out a $654 million jury verdict in their favor. In that earlier ruling, the appeals court held U.S. courts can’t consider lawsuits against foreign-based groups over random attacks that were not aimed at the United States. NewsMax [6/20/2025 3:05 PM, Staff, 4622K] reports that Congress passed a law in 2019 -- the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act (PSJVTA) -- that would make the PLO and PA subject to U.S. jurisdiction if they were found to have made payments to the relatives of persons who killed or injured Americans. Two lower courts ruled that the 2019 law was a violation of the due process rights of the Palestinian authorities under the U.S. Constitution but the Supreme Court ruled on Friday to uphold it. "The PSJVTA reasonably ties the assertion of federal jurisdiction over the PLO and PA to conduct that involves the United States and implicates sensitive foreign policy matters within the prerogative of the political branches," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. NBC News [6/20/2025 10:47 AM, Lawrence Hurley, 44540K] reports that the court held unanimously that the 2019 law, called the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, does not violate the due process rights of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority. The law reasonably took account of "sensitive foreign policy matters within the prerogative of the political branches," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court. As such, the law "comports with the Due Process Clause," he added. It was an unusual case in which Congress stepped in to legislate on specific litigation after the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that U.S. courts did not have jurisdiction to hear the claims. The lawsuits, brought under a law called the Anti-Terrorism Act, were filed by various victims, including the family of Ari Fuld, an American citizen who was killed by a Palestinian terrorist at a West Bank shopping mall in 2018. Other plaintiffs involved in the litigation had previously won a $655 million judgment that the lower court threw out. The technical legal question was whether the defendants "consented" to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [6/20/2025 10:45 AM, Ella Lee, 18649K]
CNN [6/20/2025 10:51 AM, John Fritze, 21433K]
Blaze [6/20/2025 3:40 PM, Cooper Williamson, 1805K]

New York Times [6/20/2025 4:07 PM, Aimee Ortiz, 138952K] reports a man who the authorities said had planned a mass shooting at a Virginia church was sentenced to 25 years in prison this week, federal prosecutors said. The man, Rui Jiang, 36, of Falls Church, Va., was convicted at his trial in March of making threats online, bringing firearms to a religious service and obstructing congregants’ free exercise of religious beliefs. In a news release after the sentencing on Wednesday, Erik S. Siebert, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said that Mr. Jiang entered “a church during a religious service armed with the intent to murder innocent parishioners.” “The freedom to worship without fear is one of the bedrock principles of our nation,” he said. According to prosecutors, Mr. Jiang was carrying a semiautomatic handgun, two magazines of ammunition and two knives when he went to the Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Va., on Sept. 24, 2023. He was also found to have more ammunition and a canister of bear spray in his car, they said. There were about 1,000 people in the church when Mr. Jiang went there, according to Barry White, a senior pastor with the church. The authorities, who said they found Mr. Jiang inside the entrance to the church, were led there by a tip they received about his troubling social media posts. Mr. Jiang had posted on Instagram threatening messages that included a photograph of a burning Bible and a picture from the inside of a vehicle parked in what appeared to be the church’s parking lot at night, according to court records.

Blaze.com [6/20/2025 6:26 PM, Joseph M. Hanneman, 1805K] reports in a letter to the FBI, suspected political assassin Vance Luther Boelter blamed Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for the June 14 shooting rampage that killed a key Democratic House member and her husband and seriously wounded a Democratic state senator and his wife. Liz Collin of Alpha News broke the story Friday, citing "multiple sources with direct knowledge of the investigation.” The story said that a confession letter that Boelter left in a Buick sedan he abandoned June 15 during his flight from police places the blame for the massacre on the governor. The letter was addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel, Alpha News wrote. The story does not elaborate further on the letter contents. Boelter was charged in federal court June 16 with the stalking and assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) and her husband, Mark Hortman. They were gunned down inside the front door of their home that backs up to Edinburgh Golf Course in Brooklyn Park. Boelter is charged with two additional felony counts for use of a firearm in furtherance of the murders. He could face the death penalty. Boelter is also charged with a firearms offense for allegedly pumping 17 bullets into state Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) and his wife, Yvonne Hoffman, just inside the entry to their home about five miles from the Hortman residence. They are recovering from the wounds. A GoFundMe account was set up to aid them in their lengthy recovery.

FOX News [6/21/2025 4:00 AM, Stephen Sorace, 46878K] reports Vance Boelter left the state of Minnesota in fear after he allegedly posed as a police officer and carried out the shootings of two state lawmakers, killing one and her husband, at their homes last week. But what can you do to verify that the person who knocks on your door or pulls you over while you’re in your vehicle is a law enforcement officer? Mark Bruley, chief of police in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, where Boelter allegedly shot and killed Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, told reporters at a press conference earlier this week that there’s one thing you can do that’s "never wrong.” "You always can call 911 and verify if the person at your door is a police officer," Bruley said. "If they are working police officer, they will be connected to a dispatch center that can validate that. So the first thing I would do is, if you’re concerned about it, is call 911. Obviously, there’s a lot of different uniforms, and it’s never wrong to do that.” Police officers typically wear a visible badge with their identification number and name on their uniform. They often also carry agency-issued photo identification that can include their name, rank and agency information. Fox News Digital spoke with Brian Higgins, founder of Group 77 and former Chief of Police of Bergen County, N.J., to learn more about what citizens can do in cases where they feel the need to verify that who they’re speaking to is a law enforcement officer. Higgins said that most verification measures, such as requesting the officer’s photo identification, require the citizen to open the door, at which point it would be too late if the individual is an impersonator. "If you’re not sure, don’t open the door," Higgins said, adding that citizens can stand to the side of their door and speak to officers through the door while calling 911 or the local police department to confirm that an officer was sent to their home. Higgins said that knowing what police uniforms look like and, if you live in a town with a smaller police force, being familiar with its members helps with verifying. "If you see an officer not in uniform, not someone you recognize," Higgins said, "it’s prudent to call police and ask if this person is a police officer." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NPR [6/20/2025 7:15 PM, Elena Moore, 37958K] reports a federal judge in Washington, D.C., has issued a preliminary injunction ordering top national security officials who discussed military operations on the encrypted messaging service Signal to notify the acting archivist of the United States of any messages they have that may be at risk of being deleted. But in calling for those records to be preserved, the ruling stopped short of ordering the government to recover past messages that may already have been lost. American Oversight, a nonprofit government watchdog, brought the lawsuit after the journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly added to a group chat on Signal in which Trump administration officials discussed a planned U.S. military attack against Houthi rebels in Yemen. American Oversight says the officials violated federal records law with their use of Signal, a commercial messaging app that allows messages to be automatically deleted. In his ruling Friday, U.S. judge James Boasberg said American Oversight had failed to show that the recordkeeping programs of the agencies involved in the case are "inadequate," or that "this court can provide redress for already-deleted messages," as the group had requested. "Plaintiff has provided no reason to believe that ordering the Attorney General to use her "coercive power" to "shak[e] the tree harder" … would bear any fruit with respect to already-deleted messages," Boasberg wrote. "The Court therefore cannot conclude that American Oversight’s request for communications that have already fallen victim to Signal’s auto-delete function remains redressable given Plaintiff’s own representations to the contrary.” But the judge granted the group a partial victory when it comes to messages that have not been erased. "Because the looming erasure of automatically deleting Signal messages qualifies as such an imminent destruction of records, and because the Attorney General could prevent that destruction by instructing Government officials to halt the messages’ deletion, it remains possible for the Court to provide relief," he wrote. "We expect immediate compliance — and if they drag their feet or fail to act, we are fully prepared to pursue further legal action to ensure government records, which belong to the public, are preserved and protected," said Chioma Chukwu, executive director of American Oversight in a statement.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [6/20/2025 6:22 PM, Ella Lee, 18649K]

AP [6/20/2025 12:06 PM, Eric Tucker, 56000K] reports that President Donald Trump on Friday called for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden, repeating his baseless claim that the contest was marred by widespread fraud. “Biden was grossly incompetent, and the 2020 election was a total FRAUD!” Trump said in a social media post in which he also sought to favorably contrast his immigration enforcement approach with that of the former president. “The evidence is MASSIVE and OVERWHELMING. A Special Prosecutor must be appointed. This cannot be allowed to happen again in the United States of America! Let the work begin!” Trump’s post, made as his Republican White House is consumed by a hugely substantial foreign policy decision on whether to get directly involved in the Israel-Iran war, is part of an amped-up effort by him to undermine the legitimacy of Biden’s presidency. Earlier this month, Trump directed his administration to investigate Biden’s actions as president, alleging aides masked his predecessor’s “cognitive decline.” Biden has dismissed the investigation as “a mere distraction.” The Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity arm pronounced the election “the most secure in American history.” It was unclear what Trump had in mind when he called for a special prosecutor, but in the event Attorney General Pam Bondi heeds his call, she may face pressure to appoint someone who has already been confirmed by the Senate. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment Friday.

CNN US [6/20/2025 6:07 PM, Evan Perez and Holmes Lybrand, 875K] reports intelligence and law enforcement agencies are reexamining known or suspected Hezbollah associates in the US, looking for possible threats that could arise as tensions with Iran increase, though there’s no indication of credible threats at this time, law enforcement officials told CNN. The moves come amid warnings from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of possible repercussions against the US as President Donald Trump weighs military action against Iran and as the president has mentioned the possibility of the Israeli government attempting to kill the Iranian leader. While US intelligence officials view the greatest danger to be against US military bases and US interests in the region, they are also acting out of an abundance of caution to try and prevent any domestic threats, the sources said. The prospect of Iranian threats inside the US has long been a concern to law enforcement officials, particularly after the US killed Qasem Soleimani, the top Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps general, during the first Trump administration and the Iranians vowed reprisals against former US government officials. Last year, the Justice Department announced arrests in an alleged murder-for-hire plot targeting Trump and others. The US also accused Iranian-affiliated hackers with breaching the Trump campaign, raising the prospect that Iran could use cyber attacks to retaliate against the United States. The FBI is monitoring potential threats and keeping close watch on groups with suspected ties to Iran, a law enforcement official said. The biggest concern, however, remains lone wolf attacks and the continued hit list of current and former US officials from Iran – including against Trump himself. In recent years, however, Iran-related threats have emerged from criminal groups that could be hired to carry out attacks, and not from domestic groups associated with fundraising for Iranian-affiliates such as Hezbollah and Hamas, US officials noted.

The Hill [6/20/2025 4:57 PM, Jonathan Easley, 18649K] reports that President Trump left Washington for his Bedminster, N.J., golf club for the weekend, as Israel and Iran traded strikes for an eighth day. Trump will attend a fundraiser on Friday night, with plans to receive intelligence briefings over the weekend in Bedminster. The president will depart for next week’s NATO summit in the Netherlands on Monday, after saying he’ll make a decision within the next two weeks about whether the U.S. will intervene in the Israel-Iran war. Trump said Friday if the U.S. does get involved, it would probably be limited to air strikes. "I’m not going to talk about ground forces," Trump told reporters. "The last thing you want to do is ground force." Officials from Europe and Iran huddled in Geneva on Friday in search of an off-ramp. Foreign ministers from Germany, France and the United Kingdom met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, with the Europeans encouraging Iran to drop its nuclear ambitions. The Associated Press reports that the meeting provided hope of further talks, but no concrete breakthrough. Araghchi said Iran will not negotiate while it’s under attack. "In the current situation, as the Zionist regime’s attacks continue, we are not seeking negotiations with anyone," he said in an interview that aired Friday on Iranian state television. Trump said Friday he wouldn’t call on Israel to stop its airstrikes because they’re winning the war. "I think it’s very hard to make that request right now," Trump said. "If somebody is winning, it’s a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing, but we’re ready, willing and able, and we’ve been speaking to Iran, and we’ll see what happens. We’ll see what happens."

FOX News [6/20/2025 1:31 PM, Staff, 46878K] reports that Fox News senior correspondent Mike Tobin reports on Iranian missiles hitting Israel and President Donald Trump meeting with his national security team. The ‘Outnumbered’ panelists weigh in on the potential for U.S. involvement. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reuters [6/20/2025 4:52 PM, Kanishka Singh, 51390K] reports President Donald Trump said on Friday he might support a ceasefire in the week-old aerial conflict between U.S. ally Israel and its regional rival Iran "depending on the circumstances". Asked by reporters if he would support a ceasefire while negotiations are ongoing, Trump said: "I might, depending on the circumstances". Europe would not be able to help much in the war between Iran and Israel, Trump added. "Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this one," Trump said. Iran’s foreign minister met with European counterparts in Geneva on Friday for talks aimed at establishing a path back to diplomacy over Iran’s nuclear program. European foreign ministers urged Iran to engage with Washington over its nuclear program, but the talks ended with few signs of progress. "Well, I’m not going to talk about ground forces, because the last thing you want to do is ground forces," Trump said, when asked if ground forces would be needed to defeat Iran.

CBS News [6/20/2025 5:47 PM, Kathryn Watson, 51860K] reports President Trump on Friday said his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was "wrong" when she testified in March that Iran wasn’t building a nuclear weapon, marking the second time in a week the president has dismissed the assessment of the intelligence director he selected. The White House this week said Iran has everything it needs to build a nuclear weapon and needs only the green light from Iran’s supreme leader, with the ability to ready a nuclear weapon within weeks. Mr. Trump said Iran was "very close to having" a nuclear weapon. In March, Gabbard testified on Capitol Hill that the U.S. "continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003." Gabbard later insisted she and the president are on the same page. Mr. Trump dismissed his intelligence community’s public assessment of Iran on Friday, and Gabbard specifically, as the White House says the president will decide whether to join Israel in its strikes on Iran within two weeks. When the president arrived in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Friday, a reporter asked him: "What intelligence do you have that Iran is building a nuclear weapon? Your intelligence community had said they have no evidence that they are at this point.” "Well then, my intelligence community is wrong," Mr. Trump responded. "Who in the intelligence community said that?". "Your director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard," the reporter answered. "She’s wrong," Mr. Trump said, moving on to the next question. The president previously dismissed Gabbard’s testimony earlier this week, on his way back from a G7 summit in Canada. A reporter noted that Gabbard testified in March that the intelligence community said Iran wasn’t building a nuclear weapon. "I don’t care what she said," the president told reporters aboard Air Force One. "I think they were very close to having one.”

Reported similarly:
New York Times [6/20/2025 4:49 PM, Julian E. Barnes, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, 138952K]

FOX News [6/20/2025 11:42 AM, Emma Colton Fox, 46878K] reports President Donald Trump has reported to the West Wing’s Situation Room multiple times in recent days as the conflict in Iran comes to a rolling boil and the U.S. considers launching its own attacks on the Islamic Republic over mounting concerns it could produce a nuclear weapon in a short span of time. "Yes, I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do. I can tell you this that Iran’s got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate," Trump told reporters Wednesday on the U.S. potentially striking Iran as it continues trading deadly strikes with Israel. "And I said, why didn’t you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction? Why didn’t you go? I said to people, why didn’t you negotiate with me two weeks ago? You could have done fine. You would have had a country. It’s very sad to watch this." Fox News Digital spoke to previous presidential administration officials — Fox News host and former Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who served under the first Trump administration, and former National Security Advisor under the first Trump administration John Bolton, who also served as ambassador to the U.N. under President George W. Bush’s administration. They both conveyed the serious and historic tone the room and its meetings typically hold. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Wall Street Journal [6/20/2025 10:40 AM, Liza Lin, Amrith Ramkumar, and Raffaele Huang, 646K] reports a U.S. official told top global semiconductor makers he wanted to revoke waivers they have used to access American technology in China, people familiar with the matter said, a move that could inflame trade tensions. Currently, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing enjoy blanket waivers that allow them to ship American chip-making equipment to their factories in China without applying for a separate license each time. Jeffrey Kessler, head of the Commerce Department unit in charge of export controls, told the three companies this week he wanted to cancel those waivers, according to people familiar with the meetings. They said Kessler described the action as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on critical U.S. technology going to China. If carried out, the move could be disruptive both diplomatically and economically. Earlier this month, the U.S. and China agreed to a fragile trade truce in London. Part of the deal involved each country’s agreeing to hold off from introducing new export controls and other measures designed to hurt the other. The action isn’t a new trade escalation but would be designed to make the licensing system for chip equipment similar to what China has in place for rare-earth materials, White House officials said. The U.S. and China continue to make progress on completing the agreement they reached in London and negotiating on trade, they said. “Chip makers will still be able to operate in China. The new enforcement mechanisms on chips mirror licensing requirements that apply to other semiconductor companies that export to China and ensure the United States has an equal and reciprocal process,” a Commerce Department spokesman said. A new step making it harder for global chip makers to operate in China might still strike Beijing as a betrayal of the London deal. It could also strain the relationship between Washington and friendly governments in South Korea and Taiwan, whose companies would be most affected and have promised large investments in the U.S. in recent years.

Breitbart [6/20/2025 6:36 PM, John Hayward, 3077K] reports a Chinese Coast Guard ship attacked a Philippine government vessel near the Scarborough Shoal on Friday, using a water cannon to drive the Philippine ship out of waters claimed by China. The Scarborough Shoal is a small, rocky land mass about 120 nautical miles west of the Philippine island of Luzon. The entire formation covers less than 60 square miles. Both Beijing and Manila claim to own the shoal and its surrounding waters, referring to the feature as Huangyan Island and Bajo de Masinloc, respectively. The English term for the feature derives from the name of a British merchant ship that ran aground on it in 1748. The Philippine claim is based on historical maps and documents that trace the history of the Scarborough Shoal as a Spanish colonial possession, and then a Japanese conquest during World War II. One of the key pieces of evidence is a map drawn in 1734 that unambiguously depicts the shoal as part of the Philippine island chain. On Thursday, China accused the Philippines of "illegally" operating near two other nearby features, the Half Moon and Royal Captain Shoals. The following day, a Chinese coast guard vessel used a water cannon against a Philippine government ship. "The Philippine government vessels, under the pretext of so-called fishery protection, have illegally infringed upon China’s rights and provocatively undermined stability in the South China Sea," Chinese coast guard spokesman Liu Dejun claimed on Friday. "The Philippine side’s actions constitute a serious violation of China’s sovereignty and international law," said Liu. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) responded on Friday, accusing China of using aggressive maneuvers to interfere with a resupply mission for Filipino fishermen conducted by ships from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

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