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 Washington Post [3/11/2025 3:22 AM, Kelly Kasulis Cho, 31735K] reports U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Monday that it has added a “self-deportation” feature to its mobile phone app, in what it said was an effort to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration. Acting CBP commissioner Pete Flores warned undocumented immigrants that they had “a chance to leave before facing harsher consequences” and that the new feature offered them a “straightforward way to declare their intent to voluntarily depart.” The CBP Home app — previously called CBP One — now has a button where users can submit such a plan. The Biden administration had previously used the CBP One app as a scheduling tool to allow asylum seekers to make appointments at ports of entry. In a news release, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem said that those who self-deport "may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream.” She added, "If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return.” The retooled mobile app is part of a broader, $200 million campaign warning undocumented people to "Stay Out and Leave Now," the DHS said. Noem’s words echo those in the advertisements. One ad shows a fast-scroll montage of mug shots — purportedly of undocumented immigrants who were arrested for crimes — with Noem thanking Trump for "securing our border," while accusing "weak politicians" of saddling the United States with an influx of "drugs, human trafficking and violent criminals.” Illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border dropped more than 80 percent in 2024, the final year of President Joe Biden’s term, after his administration paired the harshest border crackdown by any Democratic administration in memory with expanded pathways to enter the United States legally. The Hill [3/10/2025 10:44 AM, Rebecca Beitsch, 12829K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement that the Biden administration had "exploited" the CBP One app. "With the launching of the CBP Home app, we are restoring integrity to our immigration system," she said in the statement. "The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self-deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream. If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return." The app comes shortly after the Trump administration separately demanded that migrants in the country illegally must register with the government and submit to fingerprinting. The government is largely unaware of where the nation’s estimated more than 11 million people illegally in the country live, and the threat of deportation is likely to make most migrants hesitant to register. The AP [3/10/2025 3:51 PM, Staff, 24727K] reports that "The app provides illegal aliens in the United States with a straightforward way to declare their intent to voluntarily depart, offering them the chance to leave before facing harsher consequences," Pete Flores, the acting commissioner for U.S Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement. Moments after Trump took office, the earlier version of the app, CBP One, stopped allowing migrants to apply for asylum, and tens of thousands of border appointments were cancelled. More than 900,000 people were allowed in the country on immigration parole under CBP One, generally for two years, starting in January 2023. Newsweek [3/10/2025 11:20 AM, Dan Gooding, 3973K] reports that those in the country illegally, or who have had their parole revoked following the ending of certain protections, are being given the chance to tell the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that they are self-deporting. DHS said this was a way immigrants could avoid "harsher consequences," such as detention or expedited removal. A section of CBP Home reviewed by Newsweek shows options to submit an intent to depart, along with additional options for those who have lost parole to verify their departure and track their status with the U.S. government. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said those who voluntarily left the country could be given the chance to return legally later and "live the American dream". Currently, that would be difficult under U.S. immigration law, which can bar those who entered the country illegally from re-entry for anywhere from three years to life. The Washington Examiner [3/10/2025 10:52 AM, Anna Giaritelli, 2296K] reports that the creation of the new app is part of the Trump administration’s $200 million domestic and international ad campaign, "Stay Out and Leave Now." The campaign discourages non-U.S. citizens from illegally entering the country and encourages those in the country unlawfully or waiting in the immigration court system to return to their home countries on their own dime. The DHS said in its announcement that by pushing immigrants to leave the country, it reduces the burden on law enforcement, which has been tasked with arresting and deporting people by President Donald Trump.

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USA Today [3/10/2025 5:03 PM, Trevor Hughes, 75858K]

FOX News [3/10/2025 7:45 PM, Greg Wehner, 46189K] reports Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem swore in Sean Curran on Monday to serve as the director of the U.S. Secret Service. The swearing-in ceremony took place in the Oval Office, where President Donald Trump and Noem joined Curran. "Sean’s brave actions when he risked his life to help save President Trump’s life in Butler, Pennsylvania is a testament to his dedication to the mission of the US Secret Service," Noem said in a statement. "With his decades of experience, he will return the Secret Service to focusing on its core mission: protecting American leaders and the U.S. financial system.” "I look forward to working alongside Sean to ensure that the Secret Service is stronger than ever before," she added. Curran was among the group of agents who rushed to the stage to shield Trump with their bodies during a failed assassination attempt on July 13 in Butler that left two dead and the candidate with an injury to his ear. Curran appeared next to Trump in a series of photos showing the former and future president returning to his feet, blood running down his face and raising a fist, prompting cheers from the audience. Three bystanders were shot. They were firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, who died from his injuries, David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, both of whom survived. The Washington Examiner [3/10/2025 6:25 PM, Christian Datoc, 2296K] reports that the new Secret Service director faced tough questioning about the Secret Service’s actions on and leading up to the Butler assassination attempt during his Senate confirmation hearing last month. That event led to significant reforms within the agency, and Curran has stated continued improvements to the Secret Service as a core pillar of his mission as director. "I brought in an outside expert from the intelligence community to take a look at our intelligence apparatus," he told lawmakers at the time. "I feel that strongly about what we are doing and where I want to take our intelligence divisions to — and that’s why I brought a true pro from the intelligence community to take a look at that and advise me on how we can do things differently and build more relationships with the ICE community. It’s that important.”

CBS Austin [3/10/2025 3:18 PM, Cory Smith, 602K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday on CBS’ "Face the Nation" that U.S. authorities have deported nearly two dozen suspected terrorists and almost 700 gang members in a month under the new Trump administration. Noem said late last month that ICE arrests jumped 627% under Trump, with over 20,000 ICE arrests in the president’s first month. And her department said last month that border encounters plunged 93% after Trump took office. True to his campaign promises, Trump has taken on a more enforcement-based approach to immigration. CBP on Monday announced the launch of a mobile app that encourages immigrants in the country illegally to notify the government of their intent to self-deport. Noem said in the CBS interview that the app lets unauthorized immigrants "choose to go home on their own and keep their families united." Noem also said the U.S. will keep thousands of military troops at the southern border "until that border is completely secure, and we see all-time record lows of encounters."

CBS Austin [3/10/2025 4:36 PM, Ray Lewis, 602K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is administering polygraph tests to its staff to determine whether anyone is disclosing information to the media about immigration enforcement operations, CBS News reported Saturday. The outlet said that employees started taking the tests about three weeks ago, around the same time when DHS Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly told them the exams would be used to help investigate leaks of information on enforcement plans. Bloomberg Government quoted Noem as saying the tests would have to include a question about unauthorized communication with media and nonprofit organizations. The secretary reportedly cited what she referred to as the harmful effects of leaks on plans for border and interior immigration law enforcement. On Sunday, during an interview on CBS News’s "Face the Nation," Noem noted she would "absolutely" continue using the tests. Tom Homan, whom Trump calls his "border czar," also said last month that leaks of information were "coming from inside," adding that anyone disclosing the plans would face prosecution.

AP [3/10/2025 7:33 PM, Adriana Gomez Licon, 12335K] reports the U.S. Department of Homeland Security skipped a fully competitive bidding process to give two Republican-linked firms the first part of a $200 million television ad campaign that lauds President Donald Trump for his crackdown on illegal immigration. DHS told news outlets last month that it had undergone a "competitive procurement process" for the campaign. But in a document posted Friday on a federal database, the department said Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border constitutes "an unusual and compelling urgency," a circumstance that allows federal agencies to bypass the usual competitive process. The ads feature Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a blue suit standing with a backdrop of American flags thanking Trump. The ads have caught some attention as they mix campaign-style images of Trump signing executive orders and flying on Air Force One with clips of large groups of migrants crossing the Rio Grande and police cars with sirens blaring. Noem warns immigrants to leave the U.S. or not to come. "If you are here illegally, we will find you and deport you. You will never return," she says in one of the videos.

VOA News [3/10/2025 7:53 PM, Ken Bredemeier, 2913K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump vowed a new crackdown Monday on pro-Palestinian protesters on American college campuses, saying the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a demonstration leader at Columbia University in New York, is "the first arrest of many to come." "We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it," the U.S. leader said on his Truth Social platform. Khalil was arrested by U.S. immigration officials over the weekend. He was one of the most prominent figures during the protest movement that erupted at Columbia and some other campuses a year ago in opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza against the U.S.-designated terror group Hamas. But for the most part, the protests died down and did not resume when the new school year opened last fall. The Department of Homeland Security said Khalil’s arrest was taken "in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism, and in coordination with the Department of State." U.S. District Court Judge Jesse Furman on Monday ordered Khalil not be deported for now and set a court hearing in the case for Wednesday. Khalil, listed as a Syrian on his detention papers, earned a master’s degree from Columbia’s school of international affairs last semester. He held a permanent U.S. residency green card at the time of his arrest, according to the Student Workers of Columbia union, and is married to an American citizen who is eight months pregnant. He has not been charged with any criminal offenses. Trump wrote in a social media posting, “If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here. We expect every one of America’s Colleges and Universities to comply.” FOX News [3/10/2025 2:43 PM, Pilar Arias and Alexis McAdams, 46189K] reports that President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to address the ICE apprehension of Mahmoud Khalil, whom he called "a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student on the campus of Columbia University." "This is the first arrest of many to come. We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it," Trump said in a post. "Many are not students, they are paid agitators. We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again." The president went on to say that many protesting Khalil’s arrest at universities are not students, but rather "paid agitators." Monday afternoon, a handful of protesters gathered outside the entrance to Columbia University in New York City, chanting "free Mahmoud Khalil" and "cops and ICE off campus." They had a sign bearing the social media handle for The Revcoms, a self-described group of "revolutionary communists." "If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here," Trump’s post continued. "We expect every one of America’s Colleges and Universities to comply." ICE agents told Khalil that they were acting on a State Department order to revoke his green card and student visa, according to Khalil’s attorney, Amy E. Greer. She released a statement alleging that ICE agents wrongfully arrested Khalil.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [3/10/2025 1:44 PM, Brett Samuels, 12829K]
AP [3/10/2025 7:42 PM, Jake Offenhartz and Philip Marcelo, 1769K]
Newsweek [3/10/2025 5:54 PM, Gabe Whisnant and Dan Gooding, 52220K]
USA Today [3/10/2025 6:12 PM, Trevor Hughes, Eduardo Cuevas, Zachary Schermele, 75858K]

Politico [3/10/2025 5:38 PM, Myah Ward and Irie Sentner] reports the arrest of a Palestinian graduate student who represented anti-Israel protests at Columbia University marks a significant shift for the U.S. government, even from an administration that has prioritized cracking down on both immigration and campus anti-war protests. Mahmoud Khalil, who enraged conservatives with his central role in campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war, both entered the U.S. legally as a student and had legal permanent status as a green card holder — making his arrest over the weekend by immigration agents a radical departure in enforcement that is already facing legal challenges and causing widespread outrage. The administration’s announcement that it will revoke the protesters’ visas and green cards and deport them marked a rhetorical turn and a major escalation. An online locator run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement showed Khalil being detained Sunday at an ICE facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey. By Monday, it showed him being held at another ICE detention center in Jena, Louisiana. The Trump administration has also waded into murky legal territory. The Department of Homeland Security, as it did in Khalil’s case, is authorized to arrest and initiate deportation proceedings against green card holders, including for certain criminal convictions. But only a judge can take away a person’s permanent residence status. On Monday, a federal judge in New York handling a habeas corpus petition filed on Khalil’s behalf ordered that he not be removed from the U.S. pending further order of the court. Khalil’s lawyers are asking the judge that Khalil be returned to New York. Trump officials, including border czar Tom Homan, claim Khalil violated the terms of his visa by supporting Hamas — a designated terrorist organization. But Khalil has never been charged with or convicted of any crimes. NBC News [3/11/2025 5:00 AM, Daniella Silva and Dareh Gregorian, 44742K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Khalil was arrested on March 9 "in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism" in coordination with the State Department. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in the statement that the administration alleges that "Khalil led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.” "ICE and the Department of State are committed to enforcing President Trump’s executive orders and to protecting U.S. national security," she said in the statement. The State Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Khalil’s legal team hasn’t been made aware of any allegations of criminality or fraud, said Baher Azmy, the legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York, a legal advocacy nonprofit organization involved in Khalil’s case. Trump and his administration didn’t provide evidence of their allegations against him or any other protesters. Azmy called the arrest "a grotesque and chilling invocation of vague and unchecked national security power to target and retaliate on behalf of Palestinian human rights.” Efforts are underway to return Khalil to New York from the immigration detention facility in Louisiana where he is being held, Azmy said. A federal judge in New York said Monday that Khalil is to remain in the United States for now "to preserve the court’s jurisdiction" as the court weighs the filing challenging his arrest and planned deportation.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 10:28 AM, James Liddell, 52868K] reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has threatened to deport green card holders involved in pro-Palestine protests, marking a stark escalation of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on student activists. Rubio shared an Associated Press article about Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate and lead negotiator for the Gaza solidarity encampment who was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in New York on Saturday evening. He was detained by cops despite holding a green card, making him a lawful U.S. resident. "We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported," Rubio tweeted alongside a link to the article. Critics have condemned Rubio’s comments – and Khalil’s arrest – as a violation of the First Amendment which protects the freedom of speech and assembly. More than 832,000 people had signed an online petition calling for Khalil’s release by Monday morning. On Sunday evening, the Department of Homeland Security described the arrest as being "in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism," while also alleging that "Khalil led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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The Hill [3/10/2025 10:33 AM, Lexi Lonas, 12829K]

Washington Examiner [3/10/2025 6:54 PM, Naomi Lim, 2296K] reports the Education Department has warned 60 colleges and universities there will be consequences if they do not protect Jewish students on their respective campuses. Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s Office of Civil Rights issued the warning in a letter Monday, reminding the institutions, federal funding recipients that are all under investigation or monitoring for potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act regarding antisemitism harassment and discrimination, that they risked enforcement actions if they do not ensure that Jewish students, for example, have uninterrupted access to campus facilities and educational opportunities. "The Department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite U.S. campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year. University leaders must do better," McMahon wrote in a statement. "U.S. colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by U.S. taxpayers. That support is a privilege and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal anti-discrimination laws.” Under Title VI and after President Donald Trump signed his executive order titled "Additional Measures to Combat Antisemitism," the Education Department launched investigations into five institutions following reports of antisemitic harassment. The 55 additional institutions are under investigation or monitoring in response to similar complaints filed with the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights. Last week, the Education Department, in partnership with other members of the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, including the Justice Department, the Health and Human Services Department, and the General Services Administration, announced the cancelation of $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University because of the school’s "continued inaction to protect Jewish students from discrimination," according to Education Department. The letter also coincides with the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and leader of Columbia’s encampment movement last year, whose green card was revoked last week because of his "activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization," according to Homeland Security Department spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin.

NBC News [3/10/2025 3:00 PM, Julia Ainsley and Laura Strickler, 44742K]Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents deported fewer immigrants in February than they did under the Biden administration during the same month one year ago, according to ICE data obtained by NBC News that has not been previously reported. According to the data, ICE deported around 11,000 migrants in February 2025, the first full month Trump was in office, compared to just over 12,000 in February 2024. One major reason for the higher numbers under the Biden administration was higher traffic from attempted border crossings, both legal and illegal, in 2024 compared to 2025. People who were first arrested by Customs and Border Protection, which typically means those arrested at the border, accounted for most of the deportations in February 2024 under Biden. It is easier to deport people detained near the border than to find them after they disperse across the U.S. When removing recent border crossers from the total and counting only immigrants who were deported after first being arrested by ICE, nearly 4,300 immigrants were deported in February 2025 compared to roughly 2,100 in February 2024. Border czar Tom Homan has consistently said the administration’s deportation policy is "worst first," meaning it will prioritize removing people with criminal records or suspected national security threats. ICE told Congress last year that, as of July, it had identified 435,000 undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions in the country who were not in custody. Spokespeople for Customs and Border Protection, ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, under which CBP and ICE fall, have not responded to questions about how many of those 435,000 people have been arrested by ICE or deported since Trump took office.

CBS Austin [3/10/2025 10:16 AM, Kristine Frazao, 602K] reports that the Trump administration’s mass deportation plan is encountering significant hurdles, with top officials attributing slow progress to internal leaks and resistance from some lawmakers. Immigration enforcement efforts have been ongoing nationwide since President Donald Trump took office, but a growing divide over immigration enforcement strategies is evident. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has urged citizens and non-citizens to resist arrest. "What ICE tries to do is they rely on people not knowing their rights in order to enter buildings in order to search workplace, etc. So when you know you’re right, you are able to tell them no and they do walk away," she said. Tom Homan, the White House Border Czar, criticized Ocasio-Cortez, saying, "She’s telling people how to evade law enforcement and because of that the last operation in New York City a lot of people were hiding based on education from various members of Congress. We are talking about child rapists we were not able to apprehend because they took advice from people how to evade law enforcement.” Homan and other Trump border officials have blamed lower-than-expected deportation numbers on leaks, initially pointing fingers at the FBI for sharing raid details. However, only two individuals from the Department of Homeland Security have been arrested for leaking information. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that polygraph tests are being conducted on others, warning of potential prosecution and up to 10 years in prison. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Examiner [3/10/2025 11:21 AM, Paul Bedard, 2296K] reports that former President Joe Biden’s open borders policy led to a record population of illegal migrants in the United States, according to a new report. Once a fairly steady population of about 11 million to 12 million, the Biden surge pushed the population to 18.6 million when he left office. That, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, was a 28.2% increase over the previous Trump administration’s numbers. "Americans have seen the impact of the illegal immigration crisis play out in their communities all across the country. This new report provides hard data on the enormity of the illegal immigration surge that took place as a result of policies put in place by the Biden administration," said Dan Stein, president of FAIR, an advocacy group critical of open borders. "Since taking office, the Trump administration has taken decisive steps to reduce the influx of illegal aliens across the border. But this new report demonstrates just how much damage has been done and highlights the need to revoke parole and TPS for those who should not have received it and step up the effort to remove millions of people who should not be here," Stein concluded.

Washington Examiner [3/10/2025 2:45 PM, Ashley Oliver, 2296K] reports that the FBI produced hundreds of pages of subpoenaed material to the House Judiciary Committee on Monday related to Republicans’ past investigations after committee members said they never received them from the Biden administration. An FBI assistant director wrote in a letter obtained by the Washington Examiner to the Republican-led committee that the tranche of documents was related to the FBI’s inquiries into threats to school administrators, the pipe bombs discovered near the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and violent extremists’ alleged ties to a faction of Catholicism. They also included material related to the FBI’s engagement with social media companies about foreign interference in the 2020 election. "As a sign of good faith, we are providing this initial production more than a week ahead of the Committee’s subpoena deadline," FBI Assistant Director Marshall Yates wrote to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the committee chairman. The assistant director said the bureau was providing "phase 1" of the subpoenaed documents as a sign that it was "restoring trust" in the FBI and planned to be transparent. The FBI’s letter came in response to Jordan subpoenaing FBI Director Kash Patel days after he was confirmed last month for documents that the chairman said former FBI Director Christopher Wray failed to provide. FBI spokesman Ben Williamson said in a statement that Patel has made communicating with congressional committees a top priority.

Axios [3/10/2025 6:20 AM, Steph Solis, 13163K] reports the Trump administration owes Massachusetts-based refuge resettlement organizations millions of dollars in payments. Local nonprofit leaders say the federal government is trying to bleed them dry to end the nation’s decades-old refugee resettlement program. A federal judge in Seattle temporarily blocked efforts to suspend the refugee resettlement program last Tuesday, ruling that the president doesn’t have the power to unilaterally end a program enshrined in federal law. A day later, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants received a letter from the State Department’s comptroller announcing its contracts were being terminated, per a copy provided to Axios. Judge Jamal N. Whitehead in Seattle questioned the Trump administration’s move last week, considering his order prevented the feds from suspending the program and related payments. Refugee resettlement agencies, including subcontracted organizations in Massachusetts, have been blocked from receiving refugees since President Trump’s inauguration, but they were owed money under these contracts. Jeff Thielman, CEO of the International Institute of New England, estimates that the feds owe his organization $1.3 million so far, including funds for receiving and placing refugees and offering employment support. Jewish Family Services of Western Massachusetts is owed roughly $900,000, says CEO James Greene. That doesn’t include funds issued to organizations serving refugees in the Framingham, Boston and other cities. JFS pieced together fundraising from across Western Massachusetts to keep its operations running, but Greene noted that support won’t keep the organization afloat for long. Money from fundraising and reserves is keeping IINE going, but Thielman expressed similar concerns that it would need to downsize if the feds didn’t pay what was owed. Refugee resettlement agencies and the local nonprofits they partner with rely heavily on government funding. The funds support refugees, who have been vetted before arriving in the U.S.

NBC News [3/10/2025 9:17 PM, Minyvonne Burke, Daniel Arkin and Nicole Acevedo, 35355K] reports as hundreds of demonstrators rallied in New York City on Monday to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a federal judge just steps away blocked the Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate’s removal from the United States. Judge Jesse M. Furman said Khalil is to remain in the U.S. "to preserve the court’s jurisdiction" as the court weighs a filing challenging his arrest and planned deportation. A detention hearing was scheduled for Wednesday. Khalil attended Columbia University and helped organize protests last spring about the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. He was arrested by federal immigration agents Saturday over what officials said was his support for a designated terror organization, Hamas. Hundreds of demonstrators rallied in New York City on Monday to demand his release after President Donald Trump said Khalil’s was the "first arrest of many to come." Khalil’s wife, who was not named, said in a statement from his defense counsel Monday night that she is pregnant and urgently wants his freedom so he can be present at birth. "I urge you to see Mahmoud through my eyes as a loving husband and the future father to our baby," she said. "I need your help to bring Mahmoud home, so he is here beside me, holding my hand in the delivery room as we welcome our first child into this world." His legal team previously said she is eight months pregnant. Khalil was taken from his university-owned apartment Saturday night by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after he was told his student visa was being revoked, his attorney said. Attorney Amy Greer added that ICE was informed that Khalil is a permanent resident with a green card but "detained him anyway." A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Khalil was arrested in coordination with ICE and the State Department “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism” because he “led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.”

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The Hill [3/10/2025 6:00 PM, Staff, 52868K]
Washington Examiner [3/10/2025 7:40 PM, Brady Knox, 2296K]
Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 6:59 PM, Damita Menezes, 52868K]

Reuters [3/10/2025 12:56 PM, Jonathan Allen and Luc Cohen, 41523K] reports that a U.S. judge on Monday ordered that Palestinian Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil not be deported for now as part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s crackdown on some anti-Israel protesters, and set a court hearing in the case for Wednesday. Trump publicly denounced Khalil and said more arrests would follow. Khalil has been moved to a federal jail for migrants in Louisiana to await deportation proceedings, according to his lawyers and a U.S. detainee database. Demonstrators on the streets of New York City, the state attorney general and the American Civil Liberties Union have denounced his arrest by U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents as an attack on free speech. Police and hundreds of protesters briefly clashed in lower Manhattan and at least one person was detained, according to a Reuters witness. Khalil, who had held legal permanent resident status and was arrested Saturday, has been a prominent figure in Columbia’s pro-Palestinian student protest movement that set off campus demonstrations across the United States and around the world last year. Trump branded Khalil a "Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student" on social media. On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Jesse Furman put a hold on his deportation "unless and until the Court orders otherwise." Khalil’s lawyers also urged Furman to order Khalil’s return to New York. They accused the government of seeking to deprive Khalil of access to legal counsel by sending him far from New York.

ABC News [3/10/2025 11:50 PM, Linsey Davis, 34586K] Video: HERE reports ABC News’ Linsey Davis speaks with Baher Azmy, the lawyer for Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, who was arrested by ICE despite having a green card.

New York Times [3/10/2025 10:25 PM, Minho Kim, 145325K] reports the Trump administration invoked an obscure statute over the weekend in moving to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent legal resident of the United States who recently graduated from Columbia University, where he helped lead campus protests against high civilian casualties in Gaza during Israel’s campaign against Hamas. Mr. Khalil was arrested by immigration officers on Saturday and then sent to a detention center in Louisiana. On Monday, a federal judge in New York, Jesse M. Furman, ordered the federal government not to deport Mr. Khalil while he reviewed a petition challenging the legality of the detention. Mr. Khalil, 30, earned a master’s degree from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs in December. He has Palestinian heritage and is married to an American citizen who is eight months pregnant. At Columbia last spring, Mr. Khali assumed a major role in student-led protests on campus against Israel’s war efforts in Gaza. He described his position as a negotiator and spokesman for Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a pro-Palestinian group. The Trump administration did not publicly lay out the legal authority for the arrest. But two people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal deliberations, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio relied on a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 that gives him sweeping power to expel foreigners. The provision says that any “alien whose presence or activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is deportable.” What is Mr. Khalil being accused of? That is not very clear. Mr. Rubio reposted a Homeland Security Department statement that accused Mr. Khalil of having “led activities aligned to Hamas.” But officials have not accused him of having any contact with the terrorist group, taking direction from it or providing material support to it.

Washington Post [3/10/2025 3:24 PM, Susan Svrluga, Maria Sacchetti, Shayna Jacobs and Dan Diamond, 31735K] reports a federal court petition demanding Khalil’s release provides details of the Trump administration’s nighttime arrest of the Columbia University activist, who was swiftly whisked away to a detention center. Lawyers demanding his release say officers violated his constitutional rights and other federal laws, according to the court filing. In a social media post, Trump said ICE "proudly" detained Khalil in compliance with the president’s executive orders to target noncitizens who, in his view, engage in activities that are contrary to U.S. interests. Without providing evidence, Trump accused Khalil and other activists of engaging in "pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity" and vowed to banish them permanently. A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a developing legal situation, said DHS took the lead on the Khalil case, with DHS officials gathering intelligence on his activities and determining that he was propagating antisemitic, pro-Hamas stances. The State Department then became involved because of Khalil’s immigration status. Secretary of State Marco Rubio personally called for the revocation of Khalil’s green card, determining that Khalil’s activities were contrary to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, the official said. The habeas petition, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, asked the court to block Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the DHS agency that detains immigrants, from transferring him outside of the New York area. ICE records show that officers have already sent him to a detention center in Jena, Louisiana, more than 1,300 miles away. On Sunday, the locator indicated he was in Elizabeth, New Jersey, but his lawyer said that his wife was told, when she tried to visit him, that he was not there.

CBS New York [3/10/2025 9:13 PM, Jesse Zanger and Lisa Rozner, 51661K] Video: HERE reports a judge is slamming the brakes on the Trump administration’s attempt to deport a pro-Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University’s 2024 student encampment protests. The judge ordered the Trump administration and attorneys for Mahmoud Khalil to appear for a conference Wednesday morning at 11:30 a.m. at court in Lower Manhattan. "To preserve the Court’s jurisdiction pending a ruling on the petition, [Khalil] shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the Court orders otherwise," Judge Jesse Furman wrote. Khalil was arrested Saturday night at his university-owned apartment by federal immigration authorities. Amy Greer, Khalil’s attorney, said they claimed they were acting on a State Department order to revoke Khalil’s student visa and green card. Khalil is being held in Jena, Louisiana, awaiting immigration court proceedings that might result in his deportation, according to ICE records. President Trump said Monday that Khalil’s arrest was just the first "of many to come.” Khalil’s arrest was "in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism," alleging the former student "led activities aligned to Hamas," the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. It did not provide details of any charges or crimes.

Reported similarly:
NPR [3/10/2025 9:09 PM, Ximena Bustillo and Adrian Florido, 29983K] Audio: HERE
AP [3/10/2025 6:55 PM, Staff, 48304K] Video: HERE

New York Times [3/11/2025 3:50 AM, Ana Ley, 330K] reports that, as protests over the Gaza conflict ignited rancor and division at Columbia University last year, one student stood out for his role as a negotiator representing activists in talks with the school officials who were desperate to achieve peace on campus. Mahmoud Khalil, 30, emerged as a public face of students opposed to the war, leading demonstrations and granting interviews. He delivered a message that his side viewed as measured and responsible but that has been branded by some, including the Trump administration, as antisemitic. Mr. Khalil has been involved in demonstrations as recently as January, when four masked demonstrators entered a class on the history of Israel taught by an Israeli professor at Columbia to accuse the school of “normalizing genocide.” Videos of an unmasked Mr. Khalil at a related sit-in were soon circulated on social media among critics of Columbia’s protest movement, with some calling for him to be deported. Over the weekend, Mr. Khalil was at the center of the news again. He was arrested by federal immigration officials in a drastic escalation of President Trump’s crackdown against what he has called antisemitic campus activity. Mr. Khalil, a permanent resident of the United States, had been living in Columbia’s student housing when he was detained and then transferred to the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Jena, La. Late Monday afternoon, the streets of Lower Manhattan were flooded with about 3,000 protesters, according to the police, who had come to demonstrate against Mr. Khalil’s detention. “I support immigrants’ rights and freedoms and I support the Palestinian fight for liberation,” said Alan Yaskin, who attended the demonstration and said that he identifies as Jewish. “Mahmoud Khalil was exercising rights everyone is entitled to.”

Newsweek [3/11/2025 4:38 AM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports the 8-month pregnant wife of pro-Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil has pled for her husband’s release in time for the birth of their baby, following his arrest and detention by federal immigration officers over the weekend. "I urge you to see Mahmoud through my eyes as a loving husband and the future father to our baby. I need your help to bring Mahmoud home, so he is here beside me, holding my hand in the delivery room as we welcome our first child into this world," she told Newsweek in a statement issued via her husband’s attorney, Amy E. Greer. "Please release Mahmoud now," said his wife, who was not named by the lawyer when asked by Newsweek nor in legal papers filed Sunday in challenge of Khalil’s detention. Syrian-born Khali, a permanent U.S. resident and Columbia University graduate, played a key role in last year’s Gaza war protests at the Ivy League’s campus in New York City. He was arrested in the city on Saturday and transferred more than 1,000 miles away to the Central Louisiana Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center. A federal judge on Monday halted the Trump administration’s attempt to deport Khalil. President Donald Trump, who has pledged to crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses, has called the arrest "the first arrest of many to come.” About 3,000 protesters demonstrated Khalil’s detention in Lower Manhattan on Monday afternoon, police said.

Newsweek [3/10/2025 6:43 AM, Chloe Mayer, 52220K] reports two fighter jets intercepted planes violating restricted airspace above President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in South Florida over the weekend. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a joint air defense force operated by the U.S. and Canada, sent fighter pilots to warn off the civilian planes flying overhead. Newsweek has contacted NORAD for further comment via email outside standard working hours. A temporary no-fly zone is imposed over Mar-a-Lago when the president is at his home in Palm Beach. While security is always tight around a president, Trump’s is likely even tighter as he has recently been the target of assassination attempts. On Sunday, the Secret Service shot a "suicidal" armed man near the White House. Around 8:50 a.m. on Saturday, a civilian aircraft entered the no-fly zone above Mar-a-Lago, only to be intercepted by NORAD. On Sunday afternoon, a civilian pilot violated the temporary flight restriction over Trump’s Palm Beach home around 1:15 p.m., NORAD officials said in a press release. Flares were used to capture the pilot’s attention as NORAD’s F-16 jets escorted the aircraft away from the area. Authorities shared details of the incident on X, formerly Twitter. Trump had flown to his Palm Beach home after a White House digital assets summit on Friday, according to the Palm Beach Post. The newspaper said the trip marked Trump’s fifth visit since taking office in January. NORAD has intercepted more than 20 violations of the flight restrictions over Mar-a-Lago since Trump returned to office, the agency said, urging pilots to check restrictions in the area before flying. Last week, F-16 fighter jets intercepted three small airplanes in the area. Flares were deployed to warn the pilots involved, although there was no indication that any airspace violations were intentional or that Trump was in danger at any point.

Reuters [3/10/2025 10:42 PM, Dave Sherwood and Nelson Acosta, 41523K] reports Cuba’s top tribunal said late on Monday 553 prisoners had been released following a deal brokered by the Vatican that seemed in limbo after U.S. President Donald Trump reversed a Biden administration pledge to ease sanctions on the country. Former President Joe Biden in January agreed to remove Cuba from a U.S. terrorism blacklist in exchange for the prisoner release in negotiations with the Catholic Church. Trump rescinded the Biden deal upon taking office, putting Cuba back on the list, slapping the island with fresh sanctions and prompting its communist-run government to temporarily pause the prisoner release. But Cuba’s state-run media said on the evening TV newscast Monday that judicial officials had confirmed the "early release" of 553 prisoners. "Authorities of the Supreme People’s Court of Cuba affirm that these 553 people are already free and that the process has concluded," the report said. Rights groups began reporting a fresh trickle of prisoners released from the island’s jails last week despite Trump’s decision to back out of the Biden deal. The groups, however, said some of those liberated appeared to be common criminals. The Biden administration had initially said Cuba would release "political prisoners" as part of the broader deal. But Cuba did not specify, saying it would gradually release "553 people sanctioned for diverse crimes.”

FOX News [3/10/2025 8:34 AM, Greg Norman, 46189K] reports a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student is believed to have drowned in a big wave during a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic, a report says. Sudiksha Konanki, from northern Virginia, was reported missing last Thursday in Punta Cana after last being seen on a beach at the five-star Riu Republica Resort, according to a flyer being circulated online. Konanki was part of a group of six female University of Pittsburgh students traveling to the area, a spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital. Konanki was seen walking on the beach with six people on March 5, prior to her disappearance, three Dominican officials told ABC News. During the night, most of the group went back to the hotel, but one person stayed behind with her on the beach in the early morning hours of March 6, the network added, citing an investigative police report. The report stated Konanki and this person went for a swim and were caught in a big wave and the officials said she is believed to have died by drowning, according to ABC News. Investigators later were questioning a "young man" who went into the waters of the beach around the time Konanki disappeared, the Dominican Republic newspaper Listin Diario reported. "We are still in information gathering stage," Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares told "Fox & Friends" on Monday when asked about the young man. "Her friends have all been accounted for, that is the good news. Obviously, our heart breaks for the family. We want to find her, we want to hopefully find her safe and sound. Right now, there is just so much that we don’t know.” "It is a reminder for all of us that it is easy when we are on vacation … to always be mindful both of when, where and who you are with and also make sure that you are traveling with groups," Miyares added. "Because, unfortunately, you do have criminal elements in almost every country, that their number one target is always foreign tourists. They know this is a place they are not familiar with.” A spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office also told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the report that Konanki drowned may be "based on her last known location near the beach, but [there’s] no evidence to support that conclusion at this time.” CBS Austin [3/10/2025 8:00 AM, Staff, 602K] reports that the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said Konanki is a citizen of India and a permanent resident of the United States. "The LCSO is working closely with our federal partners at the U.S. Department of State, FBI, DEA, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) as well as the University of Pittsburgh police in support of the ongoing investigation by the Dominican National Police," the agency said Sunday.

Reported similarly:
USA Today [3/10/2025 7:54 AM, John Bacon, 75858K]

New York Times [3/10/2025 5:02 AM, Megan K. Stack, 145325K] reports the two men burst from the ice-crusted street into the warm cavern of a taqueria, shaking snow off puffed jackets and adjusting the brims of ball caps. They’d ventured into the Chicago night only because we’d arranged to meet. Otherwise, like many immigrants across the country, they’ve been sticking close to home. The elder of the two Mexican men, 49-year-old Aldair Mata, is strapping and ebullient, an unflinching man with a quick laugh. He’s worked every imaginable restaurant job since crossing the border in 1993. He also taught himself English, became a U.S. citizen and fathered nine children, one of whom went to Stanford on scholarship. His friend, Jose, is younger, and newer to this country. He asked that his last name not be published because he and his family are now hiding from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Jose hasn’t learned much English or acquired any working papers since crossing the border 10 years ago with his wife and then-baby, but he’s built a life: He and his wife found work, enrolled their eldest in school and welcomed a second child, who is now the only U.S. citizen in the family. Jose has been whipped into quiet panic this winter by President Trump’s threats of mass deportations. He’s still turning up for his shifts at a wood-finishing factory — he can’t afford not to — but most of his co-workers have stopped coming. His wife is afraid to go to her factory job, and they’re keeping the 11-year-old home from school. Jose was nervous in the restaurant, curling his posture inward and eying the street outside. Mr. Mata pulled out his phone to show Jose a couple of Spanish language news clips that were going viral that night: ICE agents using tear gas on a Texas home to force the family to open the door. Plainclothes federal agents in Tennessee marching food truck employees off apparently without a warrant. Mr. Mata and Jose watched grimly. “They can do whatever they want,” Jose said, and rubbed his face anxiously. One more detail about these friends: They are both fans of Donald Trump. Mr. Mata voted for Trump, and though Jose can’t vote, he tells me that Mr. Trump “has courage.”

The Hill [3/10/2025 3:00 PM, Matt Zweig and Elaine Dezenski, 12829K] reports that during his address to a joint session of Congress, President Trump made a powerful declaration: "Two weeks ago, I officially designated [Tren de Aragua] — along with MS-13 and the ruthless Mexican drug cartels — as foreign terrorist organizations. They are now in the same category as ISIS, and that’s bad news for them." These actions have set the stage for financial warfare against the international drug cartels. His first major action last month, an executive order designating international drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, was followed last week by the identification of the first six cartels to be designated, four of which are based in Mexico. Trump also issued a National Security Presidential Memorandum to intensify sanctions against Iran — highlight a growing reliance on economic measures to target adversaries. The goal is clear: Use unrestricted financial warfare to disrupt criminal and terrorist networks, whether they be cartels, rogue regimes or state sponsors of terror. But while these policies signal strong intent, one question remains: Can the U.S. government enforce them effectively? A solution exists that could massively amplify government efforts by encouraging private parties to bring civil lawsuits against sanctions violators, borrowing a strategy called "qui tam" that has been very successful in other areas of law.

The Hill [3/10/2025 10:36 AM, Lauren Irwin, 12829K] reports that Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced a new acting chief of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday, just weeks after the agency’s previous director was reassigned. Todd Lyons, the former assistant director of field operations for ICE’s enforcement arm, will serve as the acting director for the agency. Noem also tapped Madison Sheahan, her former aide as governor of South Dakota, to be the agency’s deputy director. "Todd Lyons and Madison Sheahan are work horses, strong executors, and accountable leaders who will lead the men and women of ICE to achieve the American people’s mandate to target, arrest and deport illegal aliens," Noem said in a statement, according to Fox News. Lyons served in the Air Force before becoming a law enforcement officer in Florida, then joined ICE as an agent in Dallas in 2007. As assistant director of field operations for Enforcement and Removal Operations, he oversaw all 25 field offices and domestic operations across the U.S., Fox News reported. Sheahan was, until her latest appointment, the secretary of Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The agency’s previous acting director, Caleb Vitello, was reassigned Feb. 21, amid reported frustration within the Trump administration about the pace of immigration arrests and deportations. The Hill has reached out to DHS about the new ICE leaders.

Reported similarly:
Government Executive [3/10/2025 2:17 PM, Sean Michael Newhouse, 819K]

Public Radio East [3/10/2025 6:35 AM, Annette Weston, 6K] reports a man who was arrested in Carteret County last week for driving without a license was placed on hold for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Officials with the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office said Cain Garate Heredia, a Mexican national, was previously arrested by Morehead City Police for assault by strangulation. He posted bond and was not booked into the jail. ICE had previously contacted the Sheriff’s Office, asking for help in finding Garate Heredia so immigration officials could take him into custody for deportation proceedings. He had also been charged in another previous incident with assault on a female in Pitt County, and several motor vehicle and other criminal violations in several counties throughout eastern North Carolina. ICE officials said Garate Heredia was previously deported and illegally returned to the United States.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 5:10 AM, Ryley Ober, 52868K] reports the North Carolina Senate passed a Republican-backed bill March 4 that would aid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and strengthen the relationship between North Carolina law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. If passed into law, the new measure would allow designated state law enforcement officers to perform certain functions of federal immigration agents and would require an audit of any state benefits that may be provided to undocumented immigrants. The bill passed the Senate with a 30-13 vote and is headed to the House. The new measure would require the N.C. Department of Public Safety, the Department of Adult Correction, N.C. State Highway Patrol and the State Bureau of Investigation — which typically report to Gov. Josh Stein — to sign agreements with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The bill calls out Stein for not yet directing the law enforcement agencies to support Trump’s initiatives. The agreements, called 287(g) agreements, would allow designated state officers to be trained and deputized to perform certain functions of federal immigration agents. The four state agencies must sign the agreements by Aug. 1, 2025, if the bill is ratified. Sen. Warren Daniel, a republican representing a swath of Buncombe County, is one of three senators who introduced Senate Bill 153, dubbed the "North Carolina Border Protection Act." Daniel and his office did not respond to requests for comment before press time. Critics of the 287(g) agreements, like the North Carolina Justice Center, say the move will cause an unnecessary strain on taxpayers, push state law enforcement away from their core missions and lead to racial profiling. An ICE officer coordinates with other officers during an enforcement operation. Similar arrangements have cost counties millions of dollars: Mecklenburg County spent $5.3 million just in the first year of its ICE agreement in 2006, and $19.4 million within the first three years, according to a 2010 study from UNC School of Government. Sen. Julie Mayfield, who represents the other portions of Buncombe County including the city of Asheville, was one of the dissenting voters. She expressed concern over limited resources of state agencies, many of which have employment down anywhere from 12 to 20%, who would now be tasked with additional responsibilities. Mayfield said law enforcement departments are already paid "a ton of overtime" and questioned whether this would require more, and who would pay for that. It’s unclear whether the legislature will allocate additional money for the added expenses of the work and training. "It is truly a zero-sum game in terms of the time and resources our officers have," Mayfield said, adding that it’s a question of whether we want our state officers to respond to crime hotspots or knocking "on the doors of families who have done nothing wrong.”

Newsweek [3/10/2025 1:25 PM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports that the son of a man detained by ICE outside a Michigan school is speaking out, slamming President Donald Trump’s immigration policies for ripping his family apart. "President Trump, I’m sorry, but you are the worst president we’ve ever had. And just from the first months or whatever weeks you’ve been in office, the world has gone to crap because of you," Sebastian Jamies said during an interview with Newsweek. Sebastian, 20, whose father, Jose Guadalupe Jaimes, was taken into custody despite holding a valid work permit, expressed his frustration with the administration. Jaimes’ arrest comes amid a crackdown on immigration by the Trump administration, which has made enforcement operations a top priority. Trump has vowed to carry out what he calls the largest mass deportation effort in United States history, enforcing stricter border controls and ramping up ICE detentions across the country. He also authorized ICE to make arrests in or near sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, and churches. ICE agents arrested the 55-year-old immigrant father outside Arthur Middle School in Trenton on Wednesday morning. An ICE spokesperson told Newsweek: "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested Jose Guadalupe Jaimes March 5, in Trenton, Michigan. Jaimes is an illegal alien from Mexico who was ordered removed by an immigration judge in 2014. Jaimes remains in ICE custody pending the outcome of his immigration proceedings."

FOX News [3/10/2025 6:52 PM, Greg Wehner, 46189K] reports a multi-agency, weeklong immigration crackdown in the Houston area this month resulted in the arrest of 646 illegal aliens, including 543 criminal aliens and seven documented gang members. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said it, along with federal, state and local law enforcement, conducted the operation between Feb. 23 and March 2 in the Houston area to bolster public safety, national security and border security. ICE and its partners executed 71 criminal arrest warrants and arrested 543 illegal undocumented aliens who had been charged with or convicted of criminal offenses while being illegally in the U.S. Of the criminal aliens arrested, 140 were charged or convicted of an aggravated felony or violent offense, like homicide, aggravated assault or domestic violence. Another 34 criminal aliens have been charged or convicted of a sex offense or child sex offense like aggravated sexual assault of a minor, possession of child pornography, or rape. ICE noted that 38 of the criminal aliens who were arrested were convicted of illegal firearms offenses like unlawful carrying of a firearm, alien in possession of a firearm, and aggravated assault with a firearm, while another 52 were charged or convicted of offenses like drug trafficking or criminal possession of a controlled substance. Fifty-one criminal aliens were charged with or convicted of property crimes, and 93 were charged with or convicted of driving while intoxicated. "In recent years, some of the world’s most dangerous fugitives, transnational gang members and criminal aliens have taken advantage of the crisis at our nation’s southern border to illegally enter the U.S.," ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford said in a statement. "After illegally entering the country, many of these criminal aliens have gone on to commit violent crime and reign terror on law-abiding residents.”

Reported similarly:
Houston Chronicle [3/10/2025 4:01 PM, Matt deGrood, 1769K]
Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 3:29 PM, Amber Kite, 52868K]

Border Report [3/10/2025 7:02 PM, Julian Resendiz, 117K] reports four migrants have a court date this week after concerns over water at an El Paso detention center and a desire to learn their case status escalated into alleged assaults against contract detention officers. Luis Ramon Batista Romero, Jean Carlos Chavez Gutierrez, Luis Daniel Castillo Perozo, and Bruno Emilio Castillo Colmenarez are facing federal charges of assaulting, resisting, and impeding contract detention officers during the performance of their duties. Federal court records show that the "series of separate but nearly simultaneous" confrontations occurred on February 5 at dormitory 8B of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s El Paso Service Processing Center. The disturbances were caught on security video recordings reviewed by the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility, whose investigators also talked to employees on duty at the facility at the time. The review revealed detainees "demanded to speak to ICE personnel to ask about their detention status and the reason the water was not working," according to a complaint affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Center staff reportedly addressed some of the questions and directed detainees to go to their beds; when they refused, an officer was called for assistance. "Some detainees became belligerent, and some detainees began lifting their beds and slamming them on the floor," the complaint alleges.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 5:09 PM, Erica Miller, 52868K] reports an Andrews man arrested in February by the Texas Department of Public Safety on charges of Possession of Child Pornography has been arrested again. Jail records showed that Albert Castille Duran, Jr. was arrested on March 4 on a warrant and has now been charged with Sexual Assault. Duran was first arrested in early February as part of a Homeland Security investigation and was released from custody in that arrest on a $75,000 bond. His bond has now been set at $200,000. We’ve reached out to the authorities to learn more about both arrests and will update this story as more information becomes available.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 11:56 AM, Erica Miller, 52868K] reports that a Cuban couple living in Odessa and accused of sexually assaulting their infant daughter has been indicted by an Ector County Grand Jury. Both Cleyret Pacheco-Peraza and Leiwin Lara-Hernandez have been charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and Possession of Child Pornography and remained in the Ector County Law Enforcement Center as of Monday morning on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold and a combined $275,000 bond. The couple was indicted at the end of February and is expected to appear in court on March 11 for an arraignment hearing. An arraignment is the first step in the criminal court process where the defendants will formally be charged and will have the opportunity to enter a plea. Both Pacheco-Peraza and Lara-Hernandez were arrested in January after a Texas Department of Public Safety investigation. Here’s what we know about the case: According to a Texas Department of Public Safety affidavit, on December 30, 2024, a DPS Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent responded to a request for assistance from Homeland Security Investigations related to a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children cyber-tip. After investigating the tip, officials confirmed the media file in question contained sexually explicit material involving a one-year-old girl.

CBS 7 [3/10/2025 9:48 AM, Staff, 4K] reports that an Odessa couple remains in jail on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold, after they were arrested on January 3 on charges of sexual assault and child pornography. Texas DPS along with Odessa Police and Homeland Security arrested 22-year-old Cleyret Pacheco-Peraza and 23-year-old Leiwin Lara-Hernandez. DPS said that both of them are from Cuba. Documents obtained by our partners at the Odessa American report that when special agents went to speak with Pacheco-Peraza, she admitted to performing oral sex on the 1-year-old girl about 50 times. She also admitted to recording Lara-Hernandez sexually assaulting the child at her former apartment on Harless Avenue and sending the video to her mother in Russia. The pair are officially charged with aggravated sexual assault, possession of child pornography and possession of child pornography with intent to promote it.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 7:09 PM, Amelia Clarke, 52868K] reports in March 2025, a claim spread that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained British tourist Becky Burke in Washington state after she was refused entry into the U.S. Snopes readers wrote to us to ask about the legitimacy of a Facebook post purportedly written by Burke’s father, which shared information about the circumstances surrounding her detention. Paul Burke’s post said his daughter had been traveling around North America and had attempted to cross from the U.S. to Canada, where she was denied entry due to an incorrect visa. He said she then tried to return to the U.S. but was refused reentry and taken to a detention facility in Tacoma We were unable to independently verify with Becky Burke’s relatives the circumstances around her detention. We contacted Paul Burke to establish more details and will update this story if we receive a response. However, a spokesperson for the U.K. Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, which provides assistance to British tourists in emergencies, told us via email that it was "supporting a British national being detained in the USA" and was in contact with the relevant local authorities. Paul Burke’s "urgent appeal," published to Facebook (archived) on March 8, outlined the events leading to his daughter’s detention. It reads: Our daughter Becky, a 28-year-old British tourist, has been caught up in the recent immigration crackdown in the US. What was meant to be a life-changing four-month backpacking trip across North America has turned into a nightmare. Becky has now been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for over ten days, with no clear timeline for her release. On February 26th, Becky attempted to cross the Canadian border for the next leg of her journey. Unfortunately, due to an incorrect visa, she was denied entry into Canada. When she tried to return to the US, she was refused reentry and classified as an "illegal alien." Despite being a tourist with no criminal record, she was handcuffed and taken to a detention facility in Tacoma, Washington. Becky’s current conditions are deeply concerning. She is sharing a cell, surviving on a diet of cold rice, potatoes, and beans (she is vegan), and has limited access to phone calls. Visitors are restricted to speaking through a glass screen via telephone. All her possessions have been confiscated, and she feels isolated and desperate to come home. […] Becky is a kind, adventurous young woman who simply wants to return home to her family.

Newsweek [3/10/2025 2:35 PM, Sean O’Driscoll, 52220K] reports that Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and former Columbia University student detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), can be deported if he supported Hamas, a New York attorney has told Newsweek. Khalil, a legal permanent resident, has been accused of supporting Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. His attorney, however, argues that his detention is a politically motivated attempt to suppress dissent against Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Newsweek sought email comment on Monday from the Department of Homeland Security and made several inquiries with Khalil’s lawyer, Amy Greer, and her law firm, Dratel & Lewis, to ask if his green card was obtained through marriage, as that would assist his application to stay in the U.S. The case also raises legal questions about the revocation of green cards for alleged support of terrorism. Khalil’s lawyers maintain that the accusations against him are based on unverified social media posts rather than direct evidence of wrongdoing. New York-based attorney Colleen Kerwick told Newsweek that green cards can be removed for supporting terrorism but the Department of Homeland Security will have to show the evidence in court. Khalil’s legal team have filed a habeas corpus proceeding, through which they want to force the Department of Homeland Security to show the evidence backing Khalil’s detention.

The Hill [3/10/2025 1:36 PM, Lexi Lonas Cochran, 12829K] reports that Tom Homan, President Trump’s border czar, said Monday that federal authorities "absolutely can" deport a legal immigrant after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a Columbia University graduate with a green card. "Absolutely, we can," Homan told Stuart Varney on Fox Business Network’s "Varney & Co." after the host asked about the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a leading pro-Palestinian activist, and if ICE can deport someone who is in the country legally. "I mean, did he violate the terms of his visa? Did he violate the terms of his residency here, you know, committing crimes, attacking Israeli students, locking down buildings, destroying property? Absolutely, any resident alien who commits a crime is eligible for deportation," Homan added. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Khalil was arrested at his Columbia residence on Saturday due to his activities in leading the pro-Palestinian encampment at the university last spring. The Student Workers of Columbia labor union described him as the "lead negotiator" in the protests with the school. "We will vigorously be pursuing Mahmoud’s rights in court, and will continue our efforts to right this terrible and inexcusable — and calculated — wrong committed against him," Amy Greer, Khalil’s attorney, said in a statement to NBC News.

CBS News [3/10/2025 1:30 PM, Sarah Carter, 51661K] reports that President Trump doubled down Friday on his offer to grant U.S. citizenship to White Afrikaner farmers in South Africa, accusing their government of treating them "terribly." Mr. Trump said the U.S. would offer them "safety" and that they would be given a "rapid pathway to citizenship." Mr. Trump had previously pointed to new land expropriation laws in South Africa that he claims are racist and a breach of the White farmers’ human rights. In reaction to the laws, he has halted all foreign aid to South Africa. Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been cool for several years, since then-U.S. Ambassador Reuben Brigety, during a May 2023 news conference, accused South Africa of loading weapons onto a U.S.-sanctioned Russian ship in Simon’s Town harbor which then sailed back to Russia, where the weapons were allegedly used to help in the invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Trump’s offer of "safe refuge" for Afrikaner farmers. That tension has been exacerbated by South Africa’s case at the International Criminal Court, where it has accused close U.S. ally Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip.

Newsweek [3/10/2025 8:08 AM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports a Ukrainian refugee has urged President Donald Trump to support Ukrainians living in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) by offering them a path to permanent residency. "Please, don’t stop [supporting] us right now. If you can make some clearance—in this case, maybe you can give us, like, a green card after some time, for people who live there, for people who pay taxes and [are] doing something right here," Serhii Denisov told Newsweek. On Thursday, Reuters reported that the Trump administration intended to revoke the temporary legal status for 240,000 Ukrainians who fled Russia’s war in Ukraine. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the report as "fake news," saying, "No decision has been made at this time.” Trump later said he would soon decide whether to revoke the temporary legal status of Ukrainians who fled to the U.S. during the war. A green card grants permanent residency in the U.S., allowing individuals to live and work there indefinitely. It can be obtained through family sponsorship, employment, investment, the diversity lottery, or refugee or asylee status. Green card holders have travel privileges and access to benefits but cannot vote, and they must maintain residency. A green card is valid for 10 years and can lead to U.S. citizenship after 3 to 5 years. Denisov, who lives in Miami, has been in the United States since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "We’re trying to find a new life here. We’re trying to live our life, and right now, we just need to have a clearance in this country to understand what we’re going to do," he said. "Will we be deported … or we can just stay here and live our whole life and, in the future, become American citizens?" Denisov continued. He said he did not fear deportation because of his legal status under TPS, although he echoed the anxieties of many others who live in limbo. "We were invited," he said, adding that many Ukrainians had no hope of returning home. "It’s not guaranteed that we can go home because a lot of people right now from Ukraine don’t have even a hope," he said. Denisov also voiced his frustrations about the political landscape amid heightened tensions between Ukraine and the U.S. following the tense Oval Office meeting between Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

MeriTalk [3/10/2025 9:00 AM, Staff, 45K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency is targeting artificial intelligence, cloud migration, and biometric assessments in its modernization efforts. Jayaprakash Alalasundaram, deputy assistant commissioner and deputy chief information officer (CIO) at CBP, said the agency is focusing further on implementing its cloud adoption, AI augmentation, and use of biometric assessments throughout its security processes at MeriTalk’s "Mission Software Unleashed" webinar in partnership with Leidos. "CBP is making thoughtful technological advancements around AI, open architecture, and cloud technology that promote innovation and adaptation, that allows us to successfully execute our mission," Alalasundaram said. Alalasundaram said CBP is piloting programs with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to implement facial scanning for global traveler identification and other processes to expedite travel. He also said CBP is working to utilize AI in identifying security threats related to human and drug trafficking through airports. "Our main goal is to ensure our officers and agents have the resources that they need to do their jobs safely and that we remove all the administrative burden from them so they can do a significant effort responding to the threats to our country," Alalasundaram said.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 12:34 PM, Marley Malenfant, 52868K] reports that the Trump administration is finishing a travel ban that would prohibit citizens from a list of blacklisted countries from entering the U.S., officials told The New York Times and Reuters. The ban would fall under an executive order, signed by the president on Jan. 20, titled "Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other," which is meant to address "national security and public safety threats." The order claims it will protect U.S. citizens from "aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes." Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard have a deadline of 60 days from the order to identify such countries and enact the ban. According to Reuters, the following "red list" countries are considered to be on the travel ban list: Sudan, Venezuela, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Libya, Cuba, North Korea. Pakistan and Afghanistan are expected to be added to the list.

FOX News [3/10/2025 7:43 PM, Elizabeth Elkind, 46189K] reports the House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at cracking down on Mexican cartels’ use of tunnels underneath the southwestern border to smuggle illegal immigrants and illicit items the U.S. The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in a 402 to 1 vote – with the lone dissenter being Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. Fox News Digital reached out to her office for comment but did not immediately hear back. The bill is led by Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., but enjoys bipartisan support thanks to its lone Democratic co-sponsor, Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif. It’s also backed by six other House Republicans, including Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s subcommittee on border security. The legislation, titled the Subterranean Border Defense Act, would direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to submit an annual report to Congress about cartels’ use of tunnels and how U.S. law enforcement was looking to combat it. "Since 1990, officials have discovered more than 140 tunnels that have breached the U.S. border with an 80% increase in tunnel activity occurring since 2008," Crane said during debate on the bill. "With border crossings thankfully going down since January, I think it’s safe to assume this will drive threats to our border underground through these tunnels.” Debate on the bill was brief on Monday afternoon, lasting less than 10 minutes. Just Correa and Crane spoke, with no lawmakers rising to oppose the bill. "I believe this bill is an important step in the right direction," Correa said.

USA Today [3/10/2025 3:23 PM, Fernando Cervantes Jr, 75858K] reports a United States Border Patrol agent pleaded guilty in federal court to having told multiple women to expose their breasts during interviews to gain admission to the country. Shane Millan, 53, was charged in August 2024 with four misdemeanor counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, according to court records reviewed by USA TODAY. According to court records, Millan pleaded guilty to two of the charges on Friday at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Millan admitted that he told multiple women to show him their breasts under the guise of a legitimate search during virtual processing calls before allowing them access to the country, court documents show. His sentencing is scheduled for July 7 and Millan faces up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $200,000.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 10:21 AM, Dan Mount, 52868K] reports that a pair of Ontario natives are facing drug charges after being stopped at the Massena border entry point. On Saturday, March 8, State Police arrested 28-year-old Logan Mackenzie Dyer-Charleboise of Ottawa, for three counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Also arrested were 28-year-old Alexander Herbert, also of Ottawa, who faced two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a narcotic drug, one count of criminal use of drug paraphernalia, and one count of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Around 4:15 p.m. Saturday, State Troopers responded to the Port of Entry in Massena regarding two individuals involved with narcotics. Authorities arrived and spoke with U.S. Border and Customs agents about the suspects. During a secondary inspection, narcotics and drug paraphernalia were allegedly found. The pair were arrested and transported to the state police headquarters in Massena for processing. Dyer-Charleboise was released on an appearance ticket, which requires him to appear in the Town of Massena Court at a later date in March. Herbert was arraigned in the Town of Massena Court and was later released on his own recognizance. After the arraignment, Herbert was turned over to the U.S. Border and Customs Office for further investigation.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 6:50 PM, Gillian Graham, 52868K] reports a Honduras man who police say admitted he is in the United States illegally and is wanted for alleged crimes in Ohio was arrested after Wiscasset police spent more than eight hours trying to catch him in a pursuit that included a high-speed chase, attempts to persuade him to come down from a tree and the search of a housing construction site. Wiscasset police pulled Renan Modesto Noralez Dolmo over at 12:40 p.m. Friday for a traffic stop on Bath Road during which he allegedly gave police a false name and date of birth along with a temporary registration from Ohio. When questioned after a records check by U.S. Border Patrol, Dolmo admitted he was in the country unlawfully, Chief Lawrence Hesseltine said in a statement Monday. Hasseltine said border patrol agents arrived at the scene within 10 minutes and began questioning Dolmo. He drove off a few minutes later and the police pursuit reached speeds of 100 mph. The chase ended at a construction site at the former primary school building on Gardiner Road where police say Dolmo had been working. He ran into the woods, climbed up in a tree and threatened to harm himself, Hasseltine said.

Border Report [3/10/2025 6:12 PM, Sandra Sanchez, 117K] Video: HERE reports after four years and processing over 611,000 immigrants, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is closing a soft-sided tent facility it put up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas because of current low migrant crossings. The Centralized Processing Center built in 2021 in the border town of Donna was meant to be a temporary facility while renovations were made on the main Border Patrol station in McAllen. But it turned out to be the epicenter for migrant processing and played a "critical" role in helping law enforcement on the border, Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Chief Gloria Chavez said at a flag-lowering ceremony held Monday at the now empty facility. "It quickly became a critical part of our operations as the number of arrests of illegal aliens far exceeded the capacity of our US border patrol stations throughout the Rio Grande Valley Sector," Chavez said. "At its peak, nearly 700 or more agents were assigned to the center, working tirelessly to process and manage the influx of illegal aliens arrested in our region. Many of them traveled from various locations across the United States, answering the call to assist the RGV sector during the historical surge," she said. Chavez said 611,000 immigrants from 90 different countries were processed at the facility over the years. That includes about 223,000 children who crossed the border unaccompanied by an adult, and nearly 360,000 families with children.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 7:35 PM, Adam Fullerton, 52868K] reports the DEA made a major drug bust near the southern border, seizing nearly $5 million worth of meth. The drugs were shipped from Mexico to Texas and were going to be distributed in the U.S. Newly released photos show 1,500 pounds of crystal meth stashed in cases of blueberries. The bust happened last week at a warehouse in McAllen, Texas. The DEA says the drugs came from a part of southern Mexico and was headed to Atlanta before makings its way to other cities in the southeast. Agents did not confirm which cartel was behind the operation because it is part of their investigation. They did say it has the markings of the Gulf Cartel, a group that controls key smuggling routes into South Texas. The DEA did not give any details about arrests and charges at this time. The Drug Enforcement Agency says large-scale drug manufacturing labs in Mexico are cranking out meth at an unprecedented scale and cartels are taking full advantage of the demand in the US. DEA agents say the seizures don’t just keep drugs from spreading across the U.S., they also hurt the cartels financially. "A drug cartel is sitting back right now understanding and knowing that they lost money," said Daniel Comeaux, Special Agent in Charge of the Houston DEA. "We’re really protecting the entire United States because these drugs often spider web out into various states. And when we can take 1,500 pounds of methamphetamine off the street, I know for a fact that we save lives.” Information in this article comes from the Houston division of the DEA.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 11:47 PM, Sheri Walsh, 52868K] reports U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have seized a shipment of fake designer jewelry, which could have been sold for $3.5 million, had it been real, the federal agency announced Monday. The shipment, containing 660 rings, bracelets and necklaces resembling luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels, was discovered on Feb. 20, en route from China to a residence in Puerto Rico. "Buying counterfeit luxury jewelry from China may seem like a bargain, but it often fuels criminal enterprises involved in money laundering, forced labor and even organized crime. These counterfeit networks exploit workers, evade taxes and undermine legitimate businesses, while funding illicit activities such as human trafficking and drug trade," said Efrain Rivas, assistant director of Field Operations for Trade at the San Juan Field Office. "Every purchase supports an underground economy that thrives on deception and exploitation," Rivas added. With the discovery, Customs and Border Protection is urging consumers to be aware of counterfeit pieces when shopping for bargains. Among CBP’s recommendations is to learn about the value and prices of legitimate jewelry. If the item is priced well below fair market value, it is likely counterfeit. "If a price seems too good to be true, then it probably is," according to CBP. To avoid paying for counterfeit goods, purchase jewelry or other designer items from the trademark holder, original manufacturer or from authorized retailers. Avoid any websites that do not offer customer service contacts, legitimate phone numbers or information on return policies, CBP recommends.

Border Report [3/10/2025 4:07 PM, Julian Resendiz, 117K] reports an American who allegedly took his two young children to Mexico without consent and then demanded ransom from the mother is back in Texas to face kidnapping charges. Mexican authorities on Saturday detained David Tyler Ruiz on an international warrant for parental kidnapping issued by the FBI’s Midland Resident Agency. The charges were upgraded to kidnapping for ransom due to the alleged monetary demands. Mexico’s National Guard and the Chihuahua State Investigations Agency (AEI) located Ruiz in the town of Villa Matamoros, just south of Parral. They arrested the 40-year-old man and rescued two American boys ages 5 and 9, the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office said. The three were taken to Juarez on March 8. The children were reunited with their mother and grandmother that same evening inside the FBI El Paso Field Office. Mexico’s National Migration Institute handed Ruiz over to FBI agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at an unspecified border crossing in El Paso. Morales credited Mexican law enforcement for their help in finding the suspect and the children.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 5:10 PM, Doug Coats, 52868K] reports the day when a REAL ID becomes required to fly is less than two months away. Charlotte Douglas International offered a reminder that starting May 7, passengers will need a REAL ID or another TSA-approved ID to board domestic flights or enter certain federal buildings. TSA acceptable identification includes: Real IDs have been available for seven years, but the deadline requiring them changed multiple times, mainly due to COVID-19. The last came in 2022, when it was pushed from May 2023 to May 2025.

CBS News [3/10/2025 6:50 PM, Scott MacFarlane and Kathryn Krupnik, 51661K] reports the FBI arrested a Texas man for allegedly beating one passenger, attempting to strike another, injuring a second passenger and vulgarly berating a flight attendant aboard an American Airlines flight from Wichita to Washington Reagan National Airport earlier this month, CBS News has learned. It occurred five weeks to the day after the crash of an American Airlines flight on the same route. Asterius Rulamka was sitting in the 14th row of the aircraft when he allegedly got up just before the flight was landing on the night of March 5, approached a flight attendant and threatened "to f--- him up upon landing," according to an FBI affidavit reviewed by CBS News. Rulamka is also accused of referencing President Trump during an FBI interview after the flight landed. "Several passengers, observing the threatening behavior, started filming on their cellular phones," the affidavit said. Charging documents alleged Rulamka approached one of the passengers who was recording a video and began attacking him, grabbing his arms and verbally threatening him as he did the flight attendant. "At one point, he struck (the victim) in the face near his left eye, causing bruising and a bloodshot eye," the documents said. The FBI affidavit said Rulamka repeatedly struck the passenger before he attempted to strike a second passenger. The second victim "was able to move out of the way in time to avoid being struck," the affidavit said, but he cut his finger and broke a fingernail in the process. According to records from the Justice Department, the incident on American Eagle flight 5574 occurred just before 9 p.m., nearly the precise time of night as the crash that occurred on another American Airlines flight from Wichita to Reagan National five weeks earlier. "We do not tolerate violence, and thank our team members for their professionalism," an American Airlines spokesperson told CBS News in a statement.

FOX News [3/11/2025 4:00 AM, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, 46189K] reports the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has fired three more supervisors in the wake of an internal probe after a crew of disaster relief workers were directed to "avoid homes advertising Trump" in hurricane-battered Florida. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., exclusively told Fox News Digital that he is "confident" that the Trump administration will "root out egregious examples of political bias like this at FEMA.” "After back-to-back hurricanes devastated Florida and left many in our area with nothing, it’s incomprehensible that FEMA relief workers were skipping over those in need," he said. "FEMA has the responsibility to serve every American equally, regardless of their politics.” Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., echoed the Republican lawmaker’s sentiments, lauding the agency for its aim to provide "impartial assistance.” "I also appreciate FEMA taking necessary action to fire these individuals complicit in bypassing homes and conditioning aid as well as to provide additional training for the agency’s employees," she told Fox News Digital. According to Buchanan, citing FEMA sources, at least 20 homes with pro-Trump campaign signs or flags were bypassed by relief workers from late October through November 2024 as a result of guidance from a FEMA supervisor directing workers to avoid these homes. The additional firing of the staffers came after Buchanan sent an inquiry to FEMA that was co-signed by 54 other elected officials demanding transparency after it was revealed that management at the disaster relief agency instructed workers to pass over Trump supporters. Cameron Hamilton, the current acting administrator of the agency, announced in a Tuesday letter that an "exhaustive investigation" had concluded the supervisors failed to "meet our standards of conduct" or rein in their partisan behavior.

NBC News [3/10/2025 7:40 PM, Gabe Gutierrez and Susan Kroll, 44742K] reports it’s the disaster she didn’t see coming. Aileen Reneau, 30, had worked at the Federal Emergency Management Agency for less than a year, helping to train first responders at FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness, the only such facility in the country. She was also deployed to North Carolina for six weeks after Hurricane Helene. The Air Force veteran and mother of two was laid off on Presidents Day. Since Inauguration Day, more than 200 employees at FEMA have been cut — just 1% of the roughly 20,000 employees in the agency. Still, a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that FEMA had a 35% gap in necessary staffing in 2022, and a heavy workload was leading to burnout and retention issues. "We all know that these disasters are going to increase in frequency and in severity," Reneau said. "Climate change is real, and unfortunately, we already were understaffed, and now we are absolutely gutted.” A senior White House official said President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order soon that will be aimed at empowering state and local governments to handle disaster relief. Trump has previously said he wanted to give at least a percentage of federal money set aside for FEMA to states instead.

NBC News [3/10/2025 6:47 PM, Staff, 44742K] Video: HERE reports Elon Musk today said that his Department of Government Efficiency is cooperating with cabinet secretaries on downsizing the federal bureaucracy. Since Inauguration Day, more than 200 FEMA employees have been cut – just one percent of the 20,000 employees in the FEMA workforce. NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez spoke to laid off FEMA employees in Alabama who said the cuts have gone too far.

Reuters [3/10/2025 4:07 PM, Steve Holland, Katharine Jackson, 41523K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order on Monday designed to empower state and local governments and citizens to handle disaster preparations and relief, a White House official said. The order is in keeping with Trump’s drive to place more responsibility for disaster response to states and away from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The White House official, describing the contents of the order, said it delivers on Trump’s commitment "to shift power from Washington to the American people." The order calls for a review of all infrastructure, continuity, and preparedness and response policies in order to update and simplify federal approaches, the official said.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 5:21 PM, Jana Garrett, 52868K] reports U.S. Senator Rand Paul and others reintroduced bipartisan legislation to simplify the application process for federal disaster recovery assistance. Officials say the legislation would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a universal application across federal agencies for disaster survivors who are seeking federal assistance to recover from hurricanes, floods, wildfires and other natural disasters. Currently, individuals seeking federal aid to recover from a disaster must complete "complicated" applications depending on which agency they need help from – a process that can take weeks or even months. The senators’ legislation would help streamline this process. "Over the past few years, Kentucky has endured several deadly tornadoes and flash floods, leaving significant damage and displacing thousands throughout the Commonwealth," said Sen. Paul. "Many of those impacted have expressed challenges in receiving quick assistance and updates from government agencies. As part of my commitment to always put Kentuckians first, I’m proud to cosponsor the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act, which will reduce the burden on disaster survivors by ensuring the process of receiving aid is simple and speedy. I look forward to working with a bipartisan coalition to get this important legislation passed expeditiously.” Officials explain after a disaster, there are several types of federal disaster assistance that may become available to disaster survivors. For example, FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program can provide financial or direct assistance for housing and other needs and the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Real Property Disaster Loans and Personal Property Loans are available to eligible homeowners and renters who have incurred uninsured or underinsured damage to their home or personal property located in a declared disaster area. The senators argue these "burdensome" applications can overwhelm some survivors, causing many to simply give up trying to access desperately needed assistance and pushing survivors beyond their breaking point.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 6:50 PM, Kevin Landrigan, 52868K] reports House Speaker Pro Tem Fred Doucette, R-Salem, resigned the House seat he’s held for six terms to join the Trump administration as the Region 1 administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Boston. The federal Hatch Act bars anyone from holding an elected state post while working for the federal government. "As a steadfast representative of New Hampshire, his commitment to this state and constituents has been unwavering. His wisdom and experience will undoubtedly guide his team with integrity and purpose," said House Speaker Sherman Packard, R-Londonderry, who was the first to confirm the hiring. "On behalf of the N.H. House of Representatives, congratulations once again, and thank you, Fred, for your service to both New Hampshire and our nation. It has been a pleasure serving with you.” A retired firefighter and paramedic, Doucette, 60, was a loyal and early supporter of then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2015. After Trump won the White House, there were reports that Doucette would be tapped to work in the federal Department of Agriculture, but that appointment never came to pass.

USA Today [3/10/2025 7:46 AM, Christopher Cann, 75858K] reports authorities on New York’s Long Island are investigating whether any of the wildfires that broke out over the weekend involved arson. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said there are 25 detectives working to identify the origin of the wind-fueled brush fires. The probe involves drones, helicopters and a review of everyone who called 911 about the blazes, he said. "We’re going to get to the bottom of what happened," he said, adding that investigators should have an answer to whether there was a "nefarious origin" in the coming days. At least four wildfires erupted over the weekend and burned about 600 acres of land. By Sunday evening, the largest of the wildfires, which burned in the Pine Barrens, was 100% contained, officials said. The other fires were deemed under control. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency over the weekend and implemented a burn ban for Long Island. Two firefighters were injured while battling the blazes, including one firefighter who suffered burns to his face. South Carolina authorities arrest suspect accused of igniting wildfire. As investigators probed the origin of the wildfires on Long Island, officials in South Carolina arrested a woman they say started a blaze that triggered evacuations and swallowed over 2,000 acres of land near Myrtle Beach. Alexandra Bialousow, 40, of Myrtle Beach, faces two charges related to accusations that she did not take proper precautions while burning debris in her backyard and negligently allowed the fire to spread well past her property line, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission. The commission said witnesses reported seeing Bialousow start a fire in her backyard without "an appropriate water source readily available" and without "any garden tools on hand to control the fire." As of Sunday, the fire was 55% contained, the commission said.

New York Times [3/10/2025 5:59 PM, Lola Fadulu, 145325K] reports the wildfires that broke out on Long Island Saturday afternoon and spread over hundreds of acres appeared to be accidental, caused by a failed attempt to make s’mores in a backyard, local officials said on Monday. The preliminary determination came after detectives with the Suffolk County Police Department conducted an investigation into the cause of the fires, interviewing 911 callers and using drones and helicopters to determine whether arson had played a role. What started as a backyard fire in Manorville, near Sunrise Highway on Long Island’s South Shore, became several blazes as strong winds contributed to the embers’ spread, officials said at a news conference on Monday. The fires were under control by Sunday morning and were 100 percent contained on Monday, said Amanda Lefton, the acting commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Kevin Catalina, the Suffolk County police commissioner, said that around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, a person in Manorville was trying to make s’mores but was initially unable to light a fire because of the wind. The person used cardboard to light the fire, he said, and soon the backyard area went up in flames. That fire was put out within an hour, the commissioner said, but a few hours later, another fire was reported less than a quarter mile southeast of the initial fire. “The wind was blowing very strongly from the northwest, so that path makes perfect sense,” he said, adding that two additional fires were reported later. “It is believed that the embers from each fire traveled and continuously started more fires,” he said. Commissioner Catalina said that while that was the working theory of the fire’s cause, the police department planned to interview every 911 caller and rule out other possibilities before making a final determination. The area affected, the Long Island Pine Barrens, is an ecosystem that depends on fire in order to flourish. But officials said that the proliferation of the southern pine beetle, a species that kills pines and leaves behind bone-dry tree bark, might have also contributed to the rapid spread of the wildfires.

Reported similarly:
ABC News [3/10/2025 2:33 PM, Bill Hutchinson, 34586K]
CBS New York [3/10/2025 7:38 PM, Carolyn Gusoff and Jesse Zanger,51661K] Video: HERE

Miami Herald [3/10/2025 10:37 PM, Racquel Bazos, 3973K] reports Some Maryland firefighters are missing out on training after a national firefighter facility in Emmitsburg canceled classes, effective immediately due to orders issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday, according to an agency email reviewed by The Baltimore Sun. Firehouse.com reported FEMA sent notices canceling all in-person classes, with instructors later receiving additional orders to cancel virtual classes, as well. In fiscal year 2021, the National Fire Academy trained over 98,000 people in courses dealing with, for example, how to respond to hazardous materials incidents, structural collapses or fire investigations, according to its website. FEMA said it was reviewing "agency programs and spending to ensure alignment with Administration priorities," according to an email the federal agency sent to instructors. FEMA did not immediately respond to The Baltimore Sun’s questions regarding the cancellations. Funding for the U.S. Fire Administration, which is controlled by FEMA and is the agency responsible for the National Fire Academy, was secured through fiscal 2028 by the Fire Grants and Safety Act, which was signed by former President Joe Biden in July. President Donald Trump has made cuts to federal government a priority since he took office in January. The Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has slashed programs and spending across multiple federal agencies. DOGE did not immediately respond to inquiries about its involvement with FEMA’s spending review. "At a time when wildfires, urban fires, and other emergencies are increasing in frequency and intensity, we should be investing more - not less - in the education and readiness of our firefighting forces," said Joshua L. Fannon, president of the Baltimore fire officers’ union, in a statement. "Just this week, several of the members of IAFF Local 964 were directly affected by this decision, with plenty more to join those ranks as long as this continues on," Fannon said. At least three union members were supposed to attend courses there this week, he told The Sun. And the classes they were supposed to take can’t be found elsewhere, he said. Two fire safety inspectors from the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal were also scheduled to attend on-campus classes at the National Fire Academy, Oliver Alkire, a spokesman for that office, said. The courses were in hazardous materials code enforcement, he said. "Even though the National Fire Academy is temporarily shut down, Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray remains dedicated to the professional development of its team," Alkire said. "Although these two classes, which our fire safety inspectors were going to attend, were very specific in their scope of training, they will not prevent our agency from applying the proper fire codes regarding hazardous materials.”

Reported similarly:
Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 11:59 PM, Gabrielle Lewis, 52868K]

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 11:42 AM, Jessica Phillips, 52868K] reports that FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers will be opened in Wyoming and Mingo counties to help those affected by flooding. According to a press release, the Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC’s) will be opened at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 10, 2025 in the Pineville area of Wyoming County and the Williamson area of Mingo County. The DRC’s will be opened by the West Virginia Emergency Management Division’s (WVEMD) FEMA partners, and will help renters, and home and business owners, whose property was damaged due to flooding in February 2025. The DRC in Pineville will be located at the Wyoming County Court House at 24 Main Avenue, and the Mingo County DRC location will be at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College Williamson Campus at 1601 Armory Drive in Williamson. The DRC’s will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Monday through Saturday, and will be closed on Sundays. People who were affected by flooding in February can go to the DRC to: The press release stated that appointments are not needed and walk-ins are welcome. People can also apply for disaster assistance on the Disaster Assistance website, by phone at 1-800-621-3362, or through the FEMA mobile app.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 5:11 AM, Will Hofmann, 52868K] reports that, all down the halls and in rooms of the Country Inn and Suites near Westgate Mall, a small community of displaced Buncombe County residents greet each other after walking their pets or taking a stroll outside. General Manager Cerena Cruz can easily name the members of the tight-knit group supported by Federal Emergency Management Agency vouchers. "It’s been whittled down to people that just really are taking care of the hotel — taking care of each other," Cruz said, growing teary-eyed talking about those living in the hotel. "It’s hard seeing some of them leave.” Over the last three months, a majority of those living in the hotel have departed for new homes as FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program slowly winds down. Most were set to depart on March 7, though the program ends May 26. They reenter a job market with an unemployment rate that has more than doubled due to Tropical Storm Helene, and a high priced rental landscape. Tywan Resper checked out of the Country Inn and Suites in West Asheville on March 7, 2025, after his FEMA hotel vouchers had expired. Cerena Cruz has grown close to several of the FEMA voucher recipients during the course of her work at the Country Inn and Suites in West Asheville. March 7, 2025. Across the hotels and motels of North Carolina, 1,240 of the 1,884 households in the program were set to leave by the end of the day March 7, a FEMA spokesperson told the Citizen Times March 6. Of those leaving, 308 were Buncombe County households. Most North Carolina households leaving the program — nearly 700, according to FEMA — have received rental assistance in some form, while approximately 300 had their homes repaired and are now safe to be occupied. On the margins, some are leaving to live with family or friends, while others are departing for no home at all. Many had experienced the historic Helene flooding firsthand. Around 10 a.m. on March 7, Tywan Resper stood next to a luggage cart filled with tote bags and a grey suitcase as he waited for a Lyft to pick him up. During the storm, Resper was holed up in his apartment at Swannanoa Bend, a bright red affordable housing complex along the Swannanoa River. He watched as the water rose to the stilt-raised apartments. As the river was nearing its peak at over 27 feet, Resper was swift water rescued. Since then, he’s been in TSA, floating between hotels in Tennessee and Buncombe County. Since his voucher was up on March 7, he was planning to stay with his family for a time. He hopes that he’ll soon be able to find housing. "I’m gonna go ahead and start finding a place to move into," Resper said as he loaded up his bags.

Washington Examiner [3/10/2025 3:00 PM, Annabella Rosciglione, 2296K] reports a woman was arrested and charged in connection with a 2,000-acre fire that spread in South Carolina last week. Alexandra Bialousow, a 40-year-old Myrtle Beach resident, was arrested last week on charges of negligently allowing fire to spread and starting a fire in woodlands, grasslands, or other places without taking certain precautions. According to the commission, witnesses said Bialousow started a fire Sunday in a backyard firepit near a tree line in the Covington Lake subdivision. As of Monday, the Covington Drive Fire remains at 55% containment, according to the forestry commission. This fire is one of the largest of the more than 175 wildfires that burned across South Carolina over the last week. No major injuries have been reported from the fires.

Yahoo! News [3/10/2025 12:03 PM, Elise Plunk, 52868K] reports that flood warnings are again in effect for the lower Mississippi River basin, as annual snowmelt makes its way south. Mayors of cities and towns along the river have experienced increased flooding, heavier rainfall, and more frequent droughts in recent years. Now they are lobbying Congress for help. "Everything that has to do with the river affects Vicksburg," said Mayor George Flaggs Jr., co-chair of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), a nonprofit organization advocating for town and city leaders. Mississippi experienced catastrophic flooding in 2019, with its namesake river rising up to a height of 50 feet in Vicksburg, where the flood stage is 43 feet. Members of MRCTI traveled to Washington last week to ask leaders to support funding for flood control programs and shipping infrastructure along America’s largest river. While the MRCTI is not shying away from using words like "climate" and "resilience" in their policy goals, its members are uncertain how much federal support they can count on, given recent government cutbacks. "We have learned recently to temper our expectations and look more aspirationally to how we can achieve these goals," said Mitch Reynolds, mayor of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and co-chair of MRCTI, during a press conference Thursday. Flaggs hopes focusing on the economic value of the river and its bipartisan business interests will "make certain that our voice is heard."

CBS Miami [3/10/2025 7:29 PM, Staff, 51661K] Video: HERE reports a powerful EF-2 tornado tore through Central Florida on Monday, destroying at least one home, damaging several others and uprooting trees as it carved a nearly two-mile path of destruction, officials said. The National Weather Service confirmed that the tornado, which packed winds of up to 115 mph, touched down around 9:40 a.m. in Lake Mary and moved northeast at 30 mph, passing through Sanford. Tornado warnings were issued for Seminole, Volusia and Sarasota counties as the storm raced through the region. The twister was caught on camera moving across Interstate 4, just north of Orlando and even passed in front of a local TV station while a meteorologist was on air. Officials described scenes of widespread minor damage, with overturned semi-trailers, fallen trees and scattered debris, including roof shingles, garage doors and car parts. "There was a significant amount of minor damage in Seminole County," one emergency official said. "We had to work around downed trees just to access some areas.” In Longwood, a home in the 2100 block of Blue Iris collapsed with two people inside. Firefighters said the house crumbled on all sides except for one front corner, where the residents had taken shelter. Both escaped unharmed. As nightfall approached, authorities said about 500 residents remained without power.

Reported similarly:
WFTV [3/10/2025 5:01 PM, Angel Green]

Daytona Beach News-Journal [3/10/2025 5:12 PM, Eileen Zaffiro-Kean] reports with memories still fresh of devastating flooding in Volusia County from the past few hurricanes, a group of about 50 local government employees and elected officials huddled Monday morning to talk about ways to deal with the rising water storms bring. County government officials talked about the studies they have underway, and the strategies they have to tackle flooding that has damaged and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in the county over the past 15 years. There were no grand declarations or new developments announced at the meeting. There are 30 flooding studies underway among the local governments, four being led by the county and the remaining 26 going on in the cities. The studies, including one the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conducting for Daytona Beach, will take time, so solutions will not be immediate. Volusia County governments together are tackling 30 different studies on how to deal with storm water management and flooding. The county government and cities are pursuing various funding sources to tackle storm water challenges from federal Community Development Block Grants, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Elevate Florida, state grants through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and St. Johns River Water Management District, ECHO and storm water utility funds.

CBS Los Angeles [3/10/2025 4:32 PM, Chelsea Hylton, 51661K] reports the Federal Emergency Management Agency has extended its deadline for residents in Los Angeles County who were impacted by the recent wildfires to apply for aid. FEMA has extended its deadline to March 31. The agency has two disaster recovery centers near the Eaton and Palisade fire zones that residents can visit to apply for aid and access other resources.

AP [3/10/2025 6:02 PM, Staff, 48304K] reports Mathew Silverman, National President of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), met DJ several years ago when then-FBI Director Christopher Wray swore him in as an honorary FBI agent. DJ also attended the FLEOA National Convention in 2023 where he was sworn in by the US Marshals Director, made an honorary FLEOA member and was sworn into many other federal agencies. DJ is an outstanding young man and is mature beyond his years. DJ has won over the hearts of police officers nationwide, starting in Houston, where he was sworn in and given uniforms. DJ proudly wears the police uniforms, and Silverman said he knew he "had to help him reach his goal of being sworn into the most law enforcement agencies in the world." As part of an outreach mission, Silverman, along with the FLEOA and the Carabinieri, the Italian national police, arranged for DJ and his family to go to Italy. There, DJ was sworn in as an honorary Carabinieri, an unforgettable experience for DJ and his family. On Tuesday night, President Trump announced that DJ would be sworn in as a member of the United States Secret Service.

Washington Post [3/10/2025 7:07 PM, Olivia George and Derek Hawkins, 31735K] reports the day before the shooting, D.C. police received word from law enforcement authorities in Indiana about Dawson, prompting them to issue an internal alert Saturday known as a BOLO, or "Be On The Lookout," according to a police official. The alert described Dawson as "possibly armed and suicidal," according to court records. Authorities said Sunday morning that Dawson underwent surgery at a hospital and was in critical condition. He pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of carrying a pistol without a license Monday afternoon and remained in hospital. His lawyer, Russell Hairston, did not return a call seeking comment. The incident occurred near 17th and G streets NW, less than one block from Pennsylvania Avenue and near the Executive Office Building. Secret Service officers spotted Dawson, on 17th Street NW around 11:30 p.m. Saturday and began to follow him down the block, according to court records. Specifics of the interaction that followed remain unclear. Dawson was stopped and "given orders by officers," according to court documents filed Monday. Due to the angle of surveillance cameras, however, his "subsequent actions were obscured from view.” Secret Service agents, who work on protective details, and officers from the service’s uniformed division, which protects the White House complex, were involved in the confrontation, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said previously. Dawson brandished a gun, and multiple agents fired shots, he said.

WROC [3/10/2025 4:52 PM, Damon Fletcher] reports Lakeshore Fire and Greece Police are helping guide people off the lake at Braddock Bay after five people fell through the ice. According to Lakeshore Fire all five were rescued and treated for minor injuries. The coast guard was also called in to assist with the rescue. Lakeshore Fire is urging people to stay off the ice as the weather begins to warm up.

AP [3/10/2025 7:22 PM, Christina A. Cassidy, 1769K] reports the Trump administration has cut millions of dollars in federal funding from two cybersecurity initiatives, including one dedicated to helping state and local election officials. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, has ended about $10 million in annual funding to the nonprofit Center for Internet Security, a CISA spokesperson said in an email Monday. It’s the latest move by Trump administration officials to rein in the federal government’s role in election security, which has prompted concerns about an erosion of guardrails to prevent foreign meddling in U.S. elections. CISA announced a few weeks ago that it was conducting a review of its election-related work, and more than a dozen staffers who have worked on elections were placed on administrative leave. That followed an administration move to disband an FBI task force focused on investigating foreign influence operations, including those that target U.S. elections. "I have grave concern for state and local election officials and for the security of our elections going forward," said Larry Norden, an election security expert at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU’s School of Law. In recent years, CISA has faced sustained criticism from Republicans over past efforts to counter misinformation about the 2020 presidential election and the coronavirus pandemic. Previous CISA leadership had said the agency never engaged in censorship and only worked with states to help them notify social media companies about misinformation spreading on their platforms. When asked Monday if the review of CISA’s election work was complete and if the agency could share a copy of the report, an agency spokesperson said it was an internal review to "help inform how the agency moves forward to best support critical infrastructure" and was not planned for public release. The two cybersecurity initiatives facing cuts are the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which included state and local election officials along with representatives of voting system manufacturers, and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which has benefited state, local and tribal government offices. CISA falls under the Department of Homeland Security, although it has its own Senate-confirmed director. President Donald Trump has yet to nominate someone as CISA director. The agency was formed in 2018 during the first Trump administration and is charged with protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure, from dams and nuclear power plants to banks and voting systems.

FedScoop [3/10/2025 12:00 PM, Michael R. Gordon] reports that, when the Trump administration began sidelining and laying off personnel at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, it started by targeting employees who worked on election security and disinformation. At the same time, the Department Homeland Security announced it would conduct a comprehensive review of CISA’s election security mission. Last week, the agency confirmed that it has completed the review, but said that its findings won’t be released to the public. A spokesperson for the agency said: “The assessment that CISA has undertaken is internal and will help inform how the agency moves forward to best support critical infrastructure. This is an internal document that is not planned to be released publicly.” A DHS spokesperson told CyberScoop in an email that the department had nothing else to share at this time. Secretary Pete Hegseth is directing all Defense Department components to embrace a rapid software acquisition pathway and use commercial solutions opening and Other Transaction authority to speed up the procurement of digital tools for warfighters. The department’s Software Acquisition Pathway was set up during the first Trump administration under then Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord as part of a broader push for a so-called Adaptive Acquisition Framework that enables the department to procure software differently than it buys hardware. Programs on that pathway are not subject to some of the encumbrances associated with the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System and major defense acquisition program designations. Now, Hegseth wants to make sure all DOD components are taking advantage of the pathway.

FedScoop [3/10/2025 12:00 PM, Matt Bracken] reports an Office of Personnel Management watchdog investigation into cybersecurity risks on government networks and the potential exposure of sensitive information will include an examination of DOGE access to those systems. OPM’s Office of Inspector General said in a letter to Democrats on the House Oversight Committee that it would incorporate “parts” of the lawmakers’ February request to probe DOGE’s unauthorized accessing of IT networks and Americans’ data into “existing work.” The watchdog also said it had “initiated a new engagement on specific emerging risks at OPM that are related to issues raised” in Democrats’ letter. In that letter, Democrats led by House Oversight Committee ranking member Gerry Connolly of Virginia cited DOGE incursions into OPM, General Services Administration, USAID and Treasury Department networks, which they said raised “serious questions about the security protocols in place to safeguard sensitive government information and the potential for unauthorized access and misuse by private citizens without requisite clearance or any legitimate reason to access this information.” The Democrats urged OPM’s OIG to coordinate with inspector generals across the government to “address these potential threats to national security.” In the response letter dated Friday, Deputy Inspector General Norbert E. Vint said his office scrutinizes many of the issues raised by Democrats tied to OPM’s IT and financial systems as part of annual reviews, part of the watchdog’s oversight responsibilities “required by statute” and “based on developing risks identified through our ongoing risk assessment efforts.” “We have also just begun an engagement to assess risks associated with new and modified information systems at OPM,” Vint wrote. “We believe that, ultimately, our new engagement will broadly address many of your questions related to the integrity of OPM systems. We will provide you with an update once we have completed our review.” OPM was at the center of a week-one Trump administration IT controversy when a new server was set up to send mass emails to the entire federal government workforce. A class-action lawsuit was filed against the agency over whether it had properly conducted a privacy impact assessment before launching the server. Last week, it was revealed that OPM had quietly swapped out its privacy assessment for the system amid the ongoing litigation.

CNN [3/10/2025 5:07 PM, Ramishah Maruf, 908K] reports that Elon Musk’s X has been hit by three waves of outages since this morning, which the billionaire claims was due to a cyberattack. According to outage tracking site DownDetector, the problems began around 6 am ET when up to 20,538 users reported problems. The issues temporarily died down before nearly 40,000 users reported outages at 10 am. Since 12:30 pm ET, there have been about 26,000 reports at the time of writing. Many users on DownDetector complained the app wouldn’t load, and the outage appears to be global, according to DownDetector’s international sites. DownDetector data is self-reported, meaning it doesn’t fully represent the outage’s scale. CNN has reached out to X, though the company doesn’t usually respond to press inquiries. Musk posted on X that he believes "a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved," though the source of motivation behind the attack wasn’t confirmed. Musk also replied "Yes" to a post on X suggesting people are trying to silence the billionaire and his platform, although no further details about the service disruption, including whether it was caused by a targeted attack, have been revealed. Eric Noonan, CEO of cybersecurity provider CyberSheath, told CNN it’s likely too early to tell if an attack caused the issues.

NBC News [3/10/2025 6:16 AM, Patrick Smith, 44742K] reports a Florida teenager was arrested and charged Sunday in connection with what police called online threats to "shoot up" a high school, before seizing a collection of guns and protective vests. The 17-year-old was arrested after police in Sanford, less than an hour north of Orlando, were alerted to a video allegedly featuring him threatening to launch an attack on nearby Seminole High School. He has been charged with intimidation through making a written or electronic threat of mass shooting or a terrorist act. The teenager is a student at Elevation High School, also in Sanford, and was arrested without incident at his home, police said. Police said they acted on an anonymous tip received Saturday, which pointed them to the video that showed multiple guns. The Orlando Sentinel reported, citing court documents, that in the video the teenager claimed to have an extensive arsenal, including an AK-47 assault rifle, a SVD rifle, a Glock 19 handgun and a M4 rifle. When police searched his home, however, they instead found airsoft weapons and an airsoft vest. They also seized a laptop, iPhone, a knife and a notebook from the house, the Sentinel reported. Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith said the 17-year-old was quickly identified as the person in the video thanks to the quick collaboration of multiple agencies including the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security, the FBI and Seminole County Public Schools. "This fast action and team work most likely prevented a tragedy and saved multiple lives," he said in a statement.

FOX News [3/10/2025 4:34 PM, Diana Stancy, 46189K] reports a former Iraqi refugee pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State group, according to the Justice Department. Abdulrahman Mohammed Hafedh Alqaysi, 28, pleaded guilty to creating and developing logos for ISIS’ media wing, known as the Kalachnikov team, and sending hacking videos and instructions to ISIS members between 2015 and 2020, the Justice Department announced Friday. He also pleaded guilty to providing stolen credit card information and creating fraudulent identity documents for the designated terrorist group. Alqaysi, currently a legal permanent resident in Richmond, Texas, will remain in custody until his June 5 sentencing. He faces up to 20 years behind bars and up to $250,000 in fines.

New York Times [3/10/2025 9:50 PM, Julian E. Barnes, 145325K] reports Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, is heading to Asia on a trip that will include an appearance at a security conference in India next week. Ms. Gabbard announced in a social media post on Monday that she was traveling to Japan, Thailand and India and would visit France on the way back to the United States. It is Ms. Gabbard’s second international trip as a top Trump administration official. Immediately after she was confirmed a month ago, she traveled to Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference. On Wednesday, Ms. Gabbard arrived in Hawaii, which hosts a large National Security Agency office as well as the military’s Indo-Pacific Command headquarters, officials said. Ms. Gabbard, who represented the state for eight years in Congress, will meet with military and intelligence officers while in Hawaii, according to her social media post, in which she also said she would watch U.S. troops train. The Asia leg of Ms. Gabbard’s trip will culminate in an address on March 18 at the Rasina conference, a multinational gathering of security officials in New Delhi, to which she was invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There, Ms. Gabbard will hold bilateral meetings with Indian officials and officials from other countries, a senior Trump administration official said. The Rasina conference is often attended by senior Russian security officials and experts. It is not clear, however, whether Ms. Gabbard will have bilateral meetings with Russian officials on the conference’s sidelines. The Trump administration is pushing for a cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia and has been pressuring the Kyiv government to make concessions to end the war.

New York Times [3/10/2025 8:18 PM, Michael Crowley and Edward Wong, 145325K] reports that, before he embarked on a round of high-stakes negotiations in Saudi Arabia and Canada this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged in some personal diplomacy aimed at shoring up his standing within the Trump administration. Mr. Rubio flew to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for talks set to begin on Tuesday aimed at prodding Ukraine into a settlement with its invader, Russia. He plans to go from there to Canada for a meeting of top diplomats from the Group of 7 allied nations. His foreign travel comes after Mr. Rubio asserted himself in a tense confrontation with Elon Musk during a White House cabinet meeting last week and then dined with Mr. Musk and President Trump on Saturday night. The meal, at Mr. Trump’s Mar a Lago resort, amounted to a cease-fire between Mr. Trump’s chief diplomat and the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX mogul, one that extended into friendly social media exchanges between the men over the following days. To a world scrutinizing Mr. Trump’s personality-driven administration for clues about who has the president’s confidence, and who does not, the events suggested that Mr. Rubio’s standing with Mr. Trump may be stronger than many foreign diplomats and U.S. officials had assumed. It was a welcome change in narrative for Mr. Rubio, who has faced doubts about his standing from the start. Mr. Trump had ridiculed him as “Little Marco” when the men were 2016 presidential campaign opponents and then stocked his new administration with a slew of special diplomatic envoys whose assignments — the Middle East, Russia, Ukraine and the nebulous “special missions” — left some asking what remained for Mr. Rubio. Since then, Mr. Rubio has endured criticism for appearing to have surrendered longtime principles on such matters as his backing for robust U.S. foreign aid and his staunch support for Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression.

Yahoo! News [3/11/2025 1:40 AM, Volodymyr Ivanyshyn, 52868K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East Envoy, Steve Witkoff, plans to travel to Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming days, multiple media outlets reported on March 10, citing sources familiar with the matter. Witkoff previously traveled to Moscow in February for the release of U.S. teacher Marc Fogel from a Russian prison. Witkoff claimed that he spoke directly with Putin for over three hours during his visit. Witkoff is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during an upcoming visit to Moscow, an unnamed source told Bloomberg on March 10. Two people briefed on the plans later confirmed the reports in comments to Reuters. The reported trip to Moscow will follow the March 11 discussions between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Witkoff will join U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz on the American side. There is an "expectation" that the two sides will make "substantial progress" during the talks, Witkoff told Fox News in an interview on March 10. "What’s on the table, what’s important to discuss are obviously security protocols for the Ukrainians, they care about that," Witkoff said. The talks carry high stakes for Ukraine, as the U.S. has frozen military aid and stopped intelligence sharing with Kyiv. Officials have said the outcome of the talks may determine whether Washington resumes support. Despite being Trump’s envoy for the Middle East, Witkoff has emerged as a leading figure in negotiations regarding Russia and Ukraine. He previously took part in talks with Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18, held without Ukraine’s participation.

CNN [3/11/2025 4:40 AM, Jessie Yeung and Edward Szekeres, 908K] reports Russia said it was hit by a “massive” Ukrainian drone attack overnight Tuesday, hours ahead of critical talks between officials from Washington and Kyiv. Moscow’s defense ministry said it had downed 337 drones it claimed Ukraine had fired at Russia, of which 91 had targeted the Moscow region. If confirmed, the aerial attacks would represent one of the largest on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine. Falling debris damaged buildings in Moscow, in what mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram was a “most massive” attack. Two people were killed and at least six wounded in the Moscow region, said regional Gov. Andrey Vorobyev on Telegram. He added that the falling debris started a fire in a parking lot that burned through more than 20 cars. Video geolocated by CNN shows an explosion at an apartment building in the southern Moscow region. The reported attacks forced two Moscow airports to close for safety reasons, as well as two airports east of the city, according to state-run news agency TASS, adding that several flights to Moscow were redirected to other airports. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force said it had defended against Russian ballistic missile and drone attacks overnight. At least one person was killed and 18 injured, according to a CNN tally of figures released by various Ukrainian officials. The attacks come ahead of talks scheduled between United States and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security adviser Mike Waltz are slated to meet the Ukrainian national security adviser, foreign minister and defense minister. Zelensky’s Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said early on Tuesday that the Ukrainian team was “preparing to work.” “We will protect Ukrainian interests, have a clear vision of ending the war, and work effectively with our American partners,” he wrote on Telegram.

Newsweek [3/10/2025 6:01 AM, Maya Mehrara, 52220K] reports Russia has continued to showcase its deepening relations with U.S. adversaries China and Iran, dubbed the "Axis of Evil," despite improving ties with Washington, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for comment via email. Russia’s display of its close relations with two of the U.S.’s most contentious adversaries could lead to regression in terms of improving diplomatic relations with Washington and could jeopardize peace negotiations. Moscow may not be able to maintain strong relations with the U.S., China, and Iran, and may be forced to choose with whom it aligns. It appears Moscow has sensed this, as Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to broker talks between the U.S. and Iran regarding Tehran’s nuclear program. In the ISW’s Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment on March 9, the Washington D.C.-based think tank wrote that Russia continues to highlight its improving relations with American adversaries, despite improving relations between Washington and Moscow. Russia, China, and Iran announced that their annual "Maritime Security Belt-2025" naval exercise will begin on March 11 in Chabahar Port, Iran, according to Iranian state news agency Mehr News. The outlet said that the goal of this naval exercise is to "enhance regional maritime security and foster multilateral cooperation between the participating countries.” The naval drills will make use of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) warships, as well as Chinese and Russian combat and support vessels. The trilateral naval exercises were first held in the Arabian Sea in 2018. The Chinese Ministry of Defense noted that Beijing’s fleet would include at least one destroyer and a supply ship. They would participate in the exercises carried out including "attacking maritime targets, spot checks and arrests, damage control, joint search and rescue.” Iran and Russia signed a 20-year landmark cooperation treaty aimed at strengthening military ties as well as increasing cooperation in sectors such as trade, science, education, and culture in January, days before President Donald Trump’s inauguration. China and Russia also recently cemented their ties as Beijing pushed back against U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks that the U.S. aims to "peel them [Russia] off of a relationship with the Chinese.”

Newsweek [3/10/2025 12:58 PM, Theo Burman, 52220K] reports that disinformation from Russian news sources has compromised the results of several leading artificial intelligence chatbots, according to a new report. Research from NewsGuard has revealed that pro-Russian narratives originating from a vast network of websites run by Pravda, also known as Portal Kombat, are being deliberately inserted into the datasets that are fed into prominent chatbots, causing that information to be used in formulating the answers. Newsweek reached out to the Russian foreign ministry for comment via email. Artificial intelligence is still in the early stages of development, and the current iteration of chatbots relies heavily on drawing information from existing sources on the internet. By flooding these sources with pro-Russian information, nefarious actors may be able to skew the way that the chatbots provide answers to users in Kremlin’s favor. A Moscow-based disinformation operation known as "Pravda", named after the Russian word for "truth" (and not to be confused with a Russian media network named after Pravda, one of the country’s oldest newspapers), is directly contaminating some of the most widely-used AI chatbots in the world. According to an investigation by NewsGuard, Pravda has systematically infiltrated the data that artificial intelligence models use to generate responses, saturating search results and web crawlers with pro-Kremlin articles and talking points.

Reuters [3/11/2025 12:04 AM, Staff, 24727K] reports President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of talks between Ukrainian and U.S. officials that Washington hopes will deliver substantial progress towards ending Russia’s war with Ukraine. During the meeting in Jeddah, the crown prince underscored the kingdom’s support for international efforts to resolve Ukraine’s crisis and achieving peace, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported early on Tuesday. The United States, once Ukraine’s main ally, has upended its policy on the conflict in its stated pursuit of a rapid end to the fighting, engaging directly with Moscow while stopping military assistance and intelligence sharing for Ukraine, which Russian troops invaded at scale in 2022. Grappling with the new approach in the White House, Ukraine has pushed for "pragmatic" relations after a disastrous Oval Office encounter between Zelenskiy and U.S. President Donald Trump descended into acrimony last month. Saudi Arabia has played a mediating role since Russia’s invasion, including brokering prisoner exchanges and hosting last month’s talks between Moscow and Washington. Talks on Tuesday between U.S. and Ukrainian officials are the first official session since Zelenskiy’s abortive White House meeting, and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said he had high hopes. "I think that we’re going over there with an expectation that we’re going to make substantial progress," he said in an interview with Fox News. Asked if he thought Zelenskiy would return to the U.S. to sign a minerals deal this week, Witkoff said: "I am really hopeful. All the signs are very, very positive." Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a more cautious note, saying there were still details to be worked out on the minerals deal. He added that the talks could be a success without an accord being signed and stressed the need to gauge Kyiv’s readiness to make concessions to reach peace.

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USA Today [3/11/2025 4:05 AM, Francesca Chambers, 75858K]

Wall Street Journal [3/10/2025 11:00 PM, Michael R. Gordon] reports the Trump administration might restart intelligence and military support to Kyiv if high-level talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials on a potential peace process make headway on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. “My hope is that we are going to have a really good meeting tomorrow and we will be in a different place very soon,” Rubio told reporters on his plane shortly before arriving here Monday night. The Tuesday meeting will be the first top level talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials since a combative Oval Office encounter in which President Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of being unwilling to negotiate a peace settlement with Moscow. Following that White House session, Trump cut off arms shipments and reduced the flow of intelligence to Kyiv. That move was followed by an accelerated Russian and North Korean campaign to roll back Ukrainian gains in Kursk, a portion of Russian territory seized by Kyiv’s forces last year. Zelensky has insisted he is ready to pursue peace talks, but has said that Ukraine would need Western-backed security guarantees to ensure that a prospective deal holds, assurances that Trump has been reluctant to provide. And in recent days Ukrainian officials have suggested that an initial step toward peace could be a cease-fire on Russian and Ukrainian air and naval attacks. U.S. officials haven’t said what specific steps the Ukrainians need to take for American military support to resume, but have suggested it would need to go beyond a cease-fire. “We’re not going to be sitting in a room drawing lines on a map, but just get a general sense of what concessions are in the realm of the possible for them and what they would need in return,” said Rubio. “And then find out what the Russian position is in that regard. And that’ll give us a pretty good assessment of how far apart we truly are.” Any potential settlement, Rubio said, would entail concessions on both sides. “The Russians can’t conquer all of Ukraine, and obviously it will be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014, “ Rubio said. “So the only solution to this war is diplomacy and getting them to a table where that’s possible.”

Newsweek [3/10/2025 8:05 AM, Amir Daftari, 52220K] reports Iranian state news aired footage on Monday of Russian and Chinese warships arriving at Iran’s Chabahar port for joint military exercise. The "Security Belt-2025," drill highlights the deepening military ties between China, Russia, and Iran, marking a significant step in their growing strategic cooperation. Despite the show of force, U.S. President Donald Trump downplayed the event saying, "We’re stronger than all of them. We have more power than all of them.” Newsweek has reached out to Iran’s Foreign Ministry for comment. The naval exercises come at a time of rising regional tensions, as Iran faces increasing threats from both the U.S. and Israel. Washington has ramped up pressure on Iran to curb its nuclear program, while Israel has openly warned of potential military strikes to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. These threats have prompted Iran to seek stronger alliances, with the joint drills serving as a signal of solidarity with China and Russia. The drill, which begins this week, is taking place in the Gulf of Oman, a strategic waterway connecting the Strait of Hormuz to the Indian Ocean. According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, the exercise will feature simulated maritime attacks, joint search and rescue operations, and security inspections. These operations are aimed at strengthening military trust and cooperation between the participating countries. China’s Ministry of Defence emphasized that the exercise is designed to enhance military coordination of the three navies. The Chinese Navy has sent its guided-missile destroyer Baotou, along several other vessels, including two shipborne helicopters. Russia’s participation, though not fully confirmed, is expected to include vessels from its Pacific Fleet, which recently conducted artillery drills in the eastern Indian Ocean. The joint drill follows a series of high-level agreements between Russia and Iran, most notably a bilateral trade and defense pact signed in January between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. President Donald Trump said he is "not at all" concerned about the show of force by the three US adversaries. "We’re stronger than all of them. We have more power than all of them," he told Fox News aboard Air Force One on Sunday. Since returning to the White House, Trump has restored what he calls his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran that includes efforts to drive its oil exports down to zero in an attempt to stop Tehran reduce its nuclear ambitions, a move denounced by Tehran as "bullying" tactics.

Newsweek [3/10/2025 11:44 AM, Chloe Mayer, 52220K] reports that Americans planning a trip to Pakistan have been told to "reconsider" after the State Department updated its travel advice. The country has been slapped with a level 3 risk advisory because of "terrorism and the potential for armed conflict." However, some parts of the country are subject to the highest level 4 risk, which carries a stark "Do Not Travel" warning. Newsweek has reached out via email to the Pakistani government’s Press Information Department, seeking comment on the American advisory. The State Department regularly assesses countries around the world to offer advice to citizens before they travel abroad. A variety of factors are taken into consideration when issuing advisories, such as crime, terrorism, civil and political unrest, healthcare and the likelihood of a natural disaster. Pakistan has been hit by a wave of violent clashes in recent months caused by warring factions and the prosecution and imprisonment of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on corruption charges. The Pakistan travel advisory was reissued on Friday (March 7), after the State Department said it had undergone a "periodic review with minor edits." The advisory says: "Reconsider travel to Pakistan due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict. Some areas have increased risk… Do Not Travel to: Balochistan Province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province, which include the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), due to terrorism." Travelers were also warned not to travel to the "immediate vicinity of the India-Pakistan border and the Line of Control due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict."

New York Times [3/11/2025 3:50 AM, Noam Scheiber and Keith Bradsher, 330K] reports Beijing began imposing tariffs on Monday on many farm products from the United States, for which China is the largest overseas market. It is the latest escalation of a trade fight between the world’s two largest economies. The Chinese government announced the tariffs last week, shortly after President Trump raised tariffs on Chinese products for the second time since he took office in January. The Chinese tariffs will include a levy of 15 percent on U.S. products like chicken, wheat and corn, as well as 10 percent on products like soybeans, pork, beef and fruit. Beijing said that goods that had already been shipped before Monday and imported by April 12 would not be subject to the new tariffs. Because crops like soybeans, wheat and corn, in particular, tend to travel by sea, this means that China’s customs officials will actually collect few tariffs until shipments arrive in China after leaving the United States on Monday or later. A spokesman for the National People’s Congress, which is now holding China’s annual legislative session, said last week that Mr. Trump’s latest tariffs had “disrupted the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains.” The Chinese government also said it was blocking 15 U.S. companies from buying Chinese products unless it granted special permission, including a manufacturer of drones that supplies the U.S. military. And it said it was blocking 10 other U.S. companies from doing business in China. Mr. Trump has contended that tariffs are needed on imports from China, most of which are manufactured goods, to allow the United States to rebuild its industrial sector and also to generate tax revenue for the federal budget. He imposed a 10 percent tariff on almost all imports from China in early February, and raised the tariff to 20 percent last week. He has said the actions were intended partly to pressure China to reduce the flow of the opioid fentanyl into the United States. Mr. Trump also imposed 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico last Tuesday, though he abruptly suspended many of those levies two days later.

AP [3/10/2025 1:05 PM, Paul Wiseman, 48304K] reports that China retaliated against President Donald Trump’s tariffs with an additional 15% tax on key American farm products, including chicken, pork, soybeans and beef. The escalating trade tensions punished U.S. markets Monday as investors fearful of the damage from Trump’s trade wars put their money elsewhere. The Chinese tariffs, announced last week, were a response to Trump’s decision to double the levy on Chinese imports to 20% on March 4. China’s Commerce Ministry had earlier said that goods already in transit would be exempt from the retaliatory tariffs until April 12. Imposing tariffs on imports is a key part of Trump’s agenda. He believes the import taxes can raise money for the Treasury, protect American industries and pressure foreign countries to do what he wants in a range of issues, including immigration and drug trafficking. On Wednesday, Trump is set to remove exceptions on 25% steel tariffs he imposed in 2018 — effectively raising the taxes — and raise his levy on aluminum from 10% to 25%. In a bewildering series of announcements last week, Trump slapped tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, then delayed many of them for 30 days. Next month, he could plaster "reciprocal tariffs’’ — meant to raise U.S. tariffs to match higher tariffs imposed by foreign countries — on a wide range of imports from around the world. Economists warn that tariffs raise prices for consumers and make the U.S. economy less efficient as protected American companies have less incentive to innovate.

Newsweek [3/10/2025 7:37 AM, Ryan Chan, 3973K] reports Taiwan, a self-governed island threatened by China, has recently developed and tested a supersonic missile for sinking invading vessels that can be launched by fighter aircraft. Newsweek has emailed the Chinese and Taiwanese defense ministries for comment. The Chinese communist government has claimed that Taiwan, which is a democracy and a security partner of the United States, is its territory despite never having ruled the island. It has warned that it reserves all options against Taiwan, including the use of force. Taiwan’s development of a new missile comes as Elbridge Colby, who is U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee for under secretary of defense for policy, suggested the island should spend more on defense, closer to 10 percent of its gross domestic product. Taiwan’s United Daily News first reported the air-launched version of the Hsiung Feng III (HF III) on February 21. The missile, which can fly at Mach 3.5, or three and a half times faster than the speed of sound, can be deployed on ships and mobile trailers. A pair of the HF III missiles, dubbed aircraft carrier killers by the Taiwanese public, were armed on an F-CK-1 Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) aircraft while on the ground at that time. A photo surfaced on Friday shows an IDF jet flew with the missiles for the first time. Taiwanese specialist website IDF Ching-Kuo said the air-launched missile, developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) since 2022, can attack ships effectively via the maneuverability and extended range of the fighter aircraft. According to the NCSIST, the HF III missile, which has a range of over 62 miles and armor-piercing capability, can reach the target by flying at supersonic speed and as close as possible to the surface of the sea, reducing the response time of the enemy’s defense systems. By launching from different platforms and in different paths, multiple HF III missiles can attack the same target simultaneously and saturate the target’s defense systems, it added.

Miami Herald [3/10/2025 7:45 PM, Micah McCartney, 3973K] reports that the Philippines has released a video of the Chinese coast guard continuing to operate in the waters off the Southeast Asian country’s main island of Luzon after more than two months. Newsweek reached out to the Philippine coast guard and Chinese foreign ministry by email with requests for comment. Since early January, China’s coast guard has been deploying ships to an area west of Zambales province in a show of force. These waters are closer to a major Philippine island than the reefs that have typically been the focus of the neighbors’ territorial dispute and well within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ)—where maritime law grants Manila the sole rights to natural resources. China asserts sovereignty over upwards of 90 percent of the South China Sea, putting the country at loggerheads not just with the Philippines, but several other neighbors with competing claims. The footage from the Philippine coast guard shows the 144-foot BRP Cabra on Saturday sailing a short distance away from China Coast Guard 3105—a vessel three times its size. "The Philippine Coast Guard continues to challenge the illegal presence of the China Coast Guard, emphasizing that their actions violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Philippines Maritime Zones Act, and the 2016 Arbitral Award," Tarriela said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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