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

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

The Hill [3/15/2025 6:58 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 12829K] reports President Trump invoked the Aliens Enemies Act (AEA) of 1798 on Saturday, fulfilling a campaign promise and GOP party platform point by initiating a concerted effort to remove Venezuelan undocumented immigrants believed to be members of the Tren de Aragua gang, a newly designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Trump has ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to provide a copy of the invocation to the Supreme Court Chief Justice, all governors in addition to the highest-ranking judicial officer for every state and territory in the United States. “I proclaim that all Venezuelan citizens 14 years of age or older who are members of TdA [Tren de Aragua], are within the United States, and are not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the United States are liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as Alien Enemies,” Trump wrote in the proclamation, which grants Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the authority to enforce deportation measures. The president’s move comes hours after a judge temporarily blocked the removal of 5 Venezuelans who the Trump administration says are members of Tren de Aragua. The Justice Department has argued the individuals should be removed under the Aliens Enemies Act although they were detained by immigration officials prior to President Trump’s decision to invoke the act. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg is presiding over a Saturday emergency hearing to decide if the administration will have to postpone all potential deportations of individuals expected to be repatriated under the Saturday proclamation for a period of two weeks. FOX News [3/15/2025 7:21 PM, Alexandra Koch, 46189K] reports that the wartime law, which allows deportation of natives and citizens of an enemy nation without a hearing, has been invoked three times, during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II. All Venezuelan citizens 14 years or older who are members of TdA, are within the U.S. and are not naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the U.S. may be apprehended, restrained, secured and removed as "alien enemies," according to a proclamation. Hours before the act was signed, a lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Democracy Forward and the ACLU of the District of Columbia, claiming the proclamation could be used to deport any Venezuelan in the country, regardless of whether they are a member of TdA. Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg of the D.C. Circuit granted a temporary restraining order preventing the deportation of five Venezuelans already in immigration custody for two weeks. The Trump administration appealed the restraining order, alleging it is improper to delay a presidential act before it is announced, affiliate FOX 32 Chicago reported. A second hearing is scheduled for Saturday afternoon to establish if the order should be broadened to everyone in danger of removal under the act. "The United States is not at war, nor has it been invaded. The president’s anticipated invocation of wartime authority — which is not needed to conduct lawful immigration enforcement operations — is the latest step in an accelerating authoritarian playbook," Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, wrote in a statement. "From improperly apprehending American citizens to violating the ability of communities to peacefully worship to now improperly trying to invoke a law that is responsible for some of our nation’s most shameful actions, this administration’s immigration agenda is as lawless as it is harmful." PBS [3/15/2025 5:45 PM, Nicholas Riccardi, 10355K] reports that "Over the years, Venezuelan national and local authorities have ceded ever-greater control over their territories to transnational criminal organizations, including TdA," Trump’s statement reads. "The result is a hybrid criminal state that is perpetrating an invasion of and predatory incursion into the United States, and which poses a substantial danger to the United States.” The act was last used as part of the internment of Japanese-American civilians during World War II and has only been used two other times in American history, during World War I and the War of 1812. Trump argued in his declaration that it is justified because he contends the Tren de Aragua gang, a common talking point on the campaign trail, has ties to the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The Miami Herald [3/15/2025 7:03 PM, Antonio Maria Delgado and Verónica Egui Brito, 3973K] reports "I further find and declare that all such members of TdA are, by virtue of their membership in that organization, chargeable with actual hostility against the United States and are therefore ineligible for the benefits of 50 U.S.C. 22, (which would give the alien a set amount of time to put their affairs in order). I further find and declare that all such members of TdA are a danger to the public peace or safety of the United States," [Trump] said. Many of the members of the 2,500-strong TdA gang have joined the massive immigration wave fleeing Venezuela and have set up shop in neighboring countries. Authorities in the region say the gang is behind a spike in criminal activities in Colombia, Perú, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia and Costa Rica. Some of them are believed to have entered into the United States. While experts believe they only amount to a few dozen, officials inside the Trump Administration have unofficially put the number in the several hundreds. CNN [3/16/2025 4:50 AM, Kevin Liptak, 908K] reports dozens of people have been reported killed after US President Donald Trump ordered a “decisive” military action against Houthi rebels in Yemen, opening a new salvo against the Iran-backed group that has targeted shipping lanes in the Red Sea. The US strikes killed at least 31 people and injured 101 others in Yemen, mostly women and children, the Houthi-run health ministry said. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US would deploy “overwhelming lethal force” against the Houthis “until we have achieved our objective,” accusing the group of waging “an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones.” He said US personnel were carrying out aerial attacks on Houthi bases, leaders and missile defenses “to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom.” “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World,” Trump wrote. Trump also delivered a warning for Iran, the Houthis’ main backer, saying it must “immediately” end support for the group. He warned that if Iran threatened the American people or their president, “America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!” Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi hit back in a post on X on Sunday.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [3/15/2025 7:50 PM, Elizabeth Crisp, 12829K]
CBS Sacramento [3/15/2025 7:55 PM, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, 51661K]
Washington Examiner [3/15/2025 6:14 PM, Zach LaChance, 2296K]

NBC News [3/15/2025 8:45 PM, Nnamdi Egwuonwu and Gary Grumbach, 44742K] reports a federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked an effort by President Donald Trump to use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport suspected members of a Venezuelan gang he has accused of “unlawfully infiltrating” the country. He also ordered any deportation flights carrying those subject to the presidential proclamation to return to the United States. Trump on Saturday invoked the rarely used wartime authority, accusing Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua of “infiltrating” Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s regime, including its “military and law enforcement apparatus”; perpetuating “irregular warfare” within the United States and using drug trafficking as a weapon against American citizens. Hours before the White House published Trump’s proclamation, the American Civil Liberties Union and Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit accusing the White House of preparing to imminently deport five Venezuelan men under the Alien Enemies Act. Chief Judge of the D.C. District Court James E. Boasberg initially issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from deporting the five Venezuelans named in the lawsuit for at least 14 days. Boasberg has now expanded the decision to apply to “all non-citizens in U.S. custody” who are subject to Trump’s proclamation. The Justice Department plans to appeal the expanded decision, according to a source familiar. The ruling means all Venezuelan citizens 14 years or older who are members of Tren de Aragua, currently in the country and are not naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the United States are to remain in the United States for 14 days or until further order of the court. “Any plane containing these folks that is going to take off, or is in the air, needs to be returned to the United States,” the judge said. “Those people need to be returned to the United States.”

Reported similarly:
Washington Post [3/15/2025 3:52 PM, Tobi Raji, Marianne LeVine and Maria Sacchetti, 31735K]
AP [3/15/2025 3:33 PM, Nicholas Riccardi]
Bloomberg [3/15/2025 11:37 PM, Hadriana Lowenkron, 16228K]
NPR [3/15/2025 7:56 PM, Ximena Bustillo, 78K]
CBS News [3/15/2025 7:56 PM, Scott MacFarlane, 51661K]
The Hill [3/15/2025 12:55 PM, Filip Timotija, 12829K]
Reuters [3/15/2025 2:23 PM, Rich McKay, 41523K]
Reuters [3/16/2025 4:13 AM, Phil Stewart and Mohammed Ghobari, 37270K]
Newsweek [3/16/2025 6:16 AM, Daniel Orton, 52220K]
Wall Street Journal [3/15/2025 8:40 PM, Jan Wolfe, 646K]
Univision [3/15/2025 3:53 PM, Staff, 5325K]
Washington Examiner [3/15/2025 9:08 PM, Zach LaChance, 2296K]

The AP [3/15/2025 3:23 PM, Bruce Shipkowski, Julie Walker and Rebecca Reynolds] reports violent tornadoes that ripped through parts of the U.S. proved deadly as well as destructive as whipping winds moved east into the Mississippi Valley and Deep South on Saturday, with at least 17 people killed and scores of homes destroyed. The most fatalities as of Saturday morning were in Missouri, authorities said, which was lashed by twisters overnight that resulted in at least 11 deaths. The Missouri State Highway Patrol also reported that multiple people were injured. The deaths included a man who was killed after a tornado ripped apart his home. Officials in Arkansas said Saturday morning that three people died in Independence County and 29 others were injured across eight counties as storms passed through the state overnight. She and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared states of emergency in their respective states. Kemp said he was making the declaration in anticipation of severe weather moving toward the state later Saturday. On Friday, meanwhile, authorities said three people were killed in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle. The deaths come as a massive storm system moving across the country unleashed winds that triggered deadly dust storms and fanned more than 100 wildfires. Nearly 300 homes have been damaged or destroyed in Oklahoma due to fire. Gov. Kevin Stitt said at a Saturday news conference that some 266 square miles have burned so far in his state. Significant tornadoes, some of which could be long-track and violent, are expected Saturday afternoon and evening. The region at highest risk stretches from eastern Louisiana and Mississippi in the afternoon and then Alabama and western portions of Georgia and the Florida panhandle in the evening, the Center said. Apart from Oklahoma, wildfires elsewhere in the Southern Plains threatened to spread rapidly amid warm, dry weather and strong winds in Texas, Kansas, Missouri and New Mexico. Washington Post [3/15/2025 3:11 PM, Ben Noll, Gaya Gupta, Holly Bailey and Victoria Craw, 31735K] reports local authorities say at least 17 people have been killed in storms across Missouri, Texas and Arkansas, as extreme weather demolished homes, ignited fires and wrecked motorists’ vehicles. In Missouri, at least 10 deaths were reported Saturday morning after up to 19 tornadoes ripped across the state, according to a statement from the state’s governor, Mike Kehoe. The Arkansas Division of Management reported three deaths and 29 injuries after a storm that moved through the state, adding that the numbers were preliminary. And in the Texas panhandle, four people died in car crashes caused by strong winds, dust storms and blowing smoke from a nearby wildfire, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The tornado outbreak is expected to continue throughout Saturday afternoon and evening, with the highest risk across several states in the Deep South. Since Friday night, 25 tornadoes had been reported across the central United States. A rare high risk (Level 5 out of 5) for severe thunderstorms covers Mississippi and Alabama into early Sunday. The USA Today [3/15/2025 8:35 PM, Jeanine Santucci, 75858K] reports the death toll from a sprawling outbreak of severe weather rose throughout the day Saturday as severe storms and reported tornadoes plagued the South. Nightfall Saturday will bring new dangers, as forecasters warned millions of people across Southern states to stay on alert for tornadoes, high winds and thunderstorms. Severe weather has been blamed for the deaths of over a dozen people, a number that could grow with the inclusion of wildfire and traffic deaths. More than 8.3 million people, mostly in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, were under tornado watches Saturday night. A wind advisory blanketed the nation from Michigan to Florida, covering more than 100 million people. The storm system is expected to push toward the East Coast into Sunday, bringing showers and thunderstorms from the lower Great Lakes region to the Northeast and Southeast, the weather service said. There is a slight risk of tornadoes and high winds in the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic states Sunday. There were 11 tornado- and storm-related deaths across four counties in Missouri, the state’s highway patrol said Saturday morning. Two of those deaths and more injuries were caused by a suspected tornado that touched down in the Bakersfield area of southern Missouri, officials said.

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Reuters [3/15/2025 3:15 PM, Rich McKay, 41523K]
Bloomberg [3/15/2025 1:26 PM, Victoria Cavaliere, 16228K]
The Hill [3/15/2025 3:39 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 12829K]
Axios [3/15/2025 10:44 AM, Andrew Freedman, 13163K]
USA Today [3/15/2025 4:01 PM, Jeanine Santucci, 75858K]
CNN [3/15/2025 2:33 PM, Hanna Park, Eric Zerkel, Angela Fritz and Rebekah Riess]
AP [3/15/2025 10:42 PM, Jeff Roberson, Julie Walker, and Rebecca Reynolds, 2600K]

Bloomberg [3/15/2025 11:24 AM, David Voreacos, 16228K] reports a Palestinian activist who led anti-Israel protests at Columbia University should remain detained in Louisiana and not transferred to New York as he faces deportation proceedings, US lawyers argued in court filings. A US judge should reject a request by Mahmoud Khalil to move so he can be closer to his attorneys and pregnant wife, lawyers for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement argued late Friday. The US is looking to deport Khalil, a legal permanent resident, for activities that have “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences.” The judge can’t tell ICE where to detain immigrants and “lacks authority to issue an injunction compelling ICE to transfer the petitioner from a detention facility in Louisiana to a detention facility in New York,” according to the filing in Manhattan federal court. Khalil’s case has emerged as a symbol of the Trump administration’s crackdown on campus protests over the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza. Lawyers for Khalil say his detention violates his constitutional rights to free speech and due process. Federal agents also arrested Leqaa Kordia, who participated in anti-Israel protests at Columbia, for overstaying her visa, according to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS also revoked the visa of Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian citizen and Columbia graduate student, who chose to “self-deport,” it said. In its filing, US lawyers said US District Judge Jesse Furman should also reject Khalil’s motion that New York is the proper place to hear the case. Khalil was arrested on the night of March 8 and moved to a facility in Newark, New Jersey, but a “bedbug issue” meant he couldn’t stay there. He was taken back to New York, and flown to Louisiana, the US said. The US wants Furman to dismiss Khalil’s legal challenge or transfer it to New Jersey or Louisiana while his deportation case is decided. Furman has blocked his removal while the case is pending.

Washington Post [3/15/2025 9:21 AM, Isaac Arnsdorf and Susan Svrluga, 31735K] reports President Donald Trump’s crackdown on alleged antisemitism on college campuses is alarming students and instructors who say the administration is trying to outlaw criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza and bend universities to his will. Trump says he’s just getting started. Since last Saturday’s detention of a Columbia University graduate student and green card holder without criminal charges, the Department of Homeland Security has publicized the removal of two students who participated in Gaza protests at the school. But the crackdown fulfills multiple campaign promises: a pledge to stand with American Jews, whom he heavily courted for their votes in November; a promise to combat “anti-American” behavior on liberal campuses; and, perhaps his top policy priority, the deportation of noncitizens living in the United States illegally. What is clear is that Trump is willing to use the full power of the federal government, including its purse strings, to dramatically change behavior — by both students and administrators — on college campuses. Trump applauded the detention of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil and called it “the first arrest of many to come.”

Reuters [3/15/2025 3:23 PM, Michelle Nichols, 41523K] reports a Columbia University student detained over his pro-Palestinian activism is not a flight risk and should be allowed to return home for the birth of his first child, his lawyers argued in a motion for bail on Saturday. Mahmoud Khalil - a 30-year-old permanent U.S. resident of Palestinian descent - was arrested a week ago at his university residence. He has not been charged with a crime and is being held in immigration custody in Louisiana. His wife, an American citizen, is due to give birth next month. Justice Department lawyers have argued the U.S. government is seeking Khalil’s removal because Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reasonable grounds to believe his activities or presence in the country could have "serious adverse foreign policy consequences." The U.S. will likely revoke visas of more students in the coming days, Rubio said on Friday. Since Khalil’s arrest, federal agents have searched two student residences at Columbia University and the Justice Department said on Friday it was looking into what it said were possible violations of terrorism laws during the protests. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem also said on Friday that a Columbia student from India, whose visa was revoked on March 5, had left the country herself on March 11. Noem said a second woman - a Palestinian from the West Bank who took part in the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University - was arrested for overstaying her expired student visa, which was terminated in 2022 for lack of attendance.

New York Times [3/15/2025 11:01 AM, Luis Ferré-Sadurní and Hamed Aleaziz, 145325K] reports three federal immigration agents showed up at a Columbia University apartment searching for Ranjani Srinivasan, who had recently learned her student visa had been revoked. Ms. Srinivasan, an international student from India, did not open the door. When the agents returned a third time, this past Thursday night, and entered her apartment with a judicial warrant, she was gone. She is one of a handful of noncitizens that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has targeted at Columbia in recent days. The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement that characterized Ms. Srinivasan as a terrorist sympathizer and accused her of advocating violence and being “involved in activities supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization.” The department did not provide any evidence for its allegations. Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, posted surveillance footage on social media that showed Ms. Srinivasan lugging a suitcase at LaGuardia as she fled to Canada. Secretary Noem celebrated Ms. Srinivasan’s departure as a “self-deportation.” Ms. Srinivasan’s lawyers have vehemently denied those allegations and have accused the Trump administration of revoking her visa for engaging in “protected political speech,” saying she was denied “any meaningful form of due process” to challenge the visa revocation. In response to questions, officials with the Homeland Security Department said that when Ms. Srinivasan renewed her visa last year, she failed to disclose two court summonses related to protests on Columbia’s campus. The department did not say how the summonses made her a terrorist sympathizer.

Washington Examiner [3/15/2025 11:11 AM, Ross O’Keefe, 2296K] reports a Washington, D.C., judge gave the Trump administration the green light to continue detaining migrants at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The judge argued that because the Trump administration has removed the migrants it sent there, the plaintiffs’ claim that the policy posed an imminent threat of irreparable harm lacked merit. Two groups of migrants were previously sent to Guantanamo Bay, but all were either returned to the United States or repatriated to Venezuela. The two legal complaints focus on allegations that the government unfairly barred migrants from in-person access to lawyers and lacked the authority to detain them outside the U.S., where conditions were worse. Judge Carl Nichols of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said the plaintiffs "failed to established they are suffering irreparable harm" that would warrant a pause on the government’s ability to send more migrants to the facility. The government argues that because immigration enforcement involves moving migrants across borders, the Trump administration should be allowed to keep migrants with pending removal orders in Guantanamo Bay.

Newsweek [3/15/2025 6:19 PM, Mandy Taheri, 52220K] reports protesters packed Times Square in the heart of New York City on Saturday, demanding the release of Palestinian activist and former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil who was arrested last weekend on campus by plainclothes officers. Newsweek has reached out to several organizers for comment via email on Saturday. Khalil’s arrest sparked serious concerns among advocates and students, raising questions about the right to protest, freedom of speech, political advocacy, and immigration status. His detention and sudden transport to Louisiana has also intensified debates over civil liberties and legal due process. President Donald Trump, who has pledged to crack down on pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses, has called the arrest "the first arrest of many to come.” The war between Israel and Hamas became a focal point of campus activism at Columbia last year, leading to clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel students as well as significant police intervention and presence on campus. In response, some protest organizers faced disciplinary actions, including degree revocations and suspensions. Several protests have been scheduled across the Empire State and the country in support of Khalil and against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) actions against him, amid the Trump’s administration strengthening ties with Israel. Trump has repeatedly suggested displacing Palestinians from Gaza and having the United States take ownership of the enclave and rebuild it. On Saturday, around 3 p.m., dozens of protesters came together for a demonstration co-organized by several groups, including, The People’s Forum, ANSWER Coalition, and New York Party of Socialism and Liberation, among others. Protesters carried signs reading "Release Mahmoud Khalil," and waved Palestinian flags while marching through the streets, often chanting "Free, Free, Free Palestine," and "ICE Is Not Welcome Here.” Khalil, a green card holder, was taken from his residence in a Columbia-University owned building last Saturday evening by plainclothes officers. DHS has accused him of "activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization." Khalil’s lawyers have said there is no such evidence. On Friday, DHS said one student with this alleged viewpoint had self-deported, while agents had arrested another.

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CBS New York [3/15/2025 7:41 PM, Adi Guajardo, 51661K]

FOX News [3/15/2025 9:36 PM, Brie Stimson, 46189K] reports for families in Mexico searching for missing loved ones, the grim discovery of what is being called an "extermination" site with human remains and ovens, could be their worst fears some true. Mexican authorities are now investigating the site in the western state of Jalisco, first found last week by a group of volunteers that was believed, by the volunteers, to have been used by one of the area’s cartels known as the New Generation Jalisco Cartel. Inside its iron gates were an increasing number of horrors, including cremation ovens, bone fragments, hundreds of pairs of shoes, clothing and even children’s toys. "They’d see the shoes and say: ‘those look like the ones my missing relative was wearing when they disappeared,’" Luz Toscano, one of the volunteers, told BBC News. The ranch, near the village of Teuchitlán, was raided last September by Mexican authorities who failed to find or reveal the discovery of human remains. At the time of the raid, 10 arrests were made, two hostages were released, and a body was found wrapped in plastic. After authorities began searching this week, they said they also found almost 100 shell casings. None of the remains have been identified, and the number is not yet known, but the number of personal items left behind is around 700.

AP [3/15/2025 5:08 PM, Matthew Lee and Regina Garcia Cano, 2778K] reports President Donald Trump’s administration will pay El Salvador $6 million to imprison for one year about 300 alleged members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, in one of the first instances of the Central American country taking migrants from the United States. The agreement follows discussions between El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio about housing migrants in El Salvador’s notorious prison. Bukele’s government has arrested more than 84,000 people, sometimes without due process, since 2022 as part of his crackdown on gang violence in the small country. Memos detailing the transfer did not disclose how the Trump administration identified the roughly 300 people as members of Tren de Aragua, a gang Trump repeatedly highlighted in the campaign and declared to be a terrorist organization. “The Republic of El Salvador confirms it will house these individuals for one (1) year, pending the United States’ decision on their long term disposition,” wrote El Salvador’s ministry of foreign affairs in a memo obtained by the Associated Press. The Central American nation and Trump administration last month struck a deal to house migrants detained in the United States. The Trump administration contended that El Salvador could even house American citizens, though the U.S. cannot deport citizens to another country. Rubio and Bukele discussed the specifics of the new transfer, which include a cost of about $20,000 to house each prisoner for the year. A State Department document also suggests that it may set aside $15 million to send to El Salvador to house additional members of the gang. The Salvadoran memo also confirmed the country would take two men it said were members of the MS-13 gang, an organization that was initially comprised of Salvadoran migrants to the U.S. and had gained an increasing foothold in El Salvador prior to Bukele’s crackdown.

USA Today [3/16/2025 4:02 AM, Ingrid Jacques, 75858K] reports should Mahmoud Khalil be deported? The Trump administration’s recent detainment and threatened deportation of the former Columbia University graduate student raises some thorny questions. And there aren’t easy answers. On Friday, immigration officials announced the arrest of a second individual for overstaying her student visa by three years. The former student was previously arrested for her part in the Columbia protests. Khalil, born in Syria, is of Palestinian descent. He came to the United States to earn a graduate degree, and he reportedly completed his program in December. He holds a green card, which makes him a legal permanent resident, although not a citizen. It’s what he did during his time as a graduated student that has raised the ire of President Donald Trump and other administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Khalil was a leader of the pro-Palestinian protests – some of which were violent – on the Columbia campus after Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Yet, the U.S. government has not pointed to any laws that Khalil has broken, but rather seems to be using his speech as the rationale for his deportation. Is that enough justification? Is it constitutional?

FOX News [3/15/2025 8:00 PM, Jeffrey Petz, 46189K] Audio HERE reports immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says they have arrested nearly as many illegal migrants in President Trump’s first 50 days as in all fiscal year 2024 under President Biden. Former ICE Special Agent Victor Avila, explains why immigration enforcement has rapidly surged under Trump, clarifies misconceptions about detention and deportation, and assesses whether new strategies, including self-deportation apps, could effectively manage the immigration backlog. Meanwhile, the U.S. military is facing severe readiness issues, highlighted this week at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Military leaders reported critical shortfalls in amphibious warships, unmanned systems, and ammunition supplies. Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation Brent Sadler explains how years of budget uncertainty have allowed China and Russia to catch up, if not pull ahead, and emphasizes the urgency to rebuild America’s industrial base, and lays out what can still be done to restore deterrence. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]’?

Newsweek [3/15/2025 2:38 PM, Jason Lemon] reports Astrid Senior, the mother of Fabian Schmidt, a U.S. Green Card holder, said her son was stripped naked, "violently interrogated" and sent to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility upon his return to the country last Friday. Schmidt, a New Hampshire resident who has had held a green card since 2008 after moving to the U.S. in 2007, was reportedly detained at the Logan Airport in Massachusetts upon returning from Luxembourg last week, according to Boston public radio station WGBH. His family told the public radio station that he had recently renewed his green card and it was flagged as he reentered the country. Schmidt, who works as an electrical engineer, is reportedly being held at ICE’s Donald W. Wyatt detention facility in Rhode Island. His mother said he was also sent to the hospital last week, which was the first time she heard from him directly on Tuesday. Schmidt’s family is in touch with the German consulate in a bid to get him released on bail.

CBS Austin [3/15/2025 12:22 PM, Staff, 602K] reports two Pennsylvania men are in police custody and face deportation after their convoluted money scheme scammed two victims out of over $50,000. Digvijaysinh Chauhan, 23, and Hemal Patel, 26, were sentenced on charges of felony theft and conspiracy. Both remain in Homeland Security Investigations custody awaiting deportation. Police say that the scammers used fake messages to tell victims that their bank accounts were hacked. The victims reportedly took out over $50,000 from their personal accounts per the scammer’s requests. More scam messages reportedly told victims to deposit $24,000 into a bitcoin machine in Harrisburg, PA. Chauhan and Patel were sentenced today and await deportation proceedings.

Louisville Courier Journal [3/15/2025 9:40 AM, Staff] reports federal law enforcement agents arrested 81 people living in the country illegally through an operation coordinated in Louisville, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Kentucky. The arrests were made across Kentucky between March 10 and 14 as part of "Operation Take Back America." Of the 81 people arrested, 25 were charged with immigration-related criminal offenses, including illegal reentry after deportation or removal, illegal possession of firearms and illegal possession of controlled substances, the release stated. Those not criminally charged will remain in custody with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending removal proceedings and potential deportation, according to the release. The operation was coordinated by a Homeland Security Investigations office in Nashville and an ICE office in Chicago. Representatives from the ATF Louisville Field Division, the DEA Louisville Field Division, the FBI Louisville Field Office and the Western District of Kentucky were included in the announcement.

Wall Street Journal [3/15/2025 12:00 AM, Jeanne Whalen, 646K] reports the 64 pounds of meth stuffed into the seats and spare tire of a pickup truck caught the attention of border agents in El Paso, Texas, who seized the drugs last month. But it was the trays of eggs that really alarmed them. As egg prices soar in the U.S., travelers have been stocking up on cheaper supplies in Mexico and, to some degree, Canada. The U.S. Department of Agriculture bans such imports because eggs not inspected through official channels can spread disease. So-called egg interceptions are up 36% nationwide so far this fiscal year, compared with the previous year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Along parts of the Texas border, they have risen by 54%, according to CBP’s Laredo field office. In San Diego, they have more than doubled, CBP has reported. “It’s the price difference,” said Roger Maier, a CBP spokesman in El Paso, where agents have encountered 90 would-be egg importers since January. “The price is like a third of what it is in the U.S.” Most people arriving at the border don’t know that unofficial egg imports are prohibited, according to CBP officials. Many are transporting flat cartons holding 30 eggs, presumably for personal use, agents say. Officers specifically ask whether drivers are carrying any of a number of goods that are barred from crossing the border, including eggs. Most people traveling with eggs fess up and are disappointed to have them taken away, according to agents. The imports are a sign of the lengths consumers are going to combat one of the biggest price surges hitting their grocery carts. A dozen grade-A large eggs averaged $5.90 last month in the U.S., a record, compared with $3 a year earlier, data from the Labor Department shows. Shoppers in some markets have seen prices of $10 or more. An outbreak of avian flu that has decimated U.S. hens is behind the surge, though in recent days the USDA has said supply and wholesale prices are improving as the outbreak eases.

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal [3/15/2025 4:18 PM, Adam D. Young] reports local and state fire crews on Saturday continued to battle at least two major wildfires that had consumed more than 27,000 acres after sparking in strong winds and a dust storm Friday in the Texas Panhandle. Meanwhile, thousands of people across the region remained without power Saturday following the potent wind and dust storm, according to utility companies including Xcel Energy. Xcel on Friday had warned the extent of the damage sustained during the storm could leave some without power into early next week. As of Saturday afternoon, the Windmill Fire in Roberts County had consumed more than 23,000 acres, was 65% contained and had prompted evacuations in nearby communities. The Rest Area Fire near Interstate 40 in Gray County had consumed more than 4,500 acres, was 40% contained and had also prompted evacuations, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The Rest Area Fire prompted evacuations in nearby McLean and Alanreed, as well as the temporary closure of all lanes of Interstate 40 for much of Friday evening. There were no immediate reports of structural property damage associated with either of those fires.

Newsweek [3/15/2025 7:35 AM, Martha McHardy] reports the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is offering tax relief to individuals and businesses in West Virginia counties impacted by severe storms, flooding, and landslides that began on February 15, 2025. The IRS’s extension of tax deadlines for individuals and businesses hit by severe weather conditions in the region will come as crucial financial relief to those struggling with the aftermath of the storms. Following straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides in early February, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey made an emergency declaration, reporting "downed trees, power outages and road blockages" in some parts of the Mountain State. The federal government later issued a major disaster declaration. The relief applies to any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with the initial qualifying counties including Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Wayne, and Wyoming. Any additional counties added to the disaster area will also be eligible for the extended deadline.

Yahoo! News [3/15/2025 10:04 PM, Hannah Moore, 52868K] reports a wildfire in Cherokee National Forest has grown to an estimated 225 acres and is 0% contained according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire is burning in the Hall Top area of Cocke County and the public is asked to avoid the area of Forest Service Road #207 until further notice due to increased vehicular traffic associated with the wildfire. According to the Forest Service, around 50 firefighters assisted in battling the blaze and fire suppression activities are continuing into the night. Fire officials from the U.S. Forest Service and the Tennessee Division of Forestry first received reports of the fire around 6 a.m. Saturday morning. The Grassy Fork Volunteer Fire Department said they were dispatched to the area of Long Branch Road for a report of a brush fire just after 4 a.m. on Saturday. The fire was located on Halls Top Road in the Cherokee National Forest with help from the Cosby Volunteer Fire Department, Del Rio Volunteer Fire Department, Cocke County Fire Department and Cocke County Sheriff’s Office.

WSBTV [3/15/2025 12:22 PM, Staff] reports Governor Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency across Georgia ahead of severe storms moving in late Saturday night and overnight Sunday. The state of emergency went into effect at Noon on Saturday and runs until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday night. The order allows Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to begin moving resources to impacted areas as well as establish crews to respond to reports of damage and power outages. Multiple strong tornadoes are possible in the early morning hours of Sunday.

Yahoo! News [3/15/2025 9:54 PM, Mark Zinn, 52868K] reports around two dozen structures and hundreds of acres burned Friday afternoon in Camden County after several wind-driven wildfires crossed highways and charred dried-up vegetation. The Southwest Camden County Fire Protection District said they responded to a multi-fire event, all happening around the same time Friday afternoon. More than 500 acres burned, with fire officials saying perhaps as many as 25 structures were damaged or, in many cases, destroyed. Officials say they are still assessing the region for damage. There were no reports of injuries. Weather conditions were primed for fires to spread rapidly. Even though thunderstorms were approaching Friday evening, relative humidity remained low. With low moisture content in the air, dried-up ground conditions like leaves and other combustibles mixed with gusty winds, the stage was set.

KARK [3/15/2025 3:45 PM, Brandon Ringo] reports Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has declared a state of emergency after storms left damages, power outages and at least three dead and 29 injured across the Natural State Friday night into Saturday morning. The state of emergency will remain in effect until March 29 unless otherwise terminated. Officials with the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management have reported that three people died in Independence County and many more were injured throughout the state as storms passed through.

CBS News [3/15/2025 6:49 PM, Doug Myers, 51661K] reports strong winds and dry conditions are fueling wildfires and increasing threats across Texas. Climate researchers have said the ingredients are in place for a wildfire threat North Texas hasn’t seen in at least 10 years. Several wildfires remain active in the state, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. Active Wildfires (updated 6:45 p.m. Saturday): Windmill Fire, Roberts County, northeast of Amarillo – 23,000 acres and 65% contained Crabapple Fire, Gillespie County, north of Fredricksburg – 8,630 acres and 0% contained Rest Area Fire, Gray County, east of Amarillo – 7,931 acres and 50% contained Cottonwood Creek Fire, San Saba County, south of Brownwood – 633.2 acres and 95% contained Duval 1256 Fire, Duval County, east of Nuevo Laredo – 57 acres and 50% contained Lake Pasture Fire, Refugio, south of Victoria – 300 acres and 50% contained Saddle Fire, Bandera County, south of Kerrville – 17 acres and 95% contained Hargill Reservoir Fire, Hidalgo County, northwest of Brownsville – 13 acres and 95% contained The Texas A&M Forest Service continues to provide updates on its website.

Dallas Morning News [3/15/2025 12:58 PM, Matt Kyle, 2778K] reports an elevated wildfire threat will remain in Dallas and much of North Texas next week, according to the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office. On Saturday, the fire threat continues for much of Central Texas, though winds in the Dallas area will mainly be between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph possible. Sunday will be mostly calm, before the wildfire threat returns to an elevated or critical level Monday through Wednesday, according to the Weather Service. The elevated fire threats come after high winds stirred up dust storms and sparked wildfires in West and North Texas as well as Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. Two wildfires were reported in Wise County: One near Springtown, and the other in Decatur, according to the Wise County Office of Emergency Management. Dust storms and high winds near Amarillo created low visibility conditions and traffic accidents, leaving at least three dead. A traffic accident involving around 38 cars was also reported. The deaths come as a massive storm system moving across the country unleashed winds that triggered deadly dust storms and fanned more than 100 wildfires. More than 200 homes have been damaged or destroyed in Oklahoma due to fire, Gov. Kevin Stitt said at a Saturday news conference. Some 266 square miles (about 69 hectares) have burned so far in his state. In total, the extreme weather has killed at least 17 people.

Yahoo! News [3/15/2025 4:17 PM, Anthony Torres, 52868K] reports the Texas A&M Forest Service reported a wildfire burning Saturday in Gillespie County near Fredericksburg. At 2:12 p.m., the fire was estimated at 400 acres. In an update at 4:20 p.m., there was zero containment, according to Fredericksburg Fire and EMS. “The fire has moved across Highway 16 North & is headed towards FM1631. Anyone in the path should evacuate immediately,” officials said. Officials said a shelter is available at Faith Baptist Church at 3022 N. State Highway 16. Officials named the blaze the Crabapple fire and couldn’t confirm if any structures or livestock have been impacted at this time. The Austin Fire Department said dispatchers have received calls about smoke in the Austin area, and they are attributing it to the wildfire. Yahoo! News [3/15/2025 5:19 PM, Steven Ardary, 52868K] reports the Texas A&M Forest Service said a wildfire in Gillespie County has grown to more than 8600 acres Saturday night as crews work to contain it. Fredericksburg Fire and EMS said the grass fire started around 1 p.m. Saturday in the 8700 block of Lower Crabapple Road. Forestry service officials said suppression aircraft were coming to assist crews on the ground. "At this point, there is no containment," Fredericksburg Fire Chief Lynn Bizzell said. "Our goal is to stop the forward progress with air suppression from TDEM and the Texas A&M Forest Service. Our crews are also working behind the fire to make sure embers do not cause more fires. Currently, embers are flying up to half of mile and causing more fires in the area. Our resources are working to protect structures."

KFOR [3/15/2025 2:41 PM, Kari King, Mario Gonzalez] reports Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt spoke Saturday morning to address the widespread damage after high winds fueled wildfires in much of the state on Friday. Today, Governor Stitt signed Executive Order 2025-06 declaring a State of Emergency in Cleveland, Creek, Dewey, Grady, Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, Pawnee, Payne, Pottawatomie, Roger Mills, and Stephens counties following devastating fires across the state. The emergency declaration temporarily suspends requirements for size and weight permits of oversized vehicles transporting materials and supplies used for emergency relief and power restoration. There were over 130 fires throughout 44 counties. Hurricane force winds were strong enough to overturn semi-trucks and caused damage to many structures throughout the state. According to Gov. Kevin Stitt, about 170,000 acres have burned across Oklahoma, and Oklahoma Forestry Service is currently working to find the exact numbers. Stitt said he received a report Friday night that about 293 homes and structures were destroyed. The Director of Oklahoma Emergency Management (OEM), Annie Mack Vest, followed up with the latest reports as of Saturday morning, saying over 200 homes were lost from the fires. Mack said the damages are ongoing with fires still smoldering across the state and teams are currently performing search and rescue. The state was in contact with the federal emergency management agency and got approved for eight fire management assistance grants, which will reimburse the response cost of the state government, the local government, and fire departments. FEMA and the Small Business Administration are expected to assess the damages next week. No reports of any fatalities from homes involved in the fires.

Newsweek [3/15/2025 1:50 PM, Mandy Taheri] reports Oklahoma’s Department of Emergency Management (OEM) has reported more than 130 wildfires across more than three dozen counties as extreme weather threatens millions of people across the region. Friday’s weather conditions, including high winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation, "came together to produce what may ultimately be a historic wildfire event for Oklahoma," Patrick Marsh, chief of the science and support branch at the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center, told Newsweek on Saturday afternoon. Over 130 blazes were active throughout the state late Friday, with high winds whipping through the Plains. Fires also broke out in neighboring Texas as a massive storm system is sweeping across the United States. Deadly tornados have killed at least 16 people, according to the Associated Press, with majority of the deaths in Missouri. Wildfires have erupted across the U.S., with major blazes in California and New York, so far this year, largely fueled by dry conditions and strong winds. Extreme weather conditions have exacerbated the severity and spread of fires. Fires ripped through Oklahoma on Friday, driven by dry vegetation and extremely strong winds, spreading rapidly across the state. As of Friday evening, 44 counties across Oklahoma are experiencing active wildfires, affecting more than half of the state. OEM reported that strong winds have caused roof damage, overturned vehicles, and downed trees and power lines across multiple counties. At least four people had died from car crashes during the extreme weather, The New York Times reported on Saturday. Some of the fires are continuing, according to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry, which identified the New State fire in Pittsburg County to have burned 200 acres and 90 percent contained. Other fires range between 0 and 80 percent contained. According to Saturday update, the largest fire in the state is in Roger Mills and Dewey County, with over 27,500 acres burned and 0 percent contained.

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Yahoo! News [3/15/2025 6:35 PM, Kari King, 52868K]
Yahoo! News [3/15/2025 11:59 PM, Staff, 52868K]

Yahoo! News [3/15/2025 11:04 PM, Matthew Reisen, 52868K] reports officials say a power line sparked a wildfire outside Wagon Mound that torched more than 15,000 acres but was largely contained by Saturday afternoon. George Ducker, state Forestry Division spokesman, said the Mogote Hill Fire had burned mainly grassland and was 50% contained. Ducker said he did not know which company owned the utility line or how it caused the blaze. In recent weeks, power companies statewide proposed power shutoffs to deter wildfire risk as gusty winds, some up to 70 mph, buffeted the state. The blaze sparked around noon Friday on private land east of Interstate 25, south of Wagon Mound, and at one point, led to two homes being evacuated, Ducker said. No structures were damaged and no more are threatened. "Today, crews worked to mop up the Mogote Hill Fire’s perimeter and secure drainages, with good precipitation on the incident area," he said Saturday. Some firefighters have been sent home, while those still assigned to the blaze will continue checking for hotspots through Sunday.

CBS Miami [3/15/2025 7:06 PM, Hunter Geisel, 51661K] reports a search is underway for a missing diver who was last seen just off the coast of Pompano Beach on Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The USCG said on X that its air and surface teams are actively searching for 24-year-old Jack Levine, who "reportedly failed to resurface while diving" about two miles off Pompano Beach. He is said to be last been seen wearing a black wetsuit. A beach rentals employee told CBS News Miami that the surf has been rough in the area all day and rarely anyone has been going into the water due to the waves. If anyone has seen Levine or has any information that may help the search, they are asked to call the USCG’s Miami Sector at (305) 535-4472.

Reported similarly:
Miami Herald [3/15/2025 4:12 PM, Milena Malaver, 3973K]

Yahoo! News [3/15/2025 3:10 PM, Joey Swanson, 52868K] reports the search for a missing free diver almost 70 miles west of Naples has been suspended after new developments, according to the Coast Guard. The coast guard did not share what the new information was. This missing man is 36-year-old Drake Sweet. He was reported missing after he didn’t resurface while free-diving with a friend on Thursday. Sweet’s friend and the vessel they were on are safe. So far, crews have searched about 4,275 square miles.

AP [3/15/2025 2:04 PM, Sarah Parvini] reports the FBI and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are warning against a dangerous ransomware scheme. In an advisory posted earlier this week, government officials warned that a ransomware-as-a-service software called Medusa, which has launched ransomware attacks since 2021, has recently affected hundreds of people. To protect against the ransomware, officials recommended patching operating systems, software and firmware, in addition to using multifactor authentication for all services such as email and VPNs. Experts also recommended using long passwords, and warned against frequently recurring password changes because they can weaken security. Since February, Medusa developers and affiliates have hit more than 300 victims across industries, including the medical, education, legal, insurance, technology and manufacturing sectors, CISA said.

Yahoo! News [3/15/2025 5:48 PM, Staff, 52868K] reports a network security incident has impacted school district computer systems in Cherokee County, according to the County Interim Superintendent. Officials say that they are responding to the breach and are working with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department to determine the cause as well as the extent of the breach. The district advised that students and staff should avoid logging in or connecting to the school district’s network. “The security of our students, staff, and community is our highest priority,” said Dr. Thomas White Jr. the Interim Superintendent for the Cherokee School District. “We are working diligently with state law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to address this matter. District officials believe that there are no other dangers associated with the breach.

Yahoo! News [3/15/2025 8:01 PM, Volodymyr Ivanyshyn, 52868K] reports Polish President Andrzej Duda denounced Russia for its "imperial greed" in a wide-ranging interview with the BBC published on March 15. Duda called on the U.S. to deploy its nuclear weapons to Poland in an interview published on March 13. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said he would be "shocked" if the U.S. fulfilled Poland’s request in response to Duda later that day. "Ukraine must be sovereign and independent because otherwise there will be no peace, it will only be the end of the war due to the occupation of Ukraine by Russia," Duda said. The Polish president expressed his trust in U.S. President Donald Trump in resolving Russia’s war against Ukraine, saying accusations that Trump does not want to see Ukraine at the negotiating table are "false." "(A)s I understand it, President Trump does not want to be a participant, but rather a mediator," Duda said. The Polish leader noted that Ukraine’s meeting with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia on March 11 ended on a positive note. At the bilateral meeting, the White House agreed to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. Ukraine agreed to a U.S. proposal for a temporary 30-day ceasefire, Russia did not.

Reuters [3/15/2025 4:00 PM, Staff, 41523K] reports President Donald Trump said on Saturday that General Keith Kellogg’s role has been narrowed from special envoy for Ukraine and Russia to only Ukraine, after Russian officials had sought to exclude him from talks aiming to end the war. "General Kellogg, a Highly Respected Military Expert, will deal directly with President (Volodymyr Zelenskiy), and Ukrainian leadership," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "He knows them well, and they have a very good working relationship together.” Russian officials had communicated to their counterparts in the United States that they did not want Kellogg involved in top-level discussions aimed at ending the Ukraine war, sources told Reuters this week. Some high-ranking former Russian officials have complained that Kellogg was, in their view, too sympathetic to Kyiv. Kellogg, 80, has been personally absent from some high-level discussions in recent weeks, including a meeting involving U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio with a Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The U.S. and Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire in principle during their meeting in Saudi Arabia. But Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested on Thursday that the ceasefire bid needs serious reworking. Kellogg was also absent at a high-level meeting with Russians in Saudi Arabia in February.

The New York Times [3/15/2025 4:48 PM, Eric Schmitt and Jonathan Swan, 3973K] reports the United States carried out large-scale military strikes on Saturday against dozens of targets in Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, President Trump announced. It was the opening salvo in what senior American officials said was a new offensive against the militants and a strong message to Iran, as Mr. Trump seeks a nuclear deal with its government. Air and naval strikes ordered by Mr. Trump hit radars, air defenses, and missile and drone systems in an effort to open international shipping lanes in the Red Sea that the Houthis have disrupted for months with their own attacks. At least one senior Houthi commander was targeted. The Biden administration conducted several strikes against the Houthis but largely failed to restore stability to the region. U.S. officials said the bombardment, the most significant military action of Mr. Trump’s second term so far, was also meant to send a warning signal to Iran. Mr. Trump wants to broker a deal with Iran to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon, but has left open the possibility of military action if the Iranians rebuff negotiations. “Today, I have ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen,” Mr. Trump said in a message on Truth Social. “They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones.” Mr. Trump then pivoted to Iran’s rulers in Tehran: “To Iran: Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT threaten the American People, their President, who has received one of the largest mandates in Presidential History, or Worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable.” U.S. officials said that airstrikes against the Houthis’ arsenal, much of which is buried deep underground, could last for several weeks, intensifying in scope and scale depending on the militants’ reaction. U.S. intelligence agencies have struggled in the past to identify and locate the Houthi weapons systems, which the rebels produce in subterranean factories and smuggle in from Iran. AP [3/15/2025 6:34 PM, Michelle L. Price, Lolita C. Baldor And Samy Magdy, 35355K] reports images online showed plumes of black smoke over the area of the Sanaa airport complex, which includes a sprawling military facility. At least 13 people were killed, said Anees al-Asbahi, spokesman for the Houthi-run health ministry. In a statement on social media, he said another nine were wounded. A U.S. official said this was the beginning of air strikes on Houthi targets that are expected to continue. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press. Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, said the airstrikes won’t deter them and they would retaliate against the U.S. “Sanaa will remain Gaza’s shield and support and will not abandon it no matter the challenges,” he added on social media. Another spokesman, Mohamed Abdulsalam, on X, called Trump’s claims that the Houthis threaten international shipping routes “false and misleading.” The airstrikes come a few days after the Houthis said they would resume attacks on Israeli vessels sailing off Yemen in response to Israel’s latest blockade on Gaza. They described the warning as affecting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Arabian Sea. There have been no Houthi attacks reported since then.

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